The room fell silent.
Only Ren's breathing remained.
Uchiha Ren took a deep breath, feeling his heartbeat quicken. His grip tightened around the Spark Lens in his hand.
He recalled the posture—faint and distant in his memory.
His arm swung forward, then raised high above his head.
Almost instinctively, he lowered his voice.
"…Transform."
...
Nothing happened.
The room remained still.
Only the faint echo of his own voice lingered awkwardly in the air.
The Spark Lens rested in his raised hand, its crystalline surface reflecting soft light.
No brilliance.
No transformation.
No miracle.
Ren blinked.
The excitement that had surged moments ago deflated instantly.
He glanced at the unresponsive device, his expression twitching slightly.
Then—
He inhaled again, repositioned his stance, and tried once more.
'Wrong posture? Wrong trigger?'
'Think. Think carefully…'
Then—
He froze.
A memory surfaced.
Transformation required compatibility.
A specific kind of "light."
"…Seriously?"
He lowered his arm slowly.
A quiet frustration slipped through his composure.
"So even childhood dreams come with requirements."
He exhaled and gave up trying for the moment.
—
With a flicker of movement, he returned to the living room and dropped onto the sofa.
The earlier excitement faded, replaced by contemplation.
'There must be another way.'
He leaned back, eyes narrowing slightly.
'If it absorbs energy… then maybe it just needs time.'
Without hesitation, he channeled his Sharingan power into the Spark Lens.
The energy flowed in—
And vanished.
Like water into a bottomless abyss.
No visible reaction.
But—
He could feel it.
The device was absorbing it.
Storing it.
'…So it's a charger type.'
'Great.'
He clicked his tongue lightly.
—
From the kitchen, a voice called out.
"Food's ready!"
Ren set the Spark Lens down on the table and headed over.
Behind him—
The orange cat wandered back into the living room, tail swaying lazily.
It hopped onto the sofa, about to curl up—
Then paused.
Its eyes landed on the object on the table.
"…What's this?"
Curious, it padded closer.
The Spark Lens lay there, faintly glowing under the warm light.
Something about it felt… inviting.
The cat tilted its head.
Then reached out a paw—
And pressed down.
—
At that exact moment—
Light.
Soft.
Pure.
The Spark Lens flickered gently, as if responding.
The cat froze.
Then grabbed it with both paws, waving it clumsily.
After a few seconds—
It stopped.
Its expression turned… unimpressed.
"…Doesn't make any sound."
"The light isn't even that bright…"
Its ears drooped.
"Boring."
—
In the dining area—
Ren sat frozen.
Staring.
Watching his cat casually wave around the glowing artifact.
His brain stalled.
'…What?'
'No. Wait.'
'That's not how this is supposed to work.'
He blinked once.
Twice.
Still happening.
The cat—
Was triggering it.
His mind raced.
'So it works…'
'But not for me?'
A strange mix of disbelief and irritation flickered across his face.
He stared at the Spark Lens again—
Then at the cat—
Then back again.
'…Interesting.'
Slowly, his expression steadied.
If it could respond—
Then it could be used.
That was all that mattered.
He finished his meal without tasting it.
Then, in a blur, he reappeared in the living room.
The cat had already curled up, fast asleep.
The Spark Lens lay quietly beside it.
Ren reached out—
The moment his fingers touched it—
Something shifted.
A faint pulse.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
It responded.
To him.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
'So it's not rejection…'
'Just… incomplete.'
He picked it up, feeling that strange resonance deepen ever so slightly.
For a moment, he simply stood there in silence.
Then—
A faint smile appeared.
'Good enough.'
'If it works… it works.'
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