Fresh back from the front lines, Uchiha Ye had first gone to report in at the Hokage Tower. Then, as protocol demanded, he'd returned to the clan compound for a debrief.
And just as he walked through the door…
He ran into a mentally unstable Uchiha Mikoto.
Inside the house.
It wasn't clear how much time had passed. Faint sobbing echoed through the rooms.
The entire place was a wreck — from the front door to the stairs, and to the bedroom — bearing the marks of a long and chaotic battle.
"I'm… I'm sorry, Ye-kun…"
Uchiha Mikoto lay on the bed, her body streaked with red welts and scratches. She turned to him with guilt in her eyes.
Ye gave a tired shake of the head.
"Just lie down, Mikoto-neesan. I'll use medical ninjutsu to heal your wounds."
He activated a basic medical ninjutsu, a soft green glow spreading from his palms as he tended to her injuries.
Tears welled in Mikoto's eyes as she whispered:
"Ye-kun… on this last mission, I… I saw it happen. I saw Sakurako die with my own eyes. All because we let our guard down…"
Her voice cracked.
"We passed through a small village after completing the mission. There was an old man there… he looked so pitiful. Sakurako gave him some food. And then — suddenly — he snapped."
Her eyes burned, the blood-red glow of her two-tomoe Sharingan flaring uncontrollably. Her grief, hatred, and regret filled the room like smoke.
"That man… he had no chakra. None. But in an instant, he turned into some kind of monster! He grabbed Sakurako and just… bit through her neck. I could only watch as she gasped… and choked… staring right at me…"
Ye frowned deeply.
No chakra, but transformed into a berserk monster?
That sounds suspiciously familiar...
Still, as he looked at the pain in Mikoto's eyes, he couldn't help but sigh.
This world — this violent, bloodstained shinobi world—looked advanced on the surface, but underneath… it was utterly brutal.
He and Mikoto had grown up together.
But she wasn't just anyone — she was the granddaughter of Elder Setsuna, and one of the rare female prodigies in the Uchiha clan.
The Sharingan was a dangerous eye, born on the edge of emotional collapse. Once awakened, it surged with a special chakra that made its users more powerful — but also more unstable.
Emotionally volatile, mentally unbalanced — that was the early stage of nearly every Uchiha who awakened their eyes.
Every Uchiha went through a wild period before they found control.
In the bathroom...
"Thank you, Ye-kun."
Mikoto's voice was soft. She was completely drained, but her spirit had settled.
Ye yawned casually, stepping out of the hot bath and throwing on a robe.
Damn this luxurious clan lifestyle... I'm starting to love it.
"Mikoto-neesan, you're Elder Setsuna's granddaughter. Do you realize how risky this is for me? If the clan finds out about this... well, you know how it is."
He rubbed his fingers together with a sly grin — the universal pay-up gesture.
Mikoto giggled.
"Then tell me, dear little brother... how much are you charging me this time?"
"Mikoto-neesan, we may have grown up together, but you're way out of my league. Ninja swords, explosive tags, steel wires, soldier pills — these things aren't cheap. Especially for someone like me who hasn't even awakened the Sharingan."
Ye complained with a straight face.
Mikoto sank deeper into the tub, her eyes half-closed in rare comfort and relaxation.
She understood. He was changing the subject, trying to ease her mind.
"I don't have that kind of money. Maybe I should pay with my body instead?"
Normally graceful and composed, Mikoto was practically a different person after awakening her Sharingan — rebellious and bold.
That line made Ye choke on air. He quickly folded his hands in mock prayer.
"Please, Mikoto-neesan, don't joke like that! If Elder Setsuna hears this, he'll skin me alive!"
The mood in the room lightened, and Mikoto's tightly wound emotions finally began to loosen. She stepped out of the bath.
Young Uchiha Mikoto had always looked modest in her clothes, but her figure was something else entirely.
...Not that Ye hadn't seen it a few times before, cough.
She pulled out fresh clothes from the wardrobe and tossed a scroll at him.
"This is a more advanced shurikenjutsu and kenjutsu style from the clan, along with a B-rank lightning-style jutsu: Lightning Release: False Darkness. Study them hard. You'll need it — especially with the war concentrated in the Land of Rain."
With her clothes back on, Mikoto once again looked like the gentle, refined kunoichi she was known to be.
Ye caught the scroll with a grin.
"Mikoto-neesan, your leg... I mean your backing is so worth it."
Her face flushed slightly red at the teasing. She normally wasn't this bold, but Sharingan awakening often brought out the darkest corners of a person's nature.
This was the second time she'd awakened her eyes after experiencing trauma.
The Uchiha clan's shurikenjutsu is elite, even by Shinobi World standards.
Ye opened the scroll and studied it, deeply moved.
He knew this was Mikoto's way of making sure he stayed alive.
He'd only graduated from the Academy about a year ago — still technically a Genin — but thanks to his elite background and wartime experience, he was already on par with average Chuunin.
But on the battlefield, even Chuunin chakra levels weren't enough.
Not even Jounin were guaranteed to survive.
For a ninja like him, whose chakra pool was still limited, efficient techniques like kenjutsu and shurikenjutsu could reduce chakra strain, which meant better chances of survival.
And he was from the Uchiha clan.
Even if he hadn't awakened his Sharingan, his ninja pouch was loaded with explosive tags, kunai, and tools far beyond the average Genin.
"Take your time with the lightning jutsu. Don't rush it. But you must learn it. In the Land of Rain, our fire-style techniques are severely weakened."
Mikoto reminded him seriously. B-rank jutsu were already considered elite — upper-level Jounin techniques — and not easy to learn.
Ye nodded with a hint of worry.
"Kenjutsu and shurikenjutsu are fine… but this advanced lightning technique?"
Mikoto gave a calm smile.
"Don't worry. I've already submitted a request to the clan. Since you've got lightning affinity, your spot on the next battlefield rotation is secure."
Ye's smile widened.
Even the Uchiha knew how to play politics sometimes, huh?
His chakra nature was fire, lightning, and earth — three elements.
"Ye… meet me at the village gate in three days. I'm going to personally avenge Sakurako."
Mikoto's tone trembled again, her emotions threatening to boil over.
Ye blinked, then smiled.
"Mikoto-neesan — don't mix up the accounts. That earlier thing we're square on. But this new mission? It's high-risk. I'll need hazard pay!"
Whap!
A pillow flew at his face. He caught it just in time.
"Don't be mad, Mikoto-neesan! I'm just saying, if we're going outside the village again, we've got to factor in tool costs… All right, all right! No charge! But I'm still counting the ninja tool expenses…"
As he spoke, Mikoto rolled her eyes, then gracefully leapt out the window.
Just before she vanished from view, the cool wind brushed her cheeks — and she smiled.
She understood Ye was just trying to help her stabilize her emotions.
After all, the post-Sharingan awakening was a sensitive time.
Back in the house, Ye stared at the window where she'd disappeared — and smiled.
Once again, the Uchiha proves how easily emotions can twist you…