Chapter 121: The Uchiha's Situation
Uchiha Training Grounds.
Swish! Swish!
Several shuriken flew out from the bushes, streaking toward a man standing guard on a tree trunk from behind.
Thud! Thud!
In the blink of an eye, the man vanished, leaving the shuriken embedded in the tree bark.
Clang!
Shisui Uchiha appeared instantly behind Itachi Uchiha, his tantō pressed against Itachi's neck. "You lose."
Itachi's eyes flickered. His silhouette began to warp slowly. "You were careless."
Itachi's kunai was already pressed against Shisui's back. A look of genuine praise filled Shisui's eyes.
Poof!
Shisui turned into a log. Itachi's expression froze for a split second.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In that brief moment of distraction, a wire trap sprang up, binding Itachi's entire body and leaving him unable to move. Shisui squatted on a tree branch, looking down at Itachi with a smile.
"Congratulations on joining the Anbu. Whether it's Genjutsu, Taijutsu, or Ninjutsu, you've already surpassed the version of me from back then!"
"You're being modest. I still have a long way to go." Itachi didn't take the compliment to heart. Currently, the undisputed number one expert of the Uchiha was still Shisui Uchiha. He knew he still had a journey ahead of him.
Itachi and Shisui leaned against a large boulder, eating sweets while watching the Naka River flow peacefully before them.
"Can the situation with the clan really not be eased any further?" Itachi asked after enjoying a moment of silence.
Lately, the ideas of the radical faction within the clan had become increasingly active, causing him great concern. As he grew older and his status rose, the more he learned, the more he felt the current situation was precarious.
"I'm afraid it might not be possible," Shisui said slowly, sharing his thoughts. "Even though I've tried my best to act as a buffer between the clan and the village, the clan elders don't approve of my methods. They want to seize power in the village rather than living like this—monitored at every turn."
"Lord Third hopes that you or I can act as a bridge, but that requires both sides to align their thinking, not just unilateral concessions from the village. Ever since the Nine-Tails incident, it has been impossible for the village higher-ups to trust the Uchiha unreservedly because only Uchiha ocular powers can control the Nine-Tails. The mutual distrust between the village leadership and the Uchiha leadership has become a death spiral."
"Our efforts, along with Lord Third's intentions, aren't enough to resolve the conflict between the two sides. We can only try our best to delay it, hoping that in the journey of time, those who come after us will find a way to solve it."
Despite being called the strongest of the Uchiha, Shisui was only one high-ranking member. He didn't have the power to rule by decree, nor did he have enough prestige to make everyone in the clan follow him blindly. Every individual had their own thoughts.
Itachi clenched his fist. Shisui's words mirrored his own conclusions.
"Yes. My father also wants to settle the conflict. His intentions are right, but his method is no different from the rest of the clan leadership. The Uchiha's hostility has been provoked to such an extent that even if I become a high-ranking member of the Anbu and hold some power, the conflict won't disappear. He's thinking too simply."
Fugaku Uchiha, Itachi's father and Clan Head, was also trying to ease the tension. His solution, however, was to have clan members join the village's top brass to balance power. Itachi knew this was an impossibility.
"I will do my best to stall, at least to give the new generation enough time—for you or them to find a solution. Don't worry so much. Focus on training and getting stronger. Who knows, maybe you'll be the one to think of the answer. I believe in your intelligence."
Shisui chose to place his faith in Itachi and the other clansmen who desired peace. This single sentence caused the pressure on Itachi to surge, but he knew Shisui wasn't trying to burden him—he truly believed in him.
"By the way, I heard Sasuke started school. How is he? Is he more of a genius than you were?" Shisui changed the subject. They were out to relax, not to drown in stress.
Mentioning Sasuke brought a smile back to Itachi's face. "I think he will be the one to surpass both of us. Perhaps the solution will be his to find."
Sasuke had been in school for a month, and his grades were at the top of the year, with only one person able to compete with him. It hadn't been long, but Sasuke's talent was already clear.
"That's good. If Sasuke can do it, that would be wonderful. As his older brother, you have to educate him well." Shisui laughed.
"I will."
The Ninja Academy.
The first-year's first practical shuriken lesson.
Thud! Thud!
Several shuriken landed precisely on targets meters away.
"So cool, Sasuke!"
"As expected of the Uchiha genius."
"Sasuke, my mom made this bento—would you like to try some?"
Sasuke Uchiha offered a small smile, but he didn't accept the girls' advances. Instead, he walked to the side to make room for other students. He reached into his pouch and touched the Itachi figurine.
Are you watching, Brother? I will definitely surpass you and earn Father's recognition.
Having been compared to his brother by his father his whole life, Sasuke had a dream since he was small: to surpass his brother and be acknowledged.
"My turn!"
Among the students, Naruto looked indignant seeing Sasuke get so much attention.
"Go for it, Naruto! If you want to be my lackey, you can't be too pathetic!" Behind him, Kiba Inuzuka shouted, Akamaru barking in agreement on his head.
"Shut up! Who wants to be your lackey? Don't flatter yourself! I'm the man who's going to be Hokage! When that happens, you'll be my lackey!" Naruto shouted back, venting his frustration. Although Kiba was one of the few who didn't look at him strangely, his big mouth was still infuriating.
Naruto pulled up his pants, rolled up his sleeves, and picked up a shuriken, his gaze turning serious.
I'm going to be the Hokage and get everyone's recognition. I can't let Kiba look down on me.
Following the method the teacher taught, he gripped the shuriken and flicked his small hand.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Oh yeah! I hit them all!" Naruto jumped for joy seeing the shuriken in the target. "See that, Kiba? I hit every single one!" He grinned at Kiba and shot a provocative glance at Sasuke.
However, he quickly noticed that his classmates' expressions were off.
"Naruto Uzumaki: Zero points." Iruka announced the score, looking speechless.
"Eh? Why?!"
"Because you hit the target next to yours." Kiba pointed to the adjacent board. Naruto looked, and his face instantly slumped.
"Dammit... I did exactly what Iruka-sensei taught!" He hung his head in dejection, wanting to try again, but Iruka stopped him.
"Hmph, as expected of the Fox."
"Better if he can't even become a ninja."
"Next: Kiba Inuzuka."
As Naruto endured the barrage of negative energy from his classmates, it was finally Kiba's turn. Naruto sat on the ground, pouting as he watched.
Hmph. If I failed, you'll fail too!
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!