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Year 44 of Konoha, autumn.
The Uchiha compound, Naka Shrine.
Rain drizzled endlessly, a thin veil of mist falling from the gray sky. The droplets pattered softly against the wall engraved with the clan's flaming fan crest, leaving faint streaks of water that shimmered under the dim light.
Just last month, something big had happened to the Uchiha.
During a mission, they found something that shouldn't exist—an Uchiha who wasn't born in Konoha.
And as the saying goes: if you spot one cockroach, there's bound to be a nest hiding somewhere.
Nobody knew if more Uchiha bloodlines, like this boy Seiji, still lingered outside the village.
Fearing their bloodline might scatter further—or worse, fall prey to other clans—the Uchiha brought him back immediately.
"But why does he only have one Sharingan open?"
"Yeah… do we even have anyone else with that kind of condition?"
Voices rippled across the room, the clan elders whispering among themselves. This had never happened before, and the stir it caused was enormous.
Every so often, eyes turned toward the boy sitting quietly at the back—Seiji.
He ignored them completely.
At the head of the hall, Uchiha Fugaku spoke, his voice calm but probing. "When you lived in the Land of Lightning, did you ever see anyone else with eyes like yours? Red eyes like ours? You can tell me. If they exist, I'll have our men bring them back."
The truth was, nobody knew much about Seiji. He had lived for years in the Land of Lightning, but what exactly had happened during that time was difficult to track down.
After weeks of investigation, the only thing they could confirm was that Seiji's background was clean.
He'd dabbled in rough chakra refining, but his body bore no signs of serious shinobi training.
Even so, Fugaku couldn't afford to take chances. In the ruthless game between hidden villages, even children were pawns.
"I haven't seen anyone else with eyes like mine, Lord Fugaku."
Seiji's voice was calm, his head lifting slightly.
He wasn't just a boy—he was a transmigrant, carrying the memories of a past life ever since birth. He'd known from the start that this wasn't his first existence.
His mother had died the moment he was born.
As for his father… he never appeared. Not until Seiji was two years old and could walk on his own. And even then, the man soon died on the battlefield.
That wasn't unusual. In this world, losing your parents was just the standard starter pack.
Naruto, Sasuke, Konan, Itachi, Orochimaru—how many shinobi hadn't been orphaned?
It wasn't until he awakened the Sharingan—and happened to run into Yakumi Uchiha on a mission—that his true heritage was revealed and he was brought back to Konoha.
"That's good. No matter what, as long as Uchiha blood runs in your veins, you are one of us," Fugaku said, his crimson eyes locking on Seiji. "I'll have someone arrange your entry into the Ninja Academy."
He kept staring, long and hard.
There were old clan records mentioning Uchiha who once lived in the Land of Lightning, maybe even entire families. It was said that long before Madara and Hashirama's battles, a Uchiha was hired by a Lightning lord's wife to eradicate the Chinoike clan.
But most of that history had been lost in wars against the Senju.
Even Fugaku didn't know the details anymore.
He didn't use his ocular power, only his gaze—but the weight of it pressed down on the room, thickening the air.
Seiji stayed calm.
He knew exactly what Fugaku was thinking: Is this boy's story really legitimate?
Unfortunately for Fugaku, the Uchiha really did have ties to the Land of Lightning. Even the official novel Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise mentioned it.
In the end, Fugaku pulled his gaze back.
He reminded himself—Seiji was just a child, barely a few years old.
If he could truly resist the pressure of Fugaku's Sharingan, that would be terrifying. Not even the prodigy son of Sakumo Hatake had shown that level of mental composure.
"Lord Fugaku, being able to discover that I'm one of the Uchiha… I'm overjoyed. I swear I'll never let our clan's name fade into obscurity."
Seiji's tone was filled with apparent sincerity.
Just then, a mechanical female voice chimed in his mind, utterly emotionless:
[You have unlocked the trait: The Art of Speaking (White)].
[Trait: The Art of Speaking (White)]
[Requirement:In front of someone with high authority, maintain composure while delivering false statements. Requirement: 5 times.]
[Progress: (Completed).]
[Effect: Your words are more likely to be believed. Those of lower status than you are especially susceptible.]
[Note: Can be upgraded further.]
Finally.
The corners of Seiji's mouth twitched into the faintest smile.
If you didn't want to end up as a beggar in the shinobi world, you needed power.
Everyone knew strength here was inherited—through bloodlines, teachers, or family connections.
Either you had good genes, or a good master, or you got yourself "adopted" deeply enough into the Will of Fire to learn a few techniques.
But Seiji had something outside all of that: his own effort, and a crude "Trait system."
It recorded the entries he earned, their conditions, and their effects—but nothing came free. He had to complete the conditions first.
Just like this Art of Speaking Trait. He'd told Fugaku at least five blatant lies, each with a straight face.
Happy to be born an Uchiha?
Yeah, right. His chest was nothing but pressure.
The Night of the Massacre. The wars to come.
His life was already on a countdown.
In barely over a decade, Fugaku's own son—Itachi—would wipe the clan off the map.
"Not bad."
Fugaku nodded, visibly more at ease after hearing Seiji's heartfelt declaration. A child like this could be nurtured. His words carried such conviction that even Fugaku could sense the emotion within them.
In fact, Seiji's awareness seemed even sharper than some born-and-raised clan members.
With that, Fugaku gestured for him to leave.
When Seiji was gone, Yashiro Uchiha spoke, his face expressionless though his voice carried unease. "Seiji was brought back by Yakumi's team from the Land of Lightning. He even shows traces of the Yagetsu clan. Could he be a planted spy?"
"That still needs more investigation. But his bloodline is definitely Uchiha," Fugaku replied, shaking his head. "An outsider who transplants Sharingan can't deactivate it—it would crush them under the burden."
He added, "Tsunade will come soon to examine Seiji's eyes."
Mikoto rose from the tatami, her voice soft."Fugaku, let me make the arrangements for the boy."
"....."