"Your Sharingan gives you a huge advantage. It took me three years to learn the ranged attack stage, but you mastered it in just two months."
"Well, what can I say? Thanks to my father and mother for such a gift." In a forest, hidden from Uchiha Clan hunters with seals, an old man and a young boy waited for the right moment to retreat. Fighting two against two hundred enemies was impossible. They passed the time with conversation.
"Alright, alright. All we need is to shake these bloodhounds. So persistent—they've been chasing us for weeks, especially that little runt. How does someone like that survive? He's got maybe a third of your reserves."
"It's all in the eyes." The old man looked at the boy with interest.
"What do you mean? What do eyes have to do with it?"
"Mangekyo, old man. I learned when she held me captive that there's an even higher level of Sharingan development. The final stage. And it's rare. That little runt, as you say, has those eyes, and he's tracking us with their abilities. It's surprising that such a weakling has those eyes. How hasn't he lost them yet?"
"Ho-oh. And what do those eyes give him? I've never heard of such a thing."
"No wonder—it's not something you see in just anyone. As for his abilities, I don't know. Probably something tied to tracking, since he keeps finding us somehow. It's all individual, as my trembling mother blabbed. According to clan history, every Uchiha's eye abilities are unique."
"But if everyone has unique abilities, how do you get those eyes?"
"Through love, old man. Love is the highest form of eye development. Emotions so strong they advance the Sharingan. I don't know the exact process, just the general idea."
"Love? But I thought the Uchiha grew through hatred."
"Everyone thinks that, but my mother showed me what love is. A fanatic. Good thing you found me."
"So she had…?"
"Yeah, and her abilities are very dangerous and vile. I was lucky we were with the Senju, and they came to help. Another day, and she'd have broken me with her ability. You'd be talking to a puppet, not me."
---
Days passed slowly. The war ended when the Clan Head personally decided it was time to finish it. Taking me to the front lines, the old man said I'd see what true strength was and show me what to aim for. Other elders did the same, bringing their students or younger relatives. According to the old man, even Biju no longer posed a threat now that the Clan Head himself stepped onto the battlefield. It was a terrifying spectacle.
The Clan Head was a master of seals, so I understood the battle wouldn't be like typical shinobi fights. But what I saw was simply unimaginable.
The first enemy camp was wiped off the face of the earth in seconds. With my Sharingan, I noticed six seals with different names materialize around Ashina's figure from the air, glowing with dangerous light. They were hieroglyphs with various meanings. I couldn't see the seals' names—they blurred even with my Sharingan. Likely protection against copying. Terrifying beams of different elements struck our enemies. They didn't even realize how they drowned in a sea of fire and lightning. This was true power. This was what I aspired to—sweeping away all enemies with my own strength alone. Those who survived and retaliated with ninjutsu died from their own attacks when one of the seals simply reflected them. This was the pinnacle of fuinjutsu.
Clearing camp after camp, we circled our native island from the continent and arrived at the Kiragiruzu Clan's home—their fortress, which they defended.
I saw the Clan Head I had wounded and several elders who chose to surrender. They knelt, their faces twisted with fear and pity. Ashina, with a stone-cold expression, listened to their pleas and said only:
"You brought this fate upon yourselves."
And he erased the Kiragiruzu Clan from existence. As if a god himself had unleashed divine punishment. I was horrified—genocide was too heavy a sight for me. Watching an entire population turn to dust, I felt a mix of emotions, dominated by terror at such power and a clear realization of my own weakness. Thus ended the conflict between the Uzumaki and Kiragiruzu. As the old man had said, when the Clan Head personally entered the fray, the war was already over.
I asked my grandfather if it was just to kill everyone. To me, it was an act of cruelty bordering on madness. I understood the world I lived in, but wiping out an entire clan was too gruesome a sight.
The old man said that such is the fate of all who oppose the Uzumaki, and every few decades of peace, there are always those who dare challenge our strength. The cycle of training and death wasn't new, and many clans had fallen by Ashina's hand. Such is the fate of a Clan Head: each one was an absolute shield and weapon of our clan. Without the Clan Heads, the Uzumaki would have been erased long ago.
The old man comforted me by saying that some Kiragiruzu families managed to escape the graveyard that was their clan village. Those who fled, Ashina spared, choosing not to pursue. Perhaps Kisame would still be born in the future. But that's another story.
Thus, gaining invaluable experience and realizing I had much to strive for, including in fuinjutsu, I threw myself into training with tripled effort. It was time to test how far my will could carry me to bear the heavy burden of responsibility not only for myself but for others. For now, my strength could only protect me.
---
Over the following months, I trained relentlessly, disregarding my health. Fuinjutsu and various ninjutsu, which I either traded with others or bought from masters, expanded my arsenal with Wind and Earth techniques. My chakra depleted so quickly that I couldn't replenish the Hundred Strength Seal the old man had placed on me. I chose the same spot below the navel as my old man, so no one could notice it. Currently, it held ten of my reserves, which was a lot.
