The atmosphere aboard the skyrail train on the way back was a little heavy.
Alice leaned against the window, her mismatched eyes watching the night scenery race backward outside, her rapier gripped tightly in her hand.
The scrape on her arm had been bandaged, but her face was still a little pale.
Lucia sat opposite her, the glow of her ram horns already dimmed-using her abilities repeatedly had left her somewhat exhausted, and she was sipping an energy drink.
Idhila rapidly jotted something down in her notebook, occasionally lifting her purple eyes to scan everyone.
Manato sat at the connection between carriages with his greatsword laid across his knees, his canine ears twitching slightly as he remained on guard.
Yuzuha sat beside Lin Shuo, her head lowered as she fiddled with the blade components on her umbrella.
The Roman letters spelling "Yuzuha" on the canopy gleamed with a cold metallic sheen under the carriage lights.
"Lin Shuo."
She suddenly spoke, her voice soft. "Back in the basement... what was that flame you used?"
The carriage fell silent for a moment.
Everyone looked at Lin Shuo.
Lin Shuo did not answer immediately.
He looked out the window, where New Eridu's neon lights flowed into rivers of light in the night.
"A special ability."
He finally said, "One that comes at a price."
"A price?"
"...It doesn't matter."
Yuzuha opened her mouth, wanting to ask more, but Lin Shuo had already stood up. "Our stop's next. Time to transfer."
Everyone followed him off the train.
The platform at Lumina Square Station was brightly lit, with a scattering of passengers returning home late.
"Thank you all for today."
Standing at the station exit, Yuzuha forced a small smile. "The commission payment will reach your accounts tomorrow-quite a lot happened, but at least we saved those three people..."
"Yuzuha."
Alice suddenly spoke, looking at her earnestly with her mismatched eyes. "Next time you have a similar commission, please make sure you tell us the danger level in advance.
If I'd known we might run into The Order, I would have brought more comprehensive equipment."
"Sorry..."
"I'm not blaming you." Alice shook her head. "It's just... we're a team. Sharing information matters."
"Yeah."
Manato patted Yuzuha on the shoulder. "Let's go. We still have school tomorrow."
"Okay..."
The members of the Spook Shack went their separate ways.
Holding Lin You's hand, Lin Shuo headed home.
Little Shukaku had already emerged from the backpack and was lying on Lin You's shoulder, yawning-trapping the sentry with sand earlier had used up a little of his energy.
"Dad."
Lin You said quietly, "Mom... seems really concerned about that black flame of yours."
"...I know."
"Will she keep asking?"
"Maybe she will, maybe she won't."
Lin Shuo glanced at the night sky. "Yuzuha's smart. She knows when to ask and when to wait."
After they had walked a while, Lin You suddenly asked, "Dad, that flame... does it really hurt your eyes?"
Lin Shuo's steps faltered.
He looked down at Lin You-the Two-Tomoe Sharingan glowed dark red beneath the streetlights.
"Who told you?"
"Nobody." Lin You shook her head. "But I can feel it... when you use that flame, your eyes hurt a lot, don't they?"
"...Yes."
"Then don't use it so much."
Lin You tightened her grip on his hand. "I don't want your eyes getting hurt, Dad."
Lin Shuo was silent for a few seconds before softly murmuring his agreement.
It was almost midnight when they got home.
After bathing and changing into strawberry-patterned pajamas, Lin You sat on the bed holding Little Shukaku.
Lin Shuo came in carrying two cups of hot milk and handed her one.
Lin You took it and sipped.
Lin Shuo sat down across from her and looked into her eyes.
The two tomoe were still slowly spinning, like two deep-red stars.
"Lin You."
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember when you first awakened your eyes?"
Lin You froze for a moment.
She set down her cup and tilted her head in thought. "Hmm... probably when I was five? One day, Mom took me to the edge of a Hollow to gather gray porcelain materials, and we suddenly ran into an Ether storm... Mom almost got hit by falling rocks while protecting me..."
Her voice grew softer. "I was so scared then, really, really scared. There was only one thought in my head-'No, don't hurt Mom'-and then my eyes started getting hot. When I looked again, the world had become... incredibly clear."
"What about the two tomoe?"
"That was today."
Lin You touched her eyelids. "When I saw that sentry about to ambush Mom, I felt that heat again... and then they turned into two tomoe."
She looked up, her green eyes sparkling. "Dad, does the Sharingan evolve faster the more you worry about the people important to you?"
"...You could say that."
"Then I'll worry about Mom more!"
Lin You clenched her little fists. "That way, I can awaken three tomoe sooner, or even the Mangekyō!"
Lin Shuo's expression stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment.
He had picked up on two things from Lin You's words:
First, his future self clearly had not told his daughter how the Mangekyō Sharingan was truly obtained-the cruel condition of having to witness the death of someone deeply loved or experience extreme suffering.
Second, Lin You's understanding of the Sharingan was still at the fairy-tale level of "protecting important people makes you stronger."
That was good.
Lin Shuo hoped she would never learn the truth.
"Lin You."
He chose his words carefully. "About the Sharingan... there are some things I need to tell you."
