Ambushed

Orochimaru had a point.

What Konoha never lacked was people.

Even if hundreds died in secret,

it was of no consequence to Danzo.

Danzo suddenly said, "Orochimaru, I heard you've recently wanted to study bloodlines?"

"Oh? What insight does Lord Danzo have?" Orochimaru leisurely asked, his blood-red tongue licking his lips.

"What about the Uchiha?" Danzo said casually.

"The Uchiha!?"

A brilliant gleam flashed through Orochimaru's golden eyes!

During the Third Shinobi World War,

Orochimaru had witnessed the terrifying power of the Sharingan on Fugaku.

He had long wanted to study the Sharingan.

But bloodlines were the foundation of a clan.

Every pair of Sharingan was priceless.

Furthermore, the Uchiha clan was small in number and valued its members greatly.

If an Uchiha truly disappeared within the village,

Fugaku would definitely turn Konoha upside down.

Orochimaru's experiments could not see the light of day to begin with.

For safety's sake,

he had not studied the Sharingan.

Who would have thought

Danzo would take the initiative to suggest it?

Of course, Orochimaru would not mind studying the Sharingan.

If he was discovered, he could simply leave Konoha!

He simply had not wanted to cause trouble before.

Orochimaru looked at Danzo and smiled. "Then I'll have to trouble Lord Danzo."

Danzo gave a hum, then turned and left. Before long, he arrived at an open area and spoke into the darkness.

"Hei, fourth!"

"Lord Danzo, we're here!" Two Root shinobi wearing animal masks swiftly emerged from the darkness, their voices cold as frost.

Danzo gave the order, "Capture Fugaku's child and bring him to Root. Send him to Orochimaru for research!"

Danzo's plan was simple.

He would kill the person closest to Fugaku, drive him mad, and then force him into war with the village!

The Uchiha with Sharingan were powerful.

But there was still a vast gap between them and Konoha.

Although Hiruzen and Danzo had argued today over the Jinchuriki,

if the Uchiha truly went to war with the village,

Hiruzen would absolutely join forces with Danzo in perfect accord.

The two had not only been bound together since their youth,

but among the village's leadership, Hiruzen operated in the open while Danzo worked in the shadows. Their coordination was flawless!

"The evil Uchiha should have disappeared long ago!"

Ambush

In less than a day,

Genya had become familiar with and mastered the ninjutsu and genjutsu he had selected.

Fugaku, who had been teaching him beside him, was dumbfounded.

His ability to comprehend ninjutsu was far too strong, wasn't it!?

And Genya had awakened a one-tomoe Sharingan at only six years old.

His cultivation talent was truly terrifying.

Even Itachi could not compare.

Fugaku guessed

that Genya had awakened his Sharingan so early because his parents had died on the battlefield, and he could not help feeling some sympathy for him.

As for why Genya displayed his Sharingan before Fugaku, it was not merely because Fugaku was trustworthy.

It was also because only by displaying his talent

could he receive attention and training.

There was no need to keep a low profile before Fugaku!

Time spent training always passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month had gone by.

During this period, Fugaku had been sparring with Genya.

This sparring was completely different from before.

Whether ninja tools or ninjutsu, everything could be used. It was as if they were on a battlefield, and every exchange was fought with all their strength.

Only this way could their strength improve quickly!

Besides that,

Genya steadily used chakra to upgrade his Sage Body.

The Sage Body was the foundation of his strength!

"Let's take a break today." Taking advantage of the weekend, Genya brought fishing gear and bait, preparing to fish in the river and improve his meals.

Ever since Genya displayed his astonishing talent, the clan had increased its support for him. Fugaku had even suggested that he move in with them.

Genya refused the move, saying he was used to living alone.

As for the living expenses, he accepted them with a smile.

Though he had a little more money on hand, he still had to remember to be frugal.

Genya set off with all his equipment.

"Genya, going fishing?" As soon as he stepped outside, familiar clansmen greeted him.

"Yeah, fish is nutritious and delicious!" Genya answered with a smile.

The pike in the village river really did taste good. Add some seasonings, and it was incredibly fragrant!

As he walked down the street, several female members of the Military Police Force came over and affectionately rubbed his little head because he was handsome and adorable.

Some even pinched his little cheeks, taking advantage of him.

Genya blushed and dodged.

This made the female Military Police Force members laugh so hard they swayed with laughter.

"I'll bully you back once I grow up!" Genya muttered, too quietly for anyone but himself to hear.

Overall,

the atmosphere among the clansmen was quite good!

"Genya, if you like fish, just tell Aunt Mikoto. You don't have to work so hard fishing for it." Mikoto had just come out of her home carrying a basket of vegetables when she turned and saw Genya holding a long fishing rod and a small bucket.

"Aunt Mikoto, I'm amazing at fishing! If I catch a big fish, I'll give you half for dinner." Genya gripped his rod, his dark eyes bright with confidence as he indicated just how capable he was.

"Then I'll wait for your plump, delicious fish tonight!" Mikoto clenched her fist to cheer Genya on and encourage him.

"I will!" Genya nodded firmly.

As he passed the entrance,

he saw Itachi sweeping the ground.

Itachi saw him as well.

Ever since his defeat last time,

Itachi had been very calm.

Not only had he not become jealous of Genya,

he often discussed ninjutsu and training with him.

Their little friendship group was now solid as hell.

Genya felt Fugaku's guidance was probably the reason behind it.

"Genya, wait a moment." Itachi leaned the broom against the rockery in the courtyard, walked over to him, and said,

"I've been tired from training lately too, and I want to relax. If you're going fishing, take me with you."

Genya glanced at him. "Fine, but don't interfere with my performance!"

"Mhm!" Itachi nodded seriously.

An hour later,

the two arrived at a small river deep within Konoha Forest.

The river was not wide.

It was only one or two meters deep.

There were high-quality, delicious pike here.

The location was also secluded and rarely known, making it an excellent fishing spot.

For over a year,

apart from mooching meals at Fugaku's house,

the only way Genya had improved his meals

was through fishing.

After finding an excellent spot, Genya scattered bait to attract the fish.

Itachi said nothing either.

He sat quietly on the grass and watched.

Time slowly passed.

Genya remained quiet, his attention focused on the float.

Seeing that Genya was ignoring him, the aloof Itachi seemed to feel he could not save face, so he found a topic to discuss.

"Genya, what do you think about the current relationship between the village and the Uchiha?"

"I look at it with my eyes." Genya's gaze remained on the float as he replied without turning his head.

The current Itachi was deeply conflicted.

He admired Sarutobi Hiruzen and believed in the Will of Fire.

But all of that conflicted with his clan.

He was lost.

Sometimes, he was afraid.