During class at the Ninja Academy, while Tahara Rokuro and Uchiha Kei were dutifully attending lectures, the ever-resourceful Itachi had already sent a shadow clone to take his place. His real body, meanwhile, had slipped away to a secluded grove to receive personal training from Uchiha Shisui.
At this point in time, Shisui was likely the only Uchiha known to have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—and his abilities as a shinobi were nothing short of extraordinary.
Be it taijutsu, ninjutsu, or genjutsu—Shisui excelled in all of them. Even his chakra reserves far surpassed those of ordinary ninja.
In all of Konoha, only the Legendary Sannin could rival his chakra levels. The aging Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, had long since lost that edge.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Several kunai collided midair, altering their trajectories as they rebounded toward targets hidden within Itachi's blind spots. Yet one of them veered off course, embedding itself in the ground—a rare miss that made Shisui raise a brow.
"What's wrong, Itachi? You seem distracted today."
Itachi silently retrieved the kunai, then looked up at Shisui with a thoughtful gaze.
"Shisui, since you work in the Anbu, you must have frequent contact with the Hokage and the village elders, right? I wanted to ask you something."
"So long as it's not classified information, I'll tell you what I can."
"Is it true that Konoha's higher-ups resent the Uchiha? That they're intentionally using enemy forces to weaken us?"
Shisui's expression stiffened slightly, then softened into an uneasy smile.
"Why would you think that? You're overthinking it, Itachi."
"Please don't lie to me, Shisui. During the last Great Ninja War, among the Sand, Stone, Water, and Lightning Villages, the Uchiha were least suited to face the ninja of the Land of Water. Yet the higher-ups specifically ordered us to repel their invasion. Are we supposed to believe that was just a 'strategic mistake'?"
"This…"
Itachi went on, repeating Rokuro's earlier words and adding his own deductions.
"The Hyūga Clan would've been the logical choice against the Mist. Their Byakugan can see through the Hidden Mist Technique effortlessly, minimizing casualties.
As for us Uchiha, our Sharingan is most effective on the Wind or Earth fronts. In the Wind Country, our visual prowess renders puppet techniques and Wind Release utterly useless. We could have achieved victory with minimal losses. So tell me, why?"
Before he could finish, Shisui raised his hand to stop him.
"Itachi, the higher-ups have their own considerations. Our duty is to follow orders, not question them. Doubting the chain of command only breeds division—and that's not good for anyone."
But his words didn't convince Itachi, and Shisui could see it. He quickly changed the subject.
"Did someone put these ideas in your head? Otherwise, why would you start thinking about this now?"
After a brief hesitation, Itachi gave in and sold Rokuro out—after all, between Shisui and Rokuro, his bond with Shisui was far stronger.
"Tahara Rokuro, huh? The son of Uncle Taidachi, right? He's about your age, isn't he?"
Itachi nodded faintly.
"Rokuro can be arrogant—talks like he's above everyone else—but this time, what he said made sense. Shisui…"
"Alright, let's drop the subject for now," Shisui interrupted gently. "What matters is that we keep training. That's how we protect our village and our families. As for Rokuro… I'll talk to him later. Questioning authority isn't exactly healthy for the clan."
Unaware that Itachi had just sold him out, Tahara Rokuro was busy at his desk, half-listening to class while secretly analyzing sealing formulas.
Unlike Itachi, he didn't use a shadow clone to attend classes for him. Still, he never actually paid attention—everything the instructor taught was something he'd long since mastered. Listening again felt like a waste of time… or worse, torture.
So, every time class began, Rokuro would lay his head down on the desk, pretending to nap, while his mind raced through the structure of complex sealing scripts—rebuilding the most powerful jutsu he remembered using advanced formulaic logic.
Today, he was attempting to reconstruct the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, a secret body technique from the Hidden Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning.
In the original timeline, the Fourth Raikage had used it to utterly overpower the Mangekyō-wielding Sasuke and his Taka squad.
If not for Gaara's intervention, Sasuke would've been pulverized right there.
Among the few taijutsu-based "hacks" of the ninja world, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode stood as one of the strongest close-combat enhancements before the true monsters appeared on the scene. What drew Rokuro's attention most, however, was its physical reinforcement property—it didn't just boost combat ability, it strengthened the body itself.
Speed, reflexes, defense, attack power—everything except genjutsu and long-range ninjutsu received massive enhancement.
Rokuro tapped his finger lightly on the desk, muttering to himself.
"Sure, as an Uchiha, the simplest way to get stronger is to evolve my Sharingan—from single tomoe, to three, to Mangekyō, and finally to the Eternal Mangekyō or even the Rinnegan, following Madara's path.
But here's the problem…"
"Does awakening the Eternal Mangekyō require Indra's chakra? Or can it be achieved just by transplanting a blood relative's eyes? If it's the latter, that's easy. The entire Uchiha clan shares blood ties—there'll be at least three or four pairs of Mangekyōs in the future. I can just swap as needed. But if it really requires Indra's chakra… then I'm screwed."
"After all, only Madara and Sasuke ever achieved the Eternal Mangekyō and then ascended to the Rinnegan. Both were Indra's reincarnations. No one else in Uchiha history has ever taken that step."
Rokuro scratched his hair in mild frustration.
"If it really does need Indra's power, then forget it. Regular Mangekyōs come with massive drawbacks—limited power and blindness. Opening them might do more harm than good."
"So if that path's a dead end, the best way to strengthen myself is clearly mastering the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Once I can fully simulate it through sealing formulas, I'll be able to raise my physical abilities to the level of a Kage.
With Lightning Armor and a three-tomoe Sharingan, I'll have no trouble crushing Sarutobi or Danzō—and even Itachi, with his Mangekyō, wouldn't be my match."
After deep contemplation, Rokuro decided that before the Night of the Nine-Tails broke out, he would use sealing code to reconstruct the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and use it to strengthen his body.
As for awakening his eyes—he already had a plan for that.
If all went well, he'd achieve it within two years.
Itachi awakened his Sharingan at eight. Rokuro was confident he wouldn't be far behind.
By the time school ended, Rokuro was walking home alongside Uchiha Kei, but just as they reached the Uchiha compound, a familiar figure appeared before them—Uchiha Shisui.
"Rokuro," he said with a calm but serious smile, "mind if we talk?"