The two turned around and saw a young boy who bore a passing resemblance to Uchiha Itachi, with a single-strap bag slung over his shoulder. He walked toward them with his chin held high and a proud look on his face.
"Oh, isn't that Sasuke?" Chiya wore an amused smile.
After visiting the Uchiha Clan so often, Chiya had naturally gotten to know Sasuke.
For some reason, whenever he faced this future member of the Uchiha Laughing Four, Chiya couldn't help teasing him.
After a while, the two had gotten familiar with each other.
Of course, that was all for now. Chiya would still have to beat him up in the future. It was the kid's own fault for always showing off and challenging people above his level.
Even after getting beaten up, Sasuke never learned his lesson. The sky cleared, the rain stopped, and he decided he was ready to take on the world again.
Sasuke's face flushed red. "How many times do I have to tell you? My name is Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha—not 'Sasuke'! And you're the one who lost to my brother."
Chiya continued to tease him. "All right, Sasuke. But you say I lost to your brother even though you've never seen us fight. How do you know I wouldn't be a match for him?"
"Hmph. That's obvious." At the mention of Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's face filled with pride and admiration. He was about to say something, but suddenly realized what Chiya had called him. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't call me that!"
"All right, Sasuke," Chiya said, determined to drive him up the wall.
"You jerk! I'm Sasuke, not 'Sasuke'!" Sasuke's face reddened again as he swung his fist and charged.
The outcome was obvious. Chiya easily dodged, and Sasuke nearly landed face-first in the dirt.
Watching the two figures chase each other back and forth, Uchiha Izumi felt the gloom in her heart lift. She tilted her head and gazed up at the sky, murmuring to herself, Perhaps I was overthinking it.
Far away, two figures stood atop Konoha's tallest building, looking down at the streets below.
"Itachi, is that your younger brother? I can't believe how much he's grown. Who's that Ninja Academy student playing with him? It's rare to see someone who doesn't shun the Uchiha like the other villagers do." The speaker was Uchiha Shisui, the Uchiha Clan's strongest genjutsu user.
"His name is Fujiwara Chiya. We were in the same class at the Ninja Academy. He's close with Izumi, so he doesn't hate the Uchiha like the other villagers do," Uchiha Itachi answered calmly, though his tone sounded somewhat uneasy.
Uchiha Shisui paused, then looked at Itachi in surprise. "From the way you put that, it sounds like there's more to it. Did something happen?"
Uchiha Itachi activated his Sharingan. "He's extremely dangerous."
"Why do you say that?" Uchiha Shisui asked, almost instinctively activating his own Sharingan to take a closer look. The next moment, his pupils widened, and he exclaimed in shock, "This—what is this?"
"You noticed, didn't you? Chiya isn't a Jinchuriki, nor is he from the Uzumaki Clan, yet he has an amount of chakra far beyond what's normal for his age. There aren't many people in all of Konoha with more chakra than he has," Uchiha Itachi said gravely.
Uchiha Shisui frowned. "Could you be overthinking it? You think he's dangerous based on that alone? Perhaps he was simply born that way. Judging him dangerous just because of his chakra reserves seems rash."
"It's not just that. I have a feeling there's more to Chiya than meets the eye," Uchiha Itachi said in a low voice.
"Relax." Uchiha Shisui patted Itachi on the shoulder. "I think the recent troubles with the clan have you too tense. Even if this young man named Chiya is hiding something, he hasn't harmed Konoha or threatened the Uchiha Clan's interests. Not everyone in this world wants to show off their abilities."
"Perhaps," Uchiha Itachi said, closing his Sharingan without arguing.
"You haven't told anyone about this, have you?" Uchiha Shisui asked again.
Uchiha Itachi slowly shook his head.
"If he doesn't want to draw attention, then don't spread the word." Uchiha Shisui let out a long sigh and said meaningfully, "Sometimes, I really envy people who come from civilian families. At least—never mind. Let's go. We'll meet at our usual place tonight."
With that, Shisui vanished in a flash.
Uchiha Itachi took one last, deep look at Chiya, who was already walking away. He opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. Then he, too, vanished in a flash.
The moment they left, Chiya raised a hand and pressed it against Sasuke's forehead, stopping him from attacking. He glanced toward the spot where Itachi had stood and murmured to himself, They've already left? Not a single member of the Uchiha Clan is simple. It's a shame their emotional intelligence is practically nonexistent.
"Chiya, what are you looking at?" Uchiha Izumi followed his gaze.
"Nothing. Let's go." Chiya shook his head with a sigh. Now that Uchiha Shisui has returned, it won't be long before Danzo takes his eyes.
Meanwhile, Shisui had arrived on the rooftop of the Hokage Office Building. He knelt on one knee before Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Lord Hokage."
As in the original story, Shisui first reported the details of the Uchiha Clan's victory over the Kirigakure shinobi. Then, after learning that the Uchiha Clan was preparing a coup, he proposed a solution.
At first, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't take it seriously.
He knew that the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha—no, to be precise, between the Uchiha and Konoha's High Command—had already reached the point of no return.
It wasn't until Shisui mentioned Kotoamatsukami that a flicker of emotion passed through Sarutobi Hiruzen's clouded eyes.
"Kotoamatsukami? Is that your ocular technique?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen still had his back to Uchiha Shisui, leaving the younger man unable to see what he was thinking.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. It's a technique I gained after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan. It lets me manipulate people without their knowledge and permanently, completely change their thoughts and will. But because it's so powerful, each use requires a cooldown of more than ten years."
Shisui held nothing back as he laid out his plan. "At tomorrow's clan meeting, I'll use it on our clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku, to stop the Uchiha Clan's rebellion."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was startled. A deep wariness flickered in his eyes, but he kept his expression calm. Turning, he walked past Shisui. "I understand. Consider this a confidential mission assigned to you by me. Do what you must. Come see me at this time tomorrow, and I'll find you an assistant."
Only the Sharingan could counter the Sharingan. He intended to have Uchiha Itachi watch Uchiha Shisui to ensure nothing went wrong.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Shisui replied respectfully. He used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished.
After returning to the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sank into thought.
Clearly, Uchiha Shisui's Kotoamatsukami had already gone far beyond his control.
As the strongest Hokage in Konoha's history, he had to prepare for the worst.
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