Awakening the Three-Tomoe Sharingan

"I am the avenger of the Uchiha Clan..."

Sasuke sat cross-legged in the middle of the courtyard, his eyes tightly shut. Veins bulged on his forehead, and sweat trickled down his cheeks. His body trembled slightly—not from the cold, but from anger.

A dozen ghostly vengeful spirits floated around him. Some had twisted faces, some were covered in blood, and one even cradled a baby. They whispered in Sasuke's ears. Their voices were faint, as soft as the wind, but every word stabbed into his heart like a knife.

"Mom... Mom, where are you...? I'm so scared..."

"No! Don't come closer! Please, don't kill me!"

"Itachi! Why? Why did it have to be you? We were your clanmates!"

"It hurts... It hurts so much... Someone, please save me..."

Sasuke's breathing grew more and more ragged. His fists clenched with a creak, his nails digging into his flesh as blood seeped from his palms. He gritted his teeth, the grinding sound grating on the ears, while the muscles in his face twitched incessantly.

"I am the avenger of the Uchiha Clan... I am the avenger of the Uchiha Clan..."

He repeated the words over and over, his voice hoarse, as if reciting a spell or hypnotizing himself.

Mikoto stood at the courtyard gate, gripping the doorframe so tightly her knuckles had gone white. Her eyes were red, tears welling in them, but she held them back.

She remembered the night six years ago, when Sasuke had just been born—so tiny and wrinkled, crying loudly as she and Fugaku held him, grinning from ear to ear. She remembered the first time Sasuke called her "Mom," his babyish voice making her so happy she cried. She remembered when he first learned to walk, wobbling along before falling after just three steps, while she and Fugaku rejoiced as if they had witnessed something extraordinary.

Those days had been so wonderful.

But what about now?

Fugaku was dead, the Uchiha Clan was gone, and Sasuke was only six years old, yet he had to bear all this.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Mikoto." Shisui's evil spirit floated beside the Ghost Bone Banner, his face full of guilt. "It's all my fault. Sasuke has to endure this because I was useless... If I hadn't given my eyes to Itachi, if I hadn't trusted the Third Hokage, if..."

"Shisui." Mikoto interrupted him, her voice choked with emotion. "I've never blamed you. I know you were deceived, too. You wanted what was best for the Uchiha. You just... chose the wrong path."

"But Sasuke is only six..." Shisui looked at the small figure in the courtyard, the darkness in his eyes deepening. "He should be like the other children—going to school, playing, making friends... not suffering the torment of vengeful spirits every day, driven by hatred."

"This was his choice." Mikoto took a deep breath, her voice gradually steadying. "That night, the Lord asked Sasuke if he wanted to go with him. Sasuke agreed without a second thought. He said he wanted to grow stronger—strong enough to kill Itachi, strong enough to avenge the Uchiha."

"He's only six. He doesn't understand hatred," Shisui said.

"No, he does." Mikoto shook her head. "That night, he saw the bodies of his clanmates with his own eyes. He saw children younger than him fall into pools of blood. He watched the older brother he once admired become a murderer. He understands better than anyone."

Shisui fell silent.

"At least he's still alive, isn't he?" Naro came out of the house with a teacup in his hand, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather. "The Ninja World won't treat him gently just because he's six. When the Uchiha Clan was massacred, the enemy didn't spare those children just because they were young."

Mikoto's body trembled.

She remembered that night—the children who had died beneath Itachi's blade. Some had only just learned to walk; some were still nursing in their swaddling clothes; some hadn't even had time to cry out.

She remembered the pregnant woman whose baby was due in a month. They had already chosen names: Hikaru for a boy, Sakura for a girl. Itachi's blade had pierced her back, killing mother and child together.

She remembered the three-month-old baby whose parents were both dead. The clan elders had taken turns looking after him. After killing the elders, Itachi had gone into the bedroom and struck again...

Mikoto closed her eyes. At last, tears slid down her cheeks. She took a deep breath and wiped them away. "Yes. At least he's still alive."

Naro took a sip of tea and sat beneath the eaves. "He has a long road ahead of him. What awaits him in the future will be a hundred times more brutal than what he's facing now. If he can't endure even this, what gives him the right to seek revenge? His age? His two-tomoe Sharingan?"

Mikoto lowered her head and said nothing more.

"Mother..."

Sasuke's voice came from the courtyard, weak as the buzz of a mosquito.