The seal the old man created based on the speed kekkei genkai was very intriguing. Placed on my right third rib, it was shaped like the kanji for speed. Its function was elegantly simple: the more chakra I channeled into the seal, the more my overall body speed increased. By investing twenty percent, I doubled my body's speed. Through experimentation, I found I could accelerate up to four times my normal speed. This didn't affect my reaction speed, so without my Sharingan, I wouldn't be able to keep up with a fourfold acceleration.
Combining it with the Hundred Strength Seal, I could accelerate five times faster than normal for a full five minutes. A spar with the old man, who also doubled his speed with the seal, was incredibly fast and dangerous. At such speeds, it was easy to tear or pierce each other. The old man told me to hide this seal and use it only in life-or-death battles, as a trump card to turn the tide.
Experiments had mixed results. The Sharingan definitely improved my control, but I couldn't create Sasuke's Kirin—it was too massive a technique. Simpler techniques worked, like Rasengan.
After Chidori, Rasengan was fairly straightforward, so a month was enough for Naruto's signature technique. However, Shadow Clones eluded me. Something was missing, and I couldn't figure out what. When I tried the seals and visualized the result, I got only white smoke. Knowing the illusory clone technique, I thought they were similar, but I was wrong. I lacked something fundamental to finally create those clones.
Sharingan genjutsu came through my efforts. It was tough at first, but then, as if on reflex, I managed to cast a large-scale genjutsu over the entire training field during a spar with the old man. I was proud that I fooled him for five seconds before he realized an illusion was coming. Copying other techniques was also effortless, as if I'd always known how.
Taijutsu had mixed success. The secret to the claw technique's ranged strike was extending my chakra over a distance. As the old man explained, you either disperse chakra from your tenketsu and strike where your chakra is or rely on pure physical force. The old man used the second method; I modified the first, using chakra threads like puppeteers. It required significant control, but I succeeded. The next stage, the old man said, was adding elements. Demonstrating a fire strike, he melted the ground within a ten-meter radius, leaving five furrows as if a massive beast had struck. I hadn't reached that yet—direct elemental control was still beyond me. For now, I could only produce a spark from my finger, but enveloping my entire hand required precise control, which I didn't have yet.
My physical development didn't stop either, and I looked about fifteen. That would've been abnormal in my past world, but here, the old man said I was developing at the same pace as my father and him at my age.
Having overcome these challenges, I could confidently say that if I faced the Kiragiruzu Clan Head now, I'd kill him in ten seconds. He wouldn't be able to react to such speed.
Sitting in my room, I was pleased with my progress. Fuinjutsu brought me joy, and I was finishing a seal for storing living people. One final touch—done. Perfect. My Sharingan saw no differences from what my teacher drew. Undoubtedly, the Sharingan gave advantages in fuinjutsu. I could copy all his movements. But fuinjutsu isn't just about movements. If it were that simple, everyone, not just the Uzumaki, would be fuinjutsu masters. You need to understand what you're writing and the entire alphabet, which was hidden from others. The Uzumaki knew how to conceal their knowledge and give false hopes to those seeking to learn their art. The Uzumaki alphabet had multiple hidden layers of protection against fools and copying. So—study, study, and more study.
After one last critical look at the seal, I set the scroll aside. Mito, still living with us, called me to lunch as usual, knowing I finished at a certain time.
"Nii-san, lunch is ready. We're waiting for you. Kotetsu made your favorite gyoza."
Standing up, I opened the door and looked at the little bundle of joy that was Mito. Her smile stretched ear to ear, showing her pearly white teeth. Just like Naruto. Certain similarities were undeniable.
This cheerful girl had become a bright spot in this cruel world of killers. After the assassination attempt, she stayed with us permanently. Meeting the Clan Head after the war, I asked why she was allowed to stay and why her parents permitted it.
He explained that Mito's parents were too busy with clan affairs to give her attention. Mito had no friends—people either interacted with the princess formally or not at all. Only those like me, close to the Clan Head's authority, could casually talk with her. So he ordered—or requested—that she stay with us. I didn't mind, as I saw her personality shift from haughty to a normal child's. She lived with us, played, and ate, living the life of an ordinary girl. The old man said there was another motive, but I didn't pay it much mind—training consumed me. According to Ashina, her training would start when she was about seven, later than the usual norms, but that was Mito's own wish to stay with us longer. Kotetsu had definitely become her big sister, and I her big brother.
Only one thing darkened my mood: in these peaceful days, the old man and I would soon leave for a long journey. He said it was time for me to see the world. Kotetsu would stay in the clan, as she'd been working in the hospital for a long time and had become a vital specialist. I didn't object, understanding she was better off here than with us. She'd made friends and connections here, putting down roots. Not me. I was a recluse. Only Mito and Kotetsu talked with me and brightened my days. I could already imagine Mito's tearful face when she found out.
