The leaders of the major ninja villages were no fools.
The Uchiha Clan was a prestigious ninja family with a history spanning thousands of years, and the Sharingan, after the loss of the Wood Release, was the most powerful Kekkei Genkai in the ninja world.
Many sought to obtain a Three-Tomoe Sharingan—after all, even Kakashi Hatake, with just one, had earned the titles of "Copy Ninja" and "Konoha's Technician" for allegedly copying over a thousand jutsu.
And copying techniques was only a Two-Tomoe ability.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan, known as the "Eye of Genjutsu," was on another level.
Yet, outsiders could never fully unlock the true power of the Sharingan.
Every Uchiha who wielded a fully awakened Three-Tomoe Sharingan was an elite Jonin, unmatched on the same level, capable of taking on opponents one-on-one with ease.
And within the Uchiha Clan, there were easily more than a dozen such individuals.
With so many powerful ninjas, along with others who had awakened One or Two-Tomoe Sharingan, plus a large number of regular clan members, wiping them all out in a single night should have been impossible—even for Itachi Uchiha, rumored to possess the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan.
Even if he had managed to do so, it wouldn't have been without any commotion.
Yet, the Uchiha Clan had indeed been wiped out in one night, and Itachi had successfully escaped from Konoha.
Something wasn't right.
There was no doubt that Konoha's higher-ups were involved.
To erase the most powerful clan in the village overnight required terrifying strength, ruthless tactics, and a complete disregard for consequences—something that shocked even the other ninja villages.
After the incident, the other villages merely sent spies to gather information, and once those failed, they let the matter go.
The Third Shinobi War had left every village weakened, and none had fully recovered yet.
Even Kumogakure, the Hidden Cloud Village, known for its opportunistic aggression, refrained from taking advantage of the situation.
Everyone was focused on maintaining balance and preparing for the next Great Ninja War.
Kenjiro didn't know all the details, but he could guess.
Having read the original story, he knew that the next few years would be relatively peaceful.
This was the perfect time to grow stronger.
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Sasuke Uchiha had been unconscious for a full week after being trapped in Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan illusion.
When he finally returned to class, he was a completely different person.
Before, Sasuke merely found the attention from his female classmates annoying but never openly rejected them or lashed out.
This passive response only encouraged them further.
But now, the girls who were usually thrilled to see Sasuke didn't dare approach him.
His presence had changed—his gaze was sharper, his aura colder. No one his age dared to get close, let alone make eye contact.
Only Kenjiro could see the truth—Sasuke was fragile yet stubborn.
He was wounded, both physically and emotionally, and in desperate need of warmth and healing.
Yet, his pride wouldn't allow him to accept anyone's sympathy.
Only Naruto Uzumaki, someone whose fate paralleled his own, could break through Sasuke's walls and earn his recognition.
That afternoon, after school, Kenjiro finally saw the scene he had been waiting for.
As the usual sparring sessions ended, students gathered into their small friend groups—some lingering at the academy, some heading home alone.
Sasuke had always been one of the loners, walking home by himself.
But today, instead of leaving, he approached Kenjiro and said the very same words that Kenjiro had once said to him:
"Kenjiro, do you want to fight?"
Hearing this, Kenjiro, who had purposely stayed at school today instead of walking home with Hinata, couldn't help but smile inwardly.
On the surface, though, he feigned surprise and looked at Sasuke, whose expression still carried a shadow of his past wounds.
With a teasing tone, he said "You weren't interested when I challenged you before. What changed?"
"Cut the crap. Don't tell me you're scared?" Sasuke retorted, his voice laced with provocation.
Before, he had only cared about training with Itachi, refusing to waste time on others.
Now, his family was gone.
His only reason for living was to kill Itachi and restore the Uchiha Clan.
To achieve that, he needed to grow stronger.
To restore his clan's honor, he needed to prove that the Uchiha were still superior.
And Kenjiro had become his target.
If he could defeat Kenjiro, he would prove his dominance over his peers.
Kenjiro didn't know what was running through Sasuke's mind.
But seeing him use provocation to mask his prideful nature, Kenjiro decided not to push further.
With a smile, he nodded. "Alright, let's do it."
"Good. We'll fight on the training grounds," Sasuke declared, his fighting spirit burning.
"No need for that," Kenjiro shook his head and grinned. "I know a better place."
Without another word, he turned and headed toward an abandoned training field.
Sasuke followed without hesitation.
The Uchiha Clan had been gone for a week. Obito Uchiha wouldn't be wandering around Konoha anymore—except on Rin Nohara's death anniversary.
Kenjiro had even gone to the cemetery to confirm the date, ensuring that in the future, he'd stay away from the outskirts of the village on that day.
For now, he could resume training in the wilderness.
Soon, they arrived at the training ground where Kenjiro and Hinata usually practiced.
The area was filled with signs of battle—scars on the earth, shattered trees, scorch marks and traces from different ninjutsu elements.
Seeing this, Sasuke's pupils shrank in shock.
If all these marks were left by Kenjiro…
Then didn't that mean he had already mastered all five nature transformations?
As far as Sasuke knew, Kenjiro was an orphan.
Sasuke had grown up with a father teaching him, yet Kenjiro had learned all this on his own.
Sasuke finally understood why this guy had always been a step ahead.
It wasn't luck—it was effort.
Realizing this, Sasuke's battle intent grew even stronger.
Fighting a worthy opponent like this would push him further.
Defeating him would prove his own strength.
"How do you want to do this?" Kenjiro asked, locking eyes with Sasuke. "Taijutsu only, or no rules?"
No rules—meaning anything goes.
Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, Substitution Jutsu, tools, and even elemental ninjutsu if they knew any—everything was fair game.
A no-rules duel was extremely dangerous.
The academy only introduced these battles in the final year, and even then, a referee and a medical ninja were always present.
Accidents were common.
If Iruka were here, he'd be horrified by Kenjiro's suggestion and stop them immediately.
But Sasuke didn't hesitate for a second.
"No rules!"
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