"Brother."
When they returned home, a soft and sweet voice called out. Smiling brightly, his younger sister Izumi threw herself into Uchiha Yuan's arms.
Seeing her, Uchiha Yuan couldn't help but smile indulgently and caught her in his embrace.
"Izumi, don't run so fast—you might fall."
"I'm not afraid. I know you'll always catch me, Brother," Uchiha Izumi said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
As the siblings played around, their mother, Uchiha Rei, came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of food.
The family of three sat down at the dining table to eat.
Uchiha Yuan carefully picked the bones out of a piece of fish and placed the tender meat into Izumi's bowl.
Izumi chatted cheerfully about her day. "Brother, Itachi-kun's little brother, Sasuke, is so cute!"
"Sasuke's such a crybaby. Whenever I tease him a little, he bursts into tears."
"But as soon as Itachi-kun comforts him, he stops right away, then pouts and glares at you with those angry cheeks."
"Itachi-kun is so gentle when he comforts Sasuke…"
As she spoke, Izumi's face flushed red with a shy smile.
Seeing her daughter's expression, Uchiha Rei teased, "Izumi, are you imagining what Itachi will be like when he coaxes your child someday? Will he be just as gentle then?"
At that, Izumi's face turned scarlet. She pouted and protested in embarrassment, "Mom! You're teasing me! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Uchiha Rei chuckled and ruffled her daughter's hair. "Oh? So Izumi doesn't like Itachi?"
"Mom, I'm mad at you!"
Izumi puffed up her cheeks, glaring at her mother in mock anger.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. But if Itachi ever became our son-in-law, I'd be very happy," Rei said with a laugh. "That boy just radiates gentleness."
Watching his mother and sister joke around, Uchiha Yuan smiled softly.
These were his family in this life—his mother and sister, the two most important bonds he had.
They were also the reason he knew he would one day stand in opposition to Konoha's upper echelons. Because no matter what, he could never allow the Night of the Massacre to happen. He would not permit even the slightest cruelty to touch his mother and sister.
He wanted them to live peaceful, joyful lives—forever smiling like this.
But right now, one thing troubled him deeply: without him realizing it, Izumi had become close friends with Uchiha Itachi… and it was clear that her feelings for him were no longer simple.
Thinking of the choice Itachi would make in the future, Yuan felt he had to prevent that tragedy before it could even begin. For Izumi's sake, she needed to stay far away from Uchiha Itachi.
He placed another piece of boneless fish into his mother's bowl, then looked up seriously and said, "Izumi, I think you should stay away from Itachi—from now on, don't see him anymore."
At those words, both Uchiha Rei and Uchiha Izumi looked at Yuan in surprise.
"Brother, why?"
"Yuan," Rei said lightly, "don't tell me you're jealous? You've always been Izumi's favorite, after all."
Seeing the tears welling up in his sister's eyes, Yuan sighed helplessly. "Izumi, I'm not trying to stop you from making friends. I just think there's something… unfathomable about Uchiha Itachi."
"Hmph! You're the worst, Brother! I'm not talking to you!" Izumi huffed and ran off angrily.
Uchiha Rei frowned slightly and said reproachfully, "Yuan, Itachi is such a kind, gentle boy—how can you talk about him as if he's some deep, scheming person?"
That night.
In his room, Uchiha Yuan sat cross-legged, palms upward, five hearts facing the heavens. Natural energy from all directions gathered around him.
His spiritual power guided the natural energy, and his consciousness drifted as though soaring among the stars, gliding through endless clouds and waves.
He could feel everything around him—the movement of the wind, the flow of water, the breath of the flowers, trees, even the stones and the earth itself.
If a sensory-type ninja were present, they would find that though they could see Uchiha Yuan sitting there, they could not sense his chakra at all.
No one knew how long had passed before his aura finally returned. Yuan opened his eyes, ending another session of Sage Arts cultivation.
The next morning.
When Yuan stepped out of his house, he saw Uchiha Daishi peeking around a corner not far away.
As soon as Daishi spotted him, he hurried over.
"Big Brother, Uchiha Eiji is here! He's waiting for you at the training grounds from yesterday."
The two made their way there, where they saw Eiji and his two companions watching a group of guards practicing taijutsu.
Hearing footsteps, Uchiha Eiji turned, then tossed a scroll toward Yuan.
"This is my father's record on chakra cultivation."
Yuan caught the scroll, opened it, and read carefully.
Inside were detailed notes on chakra refinement and training insights. Yuan's expression grew thoughtful, then his brows furrowed as his gaze lingered on several sections.
After a while, he rolled the scroll back up and handed it to Eiji.
"Your father must be a formidable shinobi. His insights into chakra cultivation are invaluable—I've learned much."
"Of course!" said Uchiha Kotarō, standing to Eiji's right. "Eiji's father, Lord Moritaka, is a squad captain in the Uchiha Police Force! He's one of the strongest among them!"
Eiji pocketed the scroll and began to walk away—but after a few steps, he stopped, turned around, and said coldly,
"Uchiha Yuan, do you dare face me in another match?"
Yuan raised an eyebrow. "I don't mind. But if you lose again, the same rule applies—you owe me another ninjutsu scroll."
Uchiha Hayato laughed aloud. "Yuan, you're doomed this time! Eiji's awakened his Sharingan!"
Beside them, Daishi looked worried and whispered, "Big Brother, Eiji really did awaken the Sharingan…"
The Uchiha name was known throughout the shinobi world—the Sharingan was their pride.
Since childhood, Daishi and the others had grown up hearing tales of their clan's might, believing the Sharingan to be invincible.
Yuan merely chuckled, his gaze sharp as a blade as he looked straight at Eiji.
"I look forward to seeing what surprises your Sharingan can show me."
Eiji's expression stiffened. For a brief moment, just meeting Yuan's eyes made a chill run through him—an instinctive urge to retreat.
In the middle of the training ground, yesterday's scene replayed once more.
The two faced each other.
"Let's begin," Yuan said calmly.
Eiji shouted and activated the Body Flicker Technique, vanishing in a blur and reappearing at Yuan's side, striking out with his fist.
At the same instant, his eyes flashed—one tomoe appeared in each pupil.
Sharingan—activated!
I can see it, Eiji thought fiercely.
He could see every motion, every trajectory of Uchiha Yuan's counterattack.
Yesterday, he hadn't even been able to tell how Yuan had deflected all his moves.
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