Chapter 52
"So, from today onwards, you are a true Uchiha."
Shisui's lips curved into a relieved smile.
Awakening the Sharingan is the true beginning for an Uchiha.
"Shisui, I'm participating in the Chunin Exams in three days…" Itachi reported the good news.
"Is that so?!" Shisui sounded surprised after hearing it. "No wonder… your Jonin Instructor…"
Itachi: "No, he doesn't know I've awakened the Sharingan. I haven't told anyone but you."
"…" Shisui scratched his head.
"Father said… it was Danzo Shimura's suggestion…"
The moment Itachi uttered those words, Shisuistopped in his tracks.
"What's wrong?"
"…"
Shisui was silent for a long time, then spoke to Itachi with deep meaning.
"Itachi, you must be careful and stay away from that man… He represents the darkness of the Village. As someone who wants to become Hokage, you don't need to get involved with such things…"
"I understand."
Itachi replied with a brief statement.
"Oh, by the way, Shisui, I have one more thing to ask of you… It's about Uzumaki Naruto…"
"Uzumaki Naruto?"
Shisui's mind immediately recalled the figure that had rampaged through the forest last time.
The other party's performance had left a deep impression on him.
"What about him?"
"He… recently my sister has been getting very close to him, they seem to have become friends…"
From Itachi's narration, Shisui heard his anxiety.
Although he didn't have a sister himself, Shisuifelt… perhaps, this was like 'the cabbage he carefully raised being snatched away by a pig'?
"Ha…"
Shisui shook his head, unable to help but laugh.
"You already have a girlfriend."
He was referring to Uchiha Izumi from their clan.
"Your sister also has the right to pursue her own happiness…"
Well, even though Sako was still just a child.
But Itachi and Uchiha Izumi weren't much older either. They had been exchanging glances since their Ninja Academy days. At that time, Itachi wasn't much older than Sako.
"It's not like that!"
Itachi suddenly looked over, his abruptly raised tone startling Shisui.
"Sorry…"
Realizing his lapse, Itachi quickly composed himself.
Shisui was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but sigh: "Itachi, when an Uchiha gets emotional, the Sharingan will activate…"
Shisui indicated to Itachi that he truly cared too much about his sister.
Feeling the burning sensation in his eyes, Itachi then realized that he had unintentionally activated his Sharingan.
His crimson eyes emitted an eerie glow in the night.
After a few seconds, they slowly faded away.
"Shisui, what I mean is… that Uzumaki Naruto, he might not be as simple as he seems. I don't know why, but I just have this feeling… So, to prevent me from misjudging him due to personal subjective emotions, I want you to help me… help me observe what kind of person Uzumaki Naruto truly is."
Only then could he confirm whether his sister could continue to play with him.
You're a bit too overprotective.
Shisui originally wanted to say that, but considering Itachi's responsibility as an older brother was something he couldn't fully 100% understand and empathize with, so… "Alright, I'll help you see him clearly. With these eyes…"
Shisui's eyes were tinged with red, three tomoe spun and condensed, finally forming an eerie four-pointed shuriken shape.
Looking at his friend's Mangekyo Sharingan, Itachi felt a sense of dizziness and enchantment… Chapter 41. The Uchiha want to rebel!
The next morning.
Konoha's entrance welcomed travelers of all kinds.
These outsiders wore diverse styles of clothing; they were not refugees from the Land of Firefleeing disaster.
Their headbands alone identified them as coming from different Ninja Villages.
The Chunin Exams invitations issued by Konohahad attracted Ninja from multiple countries.
Most of them were Konoha's allies, such as Hidden Sand Village, Hidden Rain Village, and Amegakure… etc.
At a time when Konoha and Kumogakure were in conflict, holding the Chunin Exams publicly was undoubtedly meant to tell other countries that Konoha was still strong, and even while fighting a war, it had the capacity to maintain everything.
This was also a warning, cautioning those countries harboring ill intentions to rein in unnecessary thoughts.
Early in the morning, Naruto walked down the road, passing by with an air of defiance.
When he reached the paint shop, Naruto pulled out two coins: "Boss, two buckets of paint~!"
Nine-Tailed: "Are you planning to drink paint first thing in the morning!?"
The Nine-Tailed, unable to help but complain, didn't understand that Naruto had suddenly remembered he still hadn't achieved his "Prankster Master" achievement.
If he didn't pull pranks, could he still be called the protagonist?
The paint shop owner looked at the two coins in his hand, then raised his head, staring at Naruto in astonishment, his face full of disbelief.