"Hmm?"
"These eyes don't belong to this world."
Lin You blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Their power system, the principles behind their evolution, even their very existence are completely different from this world's Ether science."
Lin Shuo tried to explain in terms she could understand. "You can think of them as... a legacy from another dimension. They're powerful, but dangerous too. Overusing them consumes life force, and the price of certain advanced ocular techniques may even be permanent blindness."
Lin You's expression turned serious.
"Will your eyes... end up like that too, Dad?"
"They already have."
Lin Shuo pointed at his eyes. "Every time I use the Mangekyō, my vision gets a little worse.
Although his Half-Ethereal Transformation constitution made that deterioration somewhat slower, one day..."
He did not finish.
But Lin You understood.
The little girl bit her lip, her eyes reddening slightly. "Then... then don't use it anymore, Dad! An ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan is already really powerful-"
"Sometimes, I have no choice."
Lin Shuo interrupted her, his voice calm. "Like today. If I hadn't used Amaterasu to deal with that researcher quickly, he might have activated a backup plan or drawn in more people from The Order. Then Yuzuha, Manato, Alice, and the others... would all have been in danger."
He paused. "Protecting the people important to you sometimes comes at a price."
Lin You lowered her head, her small hands clutching the hem of her pajamas.
Little Shukaku poked his head out of her arms and gave a "puji," rubbing his head against her cheek.
"...Dad."
After a long while, Lin You raised her head, her Two-Tomoe Sharingan staring straight at Lin Shuo. "If... if one day, I have to use the Mangekyō to protect Mom, will you stop me?"
It was a pointed question.
Lin Shuo remained silent for a full ten seconds.
"Yes."
He finally said, "I'll do everything I can to stop you from awakening the Mangekyō. If I can't stop it... I'll eliminate the threat before you use it."
"Even if it's dangerous?"
"Even if it costs me my life."
Lin You's tears finally fell.
She threw herself into Lin Shuo's arms, burying her little face in his chest, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"Stupid Dad... what are you saying..."
Lin Shuo gently patted her back without speaking.
The room was quiet, with only Lin You's muffled sobs and Little Shukaku's occasional "puji."
Only after a long while did Lin You lift her head, her eyes red, though she had stopped crying.
"Dad."
"Hmm?"
"You said the Sharingan doesn't belong to this world... then where exactly does it come from?"
Lin Shuo looked into her eyes.
The Two-Tomoe Sharingan looked especially clear through her tears.
"...Somewhere very far away."
In the end, he did not say "Naruto," nor did he say "system."
With some truths, the less you knew, the safer you were.
"Then how did you get it, Dad?"
"By chance."
"Another brush-off like that..." Lin You pouted. "You're always like this, Dad. You never tell me the important things."
"Because you're still little."
"I'm not little! I'm already eight!"
"Eight is still a child."
"Hmph!"
Lin You wriggled out of Lin Shuo's arms, picked up Little Shukaku, and turned her back on him. "I'm not talking to you anymore, Dad!"
A typical mesugaki tantrum.
The corners of Lin Shuo's mouth lifted slightly.
He stood and ruffled her hair. "Finish your milk and get to bed early."
"Don't tell me what to do!"
"I'll take you out for omurice tomorrow."
"...Really?"
Lin You's ears twitched, but she did not turn around.
"Yes."
"With double cheese?"
"Sure."
"And strawberry daifuku for dessert!"
"All right."
Only then did Lin You turn around. The angry look had already vanished from her face, replaced by the grin of a cat that had stolen a fish.
"Hehe, I knew you were the best, Dad~"
"...You change your tune fast."
"It's called tactics!" Lin You lifted her chin proudly. "Future Mom taught me! She said you respond to the soft approach, not the hard one, but as long as I seize the chance to ask for things, you'll pretty much always agree~"
Lin Shuo was speechless.
Just how thoroughly did that mother and daughter have my future self wrapped around their fingers?
He turned off the main light, leaving only a small night-light on.
Lin Shuo left the bedroom and gently closed the door.
Instead of going straight to shower, he stood by the living room window and lit a cigarette-he rarely smoked, only when his thoughts were especially tangled.
The red glow at the cigarette's tip flickered in the darkness.
He had concealed the most crucial parts of the Sharingan's secret: the system, his identity as a transmigrator, and the true origin of these eyes.
It was not that he did not trust Lin You.
Quite the opposite. It was because he cared too much.
The more she knew, the easier it would be for her to get swept into an even deeper vortex.
Lin You was already on the edge of danger because of her Sharingan and her identity as his "daughter from the future." He couldn't burden her any further.
As for Yuzuha...
Lin Shuo blew out a smoke ring.
In the red-haired girl's gaze that day, besides curiosity, there had been a hint of... worry.
She had noticed something.
But knowing Yuzuha, she wouldn't ask outright.
She would observe, probe, and slowly approach the truth in her own way.
"What a pain..."
Lin Shuo murmured to himself.
Yet the corners of his mouth curved up involuntarily.
Perhaps it was because Lin You had said, "Daddy has her in his heart."
