In the 40th Year of Konoha—Shortly After the Second Great Ninja War
In a quiet courtyard deep within the Uchiha district, morning sunlight filtered through the maple leaves. Uchiha Byakuya stepped out, dressed in a combat uniform bearing the Uchiha crest, his Konoha forehead protector secured firmly across his brow.
But unlike most shinobi, Byakuya possessed a secret. With a thought, a translucent interface only visible to him materialized before his eyes.
[Negative Energy System]
[Host: Uchiha Byakuya]
[Taijutsu: A]
[Ninjutsu: S]
[Genjutsu: A]
[Chakra Control: S]
[Known Techniques: Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings, Demonic Illusion: Unknown Fire, Phoenix Fire Technique, Great Fireball, Dragon Fire Technique, Water Dragon Bullet…]
[Bloodline: Three Tomoe Sharingan]
[Negative Energy: 99,000]
Byakuya wasn't a native of this world. He was a transmigrator—reincarnated into the Naruto world as a war orphan of the Uchiha clan. But alongside his rebirth came a powerful system: the Negative Energy System.
By provoking negative emotions—anger, jealousy, fear, sadness, shame—Byakuya could harvest negative energy. The more intense the emotion, the greater the reward. With enough energy, the system granted powerful techniques and attribute boosts.
As fate would have it, being an Uchiha made his task almost effortless.
Despite their fame, the Uchiha clan faced constant suspicion and suppression by Konoha's higher-ups—particularly Danzo and the elders of the village. Tensions ran high between the clan and the Hokage's office, sowing distrust and resentment.
In the Ninja Academy, Byakuya's looks and talent earned him both admiration and envy. After awakening the Sharingan, jealousy from other genin skyrocketed. His rise to the elite Uchiha Police Force further intensified the village's animosity toward him. Each glare and grudge became another stream of negative energy for him to absorb.
He didn't need to actively provoke anyone—just walking down the street was enough to harvest energy.
Thanks to this, Byakuya had rapidly reached quasi-Kage level strength. In the current Konoha, barely a handful of shinobi could match his power. But he wasn't content.
He knew what was coming.
The Third Great Ninja War loomed on the horizon, followed by the Nine-Tails' Attack, the Uchiha Massacre, and eventually the Fourth Great Ninja War—a time when even jōnin were cannon fodder and Kage-level battles were commonplace.
To survive that future, he needed more than strength.
He needed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
For most Uchiha, unlocking the Mangekyō required tremendous emotional trauma—usually the loss of someone precious. But with his system, Byakuya could bypass that agony. All he needed was 100,000 units of negative energy.
And he was already at 99,000.
"The moment I unlock the Mangekyō... I'll be truly invincible."
He stepped out of his courtyard, walking toward the Uchiha Police Force Headquarters. Uchiha shinobi along the way paused to bow or nod respectfully.
In the Uchiha clan, power commanded reverence. And Byakuya's three-tomoe Sharingan, awakened early and sharpened in real battle, was feared and admired alike.
"Lord Byakuya," called out a voice. A middle-aged Uchiha ninja stepped forward, handing over a scroll and a thick stack of ryo notes. "This month's operational levy, as agreed."
The man was Uchiha En, a seasoned chūnin and Byakuya's subordinate in the Police Force.
Byakuya glanced at the funds and nodded.
"Distribute it as per standard protocol. Make sure the reserves are replenished as well."
"Yes, Lord Byakuya. Thank you."
With a respectful bow, En turned to divide the funds among their operations. Watching him leave, Byakuya smirked slightly.
Power attracted respect.
And negative energy.
He clenched his fist as the panel flickered—99,500.
Just a little more.
Today… I'll awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Every Uchiha who received the payout showed a rare gleam of excitement on their face.
Yes, you read that right — the mighty Uchiha clan, hailed as one of the founding clans of Konoha, was full of broke ninjas.
Why, you ask?
The answer is simple.
Do you really think the friction between Konoha's upper echelons and the Uchiha clan was just ideological?
Of course not.
Ever since the Uchiha were assigned to head the Konoha Military Police Force — supposedly a prestigious role — they'd been politically sidelined. The position was a double-edged sword, placing the clan in charge of internal security but also isolating them from the village's core decision-making.
Worse, the village offered no financial support.
The entire operating cost of the police force — salaries, equipment, upkeep — had to be funded by the Uchiha themselves.
There were even rumors that Byakuya once marched into the Hokage Building to demand funding.
The response?
Konoha's top brass coldly informed him: since the Police Force was "autonomously managed" by the Uchiha clan, all costs must also be borne by the clan. They even had the nerve to wrap it in the rhetoric of the so-called Will of Fire.
Seriously — does that sound like something a sane person would say?
Byakuya laughed back then.
"The Will of Fire? Can we eat that?"
A police force tasked with defending the entire village — and not a single coin in compensation.
Sure, the Uchiha were once a wealthy clan. They had ties with the Nekomata (Ninja Cat) clan and earned some income from smithing and covert trading, but it was nothing compared to what they needed.
And here's the kicker — the main way for shinobi to earn a living is by completing missions.
But thanks to their strained relationship with the Hokage's advisors, all the easy, high-paying missions had long been monopolized by clans favored by the Sarutobi administration, like the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi.
What was left for the Uchiha?
Low-ranking, high-risk D-rank or C-rank missions that barely paid enough to survive.
Faced with such blatant suppression, Byakuya decided to take matters into his own hands.
He introduced a "protection fee" system.
And it worked.
The standard of living for every member of Byakuya's team began to improve. They had more resources, more stability, and — most importantly — a sense of control.
Of course, collecting protection fees meant offering protection in return.
Any fool who dared stir up trouble for the shops under Byakuya's wing was swiftly — and harshly — dealt with.
"Lord Byakuya, I've got news…"
"The clan head… he might be stepping down soon…"
After the money was divided among the team, Uchiha En leaned in and whispered quietly to Byakuya.