11. Sharingan

After the Hokage inauguration ceremony finished, Itachi and Beiyuan bought a bag of glutinous rice dumplings. Then, they stood under the Hokage building, waiting to go home with Fugaku.

Itachi still didn't realize that he had awakened the Sharingan, and naturally, he had no idea how to deactivate it. Since he had been using chakra to communicate with Beiyuan, of course his chakra capacity had grown. The massive chakra within his body which was much greater than any 5 year old could have was being used to sustain his Sharingan...

He simply stood on Konoha's streets, his Sharingan active, with a crow cawing beside him… until the police force noticed him.

For an Uchiha, awakening the Sharingan was a great milestone, but walking around the streets with it activated was definitely not allowed.

Just as the police force finished dispersing the crowd, Fugaku emerged from the Hokage Tower. Predictably, his first words upon seeing Itachi were:

"You awakened your eyes at this age… Truly worthy of being my son!"

Beiyuan: "…"

This… complimenting his son was becoming an addiction!

There was no denying it—Uchiha Itachi awakening the double-tomoe Sharingan at the age of five was something to be proud of as a father. And to awaken it during the Hokage inauguration ceremony, driven by intense emotions…

After hearing the news, the two Hokage immediately became wary of Uchiha Itachi. If Itachi weren't so young, they might have wanted to eliminate Uchiha Fugaku immediately and support his son's rise to power!

"Let's go home first. We'll talk on the way," Fugaku said as he placed his hand on the back of Itachi's neck. Then, he turned to the excited Uchiha clansmen and ordered, "You all go back too! And remember, don't say anything unnecessary to the clan."

"Yes, Captain!"

The little boy keenly sensed the shift in his father's emotions. "Father… are you unhappy?"

"Hmm? It's nothing like that! It just feels… incredible," Uchiha Fugaku replied. Then, for the first time, he picked up his son and suddenly laughed. "The last time I felt this way was when you were born!"

"…"

Beiyuan, who had spent his life indulging in good movies, fun games, and delicious snacks, and young Uchiha Itachi… both failed to grasp his sentiment.

Fortunately, Uchiha Mikoto's feelings were easier to understand.

"It's amazing, Itachi!" Mikoto praised as she placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. But when she looked up at her husband, there was concern in her eyes. "Itachi is still young… His body…"

"It's fine. He'll get used to it over time."

The younger an Uchiha awakens the Sharingan, the longer it remains active, making it easier to integrate with their chakra. The only real issue might be the psychological burden.

Rather than being fueled solely by negative emotions, the Sharingan activates due to a sudden surge in mental power triggered by intense emotions. This surge causes the body's cells to generate energy, which struggles to integrate with the newfound mental power, leading to the formation of chakra.

The Uchiha's bloodline refines this spiritual power into a unique chakra that flows into their eyes, thus activating the Sharingan.

Fortunately, Konoha's understanding of the Sharingan was shallow, leading to various misconceptions. Some believed it was fueled by negative emotions, others thought it required extreme emotional experiences, and some claimed it only activated after losing something precious.

Uchiha Itachi, who had just found a version of the Will of Fire he could believe in, now felt conflicted after hearing Beiyuan's thoughts on loyalty and family…

This matter must not be shared with outsiders.

As a Konoha villager, he had already been influenced by foreign ideals. What a rare talent! When it came to persuasion through words, who in Konoha could surpass him?

"Itachi, you need to learn how to control the chakra within your body in order to turn your Sharingan on and off," Fugaku instructed.

"First, keep your Sharingan activated until it exhausts your chakra. This will help you sense every pathway in your body that supplies chakra to your eyes. Then, try to slow down the flow of chakra to those points."

"But during this process, you must continue refining chakra! If your chakra depletes, your Sharingan will instinctively search for new sources, expanding the pathways that supply it.

"When your Sharingan stops forming new chakra pathways, memorize all the existing ones, then close off the supply channels to your eyes. That way, you'll be able to deactivate your Sharingan."

Fugaku's method was entirely different from what the police force taught.

Most ordinary Uchiha, after awakening their eyes, would immediately sever some chakra pathways to reduce their Sharingan's energy consumption, thereby prolonging the time they could keep it active.

However, Fugaku followed a different philosophy, one recorded in another set of teachings. He firmly believed his son would not stop at the three-tomoe Sharingan—nor even at the Mangekyō Sharingan.

According to the stone tablet in the Naka Shrine, Fugaku was convinced that the Mangekyō was not the final evolution of the Sharingan. And of all people, he saw Itachi as the most likely to reach that new realm.

Only someone who had unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan could truly understand the value of preserving their chakra pathways.

Beiyuan, on the other hand, couldn't understand any of it… yet he watched as Uchiha Itachi nodded seriously and sat cross-legged to refine his chakra.

…Wait. No. How did he understand that so quickly?!

At the same time, Uchiha Fugaku activated his Sharingan to observe the flow of chakra in his son's body. However, the sheer volume of chakra and the rate of refinement… were alarming.

Fugaku's Sharingan remained fixed on Itachi as he muttered, "As I said, first try to slow down the chakra input…"

The terminology was too technical—Beiyuan couldn't keep up.

Feeling out of place, he quietly stepped away, leaving the father and son to their training.

Mikoto stretched out her hand, signaling the crow to land on her arm. "Hmm? Beiyuan, do you think it's too boring inside?"

"Gah…"

Uchiha Mikoto didn't understand Beiyuan's cries, but she could read the crow's expressions—it was quite the expressive bird.

"I have something to ask you, Beiyuan," Mikoto said with a gentle smile, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Would that be alright?"

"…Gah."

Seeing the crow nod, Mikoto's expression turned worried.

"Itachi is an Uchiha, and he awakened his eyes during the Hokage's inauguration… Many clansmen will gossip about it behind his back."

"I know Itachi well—he has no real playmates. Fugaku-kun has many responsibilities, so he won't notice these things, but… I'm really worried."

Beiyuan considered her words. Uchiha Mikoto's concerns were different from Fugaku's. She wasn't focused on Itachi's future strength but rather his life within the clan. As expected of a mother…

It made sense. Itachi, having awakened his Sharingan at such a public event, would struggle to earn the trust of his fellow Uchiha. After all, how many Uchiha—aside from Shisui's family—were truly loyal to the Hokage?

Moreover, he was the son of the Uchiha clan leader…

Mikoto had thought everything through, but she still underestimated her son. Itachi was a strong child.

Just then, Mikoto's voice pulled Beiyuan from his thoughts.

"So, Beiyuan… would you come shopping for gifts with me?" She lifted her handbag. "If no one celebrates Itachi, won't he feel lost?"

"…Gah???"

No, it was Beiyuan who had underestimated her as a mother…