"Qingshui-kun... wouldn't this be too unfair to you?" Uchiha Yashiro looked at Seisui with reverence, hesitation on his face and even a faint trace of heartache.
"It's nothing. Change into the new clothes and leave. This is all for the Uchiha Clan." Seisui stuffed the clothes Shisui had brought into Uchiha Yashiro's hands and gave his shoulder a firm pat.
"Yashiro, there are worms within the clan occupying high positions. That is an extremely unfavorable situation for the family and for us. My strength is still not enough to settle the endless troubles, so I need your help to keep it hidden."
"My personal reputation doesn't matter. A little compromise is actually more beneficial to my plans. But if you think a clansman is worth fighting for, then try to do something discreetly..."
"Still, don't burden yourself mentally. Though I believe in your abilities, the one who must bear the Uchiha Clan's future is still me."
Seisui sighed helplessly, revealing a slightly weary yet confident smile.
Uchiha Yashiro stared blankly at Seisui. Tears seemed to gather in his eyes again as he gritted his teeth. "Yes, Qingshui-kun. I will definitely do as you say!"
The order Seisui gave Uchiha Yashiro was simple.
When he returned to report to Setsuna Uchiha, he was to conceal Seisui's true strength and describe the situation as somewhat difficult, but one he could still suppress steadily.
That way, Setsuna Uchiha's attention would temporarily shift away from him. Although dealing with Uchiha Yashiro would not be difficult, if he provoked the wariness of Setsuna, that extreme member of the Hawk Faction, there would be a constant stream of clansmen challenging him afterward, perhaps even more radical actions.
Seisui was not afraid of the so-called Three Tomoe, but it was troublesome with no gain, and it was even more likely to expose his strength and trump cards.
But in Uchiha Yashiro's eyes, Seisui had made an enormous sacrifice.
To the Uchiha Clan, the reputation that came with strength was practically their lifeblood. Yet Seisui had unhesitatingly given up the chance to make a name for himself by defeating an old-hand Three Tomoe like him. He had even shown trust in the bastard who had been provoking him just moments ago!
Enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens, discarding personal honor and disgrace for the clan, powerful yet gentle... that was the image Seisui held in Uchiha Yashiro's heart.
Dressed in clean clothes, Uchiha Yashiro silently examined the wounds Seisui had carefully healed. Then, slowly but resolutely, he dropped to the ground in a dogeza and said in a deep voice:
"Qingshui-kun, give the order, and Yashiro will brave fire and water without hesitation."
"I know my talent and wisdom cannot compare to yours, but please let this sinner shoulder some of your burden. Someone like Qingshui-kun should not have to walk alone!"
"Qingshui-kun, you owe nothing to the clan. It is the clansmen who have been deceived who owe you far too much."
Seisui slowly but firmly pulled Uchiha Yashiro to his feet, a trace of gratification in his smile.
"It is precisely because there are clansmen like you that I am willing to bear the Uchiha Clan's fate, Yashiro."
Uchiha Yashiro's heart trembled. He abruptly turned around. "Qingshui-kun, take care of yourself. Don't work yourself into the ground!"
A moment later, Seisui watched Uchiha Yashiro's departing figure and smiled faintly, thinking to himself:
This is the Uchiha... As long as you're stronger than him and give him respect and a way out, his life is yours.
He may only be a Three Tomoe, but he can become a piece I place among the Hawk Faction clansmen, keeping watch over their movements for me. Yashiro has some talent too. Perhaps he can become a decent fighting force in the future.
Seisui pondered the intelligence Yashiro had just provided and narrowed his eyes.
"Setsuna Uchiha, that old fossil Tobirama toyed with back then—why has he jumped out again? And what is Fugaku Uchiha thinking, letting trash like him hold power?"
"I remember that Fugaku Uchiha should still have had hope for Konoha during this period. He shouldn't have wanted to stop me from getting close to the Hokage lineage..."
"Yet he did nothing to stop it. Could it be that he was wavering over his attitude toward Konoha?"
After thinking about it for a while, Seisui laughed silently and gave up trying to guess what Fugaku Uchiha, the clan head, was thinking.
Looking across the Uchiha Clan's thousand-year history in the Shinobi World, he was probably the only Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyo without ever using Susanoo.
When it came to cowardice and indecision alone, Seisui would call him the strongest!
Normal people could not understand the actions of a madman. After all, he was the kind of absurdist who could send his son off to be brainwashed, turn the clan into a scattered mess, and then, after finally deciding to seize power by force, give up and kill himself.
To understand his way of thinking, Seisui would probably have to lower his own intelligence first.
"Tobirama, how did I do? Give me an evaluation..." Seisui shook his head and initiated an interaction with Tobirama Senju.
"So-so. I still had to remind you how to counter his Fire Release. You are rather skilled at winning people over, though. You reminded me of a bastard I killed..."
Tobirama Senju snorted. "Kid, I do not object to your decision to get close to Monkey. Everyone has their own demands. Kagami, Danzo, and Monkey were all like you back then. I am rather surprised that you did not block my senses."
Seisui did not take the bait. His eyes shifted as he said, "Putting everything else aside, Tobirama, you really are petty. I merely copied Uchiha Izuna's signature pose. Why did you reveal killing intent?"
"Sigh, some people live inside my body, refuse to teach me any ninjutsu, and won't even let me learn a few defensive moves... As expected of Konoha's Second Hokage. You really have the air of an overbearing CEO..."
Tobirama Senju's expression froze, and he inexplicably felt a little guilty. Had he been that obvious?
But his face remained as cold as ice. "Who wants to live inside your body? Kid, you kidnapped me into this place. You should seriously protect Konoha and inherit the Will of Fire as an apology to me!"
"Tobirama, since you brought that up, I have to say something. Even if I stand still, the forest a hundred meters away will burn because of my Will of Fire..."
Seisui looked at Tobirama Senju's expression, as though he were constipated, and laughed. "Don't look so unconvinced. In a few days, during the Will of Fire graduation exam, why don't you try taking it too?"
"You probably won't fail, but your score definitely won't be higher than mine."
"Kid, if not for me, Elder Brother's level would never have been enough to formulate the Will of Fire!" Tobirama Senju crossed his arms stubbornly, looking utterly certain of victory.
"Standing before you is the first principal of Konoha's Ninja Academy!"
Seisui shrugged. So what if Tobirama was the one who created the Will of Fire?
The times had changed! Where were the old-fashioned Will of Fire traditions now? This was the age of the new faction!
That night.
Uchiha Yashiro jolted awake from his dream. "I really deserve to die!"
Slap!
Meanwhile, in a valley somewhere in the Shinobi World.
An old Uchiha was also awake. He was deep in thought, wondering whether Seisui, this butterfly, would trigger a violent storm that might affect his plans...
Yashiro's part of the story had been written a little slowly...
I wanted to try writing it with more detail. I wonder what you readers think...
That was just how the new-book period went...
I really liked something Flop Street Antenna once said: "If you want to write in detail, then update more!"
Before you continue