Rikusei's Chakra

He'd been had.

As Rikusei walked toward the clan grounds, his expression shifting between dark and bright, he thought back to what had just happened. That red-eyed man had played dumb until school let out, successfully pulling off a no-cost deal at Rikusei's expense.

People's hearts were no longer what they used to be. The world was going downhill.

Was it really okay for an old-timer from Konoha to trick a little kid like him at school? No, it wasn't.

Whatever. He wouldn't try to talk him out of it anymore. He couldn't win anyway.

Having learned his lesson, Rikusei decided he'd better watch what he said next time. If the man insisted on asking for his opinion, he'd give him plenty of convoluted suggestions until he lost confidence in Rikusei.

The sun had yet to fully set. In the peaceful village bathed in the afterglow, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, while delicious aromas drifted through the streets and made mouths water.

He passed through the gate outside the clan grounds and entered the Uchiha Clan Grounds proper. The familiar scenery came into view, and Rikusei quietly studied the girl beside him.

Her purple hair fell over her shoulders like fluffy seaweed, shining like satin in the golden sunset. Her pale neck was hidden beneath her high-collared robe, making him want to get a closer look. A relaxed smile rested on her serene face.

His overly focused stare left Naori looking puzzled. She rubbed her slender fingers over her face and asked nervously, "Is there something on me?"

Walking side by side beneath the trees, Rikusei blinked and innocently shook his head to show that nothing was wrong.

"Hmm!" Naori turned to him, puffed out her cheeks, and narrowed her eyes playfully. "Rikusei, you're so mean!"

Wrongly accused, Rikusei was about to explain when he noticed the girl drawing closer. Girls this age developed a little earlier than boys.

The helpless boy could only take small steps backward toward the wall. He tilted his head up at the smiling girl, his uneasy gaze drifting toward the clouds tinted red by the sunset.

Making use of her height advantage, Naori braced an arm against the wall. Her purple hair swayed slightly over her chest as she trapped the somewhat nervous boy in front of her. Her voice brimmed with delight. "Look at my eyes."

Holding his breath, Rikusei took in the girl's faint, fresh fragrance and looked in surprise at her eyes as her soft voice reached him.

It was the Sharingan.

A black tomoe turned slowly within her red iris. It was as if their bodies resonated with each other: two pairs of eyes with a Single Tomoe gazed at one another beneath the shade of the trees.

The dusk quietly tried to cast its rosy light over them, but they were in too secluded a spot. It could only illuminate their bandage-wrapped calves and the ninja sandals that revealed their tender toes.

A faint blush colored Naori's cheeks. She lowered the hand braced against the wall, leaned forward, and said excitedly, "Just like you. We both have a Single Tomoe."

"How does it feel after awakening?" Rikusei asked in agreement, his face bright with joy as well.

"It feels strange, somehow." Naori nodded earnestly and listed examples on her fingers, without showing the slightest discomfort.

From her description, when she trained alone, her body could keep up with what her eyes observed, allowing her to react accordingly at any moment.

"How did you awaken it?"

After they finished discussing the Sharingan, Rikusei asked from where he leaned against the wall.

Rikusei thought to himself that, judging from how cheerful she seemed as usual, he could rule out some kind of emotional shock involving a family member.

But to find out exactly what had happened, he'd have to hear it from the girl herself.

Leaning against the wall as well to avoid the setting sun, Naori closed her Sharingan and gazed at the dappled shadows of the branches. "It happened last night."

Last night.

Rikusei remembered the excited crowd. Everyone around them had been swept up in intense emotions.

But could that have caused her to awaken her Sharingan? He had his doubts, and asked for details. "What exactly happened?"

The sun's shadow gradually vanished beyond the horizon. The lengthening afterglow climbed the wall, bringing the heat with it. As if by unspoken agreement, the two of them continued walking side by side toward the heart of the clan grounds.

Naori uneasily smoothed her hair over her chest, earnestly recalling the lively scene. "At the time, my eyes just felt swollen and sore. I didn't think much of it. When everyone gradually settled down, the feeling went away. Then it came back after I got home, and that's when I realized I'd awakened the Sharingan."

In that brightly lit place, the passionate crowd had all been looking up at the Hokage in the tower. No one would have noticed Naori, hidden among them, so the people had naturally overlooked her Sharingan awakening.

"That's a good thing!" Rikusei reassured her as they walked into the sunlight. "Now you'll be able to get stronger."

"But I've never heard of anyone awakening it like this." Naori's little face was still full of confusion.

Rikusei mysteriously gestured for Naori to come closer, then whispered words of reassurance in her ear.

His steady stream of words sent warm breath brushing against her soft pink ear, making her feel a little flustered. Her blushing face gave a quiet nod.

Standing outside the door, Rikusei waved as he watched Naori head home.

Grandmother had made an ordinary dinner. Before he'd even finished eating, she hurried outside. As she left, she cheerfully reminded her good grandson not to forget to put away the dishes.

Holding his bowl of rice, Rikusei knew exactly where Grandmother was going. Either to play cards or to go dancing. The lives of the elderly really were eventful.

He polished off the food in no time, summoned a Shadow Clone to help clean up, and began studying his chakra in his room.

Madara had been right.

His eyes were special.

If his eyes were special, then was the chakra in them special too? With his current ocular powers, he could try to push for the Double Tomoe.

As a man of action, he got right to it. Even if he failed, it wouldn't be a big deal.

The spotless mirror reflected the boy's slightly childish face. His dark eyes, set in a handsome face, held a serious expression as he stared intently at his eye sockets.

As his chakra flowed in, the Sharingan activated. One tomoe above and another below rested quietly in his scarlet eyes. No matter how many times he saw it, Rikusei found it hauntingly beautiful.

He formed Hand Seals, channeled his chakra, and focused intently on the tomoe in his eyes.

Rikusei seemed calm on the surface, but his heart pounded as the chakra churning through his limbs surged toward his brain and eyes.

There!

The black tomoe appeared in his eyes. Facing the Double Tomoe, Rikusei wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and quietly watched them.

The process hadn't been as difficult as he'd expected. It had come naturally.

If Naori's successful Sharingan awakening hadn't reminded him, he might have waited a while longer before awakening the Double Tomoe. After all, with Hashirama and Madara in Konoha, it was so safe that people could afford to let their guard down.

He stopped channeling chakra. The black tomoe vanished from his eyes, and their scarlet hue returned to normal. In the mirror, his clear black-and-white eyes gazed back at him—casually dressed, his collar open to reveal his delicate collarbones.

Now he could figure out why Naori had awakened her Sharingan.

But how had his chakra been transmitted to her? The scissors on the tabletop in the mirror gave him a clue.

It was the knife.

Most likely, it was the short blade at Naori's waist.

When the girl maintained her weapon, she'd inevitably come into contact with the hilt and blade, which had picked up Rikusei's chakra during sword training.

Wait—Rikusei suddenly remembered that after the Clan Tournament, Naori's right hand had seemed to stay on the short blade at her waist. Could his chakra have started spreading from person to person back then?