"Did I give too much? It's fine~! No need for change~!"
Naruto waved his hand grandly, indicating that the two yen didn't need to be returned.
Then, Naruto grabbed a bucket of paint and a brush, turned, and ran.
By the time the owner reacted, Naruto had long vanished… And all of these actions were fully monitored by two observers in the shadows.
Yūgao, with her long flowing hair and Anbu attire, was naturally fulfilling her duty as a protector.
What surprised her was that the famous Shunshin Shisui also seemed to be observing Naruto.
As Naruto left, Uchiha Shisui immediately followed him.
This deepened the suspicion in Yūgao's heart.
Uzumaki Naruto was the "Fox Demon"; this was something almost everyone in Konoha knew.
But only a few knew Naruto's two true identities: "Nine-Tailed's container" and "Fourth Hokage's son."
Uchiha Shisui, as a new generation Ninja close to her in age, shouldn't really know Naruto's true information.
Because she herself only learned a series of internal Konoha secrets after joining the Anbu.
However, considering Shunshin Shisui's current fame, the speculation that "the older generation of Uchiha would inform him about Naruto" was also very reasonable.
Assuming Shunshin Shisui knew Naruto's true nature, what did he intend to do?
Yūgao couldn't help but recall the rumor that "the Uchiha brought the Nine-Tailed."
While called a rumor, it wasn't merely a guilty inference.
After all, the Anbu guarding the Fourth Hokage's wife during childbirth were all wiped out, the couple died, and Lady Biwa Lake [Hiruzen Sarutobi's wife], who was responsible for the delivery, was also tragically killed.
No one knew the details of the birth that night.
But what could be confirmed was… Lady Biwa Lake and her disciple Hebiji were both killed by 'humans'! The subsequent autopsy report proved that their wounds and cause of death did not come from the Nine-Tailed!
Afterwards, although the higher-ups remained silent on the matter, their attitude towards the Uchiha was unmistakable.
This included moving the Uchiha Clan to the edge of the Village, and there were even hidden cameras in the Village, monitoring the Uchiha 24 hours a day by dedicated personnel.
One could say… Konoha's higher-ups had completely lost trust in the Uchiha.
"If Shunshin Shisui wants to control Naruto…"
Thinking of Uchiha Shisui's reputation for being highly skilled in genjutsu, Yūgao felt a chill run down her spine.
Slap.
Just then, a hand rested on Yūgao's shoulder.
Yūgao, deep in thought, almost reflexively drew her Kunai and swung it.
However, her wrist was grabbed.
"Yūgao… getting distracted during a mission won't do…"
"Hayate!?"
Looking at her returning childhood friend, Yūgao's nose tingled, almost bringing tears to her eyes.
The smiling young man before her was someone she hadn't seen for many days, a close person with whom she hadn't even been able to celebrate the New Year.
Gekkō Hayate's gaze swept past his childhood friend, then looked at Naruto's departing figure: "Is your mission going well? Is there anything about that kid that worries you?"
"No, it's not Naruto…"
Yūgao shook her head, then pointed out Uchiha Shisui, who was following behind.
Gekkō Hayate, returning from the battlefield, had barely arrived back in the Village when he eagerly sought out Yūgao to express his longing.
And when he saw the figure of Shunshin Shisuithat Yūgao pointed out, his expression also turned to astonishment.
Holding an important position in the reconnaissance squad and trusted by Konoha's higher-ups, he naturally knew everything about Naruto.
Realizing the cause and effect and the seriousness of the problem, Hayate immediately nodded: "Yūgao, I'll help you keep an eye on Shunshin Shisui. You should report this matter…"
The safety of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would affect the safety of the Village; disaster must never be allowed to repeat itself.
"Alright." Yūgao, completely trusting her childhood friend, immediately flew away.
"Transparent Escape…"
Gekkō Hayate raised his hand and formed a hand sign.
His body blurred for a moment, instantly disappearing into the air.
A transparent shadow left the building, rapidly approaching Uchiha Shisui.
Whoosh… The wind blew.
Uchiha Shisui stopped, looked left and right, but found nothing… Naruto, carrying the bucket, quickly chose his first target.
The Hokage Rock.
This Konoha landmark was an object of admiration for people. It was also a famous scenic spot in Konoha.
The faces of successive Hokage would be carved onto it.
Currently, there were already four faces on it, indicating that Konoha had a total of four Hokage.
"Climbing it isn't an easy task…"
Naruto suddenly remembered that he hadn't yet practiced tree climbing or water walking