For the next month, Lin Ye lived a seemingly ordinary life.
During the day, he attended the Ninja Academy. As an Uchiha orphan, he received special treatment and was placed directly into the third year, in the same class as Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
Sasuke had yet to recover from the devastation of the massacre. He wore a dark expression all day and trained relentlessly, desperate to grow stronger and take revenge on Itachi. Naruto was still the class dead last, but Lin Ye could sense the terrifying power hidden inside the blond boy.
As for Sakura... all she could think about was Sasuke.
Lin Ye kept a low profile, listened attentively in class, and returned to his apartment after school. The Anbu surveillance continued for half a month. Once they confirmed he was showing no unusual behavior, most of the watchers were gradually withdrawn. But Lin Ye knew Danzo's men were still observing him from the shadows.
At night, he worked on fulfilling last wishes.
The system refreshed one to three available last-wish missions each day. Some were simple, such as "deliver a certain keepsake to a certain person." Others were complicated, requiring him to sneak into particular places or fulfill certain promises.
By completing these last wishes, Lin Ye steadily grew stronger.
[Last wish 12 completed: Uchiha Tetsu, age 42, Chunin. Last wish: Guide his son through shuriken throwing practice. Completion reward: Shuriken Mastery (incomplete)] [Last wish 19 completed: Uchiha Izumi, age 26, Special Jōnin. Last wish: Tell Uchiha Itachi, "I never blamed him." Completion reward: Three-Tomoe Fragments ×2]
When he saw Uchiha Izumi's last wish, Lin Ye fell silent.
Uchiha Izumi, the girl who had secretly loved Itachi in the original story, had died on the night of the massacre. Yet her last wish was to tell Itachi, "I never blamed him."
Lin Ye did not know how Itachi would feel upon hearing those words. But he accepted the wish. One night, he used the Transformation Technique to disguise himself as an ordinary villager and left a note bearing those words at the training ground Itachi frequented.
He did not know whether Itachi had seen it, but the system judged the mission complete.
Over the course of a month, Lin Ye completed thirty-seven last wishes. His Sharingan fragment collection had made tremendous progress:
[One-tomoe: Synthesized (currently One-Tomoe Sharingan)] [Two-tomoe: Fragments 11/5 (synthesis available. Synthesize?)] [Three-Tomoe Fragments: 17/10 (synthesis available. Synthesize?)] [Mangekyō Shards: 0/??? (synthesis requirements not unlocked)]
Besides those, he had also obtained fragments of various ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, along with special abilities such as Enhanced Chakra Control, Enhanced Genjutsu Resistance, and Shuriken Throwing Mastery.
Tonight, Lin Ye intended to synthesize the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
"System, synthesize the two-tomoe!"
The familiar burning sensation returned, more intense than before. Lin Ye felt as though his eyes were about to catch fire, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.
Five seconds later, the pain faded.
Lin Ye walked over to the mirror and looked into his eyes. Two tomoe slowly revolved around the edges of his black pupils, like twin stars.
His vision improved again. He could now clearly see the beating wings of an insect a hundred meters away and detect the faint traces of flowing chakra. His Dynamic Vision reached a terrifying level; an ordinary chunin's taijutsu looked like slow motion to him.
"It's still not enough," Lin Ye murmured.
A two-tomoe Sharingan was only average within the Uchiha Clan. He would be facing Kage-level powerhouses, the Akatsuki, and the Fourth Shinobi World War. He needed at least three tomoe, perhaps even the Mangekyō.
"Synthesize the three-tomoe!"
This time, the pain felt like molten lava pouring into his eyes. Lin Ye let out a muffled groan and dropped to his knees, both hands gripping the edge of the bed. He could feel some fundamental transformation taking place in his eyes, something deeper awakening.
Ten seconds felt like ten years.
When the pain finally subsided, Lin Ye was drenched in cold sweat. Trembling, he walked over to the mirror and looked into his eyes-
Three tomoe, arranged in a symmetrical triangle, slowly revolved around the edges of his pupils, eerie and beautiful. His vision made another leap. He could even faintly see the paths of chakra flowing through the air. His genjutsu abilities had improved dramatically; now, a single glance could trap an ordinary genin in an illusion.
He had attained the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
But Lin Ye had no time to celebrate, because the system chimed again:
[Ding! Host has synthesized the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Wish Chain function unlocked.] [Wish Chain: Certain Uchiha last wishes are interconnected. Completing one unlocks the next, forming a mission chain. Completing an entire wish chain grants special rewards, including Mangekyō Shards.] [First wish chain unlocked: Kagami Uchiha’s Regret] [Chain 1: Find the scroll left behind by Kagami Uchiha (0/1)]
Kagami Uchiha? Lin Ye recalled the original story. Kagami Uchiha was Shisui Uchiha's father, and his Sharingan might even have reached the Mangekyō stage. He was one of the few members of the Uchiha Clan who upheld the Will of Fire, and he had been the Third Hokage's teammate.
What would his wish chain involve?
Lin Ye immediately began investigating. By consulting the Uchiha genealogy and following clues obtained from the last wishes of several older Uchiha, he gradually pieced together the information: before his death, Kagami Uchiha had left behind a scroll hidden at a secret Uchiha location.
