Over two months quietly slipped away.
At four in the afternoon, school was dismissed.
Ninja Academy, Class 1.
Kakashi, carrying his trusty blade on his back, handed an application for early graduation to Teacher Oki.
"You want to graduate early?"
Kakashi nodded in the following silence.
"I understand. I'll forward your information to the Hokage."
Outside the classroom.
Motomu, his little brother Obito, Anko, and a few others stood there waiting for Kakashi.
When they saw him emerge.
Obito was the first to rush over.
"Hey, Kakashi! Are you really graduating early?"
"You jerk, are you trying to beat me to the title of Hokage? Let me tell you, I'll catch up to you sooner or later!"
"Oh."
"Think whatever you want."
Kakashi's cold voice rang out.
Obito choked on his words. He wanted to argue further but thought better of it and pulled back his raised hand.
Kakashi waved to the group and walked alone toward his home under the setting sun.
Motomu watched his retreating back, unsure of what to say.
Hatake Sakumo's death had a profound impact on Kakashi.
The current Kakashi questioned the importance of comrades while simultaneously harboring resentment toward Sakumo.
This knot in his heart was definitely not something Motomu and his young friends could untie right now.
The only one who would eventually wake him from this state was Obito, during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge in the original timeline.
Motomu pulled his gaze away from Kakashi.
To the shock of his companions, he also produced an application for early graduation.
Once the submission was complete.
Motomu declined training invitations from Anko and the others.
He couldn't wait to return to the Forest of Death.
[POKÉMON: RIGHT EYE]
[CURRENT EXPERIENCE: 187/190]
As the Big Eyeball's level increased, its leveling speed became slower and slower.
Motomu looked at the experience bar, which was only three points away from Level 20.
He began to feel a sense of anticipation.
The passive skill selection that came every ten levels was approaching again.
He formed the five seals for the Summoning Jutsu.
Motomu carefully controlled most of the chakra in his body, completing the Summoning Jutsu's chakra circuit.
A giant snake from Ryuchi Cave appeared once more amidst a cloud of smoke.
Under the snake's horrified gaze.
The eyeball Motomu pulled out suddenly enlarged, beating it senseless in just a few exchanges.
Poof!
The smoke cleared, and the giant snake vanished.
[BATTLE VICTORY!]
[EKANS (LEVEL 19) FLED]
[RIGHT EYE EXPERIENCE +45]
[RIGHT EYE HAS LEVELED UP; IT SEEMS TO HAVE REALIZED SOMETHING]
Before Motomu could even see the long-awaited passive skill selection page, another system screen popped up.
[DING]
[YOUR POKÉMON: RIGHT EYE (LEVEL 20) HAS BEGUN TO EVOLVE]
The Big Eyeball, facing Motomu, closed its mouth.
The one-tomoe pupil began to spin rapidly.
As it sped up, a second tomoe was born.
"This is... the Two-Tomoe Sharingan!"
"So it evolves once every 20 levels."
Looking at the two-tomoe Big Eyeball, a cool sensation spread through Motomu's brain.
Feeling the changes occurring in his body.
Motomu discovered that while his chakra reserves had doubled, his vision was also completely different from before.
First was the extreme sense of clarity; the difference between seeing the world through the Big Eyeball versus his normal left eye.
It was even more dramatic than switching from standard definition to 1080p.
Second, and most importantly.
Motomu recalled what Clan Leader Tetsuya had said this month while receiving the clan leader's investment.
In the Uchiha's Sharingan, a new gap in power is born with each additional tomoe.
One tomoe is the Eye of Insight, two tomoe is the Copy Eye, and three tomoe is the Genjutsu Eye.
Among the Three Basic Jutsu, Motomu had put in enough hard work to achieve minor mastery over the Clone Jutsu and Substitution Jutsu.
However, he was still a bit lacking with the Transformation Jutsu, unable to grasp the essentials for a long time.
If the graduation exam tomorrow drew the Transformation Jutsu, the probability of failure would be quite high.
