Indra Opens His Eyes

Not long after Indra awakened his eyes, a clear and urgent shout from a youth echoed outside the Bamboo Forest, carrying his habitual exuberance: "Grandmaster! Grandmaster! I'm here!"

Indra lifted his robes and stepped quickly into the Bamboo Forest. In the past, Manji would always be waiting by the giant boulder early, but today, looking all around, that familiar figure was nowhere to be seen.

The sound of the bamboo leaves seemed to fade away, leaving a terrifying silence where even the chirping of insects had vanished without a trace. An inexplicable chill crawled up his spine.

"Huh? Where is Grandmaster?"

Indra frowned, his footsteps unconsciously softening as he crept forward two paces.

The next second, Indra's pupils contracted sharply. His heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, skipping a beat.

There, in the clearing beside the giant boulder:

Manji lay limp, covered in blood. His clothes were soaked through, a blinding, jarring red, and he had no breath left.

"Gra... Grandmaster!?"

Indra's voice trembled uncontrollably. His legs felt as heavy as lead, but he shakily crouched down and reached out to check Manji's breath. His fingertips touched only icy coldness; there was no longer a trace of warmth.

"Ah!? Grandmaster is actually dead!"

"Grandmaster is dead..."

Indra stumbled back two steps, his eyes filled with disbelief. His mind went blank, as if the entire world had collapsed.

That Grandmaster, who was always gentle, who guided his cultivation, and who treated him so well—was he just gone like that?

An immense grief instantly overwhelmed Indra. He lunged forward, clutching Manji's cold body tightly. Tears fell like broken beads, splashing onto Manji's clothes and blooming into small, damp stains.

"Grandmaster! Grandmaster! How could you die? Don't leave me behind..."

He wept heart-wrenchingly, his voice choked with sobs.

It was more painful than losing his own father.

Indra held Manji tighter and tighter. The usually steady and calm youth was now a tear-stained mess.

Right in the midst of this extreme grief, a violent power suddenly surged deep within Indra's eyes, churning and breaking through the shackles.

"Click—"

With a soft sound, his scarlet eyes snapped open. Three pitch-black tomoe slowly rotated within his pupils, eerie and cold!

The Three-Tomoe Sharingan had been awakened!

Indra jerked his head up, his scarlet eyes churning with monstrous rage and hatred. The chakra around his body turned violent!

"Grandmaster! I will avenge you! No matter who harmed you, I will make them pay in blood!"

Indra clenched his fists, teeth gritted in a roar.

Just then, a clear voice rang out from thin air, sounding particularly abrupt in the silent Bamboo Forest:

"Type 1 to resurrect Grandmaster."

Indra's pupils shook violently. Thinking he was hallucinating from excessive grief, he whipped his head around, shouting like a madman: "1! 1! 1! I type 1! Quickly, let Grandmaster come back to life!"

As soon as the words left his lips, a gentle laugh sounded from behind him.

Indra spun around to see Manji standing there with a smile, his clothes neat and tidy. Where was the blood? Where was the sign of him being on the verge of death?

"Gra... Grandmaster!"

Indra was both shocked and overjoyed. Tears still hung on his face, but he instantly broke into a smile!

Indra practically pounced, wrapping his arms tightly around Manji's waist and burying his face in the other's lapel, his voice thick with the nasal tone of one who had just finished crying.

"That's great! You're okay! That voice was actually real; you really came back to life!"

Feeling the trembling body and hot tears of the youth in his arms, Manji smiled helplessly and reached up to pat his back gently: "You're stronger than I expected. You actually awakened the Three-Tomoe directly."

He extended a fingertip and tapped Indra's forehead lightly.

Indra was slightly stunned. He looked up, his eyes still wet with tears, full of confusion: "Grandmaster, what do you mean?"

Manji smiled faintly, raised his hands to form seals, and with a surge of Sage chakra, a clear water mirror instantly condensed in mid-air.

The water mirror clearly reflected Indra's appearance, especially his eyes—a scarlet base with three tomoe slowly rotating, eerie and powerful.

"This is..."

Indra widened his eyes. He blinked instinctively, only to realize his vision had become completely different. Everything around him was several times clearer; he could see the patterns on the bamboo leaves and the flow of the wind with perfect clarity. His perception had skyrocketed.

Watching his shocked expression, Manji spoke slowly.

He explained the origin and power of the Sharingan and pointed out that what had just happened was merely an illusion he had cast.

Upon hearing this, Indra's cheeks turned bright red. Embarrassed and ashamed, he hurriedly wiped the tears from his face and lowered his head, feeling a bit angry:

"Grandmaster, don't do that again. I would rather not have this power than see you get hurt."

Manji looked at his reddened ear tips, reached out again, and tapped his forehead lightly, a gentle smile in his eyes: "But isn't the reason you sought out Grandmaster in the first place for the sake of power?"

Hearing this, Indra froze.

That's right. He had sought out Grandmaster precisely because he was pursuing power.

Yet, if the Founder were to die, then even though he had gained power, his heart would be filled with such sorrow.

"Therefore, on the path of growth and gaining power, one will always lose something..."

Manji spoke softly with a smile.

Indra looked as if he understood but was still confused, glancing at his hands and then at Manji with a dazed expression.

"How has your father been lately?"

Manji asked slowly.

Indra replied, "Reporting to the Founder, Father is growing older by the day."

Manji sighed slightly in his heart; that child from the past had now turned into a frail, elderly man.

Soon, Manji would once again witness the departure of an old acquaintance...

"Indra, do not come here anymore. This master will not be coming back."

Manji said slowly.

"Why, Master? Have I done something wrong?"

Indra asked, puzzled.

Manji chuckled, "You are excellent. This master has nothing left to teach you."

He had already taught the seals to Indra.

There was no need to teach him anything else.

The only reason Manji had taught Indra was to cultivate the next Hagoromo, to serve as a bridge for the human world.

Upon hearing this, Indra immediately bowed.

"Thank you, Founder, for your grace in teaching me. Indra will never forget it. One day, when I take control of the Ninja Sect, I will surely honor you even more!"

Indra promised.

Manji raised an eyebrow. How could this kid be so certain he would become the leader of the Ninja Sect?

"Oh, Indra, you are quite confident in becoming the leader of the Ninja Sect," Manji said slowly.

Indra revealed a confident smile, "Of course. Thanks to the hand-seal method from the Founder, it was I who taught everyone how to use them, and I hold a high position in everyone's hearts!"

"Besides, Father will only pass the succession to his bloodline."

"Asura is too naive. Only I can allow the Ninja Sect to continue and develop!"

"Therefore, the old man will definitely give the succession to me!"

Indra said confidently.

He knew that his status within the Ninja Sect was currently very high; his father had only taught them the spirit, but he was the one who had allowed them to gain tangible power!

In his own eyes, Asura was too naive and could not possibly lead the Ninja Sect.