"So that was how it worked."
After carefully studying the system in his room, Hayato couldn't help but sigh.
The system's explanation was simple, but it was surprisingly powerful.
The more someone screwed him over, the Uchiha, or Konoha, the stronger he became.
Bitter Fruit was divided into four categories: malice, regret, betrayal, and karma.
Karma was the most powerful of them all, though it seemed difficult to obtain.
And the more severely someone brought misfortune upon him, the Uchiha, or Konoha, the more explosive the reward. The reason he'd activated the system just now was that he'd lamented how the pact between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama was a joke.
That had activated the system, but the reward had only been at the Epic level.
"Was it because both of them are dead?"
Hayato wondered. At least for now, he hadn't received any other rewards, so that was the only explanation he could come up with.
But that last point... bringing misfortune upon Konoha. Did that mean it didn't want him to defect?
Hayato found that rather aggravating.
Did he really have to stay in Konoha? Defecting was way more appealing!
He kept rubbing the Forehead Protector in his hands. After preparing for so many years, the system had finally appeared, only to tell him to stay.
"Fine, I'm doing it!"
After a long while, Hayato finally slapped the Forehead Protector down on the table.
Before, when he didn't have a system, he'd thought there was nothing wrong with escaping. But now that he had one, still thinking about running away would just leave him feeling stifled, wouldn't it?
No way. Absolutely not!
I, Uchiha Hayato, will defy the heavens.
Once he'd made up his mind, Hayato immediately threw out his original plan and began to think things over.
"Bitter Fruit..."
Regret, malice, and betrayal were the three categories most worth planning around.
The word karma sounded like trouble. He'd better leave it alone for now, lest he be reduced to ashes.
"Got it! Regret."
Hayato thought of someone—someone who was about to die.
Uchiha Shisui.
A genius of the Uchiha Clan, but a few cards short of a full deck.
He thought he could use his Mangekyo to control Uchiha Fugaku and bring peace between Konoha and the Uchiha. That way, he could save his clan and protect Konoha at the same time.
"But how do I get close to him?"
Hayato rubbed his chin. Given his current circumstances, he rarely had any chance to interact with people like Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi.
That was perfectly normal.
The Uchiha Clan didn't have the Hyuga's ridiculous distinction between main and branch families, but any genius still received the resources they deserved. The best locations in the clan compound were always allocated to them.
Take Uchiha Fugaku, for example. As clan head, he had a courtyard as large as a training hall.
Uchiha Shisui's home wasn't quite that extravagant, but it was still much better than living alone in the Police Force dormitory.
It was in the central area, unlike Hayato's house on the outskirts.
The only occasion where he might run into geniuses like Uchiha Shisui was an Uchiha Clan gathering—and even then, it had to be one of those special gatherings attended by everyone.
The last such gathering had been when Uchiha Shisui awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
The Uchiha Clan had grown more and more restless over the years.
Konoha's continued marginalization of the Uchiha Clan had long since stirred up discontent among many of its members.
"This sucks."
Hayato really did feel miserable. He had a system, but reality was stopping him from using it.
It was agonizing.
"Forget it. I'll look for an opportunity over the next few days. If nothing comes up, I'll just barge in."
With that decided, he headed to his room to get some rest. He had to get up early the next morning.
That night, Hayato slept exceptionally well.
It was one of the few nights he'd slept soundly in the fifteen years since coming to this world.
Early the next morning, Hayato got up when his alarm went off.
He checked that the system was still there and confirmed he hadn't imagined it, then got up and got ready.
[Bitter Fruit Entry System] Name: Uchiha Hayato Race: Uchiha Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan (Two-Tomoe), can evolve Harvested entries: (Sage Body foundation) (Uchiha bloodline purity increased by 10%) Available rewards to claim: None Passive: None
The panel was simple. It was just that last passive entry that he still needed to look into.
He put on the Police Force's distinctive dark blue, high-collared jacket. There weren't any other requirements, so Hayato left home.
Along the way, many ordinary clan members from the neighborhood greeted him with cheerful smiles.
They were all people whose families hadn't awakened the Sharingan for generations, which was why they'd been settled here.
Ever since he was seven, Hayato had grown up eating meals provided by the clan.
The people greeting him were all among those who'd once given him a meal.
Hayato greeted a few of them in turn as he made his way toward the Police Force.
The Police Force was the only place where the Uchiha Clan could interact with Konoha. It was located not far from the Hokage Building.
He wondered if that had been intentional.
The arrangement of working in the village center while living in the clan compound only made the Uchiha feel more isolated.
This was especially true for Police Force members. Every morning, they left the clan compound, crossed bustling streets and the territories of several ninja clans, and made their way to the heart of Konoha's power.
Then, in the evening, they headed back against the flow of people.
Day after day. And the Uchiha had always been a people who loved and hated with all their hearts.
Second Hokage, you really did create a mess!
Hayato sighed as he entered the Police Force Building.
"Hey, Hayato! You're here. Come on, we've been waiting for you."
As soon as he arrived, another Police Force member greeted him. Hayato smiled and nodded.
"Let's go."
Another member stood up without a word, his face expressionless. Hayato didn't mind.
He was used to it. Plenty of Uchiha were like that.
As they left the Police Force Building, they faced the same thing they had to deal with every day.
Wariness and whispered conversations.
There was nothing they could do about it. After the Nine-Tails Incident, seeds of suspicion and hatred had taken root. The Sharingan could control Tailed Beasts.
He guessed a few old schemers in the village had spread the rumor. Then, after the Uchiha were pushed to the outskirts, it gave people the impression that the Uchiha had deliberately isolated themselves from Konoha.
Over time, resentment had built up.
A clan isolating an entire village was pretty ridiculous.
"Hmph!"
The Police Force member beside him, who'd been keeping his face cold, let out a snort.
Smack!
"Seiichi, calm down."
Uchiha Rin, who'd greeted Hayato earlier, put a hand on Uchiha Seiichi's shoulder and spoke softly.
If they were dealing with someone who'd actually disrupted public order, then they could arrest them.
But these were just ordinary villagers. Clan head Uchiha Fugaku had always stressed that Police Force members shouldn't do anything excessive.
Though only a few actually listened.
Uchiha Seiichi took a deep breath and finally calmed down.
It was clear that the three of them had been paired together because they were the sort who listened to Uchiha Fugaku. Of course, that also meant the others ostracized them.
Hayato glanced at the two clan members beside him and couldn't help grumbling to himself.
Clan head, what you're doing will only make fewer and fewer people willing to listen to you.
Not everyone can put up with this, especially not the Uchiha Clan.
Before you continue