"Our clan has declined."
"After a night of crimson conspiracy, the Uchiha name has been tarnished and withered."
"Now, as the last bloodline of the clan, you shall reclaim its glory at any cost—Make the Uchiha Great Again."
"Detected that the host has reached eighteen years of age; the Strongest Family Revival System has been loaded."
Leo stared at the translucent panel slowly emerging before him, holding his breath. He shook his head, squeezed his eyes shut, and snapped them open again.
It wasn't an illusion; the panel was still there.
A roaring sound echoed in his mind, leaving his head buzzing. Leo had lived in the Hidden Leaf Village for eighteen years. His parents were obscure Chunin who had passed away years ago, and his own aptitude was remarkably ordinary. He had only reached the rank of Chunin by putting in the years; his future seemed bleak.
He had no secret family arts, no special physique, and a strictly average amount of Chakra. Aside from being exceptionally handsome, he excelled in neither the literary nor the martial arts.
For eighteen years, he had lived a clockwork life: waking up at seven, a simple workout, breakfast at Ichiraku Ramen or at home, and then off to work at the Hokage Building. Dinner was light, and he was always in bed before eleven to ensure a full eight hours of sleep. He had honestly thought he would continue down this predictable path until the end.
Until this moment.
The system panel floated silently, a stable and unquestionable presence. However, there seemed to be a slight problem with the "type" of this system.
"System?" Leo muttered in his mind. "Are you sure you've got the right person? The Uchiha Clan was wiped out four years ago. The only survivor in the village is Sasuke, who's probably still playing ninja at the Academy, right?"
[Host identity confirmed: Uchiha descendant.]
[Core objective: Revive the Uchiha Clan. Primary step: Increase strength and restore prestige until reaching 'Kage-level' standard, raising the Uchiha banner once more.]
The system's response was mechanical, completely ignoring Leo's doubts as it refreshed the requirements.
['Kage-level' Criteria: Basic qualification condition one: Awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan. Condition two: Defeat at least one individual publicly recognized as possessing 'Kage' strength. Meeting either is sufficient.]
"Mangekyo..." Leo felt a wave of speechlessness. Listen, buddy, I don't even have a basic Sharingan, and you're already demanding a Mangekyo? Is this thing designed to mock me?
Just as Leo was about to give up, the panel refreshed again.
[Phased growth mode activated. Current host strength: Genin.]
[Novice Mission: The Peak of Genin.]
[Mission Content: Defeat the 'Strongest Genin' of the Hidden Leaf Village in direct confrontation—Naruto Uzumaki. Prove you possess the potential worthy of the Uchiha name.]
[Mission Reward: One-Tomoe Sharingan.]
Leo's heart began to hammer against his ribs. Eighteen years! This world was built on bloodlines; if you weren't related to the Otsutsuki family, the world was rigged against you. Relying solely on hard work? Even someone like Rock Lee was a once-in-a-generation genius of effort. An ordinary person would break their body long before seeing results.
System-bro, you weren't wrong, Leo thought, swearing immediate loyalty. I've been an Uchiha at heart all along. From today on, I am Leo Uchiha.
He turned his gaze out the window. Almost simultaneously, a burst of piercing, hearty laughter—the sound of a successful prank—erupted from the nearby Hokage Rock.
Leo pushed the window open. The sound became clearer, mixed with exasperated shouts. High up on the head of the First Hokage's statue, a conspicuous orange dot was moving frantically. Discordant streaks of paint were spreading across the faces of the Second and Third Hokage.
"Naruto... my first pot of gold," Leo muttered.
The future Child of Prophecy and Seventh Hokage was currently just a "dead last" with terrible control and pathetic theory. Most importantly, he hadn't learned his signature Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu yet. He was the "Lite Version" of the strongest genin.
Below the rock, a mob of villagers and ninjas gathered, shouting in fury.
"It's that brat again!"
"My fruit stand! He knocked over half my stock!"
"Where is Iruka-sensei? Catch him!"
On the rooftops, Iruka Umino was sweating profusely, chasing the orange figure. "Naruto! Stand still! Stop causing trouble!"
"Hahaha! Come and catch me, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted back, making a face. He had just finished a "funny face" on the Fourth Hokage's statue and was making his getaway. His escape route happened to pass right by Leo's window.
Leo observed calmly. Just as Naruto leaped to flash past—
"Caught you, Naruto."
Leo reached out and subdued him instantly. Naruto struggled to look up, squinting his deep blue eyes against the sun. He expected a gaze of hatred or coldness, but instead, he saw a handsome face with eyes that looked... friendly?
Leo was only friendly because the system notification had just popped up.
[Mission Complete: One-Tomoe Sharingan issued.]
"You... who are you? Let go!" Naruto snapped, beginning to squirm.
"Just a helpful passing villager," Leo replied casually. He looked at the paint-stained kid and then back at the mess on the Hokage Rock. "You know, ink washes away with water. Next time, try using oil paint instead."
Naruto froze. Wait, whose side is this guy on?
"Naruto! You—oh? Leo?" Iruka finally caught up, panting.
Leo handed Naruto over, excused himself from work, and headed straight to a secluded training ground. After confirming he was alone, he closed his eyes.
Claim reward.
A scorching torrent erupted from his heart, flowing into his eyes. It was a sore, burning sensation, as if something was taking root and breaking through the surface of his eyeballs. His vision blurred, then snapped into terrifyingly sharp focus. He could see the finest veins on distant leaves and the tracks of insects in the dirt.
The One-Tomoe Sharingan.
A second, smaller stream of energy washed through his body, repairing old injuries and smoothing out calluses. He felt his Chakra surge and stabilize.
"Now I lack nothing," Leo whispered, testing his limits. He felt his Chakra explode with a sense of dominance.
"It's about 0.5 Kakashis," he noted realistically. "Still need to practice."
He didn't dare test the eyes further. It had only been four years since the massacre; if he was spotted now, the shadows of the village would swallow him whole. He had to be the lurker in the dark until he was ready to be the overlord.
Just as he was lost in thought, a sunny, familiar voice rang out from the edge of the woods:
"Yo, Leo, you've made quite a bit of progress lately."
THROW SOME POWERSTONE FOR SUPPORT
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