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"Alright, let's go."
Yuta followed them back to the clan grounds and straight to the old man's residence.
At the front of the house stood a large tree. The old man was already seated beneath it, with children under the age of ten gathered around him. Their chatter filled the air.
Yuta and his group found seats at the edge. He preferred not to draw attention to himself. The last time he had been here, he had comforted the old man, and the memory still felt awkward.
By now, the sun had fully set.
The old man coughed, not to clear his throat, but to silence the children who were rumbling noisily.
"Hello, children," the old man greeted.
"Hello, sir," the children replied as they stood.
Yuta remained seated.
Disgust rippled through the older children and those his age. Even his friends and Rika subtly distanced themselves, pretending they had not arrived with him. Members of the Hawk faction, some of whom had already awakened the Sharingan, frowned inwardly but said nothing. Yuta was not a nobody, and his background demanded caution.
"It's fine," the old man said with a forced smile. "Everyone, calm down."
He had not seen Yuta for weeks. The last time, Yuta had called him a Madara fanatic and insulted the entire Uchiha clan as arrogant. Today, the old man decided to change tactics. He chose a topic he was certain Yuta's father and grandfather had never fully explained.
The Sharingan.
"Grandpa, what's today's topic?" a boy asked eagerly.
"I want to hear the story of our clan's founding," another shouted.
"No, tell us about the greatest Uchiha ever."
Arguments broke out, but Yuta and the old man locked eyes in silence.
"Today's story," the old man announced, "is about the Sharingan."
He smiled, expecting interest from Yuta.
What he received was indifference.
Boring.
Yuta's eyes were dull, like someone who had heard the tale countless times. Of course he had. At home, his father constantly praised the Sharingan while carefully avoiding the bitter truth behind its awakening.
Love.
You must lose something precious to gain it.
"The Sharingan is what the Uchiha are known for throughout the shinobi world," the old man continued. "Awakening it places you above your peers who have not."
"It only manifests when you are ready and worthy of those magnificent eyes."
He motioned to two men beside him.
The first activated a one-tomoe Sharingan.
The second revealed two tomoe.
Then the old man himself activated his three-tomoe Sharingan.
Applause erupted from the children, including Yuta's friends.
Yuta did not move.
In truth, activating the Sharingan consumed a great deal of chakra, which was why even police officers rarely used it casually.
As for Yuta, every male in his household had possessed the Sharingan since he was three. Back then, it was the one thing he feared. He was terrified they would read his memories and discover his soul came from another world.
To him, this display was ordinary.
Yuta himself did not fully understand why his resistance to genjutsu was so strong. During training, his father and uncle never held back. He could defeat most genin and even some chunin. Against jonin, the outcome depended on the opponent. His weakness was speed, but his reaction time was terrifying.
Finally, Yuta stood up.
He walked away as if he had seen enough.
Anger surged through the crowd.
"Let's go," Yuta said, ignoring the growls around him.
"Don't ever come back here, you brat!" the old man shouted, no longer hiding his hatred. If not for Yuta's lineage, he would have killed him on the spot.
Yuta waved dismissively.
The old man attempted to trap him in genjutsu the moment he displayed his three-tomoe Sharingan. He was lucky Yuta had been warned not to retaliate. Otherwise, the old man would have suffered greatly.
Still, that incident marked the moment Yuta began refining illusions meant for both family and enemies.
Yuta and his group left the clan grounds and headed toward the village center.
No one spoke along the way. When Yuta walked out like that, it meant someone had crossed a line. From the reaction earlier, it was clear the old man had been the one to provoke him.
They entered a restaurant and found an empty table. Soon, plates of meat were brought out, and they began grilling.
Yuta always treated them well. Ramen, sushi, meat, anything they wanted.
Rika could not hold back any longer.
"You are going to explain why you left," she said, slamming her hand on the table.
"Yes, boss," one of the boys added. "We know you had a reason. Please tell us."
Rika was treated differently. She was the only one who could confront Yuta directly, even hit him, without consequences.
Yuta knew he owed them an explanation. A leader who stayed silent was no leader at all.
"Everything that old man said was a lie," Yuta said calmly, flipping the meat on the grill.
"What?"
They stared at him in disbelief.
"Jun," Yuta continued, "your father had a two-tomoe Sharingan, right?"
Jun nodded, adjusting his goggles.
"Did he ever tell you how he awakened it?"
Jun shook his head.
"You see," Yuta said, "the Sharingan may be one of the strongest dojutsu, but it carries a fatal flaw."
Jun nodded again, clearly not understanding a word, like someone agreeing just to keep up.
Yuta sighed.
"Fine. I'll explain it at your level."
"The Uchiha brain reacts abnormally to intense emotional trauma. When an Uchiha experiences deep grief, hatred, or the loss of someone they truly love, it triggers a physical change in the brain. That change releases a special chakra which affects the optic nerves."
"That is how the Sharingan is born."