Chapter 98: Awakening

A meteor, trailing a long tail, its blue phosphorescent comet tail cut a long arc across the sky.

It was a starry spring night. Looking up at the starlit sky, watching the multitude of stars, Toshiro's weary soul seemed to return to the embrace of the earth.

The surrounding grass and soil were filled with the breath of nature, giving his anxious soul a slight sense of tranquility.

He gazed up at the radiant Milky Way in the night sky.

Toshiro's thoughts returned to this morning when he rescued Uchiha Homura and decapitated the bandit leader in one swift move.

The bandit leader's head, severed by his own forceful strike, flew off, leaving a headless corpse standing upright. Bright red blood sprayed from the neck with a 'hiss,' splattering his face and filling his nostrils with a foul stench.

It all replayed in Toshiro's mind like a slow-motion film, each frame continually shocking his psyche.

Under the dark night sky, a small figure sat by the extinguished campfire, silently resisting the reproaches from the depths of his own conscience.

Compared to Uchiha Homura and Tetsu, who grew up in this world of ninjas, Toshiro, who had transmigrated, seemed to find it more difficult to accept the fact that he had become a murderer.

Since nightfall, insomnia had gripped him. Unlike Homura and Tetsu, who had tossed and turned for a while in their sleeping bags before finally falling asleep in the latter half of the night, Toshiro couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried. 

Resigned, he took over the solemn task of night watch from his companions.

He had no choice; closing his eyes made those bloody scenes reappear in his mind as if cursed, haunting him without end!

In his previous life, he had grown up in a relatively peaceful world. In the country he lived in, despite various issues, the concept of 'murderer', which was nearly synonymous with a demon, was extremely remote from his life.

In his memory, the most he had seen were scenes of fish being killed in the market.

After transmigrating to this world, he knew that this day would inevitably come. However, when it did arrive, the impact far exceeded his expectations.

During the day, it was better. He could distract himself by keeping busy, preventing his thoughts from lingering too much on those nauseating scenes. But avoidance could not solve the problem; he could only silently bear this bitter fruit under the dark night sky alone.

Gazing at the radiant Milky Way and the bright crescent moon in the dark sky, Toshiro reminisced about his past life.

His love! His friends! How were they now?

Fortunately, he was an orphan in his previous life too, with parents who had died early and no marriage or children. Otherwise, whether to look after the young or care for the old in this new world would be impossible to fathom!

Even so, the people who had silently supported him during his toughest times...

"I'm sorry! I really can't go back!"

With a long sigh within his heart, he silently uttered these words. He could only fail to live up to their deep emotions and hope that they would find a better life.

Ever since confirming his transmigration, Toshiro had been avoiding his past life. Whenever certain scenes triggered memories, he deliberately made himself forget those pictures.

His childhood, carefree under his parents' care, suddenly darkened when he lost their protection. To gain respect, he constantly studied hard, striving as a youth. Later, after entering the societal ivory tower, he experienced various worldly joys and sorrows.

These bit by bit, scene by scene, replayed as if yesterday, plunging him into deeper melancholy and causing unexpected changes in him.

"Toshiro! Your eyes!!!" 

At this moment, Uchiha Shigemasa, sleeping in his sleeping bag, seemed to sense something and abruptly opened his eyes to look at Toshiro, almost not believing what he saw!

A flash of crimson light passed through those eyes.

"Eyes?"

Initially unaware, it was only after his sensei's reminder that Toshiro noticed his vision was different from usual. Reaching out his right hand, he realized he could clearly see the lines on his palm even in the dim environment. 

Finally, he became aware!

He had awakened the highly coveted Bloodline Limit of a ninja!

The 'Sharingan,' known to be at the pinnacle of the ninja world and the hallmark of the Uchiha clan's fame, had awakened in him this night!

Yet inside, he felt no joy, only deep loss. The stark contrast to Uchiha Shigemasa, now unable to contain his excitement beside him!

"So this is the 'Sharingan'? Truly an eye bathed in blood and tears!"

With such a sigh, Toshiro watched Shigemasa approach. He couldn't find the words to describe his chaotic emotions.

"Indeed, you've awakened the 'Sharingan'! And it's a 'Double Tomoe'! Tremendous talent!"

The term 'Double Tomoe' referred to two symmetrical comma-like shapes in the iris. Contrary to his original thoughts, the Uchiha clan referred to their Sharingans using different 'Tomoe' levels: 'Single Tomoe,' 'Double Tomoe,' and even 'Straight Tomoe' corresponding to the Mangekyou Sharingan and such things.

This was one of many surprising facts he learned upon arriving in this world.

For convenience, he decided to continue referring to the Sharingan by 'Tomoe' henceforth.