Uchiha Clan, Shinichi's room
"Shinichi! Your Eyes! Ha,HAHAHAHA! You're a genius!" Fukashi burst out, then dashed from the room like a child who'd just witnessed his birthday gift unwrap itself.
Unfazed, Shinichi continued channeling chakra to his eyes, trying to stabilize the new sensations. He stood before the mirror, staring into the deep crimson hue of his irises, now encircled by a black ring bearing two tomoe. A quiet gasp escaped him. By instinct, he zoomed in on objects with startling precision.
Outside the window, the Hokage's monumental faces carved into the stone cliff loomed. With barely a thought, he focused on distant carving; every line, every chisel-mark now visible as if it were inches away. He shifted his gaze to a building crowned with a round symbol bearing the Kanji 火 – "fire." Everything was so clear. So… alive.
Just then, his parents burst into the room.
"Look, Minami! Shinichi awakened his Sharingan already!" Fukashi beamed.
Minami's joy turned instantly into concern. Her brows furrowed, and her Sharingan flickered into view.
"FUKASHI! What did you do to MY SON?!"
A vein popped on her forehead as she grabber her husband by the collar, shaking him like a rag doll. Her voice trembled with anger and fear.
She remembered her own awakening when she lost her beloved cat to an Inuzuka's ninja hounds. Madara, who acted as her guardian, had explained that many awakened the Sharingan through traumatic loss.
"Ahhh! Minami! Calm down!" Fukashi whined mid-shake. "I didn't do anything! I swear! Shinichi is just.. crazily talented! When I checked his chakra profile, he's rich in Yang energy, and every cell in his body is infused with Yin chakra! It's exactly what Baba predicted!"
Minami froze mid-shake, blinking.
"You didn't do anything? But I thought awakening the Sharingan always meant losing someone precious…"
'Loss? Could it be because of my previous life?' Shinichi reflected, his thoughts swirling like summoned mist.
'If that's true, shouldn't I have awakened these eyes at birth? No. Maybe it's not the event itself, but the emotional reaction that triggers it. That wave of warm and cool energy earlier... was that the reaction? The physiological catalyst? Never mind, let's focus on chakra first... and find out if they were reincarnated too.'
Fukashi straightened his robes and cleared his throat.
"Sensei told me that, long ago, Uchiha clansmen awakened the Sharingan naturally, over time, our bloodline diluted. Now only deep emotion or raw talent can awaken it. I don't know what happened, but Shinichi… he's the hope of the clan. Our savior."
For once, his voice was devoid of bombast – just conviction and quiet reverence.
Shinichi felt a cold smile twist his lips.
'Hope? Savior? You don't know anything. In my last life, there was no chakra… no family. But I became a grandmaster in swordsmanship and Ki manipulation and became the first and only Grandmaster of Outer Knight Circle. Kaishin… Ouchi… Yeon… everyone…'
A cool and warm sensation surged through him again. Before he could grasp it, his vision blurred and then faded to black.
Thud.
"Shinichi!"
"Shin-chan!"
Fukashi and Minami rushed to their son, whose body flushed red and drenched in sweat. Heat radiated off him like a furnace.
"What's happening?!" Minami cried.
"Calm down," Fukashi replied, unusually composed.
He scanned Shinichi's body with chakra. It wasn't chakra depletion as he feared. In fact, Shinichi had unusually vast reserves for his age. But something was off; his body was overwhelmed. Active Yin and Yang chakra surged inside him faster than his young frame could handle. His chakra network was straining.
Without a moment's hesitation, Fukashi hoisted Shinichi onto his back.
"Let's go!"
Minami wiped tears from her cheeks and nodded, keeping pace as they dashed out of the house.
Despite her retirement, her movements were sharper than ever. But that tale, her evolution as kunoichi, was for another time.
***
Whoosh – Whoosh – Whoosh
They streaked across rooftops, two shadows slicing through moonlight. Ninjas stirred in their beds, hands reaching for weapons, but relaxed upon recognizing the familiar chakra signatures. Grumbles replaced the alarm.
They arrived at a secluded courtyard. The home of Baba, the ancient midwife who had delivered Shinichi into the world. A legend in her own right, she was the Uchiha clan's greatest medical ninja.
Fukashi pounded on the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Baba! We need help!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Baba! I know you are still alive in there!"
Soft, uneven footsteps echoed behind the door. Then it swung open, revealing Uchiha Himiko with her cane raised high like a battle standard.
"Ah – ouch! Baba! AH!"
"Of course I'm alive, FOOL!" she barked, thwacking Fukashi mercilessly. "I'm too young to be dead!"
Minami quickly bowed, her body bent at a 90-degree angle. "Himiko-sama, we're truly sorry for disturbing you so late. But please… look after our son."
Himiko paused mid-swing and squinted down at Minami. Then she sighed. "Bring him in."
Inside her modest room, they laid Shinichi gently down. Himiko placed a hand on his forehead and wrist, her wrinkled fingers glowing faintly with chakra.
"Hmmm… did you unlock his chakra today?"
"Yes, Baba," Fukashi replied.
"I see."
"Is something wrong?" Minami asked, worry rising. "Will Shin-chan be alright?"
