Fugaku: "???"
Shisui: "???"
Both of them froze at the confession from Kaze, their faces shifting from confusion to sheer disbelief.
In their minds, Kaze had always been the "bottom of the barrel" of the Uchiha clan.
He hadn't unlocked the Sharingan.
His taijutsu was, well, forgettable at best.
He could barely manage the Uchiha clan's signature Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, and when he did, it looked like an overcooked marshmallow.
His battle skills were so lacking, even Sasuke (who hadn't even entered the ninja academy yet) could probably outperform him.
Becoming a Chūnin at all was only possible because he was riding the coattails of the Uchiha clan's name.
Had he been born into an average family, he'd probably still be a Genin, working on his skills at the academy.
And yet...
Here he was, this bottom-tier member of the clan, suddenly proclaiming he had developed a new jutsu.
And not just any jutsu. He blew up his own roof with it?!
Are you kidding me?!
Fugaku's throat ran dry as he turned his head to glance back toward his house.
The distance between the two houses wasn't too short, but it wasn't exactly long either. Roughly 60 to 70 meters, maybe?
Generally speaking, ninjutsu that travels over distance loses its potency as it flies.
This meant that if Kaze had aimed at a target up close, the power of his attack would've been boosted by at least 30 percent!
Fugaku swallowed hard and muttered under his breath, "To release a Lightning Jutsu like that, you'd need to be at least a Jōnin, right?"
Shisui, still stunned, thought the same thing.
What was even more puzzling was the fact that after unleashing such a powerful jutsu, Kaze wasn't even breaking a sweat. Not a single bead of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He looked as calm as someone who had just thrown a kunai for fun.
"What the heck is going on with his chakra reserves?" Shisui thought, feeling like he was watching a live demonstration of "How to Suddenly Gain Ridiculous Power in Five Easy Steps."
It was as though Kaze had somehow leveled up... like he had unlocked a cheat code.
Shisui couldn't help but wonder: "Did he accidentally eat a chakra-enhancing ramen or something? Because this is getting ridiculous."
But then, Shisui's eyes narrowed in realization. He saw the three tomoe spinning in Kaze's Sharingan, and his heart skipped a beat.
"Clan Leader," Shisui said, his voice low and filled with disbelief. "His Sharingan... it's fully awakened. He has three tomoe."
Fugaku's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to Shisui. "When did he awaken his Sharingan?" he asked, voice serious but curious.
Kaze hesitated for a moment before answering, feeling the weight of the conversation. "I unlocked it when I was five... but I didn't stop there. I awakened the second tomoe a while ago... and the third... just recently."
Fugaku looked at Kaze, an unreadable expression on his face. "Why have you been hiding this? All this time, you could've been an asset to the clan."
Kaze sighed, looking at the ground. "I've been afraid of the village higher-ups. I didn't want to attract attention. If they found out... I could've gone missing during a mission, just like so many others."
His words hung in the air, and Fugaku slowly nodded, understanding the unspoken fears of the younger generation.
(T/N: That's right. Just blame Danzo. Besides even if I have to rewrite the original, I won't make him low-key. Honestly hate low-key protagonists.)
Soon, the younger generation of the Uchiha clan quickly figured out the source of the attack.
One by one, they arrived at Kaze's house.
On the utility poles, the rooftops of nearby buildings...
They were all Uchiha!
It felt like they were being surrounded.
Kaze stood there, feeling the weight of hundreds of Sharingan staring at him. It was like being under a thousand magnifying glasses, each one analyzing every single inch of him. It was the kind of feeling that made you wonder if you should start sweating or just pretend you didn't notice.
Fugaku raised both hands, signaling that the night's events had been a false alarm.
"No one had invaded the Uchiha compound."
That lightning jutsu that had split the night sky had actually been developed by Kaze!
But as soon as he said that, all the Uchiha ninjas present erupted in disbelief.
"What? That kid Kaze did it?"
"You're kidding, right? The distance from here to the Clan Leader's house is at least 70 or 80 meters! A lightning jutsu that powerful? Even I, with my Sharingan, couldn't do it."
"I thought Kaze was always the weakest. How did he suddenly get this strong?"
"Could it be that Kaze was under a genjutsu, and thought he did it, but someone else is behind it?"
