The ground beneath Shisui vanished under a surging tide, water rushing up to his thighs.
From below the dragon-shaped torrent, a violent whirlpool clawed at his footing with irresistible pull, forcing Shisui to flood chakra into his soles just to keep from being dragged under.
But what he saw with his two-tomoe Sharingan wasn't just water. It was something monstrous.
The dragon wasn't made of flowing streams. It was forged from countless razor-thin water blades, each one sharp enough to mince flesh into paste the instant they struck.
And yet—standing on top of this roaring leviathan, completely unharmed, was Uchiha Seiji.
Senju Tobirama's face twitched. Of all people, he knew exactly what he was looking at.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Fang Burst…"
One of his strongest, most lethal techniques.
"That damn brat—where in hell did he steal my jutsu from?!"
But Tobirama forced himself to calm, analyzing Seiji's execution with a master's eye. Shock and anger gave way to the cold pragmatism of a man used to enemies mimicking his genius. If this boy had a talent that mirrored his own, then Tobirama would simply adjust.
"…Such refined shape transformation, layered with nature transformation too…"
Shisui swallowed hard, watching Seiji's chakra flow. "And that chakra output…"
Even with his awakened Sharingan, Shisui was still only six years old. His body was a child's, no matter how sharp his eyes.
Seiji, however, was forcing his incomplete Sage-like body to its limit, pouring everything into Tobirama's stolen water style. It already carried a trace of Kage-level weight.
Shisui lifted his head, drenched and trembling, staring up at the boy on the dragon's skull, arms crossed like a warlord.
In his ears, he could almost hear the old clan instructors lecturing in that scathing tone:
"Hmph, today's lesson is about Senju Tobirama. That man was vile, underhanded, shameless in pursuit of victory. His morality was beneath contempt!"
"…But he was also a terrifying opponent. With just Water Style and genjutsu, he suppressed even our strongest three-tomoe. And after he developed Flying Thunder God, not even Lord Izuna could defeat him…"
"Senju Tobirama!"
In Shisui's blurred vision, Seiji's outline overlapped with the stony face of the Second Hokage carved into the mountainside.
Was this… genjutsu?
He froze, staring dumbly at Seiji.
Seiji dispelled the water dragon with a snap, then reached down, ruffling Shisui's soaked hair with a grin.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Fang Burst. One of the Second's signature moves. Not bad, right?"
"Even for me, it takes some effort to pull off…"
Shisui's face burned red under the affectionate head-pat. He wanted to protest, but the mix of awe and warmth left him tongue-tied.
[Ding! Target: Uchiha Shisui. You've obtained: Genjutsu Talent (Shisui Variant)!]
Seiji blinked at the system's voice. Just genjutsu talent?
Then he remembered—the rewards scaled with the opponent's actual strength. And at the end of the day, Shisui was still only six.
He let the thought slide. Rewards didn't matter right now. His gaze softened. He gently took Shisui's small hand, voice lowering with guilt.
"…I'm sorry, Shisui. I haven't been paying enough attention to you lately."
"From now on, I won't let that happen again."
Shisui blinked at him, heart warming. "Why would you say that, brother? You've always cared about me…"
But Seiji's eyes lingered on the faint tomoe still spinning in Shisui's gaze. His sigh was heavy.
"You've awakened your Sharingan, Shisui."
The boy flinched.
"To awaken it requires intense emotional trauma. But you're just six. You haven't been through war. I haven't even been in danger recently. So… what pushed you this far?"
Seiji's grip tightened around Shisui's hand. His voice sharpened with sorrow.
"It could only have been the tension between the village and our clan. You have talent, yes. But you're still a child, crushed under a mountain of responsibility you shouldn't have to carry. And I, as your brother, failed to notice it. Failed to protect you. Let you suffer to the point of awakening those eyes."
His mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "Shisui… doesn't that make me a terrible older brother?"
Shisui shook his head furiously, but Seiji didn't give him the chance to argue.
"…But it won't happen again. If you're this burdened by clan and village politics, then I'll carry that weight for you. Next time, I won't fail you. Forgive me this once, little brother."
He tapped Shisui's forehead gently, staring into his eyes with fierce sincerity.
Shisui's vision blurred as tears burst free.
[Ding! Target: Uchiha Shisui. Reward: Two-Tomoe Sharingan!][Ding! Target: Uchiha Shisui. Special Talent Unlocked: Uchiha's Love (Shisui)!]
[Uchiha's Love (Shisui): Shisui's heart has been bound by your actions. His loyalty and devotion to you cannot be altered by any technique.]
The system's chimes crashed over him like a storm. Seiji's "unworthy brother" speech had obliterated Shisui's defenses.
Two-tomoe Sharingan—the strongest card six-year-old Shisui could possibly offer.And that special talent… it was the crystallization of his overflowing devotion.
Seiji gently wiped the tears from Shisui's cheeks. "No crying. That's an order. Come on—let's buy groceries. I promised you grilled fish tonight, didn't I?"
Shisui's eyes welled again, but he bit down hard, holding the tears back just because his brother told him not to cry. The result looked ridiculous and heartbreaking all at once.
In the warmth of Seiji's touch, the Uchiha clan's genius was nothing more than a child.
But in Seiji's heart, a different calculation formed.
My little brother… I'll have to help raise your strength. That touching speech barely earned me your two-tomoe. You'll need to train harder, following my back, until you can truly master the Sharingan and genjutsu.
He glanced at Shisui's pitiful expression and smiled faintly.
As your reward, I'll make sure you have a happy life.