"Uchiha Hikaru, remember to be on time for tonight's clan meeting. This is the most important gathering the Uchiha clan has held in generations. It's a matter of our survival."
"Got it. Eight o'clock, right? Then I'll head to the Naka Shrine for the meeting."
After delivering the message, Uchiha Inahiro turned and left, continuing on to notify the others eligible to attend.
Only Special Jonin and above were allowed to participate in the Uchiha clan meetings. Whenever there were major decisions to be made, the clan would gather to discuss and decide the direction of their future.
After closing the reddish-brown wooden door, Uchiha Hikaru returned to the yard and watched the two goldfish swim lazily in the stone pond—safe, unaware of the dangers and political schemes of the outside world.
Time had passed, and Hikaru's parents had both died during the Third Great Ninja War.
At just five years old, Hikaru had been left alone.
Eleven years had gone by since then. Now, the only thing that kept Hikaru company was the ancient tree in the yard.
It was already September, and the weather had begun to cool. The evening breeze rustled the treetops, and under the golden glow of the sunset, the leaves looked even more withered and yellow. This sturdy old tree had been in Hikaru's life as far back as he could remember.
Hikaru walked over to the tan lounge chair, lay back beneath the tree, and closed his eyes—quietly waiting for the clan meeting while reminiscing.
He remembered clearly: the day he was born into this world, he opened his eyes and saw his own tiny hands. That was when he knew—he had been reincarnated. The man and woman in front of him were his parents in this new life.
"On the night before the Uchiha clan's extermination, the host successfully transmigrated into the body of Uchiha Hikaru, a clan member participating in the meeting."
"System initializing…"
"Timeline error: @#&…"
"Activation failed. Retrying after timeline stabilization…"
The system had completely disappointed the newly transmigrated Hikaru. What kind of broken-down system was this?
Over the years, Hikaru had relied on his past life's experience and the impressive ninja genetics he inherited from his parents. Now, at sixteen, Uchiha Hikaru had awakened the fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan and become a well-rounded Jonin in every category.
He had even learned to rein in his personality and blend in well with the clan.
In his previous life, he had lived alone until the age of seventy. Why? Well, though he had been handsome in his youth, his blunt and unyielding personality made him impossible in relationships. Whenever a couple argued, his partner could never win the verbal battles—and he never saw the point in backing down. No woman could stand that.
As a result, although he'd had nine relationships thanks to his looks, they all ended the same way: his girlfriends dumped him one after another because he was too blunt.
After retiring, he lived comfortably on his pension. Then, with the rise of the internet, the sixty-something-year-old Hikaru entered the online world and became a host.
His unique style of speaking became popular with the younger generation. He genuinely believed he'd live out the rest of his life as a streamer on a niche platform.
But in 2025, an unexpected cold ended those plans. His dream of becoming the first centenarian streamer was cut short. He died at seventy.
As the sunset disappeared over the horizon and the full moon began its slow rise, Hikaru opened his eyes.
It was almost time.
He returned inside and changed into a brand-new, custom-made combat uniform and strapped on his ninja sword.
Standing in front of the mirror, he looked over his gear.
The outfit was made of dark blue, waterproof cloth with slightly flared sleeves to conceal ninja tools. The red-and-white Uchiha fan symbol stood proudly on his back. The fabric was crafted using special chakra-resistant silk from an insect-type summon species.
At his waist, pinned to a white cloth sash, was a custom-forged ninja sword made by a blacksmith from the Hatake family. The sword, shaped had a 30cm black-wrapped handle engraved with the Uchiha fan emblem. The 90cm blade was forged from pure chakra metal—jet black, with virtually no chakra conduction loss.
Even the scabbard was special—crafted from medicinal wood harvested by the Nara clan, which prevented the blade from oxidizing. Nara Shikaku had once complained, "Rich people have the weirdest ideas." Sure, it was possible to maintain the sword through conventional means, but Hikaru didn't want to waste time on such chores.
All of this—uniform, sword, and supplementary tools—had cost Hikaru nearly all his savings.
But he didn't regret a single ryo. After all, the best steel belongs on the sharpest blade. A proper appearance inspires respect.
Standing at 1.85 meters tall, with a lean, muscular physique and the sharp, striking looks typical of the Uchiha, Hikaru's long, spiky hair framed his confident, stoic expression.
This wasn't just handsome. This was dangerously handsome.
Hikaru had made so many preparations for one reason: tonight, the system would finally activate.
Sixteen years! Sixteen years of bottling up his true personality, walking on eggshells, afraid of offending the wrong person and becoming a target.
He'd been chased by countless female classmates at the Academy. And sure, he'd enjoyed the attention—experiencing a kind of joy he never had in his past life—but still, it was agonizing having to hide his real self!
But once the system activated tonight, his strength would skyrocket.
And then, finally—he could drop the mask he'd worn for sixteen years! He could be the bright, straightforward person he truly was!
He dashed across the rooftops toward the Naka Shrine.
The shrine's buildings had long lost their luster, just like the Uchiha clan itself—pushed to the edge of the village after the Nine-Tails' attack, forced into survival mode under constant suspicion.
Lifting a floorboard inside the shrine, Hikaru entered the secret underground hall where clan meetings were held.
The walls were lined with candles, their flickering light casting long, shifting shadows. The clan members, already gathered, sat cross-legged in silence, waiting for the others.
No one spoke. In the dim, orange candlelight, the silence was suffocating—like the shadows themselves were watching.
Hikaru descended the stairs and began walking toward his seat in the center of the hall.
"Uchiha Madara!!! Why are you here?!"
An elder shot to his feet—Uchiha Elder #1—eyes wide with fear and disbelief. The man he once betrayed had left a scar too deep to forget. Just the sight of that figure, that silhouette, was enough to trigger his trauma.
"Who?!"
"Where?!"
The younger clan members were confused. After all, the name Uchiha Madara was taboo—only the oldest veterans and a few high-ranking ninjas still remembered the truth of that era.
Hikaru blinked, startled, and turned around in confusion.
Then Elder #1 saw his face and realized his mistake. The resemblance from behind—body build, hair, even the uniform—was uncanny.
The only difference was the sword at his waist. Madara had once carried the ancestral Uchiha war fan, now lost to history.
"Hikaru! Why are you dressed like that?!"
Uchiha Elder #1 pointed a shaking hand at him.
"Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?"
Hikaru responded with a calm, pleasant expression.
The younger clan members below exchanged glances. Honestly, that outfit was cool as hell. If anything, they wanted one just like it. Elder #1 clearly had a… unique sense of aesthetics.
Faced with Hikaru's innocent question, Elder #1 choked. He couldn't exactly admit he'd just been scared out of his wits.
"Hmph! Never mind. It's nothing."
He turned away in frustration, unwilling to look at Hikaru again.
Hikaru took his seat without another word.
"The time is correct. The location is correct. The event is correct. Defense system activated."
"Successfully broken target's mental defenses. Target's talents available for acquisition. Please select whether to copy."
Sitting cross-legged on his futon, Hikaru's lips curved into a faint, kind smile.
Uchiha Elder #1, huh? he thought to himself. Let's see what kind of talent you've been hiding all this time…