Within the Uchiha compound.
Ruri was carefully studying the Chidori scroll Mitsuki had given her. She had seen him use this Lightning Release countless times—not only was it incredibly powerful, but its potential for development was enormous.
"Hehehe…"
Alone in her room, Ruri couldn't stop a soft laugh from escaping her lips.After a few chuckles, she realized how silly she sounded. Quickly slapping both cheeks with her hands, she forced herself back into her usual calm and indifferent expression.
Tidying up the notes on her desk, she prepared to head out for her daily training.
The moment she stepped out, passing through the living room, Uchiha En unexpectedly called out to her.
"Wait, Ruri."
En was sitting on the sofa, a few empty bottles of sake scattered nearby.
"What is it?" Ruri asked flatly.
"Heh…"
He gave an awkward laugh, patting the seat beside him to signal that she should sit.
Ruri glanced at her father. His expression seemed unusually serious, like he had much to say.Instead of sitting, she turned without hesitation, opened the front door, and walked out.
She had no time to waste chatting with this drunken fool when she could be training the jutsu Mitsuki gave her.
But after taking only a few steps outside, the scenery around her suddenly shifted. She found herself standing back in the living room.Turning around, she saw that the "door" she had opened was actually her bedroom door.
Her eyes narrowed in an instant. She knew exactly what had happened. Quickly forming a hand seal, she muttered:
"Genjutsu..."
But nothing changed. Only her father's voice echoed again:
"Now… can we talk, Ruri?"
No one knew his daughter better than En. He had anticipated that she would brush him off, so the moment she asked "What is it?", she had already fallen into the genjutsu he had pre-set.
He looked at her with a smug smile.
Ruri frowned, striding to the farthest corner of the sofa before reluctantly sitting down.
The instant she sat, the genjutsu dispelled on its own. The false scene shattered like glass, and it was as if the front door had never been opened at all. From the beginning, she had simply stepped out of her room and sat down on the sofa.
Ruri stared coldly at her father. Fine, she thought. Let's hear whatever he has to say. No way this was about "family bonding."
"Ruri, you've already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, haven't you?"
"Yes. So what?"
At her confirmation, En's tone deepened.
"Do you… crave power?"
"?"
Ruri tilted her head slightly, baffled by the stupidity of the question. Who didn't crave power?
Not giving her long to think, En pressed further."Have you ever heard of the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"Of course I have. It was awakened by Uchiha Madara himself. They say it possessed the might to rival the First Hokage's Wood Release."
At that, Ruri's voice suddenly carried more weight.
"Heh… rival the First Hokage?" En scoffed. "A useless power that couldn't even protect the ones most precious to him."
His words hinted at another meaning, and Ruri narrowed her gaze.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan is not the Uchiha's strength — it is our curse. When one of our clan gains love… and then loses it, that curse is awakened."
"You—what are you saying? Don't tell me…"
"Correct. I once had someone important to me. When he died… these eyes opened."
As his words fell, the atmosphere grew deathly cold.
Ruri's pupils widened as she watched her father's eyes change.
From the scarlet glow of the Sharingan, the three tomoe twisted into an unfamiliar, linked pattern, completely different from the normal form.
"This… is the Mangekyō Sharingan. The Cursed Eyes of the Uchiha."
En's voice had turned chilling.
Ruri didn't fully buy into his narrative. After a brief pause, she countered with a calm analysis:
"Why call it a curse? The Mangekyō Sharingan is just a tool. Even if what you said is true — that you gained this power through loss — then the real reason is simple: your strength wasn't enough."
En sighed. He had expected her reaction, but he pressed on.
"The Sharingan is called the 'Eyes that Reflect the Heart.' The reason it is named Mangekyō—'Kaleidoscope'—is because every person who awakens it manifests a unique ability, born from their inner world."
"My dōjutsu is called Heaven's Reversal. It allows me to perceive and manipulate the flow of time within a given space."
Ruri's expression remained composed.
"Are you bragging?"
En ignored her jab, deactivating his eyes as he continued.
"When I first awakened the Mangekyō, I felt an evil chakra attempting to invade my mind. Only by using Heaven's Reversal to rewind my own state was I able to suppress it. But with every use, my vision dims… and that chakra draws closer to consuming me. Eventually, I may lose myself entirely."
"In the Uchiha's Naka Shrine, there is a stone tablet passed down through generations. It says this: only by transplanting a relative's Mangekyō Sharingan can one gain Eternal Light and infinite ocular power. Only then can I use Heaven's Reversal forever, without losing myself."
En's voice hardened.
"Ruri. If you truly desire power, then kill me. Awaken your own Mangekyō, and take my eyes. With them, you will gain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
His calm delivery made it sound as though he were discussing something trivial, not his own death.
Ruri's eyes trembled. That her useless, drunken father had awakened the Mangekyō was shocking enough. Now he wanted her to kill him?
Yes, she craved power. But she wasn't insane. She would never murder her own family to claim it.
Her response was immediate and unwavering.
"I refuse. Even without those eyes, I'll become a true shinobi on my own."
She paused, then added sharply:
"Besides, that stone tablet—"
"Isn't necessarily telling the truth. That's what you were about to say, wasn't it?" En cut her off.
Ruri locked eyes with him, waiting for an explanation.
"You're right." His expression shifted in an instant, discarding the dangerous proposal.
"…What?"
"The higher the ocular power, the more words you can read on that tablet. When I gazed at it with the Mangekyō, I felt that same evil chakra trying to manipulate me — trying to make me believe every word. Only after rewinding myself again with Heaven's Reversal was I able to view the tablet's contents rationally.
That's why… I have another idea."
"Then say it." Ruri's tone was icy. "But if this is just another way of telling me to kill you, don't bother. If you want to die, go throw yourself into the Kiri battlefield. I'll avenge you later."
En chuckled bitterly. He knew his daughter well. She was gentle at heart, and he had never truly expected her to accept his first suggestion. If she had, it might have been easier for him… but this was the Ruri he raised.
"Just listen, Ruri…"
…
After hearing his second proposal, Ruri frowned deeply.
"Unbelievable. You think this will actually work?"
En downed half a bottle of sake, belched, and replied:
"I don't know. But isn't it worth a try? Better that than wait until I lose my sight and that chakra consumes me. At least this way, it might serve a greater purpose."
Ruri's eyes shifted toward the floor, where empty bottles littered the side of the sofa.
"So… all this time you've been drinking yourself stupid… was it really to dull that evil chakra's influence?"
En smirked, raising his bottle.
"No. It's just good sake."
"…Tch."