Konoha – Beside the Ninja Academy Training Grounds.
The noon sun warmed the dusty edges of the playground, where a group of ninja students had just wrapped up their practical session. Nearby, a breeze stirred the canopy of trees, rustling faintly overhead.
Hyuga Tokuma glanced sideways at the boy standing silently beside him, noting his stiff posture and furrowed brows.
"What's wrong? Did you get a stomachache?" Tokuma asked with a slight frown.
Uchiha Yun rubbed his abdomen absently, then shook his head. "No, nothing like that. Just… felt a little off for a moment."
Uchiha Izumi, standing on Yun's other side, tilted her head with concern. "Onii-chan, do you want to head home and rest? I can explain to the sensei and ask for leave on your behalf."
Yun smiled faintly, ruffling his sister's hair in a reassuring gesture. "It's alright, Izumi. Just a passing discomfort. No need to fuss."
Then, glancing around and noticing a familiar absence, he added, "By the way… Where's Hana today?"
Tokuma scratched his head. "Ah, I heard something happened with her ninken. Poor dog apparently has diarrhea or something. She stayed home to look after him."
Izumi wrinkled her nose. "Seriously? That bad? Does she have to do everything for the dog?"
Their casual conversation drifted off as the school bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. While most students returned to their lessons, Yun, as usual, had other plans.
Later that afternoon, when his shadow clone took over his spot in class, the real Yun slipped quietly away and made his way to the remote cliffs behind the Hokage Monument. It was a secluded area perfect for deep thought and quiet reflection—or covert training.
Perched on a rocky ledge, Yun touched his abdomen again. A faint pulse echoed through him as information from his clone, Sora, flowed into his consciousness. Every detail of the earlier battle with Obito was now imprinted into his memory.
He closed his eyes, and the scene replayed itself: the Flying Thunder God Technique, the chain, the ambush, the miscalculated reentry into the flames…
'That bastard… he reacted too fast. Way too fast. It's obviously not just a passive counter to space-time ninjutsu. That's not normal.'
The more he analyzed, the more one conclusion became clear—Obito had gained new power. Something that let him actively predict or react to the Flying Thunder God technique before Yun even arrived at his destination.
'Is it visual-based? Like a derivative of the Sharingan? Or is it something… else?'
He narrowed his eyes. The Obito from the Nine-Tails Night was certainly powerful, but that one still had limits. What he faced now felt like a different beast entirely.
"Yun, you're here early."
Yun's inner thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Uchiha Shisui, stepping lightly from the shadow of a boulder.
Yun exhaled, letting his mind release the tension of strategy. "Don't sound so surprised. If all goes well, things can start moving as early as tomorrow."
Shisui's eyes remained cautious. Without another word, he quickly formed a series of hand seals. The air shimmered, and a barrier dome rose around them—silent and transparent, but powerful enough to shield both sound and chakra signatures.
"I'd rather be paranoid than exposed." Shisui said, lowering his hands. "You know as well as I do that many in the clan don't see things our way."
Yun nodded, appreciating the precaution. "Exactly. Which is why your Kotoamatsukami will be our greatest weapon. Not all Uchiha are madmen. But if we want to stop this civil war from consuming the village, some illusions must become reality."
Shisui's expression grew heavy. The unspoken weight between them loomed: the Uchiha clan's slow march toward rebellion, the hawk faction gaining influence, and the countdown to another potential massacre.
"Tomorrow?" Shisui repeated. "There's a clan assembly in seven days. Why not wait until then?"
Yun's eyes flicked toward the barrier, then back to Shisui. "We don't have seven days. I'm sure you've noticed Danzo's recent movements."
The older Uchiha grimaced. "More surveillance, more rats."
Yun gave a half-smile. "Then we strike before he finishes laying his trap."
Shisui folded his arms. "You keep saying you'll have decisive power after tomorrow. But you still haven't shown even the slightest sign of awakening your Sharingan."
He paused, eyes searching Yun's face. "Be honest with me. Is it even possible to jump straight to the Mangekyō without opening your eyes first?"
Yun tilted his head and answered with a cryptic smile. "You know how it works. Great loss, great trauma—stimulating the visual nerves to awaken a power sleeping in the blood."
He tapped the side of his head. "Whether it's called atavism, bloodline awakening, or genetic anomaly, the result is the same. You tell me, Shisui. Which one do you think I am?"
Shisui hesitated. "I don't know. But what you've told me over the past two years… it's changed the way I see things. I believe in you."
Yun turned toward the view. The sun was sinking behind the trees, casting Konoha village in a golden glow. From this high up on the mountain behind the Hokage Monument, the whole world seemed distant, manageable—even peaceful.
'At first, I just wanted to survive. A quiet life, a simple family, some crops, maybe a dog.'
He chuckled to himself.
'But peace is a lie in this world. It always has been.'
"You're different." Yun said aloud. "Descendant of Uchiha Kagami. That's probably why the Fourth Hokage trusts you."
Shisui sighed in relief, realizing no confession was coming tonight.
"I'll bring you to the clan meeting." he said softly. "Seven days. You better be ready."
With that, Shisui vanished into the forest, taking the barrier with him.
Alone once more, Yun remained standing. The wind brushed against his cloak as he stared at the Hokage Building down below.
'Konoha has already changed because of me… and it's only the beginning.'
If tonight's third transaction succeeded, everything would fall into place. The Rinnegan, the Mangekyō, the seeds of unity within the Uchiha—all the scattered puzzle pieces would snap together.
'Minato… I hope you're ready.'
The will of fire is not fueled by mercy. Even the great Sarutobi Hiruzen had to make ugly choices after Tobirama's death. History was filled with manipulation cloaked in heroism.
'Let's see if you're different.'
He cast one last look down at the Hokage Building.
Even the purest trees grow from dark roots.
…
Konoha – Root Headquarters.
"That's all the report said?"
Danzo's voice was low, measured, and ominous.
The Root operative kneeling before him didn't lift his head. "Uchiha Shisui was extremely cautious. He deployed a barrier that blocked our summons and chakra signals."
Danzo's expression darkened as he rolled up the report scroll and stood.
"You couldn't even observe with a mouse. Pathetic."
The operative remained silent. Orders were orders.
"Continue surveillance on Uchiha Yuno and Uchiha Shisui. Do not engage unless I give the word."
The ninja vanished into the shadows.
Danzo paced toward the light of a single flame flickering atop a wooden stand. He tapped the scroll against his palm.
'Tomorrow, if everything goes well… what exactly does he mean by that?'
Yuno was becoming a variable. One he had not accounted for. What's more—Shisui, the clan's golden child, was aligning himself with Yuno.
'Is he more gifted than Itachi? Or is this some plot?'
Danzo's mind turned to the ultimate goal—the Mangekyō Sharingan. Power like that must never fall outside Konoha's control. It must be in his hands. In Root's hands.
'Hiruzen… you've grown too soft. Power that is not wielded is power wasted.'
The Nine-Tails, the Uchiha… everything out of his control was a threat to order.
Only a strong Hokage can make Konoha strong again.
And that Hokage would be him.
*****
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