"Kane, are you a fairy or something?"
"No."
"Then… do you ever feel like eating me?"
Kane glanced sideways. "That's… dark, even for you."
"Then what about that thing you did earlier! Can you teach me that move? If I learn it, Belmer won't be able to punish me anymore!"
On the way back to the village, Nami clung to Kane Uchiha, chattering nonstop, while Nojiko followed beside them, sighing helplessly as she kept pulling her little sister away from pressing against Kane's leg.
"When you're older more like Nojiko here, acting like a proper young lady maybe I'll teach you," Kane said, flicking Nami's forehead with a snap. The sound was crisp and satisfying.
"Ow!" Nami puffed out her cheeks, rubbing her forehead, glaring at him like an angry kitten. "You're so stingy! You just like Nojiko better, don't you? Ugh! Guess I'm not your favorite anymore!"
Her dramatics made Nojiko blush furiously. "Nami!" she hissed, smacking her lightly on the head before sneaking a shy glance toward Kane.
Of course, that little glance didn't escape him.
After all, he was an Uchiha sharp perception was practically in his DNA. Combined with his composed, almost aloof temperament, he gave off an aura that easily drew others in. For these slightly precocious village girls, there was something irresistibly mysterious about his calm voice and those strange violet eyes that seemed to hold the weight of another world.
Damn these genes, he thought with an inward smirk. And damn me for being this good-looking.
On the surface, Kane's expression remained calm, but deep down, his ego basked shamelessly in his own charm.
Behind them, Belmer walked in silence, her gaze fixed on his back.
What kind of power was that? she wondered. Could it be a Devil Fruit ability? But no... I've seen him dive into the sea before. If he were a Fruit user, he'd sink like a rock.
Her curiosity gnawed at her. The more she tried to rationalize it, the more the boy before her became an enigma an unsolved riddle wrapped in human form. And she hated not knowing.
When they reached the edge of the village, Belmer seemed to make up her mind. She turned to the girls. "Nami, Nojiko, go on home first. I need to talk to Kane for a bit."
Both girls looked puzzled but obediently nodded and started down the road.
Once they were gone, silence settled between Kane and Belmer. The air felt heavier now, the kind that precedes difficult questions.
Kane turned to her with a faint, knowing smile. "Belmer, is there something you want to ask?"
Belmer took a deep breath, her fingers intertwining nervously. "Kane… I know this might sound rude, but please believe me I mean no harm. I just… I need to ask. Who are you, really? A person with that kind of power doesn't just live quietly for ten years in a small, forgotten place like this. And those eyes… they're not just a strange color, are they? Of course, if this makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to answer. Please don't take it the wrong way."
The words came out in a rush, and when she finished, she exhaled shakily, her eyes searching his face for any sign of offense.
Kane regarded her quietly for a moment, then smiled.
He had always liked Belmer. Even before meeting her in person, he'd seen her story in the anime a woman who faced death with a smile to protect her daughters. A kind soul, brave to the end.
So when she asked the question that most people would avoid, he didn't feel anger. Only a faint warmth.
After a moment of thought, he said evenly, "It's alright, Belmer. You deserve an answer. I'm not a bad person that much I can promise you. As for these eyes… you could call them my clan's inheritance. They're known as the Rinnegan, the Eyes of the Sage. The ability you saw earlier repelling the Sea King that was one of the techniques they grant me. You could think of it as a manifestation of my power."
"The Eyes of the Sage…" Belmer repeated softly, her expression caught between awe and disbelief.
Kane continued, his tone calm but firm. "I belong to a family called the Uchiha Clan descendants of ancient sages. Once, we were many… but now, I'm the last one left."
"The last one…" she murmured, the weight of his words sinking in.
He gave a small, bittersweet smile. "Something happened a long time ago. My memory's a bit foggy, but I remember enough to know that I'm the only one of my kind here. As for why I stayed in this village so long… well, think about it. When I arrived, I was six years old. Where else could I have gone?"
Belmer blinked, realizing he was right. "Ah… I suppose that makes sense." She scratched her head awkwardly. "Still, with your kind of power, it's hard to imagine you staying here forever. What do you plan to do next?"
Kane's eyes lifted toward the horizon, where the sea met the sky. The faintest spark of determination glimmered in his Rinnegan.
"I'm planning to join the Navy," he said.
Belmer froze. "Wait what?"
Her voice cracked between surprise and disbelief. The idea of this mysterious young man, whose power could crush a Sea King with a gesture, joining the organization she once served, was almost too much to process.
Kane only smiled faintly. "If I want to understand this world… I need to start where order begins."
Belmer stared at him for a long time. The boy who had quietly lived among them for years was suddenly no longer just a boy. He was something else something greater, and far more dangerous.
And though she didn't know it yet, that single decision to join the Navy would change not only Kane's destiny, but the fate of the entire sea.