"Why is it so quiet today?" Sasuke immediately sensed something was off the moment he stepped into Konoha Village.
There were very few pedestrians—abnormally few. Did everyone go home for dinner early?
But that was fine. The fewer people around, the less attention he'd attract.
Sasuke tugged at his green tights, which were soaked with sweat. He could finally take them off once they got to Ichiraku Ramen. After dinner, he'd head to the Ninja Academy for special training with Naruto and the others.
He followed Might Guy and Rock Lee through two streets.
Suddenly, the noise level spiked. It sounded like the kind of commotion caused by a large crowd.
"What's going on?" Sasuke frowned in confusion.
"Sasuke!" Might Guy turned around with a gleam in his eye. "No matter what's happening, don't let it interrupt our training. This is the spirit of youth!"
Sasuke's mouth twitched. He didn't ask any more questions. After spending so much time with Might Guy and Rock Lee, he'd learned a critical survival rule: Silence is golden.
If he spoke, they would only become more excited—maybe even hug each other and cry bitterly again. He still couldn't understand it.
How did the word "youth" hold such magical power, enough to transform them so drastically?
Crossing the final street, Sasuke's thoughts wandered.
The noise had become overwhelming, like crashing waves.
"How lively!" Rock Lee exclaimed excitedly.
...What? Uchiha Sasuke froze, his face full of confusion. Why were so many people gathered on this one street?
No—no! Panic struck him. He had forgotten to take off his green tights!
If all these people saw him dressed like this, he would be utterly humiliated—and so would the Uchiha name! Just as he was about to quietly slip away, he noticed something even worse—Might Guy's entire body was trembling.
No!! Sasuke instinctively raised his hand to stop him. But it was already too late.
"Youth needs an audience!" Might Guy shouted, trembling with excitement.
Like Rock Lee, he was the type who got more excited the more people there were.
"Guy-sensei!" Rock Lee gave a thumbs-up. "Let's have a youthful showdown! Let's see who can finish their ramen first!"
"I accept your challenge!" Might Guy's teeth flashed. "Lee! Prove your youth to me!"
"Guy-sensei!" Rock Lee choked up. "I will!"
"Too bad, Naruto..." Might Guy had just shouted when another voice rang out:
"Guy-sensei!" Naruto rushed over with a bright smile. "And Lee!"
"Naruto!" Might Guy and Rock Lee called out in surprise.
What they didn't realize was that the entire crowd—residents, shinobi—had fallen silent, casting strange, awkward glances in their direction.
Sasuke stood frozen. Might Guy, Rock Lee, and Naruto were lost in their youthful high.
But he wasn't. He could feel everyone staring at him.
He even heard whispers: "Is that... the Uchiha genius?"
"Why is he wearing that?"
Sasuke took a step back, ready to run.
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's voice rang out behind him.
Sasuke instinctively turned around, panic written all over his face.
"It's really you?" Ino's eyes widened. "Sasuke, why are you wearing those green tights?"
"As expected of you, Sasuke," Shikamaru added with admiration. To him, anyone who dared to walk down the street in those tights was a true hero.
"No!" Sakura cried in despair. Even though Sasuke was handsome, nothing could justify wearing those tights.
"I—I—I'm just—" Sasuke stammered, mortified. All he wanted now was to find a hole and crawl inside.
Damn it! He should've taken them off the moment he entered the village!
"Y-You've got the wrong person!" He covered his face and turned to flee.
"Sasuke, what are you doing?" A familiar figure appeared.
Sasuke's pupils trembled. Why is my brother here?!
No, no, no! His body stiffened.
"Your outfit is... quite unique," Uchiha Mikoto remarked, her expression unreadable.
As his mother, she knew he would never voluntarily wear something this hideous. What on earth had happened?
"Mom… Mom?" Sasuke looked between Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Itachi.
His face burned red. Caught in the most humiliating moment of his life, countless thoughts flooded his mind.
"My son dressed like that? This is shameful."
"Sasuke, you've tarnished the Uchiha name."
Sasuke stood frozen, devastated. His emotions surged wildly, and his eyes began to tremble.
"What's that?" It was Uchiha Itachi who first sensed something was wrong.
He narrowed his eyes. Was Sasuke… about to awaken his Sharingan? But why now?
Itachi felt a pang of unease. Having awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan long ago, he understood the conditions needed to awaken the eyes.
Extreme emotional trauma—usually triggered by loss.
Could it really be...? The realization struck him. If this counted as enough emotional stimulation...
If the Uchiha clan had known this earlier, so many might have been spared. Or maybe… the clan's higher-ups did know all along?
Itachi fell silent.
Positive emotional extremes were far harder to control than negative ones.
"Sasuke?" Uchiha Mikoto hurried forward.
Just as she opened her mouth to ask what had happened, surprise crossed her face. A powerful surge of Yin Release erupted from Uchiha Sasuke's body.
