Blood Feud, Heart-Piercing System!

A lifetime of memories flashed by like a high-definition film played at breakneck speed:

The world of Naruto. The Uchiha Clan. Uchiha Yongye.

His parents had gone on a secret mission for Konoha and never returned. Their gravely wounded summoning beast had escaped back and spent its last breath revealing the truth—the killer was Shimura Danzō of Root!

His elder brother, consumed by grief and rage, had fought to get justice for their parents.

First, he had knelt before clan leader Uchiha Fugaku and begged for help. He received only silence. Then he had asked the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to see justice done. All he got was a dismissive "Insufficient evidence. There's nothing to investigate."

With nowhere to direct his rage, his brother had launched an assassination attempt on Danzō.

It failed, and he died on the spot. Konoha even branded him a "rogue ninja" after his death, and Root dragged away his body.

Soon after, an unknown enemy ambushed Uchiha Yongye. He was gravely wounded and died too!

Yongye, an overworked man from Earth, had crossed into this world and become the new Uchiha Yongye.

Even as a bystander, the memories made his teeth grind with anger!

"If I don't put those three old dogs in their place... I'll have let down every last Naruto fan!"

Yongye had good reason to feel confident. As a transmigrator, he came with his own special advantage—

The Heart-Piercing System!

The rules were simple: the deeper he cut someone emotionally, the better the mystery box he unlocked and the richer its reward.

And finding people's weak spots and striking where it hurt most happened to be what he, a transmigrator, did best.

"The Naruto world is full of lunatics."

A cold sneer tugged at Yongye's lips. "I'll fight fire with fire and cure every last one of them!"

"I'll do whatever I damn well please. I'm going to be the Shinobi World's great demon king."

"Time to give these lunatics a little shock!"

Once he had gathered himself, Yongye pushed open the door and stepped outside.

First, he would find a few targets to practice on and earn some rewards.

In the streets of the Uchiha Clan Compound, several children were arguing until their faces turned red.

"My brother awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan! He's the strongest Uchiha!"

"Bullshit! Lord Body Flicker Shisui is the strongest Uchiha!"

"My father is the Uchiha clan leader! He's the strongest!"

"I'm blind, so I'm the strongest Uchiha!"

Hearing the commotion, Yongye strode over and casually shoved aside the little blind boy who had claimed to be the strongest.

Only the crazy Uchiha would have a blind kid bragging that he was the strongest!

That's just ridiculous!

As Yongye complained inwardly, his sword-sharp gaze settled on a young-faced boy whose eyes were stubborn as a mule's.

Uchiha Sasuke.

Yongye smiled.

His mocking, icy smile was that of an old cat spotting a mouse.

He spoke slowly, each word crisp and clear:

"Listen carefully, Sasuke."

"Your father, Uchiha Fugaku, isn't the strongest Uchiha."

"He's the biggest pushover in the clan."

Sasuke Uchiha snapped his head up and glared at Yongye, his small face flushed scarlet.

Yongye gave him no chance to speak and went on:

"Shimura Danzō has walked all over your father more times than anyone can count."

"And your father? He doesn't dare make a sound. He just bows and scrapes."

"And that's not even the end of it."

"If Danzō wanted your mother, do you think your father wouldn't obediently send her off to Root?"

"Shut up!!"

Sasuke's eyes reddened at once. Tears swirled in them, but he clenched his teeth and refused to let them fall.

He balled his fists, his nails nearly digging into his palms. His voice shook with tears, but he forced out a shout:

"You're lying!!"

"My dad isn't like that!!"

"He's the Uchiha clan leader! He isn't afraid of Danzō!!"

The moment those words left his mouth, a cold notification sounded in Yongye's mind.

[Ding—detected Uchiha Sasuke, the lone star of calamity. His defenses have been moderately broken.]

[Heart-piercing points have reached the threshold. Obtained one medium mystery box. Open it now?]

Was that even a question? Yongye immediately commanded, "Open it."

