A Question That Pierces the Heart

Uchiha Yashiro was covered in wounds from Muramasa's blade, his body drenched in blood.

His suicidal Ash Burning Technique had ignited a massive blaze, searing the bloodstains dry until his skin was crusted with brownish scabs. His once handsome, composed face now looked as wretched as a deserter hiding among corpses on a battlefield.

Uchiha Yashiro collapsed weakly to his knees. The numbing sensation from massive blood loss choked his mind, while the pressure Seisui exerted on him dredged up precious memories from his life, conjuring vivid hallucinations before his eyes.

He sat frozen on the ground, staring dazedly at the bloodstained Muramasa in Seisui's hand and the crimson gleam in his eyes.

The image of Seisui before him was almost identical to the portrait Uchiha Yashiro's grandfather had once drawn of Uchiha Izuna.

During the Warring States Period, when Uchiha Izuna disciplined the hotheads within the clan, he would fight and lecture with that same calm composure, conquering every defiant clansman from body to mind—stern yet convincing, leading the Uchiha Clan to grow ever more united and powerful.

In that moment, Uchiha Yashiro belatedly realized something.

Though Seisui was barely twelve years old, his build was already that of an adult shinobi.

Long arms, a narrow waist, broad shoulders, sharp and handsome features—the bloodline advantages of both Senju and Uchiha were fully embodied in Seisui. Paired with his bewitching Sharingan and the still-dripping Muramasa in his hand...

Before stepping into this arena, Uchiha Yashiro had thought of Seisui as nothing more than a child still bearing traces of immaturity. But now...

Seisui slowly walked toward Uchiha Yashiro, his face expressionless.

As Seisui approached, a wave of immense panic surged through Uchiha Yashiro's heart.

If Seisui had been fighting in Tobirama Senju's style all along, this Three Tomoe Uchiha could have maintained his composure and avoided such disgrace.

Because Tobirama Senju was the common enemy of the Uchiha. No matter how badly Uchiha Yashiro was beaten, he would never show such cowardice to an adversary; he would at least preserve a shred of dignity.

But...

When Seisui's image suddenly resembled Uchiha Izuna, the entire situation changed in nature.

Uchiha Yashiro felt like a child caught by his grandfather after doing something wrong. Even if he'd been spanked and still harbored resentment, he could swallow his pride and beg for forgiveness without any psychological burden.

After all, no matter how you looked at it, this was a family matter...

"Uchiha Yashiro, I'm deeply disappointed in you. As a long-renowned Three Tomoe within the clan, your performance is utterly pathetic..."

As Seisui spoke coldly, he channeled Fire Release Chakra into the blade. Muramasa's excellent chakra conductivity caused the sword to erupt in fierce flames. The intense heat scorched the ground even where the tip hadn't touched, the burn marks spreading with Seisui's footsteps.

"So alike, truly alike..." Tobirama Senju sighed from the depths of his heart.

He had once heard of the things Uchiha Izuna had done to seize control of the Uchiha Clan.

After his father Butsuma Senju died, Tobirama Senju had even imitated the essence of those methods back in the day. In his view, even if Uchiha Izuna himself were here, this would largely be the same routine.

Feast, behead, take in as a dog...

The card being played now was beheading—beheading the pride within the heart!

A flicker of wariness arose in Tobirama Senju's heart.

Over the past few days, Tobirama Senju's guard had lowered somewhat due to Seisui's attitude and actions toward Rin Nohara, Might Guy, and Iruka Umino. But regardless, he did not want to see another Uchiha Izuna emerge from the Uchiha Clan.

That would be far too dangerous.

But as if to echo Tobirama Senju's thoughts...

A mass of Water Release Chakra materialized in Seisui's left hand, spinning violently into a sharp, roaring vortex that hummed in his palm.

This was one of Tobirama Senju's secret Water Release techniques: Hard Vortex Water Blade!

Tobirama Senju froze, staring thoughtfully at the scene. After a long pause, he clicked his tongue. "Tch... I'll keep watching you for now, you boring brat."

And at that moment.

Seisui had already stopped before Uchiha Yashiro, his tone indifferent. "Who I am doesn't matter. But you, who have abandoned the glory of the Uchiha—Uchiha Yashiro, how do you think I should deal with you?"

Seisui glanced at Uchiha Yashiro's heart, the water blade spinning faster in his hand, then shifted his gaze to his neck. The flame-wreathed Muramasa slowly moved to rest against Uchiha Yashiro's throat...

Uchiha Yashiro swallowed hard with effort, looking up at this man he could not fathom at all, and said hoarsely, "I... I don't know, I don't know..."

"If you want to live, I'll speak, and you'll answer." Seisui flicked his wrist, dispersing the flames on Muramasa and the vortex in his hand, but pressed the blade's edge into Uchiha Yashiro's throat, stopping just a finger's width from his windpipe.

Feeling the cold of Muramasa, Uchiha Yashiro looked up helplessly at Seisui's indifferent Sharingan... In that moment, he had no doubt that if Seisui heard an answer he didn't like, he would kill him!

"Who sent you, what was your purpose, and why did you agree?"

"Elder Setsuna forced me to come. He believed your words and your existence were detrimental to the Uchiha Clan's morale, so he ordered me to suppress you, and also to stand up for Obito Uchiha..."

"I agreed because I think Konoha has gone too far lately. The restrictions and surveillance on the Uchiha Clan grow more blatant by the day. They won't even give us a single chance to become Hokage. The clan's future and prospects are bleak, so I had no choice but to support the Hawk Faction..."

Seisui slowly nodded. "The Hawk Faction, what a fine Hawk Faction... Let me ask you, who is stronger, you or me?"

Uchiha Yashiro lowered his head.

"Good... Then who is stronger, me or Hiruzen Sarutobi?" Seisui used the blade to lift his chin, forcing his gaze upward to meet his own.

Uchiha Yashiro pursed his lips but answered honestly, "Don't underestimate the Third Hokage. He's a man known as the Ninja God."

To his surprise, Seisui nodded in agreement. "Good. Then who is stronger—me, or Shimura Danzō, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Hatake Sakumo, and Mito Uzumaki?"

Uchiha Yashiro fell silent.

Every person Seisui had named was a long-renowned shinobi of Konoha, and one of them was an existence even the most extreme Uchiha nowadays refused to mention.

Was Seisui strong? Very strong...

But not strong enough.

"Then let me ask you again—within the entire Uchiha Clan, who is stronger than those nine... or rather, who in the Uchiha Clan is stronger than me?"

"You say you support the Hawk Faction, but what are you backing that with? With your prized Three Tomoe?"

Seisui sighed, looking at Uchiha Yashiro with the pained disappointment of someone who wanted to see him succeed but found him lacking.

A bit of plot discussion...

1) Mito Uzumaki's time of death: Based on the latest Minato one-shot, after Kushina became the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she was placed under Anbu control, sealed within a barrier and unable to meet Minato. This is roughly around her current age, a few years after graduating from the Ninja Academy...

2) Hatake Sakumo's time of death.

The anime clearly states he committed suicide after Kakashi graduated. Minato recalled in a flashback after Kakashi became a Jonin: "Five years ago, he took his own life..." So that would be around the time Kakashi was about seven years old.

The Naruto timeline is pretty chaotic. The official material doesn't really define things clearly—everything is inferred backward from character statements, and there are plenty of contradictions in the databooks.

But Xiaofan understands everyone—nobody wants to be a fake fan, right...? Yet Baozai Fan really isn't faking it! QAQ

As usual, I'm begging for follows!