That night, Uchiha Tatsumi finally heard the familiar mechanical voice of the system.
"Congratulations, host. The system upgrade is complete."
Tatsumi immediately opened the interface.
This time, the layout had slightly changed.
---
Host: Uchiha Tatsumi
Affiliation: Land of Fire, Konohagakure
Age: 6
Overall Strength Index: Comparable to a newly promoted Chūnin
Chakra Control: Level 4 (0/4000)
Taijutsu (Physique): Level 8 (0/16000)
Shurikenjutsu: Level 5 (0/6000)
Hand Seals: Level 4 (0/4000)
Ninjutsu: Level 4 (0/4000)
Genjutsu: Level 5 (0/6000)
Wind Release: Level 4 (0/4000)
Fire Release: Level 4 (0/4000)
Lightning Release: Level 4 (0/4000)
Water Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Earth Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Fūinjutsu (Sealing Arts): Level 0 (0/100)
Yin Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Yang Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Attribute Fusion: Locked
Sharingan: Locked
Available Ninja Points: 1500
---
Tatsumi scanned the changes and noticed three new entries.
"Sealing Arts, Attribute Fusion… and Sharingan. But all three are still locked. Seriously?" he muttered.
"System, you're really unreliable," Tatsumi complained. "You hyped up this whole 'attribute fusion' thing, and it's not even available yet. What's the point?"
"The requirement to activate Attribute Fusion is for at least two elemental attributes to reach Level 11," the system replied.
Tatsumi winced. "Level 11? That's Jonin-level, isn't it? My highest stat is still Taijutsu at Level 8. It'll take years to get there..."
"And what about Sealing Arts?" Tatsumi asked.
"This category unlocks once the host comes into contact with someone who actively uses fūinjutsu. Until recently, you hadn't encountered any."
"Oh… must be because of Kushina then," Tatsumi nodded. After all, Kushina Uzumaki was a jinchūriki trained in high-level sealing techniques.
"But what's the deal with Sharingan being locked?" he asked, frowning.
"The Sharingan is a dōjutsu that reflects the soul. It cannot be artificially awakened. The system has no control over the emotional triggers required to activate it."
"So I can't use points to evolve it into the Mangekyō or Rinnegan?"
"Negative. Only through emotional trauma and intense bonds can the Sharingan awaken and evolve."
Tatsumi fell silent.
In other words, he still had to follow the cruel canon rules of the Uchiha: pain, loss, and grief.
He clenched his fists. He had no desire to lose those he cared about just to gain power. If the cost of the Mangekyō was the death of a loved one, then perhaps it wasn't worth it.
Luckily, he had another path. The system. And the system offered other ways to grow stronger.
"Then why does Sharingan even appear in the panel?" he asked.
"Because it may eventually interact with Attribute Fusion. Once both are unlocked, unique abilities may emerge. The host must explore these interactions on their own."
---
Time passed slowly.
Life at the Academy had grown boring.
His point accumulation crawled like a turtle.
Tatsumi had considered farming points off his graduating seniors, but ultimately decided against it. His homeroom teacher, Uncle Nishimura, had even suggested he skip grades—but he'd refused.
To him, skipping ahead didn't matter. His closest friends were in the second year.
He wasn't in a rush to graduate. Six years in the ninja world hadn't changed his peaceful mindset from his past life. He wasn't like Kakashi, with a singular dedication to the path of the ninja.
He still feared killing.
That would change eventually—only through the inevitable baptism of blood.
---
One early morning, Tatsumi arrived at the Academy just as the sun began to rise.
It was already getting hot with summer approaching, so he'd come early to nap at his desk before class.
As soon as he slid open the classroom door, a fist flew at his face.
"What the—?" Tatsumi leaned aside, narrowly avoiding the punch.
He looked up. It was Kushina.
"Ah—Tatsumi! Sorry!" she blurted, her cheeks turning red. "I thought you were someone else!"
"It's fine," Tatsumi said, closing the door behind him as they walked inside.
The classroom was a mess.
Chairs knocked over. Books on the floor. A couple boys were lying groaning on the ground with black eyes and swollen faces.
Uchiha Ryo was clutching his stomach and groaning theatrically. His two sidekicks were wailing next to him as if he'd been mortally wounded.
"Wow… they really got wrecked."
Tatsumi immediately understood who the culprit was.
"Mind telling me what happened, Kushina?" he asked.
"Nothing happened!" she said, avoiding his gaze.
Because she was shorter, Tatsumi looked down into her eyes, which made her squirm.
"If nothing happened, then why can't you look at me?"
"I said nothing, didn't I?" she huffed, forcing a smile. It was barely convincing.
Tatsumi turned to Minato, who was sitting nearby, scribbling in a notebook.
"Watergate, what happened?"
"Uh… well…" Minato began.
"KNOCK IT OFF, MINATO!" Kushina shouted, her fist raised in warning.
Minato instantly went quiet and turned away, face full of regret.
Tatsumi sighed and gently straightened his desk.
He nudged aside a "dead" student flailing on the floor like a dying caterpillar and dropped him in the nearby trash can.
He'd seen this kind of mess before.
When Kushina had transferred to the Academy, she'd boldly declared her dream of becoming Konoha's first female Hokage.
Her performance in class had been chaotic. She'd messed up the shuriken test and flubbed three straight answers in ninjutsu theory.
Some students mistook her for a loud-mouthed idiot and teased her for it.
They hadn't realized she was a taijutsu prodigy.
They'd learned the hard way.
Tatsumi sighed.
Kushina suddenly turned to him, her red eyes glinting.
"Tatsumi, do you have time this week?" she asked. "I need help with my homework."
Tatsumi blinked in surprise, then smiled.
"Sure."