Sign-in, Kurama Yakumo

The enemy could kill my shadow clone in an instant. Their strength cannot be underestimated.

Uchiha Rei frowned, walking quickly out of the laboratory and heading straight for his own cabin. His steps were steady, but killing intent churned in his eyes. If he didn't possess the Mangekyo Sharingan, he would have chosen to leave his village immediately. But now, with the Mangekyo, he had the confidence to face any enemy.

"Whether it's Uchiha Obito or Uchiha Itachi, I will not retreat."

But as he was rushing towards his cabin...

A vague, low voice echoed from the shadows within the house:

"You used the Mangekyo and only killed a clone... utterly useless. The ANBU are already here, let's withdraw."

The voice was ethereal and cold. Immediately after, the enemy hiding in Uchiha Rei's cabin scattered like smoke, disappearing without a trace.

When Uchiha Rei arrived, a squad of ANBU directly under the Hokage had already gathered in front of the cabin. Several ninjas in black, wearing masks, were carefully examining the surrounding traces. One turned and briefly informed him:

"There are traces left by an intruder, but they retreated before we arrived."

Rei scanned the surroundings with cold eyes: "No signs of a fight, which means they didn't intend to leave any clues."

The leading ANBU nodded: "We will continue the investigation. The Hokage has already been informed."

"Mm." Uchiha Rei said nothing more, crossing his arms.

"It seems... it's already too late."

The ANBU soon departed, melting into the night. Uchiha Rei stood quietly in place, his gaze sinking into the deep, dark night sky. He knew well that since the enemy had tested him, they wouldn't give up easily. Staying here any longer would only put him in a passive position.

"A thief can break in a thousand times, but a guard can't guard a thousand times," he sighed softly.

After the ANBU team left, he also turned away from his now-exposed cabin. His figure flickered, and he shot out like the wind from Konohagakure's main street.

Then he scaled the high wall, landing in the woods outside the village.

Now, he no longer used the main gate. What Shadow-level expert used Konohagakure's main gate?

"In Konoha, besides the Hokage and Danzo, there are the clans," he muttered to himself, "but the place I'm going doesn't belong to any center of power."

In Konoha, two massive clans always played a pivotal role: the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan. Both had blood ties to Rei, but he was unwilling to be affiliated, unwilling to become a pawn.

"And the place I'm going is a forgotten place."

Normally, Kurenai Yuhi would often chat with him. That woman had inadvertently mentioned: "The ancestral land of the Kurama Clan is still hidden on the mountain behind the village; almost no one goes there anymore."

The Kurama Clan once possessed a powerful genjutsu bloodline, but their bloodline gradually thinned, and few descendants carried it. The clan declined from its peak and was now considered a fringe clan in Konoha. And their ancestral land was exactly where Uchiha Rei was heading.

In the dark mountain forest, Uchiha Rei moved lightly. Before long, he arrived at a forgotten peak. Although the mountain wasn't high, it was extremely remote. He observed carefully and found subtle clues.

"Hmm? This place... someone is actually living here?"

The view was a row of villas hidden among the mountains and forests.

"They live better than I do?" he couldn't help but chuckle, "The Kurama Clan's life... is more comfortable than I imagined."

He didn't barge in. Instead, he chose a hidden spot near a corner of the estate, concealing himself. This location offered a vantage point, making observation easy.

"I'll stay here tonight."

He leaned against an old tree, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing, listening to the rustling leaves stirred by the breeze, and waiting for midnight.

As the night deepened, the starlight grew sparse, and occasional night birds flitted in the distance.

Deep within the villas, dim yellow light spilled from the windows of a studio, separating the outside night from the inside world.

Inside the studio, a faint scent of paint and Xuan paper filled the air. A young girl sat before a large canvas, lost in thought. Her black hair cascaded smoothly over her shoulders, and a loose purple robe draped over her, making her skin appear like snow. Her features were cool and detached.

"Could it be... the Kurama Clan is truly at its end?" she murmured softly, her brush leaving a dark, twisted stroke on the paper.

This was the third time she had applied to become a formal ninja under Kurenai Yuhi, and the third time she had been rejected.

"Do I really... have no talent for being a ninja?" Her voice grew increasingly anxious, trembling slightly. She coughed, covering her mouth, a faint red stain appearing on her lips.

The rejection letter lay quietly on the easel, each word piercing her heart like a blade.

"My parents' revenge... how can I achieve it? How can I revitalize the clan..." Her voice lowered to a barely audible whisper, but a near-distorted obsession burned in her eyes.

"...I heard a while ago that the Third Hokage personally arranged... for Teacher Kurenai to deal with my parents."

