The next morning, Uchiha Kei yawned as he woke up, his face looking groggy and exhausted.
Anyone who didn't know better might've thought he spent last night in some unspeakably wild group activity.
In reality, all he did was tinker with the game he'd created—developing a trial version. On top of that, he'd taken things further by diving deeper into its development.
The idea came to him yesterday afternoon, after Uchiha Fugaku's... highly entertaining gameplay session. Kei thought it'd be a real waste not to let others experience something so hilariously dramatic.
Back then, it was just a passing idea. He wasn't sure it was possible. So last night, he gave it a proper look.
To his surprise, Kei actually figured something out. It wasn't exactly what he envisioned, but it was usable.
Today, he planned to let the Uchiha higher-ups try the trial version—perfect for field testing.
With that in mind, Kei washed up, ate breakfast, and was about to head out when he sensed someone outside. Alert, he quietly drew a kunai and opened the door carefully.
But there was no danger waiting—just a beautiful woman clad in the Uchiha clan's signature black robe.
She looked to be in her twenties, elegant and composed, fitting the classic image of a cool, dignified Uchiha woman. Though her long hair was an unusual deep purple rather than black, her presence was strong—clearly at Jōnin level, albeit not quite on the same tier as Minato Namikaze.
Kei recognized her immediately. She had entered the academy a year ahead of him—his senpai.
"Jiri-senpai, what brings you to my place?" Kei asked, surprised.
Uchiha Jiri was a genius among the Uchiha's younger generation. She had awakened the fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan by the age of twenty. In a clan that traditionally favored males, her ability to stand out as a capable kunoichi and reach the Jōnin rank was rare.
In school, she had always been a top student—a classic Uchiha prodigy, basking in praise and glory. Even after graduation, she remained a star of her generation.
Now, she was one of the core members of the Konoha Military Police Force—one of their strongest operatives. Her status was worlds apart from Kei's. Their relationship, at most, consisted of casual greetings.
They simply existed in different spheres.
Yet today, she stood before Kei with a complicated look in her eyes. Then she dropped to one knee and said respectfully, "Lord Kei, the clan head has sent me to receive you."
Kei blinked. Then it clicked—Fugaku must've reported the genjutsu game to the clan elders.
He'd expected that his status might rise because of the game, but this? This was on a whole different level.
Jiri was among the strongest in the younger generation—easily top ten in the entire clan. And now the elders had sent *her* to escort him? Addressing him as "Lord"?
In a society so rigidly hierarchical, calling someone "-dono" or "Lord" wasn't just a title—it signified absolute deference, a master-servant relationship.
For her to call him that meant the rest of the clan would soon follow suit.
It was... strange.
But not unpleasant.
Maybe if this had happened right after he transmigrated, he would've found it uncomfortable. But now, after eighteen years of a mundane life with no cheats, he'd long adjusted his mindset.
He'd used that honorific plenty himself. If others could accept it without issue, why couldn't he?
Kei nodded. "Alright. Let's go."
And with that, he and Jiri headed for the Uchiha district.
Along the way, she walked half a step behind him, on his right—clearly adopting the posture of a subordinate. Her expression remained calm, showing no hint of discomfort.
She had clearly accepted the new order.
Kei's feelings, however, were complicated. This woman had once been someone he looked up to. And now, she was practically acting as his retainer.
Weird, to say the least.
But he knew this would become the norm. The entire clan's attitude would shift—assuming the genjutsu game's effects held up.
Jiri was special to Kei in a way, not because of their brief overlap in school, or because she was once held up as the "other family's perfect child" that Kei was compared to.
No, it was because she had appeared in the anime.
Not the manga—just in the filler episodes.
In canon, the forbidden jutsu Izanami was created during an internal conflict in the Warring States era. The manga never specified the creator—only that it was developed by an unnamed Uchiha ancestor.
Then the anime came along and—like the genius it is—made Jiri the creator of Izanami.
Which would've been fine if not for the setting: a post-village Uchiha civil war, with everyone wearing Konoha forehead protectors, punching each other out until Jiri used Izanami to end the chaos.
And of course, she had the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Excuse me?
When did the Uchiha ever have a civil war *after* the founding of Konoha? And post-foundation, no one awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—not even Uchiha Kagami, that legendary Second Hokage disciple. He only ever reached three-tomoe.
Let's be real: if the Uchiha ever did fall into civil war, the higher-ups in Konoha would be *thrilled*. They'd fan the flames just to weaken the clan further. No way the Uchiha could have remained strong after that.
The anime-original storyline was absurd.
When Kei first saw Jiri in this real shinobi world, he actually panicked—thinking he'd landed in some anime filler timeline.
Turns out, she was just a regular Uchiha. Exceptionally talented, yes. But nowhere near the level of future monsters like Shisui or Itachi. And let's not even talk about the cheat code known as Ōtsutsuki Sasuke.
Still, Jiri was an elite. If she joined the ANBU, she'd be a top-tier operative.