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The meeting ended.
As the Uchiha clan members filed out, smiles lit up their faces.
If Ken's three policies were really put into practice, it might not take more than a few years for the clan to grow strong and prosperous again.
Fugaku was in such a good mood that evening he even had a few drinks at dinner. Before turning in, he told Ken and Itachi to meet him at the Uchiha training grounds at eight the next morning.
The next day.
Ken got up early.
The first thing he did was convert 450 chakra points into energy to upgrade his Sage Body.
His accumulated energy had already surpassed thirty thousand.
Level 2 was getting closer and closer.
Training Ground.
8:00 AM.
Fugaku arrived right on time with Itachi.
Seeing Ken already there, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Good morning, Clan Head," Ken greeted.
"Just call me Uncle Fugaku from now on. No need for all the formalities," Fugaku said. He'd always disliked the Hyuga clan's rigid etiquette and had no intention of letting that culture seep into the Uchiha.
"I heard you defeated a Hyuga student at the academy recently. Well done," he added with approval.
The Hyuga clan's strength was well known in Konoha.
For Ken to beat one of them—not only did it uphold the Uchiha's reputation, it proved his own ability.
"Just got lucky," Ken replied calmly, without the slightest hint of pride.
Fugaku smiled. "About the three policies you proposed yesterday—I discussed them with the elders late into the night. We're preparing to implement them."
He understood one thing clearly: if nothing changed, the Uchiha would inevitably decline.
Destruction before rebirth.
His gaze shifted between Itachi and Ken before he spoke again.
"You two will spar in a real match. I want to see what you're capable of."
Then he added, "Stop short of real harm. No going all out."
That last part was meant for Itachi.
Fugaku had personally trained him since childhood. With his extraordinary talent, Itachi was already the strongest among the younger generation of the Uchiha. Ken likely wasn't his match.
The purpose of this spar was to support the "Young Eagle Program." Based on Ken's performance, Fugaku would decide how best to train him.
"Understood, Father," Itachi said with a slight nod.
He knew exactly what Fugaku intended.
Besides, he and Ken got along well. Training together would be far less dull than before.
Still, he had no intention of holding back.
Pulling punches would only do Ken harm.
"Understood, Uncle Fugaku," Ken replied.
Fugaku then explained the rules.
They were slightly different from academy matches.
Chakra and the Three Basic Techniques were allowed—but no other ninjutsu.
After all, Itachi had already learned advanced Fire Release techniques. Fighting under unequal conditions wouldn't be fair to Ken, nor would it be useful for evaluation.
Itachi looked at the boy standing across from him, his thoughts swirling.
Just three months ago, they had entered the academy together as equals.
But now…
Ken had already come up with ideas like the Young Eagle Program and housing installment systems.
The gap between them felt real.
And honestly… Itachi admired him.
Sometimes he wondered—where did Ken even get these ideas?
Maybe the only place he could surpass him… was in combat.
He couldn't afford to lose this match.
Taking a deep breath, Itachi steadied himself.
"Ken, get ready. I'm coming in."
"Alright," Ken nodded, his expression turning serious.
This was Itachi—one of the most gifted geniuses in the ninja world.
"I'm on you!"
"Body Flicker Technique!"
A faint hum cut through the air as a gust of wind swirled up from the ground—then Itachi vanished.
His D-rank Body Flicker had already reached mastery.
When he reappeared, he was behind Ken, driving a punch straight into his waist.
But the moment his fist connected—
Bang!
Ken's body turned into a log.
"A substitution that fast?!" Itachi's pupils shrank. Without even turning his head, he spun and kicked backward.
Fugaku had taught him this long ago:
If your enemy disappears in battle, they're most likely behind you.
And he was right.
Ken had appeared behind him and launched a kick of his own.
The two passed each other and separated.
A burning pain shot through Itachi's shin—like he'd just kicked solid stone.
Ken's body strength was far beyond normal.
In the next instant, Ken used the Body Flicker as well, closing the distance in a flash. His fists came down in a relentless barrage.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Punch after punch rained down without pause.
But Itachi was still a genius.
After a brief moment of surprise, he quickly steadied himself.
His dark eyes sharpened, tracking every movement of Ken's attacks.
Even under that storm of blows, not a single hit landed.
Watching from the side, Fugaku remained silent—but inwardly, he was stunned again.
Itachi had been trained by him personally since childhood, his combat talent exceptional.
But Ken?
He had trained entirely on his own.
And yet his combat instincts were just as terrifying.
The battle intensified.
They exchanged blows back and forth.
After missing an attack, Itachi pivoted instantly and threw a punch toward Ken's chest—this time catching him mid-motion, before he could recover.
But Ken didn't panic.
He threw a punch of his own, aiming straight for Itachi's chin.
A trade.
With his Level 1 Sage Body, trading damage was the last thing Ken feared.
Is he insane? Itachi thought, startled.
He hesitated for just a split second—then pushed off the ground and retreated, immediately launching another attack.
The fight dragged on.
Itachi's attacks were fast and precise, constantly exploiting openings. Even if Ken dodged one wave, another followed instantly.
For now, Itachi still had far more combat experience.
But Ken learned quickly.
And with the added resilience of his Sage Body, he was growing more comfortable by the second.
The balance of the fight began to shift.
Toward Ken.
The clash grew fiercer.
...
Ten minutes passed.
Then more.
Gradually, Itachi's stamina began to fade.
Meanwhile, Ken only grew stronger, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"You've lost."
A sharp punch shot forward, aimed straight at Itachi's forehead. The force of it even lifted strands of his black hair.
Just centimeters away—
Ken stopped.
The match was decided.
Ken won.
Fugaku walked toward them slowly, his emotions complicated.
Itachi was his pride and joy. Seeing him lose—it wasn't easy.
But at the same time, he couldn't help feeling pleased.
The Uchiha had gained another prodigy.
"Ken, I didn't expect your combat talent to be this strong," Fugaku said. "From now on, you'll train alongside Itachi under my guidance."
"Thank you, Uncle Fugaku," Ken replied with a smile.
Being taught by an elite jonin would definitely speed up his progress.
Fugaku then looked at Itachi, whose expression had dimmed.
The loss had clearly hit him hard.
Ruffling his hair, Fugaku said, "No one in the ninja world wins every battle. Keep working hard—and next time, surpass Ken."
"…Yes, Father," Itachi said quietly, still a little downcast.
Then Fugaku turned to Ken.
"Come with me."
"....."