Uchiha Shisui

The next morning, at the wooden table in the dining room, Obito looked at Izumi, who was dressed to the nines, and grinned mischievously. "Izumi, you're all dressed up. Is there a handsome boy at school?"

Izumi's cheeks turned pink. She glared at Obito and puffed out her cheeks. "It's none of your business."

"So there is."

"Tell me who he is. I promise I won't beat him to a pulp."

Obito's expression turned to surprise as he teased her.

Izumi's face burned bright red. Angry, she set her chopsticks down on the table and declared, "I'm full. I'm going to school."

As he watched Izumi hurry out, Obito turned to his aunt and uncle at the table and complained, "Kids these days grow up so fast."

Uchiha Mokuen chuckled, set down his bowl and chopsticks, and said, "I wonder who it was that said he had a crush on Rin when he first started school."

Uchiha Naomi smiled too. She put a few slices of meat in Obito's bowl and asked gently, "How are things going with that girl Rin lately?"

Obito looked a little embarrassed. His aunt and uncle were both smiling at him, so he hurried to explain, "Rin and I are just teammates. I think of her as a little sister."

"Really?"

"Don't tell me you confessed and got rejected."

Uchiha Mokuen gave Obito the same mischievous smile Obito had worn a moment ago and eyed him up and down.

"I'm not talking to you two."

"I'm going to find out who won my Izumi's favor."

"I'll break his legs."

Obito rolled his eyes, wolfed down a few bites, and headed for the door.

Uchiha Mokuen watched Obito leave with a smile and sighed, "Ah, youth."

Uchiha Naomi rolled her eyes at Uchiha Mokuen and grumbled, "You're her father, but you don't care about your daughter at all. It's a good thing Obito went to check."

"What's there to worry about?"

"Weren't we the same when we were young?"

Uchiha Mokuen stood and stretched, then leaned over and wrapped his arms around Uchiha Naomi from behind.

Uchiha Naomi leaned against Uchiha Mokuen and gave a coquettish hum. "I was the one you tricked back then."

"Really?"

Uchiha Mokuen suddenly swept Uchiha Naomi up in his arms and gazed passionately at her lovely face.

"What are you doing?"

Uchiha Naomi patted Uchiha Mokuen on the chest, the tips of her ears turning red.

"What do you think?"

Not far from the Konoha Ninja Academy, Obito hid in a tree and watched what was happening ahead.

At the Ninja Academy's entrance, Izumi smiled and greeted a black-haired, black-eyed boy. Then the two walked into the school side by side.

"Uchiha Itachi!"

"What's he doing here?"

Obito frowned, unable to believe his eyes.

As a casual fan of Naruto, Obito had gone to see the famous Uchiha Itachi, of course. But as he remembered it, Itachi didn't have a girlfriend. What was going on between him and Izumi?

"Did that brat lead her on and then dump her?"

A dangerous glint flashed in Obito's eyes as he watched Itachi's back. Itachi, who had been chatting and laughing with Izumi, suddenly shivered and looked around in confusion.

"I shouldn't jump to conclusions. The kid's talented, and he's good enough for Izumi."

"It's just that he grows up a little twisted, with a warped view of life and the world."

"But he's still young, so I'll give him a chance. I'll personally teach him what love is and help him develop a healthy devotion to his family and the Uchiha Clan."

As Obito was lost in thought, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder. He started, then said helplessly, "Shisui, that trick again?"

Obito's mind was surrounded by his mental energy. Only people he trusted deep down could sneak up behind him when he wasn't paying attention, and Uchiha Shisui loved doing it more than anyone.

Obito turned around and saw Uchiha Shisui smiling at him. He punched him lightly on the shoulder and asked happily, "When did you get back?"

Uchiha Shisui leaped from the tree and sprang into the distance, calling, "This isn't a good place to catch up. Meet me at the usual spot."

Southeast of Konoha, Obito and Uchiha Shisui stood above a waterfall, watching the rushing water plunge from above and crash into the pool below.

"I just got back today, and I heard you'd run into trouble. How are things?"

Uchiha Shisui picked up a leaf from the ground and watched it race down the waterfall.

"I had a bit of a run-in with Danzo. It's over now."

Obito picked up a stone and flicked his wrist. It shot down and knocked the leaf into the air.

Uchiha Shisui watched the stone fly and shook his head with a smile. "You're still the same. You're always in too much of a hurry."

Obito found a blue-gray rock and sat cross-legged on it. "That's still better than just drifting along with the current."

Uchiha Shisui sat across from him and stared into his eyes, asking gravely, "You're going to make your move?"

"You're always hesitating."

Obito frowned at Uchiha Shisui. He picked up a leaf, placed it at the water's edge, and watched it whirl down the waterfall. "Water has no fixed shape. You guide it according to the terrain. I'm not trying to destroy anything. I want to bring about change."

"Besides, the time has come. War is about to break out. If Minato-sensei earns enough prestige in the war and we get him the Hokage Position, while I become the head of the Uchiha Clan, the two sides can work together for their mutual benefit. Konoha and the Uchiha Clan will only grow stronger."

"You're torn between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan, but there's no point in hesitating."

Uchiha Shisui picked up a small stone and knocked the flying leaf down. His voice was a little low. "When something that's running smoothly is suddenly disrupted by outside forces, there will inevitably be bloodshed and sacrifice. I don't want that."

"So you choose to drift along with the current?"

A cold smile tugged at Obito's lips. He waved his hand, drawing the leaf into his palm, then slowly tore it apart. "The birth of anything new must come with the death of the old. That's the way of the world."

"What is there to fear from those old geezers blocking our path?"

"Uchiha Shisui, don't tell me you don't even have that much resolve?"

Uchiha Shisui lowered his head and fell silent for a long while. Then he suddenly looked up with a broad smile and said firmly, "All right. I'll join you."

"That's what I'm talking about, brother!"

Obito smiled with relief and patted Uchiha Shisui on the shoulder. He let out a breath of relief. All that time spent influencing him hadn't been wasted.

Not long after Obito had first arrived in this world, an accident had brought him and Uchiha Shisui together. They were the same age, but one was a genius of the Uchiha Clan and the other a dead-last student at school, so they shouldn't have had much in common.

But Obito wasn't the original Obito, after all. Mentally, he was decades older than Uchiha Shisui. His remarkable knowledge and wisdom happened to click with the precocious Uchiha Shisui, and the two quickly became close friends who could talk about anything.

As they got to know each other better, Uchiha Shisui discovered that Obito not only had remarkable knowledge but was also much stronger than him. Obito, meanwhile, was determined to nurture this tragic Uchiha genius from the original story, and the two became something between mentor and friend.

Obito had once confided his ideal to Uchiha Shisui. He wanted to start by changing the Uchiha Clan and Konoha, and then fundamentally transform this war-torn Ninja World.

Though Uchiha Shisui agreed with his ideal, he disagreed with how Obito wanted to achieve it. He believed it would inevitably bring bloodshed and sacrifice, and the two had always been unable to agree.

Obito was relieved that he'd finally persuaded Uchiha Shisui. He smiled happily and said, "Today, we'll go see Clan Head Fugaku."

Uchiha Shisui asked with some concern, "Will he agree to step down and let you become the Uchiha Clan's head?"

"That depends on you."

Obito wore a mysterious smile as he asked, "How's your Meditation Technique coming along?"

Uchiha Shisui smiled proudly. The black pupils in his eyes quickly transformed into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

"As expected of Uchiha Shisui."

Obito looked a little surprised, his smile growing wider.

"He'll agree once he sees your eyes."