The Performance Has Just Begun

"Shota... I know this is cruel, but..."

"Everything is already too late. I also wanted to give the Uchiha a chance, but time has run out..."

"I guarantee in the name of the Hokage: as long as you carry out the extermination mission, Moe will be protected by Konoha and grow up safely; she will not be treated as the remnant of a traitorous clan."

"You are a ninja of Konoha... make your choice."

The sudden turn of events left Shota unable to think.

Why?

Why did the Uchiha have to reach this point today?

Wouldn't it have been enough to suppress the Uchiha who wanted to stage a coup?

Why must an extermination plan be carried out against all the Uchiha?

Why?

There were too many questions to ponder, and no one was there to give him the answer. Before him lay only the cold, hard reality.

"Make your choice. The Uchiha are a cancer to the village and must be purged!"

"If you don't do it, Root and Anbu will take action anyway. By then, Moe will die just the same, and you will be executed alongside them as a traitor."

"I advise you not to harbor any other fantasies!"

"You cannot protect the entire clan; you can only choose to protect your sister. Otherwise, all the Uchiha will die together."

"Do not even think about leading your clansmen to defect from Konoha and seek refuge with Kumogakure, Iwagakure, or Sunagakure. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, Konoha will still be able to root out the Uchiha completely."

"..."

Compared to the lives of his entire clan, the choice regarding his sister Moe was actually not difficult.

Shota no longer hesitated and decisively chose to lead all the Uchiha in a defection from the village.

Just as he was about to break through the encirclement, Uchiha Moe was publicly executed by a Root ninja, her head severed for all to see.

"No--!"

Shota roared madly, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, dripping with blood.

Although he had anticipated the outcome, when the cruel reality was laid out before him, it still caused him such heartache that he could not breathe.

The sharp blade of memory flashed ruthlessly before his eyes.

"Onii-chan~"

"Onii-chan, I love you the most."

"Remember to bring me Three-Color Dango, okay~ I'm begging you, Onii-chan~"

"..."

The extreme emotional stimulation combined with his chakra began to undergo a mutation within his eyes.

Inside the operating room, Shota, restrained on a metal recliner, was stained with blood and tears.

A powerful surge of chakra erupted from his body, emitting an eerie, crimson glow.

"Masaka?"

"It's Sharingan chakra!"

"Uchiha Shota has awakened the Sharingan!?"

The observation room erupted in exclamations.

"How is this possible?"

"What happened? Can Eri's son really make Uchiha Shota awaken the Sharingan?!"

The Third Elder Yutaro's eyes widened abruptly, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning within his pupils as he stared fixedly at Shota.

"Single-Tomoe Sharingan!"

"Shota has really awakened the Sharingan!"

As Shota's father, Yutaro was filled with inexplicable joy.

Disregarding his image, he pressed against the observation room glass, watching his son in the operating room, and threw his head back, letting out a hearty, Uchiha-style maniacal laugh.

"Hahahaha... My son, Yutaro's son, has also awakened the Sharingan!"

"Mom, brother's eyes keep bleeding. He's not going to be okay, is he?"

Uchiha Moe looked at her mother, Mako, feeling somewhat worried.

"This is a normal reaction for an Uchiha awakening the Sharingan, don't worry."

"That's good, that's good. I thought Onii-chan wouldn't be able to buy me Three-Color Dango ever again."

Mako shook her head with a smile, her expression one of helpless resignation.

The gathered Uchiha activated their Sharingan one after another to confirm that what had just occurred was reality, not an illusion.

Great Elder Shio looked toward Kenichi, his gaze sharp and filled with interrogation.

"The psychological diagnosis report indicates: Shota places extreme importance on his family..."

Kenichi wiped away non-existent cold sweat, attempting to explain:

"If an illusion is realistic enough to make Shota witness the passing of his family within it, theoretically, there is a certain possibility of awakening the Sharingan. However... that level of sensory realism and illusory control... is not something a genin should be capable of."

He looked at Kazuhiko, his face full of confusion.

Shisui stood in the corner, smiling as he explained:

"Kazuhiko-nii's illusions are capable of deceiving even me."

"So that's how it is; no wonder Shota awakened his Sharingan."

"Does this mean that every Uchiha ninja has the chance to awaken the Sharingan through illusions?"

"It might even be possible to advance the tomoe!"

The Uchiha whispered among themselves, some shocked, others filled with longing.

Using psychological counseling and illusions to help the Uchiha awaken their Sharingan—the result before their eyes was shocking enough.

Eri was also smiling, feeling proud of her son from the bottom of her heart.

As for those who called Kazuhiko the "Disgrace of the Uchiha," why had they all gone quiet?

Had they suddenly become introverted and lost their desire to speak?

"Truly, like mother, like son; Director Eri has a fine boy."

"The Director certainly has a discerning eye..."

Kosuke and the other medical ninjas offered their congratulations to Eri at the opportune moment, their blessings sincere.

Facts speak louder than words.

Shota's Single-Tomoe Sharingan was enough to leave those who questioned the Psychology Clinic speechless.

Shio closed his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest as he pondered Kenichi's analysis.

He felt inspired, believing he had grasped the secret to awakening the Sharingan for the Uchiha.

A sufficiently realistic and tragic illusion—if he were to cast it himself, he could likewise help Uchiha ninjas awaken their Sharingan!

But immediately, Shio opened his eyes again, looked at Shota, and frowned.

Something was wrong.

"Why is Shota still immersed in the world of the illusion after awakening his Single-Tomoe Sharingan?" someone asked in confusion.

"Is it a matter of strength?"

"The illusion under the amplification of Doctor Kazuhiko's Double-Tomoe Sharingan crushes Shota's Single-Tomoe; the two are clearly not on the same level of illusory capability."

The lower-ranked Uchiha discussed in hushed tones, while the Uchiha jonin present remained collectively silent.

They were contemplating: if they were to use Sharingan illusions, what would happen in a similar scenario?

The conclusion: it is not difficult to influence a chunin for a short time, but to influence an Uchiha who has awakened the Sharingan for an extended period is extremely difficult.

In the world of illusions, time passes like a white horse galloping past a crack in a wall.

Ten seconds is enough for a person to experience birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Yet, so much time had passed, and Shota was still sleeping there without the slightest sign of waking.

One must know that the Sharingan possesses an innate resistance to illusions.

The amplification provided by the Double-Tomoe is not enough to form a crushing advantage over a Single-Tomoe.

To keep Shota immersed in an illusion without returning to reality, one's illusory strength must be at least two levels higher than the target's.

Shota is currently a chunin; following this logic:

Kazuhiko's illusory strength must have reached at least quasi-kage level.

How could this be possible!

It was simply absurd!

Shio activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, focusing all his attention on observing every move Kazuhiko made.

The illusion was still ongoing.

Kazuhiko stood before Shota, his Double-Tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly. The fluctuations of his chakra manifested as tangible red light, flowing continuously into Shota through the metal patches.

The performance had only just begun.

Note: Due to an author error, there was a mistake regarding Izumi's background information.

[Correction: Shota's younger sister is Uchiha Moe, and Izumi is her classmate.]

Only the names have been adjusted; the preceding text has already been modified, so it will not affect the reading experience. Please rest assured, dear readers.

Finally: Thank you to the readers who pointed out the error. It is fortunate it was discovered early and will not affect the subsequent plot, otherwise, it would have been quite a blunder.