Bloodline Mutation

Yu finished his dinner quickly, taking the opportunity to tease his slightly troubled mother at the table. He told a few jokes adapted from his previous life, which made Mikoto, who had been preoccupied with her thoughts, giggle incessantly.

After waiting for Itachi to finish his meal slowly, Yu helped clear the dishes. He hugged little Sasuke, who was calling for his brother's embrace from his stroller, and then returned to his room, feeling quite satisfied.

It must be said that without Fugaku around, the atmosphere at the dinner table was much more relaxed. However, thinking about the matter the Hokage had summoned his father to discuss today, Yu's brows furrowed deeply.

Sigh! If only I were a little older, even just the age of a ninja academy graduate would be enough! Yu sighed softly.

Only by becoming a Genin could he attend the clan meetings and have a little bit of influence; this was one of the reasons why Yu felt compelled to become a ninja.

I hope Father can be persuaded when he returns! Yu muttered uncertainly.

He then went to his wooden bed, sat cross-legged, and opened his system panel.

Uchiha Yu

Realm: Refining Essence into Qi

Cultivation Method: Qingming Art Profound Grade +2

Techniques: Five Elements Escape Technique

Fire Proficient Lightning Proficient Wind Ordinary Water Ordinary Earth Ordinary

Artifact Control Technique Proficient Basic Fist and Body Movement Proficient

Artifact Refining Technique Novice Alchemy Technique Novice Planting Technique Ordinary Formation Technique Ordinary

Gratitude Points: 4250

Malice Points: 8000

Yu carefully examined his gains for the day and felt a sense of relief. They truly were his treasure girl and his most adorable younger brother.

The Gratitude Points provided by the two of them alone were enough to upgrade his cultivation method by another level. Thinking is doing; Yu focused his divine sense on the cultivation method column.

"Upgrade!"

Instantly, the surrounding Spirit Energy gathered rapidly toward Yu's body. The Spirit Energy in his Dantian, which had been like a thin mist, began to grow increasingly dense. It flowed through his meridians, and wisps of mysterious substance began to permeate his muscles, skin, and bones, strengthening his mortal frame.

At the same time, a chill rushed straight into Yu's brain. His entire consciousness instantly fell into a state of selflessness, devoid of sorrow or joy. Under the influence of a more efficient brain, various understandings of the cultivation method dawned on him like an enlightenment.

Just as Yu was immersed in this marvelous state of realization, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the center of his forehead. The pain caused his facial muscles to twitch, and he couldn't help but gasp, snapping out of his wondrous state.

This intense, stinging pain came and went quickly. Yu hurriedly stood up and went to the mirror nearby to check his condition. I hope I haven't disfigured myself just by practicing a technique, he worried inwardly.

However, as soon as he stood up, he felt that his state was completely different. First, his vision—the entire world had become much clearer. He could now see some very tiny things in his surroundings distinctly; if he focused, he could even slow down the movement of these objects.

Could it be that I have awakened the Sharingan? Yu felt a trace of delight.

However, after taking only a few steps, Yu discovered that his body felt much lighter, as if he had broken through yet another layer of the world's shackles.

His body was filled with explosive power, yet Yu felt no unfamiliarity with this sudden surge in strength. He felt that as long as he wished, he could not only unleash enough power to shatter a boulder but also gently grasp a bubble blown by a child; his control over his strength was simply meticulous.

Yu couldn't wait to reach the mirror and looked at his eyes with anticipation. To his disappointment, however, his eyes hadn't turned red; they remained as dark and bright as ever, like a pair of crystal-clear black gems radiating a profound light.

Yu was dumbfounded. It seemed he had overthought it. Yet, just as he was about to return to his bed, he noticed a scarlet dot on his forehead. Looking at this gem-like red dot, a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart. Don't tell me I'm going to grow a third eye.

Yu blinked his eyes and began to complain frantically about his system in his mind. Is this trying to turn me into a three-eyed freak? This damn system isn't acting like a human—instead of giving me a proper Sharingan, it forces me to develop toward an inhuman state.

Although he wasn't sure if he was really growing a third eye, Yu's meticulous control over his body allowed him to perceive exactly how this red dot had appeared. An unknown force within his body was slowly gathering toward the center of his forehead, following the path of his cultivation method.

