Awakening the Sharingan!

Time flowed like the streams of the Land of Ancestors, burbling past. In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

At three years old, Otsutsuki Yuya was no longer the infant who could only babble while dancing on the edge of death. Thanks to Princess Kaguya's unconventional "special training," inherited from the Ōtsutsuki Clan, and the physique points quietly supplied by the system-or perhaps some mysterious will whose presence was growing stronger-his growth had been nothing short of ferocious.

The thin morning mist had yet to fully disperse. Deep in a secluded valley along the borders of the Land of Ancestors, where visitors were scarce and the terrain was rugged, two figures, one large and one small, were moving about.

The smaller one was Yuya.

He wore a simple little white shirt Princess Kaguya had sewn herself. His soft, short silver hair shimmered in the faint morning light. His delicately sculpted face had lost most of its baby fat, revealing the refined contours of a child's features. His eyes in particular were clear, dark, and extraordinarily lively, occasionally flashing with a slyness far beyond his years.

The larger figure was, of course, Princess Kaguya.

She still wore her signature white kimono, her silver hair cascading to her waist. Her cool, exquisite beauty seemed untouched by time. Yet when those white eyes Yuya had once relentlessly mocked as emotionless rested on him now, they often betrayed an unconscious trace of warmth-faint, but unmistakably real.

"Hah!" A child's clear cry shattered the valley's silence.

Three-year-old Yuya stamped his little foot. He had not even used his full strength, yet the solid rock beneath him cracked with a sharp snap, fractures spreading like a spiderweb!

His little body shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, covering more than ten meters in an instant. His movements were far too fluid for a child. His target was a hard granite boulder half as tall as an adult.

There were no fancy techniques, no fluctuations of chakra-at least, he still could not control the energy naturally building inside him through training. This was nothing but the physical strength he had honed for three years.

Yuya's tiny fist whistled through the air and slammed into the center of the rock!

Boom!

A deep crash rang out like the strike of a heavy drum! The hard granite boulder exploded on impact! Countless fragments flew in every direction as dust billowed into the air.

When the dust settled, only a heap of broken stones of varying sizes remained.

Yuya pulled back his fist and blew on it, though it did not hurt at all. His little face brimmed with smug satisfaction, as if to say it was nothing worth getting excited over. Looking up at Princess Kaguya nearby, he called brightly, his voice trailing off with a playful lilt, "Big sis~! How was that?"

He did not call her "Mom."

He could no longer say when it had started. Perhaps he had tried it once at the "urging" of a system option and found her suddenly rigid posture and faintly reddened ears amusing. Or perhaps, deep down, he had never truly been able to see this powerful woman-who had once wanted to kill him, then saved him, and occasionally revealed a lost, uncertain side-as his "mother." Whatever the reason, he had stubbornly abandoned his babyish "Mom" for the affectionate, slightly grown-up-sounding "Big sis."

But the main reason was... he had no desire to become Black Zetsu.

Calling her Mom before had only been a bit of fun... now... he had to put himself on equal generational footing with Princess Kaguya, at the very least!

Princess Kaguya's gaze swept over the pile of rubble. Fine veins emerged around her Byakugan as she instantly analyzed the raw strength and explosive technique contained in that strike.

Three years. From an infant as fragile as crystal to a child capable of battering refined steel and shattering boulders with physical strength alone... even she felt a flicker of amazement.

The little fellow's physical potential completely defied the Ōtsutsuki Clan's understanding of human development.

"Acceptable. You chose precisely where to apply force, and your lower body remained stable without shifting, preventing needless energy loss. But your muscles did not relax quickly enough immediately after the burst. You wasted stamina." Princess Kaguya's voice remained cool and clear, like a mountain spring. Her assessment cut straight to the point without a word of praise, yet carried an unspoken expectation of more.

She approached slowly, her movements light, her steps soundless. "Your strength is growing quickly. Next, you must hone your control. The proper path is to release and withdraw your strength at will. Have you tried sensing that 'qi' inside you?"

"Qi" was Princess Kaguya's provisional name for the energy naturally born within Yuya through the Ōtsutsuki training methods, which was not pure Ōtsutsuki chakra.

It resembled a mixture of life energy and spiritual energy, yet seemed tinged with a unique "impurity" of Yuya's own-something Princess Kaguya regarded as an unknown talent.

