The sensation was stronger than before—more thrilling and more ferocious. Even more chakra materialized out of nowhere inside Uchiha Yorin's body.
Oh oh oh!! Power, power is surging up!
Yorin had the urge to twist his face into a broken grin and strike a crazed Jojo pose. But he held it in.
Hold it in—he absolutely had to hold it in.
If he cracked here, his life as Shisui's close friend would probably be over.
Yorin did his best to look gentle and unruffled, then said to Shisui:
"It was only a spar, and a restricted one at that. If we used genjutsu and ninjutsu, Shisui, your chances would be much higher. Not to mention—you've got those eyes."
"Even so... a loss is a loss. You really are magnanimous, Yorin-nii—is this the winner's composure?"
Originally Shisui still minded it a little. But after hearing Yorin, even that last trace of worry vanished.
At the same time, he quietly made up his mind.
Though he hadn't said it to Uchiha Yorin, there was in fact a question both of them needed to settle.
Namely: in this effort to save the Uchiha and protect Konoha, who would lead and who would follow?
There was no answer to be found in debate, so they chose a more shinobi-like way to decide.
Just like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara back then.
In the end, Yorin won. Shisui felt a twinge of disappointment, then realized this was for the best.
Yes—though he was a bit stronger, his temperament wasn't suited to command; he fit better as a field general.
Someone like Yorin-nii, unfazed and easygoing, was more suitable to lead.
They hadn't spent much time together, but Shisui had his own judgment.
Seeing Uchiha Yorin's shameless air reminded him of Liu Bang, the High Ancestor of Han.
His speed in running when needed—like Liu Bang.
A mind full of plots and stratagems—like Liu Bang.
Even his lust, not sparing Tsunade—like Liu Bang.
Of course, his largeness of mind, breadth of vision, boldness, and ability—also like Liu Bang.
Serving as the right hand to such a boss wasn't shameful—on the contrary, it was an honor.
Thinking this, Uchiha Shisui smiled in relief.
And when he remembered that his true power was actually greater than Yorin-nii's, Shisui laughed even louder.
"Hahahaha..."
Yorin: "Eh, come on."
He had worked hard to hold back the trademark Uchiha cackle, yet now he kept a straight face while Shisui couldn't—how odd.
But since the loser, Shisui, didn't mind, maybe he didn't need to hold back either?
With that thought, Uchiha Yorin followed with a cheerful, "Hahaha."
Hearing Yorin laugh, Shisui grew even happier and laughed louder.
He raised his voice; Yorin raised his even more. In that loop of wild laughter, Yorin finally leaned back into a taut pose, showing off the physique he'd honed through relentless taijutsu training.
The Uchiha elders watching were deeply moved; a few sentimental ones even teared up, claiming that seeing Yorin laughing madly was like seeing Uchiha Madara of old.
From that laugh alone, many felt Yorin had the bearing of a Mangekyō.
...
With the bout over, much of the clan's resentment toward Yorin faded.
Calling the Uchiha a clan of love, a tragic clan, a tsundere clan, a beautiful-strong-tragic clan—none of that was wrong.
Yet at the same time, the Uchiha were still a clan that revered strength.
They would only follow the strong.
Of course, in that regard most shinobi clans across the world were the same.
Leaders like Yahiko, who lacked overwhelming power yet led by personal charisma, were rare. That was why Akatsuki had been so rare—a clear stream in chaotic times.
Sadly, thanks to Danzō Shimura, it all ended.
...
After the spar with Shisui, the aftershocks kept spreading.
The clan's evaluation of Yorin rose; some even said he'd surpassed Shisui to become the strongest of the new generation.
Shisui had already accepted Yorin taking the lead, so when people asked him, he would smile and say:
"Yeah—Yorin-nii is really strong. I might not even be his match."
Uchiha Itachi: "For real???"
Hearing that, the ninja world's number one dutiful son felt half doubtful.
"It's true." Uchiha Shisui looked gently at Itachi, who was like both a little brother and a disciple, and said:
"Yorin-nii will bring change to the shinobi world, to Konoha, to the Uchiha. So trust him, Itachi—trust him like you trust me."
They spoke at Yorin's newspaper print shop. After Yorin vs. Shisui, it had become a hangout for the clan's younger generation.
Young Uchiha would gather there in their downtime, sipping tea, petting cats, and reading the latest Konoha Daily—grumbling as they read, "Damn it, Big Bro Yorin, such nonsense."
Like Shisui, more and more of the younger Uchiha warmed to Yorin and drew close to him; a small circle with him at the center was gradually forming.
Yorin was happy to see it—and even fell into a pleasant dilemma.
Should his little circle be named Konoha One-Heart Society, or the Free Officers' Organization?
...
Fugaku was conflicted about letting Itachi mingle with Yorin. On one hand, Itachi could learn a lot; on the other, he might learn things he shouldn't.
But the dutiful son had his own ideas. If Fugaku told him not to go, would he really stay away? Of course not.
Thus Yorin's secret base gained a tiny kid who liked to act mature, though he actually didn't know squat.
The first time Uchiha Yorin saw Itachi in front of him, he couldn't help sucking in a cold breath. But seeing how much Shisui trusted the kid, he could only pinch his nose and grudgingly accept him as an outer member of the Konoha Young Guard.
Hopefully, this time the kid wouldn't grow into the beast he had before.
Hopefully.
Uchiha Itachi: "So, Yorin... what's Yorin-nii doing right now?"
"At the Hokage Building," Shisui said. "Yorin-nii went there—he's probably discussing something important with the Fourth."
Hearing that Yorin could already speak with the Hokage on matters of state, envy and longing flickered through Itachi's eyes.
You could say it suited the kid praised by the old Third as someone who could "view things from a Hokage's angle." For some reason Itachi's favor toward the Hokage faction was naturally high...
But was that really the case?
Cut to the Hokage Building. Uchiha Yorin was pitching Minato Namikaze:
"Do you know how much my paper made in three days? Fifty million ryō!
"How much is an S-rank mission?
"One million!
"That's fifty S-rank missions in three days, Lord Hokage!
"Trust me—let's found Konoha Culture & Entertainment Co., Ltd. I'll be CEO, you be chairman. We'll scale up, make it shine, rake in trillions of ryō in minutes, and if it comes to it we can smash the other four great villages to death with money!"