In one of the underground facilities of Konoha, a masked ninja knelt before a figure with an eyepatch and one arm hidden inside a black robe. Yes, it was Danzo Shimura, one of the three elders of Konoha.

Danzo turned around, narrowing his eyes, he said, "Report the progress."

The masked ninja said without looking up, "As per your orders, I kept an eye on Kazuki Uchiha on alternate days. In the entrance exam, he ranked 29th and managed to join the elite batch, but unlike others, he was very unskilled and became an underdog. But slowly, his talent started to show up with his efforts. He trained more than an ordinary academy student and soon became one of the strongest in the academy. One day, he went to a forest and started practicing Fire Release jutsu. Unlike in other fields, his talent in Fire Release was enormous because he learned the Fireball Jutsu in one day. He managed to learn seven Fire Release jutsu and even reduce their hand signs to one or two in just one year of time."

Danzo's brow furrowed as he said, "He is quite talented, like his mother. I can make him into a perfect weapon for Konoha if I take him in Root, but that damned Hiruzen just won't listen to me. Why is he keeping a stupid promise to a corpse? Anyway, tell me what was your reason to report so soon."

The masked ninja looked up and said, "Today, Kazuki Uchiha was invited to the house of the Senju clan head. There is a possibility that he just went to play with his classmate Yuki, who's the daughter of the Senju clan head, but it seems unlikely. I was not able to get close to him when he was near Yuki because there were several Senju jonin guarding her from the shadows."

Danzo's eyes twitched as he said, "That damned Urahara, first he betrays the village by prioritizing his clan unlike his predecessors. He's not even stopping after the warnings I gave him, and now he's trying to get his hands on him. I'll have to take care of him somehow."

Danzo looked at the masked ninja and said, "Keep watching him and tell me if he visits the Senju compound again. You are dismissed."

<One Month Later>

The fourth year of the academy had just started. Many students took the graduation exam, but very few of them graduated. One of them was Hayato.

Kazuki thought, 'It would have been great if he had failed. Everyone would have trolled him so much. His image got destroyed after I defeated him in a spar. I hope I don't meet him again. I started learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu a few weeks ago, and I've already mastered it. I can't actually consider it mastered because I waste a lot of chakra while dispelling it. At the moment, I can make 17 Fire Clones or 5 Shadow Clones if my chakra reserves are full.'

When a Shadow Clone is dispelled, the remaining chakra is returned to the user, but some chakra is used in the making of the Shadow Clone, which doesn't return, and there is also a loss of chakra while dispelling a Shadow Clone caused due to imperfect chakra control.

Kazuki was sitting in the classroom when Hiroshi announced, "Next week, we will be starting the Shinobi Specialization Program. For those who don't know, it is a program where everyone will have to choose a specialization out of the options available, and you will be assigned under a special jonin who will teach you about that specialization. The options are: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Kenjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Sensory & Tracking, Medical Ninjutsu, and Assassination. You have to decide this by next week, and we'll start your classes. During that time, there will only be one theory class and one taijutsu class per day."

Kazuki thought, 'I want to take two specializations, Kenjutsu and Sensory & Tracking. I'll ask Hiroshi after the class if we can take 2 specializations.'

After the class was over, Kazuki approached Hiroshi and asked, "Sensei, can I take 2 specializations instead of just one?"

Hiroshi said, "Kazuki, you are a very hardworking kid. No wonder you want to take 2 specializations, but I can't let you pick 2 at once. Let's do this: you'll pick one specialization, and if your special jonin sensei says that you've learned enough and you can take another specialization, then I'll let you. How's that sound?"

Kazuki replied with a smile, "Sounds great, sensei. Thank you very much."

When Kazuki left the classroom, he noticed Yuki, who was waiting for him.

Kazuki approached her and asked, "Were you waiting for me, Yuki?"

Yuki replied, "Yeah, I was wondering if you want to visit the Senju compound again. It's been a month."

Kazuki said, "It's not necessary right now. I'd like to avoid it as much as I can as per Urahara-sama's instructions."

Yuki replied with a smile, "Alright, feel free to tell me anytime you want to visit."

Kazuki said, "I will. I also wanted to ask which specialization you are going to pick. I am thinking of choosing Sensory & Tracking."

Yuki replied, "Sensory & Tracking, huh? That's a wise choice. It will help you avoid ambushes on a mission. I'm picking Kenjutsu."

After chatting for a bit, they both parted ways.