First Meeting with the Fire Shadow

At the moment of his epiphany, Baiyu cast all things around him to the back of his mind.

Clutching the worn scabbard of his Kusanagi Sword, he stood silently in place.

Uchiha Itachi was very worried about Baiyu's state, checking on him from time to time, yet he received no reply.

Shisui assumed Baiyu was still angry about his previous actions, so he simply instructed Itachi to quickly clear the battlefield and hurry back to the village.

Baiyu stood there for the entire night.

The sensation of the next day's sunlight stinging his eyes roused Baiyu from his epiphany.

I... stood here for the whole night? I didn't expect this kid to still be guarding me.

Baiyu saw Uchiha Itachi leaning quietly against a tree trunk, fast asleep.

"He's got a good heart."

Baiyu praised him. Not wanting to disturb Itachi's slumber, he stretched his body slightly, leaped to the branch of a large tree in the distance, and took out a piece of dry flatbread to eat with water for breakfast.

"You're awake. What happened last night?"

Shisui's figure suddenly appeared beside Baiyu, but Baiyu was not surprised, calmly eating his flatbread.

Glancing at Shisui, Baiyu picked up his canteen and took a sip.

"A little bit of progress."

Baiyu narrowed his eyes and replied.

The emergence of the Sword Heart was gradually changing the temperament Baiyu carried.

He isn't angry about what happened yesterday?

Itachi was the first to see Baiyu reveal a smile, and he keenly noticed something different within that blooming expression.

His eyes!

Baiyu's Sharingan had undergone a change.

Has he reached the Three-Tomoe Sharingan?

Shisui muttered to himself; the standard 120-degree angle of the three tomoe revealed this information.

It was indeed no small improvement.

The transformation from a two-tomoe to a Three-Tomoe Sharingan could not compare to the qualitative leap from three-tomoe to Mangekyo.

However, it was a recognized fact among the Uchiha that a Three-Tomoe Sharingan theoretically granted one the strength of a jonin.

Copying, genjutsu amplification and reflection, dynamic vision...

These abilities could exert their maximum power when one possessed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

With these three combined, even a ninja with poor talent could possess formidable strength.

This was the confidence—or perhaps the arrogance—that allowed the Uchiha to claim the title of the number one clan in the ninja world and dare to challenge Konoha.

Baiyu did not explain; revealing these eyes was both a warning and a cover.

The greatest gain from this epiphany was not the change in his eyes.

It was finding the direction for his path of swordsmanship.

The Three-Tomoe Sharingan was merely a byproduct of his mental state improving.

"Let's head back."

Baiyu said indifferently after finishing his breakfast.

"I'll go wake up Itachi."

Shisui gave him a deep look and replied.

He found himself increasingly unable to read Baiyu; the labels he had once placed on him were rendered void in an instant.

That detached, comfortable, and indifferent demeanor should not have appeared on a ninja.

The wariness Baiyu had always maintained toward the people of the Naruto world had vanished overnight.

He was no longer so guarded in his interpersonal relationships.

After experiencing the Anbu ambush, the pace of the three returning to the village quickened significantly.

The journey that originally took half a day was covered in just two hours.

Following the previous arrangement, Shisui told Baiyu and Itachi to head back first.

Uchiha Itachi obediently followed the instructions and left.

Baiyu, however, remained standing in place.

A familiar scene.

"I will deliver the reward money to your house just like last time."

Shisui said directly, maintaining a gentle tone.

Without the pressures exerted by the village and his clan, he would surely have been a gentle and kind person.

Shiraha shook his head and replied, "I want to visit the village. I should be able to see the Third Hokage during this mission, right?"

"How did you know?"

Uchiha Shisui's expression was one of great surprise.

"I guessed. After all, it's an S-rank mission, and it concerns the Hokage's student. The Third will definitely meet us personally!"

Shiraha shrugged and casually plucked a blade of grass from the side, placing it between his lips.

After comprehending the Wanderer's Heart, his personality had been slightly influenced, and he gradually stopped worrying about too many things or acting with excessive caution.