Chakra surged violently, converging in his eyes. A moment later, a crimson light flashed. A single magatama appeared in each of Sasuke's eyes.
"Sasuke, you've awakened your eyes?" Uchiha Mikoto asked, both surprised and delighted.
"What do you mean by 'awakened my eyes'?" Sasuke heard the keywords and felt his awareness slowly return.
"You've awakened your Sharingan," Uchiha Itachi said with a smile. "Congratulations, Sasuke."
"I awakened my eyes?" Sasuke echoed, stunned.
His earlier embarrassment had made him instinctively block things out. Now, it all felt surreal—like a dream.
"Is that the Sharingan?" Ino stared at Sasuke's eyes in fascination.
"So handsome..." Sakura murmured, dazed.
Now that his Sharingan had awakened, Sasuke exuded a wild, unrestrained aura.
"You awakened the Sharingan at six... your talent surpasses even mine," Itachi said with deep emotion.
And the price Sasuke paid to awaken it was so minor—practically nonexistent. Unlike himself. He had watched his teammates die before his eyes.
And it wasn't just him. From what he knew, Uchiha Fugaku and many others had awakened their Sharingan through battlefield trauma and bloodshed.
Sasuke finally came to his senses. He clenched his fists instinctively, sensing the transformation in his body. His strength and chakra had increased noticeably.
But the greatest change was in his eyes. Everything around him seemed to slow down. He could even see a fly darting through the air.
This was one of the Sharingan's core abilities: Insight.
It bore some similarities to the Byakugan in terms of perception, though the Byakugan had superior 360-degree vision. However, the Sharingan had unique abilities the Byakugan lacked: copying and Illusion.
Copying referred to mimicking an opponent's non-kekkei genkai techniques in battle.
A prime example was Hatake Kakashi's fight with Momochi Zabuza—Kakashi had copied Zabuza's water-style techniques using the Sharingan.
Illusion, on the other hand, was the ability to cast genjutsu just by locking eyes with an opponent. The Sharingan also amplified other illusion techniques.
With the Sharingan's support, many genjutsu could be nearly unstoppable. For instance, in the original story, Itachi used the Demonic Illusions: Shackling Stakes Jutsu to instantly subdue Orochimaru.
Of course, that involved the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"I... I really awakened it?" Sasuke still couldn't believe it.
"It's true," Itachi confirmed.
"Hahaha!" Sasuke finally couldn't hold it in—he burst into laughter. But midway through, he suddenly remembered where he was. He fell silent, face burning with embarrassment.
"Hmm?" Itachi suddenly looked surprised.
He had just sensed Sasuke's eye power increase again—ever so slightly. Not much, but definitely a step toward the two-magatama Sharingan.
No... Could someone really evolve their Sharingan like this? Itachi's worldview was shaken.
"Everyone, don't just stand there." Kitazawa finally spoke up, barely suppressing a chuckle. "Since we're all here, why not join the eating contest?"
In truth, he had arrived quite some time ago. Naruto had found Might Guy and the others so quickly thanks to his guidance.
As for Mikoto and Itachi, they'd discovered Sasuke only after noticing the three eccentric figures first. Kitazawa figured he deserved at least one-third of the credit.
"I—I'm going home to change!" Right now, Sasuke just wanted to escape this nightmarishly awkward situation.
"No need to change," Itachi said with a rare grin. "I think your outfit looks good."
"Huh?" Sasuke looked at him, dumbfounded. Are you still my brother? Have you been infected with this 'youth' virus too?
"Going home will waste time," Uchiha Mikoto added gently. "It's just clothing—nothing worth fretting over."
"But—" Sasuke hesitated.
"Let's go." Itachi gave him no chance to protest. He grabbed Sasuke's hand and started walking toward Ichiraku Ramen.
"I..." Sasuke was still stunned when they arrived at the shop.
---
Not far from him, Akimichi Choji and Hinata sat across from each other, with piles of empty bowls stacked high in front of them.
The surrounding residents and ninjas looked on in amazement.
"Hinata's such a big eater?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask, still flustered by his earlier embarrassment.
He could understand Choji's appetite. But Hyuga Hinata?
"Good question," Shikamaru said, spreading his hands. "I'd like to know why, too."
They had arrived earlier and finished eating before Sasuke. Amid the astonishment, Akimichi Choji and Hinata were competing for first place in the children's eating contest.
That's why they hadn't rushed out to greet Sasuke earlier.
"This must be a natural ability," Sakura exclaimed. "I'm so jealous."
"If I had Hinata's talent, I'd eat five meals a day and enjoy every dish in the ninja world!" Ino echoed with excitement.
"Sorry," Ayame, Teuchi's daughter, who was helping out, approached them and said, "You'll have to wait a bit longer."
"It's okay," Might Guy said cheerfully. "This gives us a chance to rest."
They had been training all morning with little to no breaks.
