Chapter 11
Uchiha Shisui felt that something was strange recently.
A new genius had appeared in the clan, a child who awakened the Sharingan at the age of six. Although this talent was impressive, it was still not quite on the same level as Uchiha Itachi's precocious brilliance.
Shisui thought about it and subconsciously compared Uchiha Shin with his close friend and younger kinsman, Uchiha Itachi.
What was unexpected was that Uchiha Fugaku, the current clan head, actually invited Shisui to serve as a teacher for Uchiha Shin. It was not an easy request to refuse, but to Shisui, it still felt fulfilling to be entrusted with guiding a promising genius.
He readily agreed, all the while wondering if he would ever live to see the day when someone of the Uchiha clan finally became Hokage.
As the thought surfaced, Shisui's mind slowed down, and his mood turned heavy with doubt.
Being a descendant of Uchiha Kagami—a loyal follower of the Second Hokage—Shisui was naturally inclined toward the Will of Fire, and at the same time, as one of the most respected masters of the Uchiha clan, his reputation was awe-inspiring.
During the Third Great Ninja War, his terrifying mastery of the Body Flicker Technique made him a whirlwind of death on the battlefield. The astonishing speed at which he appeared and slew his enemies earned him the name "Shunshin no Shisui"—Shisui of the Body Flicker.
Because his Sharingan and his speed made him so distinct, even his Anbu codename was overshadowed, and shinobi across the nations came to know him only as "Shisui of the Body Flicker."
In recent months, however, Shisui discovered that the Uchiha clan held frequent secret clan meetings at the Nakano Shrine, gatherings that left him troubled.
The discord between the Uchiha clan and Konoha's higher-ups was not new—it was a problem left over from history. When the Hidden Leaf Village was founded, the Senju and Uchiha had already forged a deep-rooted hatred after years of conflict.
Although Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha formed a brief reconciliation, the rift never fully disappeared.
In the beginning, the clan's ancestor, Uchiha Madara, rebelled against Konoha, seizing control of the Nine-Tails and clashing with the First Hokage in the battle at the Valley of the End.
Though the rest of the Uchiha clan did not follow Madara's path, the estrangement between them and the village only deepened.
Five years ago, the calamity of the Nine-Tails' attack struck. To the horror of the village, the beast's eyes bore the pattern of the Sharingan, causing suspicion to fall heavily on the Uchiha clan.
In that night of chaos, Konoha lost its Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and the Nine-Tails was sealed into his newborn son, Naruto Uzumaki.
From then on, the Uchiha clan was once again targeted with suspicion. Though Shisui knew the truth—that the clan had not orchestrated the attack—how could the prideful Uchiha ever bow their heads to explain themselves?
As a result, the Uchiha were placed under constant surveillance by the village.
Shisui found himself caught in a dilemma between loyalty to his clan and loyalty to the village. What made him even more uneasy was the looming presence of Shimura Danzō, the shadowy elder hidden in the darkness.
As the head of Root and a hardliner who prioritized the village above all, Danzō had always been hostile toward the Uchiha. As an Anbu operative of high standing, Shisui understood this all too well.
Yet, Danzō was still the right-hand man of the Third Hokage and could wield influence over Hiruzen Sarutobi's decisions.
The Nakano Shrine had long been the Uchiha's sacred meeting ground. But the land around it was now crawling with surveillance, from the Hokage's Anbu to the deeper, more ruthless network—Root.
If one day the conflict between the clan and the village spiraled out of control into a civil war, Shisui resolved to use his most powerful ability—Kotoamatsukami, the "Other Gods"—to prevent disaster.
It was the best path to protect both village and family. As long as Fugaku did not lead the clan into outright rebellion, Shisui believed that Danzō's schemes and the elders' suspicions could be defused.
Shisui placed his faith in the Third Hokage. Though Hiruzen's methods were not always perfect, Shisui believed that even if he himself sat in the Hokage's chair, he might not fare any better.
Under Hiruzen, who had reigned longer than any Hokage, Konoha had maintained its status as the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Moreover, as the Hokage who had once been a comrade of Uchiha Kagami, Hiruzen felt like a kind and trusted elder to Shisui. Concerning both the clan and the village, Shisui believed that the Third would not abandon them.
