Konoha, Year 44. Autumn.At the Uchiha compound, above Naka Shrine.
Rain fell in thin, endless strands, pattering against the walls engraved with the flame-and-fan crest of the clan. A faint sheen of water spread across the stone surface.
Just last month, the Uchiha had encountered something extraordinary—During the course of a mission, they discovered an Uchiha who had not been born in Konoha.
As the saying goes: if you see one cockroach, there's always a nest hiding somewhere.No one knew if there were more descendants of Uchiha blood wandering the shinobi world like Uchiha Seiji.
To prevent the bloodline from dispersing further—or, worse, falling into the hands of rival clans—the Uchiha who discovered Seiji brought him back immediately.
"But why is it that only one of his eyes awakened the Sharingan?""Yeah… has that ever happened to anyone else in the clan?"
The Uchiha whispered among themselves. This was unheard of, and naturally, it caused a stir.
From time to time, their eyes flicked toward the boy sitting in the back row.
Uchiha Seiji ignored them all.
From his seat at the top, Fugaku spoke in his calm, weighty voice:
"While you were in the Land of Lightning, did you ever meet anyone else with eyes like yours? We are all family here. If you know of someone, tell me. I'll send men to bring them back."
No one could fully uncover how many years Seiji had truly spent living in the Land of Lightning, or what had happened during that time.
After a month of investigation, one conclusion had been reached:Uchiha Seiji's identity was spotless.
He had learned a little crude chakra refinement, but bore no marks of proper shinobi training.
And yet—ninja politics had always been ruthless. The newly appointed clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, could not afford carelessness.
"I've never seen anyone else with eyes like mine, Lord Fugaku."
Seiji raised his head, his tone steady and calm.
For he was not an ordinary child.He was a transmigrator.
From the moment of his birth, he had retained memories of his past life. He had even pierced through the "mystery of the womb," awakening with adult awareness inside a newborn's body.
His mother died giving birth to him.
As for his father—he had vanished the moment Seiji was born.
By the time Seiji turned two and could care for himself, his father briefly reappeared. But not long after, he perished on the battlefield.
For Seiji, it was nothing unusual. In the shinobi world, being an orphan was practically the standard opening act.
Naruto, Sasuke, Konan, Itachi, Orochimaru… which of them hadn't lost their parents?
In his previous life here, his name had been Yotsuki Seiji—a distant relative of the Yotsuki clan, scattered and forgotten, living in a remote town.
That was until his Sharingan awakened—and he was discovered by Uchiha emissaries on a passing mission, who promptly brought him back to Konoha.
"Good. No matter what, as long as Uchiha blood flows in your veins, you are one of us. I'll see to it that you're enrolled in the Academy."
Fugaku's crimson Sharingan eyes lingered on Seiji for a long time.
The clan's histories mentioned Uchiha traveling to the Land of Lightning long ago. There was even a chance they had once lived there.
It was said that—long before the legendary battle between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha—an Uchiha unit had been hired by a local daimyo's wife to drive out the Chinoike clan from their bloody pool.
But because of later wars with the Senju, much of the record was lost.
Even Fugaku himself could no longer confirm the truth.
Still, he fixed his eyes on Seiji, not unleashing any genjutsu pressure, merely staring.
The air grew heavy, cloying, almost suffocating.
Seiji did not flinch.
He knew exactly what Fugaku was weighing—whether his identity had a proper origin.
Unfortunately for Fugaku, there were old ties between the Uchiha and the Land of Lightning.
It was even recorded in the official novel Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise.
At last, Fugaku withdrew his gaze.
After all, Seiji was just a child of a few years.If he could maintain composure under the stare of the clan head's Sharingan—wouldn't that be far too terrifying?
Even Hatake Sakumo's genius son couldn't be expected to show such mental fortitude.
"Lord Fugaku, I… I'm so happy to have discovered I'm truly of the Uchiha clan. I'll never let our name be buried in obscurity!"
Seiji's tone carried what seemed like heartfelt conviction.
In that moment, a mechanical, emotionless female voice echoed in his mind:
"You have comprehended a Trait: [Art of Persuasion (White)]."
[Trait: Art of Persuasion (White)][Requirement: Deliver false words before someone of great authority, without changing expression. Minimum: 5 times.][Progress: Complete.][Effect: Your words are more likely to be believed. Those of lower status than you will be even more easily swayed.][Note: This trait can evolve further.]
"Finally."
The corners of Seiji's mouth lifted ever so slightly.
If you didn't want to live as a beggar in the shinobi world, you needed power.
Everyone knew—strength in the world of Naruto was inherited through three channels:
Bloodline.Teacher.Or, if nothing else, bonds close enough to mimic bloodline—deeply entrenched ties of the Will of Fire.
If you lacked all three, learning even a few jutsu was nearly impossible.
But Seiji had something else—something beyond all of those.
A primitive Trait System.
It recorded the traits he unlocked, their requirements, and their effects.
But nothing came free. Every trait required him to fulfill strict conditions.
For [Art of Persuasion], he had needed to lie before Fugaku five separate times.
Happy to be born Uchiha?
Happy? How could he be?
Inside, he was suffocating under the pressure.
The Clan Massacre.The coming two great Shinobi Wars.
His life was already ticking down like a clock.
Not to mention—in just over a decade, Fugaku's own son Itachi would wipe out the entire clan.
"Not bad," Fugaku nodded. Hearing Seiji's seemingly sincere words put his mind at ease.A boy with this kind of spirit was worth cultivating.
This genuine-sounding declaration carried an emotional weight that could sway even veteran clansmen.
In fact, Seiji's conviction seemed even higher than some pureblood Uchiha themselves.
Fugaku signaled for Seiji to leave.
Once the boy was gone, one of the older Uchiha elders spoke gravely:
"Seiji was retrieved from the Land of Lightning by the scouting party. They say he even bears traits of the Yotsuki clan. Could he be a planted spy?"
Fugaku shook his head.
"That still needs investigation. But his blood is definitely Uchiha. If his Sharingan were transplanted from outside, it wouldn't be possible to close it at will—the strain would destroy him. No… this is his own bloodline."
He paused, then added:
"Tsunade will be arriving later to examine his Sharingan personally."
From the tatami mats of Naka Shrine, a woman in a jonin's vest rose gracefully to her feet.
Mikoto Uchiha.
"Fugaku, let me handle this child's arrangements."