Naruto: Evolution

Yesterday, on the last day of the vacation, Gen successfully completed the master-apprentice ceremony with Orochimaru.

It was not something that could be done in a simple private meeting. After all, on one side was a member of the Uchiha clan, and on the other, one of the legendary Sannin and a direct disciple of the Hokage. It was an event too important to go unnoticed.

Tsunade and Jiraiya were present as witnesses, and no clan in Konoha was left out. They all sent representatives to attend. In fact, the ceremony was so important that Hiruzen Sarutobi himself, the Hokage, presided over it.

With such a display, the news that Gen Uchiha had been accepted as Orochimaru's disciple spread throughout the village in a matter of hours. There was no talk of anything else, and opinions quickly became divided.

In the classroom, Shizune remained seated in her place, glancing sideways at the empty seat beside her. She hesitated for a moment, as if debating internally whether to say something or not, but in the end, she couldn't hold back and turned to Kurenai with a sad expression.

"Kurenai… It's possible that Gen won't participate in the team assignment."

"What!?" Kurenai turned her head sharply, surprised. "Does it have to do with him taking Orochimaru-sama as his master?"

Naturally, she had also heard the rumors about the ceremony, but it had never crossed her mind that it would mean Gen would be left out of the squad distribution.

Shizune nodded with a discouraged air.

"Yes… I heard that Orochimaru-sama plans to assign him directly to a team from a previous generation."

Living alongside Tsunade, Shizune had access to information that most people were unaware of. Knowing that Orochimaru was one of the village's most powerful combat forces, and even though he had accepted Gen as his disciple, he couldn't take him on all his missions.

That's why, even after becoming his apprentice, Gen would still be part of a Genin team. Only, from what Shizune had heard, it wouldn't be one of the newly graduated squads.

The news hit Kurenai like a bucket of cold water.

Just a moment ago, she was still wondering why Gen hadn't arrived and was hoping to be assigned to the same team as him. But now, after hearing Shizune, all her excitement came crashing down.

And indeed, when their teacher entered the classroom and asked the students to wait for their senseis, Gen never appeared.

The confusion in the room was shared by everyone. Those who were unaware of the situation looked at each other, wondering what had happened to him.

…

In a training field somewhere in Konoha, Gen was leaning against a wooden post, arms crossed and eyes closed.

He hadn't gone to the Academy that morning, but just like his classmates, he was also waiting for the arrival of his sensei.

Just as Shizune had heard, Orochimaru decided not to assign him to a newly graduated team. Instead, he would integrate him into a Genin team that had already been working together for some time.

It was a logical decision, considering the difference in level.

He far surpassed his generation's peers. If it weren't for the fact that he still held the rank of Genin, he could have already been sent directly to a Chūnin squad.

Newly formed teams spent a lot of time adapting, carrying out low-risk missions to develop teamwork. But for someone like Gen, those D-rank missions, with no real combat or challenges, would be a complete waste of time.

Neither Orochimaru nor he wanted that.

That's why the best solution was to assign him to an already established team, where he could start working immediately without wasting time on the adaptation phase.

As he waited in silence, his mind went over the changes that had occurred in his life in the past few days.

It wasn't just about his strength but also the way others treated him.

Ever since his relationship as Orochimaru's disciple became official, Gen's status within the Uchiha clan had risen considerably.

He now had full access to the clan's library, able to consult any Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu below S-rank, as well as documents that were previously restricted.

His daily life also changed drastically. He was assigned a larger house with a beautiful garden and ten clan servants to attend to any need.

And to optimize his training, he was even given a private training field.

The treatment he received was already at the level of the clan's high-ranking members.

And then there was Orochimaru.

While he couldn't offer him the same luxury as the Uchiha clan, the resources he put at his disposal were not few. In fact, the first gift he gave Gen as his disciple was a true surprise.

He taught him the Rashōmon summoning jutsu, one of the most famous and powerful defensive jutsus.

It was said that the First Hokage could summon up to five Rashōmon gates, strong enough to withstand a Bijūdama from Kurama. However, summoning even a single gate required an enormous amount of chakra. In the original story, not even Orochimaru could summon more than three, which showed the jutsu's level of difficulty.

But the most important thing was that Rashōmon covered one of Gen's main weaknesses: the lack of defensive jutsus.

Despite his talent in ninjutsu, his abilities were primarily focused on the fire style, a purely offensive element.

And this was no coincidence. Besides his natural affinity, most of the techniques he inherited from his parents also belonged to the fire style. Since childhood, he had been familiar with this type of jutsu, and over time, his mastery of them had become astounding.

He had always liked fire—its destructive power, its intensity, its ability to consume everything in its path…

It was the kind of strength he felt most comfortable with.

As long as he didn't reach a point where his progress stagnated, he would continue prioritizing this style over any other. Other chakra natures would only be considered as a complement.

After an unknown amount of time, but thanks to his keen perception, a result of his superior constitution, he was the first to notice someone approaching.

Immediately, he stopped daydreaming, opened his eyes, and looked in the direction of the approaching figure.

In the distance, at the edge of the training field, a boy of about twelve or thirteen appeared. As soon as he saw Gen leaning against the post, he stopped and fixed his gaze on him, analyzing him carefully.

________

Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!

👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]

Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