Invasion!?
Uchiha Shinji, or rather Shinji, was utterly baffled at this moment.
He was now wrapped in bandages, lying weakly on the bed, unable even to get up. Suddenly, a voice informed him that the dimension was under invasion!
And it gave a countdown...
After waiting for a long time without further explanation, Shinji called out in his heart: Hey, what do you mean by invasion? At least explain it clearly!
There was still no response.
It was as if everything earlier was just an auditory hallucination.
He felt very helpless, but there was nothing he could do. In his current state, even moving was difficult.
The next few days passed in a haze for Shinji.
This was mainly because his injuries were too severe.
The wound left by Uchiha Itachi on his chest was deep enough to expose the bone, severely damaging his lungs. Even with medical ninjutsu treatment, it would take time to recover.
And that mysterious voice continued to ring in his ears every day, reminding him of the decreasing countdown.
This made him realize that the mysterious voice wasn't just an illusion—it was real!
Undoubtedly.
After coming to this conclusion, he became even more frustrated!
As the days passed, the impact of the Uchiha Clan's massacre, the most prestigious clan in Hidden Leaf, gradually began to manifest.
Shinji's most direct experience was that everyone who saw him looked at him with sympathy.
In reality, most people in Hidden Leaf Village didn't have deep hatred toward the Uchiha Clan.
People were more resentful of the Uchiha Clan's arrogance and wary of their intimidating Sharingan.
After the Uchiha Clan was massacred, these everyday conflicts disappeared.
In their place were sighs and sympathy, after all, the Uchiha Clan had fought for Hidden Leaf in several Shinobi World Wars, paying a considerable price.
Shinji received treatment while trying to adapt to all of this.
At first, he was extremely fearful, worried that his identity as a transmigrator would be exposed, and afraid that someone would eradicate him as the last remnant of the Uchiha.
However, a few days passed, and the situation remained calm.
At least in the hospital, everyone showed him sympathy and kindness.
Thud!
Shinji fell heavily to the ground.
A nurse hurried over to help him up, concerned: "You're pushing yourself too hard. You should rest for a few more days before trying again!"
Enduring the pain, Shinji said: "The doctor said my injuries have mostly healed. I should start trying to move my body."
The nurse wanted to persuade him further: "But..."
"I can do it!"
Shinji refused the nurse's assistance.
He took a deep breath and tried to take another step.
Even though every step was incredibly difficult, he gritted his teeth and persevered.
Whether it was that strange countdown or the fact that he was a survivor of the Uchiha Clan massacre, he had no right to enjoy leisure.
Thud!
He fell again...
And got up again...
Over and over!
Even the nurse beside him couldn't help but turn her head away.
After an afternoon of training, Shinji finally managed to walk with difficulty.
The nurse didn't expect him to actually persist and couldn't help but remark: "It's simply unbelievable!"
Shinji said: "I want to go to the restroom."
The nurse smiled: "I'll help you get there."
"No need."
Shinji declined.
He went to the restroom alone, and after confirming that there was no one inside, he walked to a stall in the corner, closed the door, sat on the toilet, and lowered his head, covering his eyes with his hand.
Mangekyo Sharingan, activate!
As soon as he thought about it, the pupils in his eye sockets instantly changed.
The scarlet hue surged, and the black circles appeared!
In an instant.
His vision became incredibly clear, and the lines on his left hand, which was covering his eyes, were distinctly visible!
So this is the Mangekyo Sharingan...
At this moment, he was both surprised and delighted.
For the past few days, to avoid exposing the Mangekyo Sharingan, he had been suppressing the urge to activate it while lying immobile in bed.
Now that he finally had the chance to confirm it, his mind was at ease!
On his way back to the hospital room, he saw another survivor from his clan, Uchiha Sasuke!
However, that guy was still in a deep sleep due to the effects of Tsukuyomi, and it seemed like he wouldn't wake up anytime soon.
In the following days, Shinji continued to work hard to recover his body.
At first, he could barely walk.
With his relentless effort, he gradually regained the ability to jog and jump.
And that mysterious voice, which continued to ring in his ears every day, added a sense of urgency to his already busy life in the hospital.
Even though he still didn't understand what the so-called "invasion" referred to.
But preparing as much as possible could never be wrong.
