Hokage Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen gazed at Fugaku, who had arrived in disguise, and a faint smile touched his weathered face.
"It has been a long time since you visited me here."
"Yes." Fugaku hesitated for a moment before replying, "I have been… occupied with work. That is why I haven't been able to come see you."
Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe, his eyes drifting toward the window. "I hope we can be candid today. Problems can only be solved when they are spoken aloud; keeping them bottled up inside only breeds disaster. Isn't that exactly how the issues between the village and your clan accumulated over time?"
Fugaku was startled into silence for a moment, then nodded solemnly.
"Sit," Hiruzen said warmly. "We haven't sat down to chat like this in quite a while."
Fugaku did as he was told, taking a seat opposite the Hokage.
Hiruzen exhaled a plume of smoke. "We have a certain understanding of the situation within your clan, but since the Uchiha keeps itself at a distance, our knowledge is limited. Could you tell me about it first?"
"Of course!" Fugaku agreed hastily. Since he had come this far, he was genuinely prepared to compromise with Konoha to resolve the clan's current predicament. The only problem was—he still hadn't decided how specifically to do it.
Deep down, he still held onto a sliver of wishful thinking.
After listening to Fugaku's explanation of the current state of affairs, Hiruzen sighed softly. He didn't immediately discuss the next steps. Instead, he observed, "Itachi possesses an excellent grasp of the bigger picture, yet his disposition is somewhat extreme. He is… overly rational."
Hearing this, Fugaku couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Rational? That was putting it diplomatically.
He never imagined Itachi's thoughts would be so obstinate—so bizarrely twisted. After hearing his son's "plan" yesterday, Fugaku had spent the entire night trembling, unable to sleep a wink.
He didn't dare to imagine the alternative. If Shisui hadn't "died"—and then unexpectedly reappeared—how would things have developed? Perhaps, as Itachi had declared, he really would have picked up a blade and slaughtered his entire clan.
An Itachi like that… Fugaku couldn't bear the thought.
Sitting before Hiruzen, he bowed his head. "I will educate him properly."
"Sigh… He is still just a child. Mistakes are inevitable…"
As Hiruzen spoke, even he found it difficult to maintain his composure. While it wasn't uncommon for ninja to have a significant kill count by the age of twelve or thirteen, a child who actively contemplated slaughtering his own family was a rarity.
He suspected that the shadow of his old friend, Danzō, was lurking behind this somewhere.
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment, composing his emotions, before speaking again. "The situation with your clan hasn't reached the point of no return. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough before, or perhaps he is facing other pressures I am unaware of. That is why I wanted to speak with you directly—to avoid placing more pressure on him and turning good intentions into a tragedy."
Konoha Academy.
"Goodbye, Sensei."
"Goodbye. Oh, actually—Hinata, wait a moment."
Masahiko raised his hand.
Hinata, sensing the gaze of her classmates, turned beet red and lowered her head shyly. Fortunately, the other students didn't stare for long and filed out.
"After you went home, did you discuss the matter?" Masahiko asked.
"Un." Hinata nodded.
"You didn't actually ask, did you?"
Hinata hesitated, then nodded again, answering softly, "I… I think whatever you decide is fine, Sensei."
"Alright. I'll arrange things as I see fit then." Masahiko nodded.
Hinata bowed gently. "Thank you, Sensei."
"Go on, then. Focus on your training and don't overthink things."
"Un."
Hinata turned and left. After bidding her farewell, Masahiko departed the school grounds. He had no classes that afternoon, giving him time to return home and work on his Genjutsu.
After dinner, Masahiko entered his training space.
[Consuming Salary Card. Summoning: Kosuke Maruboshi.]
Masahiko chose him primarily for his signature technique: Konoha Style: Willow (Konoha-Ryū: Yanagi). It was a swordsmanship style that integrated Genjutsu, perfectly matching Masahiko's current requirements.
Kosuke would certainly be able to solve his bottleneck without costing too many resources. It was also a good opportunity to seek advice on kenjutsu in general. As for Shisui or Tobirama… they were excellent, certainly, but far too expensive. Furthermore, there was no guarantee they could resolve his specific issue within a thirty-minute window. He had to regretfully pass on them.
Moments later, a hunched ninja who appeared to be roughly the same age as Hiruzen appeared before him.
