Taking a Disciple

Land of Whirlpools, Uchiha compound.

Fugaku's residence was similar in scale to those of other Three Tomoe clansmen, only slightly better than that of an ordinary member.

He was not a man who pursued material indulgence; the mansion he once owned had been passed down by his ancestors.

Uchiha Sora would not demand equality for everyone in the clan; if those with greater strength received the same treatment as ordinary clansmen, it would only lead to conflict.

In the courtyard, Fugaku, Sora, and Shisui sat around a tea table.

Not far away, Itachi was looking after two children, while Mikoto prepared dinner.

Since Shisui and Sora were the last of their respective families and lacked the conditions to adopt children, they had simply placed Gaara in Fugaku's care.

Fugaku could certainly sense the abnormality of this child. At first, he had been truly shocked; he had no idea that Uchiha Sora and Shisui had gone off to seize a Tailed Beast!

Weren't they just supposed to be opening up trade routes? How did they end up bringing back a Jinchuriki from Sunagakure!

But he quickly accepted reality.

No matter how insane a thing was, if it was that guy Sora... it seemed quite reasonable.

It was just that Sasuke didn't seem to like this playmate; every time Itachi held that child, Sasuke would cry...

"Sora, the situation in the village has largely stabilized now. It's not just the Fuma Clan; they've also brought in some wandering ninja from the Land of Fields to join us."

"Compared to some small hidden villages, our strength and numbers are not lacking. It's time to consider officially establishing a hidden village."

Uchiha Sora took a sip of fruit juice; he had no interest in drinking that bitter tea, he wasn't an old man.

"You've made it clear to those wandering ninja, right? Joining requires submission to the Uchiha; there is no such thing as being on equal footing."

Fugaku nodded: "They are willing to accept it. Compared to a life of wandering, they are quite happy to join a powerful organization."

"Hmm... we can also appropriately recruit some missing-nin from various villages. There should be some skilled hands among them."

Fugaku frowned, hesitating: "If we do that... what if spies from other villages infiltrate us?"

Uchiha Sora rolled his eyes at Fugaku, feeling a bit speechless: "Clan Leader, has this period of leisure made you forget what we used to do for a living?"

"Back when we had spies in Konoha, did we rely on the Byakugan's x-ray vision to check them, or did we rely on the Sharingan?"

"Forget it. You just need to stick to your old job of maintaining the village's stability. I'll handle the rest."

Fugaku didn't feel offended and gave an awkward smile: "I was just... being cautious."

"By the way, is it still the same as before? I have some new ideas."

"Go ahead and say what you're thinking, and I'll see if there's anything worth mocking."

Fugaku took a deep breath and said solemnly: "I've thought about it."

"In the past, because the First Hokage excelled at Wood Style, the village was called Konoha. That man excelled at Fire Style, so the leader was called the Hokage."

"Since you are the one leading the clansmen into a new life, I also thought about naming the new village after you, calling it Sora Hidden Village."

"But there was a Sora Hidden Village destroyed by Konoha during the Second Shinobi World War, so that name isn't very good."

He crossed his arms and turned to look at the distant horizon, suddenly feeling a surge of grand ambition.

"We Uchiha are destined to recreate the glory of the Warring States period. Standing beneath the heavens, let's call it Heaven Hidden Village!"

"How about that!"

"I can tell, you've really been too idle lately."

"Because there are too many points to mock, I don't even want to start."

Uchiha Sora shook his head helplessly: "Just like I said before, Flame Hidden Village. Stop coming up with these flashy, useless ideas."

"Alright... then for the title of our leader, shall we call it Flame Shadow?"

Glancing at the eager Fugaku, Uchiha Sora said flatly: "Flame Hidden Village doesn't have the qualifications to call itself a Shadow yet. Our population and economy aren't there. Besides..."

"Why do you think the title of 'Shadow' carries more weight than 'Uchiha Clan Leader'?"

Fugaku was speechless for a moment.

This... wasn't that just common sense?

The title of Shadow definitely sounded more prestigious than Uchiha Clan Leader!

Uchiha Sora smiled faintly: "Clan Leader Fugaku, your vision is limited to this, after all."

"My goal is not a mere Shadow."

"You can keep sitting in the Clan Leader's chair for now. When I want it, you can just hand it over to me."

"Beneath the sky?"

"I shall make the name of Uchiha stand above the heavens, echoing throughout endless dimensions!"

Fugaku and Shisui had originally assumed that Uchiha Sora was dissatisfied with the name Heaven Hidden Village because he felt it was too lofty and unrealistic...

So, it was actually disdain...

Although Fugaku's mindset leaned toward the conservative, since things had reached this point, it was not a bad thing for the future of the Uchiha to be led by someone so ambitious.

He was very clear about his own position; ever since that night, he had been nothing more than a placeholder until Uchiha Sora grew up.

Fugaku took a light sip of tea and smiled faintly: "Sora, I await the day you awaken the Mangekyō and lead the clan."

"If it is you, you might truly be able to reach the level of that person!"

Uchiha Sora shook his head with a faint smile and turned to look at Itachi, who was feeding Gaara: "How old is Itachi?"

Mentioning his eldest son, Fugaku could not hide his pride: "He just turned six a few days ago. He is a genius and can already skillfully use several ninjutsu!"

"Is that so..."

A smile curled the corners of Uchiha Sora's mouth: "I want to take him as my disciple. What do you think?"

The two were only two or three years apart; in terms of age, it was certainly inappropriate.

But in terms of strength and status, it was more than enough!

"Of course!"

Fugaku did not hesitate at all. Itachi was the son he recognized most, and Sora was the next-generation Uchiha Leader he had settled on.

In his view, this was a signal Uchiha Sora was sending him, a reward for his sensible behavior.

Perhaps the leader after next would be Itachi!

Uchiha Sora raised a hand: "I'll say the ugly things first: being my disciple is very dangerous. My training is extremely harsh, and you are not to interfere with whatever I ask him to do."

"Discuss it and give me your answer later."

Fugaku shook his head: "No need to discuss. I can make the decision for Itachi."

"Itachi, put the child down and come here!"

Is he really in such a rush to push his son into a pit of fire?

Young Uchiha Itachi had no visible tear tracks; his most striking features were his large, adorable eyes.

"Father, Shisui-nii, Sora-nii."

After a polite greeting, Itachi stood still, waiting for instructions.

Fugaku revealed a rare smile and said: "From today on, Sora is your teacher. No matter what he asks you to do, you must obey. Do you understand?"

Itachi nodded and looked at Uchiha Sora.

He was more precocious than the average child in the ninja world.

But in his eyes, Uchiha Sora was even more mature than himself.

Beneath this youthful body, it was as if there resided a profound sage who could see the future.

Even Shisui-nii praised him endlessly, and Itachi felt that being able to take him as a teacher would be quite good.

Perhaps his own doubts could finally be answered.

He bowed obediently to Uchiha Sora: "Greetings, Teacher."