Ambush on the Return Journey

The initial misunderstanding caused a rift in the team.

Shisui knew his actions just now had offended Baiyu.

On the road, he did not speak to Baiyu; Uchiha Itachi tried to chat every now and then, but the atmosphere in the team remained stifling.

In a team composed of three taciturn Uchiha, a cold and aloof youth like Uchiha Itachi became the lubricant.

After spending the day traveling, when they stopped to rest, Shisui sent Itachi away and walked to Baiyu's side.

"I misunderstood you earlier."

There was a hint of apology in Shisui's tone.

He had initially thought Uchiha Baiyu had abandoned Itachi to flee alone.

Those who abandon their comrades and missions to run away are not fit to be ninjas.

Coupled with Itachi's special status, it had caused Shisui's uncharacteristic behavior.

Baiyu did not want to speak to him and waved his hand dismissively.

As if he hadn't seen it, Shisui continued to speak to himself:

"The relationship between the clan and the village is currently rigid. The current clan head, Fugaku, has a hardline approach and is unwilling to bow to the village. If the relationship between the village and the clan continues to deteriorate, war will be inevitable."

"The clansmen have always been proud. Since the first full assembly, there have been five consecutive jonin meetings, and after each one, the clan leadership's attitude toward the village has worsened."

"Konoha was a village built hand-in-hand by the Uchiha and the Senju clans. The Uchiha should not be reduced to this situation, nor should they be ostracized by the village. If the village and the clan turn against each other, it will directly involve the recently stabilized relations between the Five Great Nations! The Third Great Ninja War, which only just subsided, will break out again, and the entire world will be dragged back into the quagmire of war."

Hearing Shisui's long-winded speech, Baiyu raised his head and glanced at him.

His eyes were full of disdain.

This person was annoying!

Buzzing on and on like a fly.

He hadn't expected the Uchiha's greatest genius to enjoy giving people history and politics lessons.

Perhaps he could really instill his concepts into Itachi's mind.

But it was ineffective in front of Baiyu.

"The relationship between the Uchiha and the village is very important and cannot continue to deteriorate. We need a gentle and enlightened clan head! That is why I requested to mentor Itachi from Clan Head Fugaku. After hearing all this, you should understand that Itachi is important!"

"Is that so? And what does that have to do with me?"

Baiyu said expressionlessly. What did the life or death of the Uchiha have to do with him?

Aside from the small bit of camaraderie from the public housing, there had been no other help.

Even that bit of camaraderie had long been repaid through two years of ninja life.

When Baiyu was a genin, because he focused on practicing Iaijutsu, he hadn't taken on many missions.

To date, he had completed 128 D-rank missions, 15 C-rank missions, and 4 B-rank missions.

It was a very ordinary record.

For every mission, the clan took a 5% commission, and 10% went toward daily expenses like rent and water bills.

The public housing was just cheap, not free.

The mission bonuses issued by the village were taxed by the clan at 15% under the name of the team leader.

Baiyu owed the clan nothing; since his parents passed away, he had relied on his own strength to survive.

He had graduated from the Ninja Academy two years ago; why did he only know the Three Body Technique?

Because he was an abandoned child of the clan, with no resources allocated to him and no teacher to guide him.

In Naruto, those geniuses with strong bloodlines and deep backgrounds were the ones who shone.

The only one who grew through hard work, Rock Lee, was just a cheerleader during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

The cannon fodder ninjas who died in corners were even less noticed.

Baiyu's situation was similar to that of Sakura in Team 7.

Even if one was theoretically a top student, without resources, one was still a weakling.

Before Sakura met Tsunade, she had always been a useless vase.

And Baiyu did not have such a good opportunity; if he did not work hard to become stronger, he would only end up as a corpse without eyes on the night of the clan massacre.

Sasuke Uchiha also had a good older brother.

Otherwise, he would have died at the hands of Root long ago, his eyes becoming a specimen.

Facing Baiyu's retort, Shisui was momentarily stifled.

He had read Baiyu's personal file.

Baiyu was an orphan, and the help the clan gave him was close to zero.

