Night falls, the stars are shining.
After dinner, Duan suddenly remembered—his brother-in-law Fugaku had asked him to meet tonight in the underground chamber of the Naka Shrine, saying there was something important to discuss.
So he turned to Samui: "I'll be out for a while. You can close early and get some rest."
"The curator, please take care."
Samui bowed respectfully, watching him leave the alley.
Then her gaze hardened. She shut the gym doors behind her and returned to her quarters, carefully compiling all the intelligence she had gathered. A moment later, she summoned a messenger hawk, sending the report to Kumogakure under the cover of night.
---
The cold moonlight poured over the Uchiha compound.
When Duan entered the hidden chamber beneath Naka Shrine, the braziers burned quietly. Fugaku stood with his back to him, staring at the massive stone tablet carved with ancient script.
It was clear he had been waiting.
"Duan, you're here."
Fugaku turned, gesturing to the tablet. "I brought you here to witness this. It is the stone tablet left by our Uchiha ancestors—a message across the centuries."
"I can't read a single character." Duan glanced at it, feigning disinterest.
Fugaku's lips curved slightly. "Come closer. Use your Sharingan. Only then can you pierce the veil."
---
With a sigh, Duan obliged. He activated his Sharingan and stared.
Immediately the characters rippled, shifting like tadpoles in water, their shapes elusive and distorted. They resisted any clear interpretation.
"…It's a genjutsu," Duan muttered.
"Precisely." Fugaku's voice carried reverence. "Our forebears bound illusion into the stone. That it endures after a thousand years is testament to their mastery. The truth of the Uchiha can only be seen with Sharingan."
Under Fugaku's guidance, Duan began deciphering the first passage.
---
Indeed.
It spoke of an ancient woman—Ōtsutsuki Kaguya—who devoured the chakra fruit of the God Tree and brought an end to the chaos of her era. Blessed by the land, she bore two sons. From them descended all shinobi.
Beyond this point, however, the text blurred into obscurity, smothered by mist.
"An interesting folktale," Duan said lightly.
"It's more than folklore," Fugaku replied, eyes sharpening. "Only the Mangekyō Sharingan reveals what lies deeper."
He looked at Duan, expectant.
---
Duan's expression remained calm, motionless. He had no Mangekyō to reveal. If he stayed silent, suspicion would arise.
So he turned away, hands folded behind his back. "There's no need."
"…Why not?" Fugaku blinked in confusion.
"Because I've already seen it," Duan answered smoothly.
Enlightenment crossed Fugaku's face. He assumed his brother-in-law had already deciphered the secrets before tonight.
"Then you must know," Fugaku pressed, "that we Uchiha are descendants of the Sage of Six Paths himself."
"Of course." Duan nodded solemnly. Drawing on his knowledge of the tale, he pieced together a convincing fabrication:
"The Sage subdued the Ten-Tails, became its jinchūriki, and before his death split its chakra into nine—forming the tailed beasts. He left two heirs: the elder, Indra, who inherited his eyes; and the younger, Asura, who inherited his body. From them came Uchiha and Senju. That is the truth carved here, isn't it?"
Fugaku's heart stirred. What Duan spoke surpassed even his own reading of the tablet. "Your vision is keener than mine… You've seen further than I ever could."
---
"Do you feel pride, learning our bloodline ties back to the Sage?" Fugaku asked.
"Let it be."
The simplicity of Duan's answer shocked Fugaku. He himself had once been intoxicated by the revelation, his pride swelling. But Duan's serenity seemed to eclipse arrogance altogether.
"…Pity." Fugaku looked back at the stone. "Even Mangekyō cannot pierce its final secrets. Only the Eternal Mangekyō can."
Duan arched a brow. "Eternal Mangekyō?"
Fugaku grew solemn. "Yes. Such eyes are born only when one brother takes the Mangekyō of another and fuses it with his own. The closer the blood, the greater the chance of success. Uchiha Madara achieved it—by seizing his brother's eyes. With those eyes, his power transcended limits."
Duan feigned surprise. "So this is the truth…"
"This knowledge is hidden. If spread, it would plunge the clan into slaughter. Only the patriarch bears this burden. I tell you because—" Fugaku's gaze tightened, "—within our clan there are three Mangekyō now, but even together we are far beneath Madara. The Eternal Mangekyō is the only path to true revival. And beyond it lies something even greater…"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"…the Rinnegan, the eyes of our ancestor, the Sage of Six Paths."
---
Though Duan already knew the legend, he allowed a flicker of awe to pass across his face.
Fugaku gripped his shoulder firmly. "Duan, I entrust this secret to you. Among us, you alone may reach those heights—the Eternal Mangekyō, perhaps even the Rinnegan itself. Only then can Uchiha rise again."
The patriarch's sincerity was clear.
And though Duan's own thoughts remained hidden, Fugaku's faith in him only deepened.
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