"He discovered me?!"
The brilliant sun would not tolerate the presence of the shadows...
Guided by intuition, inside the tightly closed shrine, every Uchiha starting from Uchiha Yashiro stepped forward of their own accord to receive the TONGUE-WAGGING RESCISSION. The caster was none other than Roy's father, Fugaku Uchiha.
Uchiha Setsuna was, after all, old and did not have many years left. He leaned on his cane, standing to the side with his eyes closed to rest his spirit, like a silent stone statue that still exuded immense authority.
However, when Roy suddenly raised his head to look in a certain direction, the old man shifted his gaze and asked with concern, "What is it, child?"
Within the pupils veiled by Roy's bangs, two suns flared with a soft whoosh. Earlier, a sudden intuition had told him something was wrong. He had immediately manifested his [EN], expanding the radius to instantly envelop the entire shrine. Only then did he discover that an external gaze had somehow penetrated the hall...
Unfortunately, the distance was too great, making it impossible to use the Heart Worm to invade that person's mind. Roy simply activated the [EYE OF DELUSION BREAKING], piercing through the falsehood to give the observer a warning. As he withdrew his gaze, he already had a hidden suspicion.
Aside from the Third Hokage, who enjoyed using the TELESCOPE TECHNIQUE to peep, and Orochimaru, who was exceptionally good at hiding and dreamed of achieving immortality through scientific research, perhaps only a certain Pervy Sage who liked to spy on women's bathhouses would play such games.
However, considering the distance—a range where even the Heart Worm could not bridge the causal connection—it was undoubtedly the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi!
It just so happened to be the day of the Uchiha clan meeting, so his actions were not surprising.
"It's nothing. I just... accidentally discovered a rat." Relying on the nen-barrier formed by his [EN], which acted like a giant bowl overturned across the shrine's perimeter, Roy spoke casually. With a thought, he repeatedly caught Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze sent via chakra and unceremoniously drove it out.
Back in the Hokage Building, behind the desk that symbolized the supreme power of Konoha...
Hiruzen Sarutobi closed and opened his eyes, then closed and opened them again. After several attempts at probing, he was blocked every single time.
The man was in his early fifties, with deep, ravine-like wrinkles faintly visible at his temples. For a moment, he fell silent.
A moment later, he leaned back, resting his weight against the chair. He stopped trying to inject chakra into the crystal ball. He closed his eyes one last time, and after ten seconds, opened them. His pupils felt as though they had recklessly stared directly into the sun; after being hit by the intense light, his vision was filled with afterimages. A black spot at the very center of his vision drifted toward the corner of his eye.
His vision had gone completely blurry.
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't remember exactly how long it had been. Ever since he developed the TELESCOPE TECHNIQUE to monitor Konoha, he had never failed. It could be said that even the Hyuga clan, who were most skilled at sensing and long-range vision, could not compare to the breadth and distance of the TELESCOPE TECHNIQUE.
Yet, after a lifetime of hunting, he had finally been pecked in the eye. Hiruzen Sarutobi waited for a long time for the stinging to fade. He recalled the youth's face—tender, yet sharing seventy percent of its features with Fugaku Uchiha. Once his eyes found their focus again, he pulled out a blank scroll and dipped his brush in ink. After a moment of deliberation, he wrote four words on the scroll: Jin Uchiha!
[NOTE: ANOTHER YOUNG UCHIHA GENIUS SUSPECTED OF AWAKENING THE SHARINGAN. PUPIL TECHNIQUE: SUSPECTED SENSORY-TYPE GENJUTSU OR REPULSION ABILITY WITH EXTREMELY HIGH ANTI-RECONNAISSANCE AWARENESS. STRENGTH: UNKNOWN.]
Hiruzen paused his brush and summoned an ANBU. Before long, he had obtained a file detailing Roy's time at the Ninja Academy, reviewing it frame by frame. Comparing it to his impressive performance on the battlefield—killing one enemy with every strike of his blade—he made a large mark and wrote four bold words after Roy's name: PRIORITY OBSERVATION!
Usually, "Priority Observation" was handled by the ANBU through secret tracking and recording. But realizing that the youth possessed such powerful anti-reconnaissance awareness and methods...
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his brush again and crossed out "Priority Observation." He rose slowly and paced to the window, looking out across the streets toward the Uchiha clan compound. He decided that he would have to do this himself.
It just so happened to be another graduation season. As the principal of the Ninja Academy and the Hokage, it was time for him to return to the school to visit the little ninjas and inspect their Will of Fire.
This time, he wondered if the Uchiha boy would be enlightened.
Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed open the window and reached out to catch a leaf falling with the wind. He released it, letting it whirl away into the distance... just like a flame. Wherever the leaves of the tree fluttered, the fire would burn on.
