Monster

After a long silence, the Third Hokage coughed.

"Cough, cough! Child, the Third Elder of your clan has come for you. Do you... want to go back with him?"

Katsuo wiped his nose and casually flicked the snot onto Jiraiya, who was gritting his teeth with jealousy written all over his face.

Ignoring Jiraiya's blazing glare, he nodded at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

With red-rimmed eyes, Katsuo was led out of the room by Tsunade.

"Two people came downstairs just now. One intended to capture him with hostile intent, while the other seemed to want to protect him!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke calmly.

"One is a Jonin sent by the Uchiha Clan's Great Elder. The other is the Uchiha Clan's Third Elder. Uchiha Feng wants to protect him!"

"Sensei, what do you think? This child is a true genius. He actually learned one ninjutsu and one genjutsu solely from two scrolls. That was genjutsu..." Jiraiya said gravely, no longer wearing his usual silly, lecherous expression.

Everyone present understood what Jiraiya meant. It was not terrifying for a five-year-old child to master two C-rank ninjutsu, nor was it unprecedented. Sasuke had learned the Great Fireball at the age of six, so it was not impossible.

However, for a five-year-old to learn a C-rank genjutsu was far too frightening—and practically impossible.

Think about it. How much experience could a five-year-old have? How much knowledge? How much spiritual energy could he possess to use genjutsu? Was spiritual energy so easily produced?

In short, according to their understanding, children around the age of five could possess enough Chakra to cast C-rank ninjutsu, but they absolutely could not have enough spiritual energy to cast C-rank genjutsu.

Katsuo was an unbelievable miracle!

"A true genius? No. Anything that defies reason is a monster!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, his expression grave.

"A monster? More monstrous than Orochimaru?" Jiraiya asked seriously.

"Heh heh! At the same age, he surpasses everyone so far," Orochimaru said with a hoarse laugh.

"He belongs to the Uchiha Clan, Hiruzen. What are you thinking? The Uchiha Clan cannot produce another Uchiha Madara!" Utatane Koharu said with a frown.

"The Uchiha Clan is also part of Konoha, isn't it? Besides, this child is clearly being ostracized by the other members of the Uchiha Clan. That is a good thing, isn't it?" the man in the shadows said calmly.

"Danzo, don't get any crooked ideas. He is only five years old. I will not allow you to act recklessly, even if he is from the Uchiha Clan."

"But don't forget—Kagami!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said sternly. Kagami had also belonged to the Uchiha Clan and had been the closest friend of both him and Danzo.

"So, how do you intend to deal with this? The Uchiha Clan's Great Elder will not be easy to handle, even for you, Lord Hokage!" Danzo sneered with his eyes closed.

"There is no need to deal with anything. Though Uchiha Feng does not hold much influence within the Uchiha Clan, he can still protect a child who made a mistake—especially since he came personally!" Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe.

"You really are cunning, Hiruzen! You get to play the good guy while leaving the dirty work to Uchiha Feng..."

"Shut up! Danzo..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi erupted in fury. Terrifying Chakra surged out, and the entire Hokage Building trembled slightly as his voice fell. At this time, he was still in his prime!

He was not the decrepit old Third Hokage of the future!

After leaving the Hokage Building, the Jonin sent by the Uchiha Clan's Great Elder had already departed. Only a thin, white-haired old man with a slight hunchback remained.

"You little bastard, always causing trouble for me..."

Uchiha Feng glared at Katsuo before striding away. After bowing to Tsunade, Katsuo quickly followed him.

Once they had left everyone's sight, and he sensed none of the Third Hokage's spying techniques, he raised the head he had kept lowered for so long!

"You put on a good act!" Uchiha Feng sneered.

"What act? I don't know what you're talking about. Didn't you tell me to teach Uchiha Fugaku a lesson?"

Katsuo replied calmly, no longer wearing the childlike demeanor he had shown in the Hokage Office.

"Heh, you brat! I told you to teach him a lesson, not hit him so hard. Uchiha Fugaku suffered severe mental trauma!"

"He is still lying in bed and has yet to wake up!"

(In the Original Work, even Sakura in her teens had been frightened unconscious for quite a while by a single Hell Viewing Technique. Her spiritual strength back then was far greater than six-year-old Fugaku's now, yet she still could not withstand it.)

"There are also six or seven Uchiha clansmen with minor to moderate burns, and three or four with trampling injuries. Don't you think you were a little too ruthless?"

"If I hadn't hit hard, how could I make them afraid? If I hadn't hit hard, how could I make them stay away from Mikoto? As for that bunch of trash... don't they feel ashamed?"

Uchiha Feng stopped walking at those words and said with a grave expression:

"I know everything that happened at the academy! Mikoto was not the main reason. The biggest reason was still your mother, wasn't it? Your situation is serious. More than a dozen Uchiha clansmen have complained to the Great Elder and demanded that he punish you severely..."

As Uchiha Feng spoke, he turned his head to the side and continued:

"Uchiha Fugaku is the Great Elder's most beloved grandson. I saw him narrow his Sharingan. I know him. He wants to kill you!"

Katsuo stopped walking upon hearing that.

He closed his eyes and said without the slightest trace of fear:

"You came to find me personally, which means this is still within the scope of what you can handle, isn't it?"

"You are very confident... but you are wrong!"

"I came to find you only for Kuiko and Mikoto's sake. I came merely to ask the Great Elder to be lenient out of respect for me. Whether he will grant this old man that favor is still uncertain..."

Uchiha Feng sighed and spoke honestly to Katsuo.

What he said—and what he could do—was indeed limited to that.

"You will help me!" Katsuo said firmly.

Uchiha Feng frowned, just about to refuse Katsuo's request.

But when he turned around, in that instant—

He cried out in shock!

"How... is this possible!!!"

He saw an unbelievable sight, one that completely overturned everything he knew!

A pair of scarlet Double Tomoe Sharingan looked incomparably sinister beneath the setting sun!

At that moment, the thin, small figure blocked the lingering glow of the sunset, its image reflected in Uchiha Feng's pupils!

He recalled the first words Katsuo had spoken when they first met a month ago.

'Jonin will not be my endpoint.'

He saw it!

This was a child with terrifying potential, the youngest child in Uchiha history to awaken the Sharingan!

And it seemed that upon awakening it, he had already possessed the terrifying Double Tomoe Sharingan!

This utterly shattered the understanding he had built over decades. His youngest son was already in his twenties and had only awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan!

A five-year-old with the Double Tomoe Sharingan, who also knew genjutsu and ninjutsu...

Who would believe such a thing if it were told to them? Uchiha Feng had not believed it at first.

But once he felt the ocular power radiating from Katsuo's eyes, he had no choice but to believe!

"You are terrifying!"

Uchiha Feng said warily. Before he realized it, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan had opened.

"Of all the Uchiha clansmen I have ever seen, you are the one most likely to become a second Madara..."

"No... perhaps you can surpass him!"

"I will bear the matter with the Great Elder for you!"