The hundred-meter blade turned red, ignited, and then erupted into roaring flames…
A dead leaf that didn't know any better got caught by the wind and drifted down. The moment it touched the tip of the fire, it vaporized into ash.
The heat at point-blank range condensed into waves of scorching air that whipped Uchiha Setsuna's white hair backward…
Roy rose slowly. In his blood-red pupils, three tomoe revolved at a measured pace, reflecting the disbelief, suspicion, and raw shock on Setsuna's face.
He let Yubashiri stretch across the entire shrine—straight, willful—drawing a thin burning line through space. Then his feet moved. He reappeared—
And sat cross-legged right in front of the main hall doors, back to the flaming hundred-meter Yubashiri, not saying a word as he looked at everyone.
Hiss—
The fire threw a ribbon of light and shadow, dragging the boy's silhouette long, long across the floor…
All noise inside the hall died instantly. The shrine fell into an eerie silence—so quiet you could hear dust settle.
Gulp.
Uchiha Obito's throat bobbed. Sitting at the edge of the crowd, closest to the entrance, he could feel the flames heating the air and the heat waves rolling toward him. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Without making a sound, he inched his butt deeper into the hall.
"Nii-san…"
In front of the coffins, Shisui had been clinging to Roy's coat a second ago, trying to find a shred of safety. The next second his hand grabbed only air. When he looked up—
His big brother looked like a god or a demon: a burning hundred-meter giant blade behind him, a smear of crimson in his eyes.
Shisui's baby-fat cheeks flushed bright red with excitement. His eyes shone like lightbulbs as he stared, transfixed.
'Nii-san always says my sloppy swings don't count as swordsmanship… now I get it. Nii-san was right… This is what "swordsmanship" actually is!'
That emotional surge—Obito's, Shisui's—added fuel to an already blazing storm.
[Panel notification… "Emotion fluctuation" accumulation… 110%… 120%… 130%…]
Ten… twenty… thirty points… even growing exponentially…
The sun rose inside Roy's chest. His shoulder-length black hair swayed slightly. Both ears were filled, as if he truly heard nothing outside himself…
But inside the hall—Uchiha Yashiro, Inabi, Tekka… and the Uchiha who had lost parents, siblings, lovers, friends—none of them could pretend this wasn't happening. Their mouths opened, their pupils shrank, and they all froze in a stunned stupor.
"Ren…"
"Uchiha Ren!"
"Another pair of three-tomoe eyes!"
Their words—heart-voices—were swallowed by the heart-worms, packed into their bellies, and turned into "emotion" fuel…
After a long, dead silence, Uchiha Fugaku's light, cold reprimand finally drifted out:
"Ren, don't be insolent!"
"Let the elder leave."
"Yes."
Roy flicked his gaze over Setsuna and said calmly, "Yubashiri…"
"—Sing."
A sharp sword-cry rang out.
The hundred-meter blade—white blade, white hilt, snow-pure yet fire-forged—snapped back in an instant. With a thought, it spiraled around the main hall in a fast, controlled arc, then dropped before Roy—
Roy caught it lightly, laid it across his knees, and pulled out a cloth from his sleeve to wipe it down as if nothing had happened.
Setsuna—who had been storming out in a rage, ready to split the clan—couldn't take another step.
It was like his feet had been nailed to the floor.
Hiss…
Smoke rose in thin strands…
Yubashiri was no longer blocking the way, but a burned trench nearly a hundred meters long remained carved across the floor like a scar.
After a beat, Setsuna exhaled a long sigh. His blood-red eyes stayed locked on Roy. He drew a breath, finally regaining control of his legs—
And stepped backward, retreating several paces, returning to the hall.
"Clan Head… forgive my blindness. I acted rashly…"
Setsuna's already hunched back bent even farther, almost bowing into a full arch. He bowed deeply—just like Fugaku had.
Beside him, Yashiro, Inabi, Tekka—everyone, including Obito and Shisui—looked from Roy sitting like an immovable rock at the doorway, to Setsuna and Fugaku… and the same thought rose in their minds, as if rehearsed:
This is how it should be.
"Clan Head…"
"Fugaku-sama…"
"I was foolish—my apologies!"
Rustle—
Dozens of Uchiha who had started to follow Setsuna out stopped and bowed in unison, apologizing.
Fugaku took a deep look at Roy, then raised his hand and forced a gentle smile.
"We're family. No need for two sets of words. Elder… Tekka… Kohara… get up."
The three tomoe faded from Fugaku's eyes. One by one, he reached out—helping Setsuna, Tekka, and several others up.
Then he sighed.
"I'm the one who should apologize. My son was reckless and offended you. Please don't hold it against him."
Setsuna, supported by Fugaku, shed his earlier sharp presence like a coat. He dispersed his Sharingan, smiling as he grabbed Fugaku's arm in return. He looked toward Roy, who was still wiping his blade by the door, and said with feeling:
"Years ago, I followed Madara-sama. I was lucky enough to witness his presence."
"Today… what I saw—Ren already has Madara-sama's bearing!"
Awakening three tomoe at eight… and a casual blade display that defied human understanding…
Setsuna spoke plainly: "Fugaku, having a son like this is the clan's blessing."
Yashiro's eyes narrowed to slits, a glint showing through as he stared at Roy, nodding.
"Clan Head, the young master did nothing wrong."
"On the contrary—he did the right thing. Leaving without your order is what was wrong."
Inabi—head of the Police Force, a man who valued rules—added:
"Elder's right. Without rules there is no order. Ren was helping everyone keep discipline."
Voices followed.
"Yes… it's not the young master's fault."
"I was hot-headed."
"Please punish us, Clan Head…"
Ring Ring—
The wind chime hanging under the shrine eaves rang cheerfully.
