Year 44 of Konoha, Autumn.
The Uchiha compound, above Naka Shrine.
Rain fell without end. Fine threads of drizzle tapped softly against the wall beside the street, a wall carved with the Uchiha clan's flame-and-fan crest. A thin layer of moisture slowly spread across the stone.
Last month, something major happened within the Uchiha clan.
During a mission, they discovered an Uchiha who had not been born in Konoha.
As the saying goes, if you find one cockroach, there is probably a whole nest hiding somewhere.
No one knew whether there were other Uchiha bloodlines scattered across the shinobi world like this boy, Seiji.
To prevent the clan's bloodline from being lost, or worse, coveted by other ninja clans, the Uchiha who found him immediately brought him back.
"But why has he only awakened one Sharingan?"
"Yeah, has anyone in the clan ever had something like this happen?"
Members of the Uchiha clan whispered among themselves. A situation like this had never occurred before, and the commotion it caused was obvious.
From time to time, glances were cast toward the boy seated in the back.
Seiji acted as if he noticed none of them.
"When you were living in the Land of Lightning, did you ever meet anyone else with eyes like yours? If they are from our clan, you can tell me. I will send people to bring them back."
From the seat at the very front, Fugaku Uchiha tested him with a probing question.
After all, Seiji Uchiha had spent several years living in the Land of Lightning. What had truly happened during that time was extremely difficult to investigate.
After a month of inquiries, only one thing had been confirmed.
Seiji's background appeared completely clean.
He had learned some crude chakra extraction techniques, but there were no signs he had undergone real ninja training.
Yet the power struggles between hidden villages had always been cruel.
The newly appointed clan head, Fugaku Uchiha, could not afford to be careless.
"I've never met anyone with eyes like mine, Lord Fugaku."
Seiji answered calmly as he raised his head.
He was a transmigrator, and had been in this world for several years already.
From the moment he was born, he had awakened with memories of his previous life.
His mother died giving birth to him.
As for his father, he had never appeared after Seiji's birth.
Only when Seiji turned two, when he could begin taking care of himself, did he finally meet him.
Unfortunately, not long afterward, his father died on the battlefield.
Still, this was nothing unusual.
In the shinobi world, starting life as an orphan was practically the standard beginning.
Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Konan, Itachi Uchiha, Orochimaru… which of them still had their parents?
Before arriving in Konoha, his name had been Yotsuki Seiji.
He had lived in a remote town as a distant relative of the Yotsuki Clan.
Everything changed when he awakened the Sharingan and happened to be discovered by a passing Uchiha shinobi on a mission.
That was how he was brought to Konoha.
"Good. No matter what, as long as Uchiha blood flows in your veins, you are one of us. I will arrange for you to enroll in the Ninja Academy soon."
Fugaku's crimson eyes stared at Seiji for a long time.
According to the Uchiha clan's historical records, some members of the clan had once traveled to the Land of Lightning, and may even have lived there.
This supposedly happened even earlier than the era when Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha fought their legendary battles.
In the territory that is now the Land of Lightning, there was once a lord whose wife had hired the Uchiha clan to eliminate the Chinoike Clan.
However, due to the wars with the Senju clan, many historical records had been lost.
Even Fugaku himself could not determine the full truth anymore.
He did not release any ocular power.
He simply stared.
Yet the air seemed to grow thick and oppressive, making it difficult to breathe.
Seiji remained completely calm.
He knew exactly what Fugaku was thinking.
It was nothing more than suspicion about his origins.
Fortunately, the Uchiha truly had historical ties with the Land of Lightning.
This was even mentioned in the official novel Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise.
Eventually, Fugaku withdrew his gaze.
After all, this was only a child a few years old.
Under the pressure of the Sharingan, how could he possibly maintain his composure?
If he could, that would be terrifying.
Even the recently famous prodigy son of Sakumo Hatake might not possess such mental strength.
"Lord Fugaku, discovering that I belong to the Uchiha clan… I am truly happy. I promise I will never bring shame to the name of the Uchiha."
Seiji spoke with what sounded like genuine sincerity.
At that moment, a mechanical female voice echoed in his mind, completely devoid of emotion.
"You have unlocked the trait: 'Art of Speaking (White)'."
Trait: Art of Speaking (White)
Requirement:Speak false words without changing your expression in front of someone of high status, five times.
Progress: Completed.
Effect:Your words are more likely to be believed. Those of lower status are especially susceptible to your influence.
Note:This trait can be upgraded later.
"Finally."
A faint smile formed at the corner of Seiji's lips.
In the shinobi world, if you didn't want to end up as a beggar, you needed strength.
Everyone knew that in this world, true power usually spread through three things.
Bloodline.
Teachers.
Or connections passed down from those teachers.
If none of those worked, you needed extremely close bonds. Your so-called "Will of Fire" had to burn deeply enough before anyone would even teach you a few techniques.
But Seiji possessed something beyond all three.
His own effort.
And a crude Trait System.
The system recorded the names of traits he acquired, the requirements to unlock them, and their effects.
But nothing came for free.
He had to complete the conditions.
For example, to obtain Art of Speaking, Seiji had deliberately lied in front of Fugaku at least five times.
Happy to be born an Uchiha?
How could that possibly make him happy?
Inside, he only felt pressure.
The Uchiha Clan Massacre.
The coming ninja wars.
His life had already begun its countdown.
Forget the distant future. In just over ten years, the entire clan would be wiped out by Fugaku's own son.
Itachi Uchiha.
"Excellent."
Fugaku nodded, clearly pleased by Seiji's heartfelt declaration.
This boy had potential.
His sincere tone made the emotions in his words feel genuine.
In fact, Seiji's sense of loyalty seemed even stronger than that of many ordinary Uchiha clan members.
Fugaku then gestured for Seiji to leave.
After Seiji stepped outside, Yashiro Uchiha spoke to the imposing clan leader sitting before him.
"Seiji was found by Yakumi and the others in the Land of Lightning. They say he also has traits of the Yotsuki clan. Could he be a spy planted here?"
"That still needs further investigation," Fugaku replied calmly. "But his bloodline is definitely Uchiha. If an outsider transplanted a Sharingan, they would never be able to deactivate it. It would place an enormous burden on their body."
He paused before continuing.
"Tsunade will come later to examine Seiji's Sharingan."
"Fugaku, let me arrange things for the child."
Rising from the tatami mats inside Naka Shrine, Mikoto Uchiha spoke gently.
(End of Chapter 1)