[HINT: POTENTIAL BELIEVER UCHIHA INABI IS GRATEFUL FOR THE GIFT OF AWAKENING HIS EYES. CONFERMENT COMPLETED. LOYALTY +20. NOW PROMOTED TO FORMAL BELIEVER...]
[BELIEVER: UCHIHA INABI... SINGLE TOMOE TO THREE TOMOE.]
[FAITH POWER +1]
[HINT: POTENTIAL BELIEVER UCHIHA TEKKA IS GRATEFUL FOR THE GIFT OF AWAKENING HIS EYES. CONFERMENT COMPLETED. LOYALTY +20. NOW PROMOTED TO FORMAL BELIEVER...]
[BELIEVER: UCHIHA TEKKA... SINGLE TOMOE TO THREE TOMOE.]
[FAITH POWER +1]
[HINT: POTENTIAL BELIEVERS UCHIHA TAKUYA AND UCHIHA RYOSUKE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE GIFT OF AWAKENING THEIR EYES. CONFERMENT COMPLETED. LOYALTY +20. NOW PROMOTED TO FORMAL BELIEVERS...]
[BELIEVER: UCHIHA TAKUYA, UCHIHA RYOSUKE... AWAKENED FROM ZERO TO SINGLE TOMOE.]
[FAITH POWER +1+1]
After the TONGUE-WAGGING RESCISSION was planted, Fugaku Uchiha took the lead, along with Uchiha Setsuna, Yashiro, Inabi, Tekka, and others, to deliberate and decide on several "awakening quotas." They based their choices on factors such as "merit," "loss," "potential," and "consolation" before informing Roy of the results.
Roy stood quietly to the side, with Shisui standing silently beside him. From time to time, he caught the eager and burning gazes of other Uchiha, such as Obito...
One by one, he injected negative emotions into Inabi, Tekka, and the others to help them awaken or further upgrade their tomoe. As the panel hints appeared and the negative emotions were cleared, the direction for Roy's development of his own "Pupil Techniques" became clearer and clearer.
Just as TSUKUYOMI and AMATERASU were to Itachi, KAGUTSUCHI was to Sasuke, or KOTOAMATSUKAMI was to Shisui...
Before achieving the Mangekyo, the Sharingan prioritized three abilities: insight, copying, and genjutsu. For Roy, he had [EN] for insight, and the copying ability came naturally with the eyes. What remained was Genjutsu.
Because everyone had a different perception of the world, personality, and outlook on life, these techniques manifested in different forms.
'So, what about me? What form should my Genjutsu take?'
As the negative emotions were slowly poured into the hearts of Uchiha Inabi and Tekka through Roy's palms placed on their heads, Roy thought of Itachi's crows and the various scenes Itachi showed during his battles against Kakashi and Sasuke. He immediately anchored himself to a single concept: Worldview!
A Genjutsu was the act of using the Sharingan to force one's own "Worldview" and "Cognition" onto an opponent, causing them to fall into a reality constructed by the user. Just like now... with a single thought, Roy could release the SUN BREATHING mastery protecting the minds of Uchiha Inabi and Tekka, letting the negative emotions crush and shatter them.
Clear light and blood-red color intertwined in the youth's eyes; he already had his answer!
[HINT: POTENTIAL BELIEVER UCHIHA YASHIRO IS GRATEFUL FOR THE GIFT OF AWAKENING HIS EYES. CONFERMENT COMPLETED. LOYALTY +20. NOW PROMOTED TO FORMAL BELIEVER...]
[BELIEVER: UCHIHA YASHIRO... TWO TOMOE TO THREE TOMOE.]
[FAITH POWER +1]
[HOST'S CURRENT NEGATIVE EMOTIONS HAVE DROPPED TO ZERO.]
The last bit of negative emotions was fully injected. The final person was Uchiha Yashiro, who had spent most of his life working for the Uchiha clan and served as the Deputy Chief of the Police Force. He was also a trusted elder to Fugaku and Uchiha Setsuna.
A hum resonated as an invisible ripple fanned out. Three tomoe rotated slowly in the crimson eyes.
Uchiha Yashiro collected his thoughts, suppressing his excited joy, and bowed slightly to Roy. "Thank you, Young Clan Leader!"
Beside him, Uchiha Inabi, Tekka, Takuya, and Ryosuke also bowed. Behind them, every Uchiha member who had not been chosen this time showed looks of envy. Was there disappointment? There certainly was. Obito lowered his gaze. Speaking from his heart, whether it was merit or sacrifice for the clan... as an orphan, he had no relatives to lose, and he usually spent his time following Rin around, rarely paying attention to clan affairs. It was only logical that it wasn't his turn.
But... he really wanted it. He really wanted to awaken his eyes.
The clan meeting ended in a peaceful atmosphere.
