Late at night, within the Uchiha estate, Uchiha Fugaku suddenly activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. Utilizing his formidable ocular prowess, he instantly plunged Uchiha Kaede into a hypnotic trance.
Although Kaede had recently awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Fugaku was supremely confident that the overwhelming power of his Mangekyo would suppress the younger man completely.
Fugaku rarely showed these eyes to anyone; his restraint was a testament to his objective and sober understanding of the precarious position the Uchiha held within Konoha.
Kaede had laid out his goals and intentions, but Fugaku was no child. To believe that a few words were enough to grant someone the permission to become a double agent was pure fantasy.
However, Fugaku trusted the illusions woven by his Mangekyo. He began to sift through Kaede's memories, starting from his childhood.
He saw the death of Kaede's father and the cold, indifferent attitude of the Konoha higher-ups. He watched as Kaede became thoroughly disillusioned, eventually seeking a way to exact revenge on the village leadership.
He saw a young man who was biding his time, hiding his hatred, and thus seeking out Fugaku for an alliance.
So that's it, Fugaku thought. He intends to take revenge on all of Konoha, using me as a stepping stone to strike back at the elders.
A youth who leaned toward the village's structure but harbored a deep grudge against its leaders was a tool with significant utility.
As the crimson patterns in Fugaku's eyes faded, the warped environment returned to normal. The scent of tea lingered in the air. Fugaku cleared his throat. "Very well. You may go now."
Kaede, appearing entirely unaware that he had just been hypnotized, bowed respectfully. "Yes, sir."
"Once you join the ANBU, do not act rashly. The Uchiha of today is not the Uchiha of the village's founding. Our chances of success are not yet great."
Hearing these words, Kaede feigned a moment of surprise—as if wondering why the Clan Head would suddenly offer such suggestive hints—but he quickly masked his expression and rose to his feet.
As if nothing had happened, Kaede turned and departed. He seemed to have no inkling that Fugaku had just peered into the deepest recesses of his mind.
However, Fugaku failed to notice the faint trace of blood trickling from the corner of Kaede's mouth—a physical manifestation of the immense strain required to resist the Mangekyo's intrusion.
Only after stepping outside Fugaku's front gate did Kaede allow himself a long, shaky breath.
To deceive Fugaku, he had been forced to use the Thought Network to construct a massive web of false memories and "surface thoughts," feeding them into his own mind to misdirect Fugaku's probe.
But facing a Mangekyo required absolute control over every emotion and micro-expression.
He had even been forced to "trigger" specific emotional fluctuations to satisfy Fugaku's search. While the super-computing power of his system helped simulate these feelings, the toll on his mental energy was severe.
"Kaede-san, are you injured?"
Uchiha Itachi's cool, calm voice drifted from behind him. The young heir of the Uchiha clan stood there, dressed in a casual yukata. Kaede tried to wipe the blood from his lip, but it was too late.
"I'm not sure why, but my Sharingan acted up just now. It caused some mental strain," Kaede lied.
Itachi looked skeptical, but he didn't press the matter. "I heard that you and Shisui-san are joining the ANBU?"
"You seem very interested in the ANBU, Itachi."
Itachi didn't deny it. "Joining the ANBU allows for a more complete understanding of the relationship between the village and the clan."
Itachi always preferred to look beyond the narrow perspective of the clan to view Konoha as a whole. This was his greatest strength, but also the fatal flaw of his Uchiha bloodline.
In the original history, this logic would lead him to the massacre of his own kin—an act that seemed cold but was driven by the intense emotional depth characteristic of the Uchiha.
For some reason, Kaede found Itachi's serious contemplation rather endearing. He stepped forward and gave Itachi's cheek a playful pinch. Itachi instinctively tried to pull away, but found he couldn't escape Kaede's "evil" grasp.
"Then I'll find opportunities to tell you what I see and hear in the ANBU."
Kaede's words successfully diverted Itachi's focus. Indeed, that was the main reason the boy had approached him.
"I see..."
Looking at the solemn little prodigy, Kaede suppressed the throbbing pain in his mind, patted the boy's head, and walked away.
"Itachi, what were you talking to Kaede about?" Fugaku asked, stepping out of the house. His brow furrowed as he watched the two of them.
Itachi thought about mentioning Kaede's injury, but the words changed as they reached his lips. "Kaede-san just promised to tell me about the ANBU when he has time."
"Is that so..."
Fugaku watched Kaede's receding figure, his expression unreadable. Itachi, meanwhile, watched the silent clash between his father and Kaede with a quiet, observant gaze. He knew his father was involved in Kaede's injury, so he chose not to break the delicate atmosphere.
Finally, Fugaku nodded. "Since you are so interested in the ANBU, you must train even harder."
"I understand, Father."
On the way back to his own home, Kaede's face grew paler by the second. Resisting Fugaku's genjutsu had drained his mental reserves to the dregs.
Despite the Thought Network's assistance, his physical state was precarious.
However, as he reached his doorstep, he found Uchiha Shisui waiting for him. "Shisui? What are you doing here?"
Shisui looked at him with an unusually serious expression. "Cousin, are you certain you want to join the ANBU?"
In Shisui's mind, he alone was enough to protect the Hokage. He was, after all, the only Uchiha currently known to the public to possess the Mangekyo Sharingan.
He didn't want his cousin involved in such dangerous work—Kaede was Uncle Tan's only son, and Shisui had promised his aunt he would keep Kaede safe.
"I am."
"But—"
Ignoring Shisui's protests, a sudden wave of irritability rose in Kaede's heart. "Shisui, are you still looking down on me? Do you think a Three-Tomoe is worthless in front of a Mangekyo?"
His Three-Tomoe eyes flared with a scarlet light. Shisui, startled by the intensity of Kaede's aura, took a step back. "I'm not looking down on you. I just don't want you in danger."
"Haha."
Kaede knew Shisui meant well, but his mood was sour. In history, it was exactly this naive, soft-hearted personality that led to Shisui being blinded by Danzo and committing suicide. When will this guy grow up?
"Worry about your own business, little cousin."
As they brushed past each other, Kaede felt the lonely, dejected weight of Shisui's gaze. His heart twinged with guilt, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to show any sign of the mental trauma he had just suffered.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon.com/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 60 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.