Seed (Seeking Collection! Seeking Investment!)

"Do you think you would do better than Clan Head Fugaku?"

"At the very least, it wouldn't be worse than it is now."

"You certainly have a lot of nerve!"

"I am already doing it."

Shisui was stunned, his eyes widening as he looked at Uchiha Sōken, as if he were seeing this friend of his for the first time.

Uchiha Sōken met Shisui's scrutinizing gaze with composure.

"Shisui, you are not the only one who sees the crisis facing our clan; there are many clever people among us. It is just that the momentum of the times is such that three or five people cannot turn it around. To prevent the clan from falling into the worst possible situation, we have all been working hard."

"We?"

A sudden, uncontrollable sense of loneliness and desolation welled up within Shisui.

When exactly had he ceased to be part of that 'we'?

Had he been ostracized?

This must be ostracization!

"Don't think that everyone is excluding you. Don't forget that you are the only member of the Uchiha Clan currently in the Anbu. You are too close to the Third and the others. Of course, nobody thinks you would betray the clan, it's just that they feel you wouldn't support our ideas, so..."

"Then why tell me all this now?"

"The situation has changed."

Sōken turned his body, casting his gaze toward the direction of the Ninja Academy. The enrollment of Haruto was a clear signal. According to the original historical trajectory, the bloody Night of the Massacre was roughly two years away.

Even if his arrival might have disrupted the original timeline, who knew if the Night of the Massacre would be delayed, moved forward, or distorted into non-existence?

He only knew that under the leadership of Clan Head Fugaku, the Uchiha Clan was on the verge of plotting a coup. If it were not brought under control, even without the Night of the Massacre, the Uchiha Clan would fall into an abyss of no return.

The sense of urgency had become stronger than ever before.

One had to realize that it wasn't just the village leadership, led by the Third, who wanted the Uchiha Clan finished; there was also that madman, Obito Uchiha...

"There is no time left for us to make more thorough preparations. Once Clan Head Fugaku fully declares his support for the Radical Faction and gains the backing of the majority... it will be beyond our power to shake. The planning of the coup will proceed irreversibly. Therefore, we must take action and produce results before that happens."

Sōken's words were resonant and powerful.

They clearly and firmly stated a determination that could not be shaken.

Shisui remained silent for about two minutes before asking, "If—and I mean if—you really were to replace Clan Head Fugaku, what would you do?"

"That question... I forget which book I read it in, but the book recorded the words of a great man: [If you seek peace through struggle, peace will survive; if you seek peace through compromise, peace will perish. Peace is not something to be begged for; it is won through struggle and combat.] I find myself in deep agreement with this."

"Only by letting the Third and Danzo know that the Uchiha is not a toothless tiger—that we have the determination and strength to drag them down with us—will they stop pressuring us as they currently do."

"But Sōken, doing that will also completely sever the Uchiha from the village."

Shisui remained calm as he raised his objection.

"I know."

Sōken did not deny it. "But even if we don't do this, will the Third and the others ever sincerely accept the Uchiha Clan into the village? In my eyes, their attitude toward our clan is one of wanting to eradicate us as quickly as possible. I have no expectation of living in harmony with these old fossils. Only when the Fifth takes office will there be a chance for the Uchiha to be reborn."

"The Fifth?"

Shisui struggled to keep his mind sharp, trying to keep up with Sōken's train of thought.

"The Third, Danzo, Elder Utatane, Elder Mitokado... the perceptions and views these old geezers have of our clan have long been set in stone. There is only one way to make them change their attitude, and that is for you, Shisui, to use Kotoamatsukami to rewrite their minds. But your ocular power surely cannot modify the will and consciousness of so many people, and I doubt you would enjoy doing such a thing."

Sōken spread his hands.

"Since we cannot rely on the Third and the others, we naturally have to set our sights on the Fifth. In my view, the only ones qualified to inherit the position of the Fifth are Jiraiya or Tsunade of the Sannin."

"But they are also students of the Third."

"True, they are his students. However, to my knowledge, these two do not share the same mindset as that generation. At the very least, they shouldn't be as hostile toward our clan. Of course, placing one's hope in others is ultimately improper; the Uchiha must also make corresponding changes as the times evolve."

"For this, I need your help."

"Shisui, for the sake of the clan's survival, I hope you will stand on my side."

Sōken issued his invitation forthrightly.

"...I cannot answer you right now. I need to go and see all of this within the clan for myself." Shisui reserved his stance. No matter how flowery Sōken's words were, one-sided claims inevitably left room for doubt. He needed to understand more about the situation in the clan before he could make a decision.

"Then don't make me wait too long."

Sōken was not disappointed.

As a friend, he knew what kind of temperament Shisui had; he hadn't expected to win him over so easily in the first place.

Planting the seed was enough for now.

As long as he spent time watering and fertilizing it, it would naturally sprout, bloom, and bear fruit.

"Enough, let's not talk about this. Shisui, do you have anything else to do today?" Sōken changed the subject.

"Nothing much. I just finished a mission, and the Anbu gave me two days off. I haven't decided what to do with them yet." Shisui followed his lead and changed the subject; the pressure on him was already great enough, and appropriate relaxation was necessary, otherwise even an iron man wouldn't be able to endure such torment.

"That's perfect. Come to my place! Keep me company for some training; I haven't been on many missions lately and I feel like my skills are getting rusty."

"Cut the nonsense. Don't try to fool me."

Shisui scoffed at this.

He wouldn't believe the tedious lie about Sōken's skills regressing even if it killed him; that guy was rotten to the core. Back on the battlefield, he'd claim his ninja tools were spent, only to turn around and toss a Shuriken to take out a lurking Mist Ninja. He'd shout that his Chakra was exhausted and he couldn't fight anymore, yet the very next second, he'd incinerate the pursuing Mist Ninja with a Fire Style Jutsu...

Examples like these were too numerous to count, but fortunately, Sōken never turned those schemes against his own people; those little tricks were strictly reserved for the enemy.

On the battlefield, Sōken was the type of person who could provide an indescribable sense of security.

Perhaps, this was the reason why, despite both being geniuses of the Uchiha Clan, he had so few friends, while Sōken was able to get along with everyone?