"You two may leave."
Seeing the two juniors walk in, the Seventh Elder waved his hand, signaling Yashiro and Yatsuyo to exit.
But the two of them kept their eyes locked on Shisui and Yun, showing no intention of leaving.
With a deep voice, the Seventh Elder said, "They possess Mangekyō Sharingan. What could you possibly do by staying here? Leave!"
Only after this stern rebuke did the two reluctantly step out.
As Yashiro brushed past Yun on his way out, he warned, "My father is not like Setsuna. If you make a move, the entire Uchiha clan won't tolerate you."
Yun simply smiled. What the guy said wasn't entirely wrong.
In a flourishing clan like the Uchiha, the militant and moderate factions weren't clearly divided. That ambiguity was precisely why Yun hadn't acted outright.
"As descendants of the Uchiha Clan, you killed Lord Setsuna. Do you even acknowledge the concept of 'clan' anymore?"\
Yun chuckled as he casually found a seat, replying, "The guy who was imprisoned by the Second Hokage? He's probably already been dealt with by the Fourth's ANBU."
"As for the clan, it's precisely because Shisui and I want to make the Uchiha great again that we're here to stop you arrogant fools."
If it weren't for the Mangekyō threat posed by the duo across from him, the Seventh would've likely lashed out after being so insulted.
Demonstrate strength first, then talk; that's the value of showing power.
"Whew…"
Taking a deep breath to suppress his anger, the aged Seventh Elder asked, "Does the Fourth Hokage know that you have a Mangekyō, Yun?"
Shisui answered, "He already knows."
"Fool!"
The Seventh cursed and then looked at them, saying, "A single Mangekyō might be tolerated due to your support for the Fourth Hokage. But now…"
"With two Mangekyō users among the Uchiha, you should know the danger these eyes represent. No matter what dispute exists between the Third and Fourth, that's an internal Hokage issue."
"But since the battle at the Valley of the End, the Hokage lineage, lacking Senju wood release, has always viewed the Uchiha as their greatest threat!"
He stood and looked at Yun, continuing, "Lord Setsuna is dead. With you two in the moderate faction, I indeed have no counter. But now that the Fourth knows about your Mangekyō, the Hokage faction will never let the Uchiha hold such power."
"That's why… I will never stand by and watch the Uchiha fall into ruin!"
What he said wasn't wrong. After Hashirama's death, in fear of the Nine-Tails and the Sharingan, the Second Hokage's regime had experimented with Hashirama's cells. Though the experiments were "voluntary," many still died.
Eventually, due to high casualties, the program was shut down. But this showed just how deeply the Hokage faction feared the Sharingan.
Yun understood the Seventh's concerns were valid. But like someone with a God's-eye view, he also knew the Seventh couldn't possibly understand his calculations, or the true extent of his power.
"Konoha has never been just the Hokage line and the Uchiha. And as for the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, you're underestimating him."
The Seventh Uchiha scoffed.
"The Ino-Shika-Cho trio? Hyūga? Inuzuka? Aburame? Or the already declining Kurama clan? Over all these years, the Uchiha never had good relations with them."
"No one will stand with the Uchiha except ourselves. We've endured this slow bleed for long enough. The Uchiha… are not some disposable trash!"
Yun shook his head. "The Hyūga will soon support us. Ino-Shika-Cho will gradually distance themselves from the Sarutobi. These things take time."
"And as for the Fourth Hokage… You really underestimate him. If it's just Susanoo, he won't be fazed."
The Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
He remembered the Fourth's Edo tensei using it with great skill.
Kushina had managed it too.
And combined with Flying Thunder God's extreme speed, even Mangekyō dojutsu might not keep up.
"Anyway, words won't bridge the gap. You won't understand us, and we've already considered everything you're worried about."
Yun stood and smiled at the elder: "If we're all doing this for the sake of the Uchiha, maybe even you, one day, will be proud, perhaps even grateful."
"Shisui."
At Yun's call, Shisui looked up. His eyes instantly transformed from three-tomoe into the Mangekyō.
"Buzz…"
"Eye contact doesn't matter, Kotoamatsukami's ability is terrifying even to me."
"Hiss…"
As the Mangekyō faded, blood streamed from Shisui's right eye, and the pupil turned pale.
"Phew…"
With a deep breath, Shisui collapsed onto a seat, laughing bitterly. "That eye is basically done for. Even the time I can sustain Susanoo is cut in half."
Yun blinked. "It costs that much? What about your vision?"
Shisui smiled. "The right eye's blurry now. The left can still see somewhat clearly. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I won't use Mangekyō again."
Yun nodded. "With your genjutsu and Body Flicker, you've already surpassed most Jonin. Let's save Mangekyō for emergencies."
While the two talked, the Seventh Elder, who had been implanted with Kotoamatsukami without realizing it, slowly came back to himself.
"So… should Shisui be made clan head at tomorrow's clan assembly?"
???
Yun froze in surprise. "There's still over a day until the meeting. I hope you'll spend that time persuading the undecided members."
"With enough support and their leader gone, we'll need time to divide and conquer."
The Seventh nodded, "Understood. But Yun, as the hope of the Uchiha, you must grow quickly. Shisui and I will give you our full support."
???
Yun was filled with question marks and gave Shisui a side glance: 'What exactly did you plant in him?'
'Wait…'
A strange thought suddenly arose.
