"Sensei…"
"Uh, sit. Don't worry, there's no one around."
Ryoho Kyohiko still wasn't quite used to Uchiha Shisui calling him "Sensei." After all, the age difference between them was only five or six years. Of course, in a few more years, when Shisui was 12 and about to graduate, and he was around seventeen, then being a teacher might not seem so out of place.
Ryoho Kyohiko gestured for Shisui to sit down. It was early in the morning. The area around this lake was covered with flowers, grass, and trees, all of which had become a part of his vision under the influence of his chakra. Under the Wood Style Barrier, he could instantly sense anyone entering this area.
Uchiha Shisui nodded lightly, then sat down by the lake.
Ryoho Kyohiko didn't rush to ask about the internal situation of the Uchiha.
"How have you been lately?"
Uchiha Shisui thought for a moment.
"I met someone named Gekko Hayate. This person…"
He was at a loss for words. After thinking for a moment, he gave a rather fair evaluation.
"A bit strange, but very hardworking."
He spoke of his past experiences. Ryoho Kyohiko's expression gradually changed. Gekko Hayate, your style isn't quite right. If this goes on, this guy is going to turn into a mini Might Gai. However, he could understand. Gekko Hayate had received a part of his mother's lung, thus obtaining a healthier body. But at the same time, his mother had lost a part of herself due to the transplant.
Ryoho Kyohiko lamented.
"Responsibility and experience will change a person. Hayate is a very good example. I even participated in his surgery."
Uchiha Shisui nodded. He let out a low laugh, a trace of wistfulness and shame on his face.
"Sensei, during this time, I haven't been able to win over a single comrade from within the clan. I feel like they are a single entity, and there's no way to start. The most likely to succeed is surprisingly Uchiha Itachi…"
But Uchiha Itachi was just a two or three-year-old child now. It was too absurd to make a two or three-year-old child understand the contradictions and conflicts between Konoha and the Uchiha. But… apart from the children under three, the other members of the Uchiha clan were basically like Uchiha Tekka, looking down on Konoha's civilians from the bottom of their hearts.
He kind of missed Uchiha Obito. If Obito were still here, he would at least have one partner.
Ryoho Kyohiko could hear that the current Shisui was full of disappointment with his clan. In the original timeline, when Uchiha Shisui gouged out his eye and gave it to Itachi, then jumped off a cliff, he might have been even more desperate than now. Of course, it was a good thing Shisui hadn't lived, at least he didn't know what kind of heaven-defying operation Uchiha Itachi had performed later, and no one had reanimated him afterward. Otherwise, Kyohiko could hardly imagine what a shocking mess that would be. The Uchiha, what a ward of sick patients!
"The Hyuga clan today, have you paid attention to them?"
"The Hyuga clan?"
Uchiha Shisui shook his head blankly.
He hadn't been paying attention to the Hyuga clan's affairs. And that clan, like their Uchiha, had a vast clan territory. How could what happened be known to outsiders? However, he recalled for a moment.
"The Hyuga clan children who go to the Ninja Academy today seemed to have gone back very early."
After Shisui finished speaking, he suddenly looked up.
"Did something happen to the Hyuga clan?"
Ryoho Kyohiko didn't go into detail, but he didn't completely hide it either.
"You could say they've completed an internal innovation. It shouldn't be a few days before most of the Jonin hear some news. Your Uchiha need to hurry up."
The matter of the Hyuga clan, it wouldn't be long before the Hyuga family themselves announced it. He just had to not reveal too much.
Upon hearing this, Shisui's mouth gaped open. The Hyuga clan? Innovation? Could these two words possibly be put together? He looked at Kyohiko in disbelief, his eyes filled with doubt and a plea for confirmation, but Kyohiko just nodded lightly.
Shisui's expression was completely blank. A few seconds later, he suddenly stood up.
"I need to go find the Clan Head-sama!"
"Wait."
Ryoho Kyohiko stopped him.
Then, he said, "Your clan, the most active one in the shadows, isn't it someone named Uchiha Inabi?"
Shisui recalled for a moment.
"Inabi-nii? He seems alright. It's his younger brother Tekka who is very active."
Then, he frowned.
"But Inabi-nii is also the type to be rather exclusive. He probably thinks similarly to them, just not as obviously."
"What about their father?"
"Shinji-senpai?"
Shisui recalled for a long time, then shook his head. "I'm not sure. I don't have a very deep impression of him."
"Mm… you help me keep an eye on their family. You can also mention it to Fugaku-senpai. Anyway, we have dealings, he probably has guessed it."
As Ryoho Kyohiko spoke, he stood up. "If you need to contact me directly, go find Kushina-sensei."
"Kushina-sensei?"
