Your Mental State Is the Problem

When he saw someone approaching, Kabuto immediately jumped out of the ground and stood beside Izumi, looking at the young ninja, who wasn't much older than he was.

"Shisui—that name sounds familiar. I feel like I've heard it somewhere," Kabuto murmured.

"Shisui is a genius ninja from the Uchiha Clan. He was just promoted to Jōnin recently. He became a Jōnin two years earlier than our teacher, even though they're about the same age," Itachi explained to Kabuto, his admiration for Shisui clear in his voice.

While Yusuke had been away, another genius ninja in the clan, Shisui, had also been promoted to Jōnin.

Shisui had already displayed impressive strength during the Third Shinobi World War and earned plenty of merit. By rights, he was qualified for promotion to Jōnin, but because he was an Uchiha ninja, Danzo had blocked his promotion, claiming that he was "too young and immature."

Now that Danzo had been sent away from the village on a mission, the Third Hokage had seized the opportunity to promote Shisui.

Shisui was a descendant of Kagami Uchiha, whose branch of the clan had always supported the Will of Fire. Because of that, the Third Hokage trusted them, and Shisui truly did serve him wholeheartedly.

With a Body Flicker Technique, Shisui appeared right in front of the three children. He patted Itachi and Izumi on the head and smiled. "You don't have to call me 'senpai.' Just call me Shisui."

Then Shisui looked at Itachi with approval. "Itachi, the way you used your kunai just now was excellent. But I know an even better way to use ninja tools."

"Shisui—Shisui, can you teach me?" Itachi had been about to keep calling him "Shisui-senpai," but when Shisui gave him a look that said he didn't need to be so formal, Itachi changed how he addressed him.

"Of course. I only told you because I thought you had a knack for it," Shisui said with a smile.

"If you want to learn, come find me tonight."

For some reason, Shisui felt an unusual fondness for Itachi as soon as he saw him.

He had occasionally run into Itachi in the clan before, but he'd never had a chance to get to know him.

His mission had ended that day, and when he saw a few children practicing at the clan's training ground, he'd decided to come over and take a look.

"Thank you," Itachi said with a nod.

"Shisui, can I learn too?" Izumi looked at him expectantly.

"That girl won't be able to learn such delicate ninja-tool techniques. She should stick to learning escape techniques from her brother," a voice called from a distance.

But in the very next moment, the owner of the voice was standing in front of them. It was Yusuke, who had just returned from a mission in Amegakure.

Shisui was slightly surprised by Yusuke's Body Flicker Technique, which was almost as fast as his own, but he didn't let it show.

Still, Shisui was confident that when it came to using the Body Flicker Technique, he had the edge over Yusuke.

"Brother!" "Teacher!" Izumi, Kabuto, and Itachi cried out in delight when Yusuke suddenly appeared.

Yusuke patted Izumi on the head. Her delighted smile disappeared at once, and she grumbled, "Why can't I learn delicate ninja-tool techniques? Hmph, I'm not talking to you."

Although she said she wouldn't talk to Yusuke, the delight in her eyes gave her away. She was clearly very happy that her brother had returned from his mission.

"Yusuke-senpai, it's good to see you," Shisui said politely.

"Shisui. I heard you were promoted to Jōnin too. Congratulations," Yusuke said.

"I still have a lot to learn from you, Yusuke-senpai," Shisui replied.

"Don't be so modest. There aren't many people who can give the 'Body Flicker Shisui' pointers," Yusuke said with a smile.

After exchanging pleasantries with Shisui, Yusuke turned to the three children. "I can see you've all been working hard at your training. I'm giving you the afternoon off today. Go have some fun."

"Really? That's great!" Izumi said happily. Then she turned to Yusuke. "You should come with us, too, Brother."

Yusuke was just about to nod when Shisui suddenly spoke in an apologetic tone. "I'm very sorry to spoil everyone's plans, but I have something I'd like to discuss with Yusuke-senpai in private. I'll need to take up a little of his time."

Yusuke glanced at Shisui, slightly surprised, then smiled at Izumi. "You three go have fun. I'll come with you next time."

