Origins

"My cousin?!" Shigure and Minato weren't the only ones taken aback. Rin and Kakashi were also staring in shock, thinking Obito was joking, though it didn't look like he was making anything up.

"How does the family tree describe you and me?" Shigure asked at once, curious.

"My name is Obito, and I have only one younger brother, Shisui. He's exceptionally talented, so he's training in the Anbu." Obito spoke as he held a family tree.

"So that's it. Shisui's your younger brother. How old is he now? He's already training with the Anbu? Sounds like a terrifying genius! I'll have to fight him sometime.

"But you said I'm your cousin? Does that mean my dad is your dad's brother?" Shigure couldn't help wondering what exactly their relationship was.

"So I really want to know—who's your dad?" Shigure suddenly asked, unable to resist his curiosity.

Obito naturally had no idea that the Shigure before him had already arrived in this world by transmigrating into someone else's body. He wasn't particularly interested in who his own father was, either.

Obito froze for a moment, then complained, "Huh?! Why are you asking who my dad is? Shouldn't you be curious about who your own dad is? If I'm not mistaken, you don't even know your father's name, do you?"

But Obito had hit the nail on the head. Ever since Shigure had transmigrated, he really hadn't known either of his parents' names.

"You know?" Shigure asked in return.

Obito shook his head. "That's the problem, Shigure. All the records about your father seem to have been erased. Even his name is gone. The only reason I remembered you was that I'd always found this strange."

"Erased?" Shigure furrowed his brow.

"Yeah. Your name must have once been your father's name. Someone in the clan deliberately erased it. I don't know what they're trying to hide." Obito shared everything he knew.

Shigure felt a surge of anger. He was sure this was why his own clan had treated him with such prejudice.

"Why? The Third Hokage said my parents were heroes of Konoha who died fighting for the village. But look at how I've been treated. Why have Uchiha clan members constantly targeted and discriminated against me?" Shigure couldn't understand it. He could only feel his agitation mounting.

Before he knew it, his Three-Tomoe White Rinnegan had flared to life. Three white tomoe shimmered in his eyes.

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Obito was familiar with the Three Tomoe. He stared at Shigure in shock, speechless.

"So this must be why those Uchiha have been targeting me. No parents? That's the opening they're exploiting." Shigure continued, "They say my parents died fighting for Konoha. As the orphaned child of heroes, I should have been treated like one. Instead, most of the Uchiha Clan have shunned me and even targeted me.

"What's the reason behind it? Do you know, Obito?" Shigure asked. He disliked the Uchiha Clan, but Obito was one of the few Uchiha who didn't look down on him, so he was still polite.

"Well, I don't know the Uchiha Clan very well right now. Otherwise, I could help you investigate. The family tree, clan affairs, big or small—everything is decided by the Uchiha Clan leader and the so-called elders, both now and ten years ago," Obito said.

"Oh, I understand. Thanks, Obito. I'll deal with my own problems myself." Shigure knew that sooner or later, he would have to settle things with the Uchiha Clan.

But not now. The matter of Shigure killing three Uchiha Genin and an Uchiha Anbu member still hadn't entirely blown over.

Shigure checked the time. It was about time to go, so he said goodbye to Minato and the others.

"See you next time, young grand-uncle. I hope we get the chance to fight side by side!" Minato said sincerely.

"See you at the Chunin Exams!" Kakashi Hatake said, quite the opposite. He was eager for a fight and wanted to face Uchiha Shigure in a proper match.

"I hope I can avoid running into him during the exams. Just think—he's awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan! How old is he, five or six?" Obito shook his head. He had no confidence or hope of winning against his grand-uncle—and cousin—Shigure.

"Yeah." Shigure waved, then vanished from the spot with the Body Flicker Technique. That finally put everyone's doubts about him to rest.

Shigure finally returned home. The place no longer looked like it had after his fight with Uchiha Wei and the others.

"Xiao Xing must have cleaned everything up, right? I never realized how sensible that girl was. And that little rascal even got herself a job." Shigure found himself thinking of Xiao Xing again.

The room had been restored, but it was empty.

Shigure still couldn't help feeling unsettled.

"Even though I transmigrated here, Uchiha Shigure and I are one and the same. Bullying him is the same as bullying me. I'll have to get to the bottom of my identity sooner or later."

"I wonder what my parents in this world were like. I don't even know their names."

Shigure felt a little tired. He was just about to go to sleep when he sensed something outside the door. Before he could even activate his White Rinnegan, someone had already entered the house.

He looked up and saw Xiao Xing. The other person was Amamiya Suisen, the daughter of the boss he'd met earlier.

The two of them suddenly appeared before him, holding a birthday cake.

"What are you two...?" Shigure let down his guard and looked at them, at a loss.

"Brother Shiyu, did you forget what day it is?" Xiao Xing asked.

"What day is it?" Shigure asked, completely bewildered.

"It's your birthday!"

"My birthday? How old am I turning?" Shigure asked again.

"Pfft! You don't even know how old you're turning?" Amamiya Suisen couldn't help laughing.

"Huh? You've forgotten your own birthday, too? Remember, today is your fifth birthday!"

"What? I'm only five?!" Shigure was shocked. He was only five? How come he looked like a ten-year-old boy?

"Of course you're five. We're the same age; I'm just a few months younger than you," Xiao Xing said.

"Kakashi is nine this year, and Obito is ten. I'm only five, and Shisui should be a little older than me, somewhere between six and eight, right?"