"Greetings."
"This is the concept for a technique I am developing, along with my current progress. Please take a look, and then we can begin the instruction."
"Very well."
The projected Kosuke took the manifested sheets of paper without showing any surprise. He was merely a simulation, but he possessed the full personality and memories of the real Kosuke Maruboshi.
After reading, he looked up. "I am not well-versed in these specific theories, but I have mastered a technique that I have honed for decades. Let us use that as the theme of our exchange."
"Agreed."
Masahiko sat down. Thanks to his "rehearsal" discussion with Kurenai Yuhi earlier, his theoretical knowledge of Genjutsu had received a temporary supplement. While he hadn't mastered everything, he had a solid enough foundation to avoid needing every little detail explained.
Six Hours Later. A Late-Night Izakaya.
"This is the place. The food is excellent, and their sake is top-notch. I come here often."
Kurenai deftly ordered several dishes and two small flasks of sake. She picked up one flask and poured herself a small cup.
Masahiko took the other flask, poured a cup for himself, and said, "I've made some headway with the Genjutsu."
"So fast?"
Kurenai's eyebrows shot up. Her surprise was mixed with an emotion she couldn't quite identify. She sighed lightly, her expression turning melancholic. "Could you save that for later?"
"What's wrong?" Masahiko asked.
Kurenai propped her chin on one hand. "Eating is supposed to be a joyous occasion. But seeing your progress while I remain stagnant… I really can't find it in me to be happy about it."
"Haha." Masahiko couldn't help but laugh.
Kurenai looked at him with a trace of resentment. "Is it funny?"
"Well… I initially took you for the type of person who didn't care much about these things," Masahiko replied with a smile.
Kurenai sighed silently. "If I couldn't see any hope at all, sure, I wouldn't care. But I haven't given up yet."
She took a sip of sake, then offered a small smile. "However, now that there's a lead… your approach isn't entirely suitable for me. It needs modification." She looked at Masahiko intently. "What is this method you mentioned?"
"Light, mist, and kinetic movement."
Masahiko glanced at the overhead light. He snapped his fingers, and a burst of chakra erupted from his fingertips, scattering droplets of liquid into the air.
The droplets flew, instantly transforming into a faint, almost imperceptible mist.
It was subtle, but in that instant—Masahiko's hand seemed to "dislocate."
In Kurenai's eyes, the effect was even more pronounced. Masahiko's entire position seemed to deviate from his actual trajectory.
Thoughtful, she murmured, "Using the refraction of light and the physical motion of casting as a medium to instantly drag the opponent into an illusion."
"A solid plan. In combat, you can initiate with a Water Style ninjutsu. Once refined, it will be even more covert," Kurenai analyzed, connecting the dots unconsciously.
Then, realization struck her. Given Masahiko's intelligence, if he had already established the first step, he had undoubtedly already figured out the follow-up execution.
She couldn't help but feel envious. "You're amazing."
"Whether it's covert or not isn't actually the priority. Nor does it matter if the Genjutsu is broken. The key is having sufficient contingencies to deal with the variables…" Masahiko explained his philosophy.
Kurenai's demeanor shifted instantly from casual envy to serious attentiveness.
As they chatted, the food arrived. Some were Kurenai's favorites, like spicy stir-fried squid, while others were the shop's signature side dishes. Normally, she would have delighted in tasting the food.
But tonight…
Kurenai ate and drank mechanically, her mind racing. Halfway through the meal, she suddenly spoke up. "You're right. One cannot pin their hopes solely on the jutsu itself. Every scenario must be considered."
"Exactly. To become a Jōnin, you must be capable of handling a multitude of scenarios independently. You cannot rely on a single specialization," Masahiko said, looking at her. "Take you, for example. The Body Flicker Technique and speed are your strengths in taijutsu, but you lack raw power. It would be best to avoid close-quarters combat and instead combine Genjutsu with ninja tools or ninjutsu."
"Mm." Kurenai nodded in deep agreement.
If the ninjutsu or tools failed, she could use the Body Flicker to maneuver and avoid a crisis.
She didn't even realize it herself—but as she spent more time with Masahiko, she found herself unconsciously memorizing his words, pondering their validity, and considering how to apply them to her own growth.