Izayoi didn't immediately check out the power of his newly acquired Sage Eyes.
First, he composed himself and focused on healing Sasuke's injuries.
Glancing at the boy's dark-circled eyes, Izayoi felt a pang of sympathy. Sasuke clearly hadn't slept well in quite some time.
The Naruto world is full of orphans with tragic fates. But when someone starts out with a happy home and then loses everything, Izayoi could only recall two: Nagato and Sasuke Uchiha.
Compared to Nagato—who at least had Yahiko, Konan, and Jiraiya—Sasuke was "arranged" by Itachi to walk a far harsher path.
From start to finish, he was either hell-bent on revenge or, upon finally learning the truth and contemplating revolution, got instantly shut down by the one friend he'd come to respect.
Afterward, he roamed the ninja world, gathering information on the Otsutsuki clan, rarely returning home. If Izayoi didn't step in, Sasuke might have an even bleaker life than in the original storyline.
In canon, Sasuke was the most popular student at the Academy before graduation—number one in class—yet now he could only realistically fight for third place behind Izayoi (the current top student) and Hinata (the runner-up). And he would keep getting upstaged, all while watching "dead-last" Naruto outpace him at crazy speed.
"Should I give him a hand?"
Izayoi wondered. At that moment, Sasuke, who had passed out after crashing to the ground, began to come around. Izayoi looked into Sasuke's bloodshot eyes and made up his mind.
"You're not in good shape right now. Go home and take some time to recover. Come back to me when you're in top form," Izayoi said.
Sasuke didn't reply. He pulled himself up to a seated position, touching the newly-healed—but faintly scarred—wound on his chest.
Memories of the fight flashed through his mind. Whether taijutsu or ninjutsu, he hadn't come close to matching Izayoi.
The fluidity of Izayoi's assault—and the solid stance powering that rapid-fire speed—were simply on another level. Then he noticed the scar and the faint glow of the healing jutsu that had faded. Izayoi could also do medical ninjutsu…
These realizations made Sasuke's sense of defeat even stronger.
"I lost," he muttered. Sasuke wasn't the type to deny a clear defeat. It reminded Izayoi of Naruto's attitude—neither harbored any grudge against him. Besides, Sasuke had to admit he'd suddenly hurled a dangerous jutsu mid-fight, so he had no one but himself to blame for things going south.
"It was just luck," Izayoi said, patting Sasuke's shoulder and honestly praising him. "You're damn good. I always figured I was the only one in class with elemental ninjutsu, but here you are, using Fire Release. You really live up to the name 'Uchiha Prodigy.'"
After that, Izayoi stood and offered Sasuke a hand. "Today, I had the advantage. Let's do this again sometime."
Looking at Izayoi—who didn't show a scrap of arrogance and even offered him praise—Sasuke felt a small surge of warmth. A smile finally touched his face for the first time since he woke up. Taking Izayoi's hand, he grinned. "I won't lose next time!"
Izayoi pulled him up, then held out his index and middle fingers. "Well, you'd better train hard. I'm no pushover."
"Just you wait." Sasuke's eyes burned with renewed determination. He locked fingers with Izayoi, performing the Seal of Reconciliation.
That sight was being reflected in a clear, glassy crystal ball at that very moment. Hiruzen Sarutobi, pipe in hand, exhaled a puff of smoke and gave a gratified smile.
"The new leaves have begun to sprout."
At this fragile stage in Sasuke's life, the Third Hokage had no intention of abandoning him.
After all, he'd promised Itachi to take care of Sasuke and wanted to give Itachi the peace of mind to continue as a double agent.
Hidden Anbu had been tailing Sasuke discreetly ever since the clan's downfall. The moment Sasuke and Izayoi left the Academy for that deserted training ground, Hiruzen was informed.
Luckily, Izayoi hadn't been muttering to himself or acting in any bizarre way. Otherwise, the Yamanaka clan's mind-reading might have been used on him.
Hiruzen was no stranger to Izayoi. This year's new crop of students was exceptional—Naruto, several clan heirs, and this "civilian" who had outperformed them all. Izayoi had already caught Hiruzen's eye by mastering the Shadow Clone Jutsu and a low-level Wind Release, and for training out in that abandoned ground with the Hyuga heiress.
Each era has its civilian prodigies: Orochimaru, Minato Namikaze, the obscure Yakushi Kabuto.
Even Kakashi Hatake can be considered one, as he technically had no bloodline limit. Compared to them, Izayoi might not rank first in legendary potential, but he was enough of a genius to warrant special attention. With proper guidance, he'd at least reach "all-round Jonin," or even rise to "elite Jonin" if he acquired a forbidden technique.
…
After parting ways with Sasuke, Izayoi began walking home, all the while calling up his personal interface—visible only to him. At the very top of his talent list, Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red) was no longer followed by Super-Kage Aptitude (Gold), but by Sage Eyes (Red) instead.
So far, Izayoi felt no immediate change, but he was sure something unseen was happening within him. "Sage Eyes," in this sense, aren't the genuine Rinnegan; it's the unique power belonging to Indra Otsutsuki, inherited from the Yin Release chakra of the Sage of Six Paths—representing the ultimate manifestation of yin power.
Moreover, this entry isn't Indra's own chakra. That means Izayoi's newly acquired "pure yin power" comes directly from Hagoromo Otsutsuki, not containing Indra's will.
Normally, a reincarnation would need Hagoromo's approval or have to develop this power through growth and innate talent. But Izayoi doesn't need such steps—he can become as strong as Indra far more quickly. Over the next few years, his spiritual energy and Yin-Release chakra would likely explode in growth.
"So I've basically become a second Indra Otsutsuki, huh?"
Izayoi mused with a hidden smile. If he could see Indra's talent entries, he was sure Indra wouldn't have something like "Uchiha Bloodline," but rather a higher-level Otsutsuki Bloodline.
That's what gave Indra nearly limitless eye power without ever having to transplant eyes. Given that Izayoi, too, can cast Five-Element Ninjutsu without any hand seals, it's likely Indra's own Otsutsuki blood was also Red tier. It certainly wasn't higher than that, or else he wouldn't have needed both yin and yang from Asura to awaken the Rinnegan.
In other words, Izayoi has become a second Indra. Only when he upgrades his Otsutsuki Bloodline to an even higher level would he become another Hagoromo or Hamura Otsutsuki.
~~~
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