Chapter 516: New and Old Legends in the Same Frame?
After training, Shisui and Obito returned to the Uchiha compound with their respective Pokemon.
After dinner, Shisui ate with Zorua as usual, then planned to take it out for a walk to help it digest. The moment he stepped outside, he spotted Fugaku heading toward his home.
"Uncle Fugaku," Shisui greeted first, guessing Fugaku had come to see him.
"Shisui, have you eaten?" Fugaku stopped, nodded, and asked with a gentle smile.
"Yes. I just finished and was about to take a walk," Shisui answered, then asked directly, "Uncle Fugaku, are you looking for me?"
"It is nothing urgent. Let us walk and talk."
Fugaku led Shisui toward the stream nearby.
"Have you heard about the Youth Martial Arts Tournament?" Fugaku asked without wasting time.
Shisui's expression turned a little strange. He had just gained a new understanding of how popular that tournament had become.
In the afternoon, the Third Hokage had asked Mugetsu whether they planned to participate. Now, in the evening, Fugaku was bringing it up too.
That was rare for the Uchiha.
Because most Uchiha shinobi served in the Police Force, the clan was relatively closed off and usually paid little attention to broader news in the shinobi world. After all, the Police Force mostly operated inside Konoha and rarely needed to leave the village.
Uchiha shinobi like Shisui's uncle, Nobuhiro, who frequently took missions outside the village, were the minority.
"Yes," Shisui replied. Zorua hopped onto his shoulder mid step, and Shisui caught it and cradled it in his arms. "It is a competition held by the Shinobi Sect in the Land of Rain, and the rewards are extremely generous."
Shisui was only nine, while Zorua had grown to a full 0.7 meters tall and weighed thirteen kilograms. Having it stand on his shoulder was honestly uncomfortable.
Mainly, Zorua was too big. If it stood upright, it would feel cramped. If it were smaller, Shisui thought it might actually be nice.
"If you and Obito do not have urgent matters, I think you should participate," Fugaku suggested. "Even if you do not care about the prizes, fighting more geniuses will help you grow and build your reputation."
Being too famous as a shinobi was not always good for combat. Too much fame inevitably led to intelligence leaking.
However, fame also brought benefits. If someone wanted to become Hokage, the earlier they became known, the better. An unknown shinobi could never become Hokage.
Fugaku had high hopes for Shisui and Obito, so he came personally to explain the pros and cons. He also sent Yashiro to persuade Obito.
"Thank you for coming, Uncle Fugaku," Shisui said sincerely. "Actually, Hokage sama already informed us. Obito and I both plan to participate."
All of Mugetsu's disciples except Yamato would enter this Youth Martial Arts Tournament, even Rin.
Shisui felt it was a rare opportunity with too many benefits to ignore.
The prizes that most people desired were the least important part to him. His true reason for joining was to temper his skills and earn recognition for the Uchiha among Konoha shinobi.
If he and Obito, as Uchiha, defeated shinobi from various lands in the tournament, it could improve how Konoha viewed the clan. It would bring honor to the village.
"If it came from the Third Hokage, then that is good," Fugaku said with a faint smile.
Part of why Fugaku was so optimistic about Shisui and Obito, beyond their talent, was something else.
They could integrate into the Hokage faction easily, and they had real chances of gaining that faction's support.
Obito's jonin teacher, Minato, was Jiraiya's disciple. That line was deeply rooted in the Hokage faction.
Shisui's teacher, Mugetsu, was not tied to the Hokage by lineage, but Hiruzen valued him highly. He had been the first vice principal since the Academy's establishment, and now he was a widely respected powerhouse in Konoha, someone also considered part of the Hokage faction.
With those connections, Shisui and Obito had far better odds of becoming high ranking officials, or even Hokage, than ordinary Uchiha.
"Shisui, if you need anything, tell the clan," Fugaku said. "We will do our best to satisfy you."
He would not be stingy with Shisui, the true hope of the clan's future.
Shisui did not ask for resources. Instead, he asked a question.
"Uncle Fugaku, do you think the Police Force is good as it is now?"
At the moment, the clan could not really give Shisui anything meaningful. Mugetsu's Fire Release Breathing alone could overwhelm the entire Uchiha catalog of Fire Release techniques, and Shisui did not have financial needs.
Shisui's demands of the clan were simple. He wanted them to live peacefully and stop making problems.
