Uchiha Seiji and Shisui walked side by side, with a very curious Nohara Rin trailing behind them through the Uchiha compound.
As an aspiring medical-nin, Rin simply couldn't resist the temptation of learning the Mystical Palm Technique. But beneath that professional drive, there was also a simple desire: she wanted to be friends with Seiji.
Handsome, young, generous, gentle, and powerful—what girl wouldn't want a friend like that?
"No wonder the Uchiha clan has such a reputation…" Rin's voice was full of awe as she glanced around like a tourist. The compound's sweeping architecture and ancient clan atmosphere kept drawing her eyes—every corner felt like something worth staring at.
Still, while the place looked like a cultural heritage site, it wasn't somewhere ordinary Leaf shinobi casually wandered into. The Uchiha name carried both weight and… distance. Between their role as Konoha's police force and the clan's frosty reputation, most villagers stayed away.
Even though the Uchiha were one of the founding pillars of the village, people whispered about them with unease, half-respect, half-fear. In some ways, their position wasn't so different from Danzo's—powerful, but isolated, feared more than admired.
"If you like it here, just drop by whenever," Seiji said casually, ruffling Shisui's hair. "Our place is big enough, but with only the two of us it gets a little… empty. Right, Shisui?"
Shisui puffed up his cheeks like a dumpling. "Not true! I like it just fine with just me and big brother!"
The little guy was making it very clear he did not approve of Rin barging in on his perfect two-person weekend with Seiji.
"Oi, don't glare at her. Learn how to make friends," Seiji teased, tapping him on the forehead. "Your brother can't babysit you forever."
"Pfft." Rin stifled a laugh, covering her mouth. As an only child, watching their brotherly banter was oddly entertaining. "You two get along really well…"
Shisui turned his head away with a huff. In his mind, his brother would stay with him forever. That was non-negotiable.
The three of them walked on, chatting and bickering like a small family.
But from a distance, three different sets of eyes were watching.
The Uchiha Hawk Faction
First: Uchiha Yatsushiro, along with Uchiha Inabi and Uchiha Tekka. As elite jonin with three-tomoe Sharingan, part of their duty was to guard the compound. And when an outsider like Rin stepped in? Naturally, they watched.
"Yatsushiro, that troublesome brat actually brought in an outsider," Tekka muttered. "Perfect chance to teach him a lesson—consider it revenge for you."
As Yatsushiro's close friend and a proud hawk-faction Uchiha, Tekka was itching for an excuse. After all, Yatsushiro had once come back from a 'training bout' with Seiji, muttering vaguely that he'd won but still "taken a few hits." The shame lingered.
Among friends, though, Yatsushiro's words about Seiji sounded more like admiration than resentment. Tekka and Inabi assumed Seiji must have been a real pain in the neck, and Yatsushiro had just been saving face.
Now that Seiji's reputation as a prodigy with Water Release was spreading, hawks like Tekka didn't like it one bit. And with Uchiha Setsuna stirring things up, the resentment was only growing.
Tekka gave Inabi a meaningful glance. Both grinned darkly, ready to move.
But before they could take a step, Yatsushiro's hands clamped down on their shoulders like iron. His expression was grim.
"Tekka. Inabi. Can I trust you?" His voice was deadly serious.
Tekka blinked. "What are you saying? You know our parents died early, our family had nothing. Without you helping us, we wouldn't even be shinobi. You're like our real brother."
Inabi nodded. "Exactly, Yatsushiro."
"Good. Then listen carefully," Yatsushiro growled. His grip tightened until their shoulders ached. "Do not show Seiji a shred of hostility. If he senses the clan turning on him, it won't just be you two—it'll be all of us, including me—condemned as traitors to Uchiha."
By the end, his words carried a flash of killing intent.
Tekka and Inabi stiffened. Seeing the tomoe spin in Yatsushiro's eyes, they swallowed hard and nodded furiously.
Obito and Setsuna
Elsewhere, Uchiha Obito was sweating through training with Setsuna. His body was exhausted, but his eyes… were locked firmly on Rin's back as she laughed and walked with Seiji and Shisui.
"Rin…" Obito whispered her name unconsciously, waiting for her to turn around. She didn't. She just kept smiling at Seiji's side.
Setsuna's lips curled in a cold smile. Maybe he was talking to himself, maybe to Obito.
"This is the shinobi world. If you don't have power, everything you want gets taken away. The Hokage's seat, the girl you like, even the air you breathe."
"If you had beaten Seiji that day, maybe you'd be the one walking with her now. But you didn't."
"So train harder, Obito. When you're strong enough to carry the clan on your shoulders, you'll naturally get what you want."
Obito clenched his fists, his eyes burning with resolve. "Setsuna-sama… keep training me. I'll take back everything that belongs to me!"
But what Obito forgot was this: Rin wasn't some prize waiting to be claimed. She was just a kind, ordinary girl who encouraged all her classmates equally. To Obito, those words were treasure. To her, they were just simple kindness.
And like a beggar clutching a coin, Obito wasn't satisfied. He wanted the whole purse, forgetting he had no right to demand it.
The Shadow Watching
And from the shadows, the final gaze belonged to Black Zetsu. Or rather—wearing Rin's stolen face, "Uchiha Rin."
"How amusing… this Seiji brat. Are you another anomaly like Kagami, or something far more dangerous, hiding in plain sight?"
"As for Obito, yes… he'll make an excellent pawn. But Setsuna? What a worthless fool. Words like his can't truly awaken the darkness in Obito's heart."
"No… to break him, you must first let him taste happiness. And then rip it away with merciless cruelty. Only then will despair bloom."
Her words dripped with venom, but her smile—Rin's smile—was dazzling. More dazzling, even, than the real Rin's.
And so, in the unseen corners of the world, the gears of fate were already turning, grinding quietly toward an inevitable storm.