Not long ago, the Third Hokage had been aimlessly walking through Konoha's streets.
At that moment, he was puzzled about how to handle the Uchiha and Hyuga matters. With no leads at all, his gaze gradually shifted toward the Hokage Rock.
"I haven't visited in many years. Why not go take a look?"
"Shup!"
With a sudden dash, the Third Hokage leapt toward the mountain peak atop the Hokage Rock.
"This world is cruel, so I want to find a way to achieve real peace!"
Upon arriving at his destination, the Third Hokage heard a voice—determined yet clearly youthful.
"Those are Shen and Nayou? Why are they…?"
"No, I hope we can search together. I'm not someone conceited enough to dislike having others behind me!"
The conversation instantly interrupted the Third's inner confusion. In fact, he'd heard those exact words more than once already.
Back when the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was still alive, he often shared old memories with him and their teammates. These very words had appeared multiple times in Hashirama's recollections of Madara Uchiha, differing only slightly in wording.
Every time Hashirama mentioned this, he looked deeply regretful, saying if only he had agreed to Madara's request back then, things wouldn't have driven him to leave the village.
"It looks like this kid also knows that chapter of history. Was it told to him by an Uchiha elder?" The Third mused, "I heard he gets along well with Chiyuki. Most likely, she was the one who told Shen about it." Having figured this out, the Third continued thinking, "A conceited guy? That description fits Madara perfectly—Madara didn't want anyone standing behind him, but Shen doesn't want to be left alone either. This kid may share Madara's dream, but his way of chasing it is totally different."
"Who's there?"
Shen had actually noticed someone eavesdropping on his conversation with Nayou for quite some time, though he wasn't sure whether the person meant harm.
"Found already? Such sharp sensory ability—he could really become another Madara someday, albeit one with completely opposite thoughts." At this moment, the Third thought of his late teammate, Kagami Uchiha.
"I've already detected you! If you don't come out now, I will attack!" Shen re-formed a hand seal and gathered a [Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique] in his throat.
"Don't, please don't! My poor body couldn't handle that!" Seeing Shen forming seals, the Third quickly revealed himself while exclaiming, "A Great Dragon Fire, huh? It's been ages since I've seen an Uchiha use this Fire Release technique!"
"Oh! It's Uncle Hokage! For a second there, I thought you were some child kidnapper." Seeing it was the Third, Shen cheekily joked—after all, kids that age are always up to something.
"Cough cough!" Shen's joke nearly choked the Third Hokage.
"Huh? How come you're here, Uncle Hokage?" While asking the Third this question, Nayou shot an annoyed glare at the self-proclaimed genius who had sworn no one would find them.
Feeling the glare beside him, Shen quickly followed up, "Right, right! Uncle Hokage, this place used to belong to the Uchiha Clan. Are you here to cause us trouble, sir?"
"Third Hokage shook his head. 'No, this place was shown to me by my former teammate. Whenever I felt troubled, I'd come here to relax.'
'Now I see,' Shen said, quickly weighing his options before playing his card. 'It must've been Kagami-senpai then? What a shame though - someone with the Mangekyo Sharingan still got ambushed and killed. Guess the Mangekyo isn't all that special after all.'
'Child, who exactly said Kagami died from an ambush?' Third Hokage's voice carried clear agitation.
'Gotcha!' Shen began his careful maneuvering. 'Everyone in the clan says so. If it wasn't an ambush, then who could possibly kill someone under the watchful eyes of the Mangekyo Sharingan? Judging by the outcome, the Mangekyo's improvement over the regular Sharingan seems rather minimal.'
The Hokage fell into deep thought. 'Huh! How could I have overlooked something so important? The Mangekyo is supposed to be vastly superior to the regular Sharingan! If even someone with just dual tomoe could detect my presence, how could Kagami possibly get ambushed? There's definitely something strange about his death.'
'By the way, Hokage-sama,' Shen clenched his teeth dramatically, 'do you know who ambushed Kagami-senpai? Since I'm also part of the clan, I'd like to take revenge for him if possible!'
After some consideration, Third Hokage answered, 'I don't know either. Whoever ambushed Kagami must have been significantly stronger than him.'
'Really? Then was the crime scene in terrible condition? I've heard that even a single strike from a top-tier ninja can cause massive environmental destruction.'
'Hmm?'
Third Hokage looked at Shen in surprise. There was something genuine about the child's words - was it simply childlike honesty, or did Shen's outsider perspective allow him to see things more clearly?
'Shō, who exactly is Kagami Uchiha?' Nayou asked innocently, attempting to increase her presence. 'From what you two are saying, he seems extremely powerful.'
'Perfect timing!' Shen grinned brightly as Little Iceberg tried to get some attention.
Now that was a true friend - giving him the perfect opening like that!
Nayou, however, grew more uneasy under Shen's stare, sensing he was definitely up to something. Before she could question him further, he continued.
'From what I've heard from the elders, Kagami-san was one of the Second Hokage's students. Exactly how strong he was, I don't know. But my dad mentioned that the Mangekyo Sharingan, which surpasses the regular Sharingan, gives each eye a different ability depending on the emotions present when it first awakens.' Shen paused before continuing, 'I remember my dad mentioning something about a third ability too, but whenever I asked him about it, he'd always dodge the question.'
'Susanoo.' Third Hokage thought inwardly, remembering. 'That all-powerful ability combining offense and defense saved our team countless times. Then who could possibly break through Susanoo's defense? There was no sign of major damage at the scene, and no trace of Fire Release techniques either. Did someone kill Kagami instantly? But wait, the Second Hokage had already died by then, and the Flying Thunder God scroll had been sealed away long before.'
'Wait, each eye has its own unique ability?'
"Dude, it's not about choice—it's the ability to materialize what's in your heart. Like when I awakened my Mangekyō, I was thinking about making my enemies fall into my genjutsu. So maybe I'll gain two different types of genjutsu? Although the Third said that like the Sharingan, awakening the Mangekyō significantly increases one's chakra reserves amount."
"Dude, I really envy the Sharingan. It can even evolve further after already being so powerful! Shen, you say the Byakugan can also evolve?"
"Maybe? Actually, among the three great dojutsu—Sharingan, Byakugan, and Rinnegan—each possessing unique powers, it's unlikely that only the Sharingan has the potential to evolve."
Of course, Shen knew that beyond the Byakugan lay the Tenseigan, a power that could rival the Rinnegan. Actually, among the three great dojutsu, only two are truly fundamental, because the Rinnegan represents the ultimate evolution of the Sharingan, and the Tenseigan the ultimate evolution of the Byakugan. However, their awakening conditions are extremely harsh—you must have chakra from the Otsutsuki clan.
Although the Third Hokage smiled on the surface while listening to the two children chat, inside his mind was already in chaos: "Right, with Kagami's Mangekyō abilities, it wouldn't have been easy for someone to sneak attack him. The crime scene also showed no signs of Susanoo usage or traces of the Flying Thunder God technique being leaked. That means the murderer must be someone Kagami knew well! It could even be..."
He didn't dare to continue that line of thought—the conclusion terrified him too much. He'd be ashamed to face the departed Kagami Uchiha.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>