The next day.
Uchiha Seiji brought Shisui down into the long-sealed family armory.
For academy brats, kunai and shuriken were standard issue. But a proper katana? Almost unheard of. Samurai blades were reserved for jōnin or clan heirs trained in specialized sword styles—definitely not everyday toys for kids.
Truthfully, Seiji didn't even need a sword. As someone who had mastered Water Release, close-quarters combat was never his main concern.
But after unlocking Tobirama's swordsmanship from that "Will of Fire" stunt yesterday? Yeah—suddenly, having a blade worth swinging mattered.
Besides…
He glanced at Shisui, who was practically vibrating with excitement, his face glowing red like he'd swallowed a lantern. Seiji couldn't help but smile."Shisui, if you wanted something from here, you could've just asked. Everything in this vault is ours—yours included."
Their father and mother had died early in the Second Ninja War, and their grandfather Kagami's early death left just the two brothers to inherit the whole branch of the Uchiha estate. Even if they'd never become shinobi, they would've lived as obscenely wealthy heirs.
Shisui chuckled awkwardly, his ears red, but kept staring expectantly at the massive lock. He had never mentioned his craving for a sword before, worried his talent with the blade might one day hurt his brother—back when Seiji had still been "the dead-last."
But now that Seiji had left him in the dust, the guilt was gone. Shisui was freer, brighter, and more comfortable letting himself be protected.
Seiji shrugged at his brother's flushed expression, slipped a palm-sized bronze key into the heavy lock, and twisted.
Click.
The vault doors creaked open. Seiji's eyes widened.
Racks of glittering weapons lined the chamber. Giant Fūma shuriken, hooked chains, scrolls stuffed with seals, smoke bombs, full sets of Warring States armor… every piece screamed wealth and bloodline prestige.
No plain kunai or shuriken here. Only heirlooms—deadly or priceless, or both.
Seiji let out a low whistle."Kagami Uchiha… He might've only been clan head for a few months before his death, but damn, the man left behind a treasure trove."
Shisui darted around the room, picking up blades and striking mock stances like a kid in a candy shop. Seiji's gaze, however, stopped at the weapon mounted dead center.
A long tachi, its blade pure white, edge glinting so sharply that even staring at it made his skin prickle.
Whose blade…?
Every weapon here had once belonged to a famous Uchiha of the Warring States era.
Seiji squinted, then remembered someone who might know."Hey, Tobirama. This one ring a bell?"
"…Brat, you actually have some eye for steel."
Tobirama's voice grew tight as he studied the blade."That is one of Uchiha Izuna's swords. Its name is Muramasa. It caused me no end of trouble in its day."
Seiji's eyes gleamed.Izuna's personal blade? Now that's a treasure.
Why hadn't Madara taken it? Too little time? Or maybe he couldn't bear to look at it?
Seiji plucked it from the wall. The weight, the balance, the edge—it was perfect. And yet… he glanced down at the blade, then inward at the grumbling soul sealed within him.
So what was he now?Using Tobirama's techniques… while wielding Izuna's sword.
A fusion of contradictions. A fusion called Uchiha Seiji.
"Any tricks to this thing?" Seiji asked, swinging the blade. The whistle of steel sliced the air like a predator's growl. "Honestly, I'd rather have your Sword of the Thunder God. This feels kinda ordinary compared to that."
The white-haired specter scoffed. "Greedy brat…" His tone was sour, but his voice carried amusement all the same."Muramasa was forged with a high concentration of chakra metal. Excellent conductivity. It was tempered with rare alloys under extreme heat, giving it absurd durability and sharpness.
"As for my Sword of the Thunder God—yes, it was based on Muramasa, but improved. Though by the time I perfected Flying Thunder God, I didn't need a sword to beat Izuna anymore."
Seiji nodded solemnly. "As expected of you, Tobirama. Always one step ahead."
"Which is why you should hand over the Thunder God blade. You're dead; you won't miss it. Let me use it to defend Konoha."
"…It's in the Senju estate. If you're bold enough, take it yourself."
Seiji sighed dramatically. "Guess it's Izuna's blade, then. Still… I'd prefer your model. What a shame."
"Hmph. An Uchiha brat using Izuna's sword seems more fitting anyway."
Seiji raised an eyebrow. The Senju estate, huh? Didn't Tsunade live there now? That would be… interesting.
Meanwhile, Shisui had grabbed two short swords and stuffed his pockets with tags and bombs like a kid stocking up on fireworks.
Seiji rapped him on the head with Muramasa's hilt. "You know this is our stash, right? You don't have to loot it like a street thief. Whenever you need something, just grab it."
Shisui blinked, then laughed sheepishly. "…Right. It's all ours! Heh… hey, big brother, does that mean we're actually loaded?"
Seiji smirked. "What did you think?"
At that very moment, across the compound, Uchiha Obito was also being ushered into the clan's vault. Led by Setsuna and Fugaku themselves, he too was being fitted out with weapons worthy of a genius.