March 1
The moon was beautiful tonight.
After doing the math, I realized I'd been in the Naruto world for six whole years. I'd survived and managed to fit into life in Konoha. That was certainly worth celebrating.
The name Uchiha Akashi had saved me a lot of trouble.
But deep down, I was still somewhat afraid. If my identity as a transmigrator were discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable. The Shinobi World had jutsu that could read memories and extract souls, so I couldn't afford to let my guard down.
Fortunately, I hadn't slipped up so far.
Even though I'd done an excellent job of pretending—not even my parents had noticed anything was wrong—I still had to be careful at every turn, as if walking on thin ice.
Otherwise, why had that dog from the Inuzuka family stared at me a couple of times?
Could dogs smell the difference in someone's soul?
My fear was justified.
March 5
Another dull day.
On my way past the Ninja Academy this morning, I saw plenty of children heading to class, full of excitement. They were talking about graduating and going on missions, as if they couldn't wait to work themselves to the bone for Konoha.
They were all just leeks waiting to be harvested.
Once war broke out, those freshly graduated kids would be sent to the battlefield, no matter how old they were. It was cruel enough to send a chill from head to toe, even under the blazing sun.
A ninja was, at heart, a killing tool.
A hidden village was a mercenary base.
No matter how many pretty words they used to dress it up—"peace," "justice," "love"—that wouldn't change what it was.
I understood that all too well, but I was stuck here. In a world where the strong preyed on the weak, I'd either grow stronger or die. I was terrified of being "volunteered" for a sacrifice, so I had no choice but to adapt and train like my life depended on it.
In other worlds, if you were useless enough, nobody could make use of you.
But the Shinobi World was different. Even useless people could be put to use again.
Damn it.
March 8
Being born into the Uchiha Clan and having these eyes was a "sin."
People in the village were cold toward Uchiha ninja, and they looked at the whole clan with prejudice. There was some respect, but plenty of fear, too. Even some children seemed to fear the Uchiha and envy the Sharingan at the same time. It left me puzzled and sad.
What did kids know?
Their parents had probably taught them that.
March 23
Hatake Kakashi's name had been growing more and more prominent lately. This super-genius, who'd broken Konoha's records, had even shocked the Uchiha. One challenger after another stepped up, only to suffer defeat and get beaten black and blue.
I was just curious whether any of them would awaken their eyes out of sheer indignation.
The Sharingan awakened through intense emotional changes and continued to evolve.
In simple terms, it was a gradual process of going insane.
Was it really that easy to awaken the Sharingan through emotional trauma? Did it have something to do with Yin chakra? Surely some talent and physical constitution were needed as well. Otherwise, the Uchiha Clan would have been full of people with Mangekyo Sharingan by now.
This was a subject worth studying.
Still, I didn't care whether they awakened their eyes. I'd already awakened mine.
Oh, and something worth mentioning: I ran into Uzuki Yugao on the street today.
She'd gotten even prettier.
Hayate, who was with her, seemed to be in poor health. What a shame.
April 1
I still hadn't figured out where the sapling inside me came from. I'd gone through every relevant source I could find, but found nothing.
It was truly baffling.
What was this thing?
Had I become a reincarnation vessel for Kaguya?
But I'd examined my whole body and found no marks.
All these signs made me increasingly cautious. They'd been able to use Madara Uchiha; there was no telling whether they might use me, too.
April 2
You had to study things to understand them.
Ever since starting school, all the children had been made to study "ideological theory," deepening their sense of belonging to the village. I had to admit, it was a very effective measure for strengthening unity.
But distorted explanations could easily lead people astray.
I opened the book and took a look. Konoha's history had no dates. Every page praised the Hokage's achievements and promoted the Will of Fire. I'd felt that something was missing. After searching carefully for a while, I realized they'd erased the Uchiha's name. One of the great men who'd helped pacify the Warring States period, Madara Uchiha, was gone.
The whole book was filled with two words: "hypocrisy."
That said plenty about Konoha's attitude toward the Uchiha.
The signs of the Uchiha Clan's massacre had been there all along.
Betrayed by their own people and slaughtered until only one remained—the Uchiha's pride had become a joke to the entire Shinobi World. Besides, some members of the clan were ordinary civilians who'd never become ninja. They'd only wanted to live in peace. How could anyone be so cruel?
I didn't want to die. I just wanted to live.
The conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha was irreconcilable. If it didn't break out in five years, it would in ten. Even without Shisui and Itachi, there would be others.
There were only two paths forward for the Uchiha: flee or rebel.
The course Konoha most wanted them to take was not to resist. They probably wished the Uchiha would all kill themselves, so they could get what they wanted without being guilty of murder.
But if they fled, where could they go?
Among the great ninja villages, Konoha was already one of the better ones. It had fertile farmland and a thriving economy. The last few wars hadn't reached its heartland, and it had developed rapidly.
A place like Kirigakure was a living nightmare, where you could lose your head any day.
Sunagakure and Amegakure had even harsher conditions, making survival difficult.
Would any village accept the Uchiha? Would any dare? Given the clan's temperament, they'd probably expect to be treated like honored guests wherever they went, unwilling to take second place. Fitting in with a new group might not be any easier than staying in Konoha.
The fate of a power too great for the Five Great Nations to control could probably be compared to that of the Uzumaki Clan.
That left rebellion.
Konoha wasn't united behind the scenes, so there were openings. White Fang, Minato, and the Sannin were dead or gone. In two more years, Konoha would be at its weakest. Maybe we could turn the tables outright.
And I still had some time to quietly build up my strength...
April 5
I ran into Might Guy today. His Eight Inner Gates was a major weapon. I needed to find a way to bring him over to my side; otherwise, he'd be a serious problem.
As for the Inuzuka, Aburame, and other clans, they weren't as firmly committed as Ino-Shika-Cho. They might be swayed.
Or maybe all I needed was for them not to interfere with my plans.
I was probably right.
They'd help whoever won.
April 6
I taught that guy Itachi a lesson. Hopefully, he'd understood a little more about how things worked.
Still, a genius was a genius.
I probably couldn't stand up to the Mangekyo Sharingan of Shisui and Itachi. Where could I go to get stronger in this day and age...? What a headache.
Looking over the clan's so-called geniuses, I couldn't think of a single one I could count on.
How could we ever restore the clan while stuck with a bunch of brainless fools like these?
Someone save me.
?
Night gradually fell.
The spring breeze was light and gentle as it drifted into the room.
After looking back over several years' worth of notes, Uchiha Akashi wrote the final character, leaned back in his chair, and sighed deeply.
Did writing in a diary count as speaking your mind?
Who knew?
He was just venting a little as a transmigrator. It wasn't as if anyone else could read the writing anyway.
His handsome reflection, like someone straight out of a web novel, looked back at him from the mirror. He had a sunny, refined face and a gentle, elegant bearing. The Uchiha Clan's Gunbai crest was printed on the back of his dark blue short-sleeved shirt.
Two tomoe slowly turned in his crimson eyes.
Before you continue