With a creak, the shrine doors opened. Obito hadn't heard a single word during the second half of the meeting; he had simply been staring at the youth standing between Fugaku Uchiha and Uchiha Setsuna. Even when Fugaku announced the end of the meeting, Obito stood as still as a piece of wood, his gaze locked onto the retreating backs of Fugaku and the youth until they disappeared among the green trees. Only then did he snap back to reality.
"Let's go."
"Let's go."
Some were happy, some were worried, some were regretful, and some were energized. After this meeting, the expressions of the Uchiha were varied.
With his back to the crimson facade of the shrine that symbolized the Sharingan, Roy strolled home with his father. His [EN] was active, clearly capturing Obito's reaction. His ears twitched as he heard Fugaku say, "Obito is a good kid, but his talent is a bit lacking. If his teacher weren't Minato, based on the clan's care for orphans, it should have been his turn this time."
The dead last Obito Uchiha... and the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze. The choice made by his father and the elders wasn't without reason. It was based on talent and political stance, making it impossible to find fault with. But could someone capable of awakening KAMUI really be lacking in talent?
It could only be said that the new generation of Uchiha, like Itachi and Shisui, were simply too strong, making him seem unremarkable. Regarding his character... in the original story, this man had suffered through the death of his loved one, been manipulated by Madara and Black Zetsu, and finally realized his mistakes to reconcile with Kakashi. Even at the end, he hadn't let the darkness consume the last bit of light in his heart. Compared to Itachi slaughtering the entire clan or Shisui trying to use Kotoamatsukami to modify the clan's will, he was already considered one of the less extreme ones.
"I actually think he's quite good," Roy said with a smile. His profile combined the features of Fugaku and Mikoto, causing Fugaku to look over with a brief sense of daze.
The man stopped his steps, looking the youth up and down as if getting to know him all over again. His gaze was deep. "Like you?"
Fugaku looked deeply at Roy. "Son, tell your dad, exactly how many things are you still hiding?"
The youth broke into a smile and shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe... just these few things."
Fugaku Uchiha's mouth twitched, and he laughed. "Fine, then."
He started walking again.
The father and son walked side by side, their footsteps tapping rhythmically.
The sunlight cast their shadows, one large and one small, swaying slightly in the breeze.
At a certain moment, a strong wave of fatigue washed over him. Roy realized that his clone, which had traveled deep into the Naruto world, could no longer maintain its existence. A prompt appeared on his panel: [REMINDER: REMAINING TIME IS LESS THAN ONE MINUTE...]
Roy stopped and looked at Fugaku. "Dad, I'm sleepy."
"It's just a few more steps. Sleep once we're home..."
"No, I want to sleep right now."
Fugaku stopped and looked back at the youth. He bent his knees and crouched down, revealing a back that wasn't as broad as Silva's but was plenty sturdy. "I really can't do anything with you. Get on."
Roy showed a row of white teeth in a grin and forced himself to climb on. He looped his arms around Fugaku's neck and pressed his face against his father's back, listening to the man's powerful heartbeat. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. A faint snoring sound drifted out.
The two parallel shadows merged into one. In the afternoon, which wasn't hot but still held a trace of early spring chill, Fugaku stood up slowly, supported Roy's legs with his hands, and walked steadily toward home.
The familiar sensation of falling hit him.
When Roy's consciousness returned, he used DEPTH SLEEP to return to his cognitive world, passed through the familiar dream tunnel, left the Naruto world, and returned to the Hunter world.
In the ruins ten thousand meters deep on the seafloor, about three hundred nautical miles west of the coastal city of Willbes on the Yorbian Continent, Roy's clone sitting cross-legged in the masterless land exploded with a bang. It turned into a stream of aura carrying a massive amount of information, surging into Roy's main body, which was currently fighting "Fake Ging."
With three blades in hand—swirling with SUN BREATHING, WATER BREATHING, and WIND BREATHING—the youth forced Fake Ging back, both retreating a hundred meters. Those clear eyes were suddenly overtaken by a piercing crimson!
"Is Roy... seeing red from the killing?"
Inside Netero's private volleyball court at the Hunter Association...
The screen projected from the twisted, rope-like experimental subject labeled [54-714-01] in the third basement of the Voyage Bureau clearly reflected the youth's eyes turning from white to red.
Wing pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose. He had keenly noticed the abnormality in Roy and spoke with surprise. He had been shocked so many times by this fight that he was starting to feel numb.
"Seeing red doesn't turn the whole eye red," Biscuit said, staring intensely at the screen. She narrowed her eyes. "Looking at it... doesn't it look more like the Scarlet Eyes?"
"Old man, Roy's mom couldn't be from the Kurta clan, could she?"
The old woman cast a sideways glance at Netero, who remained silent.
In the next moment, on the screen, the youth's eyes weren't just red; three tomoe appeared, rotating slowly. His mouth moved as if he were saying something.
"GENJUTSU: UNLIMITED VOID."