Chapter 1: The Outlier of the Uchiha Clan: The Art of Speech
Konoha Year 44, Autumn.
Uchiha District, atop the Naka Shrine.
Rain drizzled endlessly.
Thin as silk, the rain fell in steady strands, pattering softly against the wall etched with the Uchiha clan's iconic flame-fan crest. A faint sheen of water spread across the stone, barely visible, but unmistakably there.
Last month, something significant happened within the Uchiha clan.
During a routine mission, a discovery was made—
They found someone who bore the Uchiha bloodline… but wasn't born in Konoha.
As the old saying goes, "Where there's one cockroach, there's a nest nearby."
No one knew how many Uchiha might still be scattered across the shinobi world.
Fearing the potential loss of their precious bloodline—or worse, its capture by rival clans—the moment they discovered the boy, Seiji, the Uchiha shinobi brought him back without delay.
"But why has only one of his Sharingan eyes awakened?"
"Yeah… have we ever seen anything like this before in the clan?"
Speculation rippled through the room.
Such a case had never occurred before, and the buzz it generated was inevitable.
More than a few pairs of eyes flickered toward the young boy seated in the very back—Uchiha Seiji.
But Seiji didn't react to the attention. He simply ignored it.
"When you were in the Land of Lightning, did you meet anyone else with eyes like yours? We are kin—you can tell me. If such a person exists, I'll send our people to bring them home," said Fugaku Uchiha, seated at the head of the room, tone calm but clearly probing.
How many years had Seiji lived in the Land of Lightning?
What had happened during that time?
Answers were difficult to come by.
After a month of investigation, all they could determine was that Seiji's background was clean.
He had practiced some rudimentary chakra refinement, but showed no signs of formal training.
Still, in the ruthless world of shinobi politics, caution was a necessity.
Especially for a newly appointed clan head like Uchiha Fugaku.
"I never met anyone with eyes like mine, Lord Fugaku,"
Seiji replied coolly, raising his head.
He was calm, his tone measured.
Because Seiji… was not a normal boy.
He was a transmigrator—a soul from another world.
He had been conscious even in the womb, retaining the memories of his past life from birth.
His mother died giving birth to him.
As for his father… he never once appeared during Seiji's early life.
It wasn't until Seiji turned two and became self-sufficient that he finally met his father—
Only for the man to die shortly after, on the battlefield.
But that wasn't unusual.
In the shinobi world, being an orphan was practically a rite of passage.
Naruto. Sasuke. Konan. Itachi. Orochimaru…
How many of them didn't start their lives parentless?
His name is Yotsuki Seiji, a distant relative of the Yotsuki clan, living in a remote village.
Life was simple—until the day he awakened his Sharingan.
And by sheer coincidence, he was discovered by a Uchiha shinobi named Yakumi, who brought him to Konoha.
"Good," Fugaku nodded. "No matter your origin, if Uchiha blood runs in your veins, then you are one of us. I'll arrange for you to enroll in the Ninja Academy."
Fugaku's crimson Sharingan eyes locked onto Seiji, watching him closely.
There were old records in the clan's archives—
Mentions of Uchihas who had once traveled to, and even lived in, the Land of Lightning.
This was said to have happened even before the great conflict between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.
One tale spoke of a noblewoman from the Land of Lightning who had hired Uchiha warriors to eliminate a Clan.
But many historical records were lost in the wars with the Senju.
Even Fugaku couldn't piece together the full truth.
He didn't activate his Sharingan—he didn't need to.
He simply stared.
Yet the air thickened, as though the pressure alone could suffocate.
Still, Seiji remained perfectly composed.
He knew exactly what Fugaku was thinking.
He was questioning Seiji's origin—wondering whether he was truly Uchiha, or something more dangerous.
But the truth?
There were ties between the Uchiha and the Land of Lightning.
Even the official novel, Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise, confirmed it.
Eventually, Fugaku looked away.
He's just a kid…
How could someone so young stay calm under the pressure of the Sharingan?
If he can… that's frightening.
Not even the prodigious son of the rising star Sakumo Hatake could boast such mental fortitude.
"Lord Fugaku, when I realized I had Uchiha blood, I—I was overjoyed. I swear I'll never bring shame to our name!"
Seiji's voice trembled with what seemed to be heartfelt emotion.
Just then, a mechanical female voice echoed in his mind—cold and devoid of feeling.
You have unlocked the Trait: [Art of Speech (White)]
—
[Trait: Art of Speech (White)]
Condition: Speak five deliberate lies in front of someone of high status without changing expression.
Progress: 100%
Effect: Your words are more convincing to others. Those of lower status are especially vulnerable to your influence.
Note: Can be upgraded.
Finally, Seiji thought, lips curling into the faintest smile.
If you wanted to survive in the ninja world, being a powerless nobody wouldn't cut it.
Everyone knew the truth: in the world of Naruto, strength was passed down through blood, lineage, and mentorship.
A good bloodline. A good teacher. A web of inherited connections.
If you had none of that, the only way to learn even a handful of real jutsu was to cling tight to someone else's "Will of Fire" and pray it rubbed off.
But Seiji had something different—
Something beyond blood, beyond teachers, beyond inherited talent.
He had effort.
And a very simple Trait System.
It recorded the traits he acquired, the conditions to unlock them, and the effects they provided.
Nothing came free—he had to earn each one.
Just like this [Art of Speech], which he earned by lying through his teeth to Fugaku five times without breaking a sweat.
Was he really happy to be part of the Uchiha?
Happy?
All he felt was pressure.
The Uchiha Massacre.
Two more Great Ninja Wars on the horizon…
His life was already on a countdown.
And in less than two decades?
He'd be wiped out with the rest of the clan by none other than Fugaku's own beloved son—Itachi Uchiha.
"Not bad," Fugaku finally said with a small nod, comforted by Seiji's "genuine" expression.
A promising young man, he thought.
The boy's words carried weight. Emotion. Sincerity.
Fugaku could sense the strength of his resolve.
Stronger, perhaps, than many born-and-raised Uchiha.
He gestured for Seiji to leave.
After the boy exited, Uchiha Yadai glanced at Fugaku, who sat expressionless yet carried a commanding aura.
"Seiji was found in the Land of Lightning by Yakumi's team. Rumors say he has Yotsuki features too. Could he be a spy?"
"We're still investigating," Fugaku replied with a shake of his head. "But one thing's certain—his bloodline is genuine. A transplanted Sharingan cannot be deactivated, and it puts a heavy burden on the user."
He added, "Tsunade will arrive shortly to examine the condition of Seiji's Sharingan."
"Then I'll go make arrangements for the child,"said Mikoto, rising gracefully from the tatami mat.
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