"That's possible. Kaze hasn't unlocked the Sharingan, so he can't resist genjutsu like we can."
For a moment, the Uchiha ninjas gathered near Kaze's house began to murmur among themselves.
None of them believed that Kaze could have done such a thing.
The more radical members of the clan began to propose conspiracy theories.
They believed it was likely the work of Anbu ninjas.
Then they would pin the blame on Kaze.
But at that moment, one of the Uchiha ninjas, narrowing his eyes, suddenly spoke up.
"Wait a second... he's awakened the Sharingan."
The others quickly turned their attention to Kaze, their eyes widening as they took in the sight of the three tomoe swirling in his eyes.
"Wait... what? Kaze has a Sharingan?"
"Three tomoe! When did that happen?"
The whispers grew louder as the realization hit.
The murmurs around the group grew more intense.
"So he's had it all along? A hidden genius..."
"Three tomoe at his age? That's incredible!"
"Looks like he's been hiding his true potential. This explains the jutsu."
"Wait, so that lightning jutsu... he really created it, didn't he?"
"After all, he's a genius! Who else could do something like that?"
The clan members exchanged looks of shock and admiration.
However, the Uchiha clan members present didn't linger on this matter for long.
Although they didn't fully understand how Kaze had awakened a three-tomoe Sharingan, but for the clan now...
It was unquestionably a positive development.
Even the clan leader, Fugaku, showed a look of relief.
"With another genius, the strength to stand against the Third Hokage has grown even stronger."
Fugaku's gaze slightly hardened.
As for Kaze's destruction of his own roof, compared to the lightning jutsu he had just demonstrated…
Fugaku wasn't particularly bothered by it.
After all, things like a damaged roof could be fixed with a bit of effort. The more important thing was the jutsu Kaze had showcased.
"By the way, Kaze, you're already fifteen this year, right?" Fugaku asked, breaking the silence.
(T/N: I honestly doubt if having 3 tomoe at 15 is a genius, but hey at least its better than those who awaken it in their 20s or 30s.)
"Yes." Kaze nodded.
He had expected to be scolded for blowing up Fugaku's roof, but surprisingly, everyone's attitude was quite friendly.
"Good." Fugaku continued, his voice thoughtful. "With the rising tensions between the Uchiha clan and the higher-ups in Konoha, things have become more strained than ever."
"At a time like this, the Uchiha clan can only hope for more powerful members to emerge."
Kaze, now calmer after the initial shock, relaxed and felt more at ease in front of Fugaku and the others.
"From now on, you should attend the Uchiha clan meetings as well, Kaze." Fugaku said, crossing his arms over his chest, an unexpected invitation in his tone.
Until now, Fugaku had always refrained from letting Kaze participate in clan meetings. The reason was simple: Kaze had never awakened the Sharingan and was considered weak by Uchiha standards.
But now, after witnessing Kaze's performance tonight, Fugaku's view had changed. His opinion of Kaze had shifted significantly.
"Clan meeting?" Kaze blinked in confusion.
Thinking it over, he realized that Uchiha clan meetings were usually exclusive to young male members of the clan. He had never seen any of the women, or children attending.
Given all this, being invited to a clan meeting felt like a personal acknowledgment from Fugaku himself.
Kaze quickly scanned the faces of those around him. The others seemed pleased with the news, smiling warmly at him.
However…
While everyone else was excited for Kaze to join future clan meetings, Shisui raised an eyebrow, his thoughts drifting in a different direction.
As one of the clan's young elite, Shisui not only had the qualifications to attend the meetings but had always been a core member of them. However, the recent meetings had mainly focused on complaints about Konoha's higher-ups. Some of the more radical members even showed signs of rebellion.
If Kaze were just an ordinary person, it wouldn't have been an issue. But with the three-tomoe Sharingan and his newfound lightning release abilities...
If certain radical Uchiha ideologies started to sway him…
Shisui felt a growing responsibility to keep a closer watch on Kaze. He would need to guide him, instill the Will of Fire, and make sure he stayed on the right path.
"By the way, I'll need to report tonight's events to Lord Hokage sometime soon," Shisui thought to himself, already planning his next course of action.
(T/N: And so, Kaze steps onto the Konoha politics chessboard. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to let me know if anything needs changing or if I missed something.)