In the Hokage's office, Miyu was treating her son's body, running the Mystic Palm technique over him.
"Hmm, it's just chakra exhaustion—nothing else. Though he has fewer bruises than I expected, you really held back," Miyu said, glancing sideways at Shisui.
"He's your son; I couldn't do what you asked of me, even if I wanted to," he apologized, scratching the back of his neck with a hint of guilt—after all, his leader had asked for something he hadn't fully carried out, even if that something was beating up a child. "But that's not what I'm wondering about; it's a different matter."
Miyu looked at him as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
"I wonder what my subordinate wants to ask me," the Hokage remarked, walking over to her desk and taking out some sake.
"Well, I'll be direct with you: Is Yami an Uchiha, or were stolen Uchiha eyes transplanted into him?" Shisui asked without beating around the bush.
Miyu didn't even look at him when he asked; it was as if the question were of no consequence.
Only after pouring her drink and settling into her chair—propping her feet up on the desk and taking a sip of sake—did she finally look at the Uchiha standing before her.
"What do *you* think?" At the Hokage's question, Shisui couldn't help but look at Yami again, studying his expressions, his face, his hair, and everything he had observed and remembered about him.
"Well, I suppose it's no longer a mystery, is it?" Miyu declared, finishing the sake in one final gulp.
"Does the head of the Fuhaki clan know?" Shisui asked.
"Obviously he knows; only four people are aware of it: Fugaku, Jiraiya, you, and me—no one else," Miyu explained, holding up four fingers. Shisui was about to ask who the father was, but he sensed he would get into trouble if he did, so he immediately shut his mouth—though another question formed in its place.
"This was intentional." He stated it not as a question, but as a fact, looking back at the Hokage. She simply gazed at him as if the answer were obvious: *But why—and above all, why me?*
At that, Miyu pulled something from her desk and tossed it over for him to see; it was an item he recognized instantly.
It was the manual on how to learn to use the Sharingan.
"I'd struck a deal with Fugaku to get it so I could train Yami once he awakened the ability, but there was one detail I hadn't anticipated," she declared, lowering her feet to reach for the sake again—only to discover the bottle was empty.
"It's only effective if another Sharingan user teaches it to you," Shisui added, knowing this from his own experience.
"No wonder that bastard Fugaku had no qualms about handing it over; he was probably hoping I'd ask *him* to train Yami instead," Miyu grumbled, glancing around her desk for more sake.
"I can guess the reason behind all this, but if you don't mind me asking, why me?" Shisui inquired.
"Because right now, you're the only Uchiha I trust," she said seriously, stopping her search for more alcohol to look him in the eye—taking the Uchiha by surprise for several reasons. "I assume you're aware of the situation unfolding within your clan, right?"
Shisui nodded.
"Yes, Itachi has told me a few things," he remarked. That was true; given how closely he was working with the Hokage, he'd had little interaction with his clan over the past few months.
That was also why no one from the radical faction had approached him.
The entire Uchiha clan knew Shisui was their greatest prodigy, but—unfortunately for them—he currently sided more with the Hokage than with his own clan. That didn't mean he no longer felt a sense of belonging or wished them harm; it simply meant that if the clan took action, he would be the first to question whether it would benefit or damage the village.
And if a crisis did arise, Shisui would be the one seeking the most peaceful solution—one that avoided a bloodbath at all costs—which might be far removed from what the clan desired.
"Then there isn't much to explain; I don't know who in that clan is an ally and who is a traitor. Even though I trust Fugaku and Itachi, I can't say the same for those around them," Miyu explained, helping Shisui better understand the Hokage's decision-making process.
"Honestly, I don't know what to think," the Uchiha finally admitted, looking away.
"There isn't much to overthink; you understand the consequences of people's actions—that's just who you are. I also know how strong you are, which is why you're the only person I'd feel completely at ease with training my son," Miyu said, settling back into her seat.
Shisui stood motionless for a moment before letting out a sigh—one that signaled a quiet acceptance of his situation. It was also at that moment that he realized the emotional and mental state of his clan.
It was a good opportunity to look around and see firsthand what was happening.
"Fine, I'll train Yami when the time comes, but on one condition," Shisui declared.
That made Miyu think he sounded just like a fox.
"And what would that condition be?" the Hokage asked.
"If something happens involving the Uchiha clan, you won't resort to drastic measures; you'll seek a way to resolve it all as peacefully as possible," Shisui demanded.
Miyu couldn't help but look astonished at this, shaking her head in response.
"I can promise you this: as long as you are alive, I won't make any malicious moves against the Uchiha clan," she said. "After all, you'd be there to stop me, wouldn't you?"
At that, Shisui blinked twice before letting out a sigh.
"Very well," he agreed, sounding somewhat resigned.
"Good, you may go. Enjoy the rest of your day off," Miyu told Shisui, who bowed respectfully.
"I'll take my leave, Hokage-sama." With that, he turned and walked out of the room.
Silence filled the room completely.
"You can stop pretending now; it's just the two of us," Miyu said, standing up and walking to the side of the office.
At that moment, Yami, who had been feigning sleep, slowly sat up.
He had woken up shortly after the conversation began, allowing him to piece together what was happening.
