The ceiling had another crack in it.
Ren stared at it from his futon, still wrapped in the faded sheets that barely kept the cold out. It hadn't rained in weeks. That meant the building was just old. Crumbling. Like a lot of things in this village that people pretended were strong.
He shifted onto his side and stared at the clock ticking loudly on his desk.
4:57 a.m.
He'd beaten the alarm again.
"Another day of slow crawling toward power," he muttered, sitting up and pushing the blankets aside. The wooden floor greeted his feet like ice. He shivered, then stood. Today was chakra control practice. Again. And again. And again. Until it burned into muscle memory or broke him.
He walked over to the corner of the room, where a single leaf rested on the desk, weighted down by a cracked ceramic cup.
Leaf concentration exercise. Step one to anything chakra-related. Everyone in the academy had been taught it. Few took it seriously. Fewer still obsessed over it like he did.
Ren picked it up and pressed it against his forehead.
Focus. Balance the chakra. Steady flow. No surges. No stalling.
The leaf slipped.
"...Damn it."
—Repeat.
---
By the time the academy bell rang, Ren's forehead was damp with sweat and the leaf had only stayed on for three uninterrupted minutes.
Not enough.
Still, he didn't show his frustration. He moved through the day with his usual calm expression—neither friendly nor aloof, just... present. Listening. Watching. Blending in.
The instructors droned on about chakra nature theory. He absorbed every word, even when the others doodled or whispered. He already knew most of it, but he wasn't here for their benefit.
When physical training began, things got mildly interesting.
---
Sparring Field – Mid-Morning
"Next! Ren vs Tetsuya!"
Ren stepped into the sparring circle with a relaxed gait. Tetsuya was taller, louder, and very sure of himself. The kind of boy who bullied the younger students and bragged about being "Jōnin-born."
Ren didn't care about his background. Only his habits.
The whistle blew.
Tetsuya rushed in with a high punch. Obvious.
Ren ducked, twisted, and swept his leg.
The older boy fell.
Gasps from the crowd. The instructor raised an eyebrow.
Tetsuya scrambled up, red-faced and more cautious now.
They circled each other. This time, he came in slower, feinting a right. Ren didn't move.
Left. He'll try a low kick.
Tetsuya's foot came flying low—
Ren pivoted and caught the leg with his own, twisting and stepping in. Tetsuya hit the ground again.
"Winner: Ren."
Silence.
Then a few claps. Most were shocked. A couple looked annoyed.
Ren bowed, face blank.
"Don't stand out too much." He reminded himself. "But don't play weak, either. Just enough to be forgettable."
Still, as he walked back to his place in the line, he noticed something he didn't like.
Kakashi was watching him.
Eyes narrow. Curious.
"...Shit."
---
Later That Day – Empty Academy Hallway
Ren sat alone on a windowsill, a book in hand, though he wasn't reading. The system hadn't pinged in a week. Typical.
Then the screen shimmered into his vision like a mirage.
> System Alert:
Long-Term Mission Unlocked
Mission: Graduate from the Academy (Time Limit: 1 Year)
Reward: 100% Purity Uchiha Genetic Awakening
Note: Includes improved chakra circulation, enhanced Sharingan potential, and baseline physical boost.
Ren blinked slowly.
"…You're joking."
No answer, of course. The system was like a stingy landlord—gave you exactly what you paid for, and not a drop more.
But 100% Uchiha genes?
He grinned, just barely.
"So… you've finally decided to be useful."
---
Kakashi POV – Afternoon
He wasn't expecting anything out of the sparring sessions. They were predictable, dull. Half the students swung like toddlers.
But then he saw him—Ren.
Not a standout. Not flashy. Always quiet. Polite but distant.
Kakashi had assumed he was just another civilian-born kid trying to survive.
But the way he moved… it wasn't beginner's luck.
That sweep was intentional. That pivot was practiced. He'd read his opponent perfectly. Controlled the engagement from start to finish.
It was the kind of technique most of the other kids couldn't mimic even after months of training.
Kakashi crossed his arms.
"Interesting," he murmured. "He's been hiding."
Why?
---
Ren – That Night
He sat in the dark, window open, listening to the faint hum of Konoha life outside.
The mission reward glowed faintly in the back of his mind.
100% Uchiha genes. Sharingan included.
It was what this body was supposed to have, maybe. But fate—or the genetics lottery—had other ideas.
Now he could fix that.
He clenched his fist.
No shortcuts. No delusions. But when the opportunity came, you took it.
"War is coming," he whispered, looking up at the cracked ceiling again.
"And I plan to walk out of it standing."
--