Uchiha clan compound.
Inside a traditional-style home.
Uchiha Kaien stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Clear, bright eyes. Soft, arched brows. Long eyelashes that trembled ever so slightly. Fair, flawless skin with a faint rosy hue.
His face was almost doll-like, but Kaien's current expression was anything but cheerful. His brows were furrowed, and though the look of concern on his small face made him appear all the more adorable, he was clearly troubled. With a nervous heart, he checked beneath the blanket.
Letting out a long breath, he muttered,
"Phew… still there. Thank god."
"Do all Uchiha boys look this pretty?" Kaien tilted his head, genuinely puzzled.
He was still young, sure—but looking at this face, there was absolutely nothing that said "boy." Even his voice had that ethereal, almost genderless quality.
Still, thinking about how little Sasuke was often mistaken for a girl back in the day, Kaien wasn't too worried. It didn't matter if he looked cute now—as long as he grew up handsome, all was well.
"But man, this starting point sucks," Kaien sighed.
Classic orphan opening.
Both of his parents were elite jōnin of the Uchiha clan, each possessing fully awakened three-tomoe Sharingan. His father had even been considered a cut above the rest—what people called an elite among elite jōnin.
Unfortunately, the two of them died during an unnamed mission, leaving Kaien alone to guard this oversized house by himself.
What made their deaths even more suspicious was the nature of their assignment. It had only been a routine escort mission to the Land of Iron. The client, a wealthy friend of Kaien's father, had insisted on hiring the couple purely out of familiarity and overcaution.
No one expected both Uchiha jōnin to die mid-mission.
The original Kaien couldn't handle the loss. His emotions spiraled out of control, and eventually, his consciousness just… vanished.
It only took Kaien half a day of sorting through inherited memories to understand why the original had been so fragile.
It was simple: his parents had been strong enough to give him a carefree life, and they loved him deeply. He'd never experienced hardship.
That overwhelming love had even triggered his Sharingan awakening at the age of five—two tomoe right out of the gate. Not because he was some reincarnated powerhouse, just a regular Uchiha with untapped potential buried in his bloodline. But that awakening pushed his body beyond its limit, and he blacked out on the spot.
From that moment, the original consciousness was gone.
And now, Kaien—who didn't belong to this world to begin with—found himself in the Shinobi World, inhabiting this body.
It didn't take long for him to realize just how weak he was now. The burst of potential had left this body seriously drained, and his stamina was far below average.
"With a start like this, if I don't get a cheat ability or something… I'm basically screwed."
Kaien stared blankly at the [System] screen in front of him.
[Host]: Uchiha Kaien[Status]: Bloodline Limit (Two-Tomoe Sharingan) — Potential Overdrawn. Bloodline Syndrome Active. Body in a constant weakened state.[Jutsu]: Fireball Jutsu, Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, Body Replacement Technique[Chakra]: 20
No wonder he felt like crap. Bloodline syndrome. Honestly, just being weak was lucky—at least he wasn't coughing up blood or anything.
Even Itachi died young despite being a genius. Kaien had no intention of following that route.
Aside from the personal status panel, the system also had a lottery interface—with a very helpful note: First draw guaranteed to yield a purple item.
Kaien didn't hesitate. He tapped the draw button.
A virtual wheel spun rapidly before a faint violet glow flashed across the screen.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Dan Heng Template.](Don't worry if you don't recognize this character—it won't affect your reading experience.)
Dan Heng: A core member of the Astral Express from Honkai: Star Rail. Attribute: The Hunt. Due to excessive power levels, activating adaptive mode.Path of The Hunt (Wind) has been converted to Wind (Chakra) Affinity.Congratulations, Host has acquired innate Wind Release Chakra Affinity.Energy source has been adapted into chakra system. Power has been adjusted accordingly.
Dan Heng, huh... Kaien remembered his Trailblazer level only being around 30.
"Wonder if I'll get a chance to grind that again someday…"
[Please explore on your own.]
(T/N: I really don't like templates that are taken from nowhere and have unclear features. Some of the errors may be.)
A long spear materialized out of thin air in front of Kaien.
Its name: Cloudpiercer.
The shaft was deep forest green, with a blade that resembled a sword. Beneath it sat a twin-colored energy core—yin and yang intertwined. It had been modified to absorb chakra, letting it shift size as needed. The grip was black and red, carved with mysterious ancient patterns.
[Unlocked: Cloud Cavalry Spear Arts – North Wind][Unlocked: Cloud Cavalry Spear Arts – Swift Rain]
"That's it? A spear and a couple moves? That's the whole prize?"
[Please explore on your own.]
"How helpful," Kaien muttered. "This system's got the personality of a brick."
Still, it wasn't the worst outcome. This period of time was relatively safe.
The First Great Ninja War had ended decades ago. The Second hadn't even begun. Kaien had time—time to grow stronger.
Besides, the Uchiha clan was still thriving. Nothing like the weakened state they'd be in by the time of the massacre.
In this era, with a young Third Hokage and Danzo not yet transformed into the manipulative shadow known as "Kage Behind the Curtain," this was the golden window for peaceful development.
Even with the orphan start, Kaien wasn't lacking for resources. His parents had left behind plenty of money. He followed his inherited memories to the family vault—and was met with stacks upon stacks of cash. And that was just the surface. Below were several layers of sealed scrolls.
According to memory, those scrolls were also full of money...
Gurgle~
Kaien swallowed instinctively.
"With this much, I won't have to worry about living expenses until I'm an adult."
Knock knock!
A knock echoed from the front gate.
Kaien frowned. Who could that be? Still, he obediently headed over to answer.In the Uchiha compound, only another Uchiha would come knocking.
Maybe it was someone from the clan bringing support? He certainly didn't look like he could live on his own. Hell, he was a walking vase right now—and he had bloodline syndrome, no less.
Kaien leaned the newly acquired Cloudpiercer against the wall and headed toward the door, calling out as he walked:
"Hang on! I'm coming!"
...
Uchiha Fugaku looked down at the small figure who opened the door.
He had just graduated from the Ninja Academy, officially a Genin of Konoha now. A proud moment. On top of that, he wore the badge of the Uchiha Police Force on his arm, marking his dual identity.
He stared blankly at the kid standing before him.
Dark hair, dark eyes. Delicate features. An oversized shirt that hung down past the short shorts underneath, giving the illusion of bare legs.
"Put on some proper clothes," was Fugaku's first deadpan comment.
"...???"