Perhaps it was because of the way his heart had stopped for an instant when he saw Yuzuha in danger that day.
Perhaps it was because... he was beginning to feel that being cared for, and caring for someone else, wasn't so bad.
He finished his cigarette.
Lin Shuo stubbed it out and tossed the butt into the trash.
He walked into the bathroom and turned on the water.
As hot water washed over his body, he closed his eyes, letting his Sharingan rest for a while.
The instant his vision went dark, the image that surfaced in his mind was Yuzuha standing in the rain with an umbrella-it had been a few months earlier, when a downpour hit Lumina Square and he closed his ramen stall early.
Passing Kaidan House, he had seen Yuzuha standing alone under the eaves, staring blankly into the curtain of rain.
"Lin Shuo?"
She had turned around then, her green eyes looking hazy in the rainy mist. "Want to come in out of the rain? I just made tea."
He had meant to refuse.
But for some inexplicable reason, he nodded.
And so, that afternoon, he sat beside the counter in the gray porcelain craft shop, listening to Yuzuha tell him the new ghost stories she had made up, watching her animated demonstration of how to use her umbrella shotgun, and even tasting the cookies she called her "secret recipe," which were actually sickeningly sweet.
It had been a very ordinary afternoon.
But looking back now, every detail was far too clear.
Even the icing stuck to her fingers when she handed him a cookie.
Even the arc of her ponytail as it swayed when she got excited while talking.
Even the way the word "Yuzuha" on her umbrella reflected the light in the rain when she saw him out.
"Tch."
Lin Shuo turned off the water and toweled himself dry.
His face in the mirror showed little expression.
But his ears... seemed a little red.
"It's all that girl Lin You's fault, spouting nonsense..."
Muttering, he pulled on his pajamas.
As he walked out of the bathroom, the bedroom door quietly opened a crack.
One little amber eye peeked through the gap.
"Puki?"
Little Shukaku.
Lin Shuo walked over and pushed the door open.
Sure enough, Lin You was still awake-she sat on the bed hugging a pillow, her Two-Tomoe Sharingan glowing faintly in the darkness.
"...What is it now?"
"Daddy," Lin You whispered, "I saw it with my Sharingan just now. When you were smoking by the window, you looked so gentle."
"...You saw wrong."
"No, I didn't! I even saw you smile!"
"You imagined it."
"No, no!" Lin You jumped off the bed and ran barefoot up to Lin Shuo, tilting her head back to stare at him. "You were definitely thinking about Mommy, weren't you?"
Expressionless, Lin Shuo planted a hand on her head. "Go back to sleep."
"Hehe, I got it right, didn't I~"
Lin You nimbly dodged him, bounced back onto the bed, and burrowed under the covers, leaving only her sparkling eyes showing.
"Daddy, Mommy said she's coming for ramen next week. Shouldn't you prepare something special?"
"...Something special?"
"Like... hiding a little note under her ramen bowl? Write something like 'You look cute today, too'?"
"No."
"Then use a heart-shaped mold to cut the chashu?"
"Pointless."
"Then at least wear a new shirt! That gray shirt of yours has been washed so much it's faded white..."
"Go to sleep."
Lin Shuo closed the door.
But after returning to his own room, he opened his wardrobe and glanced at the row of shirts, all in black, white, and gray.
He was silent for a few seconds.
Then he took out his phone and opened a shopping site.
Search keywords: men's shirts.
Filter: no plaid patterns.
Price range: mid-range.
Color...
His finger hesitated between "dark blue" and "light gray."
In the end, he tapped "dark blue."
Placed the order.
Paid.
He did it all in one smooth sequence.
After finishing all this, he stared at his phone screen for three seconds, then suddenly realized what he had just done.
"...Damn it."
He tossed his phone aside and collapsed onto the bed.
That girl Lin You must be rubbing off on me.
Yes, that was it.
Lin Shuo closed his eyes.
Yuzuha's face surfaced in his mind again.
This time, it was the look in her eyes when she turned back toward him at the basement doorway that day, as though she wanted to say something but held back.
Her green eyes reflected a dark red glow, as though they held so many unspoken words.
"...What a pain."
He rolled over and buried his face in his pillow.
But no matter what he did, he couldn't suppress the curve of his lips.
In the room next door.
Hugging Little Shukaku, Lin You could vaguely "see" Lin Shuo tossing and turning in bed through the wall with her Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
She smiled secretly.
"Little Shukaku, it looks like Daddy's starting to get a tiny bit of a clue."
"Puki~"
"Let's work a little harder and try to get him to marry Mommy sooner~"
"Puki!"
The moonlight was gentle.
The night in New Eridu was still long.
[System notification: key conversation "The Secret of the Sharingan" completed. Lin You's understanding of the Sharingan updated. Increased intensity of the host's emotional fluctuations detected. Current progress of main quest "Win Ukinami Yuzuha's Heart": 6.5%.]
Unnoticed in the darkness, the progress bar quietly advanced another small step.
And a certain former Obsidian Camp soldier lying in bed was still tossing and turning over a dark blue shirt.
It really was... such a pain.
But perhaps it wasn't entirely a bad thing, either.