Bonus Chapters at 100 power stones.
Dawn had yet to break over Konoha. A pale mist hung heavy over the land, swallowing the outlines of the forest and dulling the glow of the village lanterns. The great gates of the Hidden Leaf stood silent, shrouded in the grey veil of early morning.
Two shinobi were already stationed there, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, beginning another uneventful day of guard duty.
Kotetsu leaned lazily against the wooden post, yawning so hard his jaw cracked. "Man… mornings should be illegal," he muttered, half-asleep.
Izumo smirked. "You look like you barely made it out of bed. Stayed up late again?"
Kotetsu rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, well… it's not my fault Jiraiya-sama released a new volume yesterday. Had to finish it."
Izumo raised a brow. "Oh no. Don't tell me it's another one of his…"
Kotetsu grinned slyly, placing a finger to his lips. "Keep it down, Izumo. We're in public."
Before Izumo could reply, the quiet rhythm of approaching footsteps echoed faintly through the fog. The two guards straightened instinctively.
Out from the mist stepped a young man, his black hair tousled by the morning breeze. He was tall for his age, perhaps fifteen, though his lean build and sharp eyes gave him a presence beyond his years.
Something about him felt… off. Not dangerous, exactly. But out of place, like a shadow that didn't quite match the light.
Izumo's eyes darted to the boy's forehead. No headband. 'A traveler, maybe? Or one of the foreign examinees for the Chūnin Exams?'
Clearing his throat, he called out, "Morning. State your business in Konoha and your village affiliation."
The boy looked up slowly. His voice was soft, yet steady. "I'm a Konoha shinobi. Just returned from a mission."
Kotetsu frowned. "A Konoha shinobi?"
His gaze dropped to the boy's waist, where an old and battered Konoha hitai-ate hung by a fraying strap. The metal plate was scratched and weathered, possibly dulled by time and exposure to salt air.
Izumo folded his arms. "That's some story. Why haven't we seen you before?"
The boy's lips twitched faintly, as if amused by their suspicion.
"There was… an accident," he said at last. "My ship was caught in a storm. I washed up on an uninhabited island. It took years before I could find my way back. This mission was assigned to me by the Hokage himself."
The explanation was reasonable… And yet, the way he said Hokage, so directly and without honorifics, carried a quiet audacity that made both guards uneasy.
Izumo nodded slowly. "Understood. Then please wait here while we verify your identity."
He motioned discreetly for Kotetsu to report the matter to the Hokage's office.
Before doing so, Kotetsu asked, "Mind telling us your name? We'll need it for the report."
The boy hesitated briefly, eyes lowering as if he was beginning to get annoyed at the situation. Then, with calm certainty, he said:
"Uchiha Yami."
For a heartbeat, silence consumed the air between them.
Kotetsu blinked.
"Uchiha…?" His expression hardened. "You're saying you're from that clan?"
Yami's brow furrowed faintly. He could feel their tension, the sudden wariness in their stance. 'The same suspicion… even after all this time.'
"Is that a problem?" he asked quietly.
The two exchanged an uneasy glance. Before either could answer, a subtle flicker rippled through Yami's eyes. In an instant, his Sharingan bloomed to life. Three tomoe spun in perfect synchronization, reflecting crimson light through the mist.
The air turned heavy. For a fleeting moment, it felt as if the world itself held its breath.
"Woah—! Easy there!" Izumo raised his hands quickly, forcing a nervous smile. "We just… weren't expecting to see another Uchiha, that's all."
Yami's gaze did not waver as he deactivated his Sharingan.
"I see," he murmured.
Izumo shifted awkwardly. "You've been gone a long time. Lord Hokage will explain the rest. Please, follow me."
Yami nodded silently. As they walked through the fog toward the heart of Konoha, the faint scent of wood smoke and morning dew stirred something deep within him. Memories of home, laughter, and faces long forgotten.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Hokage's Office was already buzzing with activity when they arrived. Scrolls and mission reports were piled high, and the faint scent of tobacco hung in the air.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, sat behind his desk, reading over a stack of documents. His lined face bore the calm patience of age, but his eyes still carried the sharpness of a seasoned warrior.
'So much to do before the Chūnin Exams,' he thought wearily. 'And Jiraiya's late again.'
A brisk knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Enter," he said, exhaling a plume of smoke.
Aoba Yamashiro burst in, panting slightly. "Lord Hokage! Kotetsu just reported in. A shinobi's returned from a long-term mission and requests verification!"
Hiruzen raised a brow. "A returnee? Who is it? Jiraiya?"
Aoba shook his head quickly. "No, sir. He said his name is… Uchiha Yami."
The pipe nearly slipped from Hiruzen's hand.
"What did you say?"
Aoba swallowed nervously. "Uchiha Yami, sir."
The Hokage's expression darkened, a storm of memories flickering behind his eyes.
'Uchiha Yami… Shisui's younger brother.'
He remembered the boy. Quiet, talented, a prodigy who had awakened the Sharingan at ten. It was Shisui who had insisted on his inclusion on that mission to Kirigakure.
Five years ago, a sea storm of unnatural ferocity had swallowed the entire squad. They were presumed dead.
And now, one of them, an Uchiha no less, had returned from the grave.
Hiruzen's hand trembled slightly as he reached for his pipe again.
"So it begins…" he murmured.
He took a slow drag, letting the smoke fill the silence.
"Aoba," he said finally, his tone heavy. "Summon Danzo and the two advisors. Immediately."
Aoba bowed and hurried out.
Hiruzen leaned back, gazing out the window.
'How do I tell him?' he thought bitterly. 'That his clan, his entire family, no longer exists. That the only one left… is the brother of man who ended the Uchiha Clan.'
The old man sighed.
"Uchiha Yami," he whispered. "Fate truly has a cruel sense of timing."
~ End of Chapter 1 ~
New editor here. Wanted to try editing this while adding my own small elements to enrich the story. Hope it helps!