Darkness. Cold. Silence. That was all he remembered at the moment of death. The boy had lived a life filled with heartbreak, trials, and the loneliness of being different. He had no one at the end—no family, no lover, not even enemies who would mourn his passing. Yet, he smiled in his final breath, whispering, "If I had another chance, I'd live for them…"
When he next opened his eyes, they were not his. Not fully. The reflection staring back at him was that of a child, barely a few months old, with spiky black hair and deep midnight eyes. But the soul inside was not new.
His memories were intact.
His knowledge—intact.
His soul, however… had fused, aligned, and become one with this new world.
He had been reborn as Sasuke Uchiha.
But he was not the Sasuke this world knew. Not the cold, vengeful child driven by hate. No, this Sasuke was something far more complicated. He cared, he loved, and above all, he remembered. Every book he'd read in his previous life. Every science, technique, story, and tragedy—etched into his mind like scars across his soul.
And with that knowledge came a gift. Or perhaps, a curse.
The Corp Ability.
A power unlike any kekkei genkai. Through touch, through the slightest trace of DNA, even by absorbing the chakra of an opponent, he could copy and evolve their abilities. Not mimic—surpass. He didn't just replicate powers; he perfected them.
But he kept this secret close to his heart, as he did his reincarnated self. He was a stranger in this familiar world, and no one could know the truth. Not even the most powerful sensory ninjas, dojutsu, or sealing techniques could probe the depths of his soul. His very essence was cloaked by something beyond this realm—a divine integration that masked his origins from all detection.
Even the mighty Sharingan, which would later bloom in his eyes, could never reveal the truth.
---
The Uchiha compound buzzed quietly with morning life. His mother, Mikoto, hummed softly as she cradled him. Her touch was gentle, maternal warmth radiating from every movement. Her voice was soft and full of love—something the original Sasuke barely had time to hold onto before tragedy struck.
He clung to her thumb with his tiny fingers, studying her face with grown eyes hidden behind a baby's body. I'll save you. All of you. The vow echoed in his heart like the cry of thunder before a storm.
Fugaku Uchiha, ever the stoic clan head, entered silently. His eyes passed over his youngest son and his wife with a faint nod of approval. His presence radiated pressure, but the boy was unbothered. He had faced far worse in his last life.
"Itachi has another mission," Fugaku said sternly.
"Already?" Mikoto asked, worry clouding her features.
The boy's eyes flickered. So it begins… the path to massacre.
---
As months turned to years, the boy grew. His Sharingan awakened earlier than expected—far earlier. He had controlled it since he was four, though he kept it hidden from others. No one needed to know that his dojutsu had evolved even at such a young age.
He trained alone under moonlight, perfecting his chakra control, physical stamina, and adapting to jutsu he read from scrolls. In secret, he began to test his Corp ability.
He touched a stray leaf touched by his mother, feeling the warmth of her chakra—and with a silent breath, he felt her natural chakra affinity: fire and water. He absorbed the traces, and his chakra twisted with hers subtly.
He now held both elements, and something stronger: a hybrid mutation of boiling steam chakra forming quietly inside his core. And it was only the beginning.
Then came the day of his first spar at the academy.
---
"Come on, Uchiha! Let's see what you've got!" one boy barked.
The young reincarnated Sasuke blinked slowly. He was careful to keep his reactions normal. No showing off. No killing intent.
"Okay," he said softly, stepping into the ring.
Iruka-sensei smiled. "Just a friendly match, boys. No serious techniques."
But when the match began, everything changed.
The boy rushed at him—clumsy, all emotion, no strategy. Sasuke didn't move. He simply reached out with a finger, tapped the boy's wrist as the punch came in, and sidestepped without effort.
In that moment, chakra connected.
Corp activated.
A rush of power entered him—nothing great, but enough to refine the boy's flawed taijutsu into a crisper, cleaner form. That's two percent gain.
Sasuke twisted and swept his opponent to the ground gently but decisively. The class fell silent.
Iruka blinked. "That was… efficient."
The boy just smiled slightly. "I guess I'm learning."
---
That night, under the stars, Sasuke stood on a rooftop overlooking the Uchiha district.
He stared toward the Hokage Monument, eyes glowing faintly. His Sharingan activated for a brief moment before fading again. So much to do. So much to protect. And no one knew the true burden he carried.
But he would fight.
He would fight for his family, for the lovers he would one day meet, and for a future no longer bound to revenge, but to hope.
"Let them underestimate me," he whispered to the wind.
The night didn't answer. But the stars shimmered brighter.