That location most likely had something to do with Naka Shrine.
Late one night, Lin Ye slipped into Naka Shrine again.
This time, he knew his way around. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan allowed him to easily see through the shrine's hidden mechanisms and avoid every trap. After searching carefully, he finally discovered a concealed compartment behind the enshrined statue.
An old scroll lay inside.
Lin Ye opened the scroll. Written on it in Kagami Uchiha's hand were these words:
"To whoever comes after me:
If you are reading this scroll, it means disaster has already befallen the Uchiha. I have long suspected that the conflict between the village and the Uchiha would eventually erupt.
But I believe the chain of hatred can be broken. The Uchiha's future lies not in revenge, but in understanding and forgiveness.
I left something in the Uchiha Ancestral Land—the Sealing Forbidden Grounds. It is the Uchiha true legacy, the Sharingan origin secret.
But entering the Forbidden Grounds requires a key. The key is divided into three parts, each held by an Uchiha elder. Their names are Uchiha Setsuna, Uchiha Tekka, and Uchiha Yashiro.
Find the key and enter the Forbidden Grounds. You will understand everything.
May the Uchiha's future no longer be a tragedy.
-Kagami Uchiha, final words"
At the end of the scroll was a simple map marking the location of the Forbidden Grounds: a cave deep within the Uchiha clan grounds, sealed off by multiple layers of Sealing Jutsu.
Lin Ye's heart raced.
The Uchiha true legacy? The Sharingan origin secret? This sounds like the key to unraveling everything.
The three parts of the key were held by Setsuna, Tekka, and Yashiro. He had already fulfilled Uchiha Setsuna's last wish, but Tekka and Yashiro...
[Ding! Wish Chain 1 completed: Find the scroll left behind by Kagami Uchiha] [Reward obtained: Mangekyō Sharingan Fragment ×1] [Wish Chain 2 unlocked: Collect all Three Keys (1/3)]
Mangekyō Shards! There was only one, but it was the first step toward a fundamental transformation.
Lin Ye immediately checked the system and discovered a new entry:
[Mangekyō Sharingan Fragment: 1/??? (synthesis requirements not fully unlocked)]
It seemed he would have to collect more fragments before he could learn exactly how many he needed.
Over the next few days, Lin Ye began investigating Uchiha Tekka and Uchiha Yashiro.
Tekka had belonged to the Uchiha's radical faction and had mysteriously disappeared before the night of the massacre. Rumor had it that he had defected. Yashiro, meanwhile, had been a senior member of the clan, one of the few elders to awaken three tomoe, and had commanded great respect.
By completing several minor last wishes connected to the two men, Lin Ye gradually pieced together the clues.
Before disappearing, Tekka had entrusted an "important object" to a contact outside the village-a merchant from the Land of Tea. Yashiro had hidden his key in the Uchiha family cemetery, beneath his own gravestone.
The cemetery would be relatively easy to enter, but the Land of Tea... with Lin Ye's current status, leaving Konoha would not be easy.
Just as Lin Ye was considering his options, an unexpected visitor came looking for him.
After school that day, a masked Anbu appeared before Lin Ye.
"Uchiha Ye, Lord Hokage wishes to see you."
Lin Ye's heart tightened. The Third wants to see me? What for?
He followed the Anbu to the Hokage Building. Inside the office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, wisps of smoke rising from his pipe. He looked a little older than he had a month ago.
"Ye, have a seat," the Third said, gesturing.
Lin Ye sat down, maintaining a respectful posture.
"Have you been settling in at school?" the Third asked.
"Very well. Thank you for your concern, Lord Hokage."
"The Uchiha tragedy was a loss for the village," the Third sighed. "But I hope you understand that the village never regarded the Uchiha as enemies. The conflict arose from misunderstandings on both sides."
Lin Ye nodded without speaking.
"I summoned you today because there is something I'd like to discuss." The Third took a scroll from a drawer. "Next month, Konoha will send a squad to the Land of Tea on an escort mission. The Daimyo of the Land of Tea has invited Konoha ninja to help train their guards. I think this would be a good opportunity for you to see the outside world and clear your mind. Would you like to go?"
Lin Ye's pupils contracted slightly.
The Land of Tea! That's exactly where I need to go!
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Lin Ye answered without hesitation.
The Third smiled in relief. "Good. Kakashi will lead the squad. Its members will be you, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Consider it a C-rank mission. It won't be too dangerous."
Team Kakashi's first mission outside the village has been moved up? And I'm going with them?
Conflicting emotions surged through Lin Ye. He knew this journey to the Land of Tea would be anything but peaceful.
But for the Uchiha's secret, and to gather all the keys, he had to go.
"Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Lord Hokage." Lin Ye bowed.
The sun was setting when he left the Hokage Building. Standing in the street, Lin Ye looked toward the Uchiha clan grounds.
The three tomoe of his Sharingan turned slightly.
"The Uchiha's legacy... I'll find it. And I'll change every tragedy."
He clenched his fists, determination shining in his eyes.
Before you continue