Indra was still staring at her
Not in fear
Not in awe
Just... staring
Like he was trying to make sense of something his brain refused to process
Yuzuki let him sit with it
Let the weight of her name, HER name, settle
Then, with deliberate casualness, she stretched her arms over her head
"Yuzuki Uchiha..."
She said it slowly, as if testing the weight of the words on her tongue
"I suppose that's what you can call me now"
Indra blinked
A snap echoed through the air, and in the blink of an eye, the fiery wasteland of her final memory vanished
The heat
The snow
The lingering traces of something eternal
Gone
And in its place-
Water
Damp stone
Shadows stretching endlessly
They were back in her mindscape
The moment her feet touched the flooded ground, Yuzuki exhaled sharply, hands on her hips
"I really hate this place"
Indra finally pulled himself out of his daze
"You're telling me"
Yuzuki turned to him, a smirk playing at her lips
"So, now what? What's your next move?"
Indra hesitated
Then, scratching the back of his neck, admitted
"I... honestly haven't thought that far ahead"
Yuzuki's smirk dropped into a deadpan stare
"Wait
Are you seriously telling me you have no plan?"
Indra, firstborn son of the Sage of Six Paths, ancestor of an entire clan, one of the strongest souls to ever exist, was at a loss for words
"I-"
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me"
Yuzuki let out a sharp exhale, crossing her arms
"Don't tell me you're planning to just mope around my mindscape like a freeloading ghost"
Indra bristled
"I wouldn't call it moping-"
"Then what would you call it?"
He hesitated
Yuzuki grinned
Gotcha
"Look"
She continued
"if you're gonna stick around in here, you're pulling your weight
No free rides"
Indra narrowed his eyes, arms crossing over his chest
"And what exactly does 'pulling my weight' mean to you?"
"Simple"
Yuzuki said, way too cheerfully
"You're going to teach me everything I need to know about this world
Especially the Uchiha and whatever political mess I'll be dropped into"
Indra raised an eyebrow
"So I'm your tutor now?"
Yuzuki's grin widened
"Oh, no
You're much more than that"
She turned away, hands clasped behind her back, her tone playful but edged with something sharp
"You do want my help with that whole brother thing, don't you?"
Indra tensed
Yuzuki didn't look back as she continued
"I'm not solving it for you
But if you want me to care, you're gonna have to put in the effort"
A beat of silence
Then-
"Fair enough"
Yuzuki turned back to face him, clearly satisfied
"Good"
She swept her gaze over the endless sewer, shoulders dropping in mild resignation
"Welcome to your new life, Indra
Get used to it"
Indra sighed
"Wonderful"
The amusement in Yuzuki's eyes made it very clear that she was enjoying this far too much
-=-
Yuzuki sat cross-legged in front of Indra, studying his expression
For once, he wasn't staring at her like she was an anomaly he couldn't explain
Instead, he seemed... at ease
Settled
Which, of course, meant it was time to bother him
"So... What's the deal with your eyes?"
Indra blinked at her, his expression flattening
"What?"
Yuzuki gestured vaguely toward his face
"Your eyes
They're red
They glow
They look all dramatic and ominous
There has to be something special about them, right?"
Indra exhaled through his nose
"This"
He said, tapping his temple
"is called the Sharingan
A dojutsu
A bloodline ability passed down through my descendants, the Uchiha clan"
"Sharingan, huh?"
Yuzuki murmured, tilting her head
"Alright
What's it do?"
Indra studied her for a moment before answering
"It enhances perception and reaction time
It lets you copy an opponent's movements, but only if your body can keep up
And it's highly effective for genjutsu- illusions that manipulate the mind"
Yuzuki hummed thoughtfully, letting that sink in
"Huh
Sounds useful
How do I get it?"
Indra hesitated
"I'm not entirely sure
Most people awaken it through intense emotional turmoil"
Yuzuki raised an eyebrow
"So what you're telling me is... your bloodline has been making me more emotional since I was reborn?"
