"Idiot!" Chen said disdainfully, daring to shout while dressed in his school uniform.
"Asshole, don't you dare leave after school if you think you're tough!" Taiyi Shabi gritted his teeth and threatened Chen, "I'll make you regret this. Taiyi Shabi knows a hundred ways to make you suffer."
"Hey, idiot." Chen turned his head, dismissing Taiyi Shabi's yelling without care.
"Chen, just ignore him, his mind is flooded." Xiaojing said to Chen, her voice tinged with frustration.
In reality, Xiaojing hated Taiyi Shabi deeply. Their families lived next door to each other, and since childhood, Taiyi Shabi had pestered her to be his bride when they grew up. As he grew stronger, he started bullying the boys who spoke to her, driving away anyone who might have been her friend. Because of him, Xiaojing had been alone for years, and the bitterness she held towards him had only grown.
"Heh, don't mind him." Chen said with a smile, showing no sign of concern.
"Yeah, you don't care." Xiaojing stuck out her tongue, playfully and a little cutely.
On the other side of the room, Taiyi Shabi watched as Chen ignored his threats and laughed with Xiaojing. His frustration boiled over. "So you think you're tough? Do you really think you're Uchiha? Do you think I wouldn't dare beat you? I'll show you just how wrong you are. Taiyi Shabi never makes empty threats," he spat, his eyes narrowing at Chen.
"Taiyi, we're in class!" Iruka, the teacher, called out from the front of the room, looking uncomfortable as he tried to keep order.
"Humph, just wait!" Taiyi Shabi snorted at Chen, his irritation still palpable, before falling silent under Iruka's disapproving gaze.
"Heh, idiot," Chen muttered to himself, completely uninterested in Taiyi Shabi's antics. Suddenly, a prompt from his system appeared in his mind:
"Ding! Task 'Entrance to Ninja School' complete. Ninja reward: 300 points. Current points: 315."
"Heh, finally some savings. What can I redeem now?" Chen thought, excited by the options.
"System, what should I redeem?" Chen asked, seeking the advice of his professional system.
"It is recommended that the host exchange for the Chakra Refining Technique first," the system replied.
"Chakra Refining Technique? Isn't that taught in school?" Chen questioned.
"The chakra refining technique taught at Ninja School requires learning and practice before chakra can be refined. The system exchange allows the host to instantly master the technique and begin using chakra," the system explained.
"True, waiting for school to teach it could take a while, and I don't have time to waste. I need to improve my strength as quickly as possible, especially with the events that will unfold in the future. Although Sasuke was protected by Itachi, I know that more characters could come into play. It's safer to improve my abilities now," Chen thought, pondering his decision.
"System, exchange for the Chakra Refining Technique," he instructed.
"Chakra Refining Technique, Item Level: D, 150 points required. Do you wish to redeem?"
"Yes!"
"Ding! Redemption successful. 150 points deducted. Remaining points: 165."
A warm current flowed through Chen's body, and he felt a new sensation—an instant connection to chakra. He had mastered chakra refining.
"There are still 165 points left, what should I redeem?" Chen mused, glancing at his remaining points.
"The host may exchange for a pair of single-gouge Sharingan," the system suggested.
"Sharingan? Do I have enough points for that?" Chen asked, feeling a sense of urgency. The sooner he could control it, the better.
"Single-Gouge Sharingan, Item Level: C, 500 points required.
"Double-Gouge Sharingan, Item Level: B, 2000 points required.
"Triple-Gouge Sharingan, Item Level: A, 5000 points required."
"500 points for a single-gouge Sharingan? My current points are only 165. How can I afford it?" Chen questioned, but the system explained:
"Since you are from the Uchiha clan, activation is not the same as redemption. It will only cost 100 points to activate the Sharingan."
"Ah, I see. The system's got me covered!" Chen thought, relieved. "I'd planned to unlock it myself, but waiting might take too long. Even Sasuke needed to wait until he was 13 before his Sharingan manifested. The sooner I can master it, the better."
"System, activate the Sharingan for me," Chen ordered.
"Activating Sharingan: 100 points. This is a special offer for Uchiha clan members. Do you wish to proceed?"
"Yes!"
"Ding! Redemption successful. 100 points deducted. Remaining points: 65."
A rush of warmth surged into Chen's eyes, and a hot sensation lingered for a while. After a minute, it subsided, and he opened his eyes, now blood-red with the single-gouge Sharingan spinning slowly.
The other students, focused on Iruka's lesson about the Konoha Chronicles, were oblivious to Chen's transformation.
"So this is the Sharingan? I don't feel much different except for sharper vision..." Chen mused silently. "I'll need to study it later. Don't want anyone noticing yet."
"Heh~~ The lessons in this class are so boring," Chen yawned, feeling the weight of sleep. He rested his head on the desk, uninterested in the rest of the lesson.
"Chen, wake up! School's almost over."
Chen groggily opened his eyes, finding Xiaojing shaking him awake. "Xiaojing, what's up?" he asked sleepily.
"Get up! School's over," Xiaojing said, a little exasperated.
"Already? Time flies." Chen looked around and noticed students packing up. He glanced at the front of the room, where Iruka was no longer there.
"Well, if school's over, I'll head home. See you tomorrow, Xiaojing," Chen said, stretching and smiling at her.
"See you tomorrow, Chen," Xiaojing smiled back, their goodbye lighthearted. Neither noticed the fiery gaze from behind.
"Uchiha Tatsun, stop!" a shout rang out, freezing Chen in his tracks. He turned to see Taiyi Shabi glaring at him.
"What's up?" Chen asked, his voice casual.
"You think you're tough, huh? I'll show you what happens when you mess with me. I won't let you off the hook so easily," Taiyi Shabi threatened, his teeth gritted.
The room quieted, students watching in anticipation.
"Heh, are we going to fight?" Inuzuka Kiba grinned, clearly excited. "Looks like we've got a show!"
"Taiyi Shabi, what do you want?" Xiaojing called out, nervously trying to intervene.
"From now on, Xiaojing will be my bride! I won't let you talk to her! Uchiha Tatsun, I want to fight!" Taiyi Shabi shouted, ignoring Xiaojing as his anger focused on Chen.