Chapter 189 — Fool, Enlightenment
At Yōhei's home, in the training yard of the Uchiha Clan Compound, the spar had barely begun when something felt off.
His father, Shōsuke, immediately sensed it.
Oppression.
A suffocating pressure pressed down on his Sharingan, as if it were being suppressed.
It was a feeling he hadn't experienced since the days when his eyes had only one or two tomoe. Ever since reaching three tomoe, that sensation had completely disappeared—
Until now.
He looked closely at Yōhei's eyes.
Three tomoe. No mistake.
Yet something wasn't right.
If Yōhei were skilled in genjutsu, Shōsuke might have suspected he'd already been caught in an illusion.
But Yōhei wasn't that type.
And the problem didn't stop at vision.
For the Uchiha, the Sharingan wasn't just a tool—it was a crutch. Remove its full function, and most Uchiha would struggle to even display half their strength.
Shōsuke was exactly that kind.
So when Yōhei forced him back in just a few exchanges, silence fell over the training ground.
Both of them were stunned.
Neither had yet grasped what was truly happening.
Unwilling to accept it, Shōsuke launched several more attacks—
But each one was easily neutralized.
Gradually, Yōhei's lips began to curl upward.
Perhaps it was years of being suppressed by his father.
Or maybe it reminded him of how he used to dominate Obito in training.
Or perhaps—
Something in his brain just… snapped.
Because suddenly, Yōhei started talking.
And once he started—
He didn't stop.
"Come on, Father, you'll have to try harder than that."
"No, no—that move should've gone lower."
"Why does your taijutsu feel so soft? Didn't you eat today?"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became.
Each sentence hit like a dagger straight to his father's pride.
Until—
"Enough!!"
A furious roar snapped Yōhei back to reality.
He froze.
Looking at his father's darkened expression, a chill ran down his spine.
…I'm dead.
"F-Father… I didn't mean it…"
"Didn't mean it?" Shōsuke stepped forward, his aura rising with every step. "So you meant it, then?"
"N-No—Father, spare me!"
Yōhei's voice rose into a panicked shout, desperately hoping his mother would come to his rescue.
She didn't.
In the next moment—
His ear was grabbed.
Twisted.
"AAAAH—! I'm dying! I'm dying!"
His scream echoed like a pig being slaughtered.
He didn't even dare resist—only standing on tiptoe, trying to lessen the pain.
But Shōsuke wasn't finished.
Still holding his ear, he began kicking Yōhei's backside repeatedly.
"How's that? Enough strength now? Want me to go harder?!"
The "lesson" lasted a full ten minutes before Yōhei's mother finally intervened.
From that moment on—
In Shōsuke's eyes, his son became utterly insufferable.
"A brat with wings now thinks he can fly. If I don't discipline him, he'll forget who his father is!"
That night, in the parents' room—
Shōsuke, now calm, suddenly spoke:
"Yōhei's Sharingan… isn't normal."
His wife, Mika, blinked in surprise.
"You're still upset about earlier? Isn't it a good thing he can beat you?"
Shōsuke shot her a look. "Do I seem that petty? I'm serious."
Seeing his expression, Mika sat up, now fully attentive.
"You know how higher-level Sharingan suppress lower ones," Shōsuke said slowly. "Today… I felt that suppression from him."
"That's impossible…"
Mika frowned, thinking.
Then something came to mind.
"There are… legends," she said cautiously. "Of a higher form beyond three tomoe. Like the eyes of Madara Uchiha…"
Her voice trailed off.
That power hadn't appeared in generations.
Shōsuke froze.
Then—
Excitement surged through him.
No ordinary Jōnin could exert that level of pressure on his Sharingan.
Which meant…
He stood up abruptly, pacing.
Several times, he nearly went to confront Yōhei—
Only to stop himself each time.
After a long silence, he sighed.
"…Forget it. Children have their own paths. If he hasn't told us, he must have his reasons."
With that, he lay back down.
Mika watched him quietly, saying nothing until he had made his decision.
Then she lay beside him again.
"Yōhei may be unreliable sometimes… but when it matters, he never wavers. We should trust him."
A quiet "Mm" was his only reply.
The room fell silent.
The next day—
Yōhei finally began to feel the consequences.
He had assumed his father's anger would fade overnight.
It didn't.
His father's face remained cold all day.
Even his mother stopped talking to him.
The atmosphere at home became suffocating.
By the fourth day, he couldn't take it anymore.
Using "training" as an excuse, he fled the house.
Meanwhile—
Taichi had just finished his morning routine and was heading out to buy materials for more sealing Tags.
If all went well, he could finish production by noon.
And in the afternoon—
He would begin improving the Flying Thunder God Technique.
If he could complete it before the next mission…
Then Nonō and the others would truly be safe.
After visiting several shops, he finally gathered all the materials—though prices had risen by nearly 20% due to the war.
Some items even required proof of ninja status to purchase.