Having broken through to become a Sword Master, Shiraha decided to test the attitude of the Hokage faction toward the Uchiha.

In his memory, the Third Hokage was indecisive and overly sentimental, yet he had never played dirty against his own people.

From the perspective of the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen had done nothing wrong, but as a human being, he had done almost nothing good.

Shisui looked at him deeply, recalling what Shiraha had said earlier about moving out of the Uchiha compound.

He had originally thought it was a joke, but now it seemed he had planned it for a long time.

"Remember, your surname will always be Uchiha."

Inside Konoha, outside the Hokage Building, Shisui gave his final piece of advice.

Shiraha did not answer; he crossed his arms, kept the grass in his mouth, and began to observe the surrounding streets on his own.

As the greatest village in the ninja world, Konoha focused primarily on war readiness, but its commercial activity was not weak.

People from other villages often came to request help or post missions.

These were mostly wealthy merchants, politicians, and members of the upper-middle class who possessed at least one of the following: power, money, or influence.

Their arrival made the village's commerce even more prosperous.

Compared to the closed-off Uchiha compound, the atmosphere in Konoha was much more comfortable.

It was just that this village did not currently welcome members of the Uchiha clan.

Walking into the Hokage Building, the coming and going of ninjas and clients created a busy administrative hall.

Shisui did not stop there but went straight upstairs.

Shiraha followed quietly behind him like an ordinary guard, though his attitude was extremely lazy.

Led by a ninja wearing a chunin vest, the two were brought to the Hokage's office.

An old man with white hair sat in a chair, puffing heavily on a pipe.

Noticing the arrival of Shisui and the others, he put down his pipe and revealed a kind smile.

"Shisui, you've returned. How was the mission?"

"Lord Hokage, the mission failed. We were unable to capture Orochimaru, but my squad engaged him, severed one of his arms, and killed two of his guards. During the process, we were also ambushed by elite Mist Ninja Anbu. The three Anbu and three Root members you dispatched were all killed in action..."

Uchiha Shisui recounted the mission process one by one, focusing on the contributions of Uchiha Itachi.

"Uchiha Itachi... that is Fugaku's eldest son, isn't it?"

Upon hearing the name Uchiha Itachi, the Third Hokage interrupted.

"That is correct."

Shisui replied.

The two exchanged questions and answers, seemingly forgetting about Shiraha in the corner.

By the time Uchiha Shisui finished speaking, the Third Hokage had no intention of speaking to Shiraha.

"Uchiha Shiraha reporting in."

Just as the Third Hokage was preparing to see them out, Shiraha spoke up.

"Uchiha Shiraha?"

Hearing Shiraha's words, the smile on the Third Hokage's face faded slightly.

He looked at Uchiha Shisui with an inquiring gaze, to which the latter shook his head slightly.

Seeing this, a trace of a smile returned to the Third Hokage's face.

"Shisui, you've worked hard. Go to the hall downstairs to collect the mission reward!"

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Shisui responded, then vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.

In the entire Hokage office, only the Third Hokage and Shiraha remained.

"Speak. What business do you have with me?"

"Lord Hokage, you seem to have high hopes that Uchiha Shisui can ease the relationship between the village and the Uchiha."

Shiraha asked.

The Third Hokage smiled without answering, watching Shiraha quietly as a silent pressure descended.

When he saw the hilt of the blade tucked at Baiyu's waist, his pupils constricted slightly.

The gathered aura grew even more immense.

"I want to become a teacher at the Ninja Academy. I came here specifically to submit my application to the Third Hokage!"

Baiyu voiced the idea he had first mentioned to Uchiha Shisui, showing no regard for the intimidation radiating from the Third Hokage.

"A teacher at the Ninja Academy? That requires a meeting of the Konoha high command to finalize the list. Besides, you are still young. You have a high probability of becoming a Jonin in the future; do not give up just because of the difficulties of a few missions. Go back and think it over carefully, and come find me again once you have made up your mind!"

The Third Hokage smiled kindly, viewing Baiyu as a child discouraged by mission setbacks, fearing combat and intending to retreat to the rear to retire.

But this child was not simple.

Why was Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword in his possession?