Fugaku watched Uchiha Gen'yō's mysterious expression, his heart pounding despite himself.
Twenty thousand Clan Prosperity?
Exchanged for something good?
Although he did not understand exactly what those terms meant, he knew Gen'yō was about to produce something that would overturn his understanding again!
"Gen'yō, you..."
"Come with me and you'll find out."
Uchiha Gen'yō offered no further explanation. He led Fugaku, Shisui, and several core elders to the square at the center of the sacred grounds.
With a thought, he opened the system's exchange shop.
The dazzling array of goods made his head spin.
But without the slightest hesitation, he went straight for an expensive item whose effects could only be called heaven-defying.
Uchiha bloodline purification liquid (group version) Effects: cleanses the meridians and marrow. Removes minor defects accumulated in Uchiha clan members' bloodlines due to factors such as inbreeding and war trauma. Slightly increases bloodline purity and improves Chakra affinity. Has a certain chance of promoting Sharingan evolution. Exchange price: 10,000 Clan Prosperity points (enough for 1,000 people)
"Exchange!"
Gen'yō confirmed without hesitation.
Ten thousand points vanished instantly. In their place, ten enormous wooden barrels appeared out of thin air in the center of the square.
The barrels were filled with a viscous liquid that gave off a faint blood-red glow. A strange fragrance spread through the air. Just one whiff left everyone's entire body feeling considerably more comfortable.
"What... what is this?"
Elder Uchiha Shusa leaned closer and sniffed hard, his eyes full of confusion.
"Is it a medicinal bath?"
"You could think of it that way."
Uchiha Gen'yō patted a barrel and addressed all the clan members who had gathered, his voice ringing out:
"My clansmen!"
"I know that over the years, many of us have suffered lingering injuries that are difficult to eradicate because of the brutal wars and Konoha's oppression!"
"Some have even suffered severe loss of vision and exhausted their bodies through excessive use of the Sharingan!"
"I've seen all of this, and I've kept it in my heart!"
His words struck a chord with everyone.
The veterans who had survived the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars felt it especially keenly, their eyes reddening.
Many of them appeared to be illustrious Jonin. In reality, however, whenever the weather turned damp and rainy, the old wounds throughout their bodies hurt so badly that they could not sleep all night!
"So, using the power bestowed upon me by our ancestors, I've prepared this gift for everyone!"
Gen'yō pointed to the ten large barrels, his voice brimming with compelling power!
"I've named it the Spring of Rebirth!"
"No matter how severe your old injuries are, no matter how depleted your bodies have become, soaking in this spring water will restore your bodies to their peak!"
"It can even further awaken the power hidden within your bloodlines!"
Boom!
At those words, the entire gathering erupted!
Everyone stared at the barrels in disbelief!
Restore them to their peak?
Awaken their bloodline potential?
Did something so miraculous really exist in this world?
"Lord Gen'yō, this... this is far too precious!"
A one-armed Jonin spoke in a trembling voice.
During the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, he had lost his arm to an explosion set off by Iwagakure's Explosion Corps while covering his comrades. His strength had plummeted afterward, relegating him to the second line.
If he could truly recover, it would be nothing short of rebirth for him!
"Nothing is more precious than my clansmen!"
Uchiha Gen'yō replied forcefully.
"I'll say it again: to me, every member of the Uchiha Clan is a priceless treasure!"
"Now, all clan members, heed my command!"
"Take off your outer garments and enter the spring water!"
"No objections from anyone!"
Under Gen'yō's unquestionable command, the clan members hesitated no longer.
Filled with excitement and apprehension, they stripped off their outer garments and jumped into the warm Spring of Rebirth.
"Ah!"
The one-armed Jonin was the first to enter the spring water. The moment he touched the blood-red liquid, he let out a moan of utter comfort.
He felt a gentle yet overbearing energy surging wildly into every part of his body!
Waves of tingling itchiness came from the wound on his severed arm. His necrotic meridians were actually regaining vitality at a rate visible to the naked eye!
"My eyes! My eyes don't hurt anymore!"
Elsewhere, an elder whose vision had grown blurry from overusing his Mangekyō Sharingan was so excited that tears streamed down his aged face!
He felt a cool energy enveloping and nourishing his eyes. The white haze shrouding his vision was rapidly dissipating!
"Chakra! My Chakra is increasing!"
"The bottleneck that's plagued me for three years is loosening! I'm about to break through!"
Similar cries of surprise rose one after another throughout the square!
Every Uchiha clan member soaking in the spring water felt as though they had returned to their mother's embrace and were undergoing a complete transformation, inside and out!
Fugaku and Shisui were soaking in it as well. They felt its effects most keenly!
Fugaku could clearly feel the life force he had been steadily losing since awakening his Mangekyo slowly being replenished! Although it could not cure the problem completely, it at least slowed his progress toward blindness!
Shisui, meanwhile, felt his Sage Body cells rejoicing. Both the quality and quantity of his Chakra were steadily improving!
The entire square was enveloped in a peaceful, sacred atmosphere.
The Uchiha Clan was undergoing an unprecedented collective enhancement!
Gen'yō watched it all with satisfaction.
Those ten thousand points were so worth it!
A strong foundation mattered far more than any divine artifact!
Just then, something unexpected happened!
"Ah! It hurts! My eyes hurt so much!"
Among the crowd, a child of about six or seven suddenly let out a piercing scream!
He clapped his hands over his eyes. His little body thrashed and struggled violently in the water, his face filled with pain!
The sudden turn of events startled everyone!
The peaceful atmosphere shattered in an instant!
"Hikaru! My son!"
A young couple rushed over in panic. They tried to hold the child named Hikaru, only to be thrown back by an invisible force.
"What's happening?!"
"Is the medicine too potent for a child's body to withstand?"
"Lord Gen'yō! Please save him!"
Everyone looked anxiously at Uchiha Gen'yō.
Even Fugaku and Elder Shusa looked a little tense.
If this heaven-defying medicine had side effects on young children, their good intentions would backfire!
Yet under everyone's gaze, Uchiha Gen'yō showed no nervousness at all. Instead, an expression of wild delight spread across his face!
The Mangekyo in his eyes spun rapidly as he stared fixedly at the child struggling in agony!
He could clearly see an immense surge of ocular power frantically gathering and awakening within the meridians around the child's eyes!
This power was far greater than that of an ordinary Uchiha child awakening their eyes!
"Hahaha! Side effects?"
Gen'yō threw back his head and laughed, his laughter full of exhilaration and triumph!
"What do you know!"
"This isn't a side effect! This is an incredibly auspicious sign!"
"A truly peerless genius is about to be born into our Uchiha Clan!"
Before he had finished speaking, the agonized screams of the child named Hikaru abruptly stopped.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he lowered the hands covering his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, every Uchiha clan member present sucked in a cold breath!
Two pitch-black Tomoe were unmistakably spinning within those clear eyes!
No!
Those two Tomoe were still spinning rapidly and merging!
As everyone watched, too stunned to speak, a third Tomoe slowly emerged!
Six years old!
His very first awakening!
Straight to Mitsudomoe!
Was... was he even human?!
Just as everyone thought the miracle had reached its end, the three Tomoe in the child's eyes began spinning wildly once more!
They seemed about to connect!
Fugaku's pupils shrank to pinpoints. As though he had seen a ghost, he shrieked involuntarily:
"No, impossible! Is he... is he about to awaken the Mangekyo directly?!"