Izumi was a little disappointed, but she obediently nodded and invited Itachi. "Let's go buy dango. I know a really good place."

Itachi accepted the invitation with his usual reserve. After all, dango was his favorite food.

Kabuto, however, wore a pained expression. He preferred savory food, but his younger brother and sister both loved sweets. What was he supposed to do?

In Kabuto's mind, Itachi and Izumi, who were two years younger than him, had become his little brother and sister.

Seeing Kabuto's face scrunched up with indecision, Izumi giggled. "Don't worry. I picked this place especially. There's a little shop nearby that sells your favorite salt-grilled horse mackerel."

As he watched the three small figures walk away, chatting and laughing, Yusuke smiled with satisfaction. Then he glanced at Shisui, who was gazing "dreamily" at Itachi in the distance.

This is terrifying. I really don't understand the world of doting older brothers! Yusuke sighed inwardly.

"Ahem." Yusuke cleared his throat to remind Shisui he was there.

Shisui started slightly, then came back to himself. "Sorry. I got distracted watching Itachi walk away."

This time, Yusuke was the one who froze. He'd always thought Shisui was the reserved type, but he hadn't expected him to be so blunt.

"I don't know why, but I feel like Itachi and I are destined to be close. It's almost as if he were my own little brother," Shisui continued.

Yusuke nodded without expression. "I understand. I understand completely. You've already felt that bond with Itachi." Go ahead, do whatever you want. As long as you're happy.

"Exactly! A bond. No wonder you're Yusuke-senpai! You saw right through me!" Shisui smiled, then continued. "Itachi has tremendous talent, far more than I do. I'm not an especially remarkable ninja, but I've picked up some useful skills and have a few techniques I'm good at. I'd like to teach them to Itachi. Since you're his teacher, I hope you'll agree."

"Too much modesty is just another kind of pride. As for talent, I don't think Itachi necessarily surpasses you, Shisui. I don't mind you teaching him," Yusuke said with a smile.

Even so, Yusuke was wary. Shisui was partly responsible for Itachi's belief that he should sacrifice himself and his family for the sake of Konoha.

"Thank you, senpai," Shisui said.

Yusuke waved a hand. "That can't be the only reason you wanted to talk to me, can it?"

Shisui nodded, catching a leaf as it fell from a tree. He murmured, "Wherever the leaves dance, the fire will continue to burn. The fire will keep lighting the village and help the new leaves sprout."

"Yusuke-senpai, do you believe in the Will of Fire?" Shisui looked at Yusuke, his gaze earnest and resolute.

Yusuke didn't answer. After a moment of silence, he said with a sigh, "The Will of Fire. What a beautiful ideal."

But do all those people who quietly burn themselves up truly light the village? Do they really help the new leaves sprout? Yusuke kept the question to himself.

How many ninja had fallen victim to power struggles? And among Konoha's leaders, how many truly followed the Will of Fire?

"Shisui, why don't you just tell me what you came to say?" Yusuke said.

Shisui nodded. "Yusuke-senpai, the Third Hokage asked me whether there were any members of my clan I'd recommend for the Anbu. I deeply respect your abilities, and both the village and the clan need someone who can serve as a link between them. I hope you'll consider it."

"You may be disappointed, but I have no plans to join the Anbu," Yusuke said, shaking his head.

"Yusuke-senpai, please think it over—" Shisui said urgently.

Yusuke waved him off. "You don't need to say any more. I've never had any intention of joining the Anbu."

Seeing how firmly Yusuke refused, Shisui could only leave, his face full of disappointment.

After seeing Shisui off, Yusuke decided to sit down at the teahouse he often visited. Apart from training and developing ninjutsu, his only real hobby these days was stopping by for a cup of tea.

"Have you heard? Apparently, Lord Orochimaru is conducting human experiments," said a young man at the teahouse. He wore a blue headband and had a pointed tuft of hair on his chin.

He wore a standard Konoha ninja uniform and was about the same age as Yusuke, but the tuft of hair on his chin made him look greasy beyond his years.

The young man was Tatami Iwashi, currently a Chunin. Sitting at the same table were two other Chunin, Shiranui Genma and Namiashi Raidō.