"Police Force…" Fugaku fell into thought, trying to understand what angle Shisui meant.
"Inside Konoha," Shisui continued, "other than the Police Force, there is not a single department completely controlled by one clan, right?"
Fugaku was not only the head of the Uchiha, he was also the captain of the Police Force. If the Police Force were to be reformed from within, it would have to pass through him first.
Fugaku nodded. The Uchiha's situation was indeed unique.
"Is it appropriate for a department like the Police Force to be controlled by one clan?" Shisui pressed.
Fugaku vaguely understood where Shisui was going, but he rejected it almost immediately. It was too radical.
Making the Uchiha give up the Police Force would be the same as handing away the cake they already held.
"No matter what, the Police Force is extremely important to the Uchiha," Fugaku said after thinking.
He did not understand why Shisui would raise such an idea. Standing against the interests of the entire clan would win no support.
The Police Force held real power, not just maintaining public order.
They did not need concrete evidence to arrest someone. If they suspected criminal intent, they could detain anyone, civilian or shinobi. Once the facts were clarified, they could escort the person directly to prison, and the prison itself also fell under Police Force jurisdiction.
Even that was not the full extent.
Nominally, the Police Force even held the power to formulate Konoha regulations.
Those who truly understood knew it was a power that looked impressive but was impractical, because the Hokage held veto authority. The Hokage's power was supreme.
Any regulation the Hokage did not approve would never exist, which made the Police Force's regulation authority little more than formality.
Still, minor limitations did not change the Police Force's standing. No department could surpass the Hokage anyway.
"But will the other clans really accept an Uchiha Hokage while the Uchiha control the Police Force?" Shisui asked quietly, yet firmly.
The Uchiha already carried a bad reputation in Konoha. Monopolizing a major department made it worse. Neither other clans nor unaffiliated shinobi would like an Uchiha that held so much.
Even if the Second Hokage had arranged it, Konoha shinobi viewed the Second Hokage as someone who contributed greatly to the village. They believed he granted the Uchiha special treatment out of respect for the clan's contribution to Konoha's founding.
In that light, the Uchiha should have been more self aware, rather than clinging to the position indefinitely.
Fugaku froze.
Shisui's words carried uncomfortable logic. Overly powerful factions always attracted suspicion.
"I believe the Police Force needs reform," Shisui said clearly. "It cannot remain staffed only by Uchiha shinobi. Other Konoha shinobi must be brought in."
This was a crucial step in easing the clan's internal conflict. Shisui saw it as necessary.
"This is a serious matter," Fugaku said hesitantly. "It requires long term deliberation."
The Hokage seat was crucial to the Uchiha, but the Police Force was also crucial.
The Hokage seat was still distant, uncertain, and far away. The Police Force was a tangible benefit held in hand right now.
If reforming the Police Force guaranteed an Uchiha Hokage, Fugaku would convene a high level meeting immediately.
But giving up present benefits for an uncertain future, even if Fugaku agreed with Shisui, the elders would oppose it.
Shisui sighed inwardly.
Fugaku was strong and capable, but his personality was indecisive. He struggled to make quick, bold decisions.
If Fugaku were not like this, then even with his ability, someone like Yashiro, no matter how eloquent, would not have been able to gather so much support within the clan.
[I'll Change Elder Shin to Elder Yashiro now]
Shisui changed the subject.
"How is Itachi doing now?"
He knew that no matter how much he talked tonight, Fugaku would not make a decision. It would be better to get strong results in the Youth Martial Arts Tournament, show Fugaku greater hope, and then persuade him later. That would be far easier.
Next time, Shisui would bring Obito along.
Unlike Shisui, Obito truly dreamed of becoming Hokage.
"He is doing well," Fugaku replied with a smile. "He does not fall when running anymore, and sometimes he even asks about you."
"Uncle Fugaku," Shisui said after thinking, "Itachi should be free now, right? I would like to see him."
Why Itachi would someday annihilate the clan, and how he would do it, remained a mystery. Guiding Itachi was important work.
"He is not old enough to train yet," Fugaku explained. "He only has study time in the morning. The rest of the day is free. Let us go together."
Fugaku was happy to see Shisui and Itachi become close.
When Fugaku brought Shisui home, Itachi was sitting on the veranda, staring up at the sky.
"Father. Shisui niisan," Itachi greeted them when he noticed them.