But now, with the Copy Eye, he was absolutely confident.
A mere graduation exam.
It was practically a piece of cake.
"Open the passive skill selection menu."
[SELECT ONE SPECIAL PASSIVE SKILL]
[VITALITY SURGE: HP ×2]
[TANK ENGINE: PERMANENTLY DOUBLE HP UPON COMPLETING A GYM CHALLENGE]
[PATIENT STUDY: GAIN EXPERIENCE EQUAL TO VICTORY EVEN UPON DEFEAT]
[BOND GROWTH: EXPERIENCE GAINED BY POKÉMON CAN BE SHARED]
Motomu was completely floored.
The passive skills this time were just too strong!
He ruled out Vitality Surge immediately.
Motomu's eyes darted back and forth between the remaining three.
Tank Engine went without saying—it was a pure numerical boost.
If the latter two didn't exist, Motomu would have chosen it without hesitation.
Patient Study and Bond Growth.
These two were truly game-breaking.
Patient Study.
Even if the Big Eyeball failed against a high-level opponent, the experience gained would still be calculated as a cross-level victory.
Motomu couldn't help but recall the days of living large under his powerful benefactors.
As long as you succeed in hunting monsters above your level!
Experience growth would increase exponentially!
However, Bond Growth had a more long-term perspective. It didn't just relate to the Big Eyeball's personal growth.
Under this passive, Motomu could completely manage a strategy where high-level Pokémon carry the low-level ones.
The experience gained by a high-level Pokémon winning a battle.
Would be enough for a low-level Pokémon to jump three or four levels!
It would help his little brother breeze through the rookie phase.
Indecision swirled in Motomu's mind.
Tank Engine was strong, but it required constant Gym Challenges. If there were only a few gyms, picking it would be a bit of a waste.
Patient Study was great for power-leveling against high-tier mobs, but the risk was high.
Bond Growth had the most value in the long run.
After agonizing for a long time, Motomu finally pulled out a coin.
Let fate decide.
He tossed the coin into the air.
The metal vibrated as it cut through the sky.
If it was the number, he would pick Patient Study.
If it was the head, he would pick Bond Growth.
Snap!
He caught the coin as it landed on the back of his hand.
Motomu's skin brushed against the patterns on the coin, and he let out a sigh.
"Bond Growth, it is."
Slowly opening his hand, the coin underneath was indeed the face of the Fire Country's Daimyo.
No longer hesitating, Motomu made his choice immediately.
The passive buff was finalized.
Glancing at the Big Eyeball, which looked as though nothing had happened other than the addition of a second tomoe in its pupil.
Another thought surfaced in Motomu's mind.
Just how powerful was the Psychokinesis Senbon Cannon now?
Three hours later.
Having finished testing the Big Eyeball's strength, a dejected Motomu returned to the Uchiha compound.
In front of his house.
A young Chunin from the clan seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
"Uchiha Motomu, the Clan Leader requests your presence."
Motomu nodded. Being sought out at this time...
The Clan Leader must have already heard the news of his early graduation application.
Inside the familiar dim room.
Motomu sat across the table from the middle-aged Clan Leader.
"I heard you applied for early graduation."
"I rewarded you with 100,000 Ryo for becoming Orochimaru's student during the entrance exams."
"Go ahead—how much do you want this time?"
Aha!
'Sure enough, it is time to milk him for more gold!'
Motomu thought for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Clan Leader, I want a chakra blade."
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds later.
Having calmed his nerves, the Clan Leader spoke gloomily.
"Do you have any idea how expensive chakra-conductive metal is?"
"Hatake Sakumo's saber cost one million Ryo."
"And only the craftsmen of the Land of Iron can forge them."
*Hiss!*
*That expensive!*
Motomu was stunned by the words.
He hadn't expected a single sword to be as expensive as one million Ryo!
As for his goal in wanting a ninja blade, that would have to start with the Psychokinesis Senbon Cannon from earlier.