Is It Hard to Become a Better Clan Head Than Fugaku Uchiha?

Watching Itachi Uchiha depart with sluggish steps, Daren Yi reached out and gently patted Little Sasuke on the head.

He casually tore a strip of cloth from Danzo's clothes and handed it to Sasuke, who was still sniffling and sobbing, gesturing for him to wipe his tears and snot.

"I-I'm fine. I won't cry anymore. I'll never cry again!"

The seven-year-old still had glistening tears clinging to his long lashes, his nose and eyes red from crying, yet he stubbornly held his head high and tried hard to force the tears back.

"Sure, sure. The rain has stopped, the sky has cleared, and now whatever Sasuke says is right!"

Daren Yi humored the child with an amused bit of comfort, then changed the subject and asked him,

"Sister Izumi and I are going to raid a house—Shimura Danzō's den! Do you want to come?"

"Of course! I want to use my own eyes in place of the dead clan members and see the final fate and ending of Shimura Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi!

"Otherwise, the dead Uchiha clan members will not rest in peace! Neither will I!"

Sasuke Uchiha seemed to have grown tremendously in just a few short days. As he solemnly spoke of his promise to the fallen clan members, he actually carried a bit of the bearing expected of a clan head.

"What a pity! Sasuke, you were still too young before. Otherwise, perhaps you could have become a more qualified and outstanding clan head than Fugaku Uchiha."

Daren Yi sighed with a smile.

"How could that be?"

Sasuke was a little confused. Did his brother-in-law hope that he would become a better Uchiha clan head than his father, Fugaku Uchiha, in the future?

That was far too difficult, wasn't it?

Was his brother-in-law Daren Yi overestimating his abilities?

Little Sasuke was both excited and deeply pressured. Can I do it? Am I capable enough to become a better Uchiha clan head than Father Fugaku?

He carefully analyzed it with some unease.

"I'm confident that I can awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan in the future, but Father's ability to plan and scheme was far too great.

"I could rack my brains and still never come up with those plans and hidden moves... Father was too amazing!"

Yeah! It wasn't just that you couldn't think of them even if you racked your brains. Fugaku himself hadn't come up with any solution until the night his own head was cracked open!

Daren Yi put on a serious face. "Believe me. Sasuke, you can absolutely become a better Uchiha clan head than Fugaku Uchiha!"

There was no difficulty at all! Really...

As they talked, they had already arrived near one of the Root Organization's most central bases. Neji Hyuga and the rest of the Konoha 11 had also just arrived under the protection of a squad of Hyuga Branch Family Ninja.

"I heard you were bringing us here to broaden our horizons?"

The moment he saw them, Kiba Inuzuka could not help asking curiously. He looked eager to jump into action, every inch the hyperactive child.

Shikamaru Nara was helpless. He had not wanted to come; he would rather have lain around. But his companions had dragged him along, and he had no way to refuse. Now, he lazily muttered,

"I don't think this is a good thing."

"It isn't a bad thing either! You are all destined to become ninjas. Seeing the true nature of the world with your own eyes early on, witnessing the cruelty of this profession—I think that's a good thing!"

Daren Yi did not think it was good for these gifted Konoha 11 to keep muddling through without any sense of crisis.

Otherwise, when they truly faced danger in the future, when they truly lost companions and family, it would already be too late to regret never having worked hard.

Isn't that right? Future Shikamaru!

At that moment, the Jonin from the Hyuga Branch Family who was leading the team approached. Following the clan head's instructions, he respectfully bowed to Daren Yi before reporting,

"The chakra of the personnel inside the base has shifted. They have gathered into two groups. One group remains inside, while the other is heading toward us. They may intend to attack us and resist to the bitter end!"

"It doesn't matter. What they think isn't important."

Daren Yi did not care about the thoughts or intentions of those killing tools who had been thoroughly brainwashed by Danzo. He merely formed hand seals with both hands, and the Mangekyō Sharingan blossomed before their eyes.

Genjutsu: Seven Emotions and Six Desires, Five Aggregates Bewildering!

"M-Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Sakura Haruno's jaw nearly dropped to the ground. After the major incident of the Uchiha Clan Downfall and "Shisui Uchiha" reasoning things out,

people had begun explaining online all sorts of hidden details about the Uchiha Clan, a clan so powerful it was like gods. As a result, she was no longer completely ignorant of such things.

Aside from Neji, the other Konoha 11 did not look much better. Some rubbed their eyes, others cried out in shock. Shikamaru struck his head in frustration, shaking it as he sighed,

"I've already seen a little of the world's true nature!

"Whether it's Naruto, or you! Or even the Third Hokage!

"Even the wisdom the Nara clan prides itself on cannot detect the slightest danger before monsters like you, who hide your enormous bodies beneath the surface and reveal only the tip of the iceberg!

"Or rather, if we really did discover it before you decided to emerge from the water yourselves, would we only become even more unfortunate?"

"Don't worry. Don't be afraid. Because you are monsters too, part of Shamate, the strongest monster!"

Having removed part of his mask, Daren Yi smiled and comforted these "chosen children." These characters whom he had known and liked in his previous life, and with whom he had formed emotional bonds through years of interaction and conversation in this life,

all had the potential to become one of the many anchors that would help him maintain his reason and preserve himself amid the ocean of Emotions and Desires.

Not far away, a squad of Root Ninja revealed themselves. They first charged at them in silence, their killing intent boiling, then swiftly put away their weapons, lined up, and knelt neatly before Daren Yi, shouting in unison,

"Lord Danzo!"

The Konoha 11: ???

I don't understand, but I'm deeply shaken!

"Get up. Take us back to the base. Hand over all affairs to the Hyuga Clan's ninjas and coordinate with them. Give them everything. Don't ask why. This is an order!"

Daren Yi did not explain or reassure them. He simply gave the order. Sure enough, although the Root Ninja showed some confusion, as pure tools, they obeyed directly without any question.

"Yes, Lord Danzo!"

A moment later, led and guarded by the Root Ninja, the group passed through gloomy, dark corridors and entered the mysterious Root Organization base.

The Konoha 11, none of whom had even become Genin yet, were beside themselves with excitement and anticipation at being able to enter a base that had previously existed only in legends.

But very soon, none of them could smile anymore.

Before them stood rows upon rows of nutrient tanks. Inside them, experimental subjects with all kinds of life-sustaining tubes inserted into their bodies stared at them numbly with open eyes.

They neither cried out to them for help nor condemned them or the world. They were simply, utterly numb. There was almost no emotion in their eyes, toward others or toward themselves.