Chapter 17: Awakening and Resolve
The tension by the riverbank dissipated, leaving behind a heavy silence. Uchiha Raizen took a deep breath, his sudden flare of anger replaced by a wave of self-reproach. As a transmigrator, why am I so easily swayed by my emotions? He chalked it up to the inherent volatility of the Uchiha bloodline—a trait he now had to master. In his memories, only Itachi seemed to have truly conquered it.
"Madara, Hashirama," he began, his voice now calm and measured. "I know neither of you truly desires this war. But the world is forged in its flames right now. If you two wish to end it, there is only one path: become stronger. Unimaginably stronger. Only when your power is great enough to reshape the world can you hope to end this cycle of hatred. This is your time. I won't intrude further."
With a final nod, he turned and melted back into the forest, leaving the two future legends by the water. Their friendship was their own story to write; he had no place in it.
As he walked, aimless and still stung by his sister's words, a strange warmth bloomed in his chest. Unbeknownst to him, his proximity to Hashirama and Madara had triggered his system.
[Pickup successful: Senju Primary Wood Release Affinity Fragment.]
[Pickup successful: Uchiha Primary Sharingan Affinity Fragment.]
[Experience threshold met. Host has reached Pickup Level 2.]
The upgrade was like a bucket of cold water, shocking him into complete clarity.
[Congratulations, Host, on reaching Level 2. Daily Pickups increased to 6. Level Up Gift Pack awarded. Acquired: 10,000 Ryo.]
Level 2. Six pickups a day. And most crucially, money. Ten thousand ryo. It wasn't a fortune, but in this era, it was enough to sustain a family for several months. It was a lifeline. If he could provide for a few months, he could buy the time needed to level up again and secure more. His sister wouldn't have to marry that scum.
The resentment and hurt he felt vanished, replaced by a single-minded purpose. He had to get home. Now.
He ran, his enhanced physique carrying him swiftly through the sleeping compound. As he neared his house, he saw lights blazing in every window. That was wrong. His family was frugal; they would never waste lamp oil like this.
A cold dread gripped his heart.
He shoved the door open and burst into the courtyard. There, standing in the center, was his eldest sister, Uchiha Kuna. She was dressed in a vibrant red kimono, her face pale and streaked with tears she was desperately trying to hold back.
"Sister, you…" he stammered.
"Raizen," she whispered, her voice trembling as she forced a smile. "I… I'm getting married."
The words were a physical blow, but this time, he didn't react with blind rage. He saw the pain behind her eyes, the sacrifice.
"No! Sister! I won't allow you to marry that beast!" he declared, his voice ringing with a new authority. He pulled the pouch of ryo from his storage space. "I have ten thousand ryo right here! We can return the dowry! I am not the same Uchiha Raizen I was before! I can provide for this family! Mother, say something! Mother!"
His mother stood to the side, her face a mask of silent agony.
"Raizen, I…" she began, but her voice failed her.
"Hah! Ten thousand ryo?" a sneering voice cut through the night. Uchiha Hakusai stepped out of the shadows, a condescending smirk on his face. "That's my family's weekly allowance. Don't get in the way, brat. If you weren't going to be my brother-in-law, I'd have you beaten senseless for this insolence."
Uchiha Raizen's head snapped up, his eyes locking onto Hakusai's. The calm he had found shattered, but it was a cold, focused shattering.
"Uchiha Hakusai," Uchiha Raizen said, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "With me here today, you will not take my sister. Mother, if you force my hand… forgive me."
He raised his hand. No seals. No warning. The air crackled with intense energy, and a brilliant, terrifying arc of white lightning coalesced around his fingertips.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!" he roared.
The S-Rank ninjutsu, now usable with his Level 2 system, hummed with destructive power in his palm.
"The Fourth Elder's signature technique… False Darkness! Everyone, fall back!" Hakusai's father, Uchiha Shirogane, shouted, his face paling. He recognized the sheer, unadulterated power of the jutsu. "Uchiha Raizen! Are you attempting to betray your own clan?!"