CHAPTER 10: Evaluation

Chapter 10: Evaluation

The moon hung high above the Uchiha compound, casting silvery light across the rooftops and into the quiet courtyards below. On one of the balconies overlooking the training grounds, Kaname Uchiha stood with a cigarette loosely hanging between her fingers. Her long, raven-black hair was tied in a loose ponytail, swaying slightly with the gentle breeze. She exhaled a thin plume of smoke, her sharp eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Yuri Shinto…" she muttered to herself.

The mission they had just completed replayed vividly in her mind. There had been no hesitation in the boy's movements, no tremble in his voice, and no flicker of doubt in his eyes when she motioned for him to eliminate the rogue ninja. It had been clean, silent, and absolute. Kaname had watched many young genin freeze up in their first real confrontation, crumble under the pressure of having to take a life. But Yuri—he treated it like it was routine, as if he had done it dozens of times before.

"A perfect ninja…" she said aloud, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cold-blooded, efficient, perceptive. Yuri was everything a shinobi was trained to be. Kaname remembered her own first kill—how her hands had trembled, how her stomach had turned until she vomited behind a tree. She had spent nights afterwards questioning herself. But Yuri… he simply wiped the blood off his senbon, straightened his stance, and waited for the next order.

She leaned against the balcony rail, flicking the ash off her cigarette. The kid was only nine years old. And yet, he was already operating on a level that rivaled some Chūnin. His control, his tactics—Kaname had seen seasoned ANBU with less composure.

Then, there was his appearance. Pale skin, dark hair, and eyes sharp enough to cut glass. He looked more like an Uchiha than some of her own kin. She had even asked herself more than once, was he perhaps an Uchiha born outside the clan? But there was no record of it. No bloodline connection she could find. Maybe it was just coincidence… or maybe there was more to Yuri Shinto than he let on.

She extinguished her cigarette and stepped inside. "Time will tell," she muttered as she shut the sliding door behind her.

The next morning, a light mist hung over the training grounds as birds chirped lazily in the trees. Yuri stood by the old wooden fence that marked the edge of the training field. Dressed in a plain black shirt and shinobi pants, he looked calm, even bored. But his eyes were alert.

Kaname arrived moments later, hands in her pockets and a warm smile on her face. "How long have you been waiting, Yuri?"

"A couple minutes," he replied curtly.

Kaname nodded. "Good. Punctuality is important. Today we won't be doing any missions. Instead, I want to test your capabilities directly. Think of it as an assessment—to determine where your strengths lie and what I need to work on with you."

Yuri gave a small nod in understanding. He stepped onto the field and took a combat stance, his face now an unreadable mask.

Kaname cracked her knuckles. "Whenever you're ready."

In a blink, Yuri launched into action. He moved with precision, his hands flashing through signs—"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A shadow clone erupted beside him and dashed toward Kaname.

The clone engaged Kaname in close combat. It was quick—too quick for a normal genin. Kaname was impressed by the coordination. As she parried a punch, her senses flared. She twisted, delivering a spinning roundhouse to a second Yuri sneaking up behind her.

The clone dispersed in smoke.

Kaname leaped backward, eyes scanning. "Two clones? No… one real. Where's the original?"

She glanced to the side—and there he was. Standing exactly where he had been at the start.

Kaname raised an eyebrow. "Cloak of Invisibility Technique?"

Yuri gave a brief nod. "Yes."

"Where did you learn that?"

"From a retired ninja," he answered, carefully omitting any specifics.

Kaname grinned slightly. Smart. Don't give away your sources. She resumed her stance, then suddenly vanished.

Yuri barely had time to react. She appeared behind him, foot swinging in a precise arc aimed at the back of his head. He ducked, feeling the rush of air from the strike, then spun low with a sweeping kick aimed at her legs.

Kaname leaped over it effortlessly, forming a hand sign mid-air. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"

Small fireballs erupted toward Yuri, and he reacted quickly, slamming his hands to the ground. "Doton: Doryūheki!"

A wall of earth rose to shield him. The fireballs impacted with a loud hiss, steam rising from the scorched wall. Kaname landed gracefully, only to see two more shadow clones flanking her sides with drawn kunai.

"He's good," she admitted inwardly.

She ducked low, spinning with a sweeping kick that dispersed both clones, only for her feet to be grabbed from below. She looked down—another Yuri, hidden beneath the ground, had seized her ankles.

"Got you," he said calmly.

But Kaname smirked. "Really?"

In the next instant, the scene shimmered. The entire field shifted. Yuri's surroundings warped, and suddenly he was the one on the ground—paralyzed, bound by genjutsu.

He blinked in surprise. "When did…?"

Kaname appeared above him, arms crossed. "Right after you grabbed me. You made direct eye contact. Rookie mistake."

Yuri sighed. The genjutsu melted away, revealing the real training field. He was standing upright again, untouched.

"Still," Kaname said thoughtfully, "that was… impressive. You have solid fundamentals. You think several steps ahead, use clones creatively, and aren't afraid to combine elemental ninjutsu mid-combat. Not bad for a first-year genin."

Yuri bowed slightly in thanks.

But inside, Kaname was thinking more seriously. "This kid fights like an ANBU. Tactical, lethal, and controlled. The way he layered his techniques—it's advanced. He's not just good. He's dangerous."

She smiled warmly to him. "Alright, Yuri. That's enough for today. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll begin more specialized training."

Yuri nodded, but he remained quiet.

As he walked away from the field, Kaname stayed back, watching his retreating form with narrowed eyes.

"I need to be careful," she whispered. "This boy… he might become one of Konoha's greatest assets… or its deadliest shadow."

Chapter End.