"Mother," he said, looking at the floor; he was still tired, as his chakra reserves remained depleted.
"Yes?" Miyu asked, taking out a cup and some tea.
"Am I an Uchiha?" Yami asked, watching his mother prepare the tea.
"No," she stated flatly as she went to get water.
Miyu had never liked having her drinks prepared by others; she always did it herself or watched the process closely—a small quirk she had held onto since childhood.
"But—" Yami tried to speak, but Miyu stopped him with a raised hand.
"Sometimes, the blood running through our veins doesn't matter; what truly matters is knowing and believing in who we want to be," she said, heating the water in a kettle. Those words left Yami thinking more than usual.
"Besides, you aren't part of the Uchiha clan—not spiritually or politically. The rest doesn't matter; you're my son, so you belong to the Senju clan, and that's that," she finished, pouring tea for Yami.
He looked displeased at this.
"So, who is my father?" he asked curiously.
"Hmm, you don't have parents," Miyu admitted, causing Yami's eyes to widen in shock. "I fished you out of the trash six years ago—you were this small," she said, finishing her joke by gesturing the size with her hands.
Yami just glared at her, annoyed, since he had actually believed her for a moment.
"If you really want to know, figure it out yourself. You already know the hardest part; the rest shouldn't be too complicated to piece together," Miyu suggested, returning to her desk with a fresh bottle of sake and opening it in one swift motion.
The boy of mixed Uchiha and Senju heritage watched as his mother drank without a shred of restraint.
"I think you should stop drinking," Yami advised.
"Believe me, I need it if I want to finish this paperwork tonight and stay sane," Miyu declared, prompting both of them to look at the massive stack of papers piled up to the side.
...
Back at the house, Yami went straight to the bathroom; using a stool, he got as close to the mirror as possible.
Staring intently into his own eyes, he used his hands to pull his eyelids open and examine the area around his eyes for anything unusual, moving his head from side to side.
"What is Big Brother doing?" Naruto whispered to Hikari.
"No idea; maybe he's finally lost his mind," she replied honestly.
Yami, who overheard this, felt his eye twitch as he turned to look at the two siblings chatting behind his back.
The moment they saw him, they bolted as if they had used the *Shunshin no Jutsu*.
Without a second thought, the half-Senju, half-Uchiha boy stepped down and latched the door so no one could spy on him again.
He then turned back to the mirror, reflecting on the day's events and recalling what he had been taught about how *dōjutsu* works.
Yami closed his eyes, and the moment he opened them, a single-tomoe Sharingan could be seen spinning within.
"Am I really their son?" he wondered, gazing at his eyes. He shook his head, however; possessing the Wood Release was undeniable proof of his lineage.
Yet, he also recalled his mother's joke about him having no parents—a remark that brought to mind something he had heard one of his friend's mothers say during her occasional visits.
She had mentioned how they had never seen his mother pregnant or showing any signs of pregnancy.
Finally, there were the distinct physical differences between him, Naruto, and Hikari—not to mention the complete absence of a father figure; specifically, there was zero trace of one.
These thoughts left Yami's mind in turmoil, unable to reach any solid conclusions.
"I still lack information," he told himself.
Thinking back, only four people knew his true identity, but he wouldn't get anything out of his mother. Shisui had found out today, so technically, he possessed far more information than Yami did. He couldn't go to Fugaku given the situation with the Uchiha clan, as it would be problematic.
If he wanted answers—or at least a lead to follow—he needed to meet with Jiraiya.
...
Finally out of the office, Miyu had gone from being cooped up with Hokage paperwork to being surrounded by yet more paperwork—this time regarding the situation with the Senju and Chinoike clans.
Every time she saw the stack of documents on the table that required rigorous review, she felt a sudden headache and regretted her life choices.
"I should be fighting villains and saving princesses in castles, not sitting here surrounded by nothing but papers," Miyu lamented.
"There's no other way, Miss Miyu," Shizune said, standing beside her and looking at the mountain of paperwork.
Our protagonist could only grumble in frustration.
"What's the situation in the other countries?" the blue-haired woman asked the black-haired one.
"Investment is moving quickly; arms sales to Kiri are going swimmingly; trade with Iwa has stalled due to transport issues; Suna has accepted our resource exchange proposal; and we're waiting for Kumo to agree to let us set up operations near their capital so we can work on chakra-conductive metals," Shizune reported, acting every bit the secretary she was.
"Tell the Iwa representative that, for now, we can agree to exchange resources in a neutral zone, after which they can transport them to their country. The idea is to get them to agree first, and then—once they're used to the arrangement—twist the terms of the contract. But that's a matter for the future," Miyu explained, pulling out a document.
She signed it not as the head of the Senju clan, but as the president of the new insurgent investor in the Elemental Nations.
"Understood," Shizune said, taking the paper and leaving the office.
Left alone, Miyu could only sigh—only to see the door burst open as Naruto and Hikaru came running in and stopped right beside her.
"Mother, you said you'd treat us to ramen when you got here," Hikari complained. "That's right, Mother Miyu—let's go to Ichiraku Ramen right away; I'm starving," Naruto insisted.
As the two children shook Miyu back and forth while making their demands, she simply tuned out reality, wondering what terrible things she had done in her life to deserve this.