"Thank you for understanding," Ayame said gratefully. "Please find a seat. I need to get back and help."
With that, she hurried back into the kitchen.
"Uncle Teuchi must be incredibly busy today," Naruto said, scratching his head.
Mikoto subconsciously looked at him.
During the previous dinner, Naruto had sat with Kitazawa and the others, while she and Uchiha Itachi had been at a separate table.
This was the closest she had ever been to Uzumaki Naruto—it could be considered their first proper meeting.
After the Nine-Tails Rebellion, tensions between the Uchiha clan and Konoha's higher-ups had only grown worse. As the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, Naruto had been kept isolated by orders from Shimura Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Looking at him now, Mikoto couldn't help but think of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina, and she sighed softly.
"Sasuke," Uchiha Itachi turned to Sasuke and said with a smile, "Won't you introduce us to your classmates?"
He recognized this as a rare opportunity. This encounter at the eating contest had not been planned.
As a firm believer in the Will of Fire, Itachi sincerely hoped Sasuke could become genuine friends with Uzumaki Naruto and the others.
If so, perhaps he wouldn't follow in the footsteps of Uchiha Shisui and his peers.
And maybe—just maybe—Naruto could one day bridge the gap between the Uchiha clan and Konoha's leadership. After all, Naruto's identity was truly unique.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" Before Sasuke could speak, Naruto enthusiastically raised his hand.
"Hello, I'm Sasuke's mother—Uchiha Mikoto," Mikoto said warmly.
"Aunt Mikoto, your bento was amazing!" Naruto's eyes sparkled as he exclaimed with excitement.
"As long as you like it." Mikoto smiled. "Just tell Sasuke what you'd like, and I'll make it for you."
"Okay!" Naruto nodded quickly, then paused. "Wait—no, don't trouble yourself! I'll eat whatever's around!"
"No trouble at all. I think about what to cook every day anyway. If you tell me, it'll actually save time," Mikoto said as she gently patted his head.
"...?" Uchiha Sasuke looked around, his expression full of confusion. Why did this conversation feel so familiar?
Oh—right! Wasn't this exactly how he used to talk with his mother?
What was going on? Was his place being stolen? If it weren't for Naruto's abnormal physique, Sasuke might've suspected he was actually his long-lost brother.
"Aunt Mikoto, I'm Haruno Sakura!" Sakura stepped forward eagerly. It was a rare chance to meet a classmate's parent.
"Sakura? I know you. You're very good at theory," Mikoto said with a gentle smile.
"Sasuke said that?!" Sakura lit up with joy.
"I didn't!" Sasuke instinctively denied it. Why would he bring up Sakura with his mother?
Mikoto seemed thoughtful. It was obvious that Sakura liked Sasuke quite a bit. But she didn't say much. They were still young—what they liked now might not last forever.
"Aunt Mikoto, I'm Yamanaka Ino." After that, Ino, Shikamaru, Inuzuka Kiba, and others also introduced themselves.
Kitazawa didn't speak. After all, he and Uchiha Mikoto already knew each other.
Kitazawa turned his attention to his newly completed task:
[Current Mission: Help Uchiha Sasuke awaken the Sharingan.]
[Mission Reward: Master-Level Yin Release Chakra Nature Transformation.]
[Mission Complete. Reward Issued.]
Kitazawa nodded slightly.
In an instant, he had absorbed a tremendous amount of knowledge—comparable to his previous master-level Yang Release Chakra Transformation.
If it needed quantifying, he was now on par with Yuhi Shinku, the Genjutsu Jonin, father of Yuhi Kurenai.
A master-level Yin Release Chakra Transformation was enough to rival even Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi.
Kitazawa was content. With this foundation, he would soon be able to master five genjutsu techniques. He already had two under his belt. The remaining three were expected to be completed within a week.
Once he obtained the Infinite Darkness Jutsu, he could teach it to Kurenai in return. Though her talent was limited, becoming a Jonin was already a great achievement.
Still, she was his girlfriend. Any boost in power was welcome. And if all else failed… he could always capture a Tailed Beast for her.
"The ramen is here!" After chatting for a while, Ayame emerged with bowls of ramen.
But most of their attention remained fixed on Hinata and Choji.
"How many bowls have they eaten now?" Naruto asked, wide-eyed.
"Choji, twenty bowls." Shikamaru glanced over. "Hinata, twenty-four."
"What?!" Sakura's jaw dropped. "Hinata's in the lead?"
"These kids can really eat," Mikoto said in amazement.
"Indeed—impressive," Itachi agreed.
Time passed slowly.
"I'm full. Thanks for the meal," Akimichi Choji said with a satisfied sigh. He still wanted more, but physically couldn't fit another bite.
And the contest time was up—they had exactly half an hour to eat.
"You ate forty bowls total," Ayame confirmed, then turned to Hinata. Her expression was stunned. "And you… forty-five."
--
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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (45+ Advanced Chapters)