Sighing at the inconvenience, Taichi turned to head home—
And then he saw him.
A figure in the distance.
Listless.
Like a stray dog with nowhere to go.
"…Yōhei?"
Taichi blinked.
What happened to him?
Curiosity stirred immediately.
He quickened his pace and caught up—
Then simply followed behind.
But Yōhei walked aimlessly, as if his soul had left his body.
He didn't even notice Taichi right behind him.
Taichi couldn't hold back anymore.
He slapped Yōhei on the shoulder and barked, "Yōhei!"
The sudden shout jolted him awake. Yōhei snapped out of his daze, turned his head—and the moment he saw Taichi, his eyes actually started to glisten.
That nearly gave Taichi a heart attack.
What the hell?
I didn't even hit him that hard!
Without wasting another second, Taichi grabbed him and leapt onto the rooftops, dragging him all the way back home. Yōhei didn't resist at all, letting himself be pulled along like a lifeless puppet.
Back in the courtyard, Taichi finally let go, sat him down, and quickly brought over a cup of water.
"Alright, talk. What happened to you? You don't look like a ninja at all right now."
Now Taichi finally understood why Yōhei had awakened the Mangekyō so easily.
Yes, his hard training played a role—but more importantly, it was his emotional depth.
Unlike other Uchiha whose emotions burned loudly and openly, Yōhei's feelings were sharp and sensitive. Every kindness, every slight—he felt them all deeply.
That sensitivity… was the true catalyst.
After a long silence, Yōhei finally steadied himself and explained everything that had happened at home—how he'd spoken, what he'd done, and how he'd basically talked himself into becoming "homeless."
Taichi stared at him like he was looking at an idiot.
Seriously—just how brainless do you have to be to talk to your own father like that during a spar? That wasn't guidance—that was straight-up provocation.
And the worst part?
He still didn't understand what he'd done wrong.
Yōhei shifted uncomfortably under Taichi's gaze, wondering if something was wrong with him.
"You… do realize that higher-level Sharingan suppress lower-level ones, right?" Taichi asked flatly.
Yōhei blinked.
Then shook his head.
He genuinely didn't know.
When he was weaker, he might have experienced suppression—but as he grew stronger, that sensation disappeared. And no one had ever explained it to him.
It wasn't entirely his fault.
He had grown too fast.
In just over three years since graduation, his physical strength had already reached Jōnin level, and his Sharingan had evolved into the Mangekyō. Even in Konoha, he was a full-fledged prodigy.
Some lessons… he'd simply skipped.
Taichi sighed and rubbed his forehead before explaining.
"When a Sharingan is active, if you don't consciously suppress it, your ocular power leaks out naturally. For ordinary people, that doesn't matter—but for weaker Sharingan users, it does."
"They'll feel suppressed. Their vision, their reactions—even their overall strength gets affected."
Yōhei wasn't stupid.
As soon as he heard that—and thought back to the spar—his expression changed.
"You mean… my father…"
"Exactly," Taichi nodded. "We can't be 100% certain, but it's very likely."
Yōhei frowned. "Then why… is he still so cold toward me?"
Taichi rolled his eyes.
"You really don't get it? You took the way you talk to Obito… and used it on your own father. The fact he didn't beat you to death means he's already incredibly patient."
Yōhei froze.
Then slapped his thigh.
"I'm such an idiot!"
Unlike many people who never realize their mistakes—even when told—Yōhei understood immediately.
He even smacked himself twice in frustration.
"Damn it… this is all Obito's fault. I got too used to lecturing him. Next time I see him, I'll—"
Taichi's face darkened.
"Maybe take it easy. This is what you call karma."
Yōhei just laughed sheepishly, already getting up.
"Alright, I'll head back. Gotta fix things at home."
"Wait," Taichi stopped him.
"If your parents have already guessed about your Mangekyō—and chose to keep quiet—then just be honest with them. But don't let this spread any further. And learn to control your ocular power."
Yōhei thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah. I will."
He turned to leave again—
"Wait again," Taichi called out, already heading inside.
Moments later, he returned with a pendant.
"Here. Wear this. It's for emergencies."
It was the only completed sealing Tags Taichi had made so far—now strung on a cord into a necklace.
Yōhei took it, his expression turning serious the moment he heard it could save his life. He still remembered the last one Taichi had given him—that had already saved him once.
"This is an upgraded version," Taichi explained. "It can briefly restrain a standard Jōnin. You already know how to use it."
Yōhei carefully hung it around his neck and patted his chest.
Between brothers, no thanks were needed.
He turned and left.
As for what kind of storm awaited him at home—and how he'd explain both his behavior and his Mangekyō—that was his problem now.
Taichi watched him go, then turned back inside.
With his first success behind him, the next attempts went smoothly. Not a single failure.
By noon, he had completed two more sealing Tags.
Rubbing his sore wrist, Taichi allowed himself a satisfied smile.
One for Nonō.
One for Saori.
His first objective—
Complete.