Pupil

"Heh."

Arata, who had been suppressing his emotions, suddenly let out a soft laugh.

He laughed at himself for having such a foolish thought!

To join forces with this bastard to avenge Shisui?

Who was the other party?

It was Itachi!

Itachi Uchiha!

The traitor who had personally buried his own clan!

How could he possibly oppose the Konoha high command for the sake of Shisui, someone with whom he shared no blood ties?

But!

"Suicide?"

Arata stared fixedly at his clansman, the fury in his eyes already beyond control.

"Itachi, is this your answer? Is this all you know?"

"Isn't the Anbu monitoring the entire Uchiha clan?"

"Wasn't Shisui your best friend?"

"You are truly beyond saving!"

"Just how far can those fake eyes of yours see!"

Arata's voice grew increasingly tremulous, increasingly frantic.

Around the corner, Izumi clenched her delicate hands, her face etched with worry.

She had never seen Arata like this.

So hysterical, so furious.

Yet, even so, Itachi did not change his tune, nor did he say another word!

Arata gave up.

He slowly closed his eyes, suppressing all his delusions back into the void.

The person before him was not someone he could change.

"You are truly unworthy of being Shisui's friend."

This was the last word regarding Shisui Uchiha; he would never again mention him in front of such a bastard!

At the entrance of the alley.

Fugaku Uchiha, Uncle Yashiro, and Inabi Uchiha had all arrived.

They had heard of Arata's actions in the Konoha district and were worried that this suddenly crazed youth might commit some further extreme act.

Naturally, they had heard every word spoken.

Shisui's passing was a pain for the Uchiha clan.

Itachi's inaction was an even greater source of hatred for many clansmen!

Just a few days ago, Yashiro, Inabi, and Tekka had even gone to question him, wanting to lock this corrupted genius in a cell!

But in the end, they were stopped by the current clan head.

"From this day forward, I will be watching you. Do not attempt to harm anyone else in the clan, otherwise—"

Arata suddenly opened his eyes, his scarlet pupils releasing all his negative emotions. A trail of blood-tears slowly flowed from the corner of his eye, and the Single-Tomoe on his pupils quietly doubled.

"I will definitely make you taste the same pain!"

A chill surged, and in an instant, the entire alley was frozen solid. Sharp icicles shattered the gate of the residence, stopping just before a little fellow who had been peeking out.

"Thud."

Sasuke Uchiha fell to the ground, clear terror written on his youthful face.

The killing intent and bloodlust carried by the icicles were something even a Konoha Chunin could not withstand, let alone a little one who had just entered the academy.

"Arata!"

"Don't go too far!"

With his reverse scale touched, Itachi Uchiha roared instantly.

Power surged in that split second; his black pupils were replaced by the pinwheel-like Mangekyō, and a sharp Kunai slid into his palm.

"Mangekyō Sharingan!"

"This guy! He really did see Shisui!"

"He really does know the truth of the matter!"

"Yet even so, he is unwilling to avenge Shisui!"

Grief and indignation filled Arata's chest, and his right hand, hanging at his side, tightened around the hilt of his blade.

"You want to start a war?"

"Fine!"

"Then I shall grant your wish!"

"Itachi, Arata, what do you think you are doing? Both of you, stop this at once!"

A powerful roar suddenly exploded at the entrance of the alley; it was the voice of Fugaku Uchiha.

Hearing this, a look of struggle appeared on Itachi's face, but he ultimately reined in his aura. His Sharingan faded, and his kunai was concealed, yet his eyes remained fixed on the youth in his field of vision.

Dangerous.

A madman.

These were the new labels he attached to Arata.

Arata, however, did not respond.

His right hand remained gripped on the hilt, calculating the probability of being able to hunt down Itachi before the other could fully master those eyes!

But.

When that dark green flak jacket also appeared in his field of vision, all possibilities vanished like smoke.

Standing on the opposite side was no longer just one Mangekyō Sharingan.

It was two!

Itachi Uchiha and Fugaku Uchiha!!

"Weak."

This was the second time Arata felt he was so weak, even harboring the delusion of teaming up with the very person he hated most to exact his revenge!

"Arata, let it go."

A voice reached his ears, and his wrist was gripped by a rough, large hand.

"Uncle Yashiro."

Arata turned his face, his eye sockets already brimming with moisture.

"We will investigate Shisui's matter to the very end. Every sinner will suffer the wrath of the Uchiha."

"Even if that sinner comes from within the clan!"

Yashiro Uchiha said fiercely, not caring in the slightest about the clan head standing opposite them.

Hearing this, Fugaku's expression shifted slightly, but he ultimately restrained himself.

"Arata, what explanation do you have for the incident in the main district of Konoha? Do you have any idea how much this will exacerbate the lack of trust between us and the village?"

He steered the conversation away.

He did not want Itachi to become the center of accusations.

"Heh."

"I only hate that we have such a spineless clan head."

"Use whatever punishment you like to appease Konoha, do as you please."

After these words, Arata bowed slightly to Uncle Yashiro and walked toward the alley entrance; he did not want this father and son to see his vulnerability and tears.

The night was as silent as a predatory beast.

Konoha's plan was a success.

After Shisui's death, the entire clan was furious.

But at the same time, a sliver of fear had taken root.

If even Body Flicker Shisui could be erased without a sound, what high-level combat power could they still rely on?

Was it the blindly compromising clan head, or Itachi Uchiha, who was becoming increasingly self-willed and estranged from the family?

Some mentioned Arata.

But Arata was only eight years old!

Even if he possessed immeasurable potential, even if he could become the next Shisui, that would require time.

And Konoha—would they give them time?

For a time, silence, sighs, anger, and fear—countless emotions intertwined above the Uchiha clan.

In the end, they all dissolved into powerlessness.

Curled up in the corner, Arata, for once, did not engage in meditation.

His sea of consciousness remained filled with the shadow of Shisui.

Those dozen days of training were the most precious memories he had since his reincarnation.

Two people with different wills, who should have stood on opposite sides, had become brothers due to their shared identity.

Although they had only confirmed this on the very last day, there was no doubt that they both deeply cherished this rare and precious bond.

"Bang, bang-bang."

A crisp knocking sound rang out.

Arata did not respond.

Even when it was Izumi coming to call him for dinner, Arata offered no reply, simply curling himself up in the corner and letting the sorrow envelop him.

"Bang-bang-bang, bang-bang-bang."

Yet, the knocking did not cease because of the occupant's silence; instead, the impacts grew increasingly urgent.

Arata raised his gaze toward the source of the sound.

Under the moonlight, a black crow was incessantly pecking at the glass with its beak.

At just a single glance, Arata's tears could no longer be held back.

Because those were his brother's eyes!