Fugaku nodded, gave Itachi a brief word of caution, then went to his study, leaving the two of them space to talk.
"Itachi, how have you been feeling lately?" Shisui asked with a smile as he sat down beside him.
"The same as usual. Nothing different," Itachi answered honestly.
His daily routine was simple.
In the morning, he read and practiced writing. In the afternoon, he daydreamed or chatted with Mikoto. In the evening, he ate dinner, took a short walk, then went to bed at eight.
"Shisui niisan," Itachi asked with a hint of anticipation, "are you going to tell a story?"
Compared to the repetitive calm of daily life, the stories Shisui told were far more interesting.
"Sure," Shisui agreed. "But this time I will not tell history. I will talk about my teacher, Mugetsu, and what he has done."
Shisui wanted Itachi to learn from Mugetsu and grow into a bright, warm, righteous shinobi.
Itachi's curiosity rose immediately, and he nodded. Stories about Shisui and his teacher meant Shisui's own experiences would be inside them.
"The first time I met Teacher Mugetsu was on my first day at the Academy," Shisui began. "Back then, he did not start by teaching in the usual way. He talked about Konoha's founding and the Will of Fire…"
Shisui recounted Mugetsu's lecture to Itachi, a trace of nostalgia in his eyes.
Only three years had passed, yet so much had happened.
When he first entered the Academy, he never imagined he would become a jonin at eight, or awaken the three tomoe Sharingan so quickly. Without Mugetsu, it would have been nearly impossible.
Itachi listened as Shisui described Mugetsu's deeds one by one.
The Mugetsu in Shisui's words was capable, his Fire Release was terrifyingly strong, and he was exceptionally good at teaching.
Yet that gentle teacher also had a mischievous side.
Sometimes he told Shisui to provoke Asuma. Sometimes he clearly knew Obito was stubborn, pretended not to notice, then cornered Obito with questions until Obito panicked.
"He sounds like a really good person," Itachi said softly, even more curious now.
…
Eastern Land of Rain.
Six Paths City was still under construction.
Compared to the first days after the Shinobi Sect arrived, the city already carried the scale of a small town.
After reaching cooperation with Iwagakure, Onoki sent some Iwagakure shinobi to help with construction. He also dispatched young shinobi to receive training.
Mugetsu had to admit that Earth Release shinobi were truly fast when it came to building. With Iwagakure's support, the construction speed had increased noticeably.
"I really hope the tournament starts and ends soon," Yahiko sighed, rehydrating after training while looking into the distance. "It is hard watching everyone work while we cannot help."
He, Nagato, and Konan were still within the age limit to participate in the Youth Martial Arts Tournament as Shinobi Sect members, so they had been focusing on preparation.
"Then we should perform well," Konan replied, drawing her paper back into her hand.
Even though the Shinobi Sect was organizing the tournament, it was still a shinobi organization. The strength of its young shinobi mattered.
The better they performed, the more other villages and organizations would respect the Shinobi Sect and the Land of Rain.
"Mm," Yahiko nodded, then looked at Nagato and laughed. "Nagato, you have to win all the way to the end. Do not let anyone else take Ninja Master Sosuke's ninjutsu."
Yahiko had confidence in himself, but when he considered the entire shinobi world, he could not honestly claim first place was guaranteed.
Nagato was different.
Nagato had the Sage of Six Paths' eyes, a miracle unique in the shinobi world. Yahiko believed Nagato could take everything.
"I will do my best," Nagato replied seriously.
He had many reasons to win: for Mugetsu, for the Shinobi Sect, for the Land of Rain. There was no reason to lose.
"It is a shame Kakuzu is out handling business," Yahiko said as he stood once he felt rested enough. "If he were here, he could help you with combat training. Our strength is still far from yours."
Thinking of Kakuzu made Yahiko feel complicated.
At first, Kakuzu came for a bounty and tried to capture Mugetsu. In the end, Mugetsu kept him, and over time Kakuzu silently accepted himself as part of the Shinobi Sect. He contributed greatly with his experience and knowledge.
Things like finding sponsors and merchants for the tournament were mostly handled by Kakuzu and his people.
Perhaps in a thousand years, Yahiko thought, Ninja Master Sosuke would become a mythical figure like the Sage of Six Paths, because rebuilding the Shinobi Sect was the kind of feat that could be remembered for generations.