Yuya scratched his silver hair, looking a little troubled. "Mm... I felt it! It's like a little mouse, all warm and darting around! But it won't behave. Whenever I try to make it listen, it hides..."

This was his greatest difficulty at present.

His physical growth was astonishingly fast, but progress in sensing and controlling his "qi" remained slow.

The system's added points seemed to strengthen only his physical foundation, without granting him any talent for controlling energy. He felt like an infant holding the key to a mountain of gold: the key was heavy, but he could not open the door.

"There is no hurry." For once, Princess Kaguya did not reprimand him. "Mastery of oneself is the foundation of all power. Today's training is over. Go to the bathing pool." Her gaze settled on the dust and sweat coating Yuya after the flying debris.

Deep within this secluded valley lay a natural bathing pool fed by an underground hot spring. Its water was crystal clear and held a faint geothermal warmth. Jagged rocks surrounding it formed a natural barrier, making it their private bathing spot.

"Yay! Bath time!" Yuya cheered, instantly casting his earlier worries aside. Grinning, he ran toward the pool, as light and agile as a little animal.

A faint white mist hovered over the pool's surface.

With a light motion of Princess Kaguya's fingertip, a small portion of the water separated on its own, forming a suitably sized little pool. She removed her outer robe, revealing specially made, close-fitting underclothes, and stepped gracefully into the warm water.

The water rose over her slender yet powerful waist. Her damp silver hair clung to the back of her pale neck, and droplets slid along her perfectly defined jaw, revealing fine, snow-white skin. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful, carrying an indescribable air of divinity.

Yuya had already deftly stripped off his little shirt and jumped into the small pool prepared for him with a splash. The water was pleasantly warm, and he narrowed his eyes in contentment, like a cat being stroked.

After three years spent together day and night, his initial stunned reaction to this almost universally enchanting sight had supposedly given way to familiarity. (As if! The little theater in his head was still very much alive!)

He leaned against the edge of the pool, stirring the spring water with his little hands as he watched Princess Kaguya's profile nearby. Her curves were exquisite, her figure incredible! Droplets refracted the morning light, casting a hazy glow over her flawless profile. The scene was as tranquil as a painting.

Just then:

[Ding! Special scene (bathing pool) has triggered a heartwarming interaction. Please make a choice:]

[Option 1: Swim toward Princess Kaguya and try to scrub her back. (High risk, high reward) Reward: physique +1, Princess Kaguya's affection +5 (if accepted)/-3 (if angered)]

[Option 2: Use your newly trained brute strength to stir up a wave (play with her/play a prank). Reward: slight strength increase, reaction speed +1 (after dodging)]

[Option 3: Quietly watch Princess Kaguya's reflection in the mist, clear your mind, and try to guide the uncontrollable thread of "qi" within you into resonance with the water. Reward: successfully gaining a trace of control will open the path to Dōjutsu awakening (Sharingan · single tomoe)! Spiritual insight +1]

Yuya's eyes lit up instantly!

Dōjutsu! The Sharingan!

Although it appeared to be only the most basic single-tomoe form, it was still one of the Naruto world's most famous signature Kekkei Genkai!

This was his key to truly entering the energy system! It was far more enticing than simple increases in strength! Back scrubbing and pranks paled in comparison to a tangible Dōjutsu reward!

Almost without hesitation, Yuya shouted inwardly, Option three!

He immediately stopped grinning and copied the seated meditation posture Princess Kaguya had taught him-albeit the little-pool version. His small feet soaked in the water, his hands rested on his knees, and he closed his eyes.

He began trying to clear his thoughts. He would not think about the rock he had shattered or his big sister bathing. He focused solely on finding that mischievous little mouse of "qi" inside him.

Warm water enveloped him, its ripples like nature's breathing.

He quieted his mind, trying to capture the faint connection between the warm current within his body and the flowing water.

His mind focused as never before, his awareness sinking into a clear, tranquil state, as though the entire world held only the rhythm of the water and his own heartbeat.

Time passed slowly. At first, the "qi" darted around as wildly as ever.

Gradually, however, as his concentration deepened and his will focused, that thread of "qi" seemed to feel an invisible pull. Unwittingly drawn by Yuya's intent, it began slowly, clumsily attempting to... imitate the patterns of the water rippling outside his body?

