Inside the Uchiha clan compound, although Shen's right leg had long since recovered from its earlier soreness, he continued to walk slowly.
"Oh, there's Shen! Just got out of school?" asked a kind-looking elderly woman in her seventies. She wore glasses, had snow-white hair, and a warm, gentle face.
Shen beamed at her: "Yes, Grandma Chiyuki. I'm heading home now."
"Then take care and do your best, Shen."
"I will, Grandma Chiyuki."
At that moment, Shen looked so obedient it was hard to believe he'd just made such a wild declaration about quitting the Ninja Academy.
"Oh, by the way, Grandma Chiyuki," Shen added proudly like a child, "I used that Golden Binding Technique you taught me last time on someone earlier. It worked pretty well."
"Oh my! Did Shen use Genjutsu on someone? Was anyone hurt?" Grandma Chiyuki placed both hands on Shen's small arms, looking at him with concern.
Feeling the warmth of her worry, Shen replied, "It was a boy from the Senju Clan. He's been asleep ever since I hit him with the Golden Binding Technique. Didn't even manage to touch me once."
Grandma Chiyuki looked surprised: "From the Senju Clan? Don't worry, your father will handle it. Seems like Shen has great talent in Genjutsu!" She smiled as she reached out to pat his head.
"Grandma Chiyuki, if you keep patting me, I won't grow any taller."
The old woman laughed heartily: "My little Shen is growing up and won't even let Grandma pat his head anymore."
...
Watching the old woman laugh heartily, Shen felt a wave of helplessness inside.
Uchiha Chiyuki lived during the same era as Uchiha Madara. Though her Ninjutsu wasn't strong, her mastery of Genjutsu was unmatched. Due to overuse of her Mangekyo Sharingan, she had to wear glasses—not ordinary reading glasses either. The power of the Mangekyo Sharingan wasn't limitless; excessive use could eventually lead to complete blindness.
Other than implanting the eyes of an immediate family member to awaken the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, or transplanting cells from the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, to prolong eye usage, there was no other solution.
But Shen didn't show this childish side to just anyone—only family members and this elderly woman could bring that part of him out.
Due to her eye condition, Grandma Chiyuki retired early from clan battles. Her husband and only son were both lost during the First Great Ninja War when four nations attacked Konoha together.
Her son left no descendants behind, so she doted heavily on children within the clan. Even the current Uchiha Clan Head, Kazushi, was raised under her care.
Ever since hearing about Grandma Chiyuki's past struggles, Shen would often come visit her and cheer her up. That's why Grandma Chiyuki came to see Shen as her own grandson and often guided him in learning Genjutsu.
It wasn't out of ulterior motive or flattery—rather, in such dark times, those who still yearn for the light are rare indeed, making it impossible not to feel drawn to them from the bottom of one's heart.
"Grandma Chiyuki, I'll be heading home now," Shen politely said his farewell.
The old woman watched him slowly disappear into the distance with a warm smile.
At the residence of the Uchiha clan head, Shen opened the front door and stepped inside.
Upon returning home, he greeted his mother, who was preparing lunch, then headed to the backyard.
"It's Shen, isn't it? Why are you back so late? Your father's about to return."
Fugaku set down the documents in his hands and looked up as Shen approached.
"On the way back I had a chat with Grandma Chiyuki. Hey, Fugaku, what's this?" After explaining, Shen came over and pointed at the papers on the table.
"These are the records from the clan's Police Force. Father wants me to begin training there next month," Fugaku replied proudly.
To the Uchiha, overseeing the Police Force was a sign of the village's recognition. Known for being reserved, the Uchiha often carried out their duties stubbornly without much explanation, which led to misunderstandings among villagers. Their silence only deepened those misconceptions further.
Shen smirked. "The Police Force, huh? Not exactly the best gig around."
In his eyes, working for the Police Force meant constantly making enemies. Being responsible for inspecting everything—from roads to street vendors—reminded him of city inspectors from his past life, like urban cops who never seemed to get any love. People might smile to their faces, but you know they're cursing them out under their breath.
Fugaku brushed off Shen's remark—he'd heard plenty like it before.
"Why not skip the Police Force altogether, Fugaku? Let me give you an idea: that Uchiha Commercial Street I mentioned has huge potential. It's a money-making opportunity," Shen tempted.
Fugaku remained silent, unmoved.
Seeing this, Shen gave up trying to persuade him and leaned back instead, placing a hand on Fugaku's shoulder with a playful grin. "Boring! When I grow up, I'll do my own thing. Then I'll hire the Police Force as security guards—and you, Fugaku, can be the Head of Security!"
Fugaku's face darkened. He wondered if he'd been too soft on his younger brother all along, letting him make jokes like that in the first place.
"That's Father's order!" he suddenly exclaimed. "The Police Force is the pride of the Uchiha clan! How could we ever end up hired as security guards?"
Shen shook his head at his "clueless" older brother. "What pride? That's just another method the Second Hokage used to divide the Uchiha from the village."
"How… how did you know that?" Fugaku stared at Shen in surprise. Though his younger brother had always been clever, it still shocked him that Shen had so clearly seen through the plight of the Uchiha.
"Isn't it obvious? The job might look important, but the Police Force doesn't have any real authority. All we do is arrest suspects and throw them into prison—but the village itself never punishes them. We just follow procedures to take people away. It's like letting the good guys take the blame while the bad ones walk free."
As Shen continued speaking eloquently, Fugaku fell into deep thought.
"While the First Hokage built the Uchiha compound next to the Senju's to promote unity, the Second Hokage took advantage of this setup to keep a close watch on the Uchiha. And giving us such an outwardly honorable position as the Police Force—how normal is it for an entire clan to be assigned the exact same role? Tell me, aside from Shin-senpai, when has any other Uchiha held a high-ranking position in the village?"
He stood up and sidled up to Fugaku, whispering in his ear, "I suspect something's off about Shin-senpai's death—it just doesn't add up. Someone with the Mangekyo Sharingan wouldn't find it difficult to escape unscathed, yet Konoha officially reported he died in battle. Fugaku-bro, do you really believe the higher-ups were kept in the dark about Shin-senpai's real fate?"
Kagami Uchiha, just like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, was one of The Second's disciples. It was a tragic loss following a single, crucial mission.
Fugaku's hands began to tremble as he broke into a cold sweat. Although Shen's words sounded somewhat like a conspiracy theory, they actually made sense upon deeper reflection.
"So then, Fugaku-bro," Shen pressed on, "assuming Shin-senpai was indeed sabotaged, someone capable of ambushing a person with the Mangekyo Sharingan couldn't possibly be nobody of consequence."
Fugaku shot up from his seat, lips trembling as he blurted out: "That person must've been someone close to Shin-senpai—someone who knew him inside out. The killer can only be..."
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