They had even treated him coldly after he awakened his Sharingan because he was unable to use it for a long time.

"A lucky child who awakened his eyes due to the trauma of his parents' deaths, yet possesses poor talent for ninjutsu, unable to master the Three Body Technique even by the fifth grade."

This was a passage written on Baiyu's file.

Baiyu himself had no idea.

The clumsy performance he displayed when he first transmigrated and relearned ninjutsu had become a heavy mark on his record.

"I only hope you can understand my previous actions; Itachi is the hope of the clan's future!"

Shisui said this at the end, only to be met with a soft chuckle from Baiyu.

"Heh."

How tragic, that the future hope of the Uchiha would commit the cruel act of nearly wiping out his own clan.

"After returning to the village, I will apply to move out of the clan compound. I hope you can put in a good word for me! Once that is done, this matter will be settled."

Baiyu proposed a condition; Shisui's way of thinking differed from his, but he could still be utilized.

To move out of the Uchiha district required the consent of both the clan head and the village.

If Shisui helped, it would be easy to accomplish.

Before drawing a line in the sand, he would squeeze out the last bit of value from Shisui.

"You want to move out? Why? If it is because of what I just said, I am very sorry and am willing to compensate you. But I hope you do not blame the clan!"

"It has nothing to do with the clan. I intend to apply to become a teacher at the Ninja Academy; I don't want to continue performing these dangerous missions. I am tired of this endless cycle of tasks and want to truly experience life."

Baiyu replied, his attitude toward leaving resolute.

He did not actually intend to become a teacher; it was merely a probe.

A probe into the relationship between the village and the clan.

"Very well, since you are so determined, I can help you. Just remember, Uchiha will always be your surname, your clan!"

Shisui nodded helplessly, and the tension between the two eased slightly.

From hostility, it shifted to indifference.

It was just like the moment they had first met.

After taking turns resting, the three of them set off once again.

They encountered no situations on the road, and as they drew closer to the village, their hearts grew increasingly relaxed.

Shisui also began preparing his report for the Hokage regarding the border skirmishes.

Baiyu continued to persist in practicing his Iaijutsu, maintaining his habitual vigilance.

Along the way, he occasionally collected various medicinal herbs and flowers.

Added to the wisteria he had gathered earlier, he now had quite a supply of materials for making poisons.

The night was moonless.

Baiyu rested his chin on the hilt of his Kusanagi Sword, half-squatting on a treetop, dozing off slightly.

A faint trace of killing intent jolted him awake.

A master swordsman's keen senses magnified this sliver of killing intent infinitely.

This perception, once further refined, would become the unique ability of a master swordsman—the Mind's Eye.

Baiyu had inherited his realm from Himura Kenshin, but he had not yet fully digested it.

He was still a little short of comprehending the Mind's Eye.

His right hand instantly tightened around the Kusanagi Sword as he stood up to scan his surroundings.

Uchiha Itachi was on duty for the second half of the night, but he had failed to notice anyone approaching at all.

Have you grown careless? After all, you are still just a child in your early teens.

Baiyu muttered to himself, his eyes shifting into the form of the Sharingan.

"Six people, dressed as Anbu! They certainly think highly of us."

A few minutes later, the several Anbu were less than a hundred meters away, reaching the position to launch a surprise attack.

Suddenly, Uchiha Shisui stood up instantly and shouted, "Enemy attack!"

A jonin's senses remained sharp, and his shout alerted the on-duty Uchiha Itachi.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Regardless of the circumstances, unleashing a probing fireball was standard practice for an Uchiha.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Baiyu moved silently to a patch of grass beneath a tree, concealing his figure.

Itachi activated his Sharingan, also discovering the rapidly approaching Anbu.

"Village Anbu? Why are they suddenly closing in on us! Where is Baiyu?"

Itachi returned to Shisui's side, asking several questions.

But Shisui had no chance to answer him; the several Anbu closed the distance in an instant.

The massive fireball shattered the silence of the night, and the Anbu realized their tracks had been discovered.

No longer hiding, everyone launched their attacks at once.