At the instant the subtle resonance between Yuya's mind, his "qi," and the water outside him reached a certain threshold-

Hum!

A strange surge of heat erupted without warning deep within his eyes!

"Ah!" Yuya cried out involuntarily in pain and snapped his eyes open!

The scene before him had changed! Objects were no longer clear and distinct. Instead, everything seemed covered by a thin red veil.

The world appeared washed in some strange hue. The misty bathing pool, Princess Kaguya's blurred figure in the water, the surrounding jagged rock walls... everything flowed with indescribable lines of "heat" carrying a faintly uncanny quality!

More importantly, an unprecedented insight born of his bloodline surged into his mind! His ability to predict Princess Kaguya's movements and sense the tiniest fluctuations in the water... all became incredibly clear! Though his vision was blurred, that "perception" had grown sharper!

[Choice complete! Rewards distributed!]

[Successfully guided "qi" into a preliminary, faint resonance with the natural water element! Spiritual insight +1!]

[Triggered by intense mental stimulation and energy resonance, Kekkei Genkai awakened: Sharingan · single tomoe!]

[Warning: initial awakening consumes immense spiritual energy. Dōjutsu Power is extremely unstable. Visual perception may suffer interference.]

"Yuya?" Princess Kaguya's cool voice came from the pool, carrying a trace of confusion and barely perceptible concern. She had clearly sensed the sudden, violent, unstable surge of energy within him. Had that energy undergone some strange transformation through contact with his own bloodline? It had even stirred an unfamiliar tremor within her.

What startled her even more was what she saw as she rose from the water and approached Yuya, droplets clinging to her-

Within the child's eyes, where his pupils had once been black, an extraordinarily tiny, almost solid blood-red tomoe now spun in each one!

Scarlet as blood, uncanny and mysterious!

"...Your eyes?" Princess Kaguya froze. For the first time, intense, undisguised shock appeared on her exquisite face! This was not her Byakugan! It was not even any form of primordial Ōtsutsuki eye she knew!

An utterly unfamiliar power, brimming with potential and even faintly carrying the aura of some unique law... had awakened in this child she had raised with her own hands?!

Overwhelmed by intense discomfort, Yuya managed a faint smile at the blurry white figure radiating an inviting warmth. His voice held exhaustion and weakness, along with irrepressible excitement:

"Big sis... I think... I can see stars... red ones..." Before he could finish, crushing fatigue and the drain on his spiritual energy struck all at once. His little head tilted, and he fell fast asleep against the pool's edge, still wearing a silly grin at having gained a new power.

Princess Kaguya looked at the sleeping Yuya, faint traces of blood at the corners of his eyes, then at the scarlet power that seemed sealed behind his closed eyelids yet still retained its presence. She fell into a long silence.

After a long while, the shock in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by something deeper and more complex, as though... she had discovered a priceless treasure, or touched upon some unknown course of fate.

She bent down and, with unbelievable gentleness, lifted his wet little body from the water and carefully dried him with soft white silk. Her gaze was so intent that she seemed to be tending to a fragment of herself lost in the river of time.

Night fell. A campfire burned inside a dry cave deep in the secluded valley.

Princess Kaguya sat cross-legged, holding Yuya in her arms. His little head rested on her lap, and a furry animal-hide blanket wrapped him snugly.

The dancing firelight illuminated Princess Kaguya's calm profile and Yuya's sleeping face.

The little fellow slept deeply, the satisfied curve of a child with a new treasure still lingering at the corners of his mouth.

Princess Kaguya lowered her eyes. Her silvery-white lashes cast faint shadows in the firelight as her gaze settled on his closed eyelids, as though she could see through flesh and bone to those newly born scarlet eyes, like a newborn beast.

They represented the unknown, and potential far beyond anything she had originally imagined... vast enough to make her heart tremble.

"Sharingan..." she softly repeated the unfamiliar name she had just learned through some form of bloodline intuition rather than prior knowledge. Her fingertip brushed gently over the corner of Yuya's eye, sensing the lingering fluctuations of Dōjutsu Power.

"So... there is far more... to what makes you 'special,' Yuya..." Her voice was as soft as a murmur in a dream, almost inaudible beneath the crackling fire.