Shiranui Genma also wore a blue headband, and he had a senbon clenched between his teeth. He looked carefree.

Namiashi Raidō had short brown hair and a scar that ran from the eye down his left cheek.

All three were the same generation of ninja as Yusuke, Kakashi, and Asuma, and had already become Chunin. According to the original story, Shiranui Genma and Namiashi Raidō would become Special Jōnin. Later, all three would serve as personal guards to the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

Yusuke and Shiranui Genma had carried out missions together during the Third Shinobi World War, so they knew each other reasonably well. But since Genma was chatting with his friends, Yusuke didn't go over to greet him when he entered the teahouse. Instead, he quietly found a seat off to the side and enjoyed a rare moment of leisure by himself.

"Hey, hey, are you trying to get yourself killed? Keep your voice down. If word gets back to Lord Orochimaru, we might not see you tomorrow," Namiashi Raidō said quietly.

Shiranui Genma nodded in agreement. "I'll never forget the first time I saw Lord Orochimaru. When he looked at me, it felt like snakes were wrapped all around me."

"I was terrified!" A bead of cold sweat trickled down Shiranui Genma's forehead, as if he were reliving the moment he'd first met Orochimaru.

Listening to them from a corner, Yusuke furrowed his brows. "Has Orochimaru become this brazen with his human experiments? Even the Chunin are talking about it. Looks like he'll defect soon."

What a shame. The village will be losing someone I could have talked ninjutsu with, Yusuke thought with a sigh.

Yusuke didn't see the young waitress from last time, the one who'd said she was a student at the Ninja Academy. He guessed she'd decided to focus on her ninja career and had stopped working at the teahouse. He felt a little regretful; chatting with that energetic girl last time had lifted his spirits.

"Yusuke, there you are!" A voice interrupted Yusuke's wandering thoughts.

Yusuke looked toward the voice and saw Uchiha Soichiro.

"What a coincidence. Every time I see you, it's at this teahouse," Yusuke said with a smile.

Soichiro sat down across from Yusuke and shook his head with a smile. "It's no coincidence. I came looking for you. The clan head heard that the delegation sent to negotiate in Amegakure had returned to the village, so he immediately asked me to find you. He said he had something important to discuss with you."

Soichiro had always been one of Uchiha Fugaku's trusted aides. Ever since Fugaku had told him that Yusuke did care about the clan, and that the two of them had already reached a degree of understanding, Soichiro had been very glad.

He himself belonged to the clan's more moderate faction. Seeing that Yusuke, a genius of the clan, hadn't fallen out with the clan head and had instead begun working with him more closely was naturally a great relief.

Hearing Soichiro's words, Yusuke's heart lifted. Could Uchiha Fugaku have figured out why I still can't awaken the Sharingan?

"If the clan head needs to see me, there's no time to waste. I'll go to his place now," Yusuke said with a nod. Then he and Soichiro headed to Uchiha Fugaku's residence.

When Uchiha Fugaku saw Yusuke, he took him to a secluded room, clearly intending to speak in private.

After looking Yusuke over, Fugaku said, "I'm relieved to see you're unharmed. You're strong, but I was still worried Danzo might come after you."

"He did make a move, but he couldn't do anything to me," Yusuke said without hiding the truth. He briefly described how Danzo had sent his subordinates to ambush him.

Fugaku snorted. "That old bastard has gone too far. I've already backed down again and again, and he still keeps targeting the Uchiha Clan." With no one else present, Fugaku no longer hid his anger toward Danzo.

"Clan head, did you call me here in such a hurry because you've found a clue about why I can't awaken my Sharingan?" Yusuke said, steering the conversation back to the point instead of dwelling on Danzo.

Fugaku nodded. "That's right. I've looked through a lot of our clan's records on the subject. Given how strong you are now, there's no way you should be unable to awaken your Sharingan. So I've concluded..."

"Your mental state is the problem!"

This book has been signed. Thank you all for your continued support, and thanks to everyone who sent gifts. (●`●)(●`●)

The author still has a regular day job, but I'll make sure to keep the updates high-quality!

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