Chapter 37: The Weight of Regret
The walk back to the Uchiha compound was a silent, heavy march. The proud banners of the Uchiha fan, usually a symbol of unshakeable power, seemed to mock Uchiha Masaki with every flutter in the evening breeze. He and his son, Fugaku, moved through the meticulously maintained streets, past clansmen who offered respectful bows that went entirely unnoticed. The grandeur of the main family mansion, a testament to their legacy, felt hollow tonight.
Inside, the silence persisted. They did not retire. Instead, father and son sat in the formal receiving room, the low table between them feeling like a chasm. The only light came from a single paper lantern, casting long, dancing shadows that mirrored the turmoil in their minds. The weight of the day's revelation pressed down on them, a physical force stifling speech.
After a long, heavy stretch of time, Uchiha Masaki finally broke the silence, his voice rough. "What is your assessment of this… Kagenori, Fugaku?"
Uchiha Fugaku looked up, meeting his father's weary gaze. "Father, are you asking me about his strength, or about the situation as a whole?"
"Tell me everything," Masaki commanded, his tone leaving no room for omission.
Fugaku took a slow, measured breath, organizing his thoughts. "In truth, I do not know him well. By the time he entered the Ninja Academy, I was already in my second year. But one hears things. He was always a… 'celebrity' at the academy." Fugaku's mouth twisted slightly at the word. "Because the clan did not claim him, he became the target for all the resentment others felt toward the Uchiha. In his first year, he was bullied frequently."
He paused, remembering the snippets of gossip. "By his second year, the physical bullying had mostly stopped. A genius emerged in his class—Namikaze Minato, who was later taken as a disciple by Lord Jiraiya. Kagenori was the only one who could match him. Since they couldn't beat him, the other children resorted to words. They hurled insults, called him 'traitor' and 'stray.' And no matter how vicious the taunts, there was never a single report of Kagenori retaliating. He simply… absorbed it."
Masaki's brow furrowed deeply. "To have the ability yet choose to endure such abuse. This Kagenori possesses frightening patience."
"There was one exception," Fugaku continued, his voice dropping. "A significant one. Three years after he started at the academy, a transfer student joined his class—a girl with bright red hair. She was bullied for it, but she was strong. She fought back against her tormentors. Then, one of the boys in her class, seeking revenge, brought his older brother, a genin, to confront her."
Fugaku's expression grew grim. "That was the day Kagenori broke his silence. He intervened. I heard he nearly severed the genin's limbs. It was only the timely return of Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade that stopped him from going further."
Masaki listened, his frown deepening with every word. He asked for the date of the incident and calculated silently. His eyes widened slightly. "A few days after this fight… that is when he handed the Thunder Breathing technique to the Hokage." A cold understanding dawned on him. "He gave Sarutobi Hiruzen that powerful nin-taijutsu to appease him, to smooth over the consequences of his violence."
"Was there more?" Masaki pressed, his voice tight.
Fugaku nodded. "Namikaze Minato was there that day. From what I gathered, he tried to intervene and was soundly defeated by Kagenori. Not long after, Minato became Jiraiya's apprentice. Yet, every time they sparred at the academy after that, Minato sought Kagenori out… and he never won. Not once."
Masaki was truly taken aback. "You are telling me that Namikaze Minato, receiving training from one of the Legendary Sannin, could not defeat Kagenori?" The implication was staggering. Kagenori had been accepted by Orochimaru only a month ago. Back then, he had been operating on raw talent alone, and he had still surpassed a Sannin's disciple.
"Even without the Sharingan, his talent is monstrous," Masaki whispered, the admission tasting like ash.
"Father," Fugaku said, shifting the topic. "You asked about the transfer student. Her name is Uzumaki Kushina."
At the name, Uchiha Masaki's entire body went still. His face, already grave, became a mask of stone.
Noticing the drastic change, Fugaku asked, "Father? Is this Uzumaki Kushina… special?"
Masaki was silent for a long moment, weighing his words. "Fugaku, you are my heir. It is time you learned certain truths. Uzumaki Kushina is vital to Konoha. You know that Lady Mito is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
Fugaku nodded solemnly. "Yes. The Jinchuriki is a village's ultimate weapon."
"Lady Mito's full name is Uzumaki Mito. She also possessed vibrant red hair. Do you understand the connection?"
Fugaku's eyes widened in dawning horror. "You cannot mean… Uzumaki Kushina is to be the next Jinchuriki?"
"Not yet, but she is the designated vessel," Masaki confirmed, his voice low and serious. "This is a secret known only to the village's highest echelons. Lady Mito's time grows short. Konoha must secure the Nine-Tails, and a member of the Uzumaki clan, with their special chakra and vitality, is the only suitable candidate." He fixed his son with a piercing look. "Now, answer me truly. Is Kagenori close to this girl?"
"They are inseparable," Fugaku stated with certainty. "They are the closest of friends."
Masaki closed his eyes, a long, weary sigh escaping him. "Then there is no hope for us. None at all."
"Father? What do you mean?"
"The Jinchuriki," Masaki explained, opening his eyes, his gaze filled with a bitter finality, "will always belong to Konoha. It will never be allowed to fall under the influence of another ninja clan. The Hokage has allowed Kagenori, a boy with the Sharingan, to form a deep bond with the future Jinchuriki. He has even permitted Orochimaru to take him as a personal disciple. This is not an accident. It is a message. It means Kagenori is irrevocably theirs. Even if we were to swallow our pride and beg for his return, and even if he were willing, the Hokage would never allow it. He is lost to us."
A profound sense of loss and frustration washed over Uchiha Masaki. To have let a clansman of such talent, a boy who had awakened the Sharingan, slip through their fingers due to their own arrogance was a failure that would haunt him.
Uchiha Fugaku, however, saw the situation with clearer, younger eyes. He believed his father was still clinging to a false hope. In Fugaku's mind, even if the Hokage allowed it, Kagenori himself would never agree. His actions today—brutally breaking the arms of two clansmen and flaunting his Sharingan—were not the actions of someone seeking reconciliation. They were a declaration of independence, a severing of ties. Kagenori had drawn a line in the sand, and he had made it clear which side he stood on. In Uchiha Fugaku's opinion, any chance of reconciliation had been shattered along with the bones in Yūto and Kazuma's arms.