"He'll be fine… as long as he doesn't use his chakra," Himiko muttered.
"?!!!"
"He's overflowing with chakra, both Yin and Yang, but his body isn't developed enough to handle the imbalance. His spiritual energy is far too dominant, which is why his Yin chakra overwhelms his Yang. Normally, physical and spiritual energies grow together, naturally balanced from the start. Our Uchiha lean towards spiritual affinity as we mature, while the Senju skew physical. But Shinichi… he's a spiritual storm trapped in a toddler's body."
Minami clenched her first. "But he's burning up! And his chakra's gone rampant!"
"Keep him cool," Himiko said calmly. "It seems like chakra activation triggered some reaction and caused him to deplete his physical energy and the Yang chakra is converting back to physical energy to compensate the physical exhaustion. It's his body's misguided attempt to 'grow' faster – but it's a dangerous cycle. That kind of artificial overdrive? It's how living weapons were once made.... And it's forbidden."
Hearing this, Fukashi lowered his gaze, then dared to speak.
"But Baba… doesn't Yang chakra indicate a strong body? Like the Senju? Why is this happening?! What aren't you telling us?!"
BANG!
"You FOOL! Even Senju children can't wield massive chakra at three years old! If that were true, the Uchiha would've gone extinct centuries ago!"
Tsk!
"Yes, Shinichi's Yang chakra is rich for his age, but it's nowhere near pureblood Senju level. And having plenty of chakra doesn't necessarily mean his body is strong enough to use it! Most of it is stored in his organs and cells, slowly nourishing him over time. if he just lives normally, he'll grow strong. Don't turn him into a project. Let him be a child."
Fukashi rubbed the fresh welt on his head, while muttering under his breath.
"But… Shinichi doesn't connect with children his age. He's quiet. Detached… sometimes he reminds me of Sensei…"
"…?!"
Himiko narrowed her eyes and studied Shinichi's unconscious face with unsettling focus. After a long silence, she turned toward the couple.
"then give him a younger sibling."
"!!!!???!!!!"
Fukashi's nose began to bleed. Minami's face steamed like overcooked dumplings.
"…Also, start him with taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, and endurance training. But don't push too hard. He's still a baby. No more chakra for now. You know what do."
The couple exchanged shy glances, the room thick with heat and something suspiciously pink.
"GET OUT!!!!"
With one final thwack, they were expelled from Baba's residence.
***
The thundering thwack from Himiko's cane had long faded. Days turned to weeks, and Shinichi's recovery was complete.
Fukashi, ever the exuberant mentor and concerned father, stepped into their courtyard dressed for light training.
"Alright, Shinichi! Let's begin your journey to becoming a ninja!"
He struck an exaggerated pose, voice brimming with optimism, hoping to coax his son's enthusiasm. But Shinichi met it with a narrowed gaze, stepping back in quiet defiance.
Since falling ill, something had shifted. Shinichi had become more withdrawn, more distant – keeping his warmth tucked away like a scroll of forbidden jutsu.
During his bedridden days, he had felt it: the warmth of Minami's cloth gently wiping his brow, Fukashi's patient spoonfuls of porridge, the soft muttering of concern behind his closed door. And it all felt… unbearable.
Shinichi's heart ached – not from fever, but from contradiction. Love rooted in blood was something he had never known. In his former life as a war orphan and imperial knight, bonds were earned through pain, forged by hardship. Blood ties? They were currency. Loyalty was paid in blood and wounds.
He didn't know how to respond to unconditional warmth. And so, he retreated.
"Uh… okay! Jogging it is!" Fukashi kept up his cheer, jogging beside him. "Gotta build that stamina! A ninja with a weak heart and body is just a flashy target!"
Villagers blinked at the sight. Some muttered in disbelief. Uchiha clansmen shook their heads and facepalmed. What was the clan head's disciple doing prancing around with a toddler?
But Shinichi did not complain. He knew his strength lay dormant. It was best not to focus in chakra yet but in rebuilding his vessel. The energy in this world was subtler than what he once mastered. The food lacked the fuel he once relied on, the physical potential here more modest. So he trained.
Training schedules became sacred:
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: he used them to train his endurance by jogging and sprinting through the Hidden leaf's winding paths.
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday: he used them to train his strength through pushups, squats, sit-ups, and pull-ups, mixed with light jogging sessions.
Sunday: he used them to practice bukijutsus and taijutsu with Fukashi.
Shinichi only practiced basic techniques. Other advanced skills he knew were beyond the limit of his now young and fragile body. Regardless, Shinichi did not relent and continued to temper his body.
Fukashi also went all in. he cut down missions, skipped personal training, and poured his time into his son. And slowly the wall between them started to cracked. Conversations became less strained. Glances more frequent. They were no longer just training partners. They were family, in rhythm with the rising and falling sun.
And Minami?
She remained undefeated.
Her cooking had not only captured Shinichi's loyalty, but claimed his soul. If his stoicism held firm in battle, it melted like snow before her Agedashi tofu and sweet-marinated ribs.
---
One morning, as the plum blossoms bloomed faintly outside their home, Shinichi watched Minami prepare breakfast.
Her movements were slower. Her smile softer. The curve of her belly unmistakable.
Minami was pregnant.