Back home, Gen casually opened his wardrobe. It was packed with clothes bearing the Uchiha Clan Crest. He picked one at random and went to take a bath. As for the clothes he'd taken off, he left them to soak! They weren't expensive anyway, and one wardrobe full would give him enough clothes to last half a year!
In the bathroom, Uchiha Gen soaked in the tub while playing Honor of Kings. As a shut-in, he couldn't go a day without gaming. Of course, there was no Honor of Kings in the Naruto world, but Gen knew Genjutsu! If he wanted, he could conjure up a world of Peacekeeper Elite, KartRider, Honor of Kings, or Genshin Impact whenever he liked. The immersive experience was even more thrilling than playing on a phone in his past life!
Hm? Had he forgotten something?
Whatever. He couldn't remember, so it probably wasn't important. This time, he'd pick Gongsun Li and get a sports car in KartRider. There was no way he wouldn't win!
At Uchiha Fugaku's residence...
"Mikoto, make a little extra food today. We'll have a guest later!" Uchiha Fugaku said as he poured himself some sake.
"Got it!" Uchiha Mikoto replied, continuing to bustle about in the kitchen.
"Dad, what kind of guest? Have I met him before?" Uchiha Itachi asked, his small face, marked by nasolabial folds, full of confusion as he looked at the thoughtful Uchiha Fugaku.
"Ah, Itachi, you should know him. Uchiha Gen from the Military Police Force. You've probably seen him on patrol, right?" Uchiha Fugaku said with a rare smile.
"Uchiha Gen? I ran into him once when I went shopping with Mom, but we only exchanged greetings. We didn't really talk," Itachi answered honestly.
"Oh? Then you should get to know Gen well from now on. After all, someone as powerful as him could probably only be matched by our ancestor, Madara Uchiha, right?" Remembering Susanoo that night, Uchiha Fugaku sighed inwardly. They both had Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo, so why did his Susanoo look so severely malnourished while Gen's looked like it had been pumped full of steroids? Gen didn't even have any siblings! How could he have gained Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan like that person? Was there some secret to it? He'd have to ask Gen about it when he arrived!
An hour later...
Fugaku's family had gathered around the table early and waited for ages, but Uchiha Gen was nowhere to be seen!
"Um, dear, are you sure you remembered right?" Uchiha Mikoto asked, looking at Fugaku in puzzlement.
"Of course. Dihuo just said Gen would come over after going home to get ready," Fugaku replied firmly.
"Dad, should I go check?" Uchiha Itachi said, getting to his feet.
"Mm, good idea. Something might have held Gen up. You should go take a look," Uchiha Fugaku said after a moment's thought. It was better than sitting around waiting in the dark.
At the Uchiha Clan Compound... in Uchiha Gen's home!
"Are you freaking kidding me? Do you even know how to play, you idiot? You're so stupid you even sabotage yourself!" Shadow Clone Number One glared furiously at the original.
"Who do you think you are, talking back to me? You're no better! You're so stupid you even insult yourself!" the original retorted shamelessly.
"Um... is Uchiha Gen-sama home?" a young voice called from outside.
Hm? Who could that be at this hour? This shut-in didn't exactly have many friends!
"Who is it? Just a moment!"
Gen hurried out of the bathtub, quickly dried himself off, and put on the distinctive Uchiha Clan uniform patterned with ping-pong paddles.
He opened the door. Hm? Who was this little kid? The legendary walking telephone pole in his youth? The Uchiha Clan's greatest filial son, Itachi? What was he doing here?
"Oh, Itachi? What's up?" Uchiha Gen asked in surprise.
Uh, what's up? From the looks of it, his clan elder had completely forgotten that he'd promised to visit their house. Good thing he'd come to check, or his family would have been left waiting all night!
"Didn't you promise to come over to my house, Senior Gen?" Uchiha Itachi asked, his little face dark with reproach.
"Ah? Ah! Right, right, I did. I just got back from Sunagakure, so I was too filthy to show up at your place. I've just finished bathing and was about to head over!" Uchiha Gen came up with the excuse smoothly.
Oh? So that was it? It seemed he'd misunderstood.
Seeing Uchiha Gen's still-wet hair, Uchiha Itachi filled in the blanks himself.
At Uchiha Fugaku's home...
"Clan Head Fugaku, sorry for the trouble. I just got back from outside and was covered in grime, so I got held up for a while. I'm truly sorry," Uchiha Gen said with a hint of apology.
"No worries, I understand. Have a seat. I hope the food suits your taste," Uchiha Fugaku replied with a smile.
"Gen, would you like some sake?" Uchiha Mikoto asked, holding a jug nearby.
"Thank you, but I don't drink," Uchiha Gen politely declined.
"Mikoto, if Gen doesn't want any, pour me some," Uchiha Fugaku chimed in.
Once everyone had eaten their fill, Mikoto brought out dessert and took Itachi with her as she left.
Sigh! When would he find a wife as considerate as her? Pakura had no sense of how to be a wife at all! Watching the mother and son leave, Gen sighed inwardly.
"Clan Head Fugaku, just tell me what you called me here for," Uchiha Gen said casually as he sipped his drink.
"If I'm not mistaken, Gen, what you used that night was Susanoo, right? It's a dojutsu that can only be used by those who possess the Uchiha Clan's highest level of Sharingan, the Mangekyō Sharingan! Even within the Uchiha Clan, only our ancestor Madara Uchiha possessed Mangekyō Sharingan, decades ago," Uchiha Fugaku asked casually in return.
"Oh? Not necessarily. Don't you possess those eyes yourself, Clan Head Fugaku?" Uchiha Gen said bluntly.
"Hm?" The atmosphere froze instantly.
"Oh? How did you find out, Gen? I haven't even told Mikoto about my Mangekyō Sharingan, so there's no way anyone else could know. Could the source of your information have something to do with the dojutsu of your own Mangekyō Sharingan?" Fugaku guessed.
"Ah, more or less," Uchiha Gen admitted.
Seeing Gen's response, Fugaku didn't press further. After all, everyone's secret techniques were private.
"I do possess those eyes, but compared with yours, there's no contest. With eye power like yours, you could easily rival our ancestor Madara Uchiha. But as far as I know, Madara Uchiha relied on his brother's Mangekyō Sharingan to gain Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and reach that level. You don't seem to have any siblings, Gen. Would you be willing to explain?" Uchiha Fugaku asked earnestly.
"Hmm... This question touches on personal privacy." Uchiha Gen activated his five-pointed-star Mangekyō and stared straight into Uchiha Fugaku's eyes.
Before you continue