The weather had turned. Konoha's skies hung low with drifting mist, the kind that lingered on rooftops and made every sound just a bit quieter.
Akio stood on the porch of the Tengetsu compound, pulling on his training jacket. His snow-white hair caught the morning light, and though his expression was unreadable, the glowing stars in his violet eyes shimmered faintly, always present — always watching.
Across the garden path, his grandfather sat on a low bench, sipping tea.
"You'll be graduating soon," the old man said calmly. "Your instructors have already reported as much."
Akio nodded.
"They'll form squads by balance, skill, temperament," the man continued. "And clan politics."
Akio raised an eyebrow. "They're that involved?"
"This is Konoha. Everyone's watching."
He didn't say it, but Akio understood. The Uchūgan wasn't just a relic — it was a living weapon. And the village didn't ignore weapons.
Academy – Late MorningThe class had entered its final stage of preparation. Sparring drills were sharper, lectures more serious, and rumors about team formations had already begun to circulate.
Iruka stood at the front, arms crossed. "Starting next week, final assessments begin. These aren't just exams. They'll determine who graduates and how you're placed."
A low murmur rippled through the room.
Akio sat near the back, his notebook open, pen tapping slowly. He had already memorized everything on the board, but his eyes — glowing faintly with the star-shaped pattern — moved across his classmates.
Shikamaru was resting his head on folded arms again. Choji quietly munched on a rice cracker. Naruto bounced in his seat, trying to get Sasuke to react to something he said.
Sasuke didn't.
Across from Akio, Ino sat straighter than usual. She was paying attention. But occasionally, her gaze drifted toward him, puzzled more than intrigued.
He was used to it by now.
Lunch Break – Behind the AcademyThe field behind the academy was nearly empty. Most students stayed near the front or on the roof.
Akio preferred the quiet.
He leaned against a tree, finishing his rice ball, when footsteps approached. He didn't look up right away — his Uchūgan passively traced chakra movement from behind. Calm, unthreatening.
Saka.
"You weren't in the training yard this morning," she said simply.
"Didn't feel like being watched."
"Then why are you out here?" she asked, sitting beside him on the grass.
"No one comes this way."
She looked at him — directly. Her violet eyes, too, held the soft but unmistakable glow of the 1-Star Uchūgan. The tiny star in the center reflected the same light his did.
"Some of the elders have been talking," she said after a pause. "About which of us is ahead."
Akio didn't react.
"They want to groom someone for clan leadership," she added. "I think they're testing us."
"I don't want to lead anything," he replied.
"Doesn't matter."
They sat in silence for a while, the distant sounds of students echoing faintly.
"You ever wonder," Saka asked, "if they're just waiting for us to fail?"
Akio stared out at the trees. "No," he said quietly. "They're waiting for us to awaken something they can't control."
Saka didn't answer. But she didn't argue either.
Konoha – Outer Market DistrictLater that evening, Akio passed through the quiet marketplace near the old stone quarter. A few stalls were still open, their owners sweeping the front steps or closing up crates. The town felt slower at this hour — like it was breathing in.
He paused briefly outside a tailor's shop.
In the window hung something new: a T-shirt with abstract black lines and faded crimson streaks, stitched to resemble flowing chakra. It wasn't shinobi standard. It was almost… futuristic.
The kind of thing that wouldn't become common until far later in the village's evolution.
He didn't buy it. But the design stuck in his mind.
Back at the compound, he sketched the pattern from memory and handed it to a clan artisan. Two days later, it arrived folded at his door.
He wore it beneath his jacket. Cargo jeans, custom shirt — just different enough to stand out.
Which was why, the next time he passed through the village center, he wore his mask.
And kept his gaze low.
Tengetsu Compound – Inner GardenThat night, he returned to the garden where the elders often met. The lanterns were dim. The stone benches were still warm from the day.
He wasn't alone.
Three older members of the clan stood beneath the cedar trees, speaking in low tones.
"…if the boy awakens the second star too soon, it may cause tension in the village."
"He's not unstable."
"That doesn't matter. The Uchiha weren't unstable either — until they were feared."
Akio stepped into view without a word.
The eldest of the three turned toward him slowly. "You're quiet," she said.
"I hear enough."
She studied him for a moment. Her own eyes, too, carried the soft glow of the 1-Star Uchūgan — a constant, passive reminder of their shared lineage.
"Then tell me, Akio. Do you think the village trusts us?"
He didn't hesitate. "No."
A pause.
"Good," she said. "You're not naive. Don't become cynical either."
She walked past him into the dark, the others following.
Elsewhere – Far from the VillageIn a ruin partially buried by roots and stone, a scroll was unsealed.
The symbols on the parchment shimmered with aged chakra. A single image sat at the center: an eye. Not the Sharingan. Not the Byakugan.
The Uchūgan.
The figure holding the scroll traced the symbol once, then whispered, "The bloodline persists…"
Then burned the scroll to ash.
End of Chapter 16