"If... I can't even become a ninja... what's the point of my living?"

Her voice began to spiral out of control, her words becoming jumbled. Her fingertips gripped the brush tightly, her knuckles turning white. Suddenly, she clutched her head in pain, her pupils flashing with a strange light, her body trembling violently.

Then, her form twisted and distorted within the studio. Her long hair billowed, and a pair of blood-red pupils replaced her original clarity. Horn-like bone protrusions emerged from her forehead, and her skin broke out in purple splotches. In the next second, she had transformed into a hideous monster with two horns.

The monster let out a low growl and stepped out of the studio step by step, crushing painting tools and brushes underfoot. Only instinct and hatred remained in its eyes.

It roamed the estate in the dark night, elusive like a nightmare, its target uncertain, but its killing intent spread through the air.

Suddenly, a hidden Jonin from the ANBU within the estate was locked onto by it. With just a single glance, the ANBU froze, as if trapped in an endless nightmare. A groan escaped his throat, and the next moment, he slumped to the ground. There were no signs of combat, nor any trace of ninjutsu.

This monster's genjutsu was far stronger than Kurenai Yuhi, currently hailed as the "Konoha's Strongest Genjutsu User." If Uchiha Itachi were still alive, perhaps only Shisui could possess such an ability.

But Shisui was dead, and Itachi lurked in the shadows.

At this moment, in another corner of the estate, a ninja sat calmly against a wall, his posture as steady as a rock. Uchiha Rei was preparing to wait for the midnight check-in.

Suddenly, he sensed a distorted chakra approaching.

"Hm?" He slightly opened his eyes. A monster burning with a faint green flame lunged towards him, its twin horns glinting metallically, spewing purple flames and poisonous mist from its mouth.

"Monster?"

He reacted swiftly, and the shuriken in his hand flew out instantly, accurately hitting the monster's forehead.

However, the shuriken passed through silently, and the monster's body didn't move an inch.

"Fake? Genjutsu?" Blood-red light suddenly appeared in his eyes, his Mangekyo Sharingan spinning, its crimson glow like a blade, tearing through the illusion.

"Hizujin."

His Mangekyo power was quietly unleashed. In an instant, the monster seemed to be engulfed by an invisible black tide, gradually disappearing from its spot. The illusory flames dispersed, replaced by a girl lying on the ground.

Uchiha Rei slowly walked forward, his gaze lingering on the girl for a moment.

She was a frail figure, her long hair like ink, her clothes slightly disheveled, her face pale, still bearing the weakness from the genjutsu backlash. Her chest heaved violently, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Her collar was slightly open, and the skin beneath her collarbone was faintly flushed from the genjutsu, like petals kissed by frost, carrying a hint of tragic beauty.

He recognized her—Kurama Yakumo, the last head of the Kurama Clan, and his classmate from his youth. A disciple of the genjutsu master Kurenai Yuhi, a girl with powerful genjutsu talent, yet bound by her body. Her chakra was constantly chaotic, unable to be controlled freely, talent and curse coexisting.

A girl trapped in a birdcage, beautiful and lonely.

"Since I'm here, I might as well help her."

"But I should sign in first."

[Ding!]

[Sign-in Location: Kurama Clan Territory!]

[Sign-in Successful!]

[Sign-in Reward: Kurama Clan Kekkei Genkai!]

He felt a familiar yet unfamiliar power surge into his body. His genjutsu talent and control instantly soared.

"Kurama Genjutsu... combined with the Mangekyo, this will be very interesting."

Uchiha Rei activated his green chakra and quickly helped the little girl up.

"You... saved me?"

She opened her eyes and saw the masked ninja in ANBU attire. A bitter smile touched her lips. "It's a pity my life has no meaning... just let me die."

Her voice was weak, yet carried a resolute gentleness, like withered leaves in late winter drifting in the wind.

Uchiha Rei crouched down, gazing at her. "If I can help you break free from your shackles, help you become a ninja, are you interested?"

Yakumo was stunned, and an unprecedented light flickered in her eyes, like a crack appearing on a frozen lake. She responded in a low voice, her tone trembling slightly, "Yes, yes... but what's the price? Do I have to... betray Konoha?"

"The price?" Uchiha Rei's voice was deep, yet carried an almost imperceptible smile. "There's no price. Consider it a personal interest."

He reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Close your eyes, and don't resist at all."

Yakumo hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded and closed her eyelashes.

Uchiha Rei stood up, his Mangekyo Sharingan behind the mask spinning once more, drawing Yakumo's consciousness into an Illusionary Realm.