Sunbathe.
Let's sunbathe together.
Sasuke's lips moved, but the words stayed lodged in his throat, refusing to come out.
Ever since being chased half to death by dogs two and a half years ago, sunbathing had become an obsession buried deep in his heart.
It was only because Fugaku had personally taken charge of his training that the thought had been suppressed.
But now—
After being stimulated once again by his laid-back second brother—
That buried thought shot up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
And in an instant, a flawless mental loop formed:
Sunbathe → learn Lightning Style → once Lightning Style is mastered… zap dogs.
With that settled, Sasuke stopped hesitating. He glanced around, found a large rock, and—
Flopped onto it in a spread-eagle pose.
Let's.
Sunbathe.
Together.
Fugaku: ...
He was tired. Deeply tired.
Two and a half years of effort to pull this kid back onto the right path—
And Kai barely lifted a finger before Sasuke went right back to this nonsense?
More than anything, Fugaku felt disbelief.
After confirming no one else was nearby, he lowered his voice.
"Kai… just now, did you use hand seals?"
He had seen it clearly.
That Chidori—Kai had released it the moment the thought crossed his mind.
And its power was stronger than Kakashi's.
The lightning was louder, fiercer, more oppressive.
It shattered everything Fugaku had believed in for over thirty years.
Since when could ninjutsu be released without hand seals guiding chakra?
Yes, with mastery, hand seals could be reduced.
But—
Chidori was at least an A-rank technique!
No matter how familiar one was, it shouldn't be seal-less.
At that moment, Fugaku's worldview shook violently.
Even sunbathing Sasuke was no longer worth scolding.
啪.
Kai clapped his hands casually and said, "See? I did use seals."
"Both hands together—call whatever you want."
Fugaku froze.
A ninja's entire worldview teetered on the edge of collapse.
And yet…
A faint thrill crept into his heart.
My sons really are all—well, most of them—geniuses.
He glanced back at Sasuke, who had already entered full sunbathing mode, shook his head, and sighed.
"Don't forget to go to the Academy."
With that, he turned and left.
For a moment, even Fugaku himself wasn't sure whether his back should be held high—or slumped in defeat.
Behind him, Kai stiffened slightly.
Because before his eyes, a system notification had appeared.
His pupils spun violently.
One tomoe.
Two tomoe.
Three tomoe.
Then the tomoe connected into a line—
And finally settled back into place.
[Conversation target: Uchiha Fugaku]
[Ten-minute conversation complete. Attempting trait copy…]
[Copy successful. Congratulations, Host has obtained Epic Trait: Mangekyō Sharingan (purple)]
Mangekyō Sharingan.
Kai hadn't expected it.
Six years of continuous interaction—and he'd never managed to copy it before.
Yet today… it dropped just like that.
If Sasuke were to awaken his Mangekyō right now, even Parker and those little Shiba Inu would probably get scorched just walking past.
It took him a long while to recover from the shock.
Then—
Tap tap tap.
He sprinted toward the river, leaned forward, and stared at his reflection.
Clean features.
Sharp, handsome contours.
And those crimson eyes—brilliant and piercing.
After staring for a while, he frowned and leaned closer.
"Huh? Why didn't the Mangekyō change?"
The reflection in the water still showed a normal three-tomoe Sharingan, slowly rotating.
No obvious difference.
"…Is it because it was copied?"
His breath caught as he leaned even closer—so close his face nearly touched the water.
Only then did he notice it.
The tomoe… were slightly larger.
From commas → the number 6.
"So now both eyes are six-six-six?"
Kai tugged at the corner of his mouth.
That felt a little ridiculous.
With a thought, he began activating the Mangekyō.
The Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't terrifying just because it was stronger.
Its true power lay in the unique abilities awakened in each eye—
Abilities shaped by the user's very soul.
As his eyes spun, the world changed.
Natural energy, microscopic life, ambient flow—
Everything was laid bare before him.
He could even see the fine patterns on mosquito larvae wriggling in the river.
His ocular power had clearly increased again.
Three minutes later—
Drip.
Drip.
Crimson drops fell into the river, staining the water red.
Blood.
"…Tch. Almost went blind, and still no ability."
Kai shut his eyes in resignation.
They burned violently—
Like needles stabbing again and again.
"So, System… my Mangekyō is just a straight upgrade, no ability yet?"
His expression darkened.
"So I risk going blind every time I use it—and still don't get a skill?"
The system: ( •︵• ) → (╯︵╰,) → ¯\(ツ)/¯
Yeah.
This trait felt like a loss.
Kai shook his head but didn't fuse it away.
Maybe it was just too fresh—
Maybe the abilities hadn't fully awakened yet.
"But… the blindness issue needs to be handled quickly."
"Relying on medicine alone will just turn me into canon Itachi—tuberculosis included."
He muttered to himself, thinking.
"Besides transplanting a close relative's eyes… Wood Style's regenerative power might suppress it."
"So where do I find a trait related to Wood Style?"
Lost in thought, Kai walked along the riverbank.
Towering trees lined the shore, their thick roots burrowing deep into the earth, drawing nourishment from the river.
"…Root?"
He suddenly stopped.
Then slowly turned to look toward the cliffs outside the village.
"If I remember correctly… that sunny, cheerful guy is about to get his eyes ripped out soon."
"So… Danzo should be wandering alone before long, right?"
"It's just a matter of where exactly the jumping-off-the-cliff spot is…"
With that realization, his figure blurred—
And dissolved into light.
One minute later, several kilometers away, atop a sheer cliff.
A small figure materialized.
Below, a stream murmured softly.
Above, towering cliffs pierced the clouds.
This was the place.
The place where Itachi and Shisui often came to talk—
To share burdens and ideals.
Kai had visited it more than once.
Splash.
Just as he arrived, the sound of water being stepped on reached his ears.
He paused, surprised.
Turning around—
He saw a slender少年 in a dark-blue, high-collared ninja outfit, training atop the water.
A breeze passed through, lifting the damp fringe from the boy's forehead.
Beneath it was a gentle, approachable face.
Uchiha Shisui.
One of the few truly sunny, open-hearted boys the Uchiha clan had left.
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