"You two train on your own for now," a voice said. "I will help Nagato with his training."
As Yahiko's thoughts drifted, Mugetsu's voice snapped him back.
"Ninja Master Sosuke, do you not still have matters with Iwagakure?" Nagato asked. "I can train by myself."
Nagato did not know how Mugetsu managed both Konoha and the Land of Rain, but he knew it could not be easy.
On one side was Raging Sun Mugetsu, dominating Konoha battlefields and defeating powerful enemies.
On the other was Ninja Master Sosuke, the newly rising legend of the Land of Rain.
"Iwagakure is resting right now," Mugetsu replied with a smile. "I am not busy."
With the recent rise in Shinobi Sect affairs, Mugetsu often had his main body running between two places.
The Yang Seal Shadow Clone Technique solved the problem of existence time, but it was still fragile, and it was not stable enough for unexpected situations.
Moreover, the Shinobi Sect had moved to the eastern Land of Rain, the closest area to the Land of Fire, which shortened Mugetsu's travel time significantly.
"I will test how well you have adapted to the Rinnegan," Mugetsu said, leading Nagato to a more open area.
Seeing Mugetsu insist, Nagato stopped refusing. He only stored that kindness quietly in his heart.
"I am going to attack," Mugetsu warned. "Be ready."
Then Mugetsu gathered chakra quickly.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
As Mugetsu completed the hand seals, a sharp lightning spear shot toward Nagato.
Nagato raised his palm toward it.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A violent repulsive force erupted, deflecting the lightning spear. It slammed into a nearby boulder and blew it apart.
Nagato did not simply wait.
He burst forward with chakra and rushed Mugetsu, extending his palm again.
"Bansho Tenin!"
A powerful gravitational pull surged from Nagato's hand, dragging Mugetsu toward him.
Whoosh!
Mugetsu used Body Flicker instantly, vanishing from the pull. Nagato only managed to draw in a few rocks near where Mugetsu had been.
Nagato then pulled in the rocks shattered by the Lightning Release, and immediately used Shinra Tensei on those attracted fragments.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The broken stones shot toward Mugetsu like cannonballs.
But Mugetsu had Transparent World and the Byakugan. Each trajectory was crystal clear, and he dodged them with ease.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Nagato formed seals quickly and created two clones.
One clone used Water Release to shape water spears. The other infused those spears with Lightning Release. At the same time, Nagato's main body used Shinra Tensei again, accelerating the spears and increasing their force.
This was one of Mugetsu's teaching results.
The Rinnegan was powerful, but Nagato's Rinnegan had a fatal issue. It was not originally his. Madara had transplanted it into him.
Because of that, using it was extremely strenuous.
Even though Nagato possessed massive chakra, if he tried to use the Rinnegan at full power, his actual performance might become worse than Kakashi's.
Nagato's Rinnegan was truly a double edged blade. It granted him the capital for rapid growth, but it also inflicted physical damage.
Using the basic Rinnegan abilities was manageable, but using Shinra Tensei too heavily, or summoning and controlling the Gedo Statue, would severely harm his body and shorten his lifespan.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Mugetsu moved with incredible speed. A massive earth wall rose before the water spears arrived.
Boom!
A series of heavy impacts punched holes through the wall, and puddles formed around Mugetsu, crackling with arcs of electricity.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
After dodging the attack, Mugetsu released the chakra he had been gathering.
A massive torrent surged toward Nagato. Because Shinra Tensei required a five second cooldown, Nagato could not repel it. He had no choice but to leap onto the water's surface and use the Rinnegan to search for Mugetsu.
At that moment, Mugetsu used Water Instant Body and appeared behind Nagato, throwing a kunai.
Nagato dodged. At the exact moment the cooldown ended, he did not hesitate.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Bang!
The Mugetsu that was repelled burst into water. It was a water clone.
In the next breath, cold steel touched Nagato's neck.
The kunai that had just been thrown belonged to Mugetsu's real body, and he had used it to close the distance.
"In battle, you need to think more carefully about when to use Shinra Tensei," Mugetsu said as he withdrew the kunai and gave feedback. "If you use it the moment it cools down every time, your opponent will easily see your weakness."
Mugetsu believed there were two cases where Shinra Tensei could be used continuously.
One was a fatal situation where killing the opponent mattered more than information exposure.
The other was extreme danger, where not using it meant death. In that case, you chose the lesser evil, even if it exposed your pattern.
