*Swish!*
A kunai flew from Yun's hand and hit the center of the target not far away.
*Bang bang bang...*
The sound coming from the side made Yun, who had just been a little proud, frown. Do ninjas in this world come with built-in scopes or something?
Holding three kunai in one hand, yet managing to hit the bull's-eye with each—despite throwing from different angles? Seriously?
'This is like Rock Lee's reverse three-stage kick in the Chunin Exam twelve years from now.'
He let out a breath. "Huh... So genius really is the enemy of confidence."
Itachi, standing nearby, said nothing. He silently pulled out more kunai and resumed his practice—training in that tricky throwing technique that used impact to change direction mid-air.
*Swish!*
Shisui suddenly appeared, body flickering into view with a grin. "Didn't want to learn when Itachi asked for advice before. Now your confidence's taken a hit, huh?"
Yun shook his head slightly. "Without your borderline inhuman calculation ability, there's no point. By the time I finish calculating the trajectory, the enemy would've already used my head as a soccer ball."
'What's the point of learning this? Use kunai to poke a Susanoo like that idiot Danzo? Might as well stab it all day for zero effect.'
'Ordinary shinobi have high attack and low defense. But once you're at the top tier, it's all Gundams—either a Susanoo or some kind of tailed beast avatar. What use is a shuriken against that?'
'I wonder if that rebellion on the moon has happened yet... Once that guy shows up with the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion that can split the moon... we're all going up on the wall.'
…
In the woods behind the training ground, Yun, Shisui, and Itachi stood atop a thick tree branch, gazing out over Konohagakure in the distance.
"Life will die, life will fight, life... will also gather together," Itachi muttered, sounding like he was gearing up for another one of his philosophical seizures.
Yun glanced at him. "I heard you awakened your Sharingan when Chief Fugaku died last year. Should I dig you out and study you? A prodigy who awakened his eyes at five and a half..."
That made Shisui pause, eyebrows lifting in surprise. Even Itachi, who wore the expression of a perennial funeral attendee, turned to stare—like they were looking at a lunatic.
"Everyone has their own talents," Yun continued. "Human nature's pretty trash—we notice what others gain, and ignore what they've lost."
"Once differences appear, jealousy follows. Life wants to live. Death is inevitable. But people come together because they want a better life."
Yun turned to Itachi. "Didn't you have some crisis about what a ninja is, and what a village is, a while ago?"
"After the Warring States Period, the First Hokage built the village system to end war. But what about the big clans—Hyuga, Sarutobi, Shimura, Ino-Shika-Cho? Why did they join Konoha?"
Shisui tilted his head, thinking. "Maybe because they were tired of fighting? I read some old records—the Warring States Period had ridiculously short life expectancy. Everyone probably wanted peace."
Itachi nodded solemnly. "The First Hokage truly was the God of Shinobi. Through dialogue, he united the clans to build the Hidden Leaf."
Yun, who had been quietly absorbing chakra from the tree trunk, finally sat down and shook his head. "No. They just wanted to survive."
Survive?
Yun went on. "One man alone could wipe out a village with a single attack and take down a country in half a day. What are your options? Submit or be obliterated. And that's not even counting travel time."
"The First Hokage was an idealist, sure—but Uchiha Madara, his equal, wasn't exactly a pacifist."
"One hand offering candy, the other gripping a blade. One begs for peace, the other is ready to raze your clan. Obey and you get the sweets. Disobey and you get sliced."
"Once the village system settled, there were only a few years of peace before the grunts started hating war. Gradually, everyone started tacking 'Konoha' onto their clan identity."
Yun looked at Shisui. "You know why the gap between the First and Third Great Ninja Wars was so short, but the time from Konoha's founding to the First Great Ninja War was relatively long?"
Shisui shook his head. Even Itachi fell silent in thought.
Yun answered, "Because as long as the First Hokage was alive, his strength maintained the balance. He said no fighting, and everyone sat down to talk."
He turned to Shisui. "Strength is the foundation for equal conversation. The Uchiha still exist today not just because of the Fourth Hokage—but because of you, Uchiha Shisui, who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—power that rivals even Madara."
Three-tomoe spun slowly in Shisui's eyes. "The Fourth Hokage-sama wanted to speak with the Uchiha... but the clan's friction with the villagers kept growing."
Yun shook his head. "The Police Force isn't a good job to begin with—especially when it's monopolized by the Uchiha. That pride you all wear like a second skin just makes the gap wider."
"The force became a clan-owned department. So long as it didn't directly involve the villagers, no one cared what happened to the Uchiha."
"The Uchiha never aligned with the noble families, nor with the Hokage's side. But they did manage to offend the commoners daily..."
Yun fell silent. Shisui and Itachi remained deep in thought.
Shisui's mind turned over every word. The Uchiha's current predicament... it was clearly part of the Second Hokage's design.
The Third inherited that legacy, and with him came the Second's student, the shadow behind the throne—Shimura Danzo.
Only the Fourth stood apart.
On the other side, Itachi stared at Yun and Shisui. Were the village and the clan really as Yun said?
"Even though you're only six," Shisui said, "I've been amazed by your insight ever since half a year ago. Yun... what would you do if you were in my place?"
Yun looked calmly at the two of them. "Is that a request? If it is, then both of you owe me one."
Shisui chuckled. "If you ever need my help, I'll be happy to assist. Want me to teach you some ninjutsu?"
Even the stoic Itachi gave a quiet nod. This clansman may not have been a prodigy in jutsu, but his insights were more valuable than any technique.
Yun waved off Shisui's suggestion. "This is about the future of our entire clan. It's not something ninjutsu can fix."
"Shisui... become the head of the Uchiha."
That made both of them freeze.
"Only as clan leader can you represent the Uchiha in an alliance with the Fourth Hokage. He's the only one who didn't inherit the Second Hokage's will."
"Give up the Police Force. Or better yet—invite the rest of the village to join it. Reinvent the Uchiha as one of Konoha's clans, not as outsiders with a badge."
"This is my way."
Shisui's voice dropped. "It won't be that easy. The Second and Third Elders... they'll never agree."
Yun cut him off. "The Mangekyō Sharingan. You're famous for genjutsu and teleportation—so tell me, what's the true power of your eyes?"
*****
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