Back when Rokuro first studied the secrets of the Sharingan, he had designed two potential approaches to awakening it.
The first was the natural awakening method—he planned to experiment when he turned eight, the same age Itachi had awakened his own Sharingan.
In Rokuro's mind, by that time his physical condition and chakra reserves should have reached the level of a genin—or even a chūnin.
At that stage, all he needed to do was recall painful memories or witness a tragic event, and that should be enough to trigger the Sharingan naturally.
If that failed, it would mean his Uchiha bloodline wasn't pure enough and the awakening threshold was too high. In that case, he'd resort to his second plan, which revolved around Uchiha Kei.
In the original timeline, Uchiha Kei (formerly Izumi) possessed a three-tomoe Sharingan during the Uchiha Clan Massacre—at only fourteen years old. By all standards, her talent ranked just below Itachi's.
In fact, had she not been born a woman—physically weaker by nature—her innate potential might not have been any less than his.
Rokuro's plan was simple: build a strong bond with Kei, and through her, uncover the secret behind the Sharingan's awakening—and possibly the deeper mystery behind its evolution.
As a transmigrator, Rokuro knew plenty of hidden truths from the shinobi world. For instance, according to Tobirama Senju's research, the Sharingan awakened when an Uchiha experienced intense emotional trauma—when they lost someone dear to them. At that moment, the brain secreted a unique type of chakra, which transformed the eyes and elevated their power—eventually leading to the Mangekyō Sharingan.
If Tobirama's explanation wasn't merely propaganda to manipulate Sasuke, then finding and analyzing this "special chakra" would be the key to decoding the Sharingan itself.
For most shinobi, that would be impossible—an absurd dream. Many couldn't even master a single chakra nature in their lifetime. Hiruzen Sarutobi called himself the "Professor" precisely because he could use all chakra natures, and Kakashi's title as "Copy Ninja" came from the same mastery.
So to control even one chakra nature was already exceptional. To control all of them was legendary. To manipulate kekkei genkai chakra? Practically divine.
But for Rokuro, it wasn't as difficult as it sounded.
He wasn't relying on the human body's natural chakra manipulation—he was using seal scripts, or what he called chakra code.
Whether it was basic elemental chakra or advanced bloodline forms, as long as it existed, he could theoretically analyze it through sealing formulas—and then recreate it.
The only remaining problem was finding someone he could completely trust.
And Uchiha Kei was the perfect candidate.
"Kei, I've decided—I'm going to graduate early. I don't want to waste any more time in the academy," Rokuro said calmly.
"Huh? You're going to graduate early? Like Itachi?" she asked, wide-eyed.
Rokuro shrugged. "Pretty much. The prodigy of the Uchiha clan applied for early graduation too."
Kei nodded slightly. It wasn't surprising—Itachi was known as the most gifted shinobi of their generation, perhaps even in the entire world.
"Rokuro, if you graduate early… then what about me?"
"You still need more training," he said, his tone patient but firm. "My advice is to stay another year. In the meantime, I'll train with you whenever I can. As for me—I want to see the outside world."
"The outside world?" Kei blinked. "You're not planning to join the Konoha Police Force?"
Rokuro laughed coldly.
"That retirement home? Not for me. Anyway, we're done for today. And remember—don't tell anyone about your Sharingan, not even fellow clan members. The relationship between the Uchiha and the village is… delicate right now. If word gets out that a six-year-old awakened the Sharingan, it'll only bring trouble. Got it?"
Kei didn't fully understand, but she trusted Rokuro completely. She nodded obediently.
The next day, Rokuro submitted his early graduation request. Since the academy had few restrictions for clan-born students—and Rokuro's grades were always top-tier—the approval came quickly.
After classes, he walked home with Kei, explaining that in a few days, he'd face a chūnin in a sparring exam to complete his graduation.
"A chūnin? I thought academy exams were against genin?" she asked.
"I'm an Uchiha, and I've always ranked at the top," he replied with a grin. "The school probably wants to set an example. Doesn't matter—a mere chūnin won't be a problem."
As they walked, a heated argument drifted over from nearby.
"I'm telling you, the Nine-Tails incident was caused by the Uchiha!"
"Shh! Don't talk nonsense! They'll arrest you!"
"My cousin died in that disaster! The Uchiha are murderers—I'm not afraid of them!"
The voices grew louder as more people gathered.
"You think so too? I thought I was the only one!"
"Yeah, I heard it from a jōnin who fought that night—the Nine-Tails' eyes reflected a three-tomoe Sharingan. Proof enough!"
"And don't forget—the Uchiha Police didn't even show up to help during the chaos. Their job is to protect the village, so why didn't they act? Doesn't that seem suspicious?"
The crowd's discussion grew heated, echoing down the street.
Kei clenched her fists, about to rush over, but Rokuro caught her arm.
"Let me go! They don't even know the truth! We were ordered by Root not to interfere!"
Rokuro chuckled softly.
"And you think they'd believe that? Who can prove it? Root operatives? Most of these people don't even know the difference between ANBU and Root. To them, it's all the same—and the fact remains: the Uchiha didn't fight. That's undeniable."
"But…" she protested weakly.
"Think about it," Rokuro said, his tone turning sharp. "Root is just one branch of Konoha, no different from the Police Force. So why should our clan obey their orders?"
Kei froze. She had never considered that before.
Rokuro continued, "Root's leader is Shimura Danzō—an old relic from the previous era. He used to serve as one of the Third Hokage's advisors, but that was before Minato became Hokage. During the Nine-Tails attack, Danzō had no authority. At best, he was acting under the Third's orders. If I'm right, the Fourth never approved any such command."
He smirked coldly. "The Hokage is the highest authority in Konoha, not some outdated advisor. For Danzō to issue orders during such a crisis—and for our clan leader to just accept them without protest—what a fine 'leader' we have."
He nodded toward the group of arguing villagers.
"Mark my words, Kei. People like them will only multiply. The pressure on our clan will grow—and when it reaches its peak, the Konoha elders will use it as an excuse to bleed the Uchiha dry."