A week after being admitted to the hospital.
While examining Shinji's body, the doctor marveled: "Your recovery speed is much faster than we expected."
Shinji replied: "Thank you."
The doctor shook his head: "Our medical ninjutsu can only heal wounds. Your physical recovery is the result of your hard work over the past few days."
Shinji clenched his fist and felt his strength.
His efforts during this period had not been in vain. Combined with medical ninjutsu treatment, his body had now mostly recovered.
After giving him some instructions, the doctor left the room.
No sooner had the doctor left when another figure entered, smiling as he asked Shinji: "How are you feeling today?"
Shinji nodded expressionlessly: "Much better."
The person asking was a young man with light blue hair and a smile on his face.
This young man was Shinji's instructor at the Academy, Mizuki.
However, Shinji knew he had another identity—Orochimaru's spy in Konoha.
Mizuki looked Shinji up and down before saying: "Your injuries have mostly healed. You can be discharged today."
Shinji nodded.
After completing the discharge procedures, Mizuki led Shinji to an apartment building.
He opened an apartment on the third floor and handed Shinji the key: "This will be your new home from now on."
Shinji glanced around the apartment and silently accepted the key.
Mizuki also handed him a bankbook and gave him some living tips before smiling and leaving.
After carefully closing the door, Shinji's expression finally showed some emotion.
The bankbook Mizuki handed over contained the village's compensation, totaling over seven million, which was no small amount.
After putting away the bankbook, Shinji looked out the window.
Although the apartment wasn't large, it was in the village's central area, just a few streets away from the Ninja Academy. The surroundings were bustling.
It was obvious.
The vast Uchiha compound was not something Shinji and the comatose Sasuke could guard.
So, being relocated by the village didn't surprise him.
As for the compensation of over seven million, it likely included some compensation for the village taking over the Uchiha's land.
However, thinking back to the scene he saw in the morgue, with the Uchiha Clan's near-thousand-year accumulation of wealth, and the Sharingan of those deceased Uchiha members, it was likely that all of it had fallen into the hands of the village.
In comparison, the seven million in compensation was nothing worth mentioning.
...
Night.
The streets of the village lit up with rows of lanterns and neon signs.
The warm lights seemed to disperse the chill of the night.
In the apartment, Shinji quietly gazed at the night view of Hidden Leaf Village, but his thoughts were focused on the room next door.
The occasional sounds from the neighboring apartment made him a bit paranoid, wondering if someone was monitoring his every move from there.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
If someone were really monitoring him from next door, they wouldn't make such noises for him to hear.
"I wonder who's living next door..."
After pondering this, he laid down on the bed, contemplating the future.
Until now, he still hadn't figured out why he had transmigrated.
The mysterious voice that mentioned the "Return Mission" and the "Invasion" only added to his confusion.
He had tried various methods to call out to that mysterious voice, attempting to communicate, but it was all in vain, as if it only existed in his imagination.
He cleared his mind: No matter what, I have to survive first!
Right now, he possessed a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan, which at least, before the Fourth Shinobi World War, was a trump card.
With the fall of the Uchiha, there weren't many enemies left who bore him ill will.
Aside from Danzo, who orchestrated the massacre, Orochimaru, who coveted the Sharingan, Itachi, who had killed him once, Tobi, who participated in the massacre, and other villages and organizations interested in the Uchiha's bloodline limits... well, okay, there were still plenty of threats!
So, staying in Konoha is much safer than wandering around!
This reasoning was easy to understand.
He was now a survivor of the Uchiha massacre. As long as the Third Hokage cared about his reputation and Hidden Leaf upheld the Will of Fire, no one would openly persecute him.
However, he was well aware that, unlike Sasuke, he didn't have Itachi's protection.
If he did something out of line, even if the Third Hokage wouldn't take action, Danzo would certainly not miss the opportunity to eliminate the last remnant of the Uchiha.
Just like in recent days, he occasionally felt a hidden gaze watching him.
Lay low for now!
He silently made up his mind.
[Dimensional invasion detected.]
[Countdown: 2]
Suddenly, the mysterious voice echoed in his ears again.
His expression darkened.
The countdown had gone from "9" a week ago to "2" now, which undoubtedly meant that one number represented one day.
A countdown of "2" meant there were only two days left.