The impact of that revelation ran deeper than any threat an external enemy could pose.
Gazing at the Heavenly Curtain, Uchiha Itachi fixed his eyes on Hagoromo's newly awakened crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan, his heart filled with emotions that defied description.
After the initial shock came understanding—
A grim, almost fated understanding.
Followed by profound sorrow.
"So this..."
"...is the origin of the Sharingan?"
he murmured softly.
"It was born from overwhelming grief... regret... self-reproach... and helplessness."
"It was born from the immense emotional trauma the Sage of Six Paths suffered after losing the one he loved."
He recalled the pattern by which members of the Uchiha Clan typically awakened the Sharingan—
The loss of someone precious.
Overwhelming emotional trauma.
How similar it was to Hagoromo's awakening in the Heavenly Curtain.
The only difference was that Hagoromo's starting point had been far higher.
He had awakened directly into a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, under emotions far more intense.
"...No wonder."
A bitter smile crossed Itachi's face.
"So that's how it is."
"The Uchiha Clan's tendency to be consumed by extreme emotions... the arrogance and obsession buried within our bloodline..."
"It was destined from the very beginning."
Because at the moment the Sage of Six Paths first awakened those eyes...
He himself had been drowning in regret over his own arrogance...
And in agony after reality shattered his stubborn convictions.
That original burden—
That original karma—
Seemed to have been passed down through the bloodline itself.
"Sage of Six Paths..."
"It was the same for you."
Itachi spoke as though conversing with an ancestor from a thousand years ago.
Or perhaps...
As though dissecting himself.
"You were trapped by your own ideals..."
"Driven by your emotions..."
"You gained power through regret and suffering..."
"And because of that power—and the understanding that came with it—you ultimately walked a path that led to conflict with those closest to you."
To Itachi, the crimson Sharingan no longer represented merely power or a curse.
It had become a mirror.
A mirror reflecting the ancient tragedy of the Uchiha bloodline...
And the complexity of human nature itself.
And through the Heavenly Curtain, that mirror was now turned upon the entire shinobi world, forcing everyone to reconsider the true origin of their power—
Along with the light and darkness that had always existed within it.
Konohagakure — Hokage's Office
With her arms folded, Tsunade stared at Hagoromo's newly awakened crimson tomoe.
A mocking smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Heh."
"So arrogance really is inherited."
"Even the ancestor of their clan—the Sage of Six Paths himself—couldn't awaken his eyes without wallowing in self-righteous regret and the pain of being unable to change reality."
"He's the perfect example of someone who brought trouble upon himself."
Her words were razor-sharp, clearly projecting some of her long-held opinions about the Uchiha Clan onto their ancient forefather.
However, the moment she finished speaking, Jiraiya, who had seemed distracted until now, suddenly spoke in a tone of genuine scholarly curiosity.
"But... Tsunade."
"Based on what we've learned so far, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki—the Sage of Six Paths—is the common ancestor of both the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan."
"More precisely..."
"His son Indra Ōtsutsuki became the ancestor of the Uchiha."
"And Asura Ōtsutsuki became the ancestor of the Senju."
"So..."
"The Sage of Six Paths is also the father of your own clan's ancestor... isn't he?"
"..."
Silence instantly filled the office.
The mocking smile froze on Tsunade's face.
The corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.
She opened her mouth to argue—
Only to realize that, logically speaking...
Jiraiya was absolutely right.
She had been so focused on mocking the Uchiha ancestor's arrogance that she had completely forgotten that the very same ancestor's blood also flowed through the Senju Clan.
An indescribable feeling of frustration welled up inside her.
Even someone as straightforward as Tsunade found herself momentarily speechless.
She shot Jiraiya a fierce glare.
Only to discover that he seemed utterly oblivious to her predicament.
Her chest rose and fell with irritation.
In the end, she merely snorted and turned her head away, refocusing on the Heavenly Curtain—
Though the annoyance in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Within the Heavenly Curtain, Hagoromo gently touched his transformed eyes.
Feeling the entirely unfamiliar power flowing within them, he murmured,
"So they've changed..."
"It truly is incredible."
"I can clearly feel it."
"There's an entirely new... powerful force within these eyes."
"But, Brother..."
Hamura looked at the unfamiliar crimson eyes, their ominous aura making him even more uneasy.
"...Are you really alright?"
Those eyes had appeared alongside Butterfly's death and his brother's emotional collapse.
Instinctively, he felt that something was terribly wrong.
Hagoromo remained silent for a moment.
The crimson tomoe slowly revolved within his eyes.
Finally, he lowered his hand and stood upright.
His voice regained its former calmness, though now it carried an unshakable resolve.
"It's alright."
"I also have questions I wish to ask Mother."
"About these eyes..."
"And about... other things."
Hamura's concern deepened.
He knew his brother too well.
Whenever Hagoromo became this calm...
It usually meant an even greater storm was brewing beneath the surface.
Noticing his brother's worry, Hagoromo gently placed a hand on Hamura's shoulder and forced a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Hamura."
"I won't... do anything reckless."
"There are simply some questions..."
"That I need answered."
The two brothers eventually found Kaguya Ōtsutsuki quietly meditating beneath the God Tree.
The moment her gaze fell upon Hagoromo—
Especially upon his crimson eyes marked with black tomoe—
For the first time, surprise appeared in her pale eyes.
Along with...
A trace of complicated realization.
It was as though, through those eyes, she had glimpsed something distant...
Something familiar.
"Mother..."
Hamura cautiously broke the silence.
"My brother's eyes suddenly changed."
"...Is something wrong?"
Kaguya slowly returned to herself.
Her gaze became calm and profound once more.
Looking directly into Hagoromo's eyes, she spoke with the detached composure of someone merely stating a fact.
"Nothing is wrong."
"That..."
"...is the power of the God Tree."
"...The power of the God Tree?"
Hagoromo's brows instantly knitted together.
His fists clenched tightly.
Butterfly had been sacrificed...
To the God Tree.
And now these eyes—
Awakened by her death—
Had originated from the very tree that had devoured her.
The realization filled him with nausea...
And burning anger.
Kaguya seemed not to notice the violent shift in his emotions.
Her gaze drifted into the distance, as though recalling memories from ages long past.
Speaking almost to herself, she said quietly,
"I had believed that what you and your brother inherited..."
"...was only my power as a member of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, manifested in the form of the Byakugan."
"But now..."
"It seems I was mistaken."
"Hagoromo..."
"You are different."
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