The more Shikamaru looked, the more terrified he became.
Especially after learning a fragment of the truth that had been hidden away, he understood even more clearly just how terrifying this boy, who seemed to grow younger the longer he lived, truly was.
As members of the younger generation, they had heard that Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, possessed methods to preserve her youthful appearance and vitality.
But most importantly, the boy before them was far too young.
He looked exactly the same age as he did in the photographs from the Fourth Shinobi World War that Shikamaru had obtained.
If he had not seen it with his own eyes, Shikamaru would never have believed it was real.
Especially after seeing the change in Kakashi's expression, Shikamaru became even more certain that his guess was correct.
"Shikamaru, you mean Uchiha Qin Yu from the Fourth Shinobi World War?"
Sasuke was the first to lose his composure.
At that moment, he finally recalled a conversation he had once had with his brother, Itachi Uchiha.
It had involved the origin of that name.
When his elder brother, whom he had always admired deeply, spoke that name with a face full of reverence and fear—
It had become a lingering nightmare etched into Second Pillar's mind during his childhood.
In Sasuke's eyes, his brother had been an unparalleled genius.
Yet the strange expression Itachi wore whenever he mentioned Uchiha Qin Yu had made the young Sasuke unable to resist asking about it once.
"Brother, you're the acknowledged peerless genius of Konoha. Was Uchiha Qin Yu also a peerless genius of Konoha?"
Those were Sasuke's exact words that day. The response he received was Itachi's bitter expression.
Along with words of helplessness that had long since been buried in his memories.
"Sasuke, he