[Ding—the medium mystery box has been opened!]

[Congratulations, host. Reward obtained: Clear Sword Heart!]

In an instant, Yongye felt a thunderous jolt in his mind!

It was as though an invisible blade had sliced through every stray thought and wisp of fog in his consciousness.

His tangled thoughts, needless emotions, and uncertainty and fear of the unknown were swept clean away.

His mind was still as a mirror, untouched by dust.

In their place came absolute clarity.

He could sense the direction of every passing breeze and the path of every falling leaf. He could even predict exactly where the tear gathering in Sasuke's eye would land after sliding down his cheek three breaths from now.

This was Clear Sword Heart.

A state of mind devoted to swordsmanship in its purest form.

Through the sword, one could grasp the Way and see through all techniques!

From now on, no technique in the world would hold secrets from him.

He needed to see a ninjutsu performed only once to understand how it worked and spot the flaw at its core.

However many forms a technique took, one clear mind could see through them all.

Yongye's lips curved in satisfaction.

Then he wanted more.

He knew perfectly well what this little brat—the future Uchiha Sasuke—would do. He would stab Karin through with his own hand and abandon Suigetsu and Jūgo, who had risked their lives to save him.

A heartless, ungrateful bastard.

Yongye felt not a shred of mercy for someone like that.

He crouched and leaned close to Sasuke's face, which was on the verge of crumpling into tears. Then he drove home his second attack without holding back:

"Your father is a spineless coward through and through."

"Go home and tell him this—"

"He should stop wearing men's clothes."

"A woman's dress would suit that pathetic look of his much better..."

Before he could finish, a sharp rush of air slashed toward him from behind!

Yongye shifted slightly.

Against his Clear Sword Heart, ambushes and surprise attacks were a joke!

Having sensed the attack's path in advance, Yongye stepped forward instead of retreating, angling his body half an inch aside with exquisite precision.

The shuriken skimmed past the tip of his nose without touching a hair, then struck the ground hard and carved a deep furrow.

A figure landed before him, the hem of his Uchiha clan uniform fluttering in the wind.

Uchiha Itachi.

He crouched in front of Sasuke and gently wiped the tears from his younger brother's eyes. Then he stood and shielded Sasuke behind him.

His usually untroubled eyes now churned with barely restrained fury as he fixed Yongye with a hard stare.

"To say something like that to a child." Uchiha Itachi's voice was low, each word heavy with furious condemnation. "Do you have any conscience at all?"

Yongye threw back his head and laughed.

His wild, manic laughter rang through the entire street.

"Hahaha—"

"A conscience?"

His laughter stopped abruptly.

He lowered his head and looked Uchiha Itachi straight in the eyes. Every trace of amusement left his face, replaced by a chill that cut to the bone.

"You're asking me, someone whose family was destroyed and everyone I loved was killed—"

"About conscience?"

Uchiha Itachi went rigid.

He said nothing.

The anger and reproach in his dark eyes vanished in an instant. An icy chill took their place, along with undisguised killing intent.

A moment ago, he had only wanted to stop this bastard of a clansman from bullying his younger brother.

Now he wanted to kill this clansman whose hatred had eaten through him.

Yongye lowered his eyelids slightly, hiding the flicker of mockery in his eyes.

With Clear Sword Heart, he could perceive the smallest details and see through any technique.

Right now, he could sense every movement of chakra through Uchiha Itachi's body and every tiny twitch of his muscles as clearly as lines in his own palm.

And with Sasuke beside them, someone he could use—

Even in the worst case, he could retreat with ease.

In that case, I'll keep twisting the knife where it hurts most!

"Uchiha Itachi."

"You love Konoha with all your heart."

"But tell me—"

He tilted his head slightly, wearing a crazed smile that chilled Itachi to the bone.

"Who do you think you are?"

"You think you're worthy of loving Konoha?"

"Hahaha—"

His laughter rang out again, even harsher and more brazen than before.