There was a long pause
"...Maybe"
Yuzuki groaned, rubbing her temples
"Great
Just what I needed"
Indra smirked
"At least you won't be lacking in emotional triggers"
"Gee, thanks"
Indra huffed, but before he could change the topic, Yuzuki's expression turned more serious
"Okay, but, awakening aside, there's something weird about this
I haven't sensed anything like this before, and I'm good with energy
So... does it have something to do with this world's system?"
Indra nodded
"You could say that
The Sharingan, and everything else here, runs on chakra"
"Chakra?"
Yuzuki repeated, testing the word
"Is that this world's version of spiritual energy?"
Indra considered that
"Sort of
Chakra is a combination of physical and mental energy
It's the foundation of Ninshu, the original teachings my father created
But over time, it became what shinobi now call ninjutsu, a... simplified version"
Yuzuki's brows furrowed
"You're seriously telling me people mix their physical and mental energy together? Like, actually?"
Indra frowned
"Yes? Why?"
Yuzuki let out a slow breath
"Because in my last life, that was a terrible idea
If you weren't careful, you'd explode
And I don't mean metaphorically"
Indra gave her a blank stare
"...You exploded?"
"Not me personally"
She muttered
"But I saw it happen
More than once"
Indra looked like he wanted to ask more, but Yuzuki had already closed her eyes, focusing inward
"Fine
I'll trust you on this one"
She searched for her energy reserves, feeling out the balance between her physical and mental power
Immediately, she grimaced
"This imbalance is awful"
She muttered under her breath
"I'll need to fix this once I'm born... Sigh..."
But even as she thought that, something shifted
The moment she allowed the two energies to mix, the sensation changed entirely
Spiritual energy had always felt like a gas, light, quick, infinitely expansive
But chakra?
Chakra was heavier
Denser
More like a liquid
The shift was subtle at first, but then it sank into her being, moving slower than pure energy yet carrying an undeniable weight
It wasn't worse
It was just... different
And something about it felt oddly familiar
Yuzuki smirked to herself
"Interesting... I wonder what the limits of chakra are"
Yuzuki opened her eyes to find Indra watching her
Not with awe
Not with skepticism
Just quiet surprise
"You actually managed to do it that quickly?"
Yuzuki stretched her arms behind her head, smirking
"It really wasn't that hard
Just... strange"
She rolled her shoulders
"At least I have time to get used to it"
Indra exhaled, shaking his head slightly
"Impressive... But considering who you are, I shouldn't even be surprised anymore"
Yuzuki grinned
"Heh
Of course
I am the greatest person you've ever met, after all"
Indra raised an eyebrow
"That's a bold claim"
"Yeah, but you didn't deny it"
Indra didn't argue
Instead, he studied her, really studied her
For someone who had lived through gods and wars, who had burned brighter than most, why did she seem so... childish at times?
It wasn't immaturity
It was something else
Something deliberate
Yuzuki caught the look and narrowed her eyes
"You're thinking something rude, aren't you?"
Indra remained silent
Yuzuki sighed
"Whatever
So, I just move this chakra to my eyes and think of something that makes my emotions go haywire?"
Her words were flat, but, just for a moment, something flickered in her expression
A disillusioned look
Indra caught it right before she masked it, as if it had never been there
And for the first time since meeting her, he felt a quiet pang of guilt
"...Sorry"
The word came out before he could stop it
But it felt empty in the silence between them
Yuzuki didn't look up
"Don't bother"
Her voice was light, but it carried a sharp edge beneath it
"If words meant anything... I wouldn't be here now"
Indra's jaw tensed
"...I see"
There was an odd weight to his response
But Yuzuki didn't dwell on it
She already knew
Words were just that
Words
Nothing more, nothing less
Without waiting for further instruction, she closed her eyes
Chakra was a strange thing
A mix of the body and the mind
A bridge between two forces that, in her past life, had been too volatile to coexist
She let the energy flow, feeling the storm begin to build
Most people would focus on pain
On grief
On the raw, searing emotions that forced evolution
But she wasn't most people
Sorrow was anchored to reality
It was finite
It was something people tried to escape from
Lies?
Lies were infinite
Lies were free
They weren't bound by what was
They held the weight of what could be
The lies she had told in the past
The ones she had believed
The ones she still believed
She let them swirl, let them consume her thoughts, let them carve through her mind like fire through dry wood
The storm of emotions twisted, unbound and untethered, beautiful in its chaos
And with a quiet, deliberate breath, she poured it all into her eyes
-=-
Yuzuki's thoughts drifted, her mind circling the question
What would push me over the edge?