Sighing, I patted her head. Her hair was soft and silky. She looked at me questioningly and asked:
"What's wrong, nii-san?"
"Nothing, Mito-chan, just thinking about what a great little sister I have."
She blushed and hugged my waist. So adorable.
"Don't embarrass me, nii-san, that's not like you!" I laughed at her statement.
"Alright, alright, let's go eat. I can tell someone in this house is very hungry. I hear your stomach growling."
"Hey!"
"Hahaha."
---
*Third-Person Perspective. Uzumaki Clan Head's Office*
"We're leaving." Setsuna was curt and ready for a fight to escape the island. He knew he wasn't a match for Ashina in direct combat, but for his grandson, he was willing to take the risk.
"Ugh." Hearing his chief medic's statement, Ashina sighed sadly. "And if I order you to stay, you won't listen, will you?"
"Exactly, Clan Head. Okami needs to see the world."
"And if you get killed? There are countless hidden monsters in this turbulent era. You know that well." He alluded to their encounter with a Biju.
"For that, we have the reverse summoning seal. I've learned from past experience and can confidently save us. Kotetsu will stay here, and the seal will be with her. At the signal, she'll pull us back."
"What's happening? The head of intelligence betrays us, the head of medics leaves, the head of fuin masters is buried in research. And now the Uchiha are starting another war. The clan is falling apart before my eyes."
Setsuna knew Ashina was exaggerating about the clan's dire state, so he stayed silent. As long as Ashina was alive, everything would be stable.
"Fine." A scroll flew from a shelf into Ashina's hands. "Take it." He tossed it to Setsuna. "This is your insurance from me. The Sun Seal."
"This is…"
"Yes, that one. Use it if you're cornered and need to deal massive damage before teleporting. I can't afford to lose you and Okami."
"Especially Okami, right?" Setsuna relaxed and smirked. The Clan Head had given his approval for their departure.
"Especially Okami." Ashina calmly confirmed. "You must understand that in fifteen to twenty years, at this rate of growth, he'll surpass every Uzumaki born before him. Even my father. He could become the next Clan Head if he wants. And if a pureblood Uzumaki is born from him…"
"You want…?"
"Exactly. It's time to unite our families, Setsuna. It's time to create a family that will rule for the next millennium."
"But Mito is too young. And I don't think she'd be happy with an arranged match. You know how willful she is."
"That doesn't matter much. You must understand it won't be easy to find her a worthy match. Okami is the ideal choice. Our bloodlines are distant enough that a child from their union would inherit all the advantages. As for her feelings…" Ashina smiled slyly. "It seems you haven't been keeping up with the situation in your grandson's house. Your Okami has become nii-san to Mito, so the feelings are already there. All that's left is to break the news when Mito grows up."
"I understand, Ashina." Setsuna switched to an informal tone. "I'm not against such an event, but Okami and Mito will decide for themselves. No orders. That's my condition."
"Agreed. And I'm glad we'll become family, Setsuna." Ashina smiled. "So keep my future son-in-law safe. Don't let him die."
"I'll try."
---
"We're leaving, Okami. Pack your things."
Like a bolt from the blue, the old man arrived at my house the next day. I sighed, realizing the time had come. Mito, still sleeping, woke from my knocking and quickly darted out of her room.
Messy hair and panda pajamas for sleeping. Such a kid, honestly.
"No need to rush, I'm not chasing you out." I fixed her clothes and smoothed her hair. "Mito-chan, we need to talk."
"What's wrong, nii-san? You don't usually knock so early."
The old man was in the living room, but I heard him choke on his tea when he heard Mito call me that.
"Let's go to the living room."
Entering the living room and blushing because of my old man, she greeted him and sat beside him.
"Mito-chan, we've had some very eventful months together. I'm genuinely glad to have a little sister like you. You've become a light on my path filled with death." Tears began to well in her eyes. Here we go. "But, alas, I have to leave. And I don't know when I'll return. It's necessary to become stronger and protect you, Kotetsu, and everyone in the clan."
"But, nii-san, why? How? Can I come with you?" She looked at me with hope.
"Sorry, Mito-chan. You'll stay in the clan. But Kotetsu…" Not letting me finish, she burst into tears and ran to her room. I pressed my fingers to my eyes and smiled sadly. Kids are tough, especially at such a tender age.
Kotetsu, seeing this, said to me:
"Master, I'll explain everything to her and support her. We'll wait for you. For now, I can say she just doesn't know how to feel."
She bowed and went to Mito. Looking at the old man, I saw his smile.
"Satisfied?"
"Quite. Now pack. We're leaving."
Thus began a new chapter in my life. An adventure spanning several years.
---