A Late-Night Heart-to-Heart

"How are you feeling, Koki? You had Mommy worried sick. Is anything still bothering you?"

The moment Uchiha Mikoto saw her son wake up, she rushed to his bedside and gently stroked Koki's forehead, her touch tender and full of love.

Koki saw the worry in his parents' eyes. He forced the corners of his mouth up into a faint smile, hoping to reassure them.

"Dad, Mom, I'm fine. I'm still a little dizzy, but there's nothing else wrong." His voice was still a little weak.

Hearing Koki's answer, Uchiha Mikoto felt her eyes grow damp. She held his hand tightly, trying to pass some strength and warmth on to him.

"Koki, if anything still feels wrong, you have to tell Mommy. We're your parents, and we'll always be by your side to protect you."

Koki could truly feel the warmth and care from his parents, and his heart felt much more at ease.

"Mm, Mom, I understand. Thank you both for always taking care of me."

"Silly child, what are you thanking us for?" Uchiha Fugaku's voice was deep, but every word was full of concern, as though each one flowed straight from his heart. He was not good with words, but he genuinely cared for Koki.

At that moment, Koki's eyes filled with tears. He had truly felt their deep love, and no longer considered himself an outsider. He had completely come to see them as his own birth parents.

"Dad, can I talk to you alone?" Koki looked seriously into Fugaku's eyes.

"All right. Let's go to the council hall. I happen to have something to ask you too."

Koki gently laid Itachi on the bed and tucked him under the covers. His little brother looked so adorable asleep!

His little cheeks were rosy, his small mouth slightly open to reveal a few baby teeth, and his little belly rose and fell gently.

Koki could hardly resist taking a bite. He bent down and kissed Itachi's little cheek, giving his brother a goodnight kiss before walking out of the room.

In the Uchiha Clan's council hall, dim light cast mottled shadows, creating a quiet and mysterious atmosphere.

Uchiha Fugaku, an outstanding member of the Uchiha Clan's younger generation and the head of the clan, looked especially resolute in the dim light.

Koki knelt across from Fugaku. A pot of hot tea and several plates of exquisite snacks sat on the table between them, but neither of them touched the refreshments.

"Koki, you awakened the Sharingan." Fugaku was the first to speak. His voice was deep yet full of power, as though it could pierce through any fog.

"Yes, Dad!" Koki knew he couldn't hide it. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were blood red, with three pitch-black tomoe slowly rotating in them.

A flicker of complex emotion crossed Fugaku's eyes at his answer, but it was outweighed by relief and pride. "Hahahaha! That's my son, all right! You awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan at only four years old!"

After laughing, Fugaku grew serious again. "Son, listen carefully. The Sharingan is a dōjutsu unique to our clan, an extremely powerful ability. It's in no way inferior to the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan! It can observe, copy, and hypnotize. Its bearer has extraordinary insight and can see through genjutsu."

Koki silently lowered his head. In truth, he already knew all of this inside out.

Fugaku, however, thought his son had been stunned by his words. After a moment of silence, he picked up an exquisitely carved Uchiha crest from the table and gently ran his fingers over it.

"You've grown up, and there are some things you need to know. People believe the Senju Clan sees love, rather than ninjutsu, as the source of its strength, while the Uchiha Clan puts the power of ninjutsu first!"

Fugaku gently set down the crest in his hand and gazed at Koki, his eyes shining.

"However, that isn't the truth. No clan understands love better than the Uchiha Clan, which is why they seal it away. Once an Uchiha learns the true meaning of love, the emotions they have long suppressed are released, even awakening a power of love that surpasses the Senju Clan's.

"But this intense love carries a hidden risk of spiraling out of control.

"Once an Uchiha who has learned love loses that intense love, it is replaced by an even stronger hatred, and their entire disposition changes.

"And during such a change, something unusual happens. When an Uchiha loses an important love or suffers from personal disappointment, a special chakra wells up in their brain and acts on the optic nerves, causing their eyes to transform. These are the eyes that reflect the heart. This is the so-called Sharingan."

"The Sharingan works in sync with the power of the heart and can help a person grow stronger quickly. Along with the power of hatred in their hearts, the Uchiha are often sensitive and perceptive. Once swallowed by darkness, they are prone to taking an evil path. The deeper the darkness, the stronger their ocular power and the harder they are to deal with, just like... that person."

Fugaku seemed to be thinking of someone, his brows tightly furrowed.

"Dad, I understand what you mean. I'll never let hatred consume me!" Koki spoke firmly. He knew who his father meant-Madara Uchiha!

In the dim Uchiha Clan Head's council hall, Koki's voice echoed in Fugaku's heart like a morning bell or an evening drum.

"Koki, how did you awaken the Sharingan?" A trace of inquiry showed in Fugaku's eyes. He knew that awakening the Sharingan was no easy feat, nor was it a matter of chance.

Koki froze slightly, then lowered his head and fell silent for a moment.

"Dad, I'm not sure either. Just now, when I was playing with Itachi in the room, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my eyes."

"That's all? Has anything else unusual happened these past few days?"

"Also, I had a nightmare last night. I dreamed our Uchiha Clan was wiped out. When I got up today, I felt a little unwell."

Koki looked utterly bewildered, as though he had no idea what had happened.

Koki had anticipated this question from Fugaku long ago, but he had already come up with a response: he would simply pretend he knew nothing. After all, this body of his was only a four-year-old child, and Fugaku's genuine son at that. Fugaku would never suspect him.

"All right. Once we're done talking, get some rest. Also, starting tomorrow, you'll come train with me every morning. I'll teach you some of our clan's ninjutsu and how to use the Sharingan."

"No, Dad! I can read the scrolls at home. There are so many scrolls and ninjutsu in the Uchiha Clan's library anyway," Koki wailed.

Training every morning? Isn't that going to kill me? Back in college, he had gotten up at 7:50 for his eight o'clock classes and made it to the classroom just in time. And the morning Fugaku was talking about definitely wasn't seven or eight o'clock!

"It's settled! You're already four years old. You can't be this lazy. You need to set a good example for Itachi." Fugaku made the final decision under Koki's resentful gaze.

Does a genius like Uchiha Itachi need me as an example? That's ridiculous!

Koki had still been planning to speak up and fight for some sleep, but Fugaku cruelly interrupted him. "Koki, what do you think of the relationship between the village and us Uchiha?"