It wasn't a question of suffering
Not pain
Not grief
She had plenty of those
But they weren't hers
Not really
She closed her eyes, letting her chakra coil through her veins, letting it reach, deeper, further
The sensation burned, twisting beneath her skin like something alive
Not enough
It needed more
Lies
Deception
The foundation of everything she understood
Lies were not weighed down by truth
They were not shackled by reality
They were limitless
And she had told so many
She let herself sink into them, letting the thrill of deception flood her mind-
The satisfaction of a perfectly woven lie
The exhilaration of making others believe in something false
The knowledge that she could shape anything to her will
The moment stretched, tensed, as something inside her tilted
Heat flickered at the edges of her mindscape
Indra's gaze sharpened
A spark
Small
Almost insignificant
But it did not fade
It curled in the air, pulsing like a heartbeat
He took a step closer, then stopped
The pressure had changed
"What... is this?"
The air felt thick
Not hot, not cold, just heavy, like the weight of something unseen pressing down
And Yuzuki-
Yuzuki did not notice
She was still sinking
More
More
Just a little more...
The storm of thoughts gathered, feeding the growing fire, pushing past the edge of what her mind could hold-
And then-
Her eyes snapped open
The flames flared to life, swirling around her like a vortex, coiling up from the depths of her soul
A deep, unnatural crimson bled into her gaze
Not fire
Not heat
Something else entirely
Indra, still struggling to move forward, locked eyes with her
And for a brief moment-
He saw an inferno staring back at him
Yuzuki tilted her head
"Something wrong?"
Yuzuki blinked at Indra, tilting her head
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Indra still hadn't moved
"Your eyes"
He said slowly, his voice edged with something between disbelief and confusion
Yuzuki frowned
"Yeah? What about them?"
Indra's gaze sharpened
"They don't have tomoe
How is that possible?"
Yuzuki raised an eyebrow
"Hnn?"
"The three tomoe, the spinning shapes inside the Sharingan
The dojutsu"
She stared at him blankly
"Oh... Why's that important?"
Indra exhaled sharply, looking almost offended by the question
"You're asking me? Isn't this your doing?"
Yuzuki shrugged
"I mean... you're the one who explained how it works
I just followed along"
Indra opened his mouth
Stopped
Closed it
"You... Hnn
Good point"
Yuzuki flashed a smug grin
"Guess I'm so amazing I accidentally improved your bloodline"
Indra's expression immediately flattened
"(-_-)"
"What?"
Yuzuki's grin widened, her tone all faux innocence
"Nothing"
Indra muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose
"You should deactivate your eyes, though
You don't have enough chakra to keep them active for long"
Yuzuki blinked
"What? They're not draining my chakra"
Indra paused
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I don't feel anything being used"
Indra frowned, studying her more closely
"That's... odd"
Yuzuki shrugged
"I can send chakra to them, though
Like this"
She focused, directing her energy to her eyes
A tomoe flickered into existence in each one
Indra's brows furrowed as realization settled in
"Oh
I see"
Yuzuki narrowed her gaze
"See what?"
Indra folded his arms, his tone thoughtful
"It seems when you awakened your eyes... they might have permanently turned red
The tomoe only appear when you actively channel chakra"
Yuzuki blinked
"So... basically, I broke it?"
Indra gave her a deadpan look
"No, you mutated it
For some reason, normalcy just seems to avoid you"
Yuzuki smirked
"I'll take that as a compliment"
"Might as well"
Indra muttered dryly
Yuzuki leaned back, tapping her chin
"So is this a bad thing?"
Indra thought for a moment before shaking his head
"Most likely not
Your body is still forming
The mutation could just be an effect of that"
"Huh
That makes sense"
Yuzuki said, accepting it with zero concern
Indra studied her for a moment but said nothing
He thought back to the flames that had flickered to life around her earlier, the way the air had thickened, as if something old had stirred
He didn't comment on it
Some things were better left untouched
At least for now
-=Chapter End=-
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