Chapter 3: The Double Pupils' First Power – White Eyes? No, Beyond!
Uchiha Shin froze. That single moment of locking gazes with Genyu felt like falling into an abyss—no, a boundless starfield! The sensation sent a primal chill down his spine. This was his first encounter with the boy, and a treacherous thought clawed its way past years of clan prejudice: Is this truly a monster?
"Cough... I mean," Shin stammered, abruptly aware of his near-offense. Those eyes were the root of Genyu's ostracization. He clumsily changed the subject. "First day of training... your parents didn't accompany you?"
Genyu shook his head, already walking past Shin towards the field, his small frame almost swallowed by the oversized backpack. "The training ground is practically my backyard. No need for escorts."
My backyard? Shin's eye twitched. The sheer, casual arrogance of wealth. Truly, Hancheng's son.
"Alright, everyone, take a break!" Shin called out, addressing the group of children. "This is Uchiha Genyu. He'll be training with you from now on."
Whispers erupted instantly:"That's Genyu?""The clan's monster!""My parents told me to stay away from him!""Freak!""I don't wanna train with a monster!""He is a monster!"
Children, with their unfiltered honesty, voiced the prejudice ingrained by their elders.
Genyu faced the chorus of scorn. He took a single, deliberate step forward, his small voice clear and unwavering. "My name is Uchiha Genyu. Remember it. One day, I'll be the one you look up to."
He didn't wait for their jeers. Turning away, he walked to a solitary tree at the edge of the field, set down his heavy pack, and sat cross-legged. Closing his eyes, he began the deliberate process of chakra refinement. Why subject himself to shuriken practice and their taunts? Solitude was preferable.
A short distance away, Uchiha Itachi watched the small figure retreat. A faint, derisive smile touched his lips. "The merchant's son... dreaming of surpassing us?" He glanced at Genyu's closed eyes. Those double pupils... it's doubtful they'll even awaken a proper Sharingan, let alone elevate him above us. Preposterous.
"Big brother," young Sasuke tugged at Itachi's sleeve, his eyes wide. "What did that monster say? And his eyes... they're weird!""He's... different, Sasuke," Itachi replied, ruffling his brother's hair, his tone softening with affection. "Focus on your training. Strive to be strong, for the village."Sasuke nodded fiercely. "I will! I'll get strong like you!"
Scorn radiated from nearly every child towards the lone figure under the tree. Almost every child. One girl, around Itachi's age, watched Genyu with different eyes. Her gaze held not mockery, but a flicker of pity. This was Uchiha Izumi.
"Shin," Tetsu, the other instructor, approached, nodding towards the meditating child. "Just leaving him there?"Shin sighed. "He just arrived. Let him adjust for a few days."
Under the Tree
Alone, Genyu focused inward. As he drew in chakra from his surroundings, he felt a familiar pull. His double pupils acted like vortexes, greedily sucking the refined energy. The chakra flowed through his pathways, subtly tempering his young body before converging overwhelmingly into his eyes.
The deeper he sank into refinement, the clearer and sharper his internal perception of his own eyes became. Ever since I started refining chakra, it's like these eyes are bottomless pits. An abyss, he mused silently. Is this their nature? Well, I'll just keep filling it until it's full. He redoubled his focus.
Time flowed. Noon arrived. Some children still practiced diligently.
Genyu opened his eyes.
And gasped.
His vision... had changed.
He looked straight ahead, yet the scene behind him was rendered with crystal clarity – the texture of the tree bark, the scattered leaves on the ground. He shifted his focus without moving his head. The practicing children came into sharp view. He concentrated further... and gasped again.
He could see it.
The flow of chakra within their bodies! The faint blue energy pulsing along their tenketsu pathways!
This... this was the Byakugan's power! A 360-degree field of vision and the ability to perceive the chakra circulatory system!
Shock washed over him, followed by fierce elation. His eyes weren't defective! They held a power rivaling, perhaps even surpassing, the base Sharingan! Those born with double pupils were never ordinary. He, Uchiha Genyu, was no exception.
A small, triumphant smile curved his lips.
He held the expanded vision, observing the intricate chakra flows for perhaps five or six minutes. Then, a sudden strain hit. His vision blurred, the panoramic sight collapsing back to normal. A wave of dizziness washed over him, accompanied by a dull ache behind his eyes.
"Only five or six minutes," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Too weak still." His current reserves couldn't sustain the ability for long. More training was imperative.
Growwwll...
His stomach chose that moment to protest loudly, an intense hunger gnawing at him.
He reached for his bulging backpack, but a shadow fell over him. He looked up. Standing before him was a girl, maybe seven or eight years old, smiling warmly. Her eyes crinkled into friendly crescents. Uchiha Izumi.
"Little brother, sitting here all alone?" Her voice was gentle. She held out a simple bento box. "Here, have my lunch."
Her kindness felt genuine, untainted by the scorn of others. Genyu accepted it without pretense. "Thank you." A truly good person, he thought sadly, recalling her tragic fate at Itachi's hands on the Massacre Night. If I can... I'll save her.
He pulled his backpack closer, rummaged inside, and pulled out a whole roasted chicken, still warm. "For you. A thank you gift." He offered it to her.
Izumi blinked, momentarily stunned by the sheer volume of food packed into the bag. A poignant image flashed in her mind: a lonely child bringing treats to share, only to be rejected, left sitting alone with his uneaten feast. Her heart ached.
"Genyu," she asked softly, her voice thick with sympathy, "did you bring all this... hoping to share with everyone?"