Shisui recalled for a moment, and the image of that woman who loved to laugh loudly and was rather thoughtless came to mind. She has a connection with Teacher too? Oh, right. Her husband is Namikaze Minato.
Shisui nodded.
"Alright."
After speaking, he quickly ran towards the clan. Ryoho Kyohiko didn't leave in a hurry, but observed the Uchiha Police Force from a distance. He suspected the Inabi and Tekka family. One reason was that in the original timeline, they were die-hard rebellion faction members. The second was that he had learned about their actions against Nohara Rin. Young people are the most prone to getting heated. If there was internal strife in the Uchiha, then Inabi and Tekka would definitely be the first to be unable to hide things.
Ryoho Kyohiko's figure disappeared. This "he" was just a shadow clone.
---
At the Police Force headquarters.
Shisui ran all the way back, but as he got closer, he slowed down, pretending to be just passing by on a normal run, glancing into the Police Force captain's office. Not there. He ran all the way, taking a slightly longer route back to the clan.
In the clan compound, Uchiha Fugaku was still at the gate, teaching Uchiha Itachi to train. Seeing Shisui arrive, he frowned, then lowered his head and said a few words to Itachi, then opened the gate.
"Shisui, why aren't you out running?"
Uchiha Shisui said respectfully.
"Clan Head-sama, there are some techniques I don't quite understand, and I would like to ask for your guidance."
Fugaku nodded.
"Come inside."
Shisui followed him in. In the house, he looked around. Uchiha Fugaku's home only had his own family members, no outsiders. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Fugaku closed the door.
"What's the problem?"
"The matter of the Hyuga clan, have you heard about it?"
"The Hyuga?"
Fugaku was slightly taken aback. He had originally thought Shisui was going to bring up the same old things, talking about clan affairs. He hadn't expected it to be different this time… The Hyuga clan. What could be wrong with them?
Shisui said.
"The Hyuga clan has completed an internal innovation. The news should be fully out in a few days."
Fugaku's pupils shrank. He looked at Shisui, then slowly let out a breath.
"Shisui, this news…"
"Mm."
Shisui nodded lightly.
Fugaku's heart sank. As the head of the Uchiha clan, he was no fool. He naturally knew what Shisui's message meant—the Hyuga have already acted. What about you?
Shisui said.
"Also, Inabi, Tekka, and the others, have there been some unusual movements?"
Fugaku replied.
"They are a bit restless, but there haven't been any incidents yet. It shouldn't be time for action."
Shisui was completely dumbfounded. He was stunned for a few seconds. Not the time… do you have to wait until they've gathered more people and are about to kill their way into your home, Clan Head-sama, before it's considered 'the time'? He couldn't believe these were Fugaku's words.
Fugaku said.
"I plan to observe a little longer, mediate, and provide ideological education…"
Shisui was so anxious he couldn't care about respect anymore.
"We can still make it now, Clan Head-sama! By the time you're done observing, our clan will be truly finished!"
He directly stated his attitude—Observe? Mediate and provide ideological education? How can there be time for that! This Clan Head is not in a hurry at all!
"..."
Fugaku hesitated.
Before, he could have dismissed Shisui's words. After all, Shisui was just a child, representing only himself. But this time, the person behind Shisui had already implicitly stated their position. It seemed he couldn't just ignore it. But those were Uchiha clansmen! After a long while, he said.
"Shisui, this matter cannot be rushed!"
"Still not urgent? Clan Head!"
"Let me think about it for a few more days."
Fugaku stood up. "Alright, you go and train. You have to go to school later."
"Clan Head!!"
Shisui's voice was shaken, filled with disbelief.
He hadn't expected it. Even with Teacher involved, Uchiha Fugaku was still hesitating. This guy… how on earth did he become the clan head? He was completely dumbfounded.
After being pushed out of the house by Fugaku, Shisui looked at Fugaku's house, turning back every three steps, his heart filled with despair. He felt that before, he had truly overestimated Uchiha Fugaku. With such a clan head, why worry about the clan not falling?
Shisui didn't notice. In his eyes, the two tomoe had unconsciously appeared. He gritted his teeth and walked towards the school, his mind in chaos. When he gradually came to his senses, Shisui's body swayed, and he almost fainted. His head felt like it was about to split open! Shisui couldn't help but let out a pained groan, collapsing onto a park bench by the road.
Pain! It hurts so much!
Then, the tomoe spun, blurring the black comma shapes. The moment it stabilized—a third tomoe appeared. Three tomoe! The pain gradually subsided. Shisui panted, his clothes soaked with sweat. He trembled, drew the sword from his waist, and through the blade's reflection, he vaguely saw the state of his own eyes. A pair of three-tomoe Sharingan.
