Lying quietly on her back atop a small hill overlooking the general outline of Konoha was a black-haired young woman with a figure so exquisite that it could make many adult women feel inferior.
Her name was Uchiha Genzuki.
Today was the Uchiha clan’s family gathering at Naka Shrine.
The meeting would begin in half an hour, yet she had absolutely no intention of heading there.
Instead, she lay sprawled out on the ground as though she were dead.
As a member of the Uchiha clan, missing a family gathering without reason was clearly a serious breach of etiquette.
In the worst case, one could even be stripped of their eyes and expelled from the clan.
Despite knowing that, Genzuki had crossed the Uchiha compound, passed through the bustling streets and countless houses, and come to this deserted little hill without hesitation.
For no particular reason, she simply no longer wanted to see anyone.
She raised her hand toward the sky as though trying to touch it.
But in the end, all her fingers could grasp was emptiness.
Her hand was still her hand, and the sky remained as distant as ever.
Nothing had changed, nor would anything change simply because someone wished it to—just as she could not change the thoughts of an entire group through her own will alone.
An individual really is so insignificant…
Realizing she was doing something pointless, an inexplicable irritation rose within her.
Perhaps it was temporary discouragement.
Perhaps a moment of weakness.
Or perhaps she had simply given up.
She didn’t know.
But it no longer mattered.
Her personal will could have no effect on the greater situation.
Like throwing a small stone into a river, all she could do was create a few ripples.
The river itself would never change its course.
Perhaps acting on a sudden impulse, Genzuki took a mirror from her clothes and raised it above her with both hands gripping its edges.
The next moment, her obsidian-black eyes changed.
Unlike an ordinary Sharingan, the crimson eyes reflected in Genzuki’s mirror did not contain tomoe.
Instead, they held shimmering, ink-black patterns in the shape of stars.
The ultimate evolution of the Sharingan—
The Mangekyō Sharingan!
It was a power countless members of the Uchiha clan dreamed of obtaining.
Yet Genzuki, who already possessed that power, felt no joy whatsoever.
The price she had paid had been far too heavy.
So heavy that it had nearly driven her to collapse.
For that reason, she had never told anyone that she had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Not a single member of the Uchiha clan had noticed that this unremarkable member of the Konoha Military Police Force possessed power comparable to that of the clan head, Uchiha Fugaku.
Looking at those eyes in the mirror—eyes that seemed to constantly remind her of a painful memory—a resolute expression gradually appeared on Genzuki’s beautiful but lifeless face.
Toyokumono.
The ability Genzuki had gained upon awakening her Mangekyō Sharingan allowed her to read or erase the memories of anyone who made eye contact with her, according to her will.
However, she could not forcibly alter those memories.
Whether that was because she had only recently awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and was still unfamiliar with her abilities, or because those were simply the only powers she possessed, no longer mattered.
A great upheaval was imminent.
Her ability was useless against what was about to happen, which meant she was powerless to stop it.
And an important promise had been completely shattered by the clan head’s words:
“This is the shared wish of all our clansmen.”
What the Uchiha clan needed now was a member who would follow the collective wishes of the entire clan—not an idealist who stubbornly clung to meaningless beliefs without being able to take action for them.
If that was the case…
The ink-black star patterns slowly began to rotate.
Genzuki silently stared at the Mangekyō Sharingan reflected in the mirror, waiting for the moment her dōjutsu would take effect.
She would forcibly erase the memory that had changed everything about her and return to the person she once was—the Genzuki whose eyes had held nothing but the Uchiha clan.
She would lose her Mangekyō Sharingan as a result, but compared to her current self, who possessed tremendous power yet could not devote herself wholeheartedly to the Uchiha clan, her former self was clearly what the Uchiha clan needed now.
Let’s just leave it at that.
This is fine…
The ocular power required for her dōjutsu had already been prepared.
No one noticed the lonely young woman’s attempt to destroy herself.
