Silence settled over the seats. The only sound was Yuta chewing, eating meat as if it were the most important thing in the world. To him, meat came first.
Yuta glanced up and saw that they still wanted to ask questions. He decided he would share a few past events, but nothing that would draw Madara's attention. The best way to avoid Madara's eyes was to bury the truth and mislead these children.
Yuta dropped the empty plate and signaled the waiter for more meat.
"You can ask questions," he said. "Each of you gets two questions. Nothing more."
The boys and girls immediately brightened, each of them deep in thought about what to ask.
"So, who's going first?" Yuta asked.
"Me," Taro said, speaking up for the first time. He was usually quiet.
"Who is stronger, Hashirama or Madara?" Taro asked.
"Hashirama," Yuta replied plainly. "By a large margin. Next question."
Taro hesitated, then asked, "What do you mean by a large margin? Was the First Hokage really that much stronger than Madara?"
"Madara was powerful," Yuta said, "but the First Hokage was simply built differently. No matter what Madara did, he would always lose to Hashirama."
As he spoke, Yuta recalled Madara as nothing more than an annoying lover, always causing trouble just to demand attention.
He continued eating and placed fresh meat over the fire. In his past life, Yuta had wanted to go to the gym, but after a few days, he realized that getting and maintaining a six pack required money. Now, wealth was no longer a problem. He could eat without worry.
"My turn," Akari said. "What jutsu did the First Hokage use that made him so strong?"
"It's called Wood Release," Yuta replied. "It consumes an enormous amount of chakra. Madara, on the other hand, possessed an advanced form of the Three Tomoe that your clan members display."
"Can anyone from the Senju clan awaken Wood Release?" Akari asked.
Yuta stared into Akari's eyes.
"No one else will ever awaken that kekkei genkai. At least, no one according to what my old man told me. The First Hokage was the only Senju to possess it."
That was true. Only Madara and Obito awakened it later, and even then, only through surgery. Using his grandfather as a source was the safest excuse, especially since he belonged to the same generation as Sarutobi and the Konoha elders.
"Boss," Jun said, "can you and other clan prodigies like Young Master Fugaku awaken the next form of the Three Tomoe Sharingan? And what is that stage called?"
Yuta raised an eyebrow. This bastard had packed three questions into one sentence. Hearing Fugaku's name irritated him. That useless man shared a class with Yuta's sister. He would rather Mikoto marry a commoner than that fool.
"Jun," Yuta said calmly, "don't compare me to prodigies. I'm a walking cheat. No matter how talented a prodigy is, they'll always fall short of someone like me. The next evolution is called the Mangekyō Sharingan. And I pray none of you ever awaken it."
His reincarnated knowledge gave him an overwhelming advantage.
"What are the consequences and methods of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan?" Jun asked. "And why don't you want us to awaken it?"
"There are four stages leading to madness," Yuta said. "As I told you before, the Sharingan awakens through loss and emotional trauma."
"The first stage begins when the Sharingan awakens. Your behavior starts to change."
"The second tomoe deepens that instability and arrogance begins to form."
"The third tomoe convinces you that no one is your equal. You stop caring about anything except your family."
"When you lose something truly precious, like witnessing your entire family being slaughtered, the Mangekyō awakens. Overusing it will eventually blind you."
The group fell silent. Shock filled their faces. Yuta never spoke without certainty. This knowledge explained why even the Uchiha could not defeat the First Hokage.
"My turn," Rika said softly. "Why hasn't an Uchiha become Hokage, even though your clan helped found the village?"
Yuta paused. He debated whether dragging her into Uchiha politics was worth it.
"The Uchiha were meant to lead after the First Hokage," Yuta said. "But Madara discovered that Tobirama opposed Uchiha leadership. Madara wanted his people to leave and form a new village. His clan refused and stayed in Konoha. That betrayal broke him. After awakening the Mangekyō, he challenged the First Hokage using the Nine-Tails and died."
"Then why didn't other clans support the Uchiha?" Rika asked. "And why did you say the Uchiha betrayed their own?"
"The Uchiha don't form alliances," Yuta explained. "They believe strength alone is enough. Other clans rely on bonds and cooperation. The Uchiha are prideful, and pride isolates them."
"Then who is stronger," Rika asked, "the Uchiha or the Hyūga?"
"The Hyūga will never reach the Uchiha," Yuta said. "The Uchiha name is feared throughout the world. I'm certain the First Hokage would trade every Hyūga life just to keep Madara alive."
"That's all for today," Yuta said. "Go wait outside. I'll settle the bill."
The sun had already set. He sensed killing intent the moment the Hyūga were mentioned. He needed to escort the children home, especially Rika.
Suddenly, Rika screamed.
Yuta rushed outside, his heart pounding with guilt. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her.
Five boys stood there, wearing village headbands. They were graduates.
What weakened Yuta was the symbol on their robes.
They were from the Hyūga clan.