As dusk fell, Chishimo finished his training for the day and, after bidding farewell to Might Duy and his son, headed towards home.
Along the way, Chishimo pondered how to become stronger as quickly as possible, as time waits for no one.
Learning step-by-step at the Ninja Academy? He immediately dismissed that idea. Not to mention learning, even taking the graduation exam now would be no challenge for Chishimo, but he had no immediate plans to graduate. The reason was simple: it would be too conspicuous.
Chishimo's parents were both ordinary Chunin, so the Ninjutsu scrolls they left for Chishimo were extremely limited.
Chishimo's father specialized in Fire Release, and his mother specialized in Wind Release. Two years ago, after Chishimo tested and found he possessed Wind, Fire, and Lightning Chakra natures, he began to learn the Ninjutsu left by his parents.
In these two years, Chishimo had basically mastered the Ninjutsu left by his parents, although they were all relatively low-level.
However, this also led to a plateau in Chishimo's Ninjutsu training. After all, advanced Ninjutsu weren't common goods, and Chishimo was at a loss for where to start.
After much thought, there was only one path: finding a master!
Although Chishimo was confident that with his talent, no one would refuse to take him as a disciple, becoming a disciple also meant exposing himself, so he had to be extremely cautious.
Moreover, Chishimo's identity was also a problem. Ever since the Third Hokage took office, he had been suppressing the Uchiha Clan, and due to the existence of the Konoha Military Police Force, the Uchiha's reputation was quite poor.
If he chose someone from another clan as a teacher, it was unknown whether Konoha's higher-ups would try to recruit him or eliminate him. The Uchiha Clan would probably also have many complaints about him. Although he didn't care for himself, he still had an elderly grandmother, so it wouldn't be worth it.
Although there was the precedent of Uchiha Kagami, the policies of the two Hokage were not entirely the same. Furthermore, the Ninja World's Shadow was lurking in the dark, and he was just a marginal figure in the clan. From every perspective, he was far from his predecessors.
It would be more appropriate to find someone within the clan.
Chishimo, who was well-versed in the original story, remembered that Uchiha Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha Clan, was an indecisive person. After the Nine-Tailed incident, he was still hesitant about whether to launch a coup, even when Konoha's higher-ups were pushing him around. In the end, when his own son came to raid his home, he simply waited for death.
If he knew that there was someone like him in the clan, he would definitely try to hide him. Perhaps he could even use this to replace Itachi's future role, mediating between Konoha and the Uchiha, which would make it easier for him to influence the Uchiha's direction, wouldn't it?
As for strength, there was nothing to think about. Could someone who became the head of a clan be weak? If even Uchiha Fugaku couldn't teach him, then probably no one in the clan could.
Having decided on his strategy, Chishimo felt a sense of relief, and before he knew it, he had arrived at his doorstep.
Chishimo looked at the bright lights in his home and knew without a doubt that his grandmother was waiting for him to come home for dinner. A warm current flowed through his heart, and he quickly walked forward and opened the door.
"I'm home, Grandma!" Chishimo said with a smile, looking at the old woman sitting at the dining table.
"Welcome home, little Chishimo. You must be tired from training. Have a seat first, Grandma will go warm up the food."
Seeing Chishimo return, a smile involuntarily spread across the old woman's face, and she quickly got up and walked towards the kitchen.
Looking at his grandmother's lonely and slightly hunched back, Chishimo's nose inexplicably felt a little sore. He quickly took off his shoes and ran towards the kitchen.
"Grandma, I'm not tired. Let me help you too."
"Hehe, good, our Chishimo has grown up!"
The old woman's relieved voice came from the kitchen, and the soft lamplight shone on their two figures, radiating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
After eating and drinking his fill, Chishimo sat quietly in his room, not refining Chakra, but adjusting his body to maintain his optimal state.
A few days ago, Chishimo had heard the news of Clan Head Fugaku's wife giving birth, and it was undoubtedly the birth of Uchiha Itachi.
With a newborn son and a weak wife, it was highly unlikely that Fugaku would go out at night. Moreover, a nighttime visit could avoid unnecessary attention, so Chishimo decided to act tonight rather than postpone it.
"Hoo." Slowly exhaling a turbid breath, Chishimo stood up from the room. After ensuring his condition was at its peak again, he put on a black hooded cloak from the hanger, and his entire body transformed into a black shadow, darting out of the window and disappearing into the distance.
It was already late at night, and there were very few pedestrians on the streets. As for the Konoha Military Police Force, most of them were guarding the periphery of the Uchiha Clan's territory. Only a very small number of people patrolled within the territory, and over the past two years, Chishimo had already memorized these patrol routes perfectly. Avoiding these people was not very difficult for Chishimo, who was still a small child.
As for why he didn't go in openly, it was because Chishimo didn't want to be dragged into power struggles.
Ever since the Second Hokage died in battle and the Third Hokage took office, implementing even more aggressive suppression against the Uchiha, a considerable number of people within the clan had begun to entertain the idea of a coup.
If his visit to the Clan Head's residence caused him to enter the sights of the dove and hawk factions, although there would be no threat to his life, it would still be a considerable problem for Chishimo.
After all, he had no background, no strength, but surprisingly good talent. Who wouldn't want to claim an unowned genius for themselves?
This was another reason why Chishimo chose to apprentice under Fugaku. After all, no matter which faction they belonged to, as long as they were Uchiha, they had to listen to the Clan Head, didn't they?
But before Fugaku took him as a disciple, Chishimo still felt it was best to proceed cautiously.
...
The residence of Uchiha Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha Clan.
Uchiha Fugaku looked at his wife and son sleeping peacefully on the bed, a slight smile playing on his lips, and quietly withdrew from the room, closing the door.
Fugaku sat alone on the wooden floor outside, sipping the tea in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, as if in thought or perhaps in conflict.
Currently, several clan elders were considering pressuring Konoha to seize some political power. This was something unimaginable during the reigns of the First and Second Hokage.
However, after the Second Hokage's death, he only verbally passed the title to Hiruzen Sarutobi instead of Uchiha Kagami. Hiruzen Sarutobi's ascension to power further intensified the suppression of the Uchiha Clan. Coupled with Konoha Village losing five or six tenths of its strength after the Second Great Ninja War, some proud Uchiha Clan members felt it was time to fight back.
Fight back!
How could Fugaku not want to reclaim the dignity they had lost? But he was the Clan Head; even if he didn't consider Konoha, he had to consider the Uchiha.
While Konoha had indeed suffered significant losses in the war, the Uchiha were not doing much better. Even if they were to win, it would be a narrow victory. The other four great nations were always watching, and they probably wouldn't even have time to solidify their position before facing attacks from those nations.
It's difficult!
Fugaku pondered repeatedly but still couldn't come up with any effective solutions.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
A soft knocking sound interrupted Fugaku's thoughts.
Fugaku rubbed his head. Who could be looking for him so late? Hadn't all the clan matters been explained clearly earlier?
Puzzled, Fugaku went to the door, preparing to see who was outside.