Year 44 of the Hidden Leaf. Autumn.
Uchiha Compound, atop the Naka Shrine.
Rain drizzled relentlessly, fine as mist, tapping rhythmically against the flame-fan crests carved into the walls along the street. A barely visible sheen of water spread across the stone.
Just last month, a major incident had shaken the Uchiha clan.
During a routine mission, they had discovered an Uchiha who wasn't born in the Hidden Leaf.
As the saying goes—where there's one cockroach, there's bound to be a nest.
No one knew if there were more Uchiha bloodlines scattered beyond the village, just like Keiji.
To prevent further dilution of their bloodline—and to thwart the ambitions of other ninja clans—the Uchiha who found him immediately brought him back.
"But why has he only awakened one Sharingan eye?"
"Yeah... Has this ever happened to anyone else in the clan?"
Voices buzzed among the gathered Uchihas. This kind of situation had never occurred before, and the stir it caused was immense.
From time to time, glances drifted toward the young man seated at the back—Uchiha Keiji.
He met those looks with quiet indifference.
From the front of the room, Uchiha Fugaku probed him gently.
"While you were in the Land of Lightning, did you encounter anyone with eyes like yours—red like ours? We're of the same blood. You can tell me, and I'll send someone to bring them back."
Keiji had lived in the Land of Lightning for years, but what exactly had happened during that time was difficult to trace. After a month-long investigation, the only thing they could confirm was that his identity was clean.
He had some rough chakra refinement training, but his body showed no signs of formal shinobi discipline.
Still, the struggle between ninja villages had always been brutal.
Fugaku, newly appointed as clan head, could not afford to be careless.
"I've never met anyone with eyes like mine, Lord Fugaku."
Keiji's tone was calm and composed as he looked up.
He was a transmigrant—reborn into this world several years ago.
From the moment he was born, he had become aware of his reincarnation and awakened the memories of his previous life.
His mother had died in childbirth.
As for his father… he had never appeared, not even once after Keiji's birth.
It wasn't until Keiji was two and able to walk on his own that he finally met his father—only for the man to die shortly after, on the battlefield.
But in this world, orphaned parents were hardly unusual.
Naruto, Sasuke, Konan, Itachi, Orochimaru… who among them hadn't lost both parents?
His original name was Yagetsu Keiji, a distant branch of the Yagetsu clan who had lived in a remote village.
Everything changed when he awakened the Sharingan—right when an Uchiha ninja named Yakumi, on a mission nearby, discovered him and brought him to the Hidden Leaf.
"That's good," Fugaku replied. "Regardless, as long as Uchiha blood runs through your veins, you are one of us. I'll arrange for your enrollment at the Ninja Academy."
Fugaku's crimson eyes remained locked on Keiji for a long time.
Clan records mentioned Uchiha traveling to the Land of Lightning long ago—possibly even living there. It was said to have occurred before the age of the epic battle between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.
In the territory that now belonged to the Land of Lightning, a local lord's wife had once hired the Uchiha to wipe out the Chinoike clan.
But after their war with the Senju, many such records were lost to time.
Even Fugaku didn't know the details anymore.
He hadn't activated his ocular powers—just stared.
Still, the air turned viscous, oppressive—as if it were becoming hard to breathe.
Keiji, however, remained unfazed.
He knew exactly what Fugaku was thinking.
He wanted to know whether Keiji's origins were legitimate.
Too bad for him—there truly was history between the Uchiha and the Land of Lightning.
This had even been documented in the official novel Sasuke Shinden
At last, Fugaku withdrew his gaze.
After all, this was just a child—no more than a few years old.
How could a child remain composed under the pressure of the Sharingan?
If he truly could… that would be terrifying.
Not even the prodigy son of Sakumo Hatake, who had recently gained fame, could compare in psychological fortitude.
"Lord Fugaku, discovering that I am an Uchiha... I—I'm so grateful. I promise to live up to the honor of the Uchiha name!"
Keiji's voice sounded genuinely moved.
At that moment, a mechanical female voice echoed in his mind, devoid of emotion:
[You have comprehended the trait: Speechcraft (White)]
[Trait: Speechcraft (White)]
[Condition Met: Deliver five falsehoods before someone of significantly higher status without a change in expression.]
[Progress: (Completed)]
[Effect: Your words are more likely to be believed. Individuals of lower status are particularly susceptible.]
[Note: This trait can be further evolved.]
"Finally," Keiji thought, a faint smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
If you wanted to survive in the ninja world without becoming some pathetic beggar, you needed power.
And in the world of Naruto, true power came from just three things—lineage, mentorship, and blood.
You either had a strong bloodline, a powerful teacher with a strong network, or inherited techniques through close, direct bonds—like the transfer of DNA.
Unless your "Will of Fire" was strong enough to win over a teacher, you'd be lucky to pick up even a handful of jutsu.
But Keiji had something entirely different—something that transcended all three.
He had a Trait System.
It recorded the names of traits he acquired, the conditions to unlock them, and their effects.
But none of it was free. He had to earn every single one.
Take [Speechcraft], for instance. To obtain it, Keiji had told at least five lies straight to Fugaku's face.
Happy to be part of the Uchiha?
How could he be?
All he felt was pressure.
The Night of the Massacre… the next two Shinobi World Wars…
His life was already ticking toward its inevitable end.
Not to mention, in just over a decade, that "good son" of Fugaku—Itachi, would slaughter the entire clan!
"Not bad."
Fugaku nodded, clearly pleased by Keiji's sincere tone.
It was the kind of response that carried emotional weight—exactly the kind of speech that could sway hearts.
In fact, this Keiji already seemed more composed and perceptive than many ordinary Uchiha.
Fugaku then signaled for him to leave.
Once Keiji had exited, Uchiha Yadai looked toward Fugaku's impassive yet imposing face and said:
"Keiji was brought back by Yakumi and the others from the Land of Lightning. He reportedly shares features with the Yagetsu clan… Could he have been planted as a spy?"
"That's still under investigation," Fugaku replied. "But his bloodline is undoubtedly Uchiha. Outsiders can't shut off a Sharingan once it's implanted. The strain alone would be overwhelming."
Fugaku shook his head and added, "Tsunade will examine Keiji's Sharingan later."
"Fugaku, I'll handle his placement," said Mikoto, rising from the tatami mats within the Naka Shrine.