Uchiha Clan Compound.
Itachi was locked in his Room, the windows covered by curtains, not a ray of sunlight in the house.
He knelt before a miniature shuriken, his gaze fixed forward, his expression shifting between clear and gloomy.
In the darkness, the outside commotion seemed irrelevant to him, the future of the clan didn't require his worry, and he didn't have to bear the suffocating pressure.
Outside the door.
Uchiha Mikoto sighed softly, patted Fugaku's shoulder, and gave him a look.
Fugaku followed her to the front yard.
Mikoto whispered, "Let him be. Don't disturb him. Itachi is too tired."
"Alas!"
Fugaku let out a long sigh.
He knew the friendship between the two children and didn't believe Itachi would kill Shisui. He suspected Danzo was behind it.
He also knew that Itachi was in a very bad mood right now.
The death of Shisui made the child very sad.
But now, Itachi wasn't going out to the Anbu to gather information, allowing rumors to spread, and the dissatisfaction within the clan was likely to escalate.
Furthermore, Shisui's death made it difficult to suppress the internal conflicts of the Uchiha Clan, and he had lost his excuse to delay.
If Itachi continued to isolate himself at a time like this, he really didn't know what to do.
Fugaku's brows were furrowed in worry. After a long while, he sighed and said, "You should talk to Itachi more and tell him to get over it..."
He closed his eyes, understanding that his words were cruel, but the reality was—
"The clan needs him very much."
"I understand."
Mikoto looked back at their home, a pained expression flashing in her eyes. Just as she was about to say something pleading, she noticed the direction of Fugaku's gaze.
She followed his gaze and saw two figures, one tall and one short, walking side by side outside the fence.
Mikoto quickly recognized them and whispered, "It's Sasuke's new taijutsu teacher, I think his name is Yagyu Masahiko."
The newcomer was handsome and made a lasting impression; once seen, he wouldn't be forgotten.
Fugaku's brows furrowed together.
Of course, he knew him.
Previously, at the Konoha Military Police Force, this person was the one who led the so-called "social practice."
The outbreak of clan conflicts was also related to this matter.
He heard that this Teacher Yagyū was the first to advocate for it.
However.
The moment Yagyu Masahiko looked over, he quickly relaxed his brows, a faint smile appearing on his face, and he nodded slightly in greeting.
Outside the door, Masahiko maintained his politeness, performing all due courtesies.
Fugaku naturally returned the greeting.
Then, opening the courtyard gate, he asked, "Teacher Yagyū, thank you for bringing Sasuke home."
"Sasuke was not in high spirits today, his condition wasn't very good. I was a bit worried, then I learned that Shisui had died..."
Masahiko explained.
Fugaku's mouth twitched slightly, and he glanced at Sasuke, who was looking down and not speaking, his mood low.
He was silent for a few seconds, then made a gesture to invite him in.
Inside the house, the two sat down.
"His Body Flicker Technique was so strong, how could he... be killed?"
Masahiko couldn't help but ask.
"It's still unclear... the body was almost burned to charcoal."
Fugaku shook his head gently, looked at Masahiko, and seeing the other's sorrowful expression, he couldn't help but ask, "You knew Shisui?"
"Yes, we were classmates. Some time ago, I guided Sasuke on the use of the Body Flicker Technique. After Shisui found out, he specifically came to the school to exchange ideas with me."
Masahiko said this, then scoffed, "What technique do I have that's worth discussing? Shisui mostly wanted to repay my favor for Sasuke."
Afterward, his expression turned sorrowful.
"I never thought... such a strong genius would also die."
"So that's how it is."
Fugaku sighed softly upon hearing this, saying, "That's how it is with Ninja. No matter how strong a Ninja is, they can still die when faced with an unknown situation."
"Please accept my condolences."
Masahiko said sincerely.
Fugaku nodded silently, but didn't rush to see him off. Instead, he tentatively asked, "I remember, you led the social practice class that came to the Konoha Military Police Force before?"
"Yes, I also proposed this class."
Masahiko didn't hide it.
Then, he scratched his head, a blush appearing on his face:
"However, what I meant by proposing it was that we could assign some tasks that required manpower from nearby orphanages to the students."
"Firstly, it would allow students to experience the mission process in advance and understand that earning money is not easy."
"Secondly, it would allow them to interact more with orphans and understand the cruelty of war. I never expected..."
Masahiko looked apologetic.
Fugaku quickly waved his hand with a smile, explaining:
"You misunderstood, I think it's quite good for the children to experience the work of the Konoha Military Police Force. I was just wondering if there would be similar activities in the future?"
"I'm not sure. Although I participated in the school meeting, I'm not aware of the subsequent decisions. I'm afraid I can't help..."
Masahiko replied.
Fugaku had no intention of making things difficult. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke repeatedly winking at Masahiko, and he looked thoughtful.
The next moment, he heard Masahiko say with a hesitant expression:
"Although it's very presumptuous, during my previous conversation with Shisui, I mentioned the idea of integrating Light and Shadow Genjutsu and action-based genjutsu into the Body Flicker Technique..."
"My genjutsu isn't very profound, and another purpose of this trip is to ask Itachi for guidance."
Fugaku was genuinely stunned by this.
Then, he nodded gently: "Of course, but Itachi is currently..."
"It's alright."
The door opened, and Uchiha Itachi came downstairs, fully dressed, though his complexion didn't look very good.
He looked at Masahiko, then at Sasuke, who was secretly peeking, and smiled slightly:
"Sasuke, you come along too."
"Thank you so much!"
Masahiko quickly thanked him.
After waiting for a moment, he followed Itachi out of the house.
The three of them used the Body Flicker Technique to travel, heading towards the lakeside.
Soon, Masahiko and Itachi arrived at the lake first.
"Thank you."
Itachi said softly.
He knew very well that Masahiko hadn't come to ask about "genjutsu"; he had most likely agreed to Sasuke's request to comfort him.
This deeply moved him—
A teacher cared so much about Sasuke, while he was immersed in the grief of his friend's death.
"It's nothing, I really did want to ask you for guidance, it just happened to be a coincidence."
Masahiko replied.
Then, he was silent for a few seconds before saying, "About Shisui-kun's matter... are there any clues, or is there anything I can help with?"
"No need, this is a matter within the clan after all."
Itachi shook his head.
Then, he looked in the direction Sasuke was running from, his expression hesitant.
"If anything unexpected happens in the future... please, for Shisui's sake, trouble yourself to look after Sasuke."
"He is my student."
Masahiko didn't directly agree, but he had already shown his stance.
At this moment, Sasuke had appeared at the end, waving his arms: "Wait for me!"
A faint smile appeared on Itachi's face.
Then, he looked at Masahiko.
"Did Shisui really talk to you about the integration of action-based and Light and Shadow Genjutsu?"
"I mentioned to him that if one were to use genjutsu in conjunction with the Body Flicker Technique and Clone Jutsu, I would prefer Sound Genjutsu, while Shisui leaned towards action-based and Light and Shadow Genjutsu."
Masahiko replied.
Itachi pondered for a moment, then said, "Each has its pros and cons. Sound is hard to guard against but also harder to master. Light and shadow, and action, are relatively simpler and easier to achieve."
"I have no clue right now, and I haven't had any time to research genjutsu recently..."
Masahiko had a pained expression.
Itachi hesitated for a moment, did not answer, but instead glanced at Sasuke.
Seeing the expression on Sasuke's face, his own expression softened a few degrees, and he said softly, "I'm not very good at teaching... but perhaps I can help a little."