Things Were Worse for Shota

"Hasn't the psychological treatment operation ended yet? Is Kazuhiko planning to help Shota awaken his Sharingan further?"

"Looks like it."

"Does he have enough chakra? This isn't a low-level genjutsu, is it?"

The Uchiha in the Observation Room discussed in hushed voices.

The Uchiha Jonin present were just as curious.

From the enhanced hand seals and the flow of chakra, they could roughly guess the main genjutsu Kazuhiko had cast: a B-rank genjutsu of the Uchiha Clan—

Hypnotic Illusion.

A genjutsu of this level undoubtedly consumed Jonin-level amounts of chakra.

And every Uchiha Jonin present had a Three-Tomoe Sharingan. At a glance, they could tell—

Kazuhiko had made sweeping changes to the genjutsu.

The increased difficulty also meant greater chakra consumption.

Even with the boost from his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, he couldn't maintain the genjutsu for long.

In the operating room, Kazuhiko's chakra continued to pour out, yet he showed no signs of running low.

"Chakra isn't the issue."

Yutaro narrowed his eyes, looking at Kazuhiko's rapidly spinning Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

The tomoe were solid and symmetrical, flawless as a work of art.

"Without an intense battle, even a Chunin could maintain a B-rank genjutsu for a long time with the help of soldier pills."

"As long as they have their Sharingan activated, managing the chakra cost of a genjutsu is easy for the Uchiha."

"The key is eye power!"

As an Uchiha elder, no one understood the preciousness of eye power better than Yutaro.

It wasn't like chakra, which could be refined through hard work and training.

Once an Uchiha awakened the Sharingan, the strength of their eye power was already set.

Among Jonin with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, why was "Fierce Eye" Fugaku able to rise above the rest and become clan head?

The answer was his extraordinary, innate eye power.

When they both fought with their Sharingan activated, Fugaku's "Fierce Eye" was enough to defeat any Uchiha with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

The same was true of Uchiha Shisui, who was hailed as "the greatest genius."

Their Three-Tomoe Sharingan surpassed everyone else's.

To the Uchiha:

Eye power was an innate gift.

And the Sharingan genjutsu Kazuhiko had just demonstrated was enough to prove that his eye power was terrifyingly strong.

"Kazuhiko's Sharingan reminds me of Shisui."

Yutaro seemed a little moved.

He looked at Eri and praised her:

"Kazuhiko is a late-blooming genius of our Uchiha Clan!"

Eri smiled. "You flatter him, Third Elder."

Yutaro smiled as he looked at Kazuhiko.

"I'll say this now: with those eyes, our Uchiha Clan will certainly produce another elite Jonin."

Shisui's eyes lit up at those words.

He looked at Uchiha Kazuhiko, brimming with anticipation.

An elite Jonin was already qualified to be a Hokage candidate!

Brother Kazuhiko, what had you been through these past few days?

In the genjutsu world, things were worse for Shota.

The night wind howled as Shota and his clansmen raced along the rugged mountain path.

How long had they been running?

Four days? Five?

Shota had lost track.

All he remembered were his father's parting words:

"Protect the clan. Look after your mother. Wait for me to return."

"Let's stop for a moment," Mako suddenly said, her voice hoarse. "We'll rest here."

Shota stood atop a tree at the back of the group, keeping watch.

Mako took two rice balls from a sealing scroll and handed them to Shota.

"Eat something."

The rice balls were cold, but they smelled wonderfully of porpoise meat.

It was Shota's favorite flavor. Ever since he was little, whenever he returned from a mission, his mother would make them for him.

"Mom, you eat too."

Mako shook her head. "I'm not hungry yet."

Shota took a bite. The familiar taste spread through his mouth.

He suddenly remembered when he'd first graduated from the Ninja Academy. His mother had made these same rice balls and smiled as she told him, "You've finally become a ninja who can stand on your own."

Back then, his little sister Moe had been bouncing around beside him.

"Boom! Boom!"

Flames blazing into the sky in the distance cut short Shota's memories.

"The pursuers triggered a trap... Mom, take the clan and move out now! I'll stay behind and set more traps."

Shota wolfed down the rice ball and prepared to set up an Explosive Tag trap.

"Shota," Mako said, taking her son's hand. "Let's draw lots."

"What?"

"We can't escape like this. We'll draw lots to decide who stays behind."

Mako picked up two dead twigs from the ground, broke them into one long and one short piece, and held them in her hand.

"The one who draws the long twig will lead the clan onward. The one who draws the short one... will stay behind."

Her tone was calm, as if she were casually discussing whether the rice balls tasted good.

Shota's pupils contracted.

In just a few days, he had already experienced too many painful partings.

His father, Yuta, had stayed behind to hold off their pursuers, and his fate was unknown. Was it finally his turn?

He held out his hand to his mother, a faint, relieved smile appearing on his face.

"Mom, let me draw first. You can't take it back."

Mako looked at her son's hands. They were already covered in scars and calluses, left by years of gripping kunai.

She remembered when he was little, and his hands were still soft. He used to tug on her clothes and beg for her attention.

"All right."

Shota reached out and drew the short twig.

"Looks like it's me."

He smiled.

"At least it wasn't you, Mom. Don't worry. I can stand on my own now, so you don't need to worry about me. Get to Kumogakure and wait for me to come back."

He picked up the other rice ball and took a big bite.

"So good. I could eat your porpoise rice balls for the rest of my life and never get tired of them. I want to eat them a few more times, so I'll definitely come back..."

Mako opened her palm to reveal the twig.

The one she held was shorter than the one Shota had drawn.

Shota lowered his head and stared blankly at the long twig in his hand.

"I clearly saw that this one was shorter."

Mako gave him a gentle smile.

"Shota, a real man always keeps his word. You said you wouldn't take it back."

"Mom!"

"Listen to me."

Mako's voice was calm, but her resolve left no room for argument.

"At a time like this, let me, his mother, make the decision."

"Your father may not make it back. You're the last man in this group. You have to live. You have to protect the clan and make sure the Uchiha Clan... lives on forever."

She stood and handed him a sealing scroll.

"There are rice balls in there, your favorite. If I don't come back, remember to eat properly. Don't be picky like you were when you were little."

Mako walked into the dense woods, her shadow stretching long in the moonlight.

"Mom!" Shota tried to stop her.

"Why are you still standing there? Go!"

Mako stopped but didn't turn around.

"Have you forgotten what your father said? Don't let us down!"

The next moment, her figure disappeared into the darkness.

Tears spilled from Shota's eyes as he ran after the clan.

He couldn't die yet. The Uchiha Clan needed him to protect them.

Five days after parting with his mother, Shota arrived at Kumogakure with the Uchiha rear guard, who had made their way there one after another.

He saw his father and mother again.

Mako lay quietly in Yuta's arms, as if she had simply fallen asleep, but her eye sockets—

were empty.

Note: Due to an author's mistake, some background information about Izumi was incorrect.

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

Only the names have been adjusted. The earlier text has already been revised, and this won't affect your reading experience. Please rest assured, dear readers.

Finally, thanks to the reader who pointed out the mistake. Luckily, it was caught early and won't affect the story going forward. Otherwise, it would have been a major blunder.