Half an hour later.
After being force-fed another huge load of the Will of Fire, Uchiha Jin was finally let off by Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Rubbing his throbbing temples, Uchiha Jin sighed.
What a hassle!
Facing someone like Sarutobi Hiruzen was even more exhausting than fighting an enemy to the death.
However.
He had only just returned home and prepared to rest when Shisui, his face warm and gentle, walked in. "Jin, the clan head wants to see you!"
"Okay, got it." Uchiha Jin nodded.
The corner of his mouth twitched violently, but he said nothing more about it.
After all, he had been mentally prepared for this sort of thing.
What truly gave him a headache was the Uchiha Shisui standing before him.
Especially that look in his eyes, as if he had found a "kindred spirit." It made Jin's whole body break out in goosebumps. Although he looked down on the Uchiha clan as well, he absolutely refused to admit that he and Shisui were kindred spirits.
Ten minutes later.
With Shisui accompanying him, he arrived at the clan head's home.
They first passed through the enormous reception hall, then crossed the garden stream in the courtyard and arrived at the rear courtyard, where they saw a woman.
"Shisui, you're here."
"This must be Jin, the new genius who has risen within the clan, right?"
"Hello, I'm Uchiha Mikoto!"
The woman before him was extremely gentle and graceful. Uchiha Jin was somewhat taken aback when he saw her.
Unlike the woman from the Original work, who was already the mother of two children, Uchiha Itachi had not yet been born. Uchiha Mikoto was still quite beautiful and radiant.
"Hello, I'm Uchiha Jin!" Uchiha Jin said in a deep voice.
He had no intention of acting cute or ingratiating himself. In front of outsiders, he would always be the standard Uchiha.
Whether it was Shisui and Itachi or Fugaku and Mikoto, he basically had no desire to get close to any of them.
Mikoto's expression remained unchanged.
Nearly all the Uchiha had this sort of personality, so she had naturally grown accustomed to it over the years.
Shisui smiled and said, "Aunt Mikoto, we're here to see Clan Head Fugaku."
"Don't be so formal. Call me Big Sis!" Mikoto furrowed her brows, suddenly seized by mischief.
Shisui looked somewhat helpless, but he still reluctantly changed how he addressed her, finally making it through that ordeal.
"Fugaku is in the study. Go on in."
After playing around for a while, Mikoto finally left.
Shisui led Uchiha Jin toward the study, not forgetting to say with a smile along the way, "Although Aunt Mikoto is already married, she still has a bit of a childish streak. I hope you won't take offense, Jin."
Uchiha Jin nodded. "Mm, got it!"
Shisui did not know what to say about Uchiha Jin's indifference.
If Uchiha Jin had not been a genius and seemingly different from the other clan members, appearing to communicate quite well with the rest of the village, Shisui would not have been very willing to interact with a traditional Uchiha.
But kindred spirits were hard to find!
In this era, when Itachi had not yet been born, Uchiha Jin was far too rare in Shisui's eyes.
So.
Even though Uchiha Jin seemed difficult to communicate with and was much like the other traditional Uchiha, Shisui still very much wanted to grow close to him.
Ten minutes later, in the study.
Fugaku was extremely pleased by the arrival of Shisui and Jin.
He took the two of them directly to the tea room. After having Mikoto brew tea for everyone, he immediately turned to Uchiha Jin. "Jin, what do you think of the clan and the village?"
Shisui's eyes lit up.
He also looked directly at Uchiha Jin. He was extremely excited and wanted to know Jin's thoughts as soon as possible.
And at this.
The corner of Uchiha Jin's mouth twitched.
Compared with Sarutobi Hiruzen's cunning, Fugaku and Shisui were far too naive.
I know you want to win me over, but couldn't you at least set the stage first?
So.
He downed the tea in his cup in one gulp, set it down, and immediately played dumb. "What's wrong with the clan and the village? I think they're both pretty good!"
Fugaku and Shisui exchanged a glance, and both became somewhat helpless.
However, they did not think much of it. Uchiha Jin was still a child, after all.
Fugaku racked his brains. "If the clan and the village became divided, Jin, who would you choose to help?"
"Are we Uchiha planning to rebel?" Uchiha Jin said, suddenly enlightened.
Fugaku: "..."
Shisui: "..."
Their minds instantly crashed, and their faces turned green.
Damn it!
How had Uchiha Jin suddenly jumped to rebellion?
"Don't mess around. Nonsense. That's ridiculous!"
"The Uchiha aren't going to rebel. Why would we rebel?"
"It was just an analogy!"
Fugaku's face darkened as he immediately retorted.
This was no joke!
He genuinely had no such thoughts. Even though the clan was distrusted, all he wanted was to ease the tension as much as possible.
He had brought up this topic only to determine Uchiha Jin's leanings.
And at this.
Shisui also hurriedly said, "Jin, don't say things like that. The clan head was only asking offhand. Just tell us what you think."
"But there's something wrong with the question itself!" Uchiha Jin shrugged. "Then, Shisui, let me ask you a question."
"If your mother and your child fell into the water, and you could only save one of them, who would you choose to save, Shisui?"
Shisui was instantly dumbfounded.
The question was far too tricky. Even he could not answer it.
If he were asked whether he would save the village or the clan, he could give an answer immediately.
But his mother and his child? That was clearly putting him on the spot.
So.
He let out a helpless sigh. "Can't I save them both?"
"The clan head's question is the same." Uchiha Jin spread his hands, his face filled with helplessness.
Shisui fell silent. It did indeed seem that way.
Fugaku was also completely speechless. In the end, he could only wave his hand. "You're still too young, child. Asking you about this really is pointless for now. Your current task is to become stronger as quickly as possible."
"As the genius of our Uchiha clan, I, the clan head, can't fail to show my support."
"Starting today, all the clan's ninjutsu will be open to you. In addition, Shisui will be your teacher during his free time. He'll guide you in how to use the Sharingan and how to fight."
"Jin, you must remember this!"
"The Uchiha are your roots. No matter what happens, never forget that!"
Fugaku spoke with complete seriousness, each word deliberate.
And at this.
Shisui opened his mouth to object, but ultimately held back.
Clearly.
He did not agree with Fugaku's thinking. In his view, the village was more important than the clan.
Without the village, where would the clan be?
However, he also knew that changing Fugaku's mind would be difficult. On the other hand, he would be Uchiha Jin's teacher from now on, so he could find a way to influence Jin himself.
"Okay, I'll remember that."
Uchiha Jin's face was solemn.
But inwardly, he could not help complaining. He felt that something was wrong with Fugaku's brain.
You clearly want me to side with the village, so why did you assign Shisui as my teacher?
Shisui's leanings are written all over his face. Has Fugaku really become so foolish that he can't even see that?
What a bizarre man!
Before you continue