Although this gathering was slow, Yu could guarantee that with the next upgrade of his cultivation method, this process would definitely accelerate.

Yu could only pray silently, hoping that this new eye would be the type that could be opened and closed at will. Otherwise, having a third eye open all the time would be too strange; he would definitely be treated as a monster!

He sighed with melancholy and walked back to his bed silently. I still need to think about how to explain this to Mother tomorrow! If I can't explain it well, my gentle mother will worry again. These were the troubles of happiness!

Sitting cross-legged once more, Yu saw that the Qingming Art on his system panel had reached the Earth Grade. With six more enhancements, he would be able to enter the next realm, one step closer to becoming an immortal.

Clearing the many thoughts from his mind, Yu began to calm down and practice. He had originally wanted to refine a magic artifact tonight, but since his father hadn't returned and the materials weren't available, he couldn't even refine an artifact embryo with the Chakra Metal from that Tachi.

Magic artifacts couldn't be refined from simple metal; even the lowest-grade metal had to be a precious metal capable of spiritual connection, and the only such metal Yu had encountered since birth was Chakra Metal.

Moreover, a complete magic artifact required a massive amount of Chakra Metal. If he weren't a young master of a great clan like the Uchiha, he really wouldn't be able to afford such a luxury.

Immersed in his cultivation, Yu entered a state of void. Although his cultivation was far from as fast as upgrading the technique's grade, every little bit of accumulation could eventually form an ocean. Having a cheat code was no excuse for laziness.

Cultivate the Dao! Cultivate the Dao! First, cultivate the heart; if the heart is not upright, all is for naught!

This was the annotation at the beginning of his Qingming Art, and Yu felt it made perfect sense. If he ever lost his cheat code, wouldn't he become a piece of trash unable to cultivate on his own? If a man has no immediate worries, he must have long-term concerns.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a murmur of conversation outside the house awakened him. Yu opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance shimmering within them.

He performed the concluding gesture of his practice, took a deep breath, raised his hands, pressed them down slowly, and exhaled a breath of stale air. Yu rose leisurely and walked toward the door; he knew his father had returned.

The full moon was hanging high outside the window. Yu glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already two in the morning. It seemed the clan meeting regarding the relocation had not gone smoothly.

Fugaku and Mikoto, who were discussing things in the living room, instantly stopped their conversation and stared blankly toward the staircase.

"Step! Step! Step!"

Yu walked down, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

"Yu, why are you still awake?" Mikoto was stunned at first, then showed concern, her eyes constantly drifting toward Yu's forehead.

"Mother, the chirping of the insects outside the window was too loud, so I couldn't sleep. Father is back, isn't he?" Yu explained lazily to his mother, then looked at his father and flashed a sweet smile.

After all, he was about to ask for a huge favor in a moment, so he had to curry favor with his father! He could only rely on being cute; being a child was just too difficult.

Mikoto hurried forward, scooped Yu up into her arms, and reached out a hand to gently stroke the ruby-like red dot on his forehead, asking with concern, "Yu, what happened to your forehead? Did you bump it while sleeping?"

Yu wanted to roll his eyes in exasperation—what kind of child bumps their head in their sleep and ends up with a ruby? However, seeing the worry on Mikoto's face, he felt a slight warmth in his heart.

It was this kind of meticulous maternal love that had, bit by bit, melted his long-isolated and shuttered heart.

"It's nothing, Mother. It just grew out on its own. It might be related to my Kekkei Genkai. When I was refining chakra today, I suddenly felt a pain in my forehead, and this red dot appeared between my brows. My vision and observational abilities have also improved significantly."

Yu gave a sweet smile, acting as if he were incredibly happy. Any mutation that couldn't be explained away was simply blamed on the Kekkei Genkai.

Mikoto didn't feel entirely reassured after hearing this; instead, she looked toward her husband with a worried expression.

Fugaku, standing to the side, was stunned. He knew about his eldest son's bloodline mutation. Compared to the excitement he felt when Itachi awakened the Sharingan so early, his eldest son had never shown any such reaction. Had it not been for the situation with Itachi, he might never have noticed the extraordinary nature of his eldest son.