The hidden chamber beneath Naka Shrine felt heavier than ever.
A winding flight of stone steps descended into the dim underground sanctuary that had borne witness to the rise and fall of the Uchiha clan for generations.
Shingetsu Yu led the way, with Itachi and Shisui following close behind.
Their footsteps echoed through the silence.
Fugaku remained in the shrine above, ensuring no one interrupted this special “reading.”
The three of them stopped before the massive stone tablet.
Its ancient inscription was cryptic and obscure.
Even prodigies like Itachi and Shisui could only decipher a small portion of its surface meaning.
“Advisor,” Itachi said, his voice tinged with conflicting emotions, “this is the stone tablet that has been passed down through our clan for generations.”
There was reverence for the Uchiha’s history in his tone, but also uncertainty about the future.
Shisui added, “It’s said that only those who awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan can read the deeper inscriptions.
Even then, no one can be certain they’ve uncovered its true meaning.”
Yu gave a slight nod, his gaze settling on the stone tablet.
The twisted script seemed to shift before his eyes, taking on an entirely different form.
System.
Sign in.
Ding!
Successfully signed in at: [Naka Shrine Secret Stone Tablet (Core Area – Deep Interpretation)].
Congratulations!
You have obtained:
Kotoamatsukami (Enhanced Version): Greatly reduced cooldown, improved control, and can be used on yourself to strengthen your will or dispel genjutsu.Complete Uchiha Stone Tablet Interpretation Authority (Including preliminary knowledge of Kaguya’s secrets).
In an instant, a tremendous surge of spiritual power poured into Yu’s right eye.
Warmth flashed through it before giving way to an almost icy clarity.
Kotoamatsukami…
Enhanced.
This wasn’t Shisui’s original version that required more than a decade to recharge.
A System reward was naturally superior.
Its cooldown had been drastically shortened, its precision vastly improved, and it could even be cast on himself—allowing him to instantly break free from genjutsu or reinforce his own resolve.
It was the perfect trump card for everything he planned to do next.
At the same time, every symbol and diagram on the stone tablet that had once seemed vague became perfectly clear.
Their hidden meanings flooded into his mind like a tidal wave.
The legend of the Sage of Six Paths.
The endless reincarnations of Indra and Asura.
The origin of the God Tree.
The birth of the Tailed Beasts.
Everything revealed itself in its purest, most fundamental form.
Then…
He caught a fleeting glimpse of something beyond even that.
Fragments concerning Kaguya Ōtsutsuki…
And the realm she had come from.
The moment Yu’s consciousness brushed against that trace of knowledge from beyond the heavens, an indescribably cold will suddenly gazed back at him—as though from the farthest reaches of the cosmos.
It was vast.
Ancient.
Utterly frigid.
A will that regarded all life with the detached indifference of one looking down upon insects.
The contact lasted only an instant.
Yet even that fleeting touch sent a chill through the depths of Yu’s soul.
…Well.
Looks like this world’s waters run even deeper than I expected.
Compared to the true threat lurking beyond the stars, the endless conflicts on the surface were little more than children’s squabbles.
The overwhelming presence disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived, as though it had merely sensed his existence for a split second before losing interest.
Yu’s expression never changed.
Inside, however, his thoughts churned.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki…
and whatever stands behind her.
Looks like my plan to quietly lie low and develop my strength will need a few adjustments.
Neither Itachi nor Shisui had any idea that, in that brief moment, Yu had experienced a terrifying clash of consciousness.
What they did notice was something else.
The ancient stone tablet…
Seemed to come alive.
Its once-dull surface began emitting a faint glow.
The intricate symbols they had struggled so hard to decipher gradually became crystal clear beneath Yu’s gaze, as though the tablet itself had chosen to reveal its secrets to him.
“W-What…?”
Shisui’s voice came out hoarse.
He could sense it.
The tablet was responding.
Not to the Mangekyō Sharingan—
But to Yu.
Itachi’s eyes widened as his Mangekyō Sharingan activated instinctively, trying to understand the mysterious phenomenon unfolding before him.
Yu withdrew his gaze.
The faint radiance faded just as quickly.
Turning around, he looked at the two greatest hopes of the Uchiha clan.
“The tablet teaches that power itself is neither good nor evil,” Yu said calmly, his voice carrying quiet authority.
“What matters is the heart of the one who wields it.”
“Endless hatred and conflict only give birth to even greater power, dragging everything into an ever-deepening spiral of destruction.”
He paused before continuing.
“It also says that true peace cannot be achieved through one side completely suppressing another.
Peace requires love, understanding, and a path where both sides can coexist.”
Naturally, he had been selective.
The tablet did contain ideas along those lines, but much of its true content revolved around the evolution of ocular powers and the ruthless pursuit of greater strength.
Yu had simply chosen the parts most beneficial to the current situation—and the ones most likely to resonate with Itachi and Shisui.
Itachi fell silent.
Love…
understanding…
The ideals Yu described were remarkably similar to the vision of peace he himself had always pursued.
Shisui, meanwhile, could barely contain his excitement.
“Advisor…
are you saying…
there’s truly another path for the Uchiha?”
“There has always been one,” Yu replied.
“It simply needs someone willing to forge it…
and someone capable of leading others down it.”
He continued,
“The tablet also warns future generations that those blinded by power—those who chase ultimate strength while losing themselves in the process—will ultimately become slaves to that very power and bring catastrophe upon the world.”
His gaze lingered on the two of them.
The warning was meant for them…
But also for himself.
Now that he possessed the enhanced Kotoamatsukami and complete access to the stone tablet’s secrets, Yu had even greater confidence in his plans.
Danzo’s schemes would no longer remain hidden from him.
And the cleansing of the Uchiha’s internal rot could proceed with far greater precision.
“What happened here today must remain a secret,” Yu instructed.
“Understood!” Shisui and Itachi answered in unison.
They both knew that if word of today’s events ever leaked out, it would send shockwaves through not only the Uchiha clan, but all of Konohagakure.
“Let’s go.”
Yu turned and headed toward the chamber’s exit.
“We still have much to do.”
Itachi and Shisui exchanged a glance.
For the first time, both saw the same brilliant light reflected in each other’s eyes.
Without another word, they followed after him.
The stone door rumbled shut behind them, sealing the ancient tablet—and the countless secrets it held—once more in darkness.
But some things…
Had already changed forever.