Countless eyes, openly or secretly, drifted toward the boy wiping his blade by the door…
Obito and Shisui stared, listening, their pupils shimmering with envy.
'Nii-san / Ren doesn't need to say a word. Just sitting there, nobody can ignore him. Like the Hokage… everyone revolves around him. That's insane…'
Their excitement surged—while the negative emotions in their hearts dissolved a little.
The heart-worms, with nothing left to eat, belched silently, withdrew their mouthparts, and rolled back along the bloodline karma threads—bellies swollen—returning into Roy.
[Panel notification… "Emotion fluctuation" accumulation +50%…]
[Current "negative emotion" stockpile: 370%… enough to help others awaken the eyes 3–5 more times; cost depends on bloodline concentration…]
[Note: Stockpiled "negative emotions" are overflowing. Holding them long-term will harm the host. Clear them soon—or burn them away.]
Taken from others, after all—not his own, and not offered by his followers.
Roy glanced at the line about "help others awaken the eyes," then sifted through the useless flood of memories the heart-worms had delivered—Setsuna, Yashiro, Inabi, Tekka… even Obito and Shisui.
As he sorted them, a power stirred inside him, gathering toward his eyes, as if waiting to be shaped and called forth.
He started to form a plan for developing his dōjutsu.
"Elder, you flatter me."
Back in the main hall, with Setsuna and the others now speaking for Roy, Fugaku shook his head and motioned.
"Ren—come over and greet the elders and your uncles."
"Clang—"
Yubashiri slid back into its sheath.
Roy rose. Sunlight poured through the shrine eaves and fell across his shoulders like a halo. With his thoughts still on dōjutsu, he walked up and gave a small nod.
"Ren greets the elder and the uncles. I acted without restraint and made a spectacle."
The younger generation—Inabi, Tekka, and others—waved it off quickly.
"No, no, it's fine."
"Young master is too polite…"
A rare harmony settled over the hall—nothing like the old, suffocating Uchiha atmosphere.
Roy gave a faint hum, then shook his head—playing along with Fugaku's "self-blame."
"Elders can forgive me because I'm young and ignorant… but as an Uchiha, I can't be shameless."
He bowed to Fugaku.
"Father—let me make amends. Let me give the elders and uncles a gift as an apology."
Fugaku froze. Setsuna, Yashiro, Inabi, Tekka… dozens of Uchiha all stared.
Fugaku looked at his son like he was seeing him for the first time. After a long moment he finally said:
"Make your own decision."
Roy straightened.
"Then I'll open the eyes for the elders, uncles, and brothers."
"Wait!"
A harsh shout hit like thunder, making the shrine's beams and tiles tremble.
A gust of wind whipped up. Two withered hands grabbed Roy's shoulders—Setsuna's face, lined and fierce from years of prison, nearly pressed into Roy's.
The elder shook, voice trembling.
"Kid… do you even understand what you're saying?!"
Ring Ring…
The wind chime rang again.
Yashiro, Inabi, Tekka… every Uchiha stared—Obito included. Even he went slack-jawed.
Roy met Fugaku's stunned gaze… then glanced back at Shisui's frozen expression, and repeated clearly:
"I said I want to help the elders and brothers awaken their eyes."
Roy gave a small shoulder shake—just enough to break Setsuna's grip—and walked calmly through the stunned crowd toward the coffins filling half the shrine.
He placed a hand on one coffin lid, copying Setsuna's earlier gesture, and said quietly:
"I don't understand what Father and the elder are arguing about… but I do know this—when you're weak, you get bullied. You get killed."
"I went to the battlefield recently. I saw people die. Most of them died because they were too weak—slaughtered like nothing."
He paused, turned back to face Fugaku, Setsuna, Yashiro, Inabi, Tekka, and the whole clan, and raised his fist slightly.
"So I think I need to get stronger."
"And we, the Uchiha, need to get stronger."
"So strong that all of Konoha won't dare oppose us."
"So strong that Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and Iwagakure fear us."
"Then nobody will dare mess with us again."
Ring Ring…
The wind chime rang.
Silence fell over the Uchiha.
The boy's words might've been childish, arrogant, ridiculous—maybe even insane—but in that moment, that small, straight back carved itself into everyone's eyes like a blazing sun.
"Ren, shut up! Don't spout nonsense!"
"Fugaku!"
Setsuna slammed his cane.
Thud.
He cut Fugaku off, stepping between father and son, glaring as he scolded Fugaku.
"What did the kid say that's wrong? He's right!"
"When you're weak, you get bullied. You get killed!"
Setsuna's hawk-sharp gaze swept across Yashiro, Inabi, Tekka, and the others.
He snorted.
"Think. If Madara-sama were alive, would Hiruzen and Danzō dare move?"
"They're bold now because the clan doesn't have anyone to hold the field—because we can't even put forward a few solid jōnin!"
The old man flared, raising his cane like a commander calling for execution.
"Kid—do it!"
"I'm watching you open their eyes!"
Fugaku tried to speak. "Elder, that's just a—"
"Shut up!" Setsuna lifted the cane as if to strike.
Roy said nothing. He simply called:
"Shisui."
Shisui, still sitting like a stunned goose, stood up. His short legs churned as he moved through the clan's stares and stopped in front of Roy.
"Nii-san…"
Roy grabbed the boy's head.
In an instant, he refined a pure shard of negative emotion and poured it down through Shisui's crown—while using the sun's trait to brace Shisui's mind so it wouldn't shatter.
Then—
Shisui's brows twitched. His eyes shut… and opened—
And a faint red began to bloom.
Setsuna, Fugaku—who had been ready to jump in and stop this—Yashiro, Inabi, Tekka, Obito… every Uchiha snapped their gaze onto Shisui.
~~~
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