In a normal fight, it could be more flexible.
You could vary the timing between uses to make it unpredictable. You could even feed false information, such as pretending the cooldown was seven seconds instead of five.
Wrong information was more deadly than no information at all.
"Understood. I will remember," Nagato nodded.
Even though Nagato was older than Obito and the others, his combat experience was actually worse.
He never received proper village training.
Before joining the Shinobi Sect, his battles were limited to a few encounters with rogue ninja, the kind of enemies that would be crushed by chunin from the Five Great Nations.
Mugetsu then pointed out several issues with Nagato's use of Bansho Tenin, then concluded with a reminder.
"Nagato, your focus can be on developing the Rinnegan right now, but you cannot abandon nature transformation or taijutsu either."
Whether it was because the Rinnegan had not fully awakened, or because Nagato had only recently begun using it, he could currently only use Bansho Tenin and Shinra Tensei.
Abilities like the Preta Path's ninjutsu absorption and the Human Path's soul extraction were not available yet.
Nagato's fastest path to power was developing the Rinnegan. Even if he only had the basic abilities, once those were refined, the Rinnegan's inherent status would make him nearly unrivaled in the current shinobi world.
However, this pair of eyes was ultimately not Nagato's. No one knew what contingencies Madara had left behind.
For the sake of the future, Nagato could not neglect his other skills.
"Especially the Yang Release Breathing I taught you," Mugetsu added. "You must practice it for an hour every day in the training room."
After Nagato advanced Basic Breathing into a constant state, Mugetsu considered carefully and taught him Yang Release Breathing.
Nagato possessed the Uzumaki sage body, naturally gifted with tremendous vitality and chakra. He was suited for Yang Release.
Strengthening Yang Release could reinforce Nagato's body and counter some of the Rinnegan's side effects.
"I will, Ninja Master Sosuke," Nagato promised, then could not help advising, "You should rest a little."
Nagato rarely saw Mugetsu idle. It always felt like Mugetsu was doing something.
"Then I will listen and rest," Mugetsu said with a smile. He sat nearby and watched Nagato continue training.
The tournament venue should be fully finished within half a month, Mugetsu thought. Then they could move to the next phase.
His plan to maximize benefits was thorough.
Beyond the insanely tempting rewards, he prepared other promotional methods.
He planned to invite Hanzo as a special guest, to watch the Youth Martial Arts Tournament.
The new legend and the old legend appearing on the same stage would create huge buzz, and Mugetsu could also benefit from Hanzo's influence.
When a partner hosted a major event, the Rain shinobi should offer support. Last time, quite a few Rain shinobi even came to Mugetsu for classes.
That night, Mugetsu sent a shadow clone with several Shinobi Sect members to find Hanzo.
Hanzo originally tried to pretend he was not there. Facing Mugetsu now felt awkward.
But when he remembered those days of unrestricted lectures, Hanzo ultimately met Mugetsu in the leader's office.
"Sosuke. State your purpose," Hanzo said calmly.
"I only wish to invite Senior Hanzo to attend the Youth Martial Arts Tournament as a spectator," Mugetsu replied with a smile.
"I have been busy with official duties recently. I do not have time to watch," Hanzo refused immediately, expression unchanged.
He truly did not want to go.
He could already imagine the whispers if he sat beside Sosuke.
Senior Hanzo is here, did he send Rain shinobi to compete and take the Fire Release that defeated him?
I heard Hanzo and Sosuke are enemies. Why are they sitting together? Has Hanzo already been defeated and conceded?
It would be endless talk about his loss to Sosuke. It would come up again when the champion was crowned and the first prize was awarded.
Mugetsu's smile did not fade.
"Hattori," he said lightly, "how do you find my lecturing skills?"
Hanzo's expression changed instantly. His mind lurched.
He could not understand how he had been discovered. His disguise was flawless. Even Rain shinobi did not know he had been listening.
After the shock, Hanzo's face darkened.
Since Mugetsu had exposed him, then this invitation was not accidental. It was deliberate.
Silently cursing Mugetsu, Hanzo changed his tone at once.
"When will it be held?" he asked stiffly. "Such a grand event cannot be missed."
Hanzo had no choice.
If the story of him secretly listening to lectures for seven days got out, he would become the shinobi world's laughingstock.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 10–50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, Soul Land, NBA, and more — all in one place.]