Chapter 1: Awakening
In the year 46 of the Leaf Village, deep within the Forest of Death, the midday sun pierced through, blinding Mokunan's eyes.
As Mokunan's consciousness stirred, an intense pain radiated from his chest.
"What's happening? I thought I was infected with a virus. Why am I still conscious? Have they developed a way to eliminate the virus?"
"You foolish little brother."
Just as Mokunan was grappling with his situation, a voice echoed from ahead.
He lifted his gaze and saw a strikingly handsome yet cold-faced man approaching him. The man's eyes were streaming with blood, glowing a bizarre red, each eye adorned with a swirling pinwheel pattern.
"This is... the Mangekyō Sharingan! Have I been transported to the world of Naruto?"
Despite being a busy doctor, Mokunan often indulged in anime and novels during his downtime. Among these, the classic "Naruto" held a special place in his heart, and he immediately recognized the iconic dojutsu from the series.
"Your heart has been pierced, yet you still cling to life? It seems the medical ninjutsu you learned from mother has saved you, but this is where it ends."
The man stood over Mokunan, gazing down with a cold demeanor.
Shocked, Mokunan finally noticed his dire state—a white dagger was plunged into his chest, blood oozing out in a steady stream.
It appeared the dagger had pierced him from behind, and he was leaning against a large tree, blood pooling around him, staining the roots and the ground.
"He mentioned mother... Could he be the brother of this body?" As this thought crossed his mind, a surge of information flooded into his brain.
After processing some of it, Mokunan realized he was accessing the memories of the body's original owner, Uchiha Nan. Coincidentally, his name also contained the character for "Nan."
The man before him was his brother, Uchiha Han, who had severely wounded him and was poised to deliver a fatal blow.
"Why are you trying to kill me?" Mokunan asked weakly, as more memories began to integrate. A throbbing pain surged in his eyes, but it paled in comparison to the wound in his chest.
Enduring the pain, Mokunan gazed into Uchiha Han's Mangekyō Sharingan. The memories that had merged within him revealed that Uchiha Nan had no recollection of Han possessing the Mangekyō Sharingan.
This suggested that Han's eyes had only recently awakened, leading Mokunan to form a hypothesis.
Han's next words confirmed his suspicion.
"Nan, do you understand the true power of the Uchiha clan? This is the Mangekyō Sharingan. It is the ultimate power of our clan, a force that only a handful of Uchiha can master, transcending the limits of the Sharingan."
Han displayed his eyes for Mokunan to see.
"The Uchiha clan is the most understanding of love in the world, but when that love is lost, it transforms into equal hatred. This results in a unique chakra manifesting in the mind, which reacts with the eyes, awakening the Sharingan."
Han paused, as if recalling something, then continued.
"The awakening of the Mangekyō is far more brutal; it requires killing someone you love to gain the power necessary for its activation. And now, I possess that power."
"Is your reason for wanting to kill me merely to gain strength?" Mokunan asked.
"Of course, it's not just that. I have my own reasons for seeking power."
Han proceeded to share his story with Mokunan.
In the year 40 of the Leaf Village, the same year Mokunan was born, the Third Great Ninja War began. In the early stages of the war, intelligence was crucial.
As an exceptional reconnaissance ninja, Nan and Han's father went to the frontlines early on and never returned.
While Nan was still too young to remember his father, Han had already graduated from the ninja academy and become a qualified ninja.
The news of their father's death devastated Han, and in his grief, he awakened his Sharingan. Driven by a desire for revenge, he resolutely stepped onto the battlefield.
Following in his father's footsteps, Han, with the help of his Sharingan, became a Chūnin in just two years. Soon after, his outstanding intelligence-gathering skills earned him the rank of Special Jōnin, providing significant advantages for the Leaf Village in battle.
However, Han was not satisfied. His father's experiences made him acutely aware of the insignificance of individual power. Especially after encountering the elite ninjas from various villages, he realized the limitations of intelligence work.
In the face of an overwhelming power disparity, everything was meaningless. Even with prior knowledge of the enemy's plans and preparations, one could still be rendered helpless against sheer strength.
