Throne Of The Uchiha

Pangolin

Around 9:30 in the morning, Uchiha Fugaku stepped out of his home. Today was an important day—he had been appointed to oversee new graduates as part of Konoha's Jonin instructor program.

As he entered the conference hall, several shinobi were already gathered. At the front stood the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, flanked by two masked Anbu operatives. The room was quiet, filled with both Jonin and experienced Chunin. In a village like Konoha, there were only a limited number of Jonin, and not every graduate could be assigned to one. Promising civilian or clan students were usually assigned to Jonin instructors, while average students were sometimes mentored by veteran Chunin.

Fugaku's presence drew attention. As one of the youngest elite of the Uchiha clan, his reputation had grown steadily after completing several high-difficulty missions during the war. Some regarded him with admiration, others with measured caution.

The Third Hokage cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Almost everyone is here. We'll begin the team assignments. Those selected as instructors, proceed to the Academy after this to meet your teams."

The Hokage began to read off names.

"Team 1, Instructor: Takagi Maru... Team 5, Instructor: Uchiha Fugaku. Students: Uchiha Kaze, Ueyama Satoshi, and Shikazawa."

Fugaku mentally assessed the team. One clan member and two civilians—balanced and unthreatening. None of them had been top of their class, nor were they dead last. It was a politically calculated assignment. Even if the civilian students eventually aligned with the Uchiha politically, their power and influence as future Chunin would be limited.

He recalled Uchiha Kaze. The boy was quiet and had yet to awaken his Sharingan. Among the clan, he was considered mediocre. But Fugaku had a different perspective. The potential of an Uchiha often bloomed under intense stress. Even a so-called failure could awaken the Sharingan—or more. After all, who would have expected Obito, once a struggling student, to eventually gain the Mangekyō Sharingan and become a threat to the entire shinobi world?

Kaze might not be promising yet, but all he needed was the right push.

---

Later that day, on a rooftop overlooking the village, Fugaku sat with his three new students. Uchiha Kaze looked visibly excited. His admiration for Fugaku was obvious; he had grown up hearing stories of Fugaku's battlefield exploits.

Ueyama Satoshi was average in appearance and demeanor. His chakra nature was earth, and he showed discipline typical of civilian-trained shinobi.

Shikazawa, by contrast, had a sharp, refined look. His chakra nature was water, but he didn't carry the Nara name despite his calm, thoughtful manner.

Fugaku looked at them steadily and began, "I am your instructor, Uchiha Fugaku. Some of you know me, some do not. Regardless, my first task is to give you clarity about the world you're stepping into."

He paused. The sky above them was clear, but the mood grew heavy.

"You've all heard about the conflict in the Land of Rain. The Second Great Ninja War has claimed countless lives. Funerals are held in front of the memorial stone every week. That war is drawing closer. Don't think you have years to ease into this life—war does not wait for anyone."

His eyes swept over them, Sharingan briefly flickering beneath the surface.

"As your instructor, I will not let you die easily. But I also won't coddle you. Our first combat mission begins tomorrow. You will learn on the battlefield, not in the classroom."

The three students straightened, not showing fear, only grim resolve. Fugaku noted it with approval. Like Naruto in the future, most genin began full of bravado, until the battlefield taught them what strength truly meant.

"Teacher," Shikazawa asked, "Can you tell us the content of the mission so we can prepare mentally?"

"Bandit suppression. We move out tomorrow at 0800 from the Mission Center. Come ready to fight."

"Yes, teacher!"

Fugaku vanished with a flicker of shunshin, leaving the three behind.

Shikazawa exhaled deeply. "Feng... who is our teacher really? When he stood in front of us, I could hardly breathe. His aura... it was suffocating."

Uchiha Kaze grinned for the first time in a long while. "He's my idol. The youngest Uchiha to lead a battlefield squad. I've heard stories—he's taken down multiple enemy Jonin during the war."

His words sparked curiosity and admiration in the others. For the often-introverted Kaze, it was a moment of pride.

---

After leaving his students, Fugaku made his way toward the dense woods behind the Uchiha compound, following a long-considered plan. He had decided it was time to choose his first summoning beast.

In theory, a shinobi could form a contract with nearly any creature if the bond was made properly. Sasuke, years later, would summon both snakes and hawks. However, summoning clans—groups of animals like the toads of Mount Myoboku or the snakes of Ryuchi Cave—offered greater tactical advantages and established hierarchies.

Fugaku's true interest lay in Ryuchi Cave, famed for its mysterious, deadly serpents and powerful jutsu. Unfortunately, the only known Konoha shinobi with a Ryuchi contract was Orochimaru—and their relationship was distant at best. Orochimaru guarded his secrets obsessively and had no reason to share them, especially without a steep price.

Rather than approach him prematurely and show his hand, Fugaku decided on an alternative—training his own summons from scratch.

A pangolin.

The creature may not seem as intimidating as a serpent, but it had key advantages. Pangolins could tunnel underground with impressive speed and stealth, bypassing walls, traps, and visual detection. Even the Sharingan or Byakugan couldn't always see through solid earth quickly enough.

With some modification and training, a pangolin could serve as an excellent infiltration or escape summon. Especially for a user of the Mangekyō Sharingan, who needed to move unseen when his own dojutsu wasn't enough.

Moving quietly through the undergrowth, Fugaku activated his Sharingan. The three tomoe spun slowly, enhancing his perception. No movement, no heartbeat, no flicker of chakra would escape his notice.

It was time to find the right creature and begin.

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