Mikoto jerked her head up and looked toward the courtyard. Sasuke had opened his eyes. In his blood-red gaze, three tomoe slowly revolved, like three black commas joined together—deep and eerie.

"Mother, I... I did it."

A faint smile tugged at Sasuke's lips. Then his eyes rolled back, and he pitched forward.

"Sasuke!"

Mikoto rushed over and caught her son in her arms. Sasuke's body was burning hot, as if he'd had a high fever for days. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his face was frighteningly pale.

She felt his pulse, then checked his breathing.

He was alive. He had only passed out from exhaustion.

Mikoto let out a breath of relief, carried Sasuke inside, laid him on the bed, and tucked him beneath a blanket. She sat beside him, gazing at his gaunt face.

Sasuke had lost a lot of weight lately.

The baby fat had vanished from his cheeks, dark circles had formed beneath his eyes, and his lips were dry and cracked. Even in his sleep, his brows remained furrowed, as if he were trapped in a nightmare.

Mikoto reached out and gently smoothed the wrinkles from his brow.

"Get some good rest," she whispered. "Mom's right here with you."

Naro stood in the courtyard, watching Mikoto's back without saying a word.

"Master, Sasuke has exceptional talent." Shisui's evil spirit drifted beside him, a hint of relief in his voice. "There have only been a few in Uchiha history who awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan at six. Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Itachi, and... me. But we were all older than him."

"I know," Naro said. "But he still has a long road ahead. The Three-Tomoe is only the beginning. The Mangekyo is the real test."

"Does Master want Sasuke to awaken the Mangekyo as soon as possible?"

"It's bound to happen eventually." Naro turned around. "But not now. He's just been through a mental ordeal, and his body is exhausted. Let him recover for a few days first. Once his body has adjusted to the Three-Tomoe and his mind is stable, then we can consider the Mangekyo."

"Master..." Shisui hesitated.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Shisui lowered his head, the darkness in his eyes flickering. "I just feel that this world has never been kind to children."

Naro was silent for a while, then said, "That's why we have to make them stronger. Strong enough that the world has no choice but to treat them gently."

Shisui said nothing.

He could only follow Naro, and that was all he could do—he couldn't stray too far from the Ghost Bone Banner. If he did, he wouldn't even be able to remain an evil spirit. He would simply become a vengeful soul and dissipate.

A day later, Sasuke woke up.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was his mother's haggard face.

"Mother." His voice was hoarse, his throat feeling as if it had been scraped with sandpaper.

"Don't move." Mikoto held him down and brought over a bowl of porridge. "Eat something first. You've been asleep all day."

All day?

Sasuke froze. It felt as if he had only closed his eyes for a moment. He took the bowl and gulped down the porridge. It was piping hot, but he didn't care. He was starving; his stomach was twisting with hunger.

Mikoto watched him wolf it down, her eyes reddening again.

"Slow down. Don't choke."

After finishing the porridge, Sasuke set the bowl down and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the blood-red Three-Tomoe Sharingan had appeared. The tomoe spun smoothly, without a hint of resistance.

"Mother, my eyes... seem different," Sasuke said. "I can see more clearly now. I can even see the dust in the air. And... it feels like there's something more in my mind, but I can't put it into words."

"That's the power of the Sharingan," Mikoto said. "The Three-Tomoe Sharingan can see through an opponent's movements, copy the ninjutsu you witness, and cast stronger genjutsu. You'll need time and practice to master these abilities."

"When can I learn a new jutsu?"

"We're not learning jutsu today." Mikoto stood up. "We have a mission."

Sasuke's eyes lit up. After all that studying and training, did he finally get a chance to put his skills to the test?

"What mission?"

"We're going to the Land of Waterfalls."

Sasuke froze. The Land of Waterfalls? Wasn't it a small country? It was barely bigger than a fingernail on the map. What was worth going there for?

"Mother, what's in the Land of Waterfalls?"

"A Jinchuriki."

Sasuke had never heard the word before, and couldn't help asking, "What's a Jinchuriki?"

Mikoto didn't answer right away. She walked to the window and looked at the sky outside. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "A Jinchuriki is someone with a Tailed Beast sealed inside them."

"A Tailed Beast?"

"A kind of... monster." Mikoto turned to face Sasuke. "They possess immense chakra and the power to destroy the world. There are nine Tailed Beasts in the Ninja World, from One-Tail to Nine-Tails. Each is sealed inside a person, and that person is called a Jinchuriki."

