On the back mountain of Konohagakure, near the entrance to the Forest of Death, stood an abandoned watchtower. It had once been used to monitor movements inside the forest, but after better detection methods were developed, it fell into disuse and was rarely visited.
Rin climbed to the top of the tower. After confirming that no one was around, he pulled the scroll from his ninja tool pouch.
The scroll was soaked and dripping. He channeled chakra to dry its surface, then carefully examined the sealing formula.
It was indeed from the Uchiha Clan—and a high-level one at that. Normally, only someone who had awakened the Sharingan could undo it.
He did possess a One-Tomoe Sharingan, but the memory fragments provided by the system also contained a method to解除 the seal without using the eyes—requiring only a precise sequence of chakra flow.
Choosing the most convenient option, Rin took a deep breath, pressed both hands onto the scroll, and slowly injected his chakra.
Following the sequence from memory, he guided it clockwise three times, counterclockwise twice, then compressed it sharply at the center of the "Seal" character.
Puff.
With a faint sound like air escaping, the seal was released.
The scroll unfurled on its own.
What appeared wasn't ordinary text, but dense lines of chakra runes crawling across the parchment like ants.
A second-layer encryption.
It required either a special dōjutsu—or sufficient spiritual energy—to read.
Rin had Yin Release Perception, and spiritual energy was one of Yin Release's manifestations.
He closed his eyes, placed his hand on the scroll, and allowed his perception to seep in.
In an instant, information flooded his mind.
---
An Uchiha elder writing beneath a lamp:
> "Within the Uchiha Clan, the earlier the eyes awaken, the more unstable the mind becomes. The Sharingan is a curse."
---
A laboratory.
Several Uchiha medical-nin dissected a corpse. A gaping hole pierced its chest—damage caused by the Senju Clan's Wood Release.
A medical-nin recorded calmly:
> "Hashirama cells show violent rejection when introduced into Uchiha bodies. However… if fusion were possible—"
---
The final scene was also the clearest.
A middle-aged Uchiha stood by the downstream of the Naka River, holding this very scroll. His expression was heavy. He formed hand seals, sealed the scroll, and cast it into the river.
> "Not all Uchiha secrets can remain in the shrine. If—just in case—Konoha decides to wipe us out, then at least these things may be discovered by future generations."
---
The vision ended.
Rin opened his eyes, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
The Sharingan—the very symbol of the Uchiha—had been branded a curse.
After a moment's thought, Rin nodded slightly.
"Which Uchiha doesn't have to witness the death of family or comrades to awaken their eyes? Calling it a curse isn't wrong at all."
And those final words—
If Konoha decides to wipe us out.
"It seems the clan had long harbored distrust toward the village. Some even sensed the massacre in advance and hid crucial information."
"This scroll is one of those preparations."
Rin rolled it up and resealed it. This wasn't something he could use immediately—the contents needed time to digest.
But one thing was certain.
The fall of the Uchiha hadn't been sudden. It was the result of decades of accumulated conflict.
He hid the scroll in a gap along the watchtower's ceiling beam, covering it with dust.
Just as he finished, a sudden sensation made him spin around.
At the stairway leading up to the roof stood a figure.
It was Sasuke Uchiha.
They stared at each other for several seconds.
"Are you tracking me?" Rin asked.
"No," Sasuke replied as he stepped onto the roof. "I was heading to train and saw you come this way. I followed out of curiosity."
"Why?"
"Because you don't look like someone who wanders the back mountains without reason," Sasuke said, gazing toward the forest. "What are you doing here?"
"Contemplating life."
"That answer again."
"Then what do you want to hear?"
Sasuke fell silent, then turned back to him. "Why do you always say those things? About Madara. About the First Hokage. You know too much."
"I read books."
"Which book?" Sasuke pressed. "I've read the clan records too. They don't mention Madara and Hashirama skipping stones, or their first joint mission fixing a roof. Even I didn't know those."
Rin said nothing.
"And your taijutsu, your throwing techniques, your battlefield judgment—none of it feels self-taught," Sasuke continued. "Someone taught you, didn't they?"
"Maybe."
"Who?" Sasuke's gaze sharpened. "An Uchiha survivor?"
