in just one afternoon

A three-tomoe Sharingan at the age of ten—throughout the history of the Uchiha clan, no one had ever seen such an early awakening of such powerful eyes. If word got out, it wouldn't just shock the Uchiha clan; the entire village of Konoha would be shaken.

The three-tomoe Sharingan was the standard of a seasoned Jonin among the Uchiha. If certain "power holders" caught wind of this, would his life still be peaceful? Forget about perverts like Orochimaru and Danzo—especially that scheming old man Danzo—even within the Uchiha clan, there would be people who wouldn't take kindly to his existence.

For years, he had grown used to being called an outcast. Though people didn't insult him to his face, the meaning behind their words was clear. His mother had taken him away from the Uchiha clan because of it.

"Why? Isn't having a Kekkei Genkai something to be proud of? Why can't others know about it?" Kushina tilted her head in confusion.

Liuyun let out a deep sigh.

"You're still young, so you can't see the darkness of this world. But just because you don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist..."

He paused for a moment, realizing that this wasn't something she could understand yet.

There was no need to burden her with such thoughts.

"In short, don't mention my Sharingan or tell anyone about it. Unless, of course, you want me to die." Liuyun deliberately made his voice serious.

"Ah… Okay! I'll be careful from now on!" Seeing his solemn expression, Kushina didn't dare take his words lightly.

After giving her repeated assurances, she suddenly seemed to remember something. Staring at Liuyun with wide, expectant eyes, she asked, "Will you show me your eyes after school?"

"..."

"Fine, fine, I'll show you. But you have to keep your promise and never tell anyone." Liuyun sighed, feeling helpless.

"Okay!" Kushina beamed, clearly excited—though she wasn't entirely sure why.

Liuyun didn't understand it either. He figured it was just the natural curiosity of a girl who liked to know secrets.

The Test Begins

"No. 18, Uzumaki Kushina."

The Chunin instructor called Kushina's name, and she walked up excitedly. She threw her kunai and shuriken, landing five hits out of six, though none of them were close to the bullseye. Her accuracy was average at best.

"Kushina, comprehensive score—72 points!"

The examiner noted her score, and the next name was called.

"Next, No. 19, Uchiha Liuyun."

As soon as his name was announced, a murmur spread among the students.

"It's Liuyun! This is his strongest subject."

"Let's see how he does!"

"Come on, Liuyun! Get a perfect score!"

Many of the girls in class cheered for him. Liuyun was quite popular—especially among the girls. He had a good temperament, was easygoing, and, of course, he was handsome. His popularity in class was second only to Minato, but as an Uchiha, he naturally had an edge.

"Liuyun! Do your best!" Kushina shouted, pumping her small fists in the air. Her voice was by far the loudest in the class.

"..."

Liuyun couldn't help but chuckle. Taking a deep breath, he picked up a kunai.

At that moment, the target twenty meters away seemed much closer, as if he could reach out and touch it. Even without activating his Sharingan, his enhanced perception made aiming effortless. If he wanted, he could hit a target a hundred meters away without difficulty.

He casually threw the first kunai.

Thud.

It hit the target, but it was a little off from the center.

The students watching were surprised—his first throw seemed unimpressive.

The second kunai left his hand, and this time, it hit the bullseye perfectly.

"Nice shot, Liuyun!" Kushina shouted excitedly.

"This is more like him. He must have been nervous on the first throw." One of the girls commented.

The third kunai was thrown, landing near the bullseye but not quite in the center.

Now it was time for the shuriken. Instead of throwing them one by one, Liuyun grabbed three at once and tossed them simultaneously.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

All three hit the target, though none landed directly in the bullseye.

The crowd erupted into cheers.

Throwing multiple shuriken at once and still hitting the target? That was a skill far above the average student. It was something expected from an Uchiha.

"Uchiha Liuyun, comprehensive score—90 points!"

The examiner recorded his result. The ability to throw multiple projectiles at once had given him bonus points, even if none had hit dead center.

Despite his high score, Liuyun looked slightly dissatisfied. But he wasn't the only one—his instructor also seemed a little skeptical.

"Liuyun, what happened? Your kunai throws weren't as precise as usual."

Liuyun scratched his head and replied, "Maybe I didn't sleep well last night..."

"..."

Not far away, Kushina froze.

Again?

That same excuse?

The same "panacea" explanation that could justify anything?

She was now absolutely certain—Liuyun was holding back on purpose.

Although she didn't know why, her curiosity about him had only grown stronger. In just one afternoon, she had unknowingly become more interested in him.

And it all started with that one sentence:

"Your hair color is nice... It's cute."

"Next, No. 23, Namikaze Minato!"

Finally, it was the future Fourth Hokage's turn.

With each throw, Minato hit the bullseye without fail. His performance was flawless.

The students erupted into applause, cheering loudly. His natural talent was undeniable.

Minato smiled brightly as he soaked in the praise, but when he glanced to the side, his expression stiffened slightly.

He saw a certain red-haired girl standing next to Liuyun, whispering to him instead of watching Minato's performance.

Kushina hadn't cheered for him. She hadn't even clapped.

Instead, she was standing there, completely focused on Liuyun.

Minato's sunny smile faltered.

Meanwhile, Kushina continued her interrogation.

"Tell me the truth, did you intentionally mess up your throws?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." Liuyun replied, feigning innocence.

"90 points, isn't that high? You think that's failing? You got 72, and you didn't fail! So how could i fail with 90?"

Liuyun casually stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked away.

"..."

For a moment, Kushina hesitated. What he said made sense.

But then, she had a realization.

"Wait a minute—no! That's not right!" She grabbed Liuyun's collar, a smug look on her face.

"The way you said that—it's exactly the same as when you lied before! You're playing dumb again!"

"!!!"

Liuyun's body stiffened. He stared at the triumphant little girl in shock.

How did she always see through him?

He thought he had acted flawlessly.

Was his deception that weak?

Or… was this damn girl just too smart?!