Though the Seventh Uchiha belonged to the militant faction, he genuinely believed in himself, believed he could lead the Uchiha back to greatness.
Even if he distrusted the Hokage, he trusted Yun, and so, he stood on Yun's side.
'What the hell?!'
Outside the Uchiha district.
Following Yun's signal, the two appeared in the rear mountains.
"That thing just now… Was that Kotoamatsukami?"
Shisui nodded, "Yes. Terrifying, right? Do you still think the price, near blindness in just two uses, is worth it?"
!!!
Worth it?
That wasn't just "worth it", it was broken.
Even if it neared blindness in two uses, it modified thoughts directly and wasn't limited to individuals!
And Yun, with his Sage Body, was immune to blindness.
So what if the cooldown was long? That ability was basically a cheat code!
Even more OP than Yun had expected.
"Shisui."
"Hm?"
"After tomorrow's clan meeting, you'll be clan head. And clan heads don't take missions anymore. So… if you've got time, let's spar."
"Sure. Honestly, I don't really want to be clan head. But right now, I'm probably the most suitable."
"Don't you try to push it on me, or Itachi. He's not suited."
Shisui asked curiously, "You've always seemed to have an issue with Itachi. But he didn't make any mistakes, not with Danzo or during the clan's tests."
Yun shook his head. "Itachi is different. You went through war and grew through it. That guy graduated in a year, and now all he thinks about is idealistic nonsense."
"In short, he hasn't read enough books; too easy to manipulate."
Shisui nodded, then suddenly asked, "What about you, Yun? How can you see so far ahead? And how did you awaken Mangekyō so suddenly, even while still in the Academy?"
Yun smiled cryptically. "Maturity comes from vision. And as for Sharingan… maybe awakening it doesn't only happen the way we think it does."
After a pause, Shisui dropped the question and said, "Just like I said two years ago, everyone has their secrets, me included. As long as I know you're doing this for the Uchiha and the village, that's enough."
'For the Uchiha? For the village?'
Yun quietly rejected that in his heart.
He just liked Konoha's comfort.
In a world without smartphones or video games, even with chakra, he wouldn't want a hard life.
Because of the surname "Uchiha," he had to bear the consequences.
To live peacefully in Konoha, the Uchiha had to reintegrate.
And to coast safely in Konoha, the village had to remain safe.
Wasn't that it?
Under the night sky, now alone, Shisui sat atop a water tower, gazing over the Uchiha district.
'Another way to awaken the Sharingan?'
'Impossible, right?'
'If there was, why not use it on his sister Izumi?'
'But Yun… just like he'd thought the first time we met, someone like him would have an unimaginable impact in the future.'
Now…
Just two years later, both the village and the clan were changing.
Everyone has secrets, but as long as there's trust, it's enough.
...
Yun's bedroom.
"Whew…"
Yun let out a breath and lay down.
'Kotoamatsukami. What a terrifying ability…'
'With a 10-year cooldown, two uses had nearly blinded Shisui's eye.'
'Only that kind of price could balance such a power.'
With eleven months left… if Yun could obtain that ability before Naruto's graduation at age twelve, maybe he could control the entire first tier of talent.
Hokage Office.
"Sensei, you're back?"
Jiraiya climbed through the window, asking grimly, "That Uzumaki Ku… killed Danzo?"
Minato nodded, "Yes. He failed at the orphanage last time. This time, it seems he's mastered Wood Release, and…"
"Under that cold, sinister chakra, I didn't see it clearly, but he may have obtained Uchiha power too."
'Sharingan?'
Jiraiya was silent for a long time, then said, "I ran into him in the Land of Rain. He really could use Wood Release, probably no on the same level as the First Hokage, but still…"
Minato nodded, "If I hadn't read the records, I wouldn't believe a ninja could overpower the Nine-Tails with one hand…"
If Ku reached that level…
Jiraiya added, "Don't worry. Tsunade once heard from Lady Mito: Lord Hashirama's case was special."
"Just elemental manipulation of Water and Earth chakra isn't enough to reach that level. His wood could suppress the Nine-Tails. There's something unique about it."
Minato relaxed a little. After Danzo's death and that offer from Ku, he had become more cautious.
It was only natural for someone in power.
"Sensei, this time you returned…"
Jiraiya sighed and looked at Minato. "You're the Fourth Hokage now. I don't know if I should say this, but…"
"Though many things do bear the Third's shadow, he's just an old man who can't let go."
"He's soft-hearted and never decisive. With Danzo, too, he kept delaying. But as his student, I know, he's just old."
Minato nodded. "Danzo is dead. Not by Konoha's hand. That's the best possible outcome."
Jiraiya sighed in relief, then revealed the other intel he'd gathered: "Years ago, in the Land of Rain, I took on three disciples. One of them, whom I thought might be the Child of Prophecy, was said to have the Rinnegan."
"And now… I've learned all three are dead."
"You may remember, I told you one of them had the legendary Sage of Six Paths' eyes: the Rinnegan."
"One more thing, the man named Uzumaki Ku looks 90% identical to the boy named Yahiko I once taught!"
'90%?!'
'Rinnegan?'
'The Sage's eyes?'
"But Ku doesn't have the Rinnegan."
Jiraiya nodded, "True. But we also know nothing about the Rinnegan's true abilities…"
.....
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