Rin smiled faintly. "What do you think?"
Sasuke clenched his fists. "Do you know the truth about the massacre…?"
His One-Tomoe Sharingan snapped open.
"Why were you the only one who escaped?"
"If you don't tell me—I'll kill you!"
Rin met his eyes. In them was nothing but hatred and confusion—emotions a twelve-year-old shouldn't have to carry.
In the original timeline, Sasuke would learn the truth much later—through pain and blood.
Perhaps things could change. Not by revealing everything, but by giving him direction.
"Sasuke," Rin said calmly, ignoring the threat, "you hate him, don't you?"
Sasuke stiffened.
"You hate him for slaughtering the clan. For betrayal. For leaving you alone," Rin continued. "But have you ever asked yourself—if he were truly that heartless, why did he leave you alive?"
"He said I wasn't worth killing!"
"That was an excuse," Rin said flatly. "A bad one."
Sasuke stared at him. "What are you trying to say?"
"That things aren't always what they seem," Rin replied, stepping beside him at the window. "The massacre may have far more complex reasons. And Itachi Uchiha might not be the person you believe him to be."
"Don't say that name!"
"You don't understand that demon at all!"
Sasuke drew a kunai and pressed it to Rin's neck. The blade bit into skin, drawing blood.
Rin smiled.
"Even if you kill me, it changes nothing. The dead won't return."
"Revenge isn't your only reason to live, Sasuke."
"Shut up!" The kunai pressed harder.
"Then why do you always act like you understand me?" Sasuke demanded. "We weren't even close before!"
"My intuition," Rin replied calmly. "And because I understand the Uchiha better than you."
Arrogant words.
Sasuke's brow furrowed deeply. After a long silence, he finally lowered the kunai.
"You're always like this," he muttered. "Never speaking clearly."
"Because telling you now would be meaningless," Rin said, gazing toward distant Konoha. "When you're strong enough to face the truth—you'll find it yourself."
"When will that be?"
"When…" Rin paused. "When you can beat me."
Sasuke froze.
"Even if your throwing is good," he said slowly, "I don't believe I'd lose to you."
"Is that so?" Rin smiled provocatively. "Tomorrow morning. Five o'clock. Third Training Ground. Want to try?"
Sasuke nodded without hesitation. "If you lose, you tell me everything you know."
"Deal," Rin said, heading for the stairs.
Just before he left, Sasuke spoke again—softly.
"Rin."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you," Sasuke said. "Even if you speak in riddles… at least you treat me as a fellow clansman."
Rin paused, waved without looking back, and went downstairs.
---
He didn't return home immediately.
After circling the back mountain to confirm no one was tailing him, Rin headed toward the Uchiha Clan grounds—not to the compound, but to the Naka Shrine.
He wanted to verify the scroll's information.
The shrine was as dilapidated and eerie as ever.
He circled to the rear and located a small, bush-covered hole—an entrance not meant for outsiders.
This, too, was from the scroll's memory.
A hidden path leading below the shrine—not to the stone tablet chamber, but deeper, to a secret room even Konoha didn't know existed.
Rin crawled inside.
The passage was narrow and pitch-black. He condensed chakra at his fingertips, emitting a faint glow.
After several minutes of descent, he reached the bottom.
A cramped room, barely ten square meters.
Shelves lined the walls—most empty. Scrolls, jars, and ninja tools remained only in a few places. Others had likely been taken already.
Rin examined what was left.
A scroll labeled "Relief Formula for Sharingan Fatigue."
A bottle containing dried black residue: "Test Subject No. 3 — Blood Sample."
Research materials.
Most concerned Wood Release cell fusion experiments.
It seemed the Uchiha had once secretly tried to strengthen their bodies using Hashirama cells.
All attempts had failed.
In the corner of the last shelf, Rin found a small wooden box. It wasn't locked.
Inside lay a ring.
A silver ring engraved with the Uchiha crest—old, but well preserved.
Beneath it was a note, written in elegant script:
> "To the Uchiha of the future:
If you have found this place, then the clan has met with calamity.
This ring is a token. The bearer may request the aid of the Uchiha's remaining forces—once.
Use it wisely. That may be the last strength our clan possesses.
— Uchiha Kagami"