Opening the Eyes

Uchiha Yu was jolted awake by the clamor of children!

His eyes snapped open! His body instinctively tried to sit up, but a sudden surge of pain stopped him cold.

He stared around with two red eyeballs, the crimson flickering briefly, looking somewhat unstable.

"Shh, keep your voice down, there's an injured person in the room." A gentle female voice came from outside, carrying a hint of sternness but even more of a motherly warmth and care.

Hearing this, Uchiha Yu paused mid-motion, then shook his head, muttering inwardly:

'No wonder that bastard Kabuto went dark.'

'Killing the orphanage director Yakushi Nonō, who saved and healed him—anyone would crack under that.'

Outside, a group of children were playing. The one who had used Medical Ninjutsu on Uchiha Yu last night was none other than the female ninja who had taught Kabuto—Yakushi Nonō.

As a former elite spy of Root, Yakushi Nonō glanced sidelong at the room and instructed the children, "You all have morning lessons soon!"

"We know, Director-sama~" the children replied obediently.

She gave them a warm smile and walked straight toward Uchiha Yu's room.

Gently pushing open the door, she pretended to just notice he was awake, covering her mouth. "You're awake? You have a high adaptability to Medical Ninjutsu; you're recovering quickly."

Though Uchiha Yu had his own little schemes, he had no intention of hiding anything from the ace spy Yakushi Nonō, and said bluntly:

"Thank you, Director-sama. I can't tell you why I was injured."

"That's fine." Yakushi Nonō answered without a second thought. "As long as you're okay."

"Can I leave then?" Uchiha Yu forced a smile.

"Of course. Oh, right!" She ran outside and brought back a bundle. "This is medicine. You're pretty badly hurt. Don't do any strenuous activity for a few days. Wait until you're better."

Uchiha Yu bowed at a forty-five-degree angle. "Thank you for treating me!"

"I couldn't stand by and let a child of Konoha die. Go home quickly!"

Back at home, Uchiha Yu first checked if any of his belongings had been touched.

Then he opened the bundle of medicine.

Boiled water, took the medicine.

He let out a long breath.

'Looks like a nobody like me can stay out all night without anyone noticing.'

A voice from the void interrupted his thoughts.

Stephen Fang of the Marvel World, also known as Fang Yu, said, "Brother, aren't you afraid that orphanage director will snitch?"

Before Uchiha Yu could answer, Pirate World Fang Yu jumped in, "That's still better than heading straight for Konoha Gate. Believe me, if he'd gone back to Konoha without treatment, he wouldn't even make it to Konoha Hospital before being sent to Root."

Uchiha Yu shrugged. "Joking aside, even a dog passing through Konoha Gate would be known to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo."

"As for the director... as long as the orphanage's interests aren't threatened, she won't bother with this. She's long since fallen out with Danzo anyway."

Uchiha Yu's face darkened. "Once the Third Hokage and Danzo hear that Itachi Uchiha was the one who injured me..."

"Then I'll most likely be treated as a pebble in the way of Konoha's peace."

"Kicked into the sewer with one foot, and no one will notice even after my corpse starts to stink."

Stephen Fang, who was drinking cola, choked on it. "Cough! Sorry, it might be because of my upbringing, but I don't have the same high awareness of danger as you two."

"It's fine. The Battle of New York is probably coming soon. You'll understand eventually."

"Alright... alright."

Marvel Fang Yu went silent, and Pirate World Fang Yu said grimly, "The priority now is figuring out how to boost our strength."

"Yeah... after yesterday, I can feel how much the Gene Lock helped me!"

Uchiha Yu walked to the mirror. "When I first woke up, I did notice something different about my eyes, but they're still unstable..."

Pirate World Fang Yu raised an eyebrow. "Thinking about it that way, the Gene Lock taps into a Reincarnator's inner potential near death, and the Sharingan awakens in the Uchiha clan during intense emotional turmoil."

He paused, then continued, "If you want to keep opening the Gene Lock until you master it, and awaken your eyes... then—"

Both said in unison: "Near death!"

Far away in a burger joint, Stephen Fang, who was stuffing pickled cucumber slices into burgers in the back kitchen, heard his two seniors' crazy idea and swallowed hard.

He added two extra slices of pickled cucumber for that unlucky customer.

For a whole week.

Every evening after class at the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Yu would leave the village and head to a patch of forest not far from the Konoha Orphanage.

That forest was covered in bloodstains and signs of battle.

The blood, naturally, was Uchiha Yu's.

But if the orphanage children ever saw the face of the "culprit," their worldview would surely shatter.

Standing across from Uchiha Yu was the gentle older sister who had shed her glasses and her usual demeanor—Yakushi Nonō.

Yakushi Nonō stood in a clearing in the forest, her eyes betraying a hint of seriousness, a stark contrast to her usual gentle image as the orphanage director.

Uchiha Yu gripped the kunai in his hand tightly, knowing the battle ahead would be a tough one.

Sweat had already beaded on his forehead, but his gaze was resolute—he had to pass this fight to unlock his potential.

"Come," Yakushi Nonō said calmly, though her chakra had already begun to flow within her.

Uchiha Yu didn't answer. He took a deep breath, then lunged at Yakushi Nonō, his kunai aimed straight for her vital points.

Yakushi Nonō sidestepped with ease, simultaneously kicking at Uchiha Yu's wrist, sending the kunai clattering to the ground.

Uchiha Yu quickly retreated, drew a shuriken from his belt, and attacked again.

Yakushi Nonō dodged each of Uchiha Yu's strikes with astonishing speed and agility, and every counter she made pressed him with immense pressure.

On one side stood an elite ninja of Root.

On the other, a Uchiha newbie who hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy or awakened his Sharingan.

The gap was like an insurmountable chasm.

Uchiha Yu's body was already covered in wounds, but he persisted, rising quickly after every fall to continue the fight.

As the battle dragged on, Uchiha Yu began to feel his strength waning; each of his attacks grew clumsier and weaker.

Though Yakushi Nonō held the upper hand, she always controlled her force, ensuring Uchiha Yu wouldn't suffer fatal injuries.

But what Uchiha Yu wanted wasn't just a sparring partner.

What he wanted was the brink of death.

He reached out, showing no restraint, and touched Yakushi Nonō's chest.

Her calm expression was replaced by fury. She seized Uchiha Yu by the throat.

The intense suffocation sent blood rushing to Uchiha Yu's brain, veins bulging on his forehead as his budding Sharingan eyes rolled upward into a "Byakugan."

Seeing Uchiha Yu persist even in this state, Yakushi Nonō felt a pang of reluctance but still didn't let go.

Uchiha Yu, just one step away, raised his hand again, his fingertips grazing the peak.

She tightened her grip further, and Uchiha Yu could no longer lift his arm.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Just as Uchiha Yu felt himself on the verge of death—

A fierce will to survive erupted within him!

His pupils constricted! A surge of power welled up from the depths of his body!

With the last of his strength, he shoved Yakushi Nonō away and staggered backward.

Yakushi Nonō looked at Uchiha Yu, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

'It seems this child holds secrets I don't know about.'

She took a deep breath, struggling to calm herself.

"That's enough for today!" Yakushi Nonō said coldly, releasing green life energy to heal Uchiha Yu.

The process lasted about twenty minutes.

Once Uchiha Yu was mostly free of serious injuries, Yakushi Nonō turned and left the forest without looking back.

Leaving Uchiha Yu alone, gasping for breath on the spot.

"Thud!"

He collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving violently, but his heart was filled with joy.

The whole world slowed down; the trajectory of falling leaves was so clear.

Sharingan, awakened!