Although it wasn't the Mangekyo Sharingan, to awaken three tomoe at this age, Shisui was definitely the first. And this was truly thanks to Uchiha Fugaku. Ever since he met Uchiha Fugaku, the young Shisui had felt his blood pressure maxed out. Especially today, it had almost overflowed.
Shisui let out a breath and leaned back on the chair. Awakening the three tomoe didn't make him feel much happier. The clan's situation was already very bad. My strength is still not enough!
However, strength is relative. Compared to an elite Jonin, he was indeed not strong enough, not mature enough. But compared to people not much different in age, Shisui was confident he could win.
"Inabi-nii…"
Shisui's eyes became fierce. During this time, he had been reading books related to assassination techniques, learning the moves and skills inside. At the same time, the Konoha-style: Dance of the Willow taught by Kyohiko had also been completely mastered and absorbed by him. Now, he had awakened the three-tomoe… once his spirit and constitution further stabilized, his strength would surely rise to another level.
"If you really stand on the opposite side and become the leader, even if it's you, I will kill you with my own hands!"
Shisui's heart was firm. He knew what he was fighting for!
The current situation in the shinobi world was set. Konoha was unstoppable. Even if there was a real Uchiha Madara, given the other's methods against Uchiha Obito, Shisui didn't think the other was a good person—eternal peace, such an absolute description, looked like a scam no matter how you looked at it. If there really were such means, why didn't Madara himself go and achieve it? Dead? If he was dead, then the current "Madara" was not the real one, unless the other could be resurrected from the dead. Obito has definitely been deceived! So, the more the other party wanted something, the more Shisui had to stop it.
---
The matter of the Hyuga clan did not ferment on a large scale in Konoha. But in two days, the news was quickly known by the higher-ups of the major clans. Because… several people had died in the Hyuga clan. In these two days, a grand funeral was held. Most of them were from the main family. And when the remaining main family members appeared again, they were all wearing forehead protectors on their foreheads. Normally, this was something only the branch family would do.
Everyone was not a fool and could naturally guess what had happened. The Hyuga main family has changed! As a great clan with a heritage of hundreds of years, the Hyuga clan had always been stable. The main and branch family system had always been a system they were proud of. But no one had expected that Hiashi would have such courage, to change the system of the main family, and even raise a blade against his own clansmen for it!
If anyone was the most shocked, it was naturally Uchiha Fugaku. He had heard the news from Shisui before and knew that the Hyга clan was making a big move. But he had never expected that the precarious Uchiha clan hadn't self-destructed, but the Hyuga clan had acted first. This was a true bloody revolution!
According to the situation these few days, there were seven funerals alone, all of whom were members of the main family. Plus those who became branch family members, this one cut by Hyuga Hiashi had almost wiped out more than half of the main family members.
"Kill…"
"The Uchiha are different!"
Fugaku sighed.
The current interior of the Uchiha was filled with anti-Konoha sentiment. Although he was working hard to maintain stability, trying his best to persuade and educate, the effect was minimal. Logically, killing some was the easiest way. But what if it caused a large-scale internal strife? The Uchiha of the past were not without examples of internal strife.
---
At the same time. Uchiha Shinji once again walked into the basement.
"Sir, something has happened!"
"What's with the panic? What happened?"
Zetsu awoke from his silence. To avoid being discovered by Kyohiko, he was basically in a silent state when not in action, so he was indeed ignorant of the outside situation.
Uchiha Shinji hurriedly explained the situation outside.
"Hiashi of the Hyuga clan has killed many main family members. It seems he is reforming the main family system. This matter will definitely affect Uchiha Fugaku!"
"This person, although indecisive, if there is external stimulation, he might…"
A look of terror appeared in Uchiha Shinji's eyes. He felt as if a blade was hanging over his head, ready to fall at any time.
Black Zetsu was contemptuous in his heart. With this little courage, he still wants to do big things? Madara was not wrong at all. After so many years, the Uchiha are indeed mostly idiots.
However, on the surface, he just said calmly.
"Don't worry. Your clan head will not act. Just do as you should. Have your two sons mobilize the clansmen as much as possible."
"Also, the thing I taught you, do you still remember?"
Black Zetsu looked at the other party.
Uchiha Shinji nodded.
"Of course. I have already found the specific location of the Nine-Tails. A part is inside Uzumaki Kushina, and another part is in Namikaze Minato's home."
"Home?"
Black Zetsu was a little surprised. They released a part of the Nine-Tails? He was very surprised. But soon, Black Zetsu understood Konoha's intention in doing so.
"I see. They have split the Nine-Tails in two, wanting to maximize the use of its power. But for us, this is a good thing, because it carries the summoning contract I placed on it."
"This power can be used by you!"