Konoha Year 44, Autumn.
Above the Naka Shrine in the Uchiha settlement.
A steady drizzle fell from the gray sky, fine as silk, tapping softly against the wall carved with a flaming fan along the street. The raindrops spread into faint, almost invisible water stains.
Last month, a major event shook the entire Uchiha clan.
During a mission, they discovered an Uchiha who wasn't born in Konoha.
As the saying goes—if you see one cockroach, there's bound to be a nest hiding somewhere.
No one knew whether other Uchiha bloodlines, like that of Kiyoshi, were still scattered somewhere out in the shinobi world.
To prevent the leakage of the Uchiha bloodline—and to avoid the covetous eyes of other clans—the Uchiha who found Kiyoshi immediately brought him back.
"But why did his Sharingan awaken in only one eye?"
"Yeah, has anything like that ever happened in the clan?"
The Uchiha murmured among themselves. Such an occurrence had never been recorded before, and the commotion was understandable.
Every so often, gazes drifted toward Kiyoshi, who sat at the very back.
Uchiha Kiyoshi ignored them all.
"In the Land of Lightning, did you ever encounter anyone with the same red eyes as yours? We are of the same blood. You can tell me—my clansmen will retrieve them."
At the head of the room, Uchiha Fugaku questioned him, his words probing for truth.
How many years Uchiha Kiyoshi had lived in the Land of Lightning, and what had happened during those years, was difficult to uncover.
But after a month of investigation, one thing was clear:Kiyoshi's identity showed no signs of deception.
He had learned some crude chakra refinement techniques, but there were no traces of real shinobi training.
Still, the political struggle between ninja villages was always ruthless.
As the newly appointed clan head, Uchiha Fugaku had no room for carelessness.
"I've never seen anyone with eyes like mine, Lord Fugaku,"Kiyoshi replied calmly, lifting his head.
He was a transmigrator, and several years had passed since he arrived.
From the moment of birth, he had deciphered the mysteries of the womb, awakened innate awareness, and regained the memories of his previous life.
His mother had died giving birth to him.
As for his father… he vanished the moment Kiyoshi was born.
Kiyoshi didn't meet him until he was two, old enough to stand on his own.
Unfortunately, the man died not long after—on the battlefield.
But in the shinobi world, being orphaned at birth was nothing unusual.
Naruto, Sasuke, Konan, Itachi, Orochimaru… which of them didn't lose their parents?
His former name had been Yotsuki Kiyoshi, a distant offshoot of the Yotsuki clan, living in a remote town. It wasn't until his Sharingan awakened that he was discovered by Uchiha Yakumi, who happened to be on a mission, and was subsequently brought back to Konoha.
"That's good. No matter what, as long as Uchiha blood flows through you, you belong to our clan. I'll arrange for you to enter the Ninja Academy."
Fugaku's crimson eyes stared at Kiyoshi for a long time.
The Uchiha clan's historical records mentioned that their ancestors once traveled to the Land of Lightning—some might have even lived there.
This was said to be from a time even earlier than the era of the intense clashes between Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
In the current Land of Lightning, there had been a time when a feudal lord's wife hired the Uchiha to exterminate the Blood Pond Clan.
But with the wars against the Senju, much information was lost to history.
Even Fugaku could no longer know the full details.
He did not exert any ocular pressure—he simply stared.
The air itself felt thick and heavy, as if it might suffocate a person.
Kiyoshi remained expressionless.
He knew exactly what Fugaku was thinking:
Was his identity genuine or fabricated?
Unfortunately for Fugaku, the Uchiha truly did have a historical connection with the Land of Lightning.
This was even mentioned in the official novel Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise.
At last, Fugaku withdrew his gaze.
After all, Kiyoshi was only a child of a few years.
How could he possibly endure the spiritual pressure of Fugaku's Sharingan?
If he could, that would be terrifying.
Even the newly rising genius son of Hatake Sakumo might not have such mental fortitude.
"Lord Fugaku, finding out that I'm truly a member of the Uchiha clan… I'm so happy! I promise I will never bring shame to our clan!"
Kiyoshi's tone sounded deeply sincere.
At that moment, a mechanical female voice echoed in his mind—cold and emotionless.
"You have acquired the Entry: [Art of Speaking (White)]."
[Entry: Art of Speaking (White)][Requirement: Speak falsehoods without flinching before a high-status individual. Required count: 5. ][Progress: Completed.][Effect: Your words become more convincing; individuals of lower status are more easily influenced.][Note: Further advancement possible.]
"Finally."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Kiyoshi's lips.
If he didn't want to live like a beggar in the shinobi world, he needed power.
Everyone knew that in Naruto's world, true strength was passed down only through three channels: mother to child, teacher to student, and bloodline inheritance.
Either you needed a good lineage, or a good teacher with valuable connections.
And if neither worked, you needed something like blood-bond exposure—your "Will of Fire" had to burn deep enough for someone to teach you even a few ninjutsu.
But Kiyoshi possessed something beyond all three:
his own relentless effort—and a primitive Entry System.
It recorded the names of entries earned, their conditions, and their effects.
But none of them were free.
He had to fulfill conditions to unlock them.
For example, to obtain [Art of Speaking], Kiyoshi had to tell at least five insincere lies to Uchiha Fugaku's face.
Was he truly happy to be born into the Uchiha?
Happy?
He felt nothing but crushing pressure.
The Night of the Massacre, two future Shinobi World Wars…
His life was practically on a countdown.
Not to mention—within a little over ten years, Fugaku's own son, Uchiha Itachi, would slaughter the entire clan.
"Not bad."
Fugaku nodded, clearly pleased by Kiyoshi's earnest declaration.This child had potential.
Such pure, heartfelt words carried emotion beyond their surface meaning.
Kiyoshi's resolve seemed even stronger than that of some ordinary Uchiha clansmen.
Fugaku then signaled for him to leave.
After Kiyoshi exited, Uchiha Yatsuo looked at Fugaku—expressionless but radiating quiet authority—and spoke:
"Kiyoshi is the descendant Yakumi and the others found in the Land of Lightning. They say he also bears Yotsuki characteristics. Could he be a spy planted here?"
"That still needs further investigation. But his bloodline is definitely Uchiha. An outsider with a transplanted Sharingan cannot deactivate it—the burden is immense."
Fugaku shook his head and continued:
"Tsunade will come later to examine Kiyoshi's Sharingan."
"Fugaku, I'll go make arrangements for the child."
From the tatami floor of the Naka Shrine, Mikoto stood up.