Nan and Han's mother was a medical ninja working on the battlefield of the Wind Country, and her medical team was a constant thorn in the side of the Sand Ninja.
Soon, the Sand Ninja dispatched a team to attack the medical facility where Han's mother was stationed. Concerned for her safety, Han received the news early and issued a warning.
The Leaf Village promptly sent a protection team, but unexpectedly, the Sand Village sent the formidable Pakura, known for his Scorch Release, as the leader of the ambush team.
Even with preparations in place, ordinary Leaf ninjas were powerless against Pakura's terrifying abilities, falling one after another to his Scorch Release.
The medical ninjas and injured individuals, lacking combat strength, were left defenseless and slaughtered. By the time Han arrived, all he found was the desiccated corpse of his mother, her moisture evaporated.
"So, you seek power for revenge against Pakura?" Mokunan asked.
"Hmph, Pakura is hardly worth mentioning," Han scoffed. "Rather than saying Pakura killed my mother, it would be more accurate to say it was the Sand Village that did."
"Of course, I have no intention of seeking revenge against the Sand Village."
Mokunan was taken aback.
"In the five years of war, I've come to understand that both the ninjas of the Leaf and the Sand, as well as those from other villages, are merely pawns of fate," Han lamented.
"Everyone is killed for a single reason: they lack the strength to fight for survival, and they have no power to resist their destiny. I no longer harbor hatred for anyone because of their deaths."
Without power, one has no purpose in existence!
Han glanced down at his brother.
"And the reason you will die at my hands today is simple: you lack power. Your sole value in your powerlessness is to become my strength, giving my existence meaning."
Upon hearing Han's words, Mokunan realized this person had likely suffered immense trauma and had completely lost his sanity. No normal person would harbor such twisted thoughts.
As the merging of memories intensified, Mokunan felt increasing pain in his eyes. Coupled with his significant blood loss, he gradually lost the strength to lift his head.
However, in the moment Mokunan lowered his gaze, no one noticed his eyes had turned a deep crimson.
Within each eye, three comma-shaped symbols began to swirl around the pupils, spinning faster and faster.
At that moment, Mokunan sensed something. "Could this be Uchiha Nan's Mangekyō awakening?!"
Uchiha Nan had awakened his Sharingan upon hearing the news of his mother's death, fueled by the hatred from being killed by his own brother.
If Uchiha Nan's lingering will was still active, then it was possible for his eyes to awaken.
"No one understands awakening better than I do. I will surely awaken."
Mokunan firmly believed his hypothesis was correct; these eyes were likely his only hope for survival. He needed to buy time for their awakening.
He kept his head down and weakly asked Uchiha Han, "Where did you learn about the awakening method of the Mangekyō? Such knowledge cannot come from our clan, can it?"
"That's correct. The secret of the Mangekyō awakening is likely unknown even to the clan leader. I learned about it from a self-proclaimed spirit of the Uchiha living outside the village."
Mokunan was stunned by Han's revelation.
"Could it be Uchiha Madara? How is that possible? Did he start seeking a vessel for his resurrection even before Obito?"
Feigning ignorance, Mokunan cooperatively asked, "So you don't know his real name?"
"Hmph, that's right, but it doesn't matter. Since the things he spoke of regarding the Mangekyō are true, he must indeed be a lost member of the Uchiha clan."
Han sneered, "After all this talk, I suppose you're ready to meet your end. Farewell, Nan."
With that, Han slowly reached for the dagger embedded in Mokunan's chest. As soon as the dagger was pulled out, the massive blood loss would ensure Mokunan's death.
"Damn it, is it too late?" Mokunan clenched his fists, the fusion of memories was almost complete. If he could successfully merge them, he could awaken the Mangekyō.
Han's hand finally gripped the hilt of the dagger, and Mokunan's integration with Uchiha Nan's memories reached its final stage. The spinning tomoe in his eyes reached a limit, almost forming a complete circle.
As Han was about to pull the dagger out, a hand suddenly grasped his wrist.
"Oh? Still trying to struggle in your final moments?"
The answer came from Mokunan, as he revealed his eyes—now resembling the swirling patterns of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Yin-Yang Release—Technique of the Formless Reincarnation!"
Han's expression shifted to one of shock.