He believed it wholeheartedly.
After returning from a mission, Shisui decided to meet the young Uchiha boy he was meant to instruct.
"You mean Uchiha Shin? Perhaps he inherited the Will of Fire just like you."
"He even gathered a small circle of companions. I heard they call themselves 'Chi.' His dream, they say, is also to become Hokage."
Become Hokage? The thought plunged Shisui into doubt once again. Could the Uchiha clan truly produce a Hokage one day?
Compared to Itachi, how different was this boy named Shin? Shisui wanted to meet him face-to-face.
Itachi's vision had already transcended the narrow outlook of the clan since childhood, making him one of the very few Shisui could genuinely converse with. As someone whom the Third Hokage himself once praised for embodying the Will of Fire, Shisui now wondered—would he be able to speak heart-to-heart with this boy as well?
He had only encountered the young Uchiha once before, and Shisui's impression of him back then was that he was simply a polite child, nothing more.
The Third Hokage had personally told him that this boy, Uchiha Makoto, showed potential worth noticing, so Shisui decided he wanted to meet him properly.
But when Shisui entered the Hokage's office earlier, he was surprised to find Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly putting away the crystal ball in a somewhat flustered manner.
Could the rumors be true? Uchiha Shisui recalled what was whispered in the village.
It was said that the Third Hokage used his crystal ball technique to spy on the women's bathhouses. Impossible, Shisui thought, there was no way a shinobi of Sarutobi Hiruzen's stature could actually do such a thing.
Yet as Shisui bounded across the treetops, heading toward the Uchiha district, the doubt lingered, and he shook his head in silence.
But… perhaps there was some truth? He remembered the Third's overly serious demeanor and the conspicuous tissue box on the desk, and the suspicion crept back into his mind.
Perched on a branch, Shisui halted his movement and decided to set the thought aside. Whether Hiruzen Sarutobi truly peeked at bathhouses or not was irrelevant now.
If he remembered correctly, Uchiha Makoto's home should be nearby.
At that moment, one of his crows landed lightly on his shoulder. "So it's there?" Shisui muttered to himself as realization struck, and he immediately darted toward the direction of his destination.
Deep in a forest clearing, Uchiha Makoto was practicing shurikenjutsu against a wooden target.
As one of the founding clans of Konohagakure, the Uchiha were granted extensive land within the village, and this small forest was part of their territory.
Conveniently close to Makoto's home and concealed from watchful eyes, the boy had chosen this place as his personal training ground.
By now, his fledgling organization "Chi" had already been formed, though Makoto did not yet reveal its true purpose to the members. Such things had to be nurtured gradually, through his influence as their leader.
Even though he sparred with Lee and Neji daily, Makoto still felt his training intensity was not sufficient. The strange energy of the Gūshi-ki technique was steadily fortifying his body from within.
Still, his winning rate in sparring hovered around [–]%, with Rock Lee being the one he struggled against the most. To improve, Makoto focused on refining his chakra control alongside taijutsu drills.
After all, Makoto reminded himself, he was not Hokage yet. Without even mastering the Three Basic Academy Techniques—Clone, Substitution, and Transformation—he could never hope to graduate.
In the center of the clearing stood a wooden stake carved with the character "Nin" (忍), while the ground around it was littered with scattered kunai and shuriken.
Some of these weapons were provided by Tenten. Although, as a gifted member of the Uchiha clan, he had no shortage of tools from his own household, Makoto couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of relying on a friend. Compared to formally asking his clan for supplies, "soft rice," as he thought of it, was far more pleasant!
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
Twisting midair, Makoto launched three shuriken, each weaving into the stream of flaming fireballs.
The projectiles pierced through the flames of the Phoenix Sage Fire, embedding deeply into the wooden stake with three sharp impacts.
Crack! The stake groaned under the force, splintering slightly.
"What should I call this? Phoenix Fire Shuriken Technique?" Makoto wondered aloud, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Just then, he suddenly sensed a gaze fixed upon him. Turning, he spotted a shinobi with sharp features and a calm expression standing silently on a branch.
It was none other than his so-called "cheap teacher"—Uchiha Shisui.