Chapter Fourteen: Shisui Didn't Like Youhu

"This was entirely my fault."

"I never imagined, Lord Youhu, that you planned to infiltrate the Third Hokage Faction. My perspective was too narrow."

Tiehuo lowered his head and admitted his mistake. Before they reached the Hokage Building, he had thought the Third Hokage Faction would harm Youhu, so he had gone to Fugaku and asked him to lead a team to rescue him.

But he had underestimated Lord Youhu's abilities.

Youhu had not only left the Hokage Building unharmed, but had also made the Third Hokage consider recruiting him into the Hokage's personal Anbu.

It was a place countless Uchiha wanted to join but couldn't.

"I'll let it go this time. In the future, don't interfere with my actions without my orders."

Youhu knew he had misspoken earlier, and didn't make things difficult for Tiehuo.

The way he had left the Police Station just now had made him look exactly like an old general on a stage, every word of his filled with the aura of death, as though he were making his final arrangements.

After a moment's thought, Youhu held out his hand to Tiehuo. "By the way, are you still carrying the Parchment Scroll?"

"I am."

Tiehuo nodded and quickly handed the Parchment Scroll to Youhu.

"Still smells familiar."

Youhu picked up the Parchment Scroll. After using the system to upgrade it, he took a deep whiff of its Ink Smell and smiled with satisfaction before handing it back to Tiehuo.

Tiehuo looked puzzled, unable to understand what Youhu was doing.

Noticing his confusion, Youhu asked, "You've read everything recorded on the Parchment Scroll, right? What do you think of Izuna's Research Reports on the Sharingan?"

Tiehuo thought for a moment, then said,

"I plan to train my two subordinates according to Izuna's methods and see if emotional stimulation can evolve their Sharingan."

"It's good that you're thinking along those lines, but be careful not to go too far."

Youhu nodded, then continued, "Evolving the Sharingan through emotional stimulation isn't easy. If it fails, it can easily cause a person to suffer a mental breakdown."

"This Parchment Scroll can also calm the mind and stabilize a ninja's emotions. You'll probably find it useful in the future."

As he said this, Youhu sighed softly.

"It's a shame I only found part of Izuna's Inheritance. With Izuna's wisdom, he must have had a gentler way to evolve the Sharingan. I'll have to think of something later."

"It can stabilize a ninja's emotions?"

Tiehuo suddenly felt that the Parchment Scroll in his hands was burning hot. Was he really someone who could own such a treasure?

For Uchiha ninjas who often lost control of their emotions while awakening their Sharingan, this treasure was no less valuable than the few lost relics of the clan.

The Parchment Scroll Izuna had left behind really lived up to his reputation as a Genius Figure in Uchiha history, one as renowned as the Second Hokage.

What Tiehuo didn't know was that the Parchment Scroll hadn't had this ability just a few minutes ago.

Youhu had spent five hundred Deception Points to rewrite it. Five hundred Deception Points were enough to evolve an ordinary Sharingan into a Three Tomoe Sharingan, while a pair of Three Tomoe Sharingan required only a thousand.

Youhu had rewritten the Parchment Scroll's function partly to make Izuna's Inheritance seem more credible.

He also wanted to properly train these subordinates of his. Although Tiehuo was a Three-Tomoe Jonin, for various reasons, he still hadn't reached the level of an Elite Jonin.

Without the strength of an Elite Jonin, he couldn't Stir Up Trouble within the talent-rich Uchiha Clan.

If Itachi and Obito killed him one day, Youhu would have lost more than he gained.

But that meant he had used up all the Deception Points he'd gained in front of the Hokage Building. For the time being, the lie about the Secret Behind the Hokage had lost its value.

Unless the lie spread throughout the entire Ninja World.

Rustle!

Just then, Youhu heard the sound of someone stepping on branches in the distance. Tiehuo heard it too. They exchanged a glance, and instantly switched roles.

"You can't even complete a simple training exercise."

"You worthless good-for-nothing, and you still dare to Slander and Fabricate Rumors about Fugaku Captain?!"

"..."

"Stop!"

When Shisui arrived, he happened to see Tiehuo training Youhu. Youhu was covered in mud and looked utterly miserable, gripping a Wooden Stick used for training tightly in his hand.

At the sight, Shisui knew Tiehuo was using training as an excuse to teach Youhu a lesson.

The Third Hokage had ordered Shisui to help Youhu.

Before coming here, Shisui had already heard what had happened in front of the Hokage Building. He also knew that the Hokage had taken a liking to Youhu, who might soon become a bridge between the Uchiha and Konoha, just like him.

"Tiehuo, I won't let you bully a fellow clan member."

"Shisui, what are you doing here?"

Tiehuo looked toward Shisui and said unhappily, "As a Guard Division squad leader, it's perfectly reasonable for me to train a squad member. You're not even in the Guard Division. What makes you think you can interfere in its affairs?"

Shisui's expression turned cold as he warned him,

"Youhu is already an Anbu Reserve. The Guard Division has no authority over the Anbu. I'm part of the Anbu too. If you lay a hand on an Anbu Reserve again, I'll have to act."

Tiehuo stared at Shisui's right hand resting on his short sword, his expression shifting. "One Uchiha using the Anbu as an excuse to threaten another Uchiha. You lackeys of the Third Hokage sure are loyal."

With that, Tiehuo left the small grove without looking back.

Tiehuo's acting had improved again... Youhu thought to himself. Then he looked at Shisui and pretended to be glad he'd been rescued.

"Shisui, you're finally here. You have no idea how scary Tiehuo looked just now."

"But the Hokage said I wouldn't take the test until tomorrow. Why are you here now?"

As he questioned Shisui, Youhu eyed the famous "Body Flicker Shisui" warily, recalling what he knew about Uchiha Shisui.

Uchiha Shisui had become famous toward the end of the Third Ninja World War and earned the title Body Flicker Shisui.

He was also the first Uchiha since Uchiha Madara to possess the Mangekyō Sharingan. His Mangekyō ability was incredibly powerful, capable of rewriting an enemy's will.

Shisui's biggest flaw was that he was a little dimwitted.

After Shimura Danzō ambushed him, he actually chose to jump off a cliff and kill himself. Not only had he wasted his life, but the Uchiha's fate hadn't changed either. They had still been wiped out in the end.

Before he got the system, Youhu had always wanted to talk to Shisui.

Unfortunately, Shisui's Kotoamatsukami was too much of a threat to him. He wasn't the kind of ninja who casually entrusted his fate to someone else, so he had never really talked with Shisui.

Maybe now he could try reaching out to him as a fellow Anbu member?

Shisui glanced at Youhu, who had caused so much trouble for the clan and the village over the past two days, and sighed.

"The Hokage didn't order me to test you. Your team leader must be someone else."

"I only came to remind you to prepare for pressure from the clan. Getting the clan and the village back on good terms won't be easy."

After saying that, Shisui suddenly looked exhausted and hurried away.

Shisui doesn't like me. He likes Uchiha Itachi.

Watching Shisui's retreating figure, Youhu understood what he meant. The guy didn't want to spend much time with him, probably because of all the trouble he'd caused over the last couple of days.

Maybe he'd taken over Shisui's niche?

Or maybe it was simply because he didn't think like a Hokage and wasn't worthy of Shisui's approval.

Still, keeping his distance from that weirdo Shisui was a good thing. It would be bad if Shisui ever decided Youhu wasn't absolutely loyal and hit him with Kotoamatsukami.

Like Uchiha Itachi, Shisui was especially ruthless toward the Uchiha.