Uchiha Tatsumi woke early, lying on the cold, hard ground.
Looking out from the mouth of the cave, he could just make out the faint glow of the sky. It was just before dawn—the horizon shimmered with soft red hues. A chill hung in the air, and everything was deathly still.
Mikoto lay on one side of him, Rope Tree on the other. Their slow, even breathing was the only sound. Gazing at the cold ashes of the campfire, Tatsumi knew he wouldn't be falling back asleep.
His eyes wandered to a spiderweb clinging to the ceiling of the cave. For some reason, it reminded him of the first time he'd met Yura and the others. It had only been a few days ago, yet it felt like another lifetime.
What's going to happen next...?
He lay still, thoughts drifting to the Iwa-nin, the war, the Land of Rain... and the comrades who had already fallen on the battlefield.
Suddenly, his Sharingan flared to life on its own. A rush of emotion surged in his chest.
Darkness seemed to press in from every side. Without warning, resentment took root in his heart—not just toward the Iwa shinobi, but toward the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, for letting this war begin in the first place.
The two tomoe in his Sharingan spun rapidly. His breathing quickened. The fury inside him intensified.
Then—abruptly—Uchiha Tatsumi sat up and pressed his hand to his eyes. The dark emotions that had overwhelmed him a moment earlier faded like a tide going out.
He gasped for air, shaken by the sudden intensity of it all.
So this is the Sharingan... the eye that reflects the heart.
He recalled the words of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju: the Uchiha possess a unique chakra that activates under extreme emotional duress, affecting the optic nerves and causing the Sharingan to evolve. The deeper the pain, the stronger the eye becomes.
Tatsumi stood. He needed to clear his head.
He walked quietly to the cave entrance.
The Land of Rain rarely saw sunshine. But dawn was an exception.
Though rain still fell, golden light broke through gaps in the heavy clouds. The distant mountains were painted in surreal gold, as if touched by something divine.
As Tatsumi stared out at the strange beauty, a feeling of déjà vu settled over him.
Footsteps sounded behind him. Rope Tree appeared and gently clapped him on the shoulder before sitting beside him.
"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Tatsumi asked.
"It's fine," Rope Tree said calmly. "Was it your injury again?"
Tatsumi shook his head, then turned toward him.
In the glow of his Sharingan, his right eye still held two tomoe—but in his left eye, there were now three.
Rope Tree stared. "...You know, I think I really am your lucky charm."
Tatsumi raised an eyebrow.
"Think about it," Rope Tree said, counting on his fingers. "You met me, and bam—you beat my entrance exam score. Every time we took a test after that, you snatched first place."
"Then during that fifth-grade mission, you awakened your two-tomoe Sharingan. And now? You've evolved to three tomoe in your left eye."
Tatsumi sighed. "You're really serious about this?"
Rope Tree nodded gravely. "Ever since I met you, my peaceful life's been ruined."
Tatsumi thought back—and broke into a cold sweat.
Second grade: threatened by Tsunade and nearly killed by her. Fifth grade: a supposedly safe C-rank mission turns into a disaster. They ran into a jōnin-level enemy and he was poisoned. That mission was the spark that ignited the Second Shinobi War.
And now, even after graduation, on a carefully selected "safe" mission from Orochimaru himself, he'd nearly been killed again—ambushed by Iwa-nin. Only three of them had survived.
Maybe Rope Tree really was cursed.
Tsunade had her infamous gambling curse—losing every single bet.
And Rope Tree? He might just be the "Lone Star of Misfortune." Any mission he joined—no matter how low-ranked—would spiral into chaos and bloodshed.
"Just look at Minato's team," Tatsumi muttered. "They never run into anything."
He patted Rope Tree on the shoulder. "Honestly? My luck's the one that's gone down the toilet."
Rope Tree blinked, then solemnly nodded. "Yeah… way worse."
"You think Yura got captured by Iwa-nin?" Rope Tree asked after a moment.
Tatsumi's eyes narrowed. "No. She's not like us. She knows exactly what happens to a kunoichi if she's caught."
He turned his gaze to the horizon. "A smart woman like her... she'd take her own life first."
"Yeah... she'd never let herself be taken," Rope Tree murmured.
The two boys laughed, but it was a dry, hollow sound—tinged with sadness.
---
Time passed slowly. The tall grass near the cave mouth had begun to wither.
In recent days, patrols of Iwa-nin had passed through often, forehead protectors etched with the kanji for "stone." They scoured the forests, inspecting the terrain and probing the caves.
Now and then, one would find a clue—only to spring a trap Tatsumi had laid. More than a few were taken out this way.
After several casualties and limited manpower, the patrols gradually reduced their frequency.
---
Today was Rope Tree's turn to scout. After confirming he wasn't being followed, he returned to the cave.
Inside, the space had transformed into a survivalist's den. Piles of salvaged supplies filled one corner—grains, cookware, and other essentials. A simple wooden table sat in the center.
Mikoto was busy preparing dinner. Tatsumi lay on the table, poring over a map.
"How'd it look?" he asked without lifting his head.
"At the spot we last saw Yura, there's a huge crater," Rope Tree reported. "Most of the other signs of fighting are gone."
Tatsumi nodded. That much was expected. It had been two weeks.
He gestured for Rope Tree to sit down and eat. But then his body tensed.
Rope Tree immediately dropped into a defensive crouch.
"Relax," Tatsumi said, holding up a hand. "It's not an enemy."
Footsteps echoed down the tunnel moments later.
A girl entered—her clothes ragged, her face pale. She stopped just at the edge of the firelight. Shadows cloaked her face, while flickering orange flames revealed her small frame.
Her expression was tense, her lips tight. Her wide eyes stared at a single point without blinking.
After a long, strained silence, she whispered, "C-could you spare... some food, Lord Shinobi?"
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