The early winter winds were already coiling through the streets of Konoha when the Hyuga Clan began its internal reform. Word had spread like fire through dry grass: the Hyuga Elders had finally permitted experimental forms of Juken to be explored among lower-branch members, just so they prove Hizashi's methods wrong. Among the most striking deviations was Hotaru Hyuga... a reserved but creative male of the branch family, who had won against a main family member in a recent showdown.
In a recent joint mission with the Uchiha, Hotaru had employed an unorthodox fusion of the Juken and a feint pattern evocative of the Shadow Dance technique. It was subtle, but Itachi had noticed.
The way Hotaru bent light and angles with his footwork, forcing the enemy to react to shadows that weren't attacks... it reminded Itachi of Shisui's own movement philosophy. And that resemblance was unsettling, not in its mechanics, but in what it hinted: a merging of philosophies, a breaking of tradition.
"What did you think of Hotaru?" Shisui asked as they stood under the red-crowned tree outside the Uchiha compound.
"He's evolving the beyond Hyuga way," Itachi replied. "The elegance of Juken, merged with deception."
Shisui nodded slowly. "But they'll label him a heretic. Like us."
Itachi gave a quiet smile. He understood. With Konoha's unease over the Uchiha growing like mold under damp stone... especially after the Nine Tails incident... any deviation or talent was viewed through the wrong lens.
Rumors had already taken root. Whispers in the market. Muted suspicions among the shinobi ranks. The Uchiha had controlled the village's police force. The Nine Tails appeared inside the village walls without warning. And the Sharingan… it was said to tame beasts.
The Hyuga's reform efforts undercut centuries of stagnation. The Branch family had started whispering about unity, about reevaluation of the cursed seal. But that alone didn't worry the Elders as much as what came next: young Hyuga shinobi, like Hotaru, began inter-clan collaborations and innovations.
To some, it was a progressive rebirth. To others, it was dangerous.
Shisui, lounging in the shade near the stream, pulled a small rice cracker from his pouch and popped it in his mouth.
Shisui gave a noncommittal grunt. "The Will of Fire means accepting the next generation."
"But not everyone wants to pass the torch," Itachi said. "Especially if they fear the flame will shift direction."
That night, Itachi sat with Sasuke on the engawa. The boy was only four but already bright-eyed and hungry for knowledge. The full moon bathed the compound in silver light, and Sasuke leaned his head against Itachi's shoulder.
"Nii-san," Sasuke said, fiddling with a twig. "Teach me something cool. A jutsu. Something secret."
Itachi smiled faintly. "A secret jutsu? Aren't you a little young?"
"But I want to be strong," Sasuke said, puffing his cheeks. "Like you. And Shisui-nii."
Shisui, who had appeared out of nowhere as usual, knelt down beside them with a laugh. "Oh? You want our top-secret forbidden technique?"
Sasuke's eyes widened. "Really?!"
"Absolutely," Shisui whispered. He leaned in closer. "It's called... The Thousand Shadow Fart!"
Sasuke blinked. "...Huh?"
Shisui blew a raspberry. Sasuke squealed in mock horror and laughter. Itachi chuckled softly, grateful for moments like these.
But beneath the laughter was a subtle tension. Even Sasuke, innocent and wide-eyed, had heard things. How other children avoided him. How their mother sometimes looked worried when Sasuke asked why people frowned when they saw the Uchiha crest.
The next day, Itachi met Hotaru again during a mission debrief.
"You were improvising with that last maneuver," Itachi said as they walked beside the Hokage Monument's base.
Hotaru looked sheepish. "It wasn't sanctioned. My uncle says the Juken doesn't need deception."
"He's wrong."
Hotaru looked up.
"Deception isn't weakness," Itachi continued. "It's adaptability. Like water."
Hotaru hesitated. "Do you think it's too much? Combining clan philosophies?"
"The village is a blend of clans," Itachi said. "We can't survive sealed in jars."
Hotaru nodded, but worry lingered in his eyes.
That evening, Itachi and Shisui stood on a roof overlooking the Uchiha district. The torchlight flickered below.
"You think the Hyuga's shift will stir the Konoha council?" Shisui asked.
"Yes. They're already watching us for rebellion. If the Hyuga outpace us in reform... the Uchiha look stagnant, they might focus on Hyuga."
**
A few days later, Sasuke found them again, this time with a notebook he'd drawn in crayon.
"Look! This is my jutsu scroll!"
It showed stick figures and big swirls labeled "Fire Ball" and "Ninja Flip Boom."
Shisui laughed so hard he dropped his dango.
"Then I must train you seriously now," Itachi said, taking the scroll. "Let's begin with the proper way to focus chakra."
As he demonstrated, Shisui whispered, "You're really going to teach him this young?"
"If not me," Itachi murmured, "then who?"
And behind his calm tone lay the weight of unspoken truths: their clan was already teetering. Sasuke needed strength, yes...but also understanding. Compassion. Vision.
The Will of Fire wasn't just about protecting the village. It was about kindling its future, even if you had to burn away parts of yourself to do it.
He had inherited more than skill. He had inherited the burden of foresight. If things continued...the suspicion, the pressure, the isolation...there would be blood. The Hyuga might escape it, barely. But the Uchiha were already too entrenched in the narrative.
Behind him, Shisui arrived quietly. "Thinking about what comes next?"
"Always," Itachi said. "I want to believe this can be changed. That we can change it."
"Then we will," Shisui said firmly. "Even if the elders call us heretics. Even if they brand us traitors."
Itachi closed his eyes. "We inherit the Will of Fire... but we're shadows now."
"Even shadows have warmth," Shisui said. "Especially when they stand near flame."