A Question That Pierced the Soul

Uchiha Yashiro had been sliced open in many places by Muramasa's blade, his entire body drenched in blood.

The self-destructive Ash Burning Technique he had used had ignited a great fire, searing the blood from his wounds dry and leaving his skin covered in brownish-red scabs. His once handsome, steady face now looked as pathetic as a deserter hiding among piles of corpses on a battlefield.

Uchiha Yashiro collapsed helplessly to his knees. The weakness from massive blood loss made his mind feel suffocated, while the pressure Seisui gave off brought back precious memories from his life, filling his eyes with vivid hallucinations.

He froze where he was, staring blankly at the bloodstained Muramasa in Seisui's hand and the red glow in his eyes.

To Uchiha Yashiro, Seisui looked exactly like the portrait his grandfather had described of Uchiha Izuna.

Back in the Warring States Period, when Uchiha Izuna disciplined the troublemakers within the clan, he had been just as composed, speaking as he fought. He conquered every unconvinced clansman in both body and mind, stern yet capable of winning their heartfelt respect, leading the Uchiha Clan toward ever greater unity and strength.

Only at this moment did Uchiha Yashiro realize something belatedly.

Though Seisui was only twelve years old at most, his build already rivaled that of an adult ninja.

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

Before stepping into this place, Uchiha Yashiro had still thought of Seisui as an immature child. But now...

Seisui slowly walked toward Uchiha Yashiro, expressionless.

Watching Seisui approach, Uchiha Yashiro felt enormous panic well up inside him.

If Seisui had continued fighting in Tobirama Senju's style, this Three Tomoe Uchiha could have maintained his composure and avoided making such a spectacle of himself.

After all, Tobirama Senju was the Uchiha's public enemy. No matter how badly Uchiha Yashiro was beaten, he would never show such cowardice before an enemy. He still had to preserve his last shred of dignity.

But...

When Seisui's image suddenly began to resemble Uchiha Izuna, the nature of the whole matter changed.

Uchiha Yashiro was like a child caught doing something wrong by his grandfather. Even if he had been spanked and felt utterly unwilling to accept it, he could still lower his head and beg for mercy without any psychological burden.

After all, no matter how one put it, this was a family matter...

"Uchiha Yashiro, I'm very disappointed in you. As a Three Tomoe who has been famous within the clan for so long, your performance has been this pathetic..."

As Seisui spoke coldly, he poured Fire Release Chakra into the blade. Muramasa's excellent Chakra conductivity caused fierce flames to erupt along its body. The heat scorched the ground even where the tip had not touched, leaving charred marks that spread with Seisui's steps.

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

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

After his father, Butsuma Senju, died, Tobirama Senju had even imitated some of its essence. In his view, even if Uchiha Izuna himself were here, he would probably follow roughly this same process.

Invite them in, behead one, make the rest into dogs...

The card being played now was beheading—the beheading of the pride in one's heart!

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

Over the past few days, because of Seisui's attitude and treatment toward Rin Nohara, Might Guy, and Iruka Umino, Tobirama Senju's guard had eased somewhat. But no matter what, he did not want to see another Uchiha Izuna emerge within the Uchiha Clan.

That would be far too dangerous.

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

A mass of Water Release Chakra appeared in Seisui's left hand and began spinning violently, forming a sharp, turbulent current that hummed in his palm.

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

Tobirama Senju froze. He watched the scene thoughtfully for a long while before curling his lip. "Tch... I'll continue observing you for now, boring brat."

At that moment...

Seisui had already stopped in front of Uchiha Yashiro. In an indifferent tone, he said, "Who I am isn't important. But as someone who has betrayed Uchiha honor, Uchiha Yashiro, how do you think I should deal with you?"

Seisui glanced at Uchiha Yashiro's heart. The water blade in his hand spun faster and faster. Then his gaze shifted to Uchiha Yashiro's neck, and Muramasa, wrapped in flames, slowly moved toward his throat...

Uchiha Yashiro swallowed with difficulty, looking up at the man he could not understand at all. "I... I don't know. I don't know..."

"If you want to live, I'll ask and you answer." Seisui gave his wrist a slight flick, dispersing both Muramasa's flames and the current in his hand. Yet he extended Muramasa's blade toward Uchiha Yashiro's throat, stopping only about a finger's width from his windpipe.

Feeling Muramasa's icy chill, Uchiha Yashiro looked helplessly up at Seisui's indifferent Sharingan... At this moment, he did not doubt in the slightest that if Seisui heard an answer he disliked, he would absolutely kill him!

"Who sent you? What was your purpose in coming here? Why did you agree?"

"Elder Setsuna forced me to come. He believed that your words and existence were harmful to the Uchiha Clan's atmosphere, so he sent me to suppress you. It was also to stand up for Obito Uchiha..."

"I agreed because I think Konoha has gone too far. Its restrictions and surveillance of the Uchiha Clan have become more and more blatant. It won't even give us the slightest chance to become Hokage. The clan's prospects and future are completely bleak, so I could only support the Hawk Faction..."

Seisui slowly nodded. "The Hawk Faction. What a Hawk Faction... Tell me, which of us is stronger, you or me?"

Uchiha Yashiro lowered his head.

"Good... Then who is stronger, me or Hiruzen Sarutobi?" Seisui lifted his chin with the edge of his blade, forcing him to raise his eyes and meet Seisui's gaze.

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

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

Uchiha Yashiro fell silent.

Every person Seisui had named was a ninja who had long been famous in Konoha. One of them was even someone whom not even the most extreme Uchiha wished to mention.

Was Seisui strong? Very strong...

But not strong enough.

"Then let me ask you this: in the entire Uchiha Clan, who is stronger than those nine people? Or rather, who in the Uchiha Clan is stronger than me?"

"You say you support the Hawk Faction, but what do you have to support it with? Your Three Tomoe that you're so proud of?"

Seisui sighed. The look he gave Uchiha Yashiro was one of pained disappointment, as though he hated that iron had failed to become steel.

A little plot discussion...

1) Mito Uzumaki's time of death: According to the newly released Minato one-shot, Kushina was placed under Anbu control after becoming the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. She was sealed behind a barrier and could not meet Minato. She was probably around her current age then, a few years after graduating from the Ninja Academy...

2) Hatake Sakumo's time of death.

The anime made it clear that he committed suicide after Kakashi graduated. Minato recalled after becoming a Jonin, "He died five years ago..." So Kakashi was probably around seven years old.

The Naruto timeline is still quite messy. The official material has never really defined things clearly; most of it has to be inferred from what characters say, and there are many conflicts in the databooks.

But Xiao Fan understands everyone. Nobody wants to read a clueless Naruto fanfic... But this rice casserole really isn't clueless! QAQ

As usual, please keep reading!