"Then... I mean... the villagers call Naruto the Demon Fox. Is he...?" Sasuke thought of the blond boy who always wore dirty clothes and was called the Demon Fox.

"You guessed right." Mikoto nodded. "Uzumaki Naruto is the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. The Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside him is the monster that attacked Konoha and killed the Fourth Hokage."

Sasuke fell silent.

He didn't know Naruto well. He had only seen him a few times at the Ninja Academy. That kid was always grinning and seemed carefree. His grades were terrible; he was bad at Taijutsu, couldn't use ninjutsu, and knew nothing about genjutsu. Everyone called him a dead last.

He hadn't expected that such a dead last would have something so terrifying sealed inside him.

"Are Jinchuriki dangerous?" Sasuke asked.

"Very dangerous," Mikoto said. "But they're important, too. Whoever controls the Jinchuriki controls the balance of power in war. That's why the major ninja villages treat their Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki as strategic weapons and keep them hidden away."

"Then what are we going to the Land of Waterfalls for?"

"There's a small ninja village in the Land of Waterfalls called Takigakure. They have a Tailed Beast, the Seven-Tails. We're going to bring back its Jinchuriki."

Sasuke frowned.

"Mother, there are only two of us. The other side is a ninja village. Even if it's small, they must have plenty of ninja. How are we supposed to bring someone back?"

"It won't just be the two of us." Mikoto shook her head. "The Master will send someone to go with us."

"Who?"

"You'll find out soon." Mikoto didn't elaborate. "Pack your things first. I'll go get Karin."

Sasuke nodded, climbed out of bed, and began packing his things.

Kunai, Shuriken, soldier pills, a change of clothes... He packed everything into his backpack one item at a time, his movements brisk, as if this were an ordinary task.

Mikoto left the house and went to the neighboring courtyard.

A red-haired girl stood in the middle of the yard with her hands forming Hand Seals and her eyes closed.

She looked about the same age as Sasuke, with delicate features and bright red hair tied in a ponytail that stood out in the sunlight.

Her name was Karin Uzumaki—

After the Uzumaki Clan was wiped out, most of its surviving members were scattered across the world. Some were captured by other villages and used as tools; others hid their identities and lived ordinary lives.

Karin was the one captured by Kusagakure.

They locked her up and forced her to serve as a "sensor," using her Uzumaki Clan ability to sense chakra to detect enemy movements. Injured ninja would even bite her skin to restore their chakra and heal their wounds.

Uchiha Naro had specifically sent a clone to the Land of Grass to rescue her, and had kept her by his side ever since.

"Karin," Mikoto called.

The girl opened her eyes. Her clear, emerald-green gaze missed nothing. Her eyesight was excellent; she could see perfectly even at night.

"Aunt Mikoto." Karin smiled and lowered her hands. "Has Sasuke-kun woken up? When are we leaving?"

"Go pack your things." Mikoto walked over and patted her head. "Sasuke is already packing. We'll leave soon."

"Okay." Karin turned and went inside, light on her feet.

An hour later, the three of them stood at the back gate of the noble's estate.

Mikoto had changed into ordinary clothes: a light-blue kimono, her hair pinned up. She looked like an ordinary young mother.

Sasuke had changed, too. Instead of his black combat clothes, he wore a dark-blue tunic and loose trousers that were easy to move in. He carried a small pack and had several kunai at his waist, concealed beneath his clothes.

Karin wore a pale-yellow dress, her red ponytail tied high. She looked like an ordinary little girl. Her pack was a little larger than Sasuke's and contained food, water, and medical supplies.

"Remember, we're going on a trip," Mikoto reminded them. "A mother taking her two children out to see the world. When we're around other people, Karin, call me 'Mother,' not 'Aunt Mikoto.'"

"Why?" Karin asked.

"Because when adults take children out, it's usually their mother. Calling me 'Aunt' could make people suspicious." As she spoke, Mikoto pulled a map from her sleeve. "I've already planned the route. We'll leave from the Capital of the Land of Fire, head north, cross the border, and enter the Land of Waterfalls."

"How long will it take?" Sasuke asked.

"About seven days at a normal pace," Mikoto said. "But there's no need to hurry. We'll take our time. We can do some... training along the way."

As she said the word "training," she glanced at Sasuke.