Yet reality often took a dramatic turn at the most critical moment—
In an instant—
Less than a second before her dōjutsu activated—
“Hey, even narcissism has its limits, you know?
You’ve been staring into that stupid mirror for ages.
Just how obsessed are you with your appearance?”
A man’s voice came from below.
At first, Genzuki assumed it was an ANBU shinobi on patrol.
But after thinking about it, she quickly dismissed the possibility.
No ANBU would speak in that kind of tone.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she instinctively interrupted her dōjutsu, casually tossed the mirror aside, and turned her head to look.
Ordinary?
Yeah.
Definitely ordinary…
He looked very young, probably not even twenty.
His skin was somewhat dark, and the only thing that stood out about him was a long scar running across his face.
However, perhaps because of his age, the scar did little to make him look intimidating.
He wore a common green flak jacket.
Apparently, he was a shinobi passing through the area.
Genzuki hadn’t expected anyone to come this way at this hour.
Having made her initial assessment, she immediately lost interest.
Turning her gaze away, she replied dismissively,
“What’s it got to do with you?”
“Well, you’re right.
And keeping quiet would probably be the most proper thing for a man to do in this situation, but…
how should I put this?
Uh…
geez, why am I trying to act like such a gentleman?
It’s not like I’m obligated to say anything.”
His hesitant, disjointed words left Genzuki completely baffled.
If this is some kind of tactic for attracting women, it’s certainly an unusual one.
“So what exactly are you trying to say?
Can you hurry up, say it, and leave?
Sorry if that’s rude, but I don’t feel like seeing anyone right now.”
“Uh…
how should I say this?
Should I be tactful?
Beat around the bush?
Or should I just say it outright…”
His strange behavior was beginning to irritate Genzuki.
“Just say it.”
The man seemed to make up his mind.
He raised a hand and pointed vaguely in her direction, speaking in a tone he was clearly struggling to keep calm.
“What I’m saying is, how long are you planning to lie in that position?
From where I’m standing, I’m getting quite an…
interesting view.
There aren’t many people around here, but shouldn’t you cover yourself up a little?”
“…”
Genzuki finally sat up.
And finally realized what the problem was.
She hadn’t been wearing shinobi attire today because she didn’t have a mission.
With her fondness for fashionable clothing, she usually wore whatever casual styles were currently popular.
Today, she was dressed in a shirt and a pleated skirt.
There was naturally no problem when she was walking normally.
But lying down—or sitting without paying attention to her posture—was a completely different matter.
He saw it.
He definitely saw it!
In that case…
Genzuki came up with a solution in an instant.
Her Mangekyō Sharingan, which she had not yet deactivated, stared directly into the scarred man’s dark eyes as her dōjutsu activated without a sound.
“Toyokumono!”
That’s right.
As long as she erased that brief memory, what he had seen would disappear into darkness forever.
I’m sorry, but you saw something you shouldn’t have.
You’ll just have to take a little nap here for now.
Just as she thought that, the man suddenly spoke.
“Even sitting up doesn’t really solve the problem, though.
I’d suggest wearing something underneath for a little extra protection.”
The dōjutsu didn’t work?
Or did I erase his memory, but somehow leave him conscious?
Genzuki stared in astonishment at the scarred man, whose expression hadn’t changed and who showed no signs of anything being wrong.
To confirm her suspicions, she pressed her legs together and adjusted her pleated skirt before using her dōjutsu once more.
Then she asked softly,
“Um…
what color am I wearing today?”
“White.
A pure and innocent style, huh?
Though, considering you’ve got such a striking figure, your personality is unexpectedly innocent.
You must have plenty of people pursuing you.
You’re pretty much exactly the type most guys like, after all.”
After saying that, the man seemed to realize he had spoken too freely.
He gave an awkward laugh and wandered away.
Before Genzuki could recover from the shocking realization that her dōjutsu had failed, he had disappeared from sight.
By the time she came back to her senses, there was no trace of him left before her.