Background, You Regret My Shadow

Aoike touched his ear in disbelief, suspecting he was suffering from auditory hallucinations.

The glorious heir of the Uchiha, the proud Sasuke, was actually asking him—a member of the Hyuga branch family—to be his coach.

"Among the peers I know, you are the strongest."

"Also, my mother once said that you also carry half the blood of the Uchiha in your veins."

His tone was laced with that characteristic Uchiha arrogance.

"Furthermore, the relationship between you and me might be closer than you imagine."

Aoike frowned. It was true that they shared a slight blood connection, but the claim that they were "closer" was open to debate.

Just as Aoike was feeling puzzled, Sasuke placed a genealogy chart in front of him.

Tracing upward from Sasuke's name, he found the name Hyuga Shirahana had mentioned right next to Uchiha Mikoto.

Uchiha Jo.

His relationship to Uchiha Mikoto was that of a brother and sister.

Aoike looked at Sasuke's face with a complex expression; he had never expected that his father, who had died young, shared such a blood tie with the clan leader's wife.

So many years had passed, and no one had ever mentioned this to him. Was he the only one kept in the dark?

Returning to the main topic:

"I need to consult the clan leader about this first."

"Besides, you must understand that the Hyuga training system is completely different from the Uchiha's. I cannot teach you much regarding the improvement of your strength."

This was a stalling tactic.

Aoike knew in his heart that Sasuke seeking his help boiled down to a few reasons.

First, within Konoha, Aoike was the only one with whom he had both a blood connection and a past intersection.

Second, he wanted to see if he could find any traces of Uchiha heritage through him.

After the Uchiha massacre, the scrolls and notes regarding ninjutsu, secret techniques, and Sharingan training were certainly in the hands of Konoha's higher-ups.

Publicly, it was claimed that Itachi had taken them or that most were destroyed, with Konoha keeping only a portion. As for how much was actually kept, that depended on how deep the bond between Sasuke and Konoha was.

Wasn't Itachi's ruthless behavior intended to make the Uchiha truly become "Konoha's Uchiha"? Therefore, under the premise of ensuring Sasuke's safety, Konoha would control his path of growth, while Itachi acted as a catalyst.

According to the script envisioned by Sarutobi Hiruzen, once Sasuke's bond with the village reached a certain level, most of the Uchiha's heritage—excluding forbidden techniques—would flow back to Sasuke through Kakashi.

From then on, this sharp blade known as the Uchiha would be completely mastered by Konoha, with no need to fear it turning against its master.

After seeing Sasuke off, before Aoike could even request an audience, Hyuga Hiashi sent someone to summon him. When Aoike saw Hinata again after a few days, he never expected to witness such a scene.

She stood to the side, listening to Hiashi's reprimands, while Neji lay unconscious on the ground not far away. Hinata's desire to show concern for her clan brother, coupled with her fear to do so, only served to further displease Hiashi.

Perhaps sensing Aoike's approach, the frequency of words like "destiny," "loyalty," and "obedience" increased.

Once Hiashi unleashed his theory of destiny, he continued to lecture Aoike for half an hour before finally stopping.

In the reception room, the clan leader, having finished preaching his values, began to converse with Aoike.

"You mean the Uchiha orphan came to ask for your guidance?"

Aoike rubbed the rim of the teacup with his fingertips; the warm, smooth texture was a testament to its value.

"Yes. The scrolls my mother left me contain some records regarding Uchiha training methods."

Is that so?

Hiashi evaluated in his heart whether this matter would affect the interests of the Hyuga.

As a qualified clan leader, he naturally possessed political intuition. The reason the Hyuga clan had remained standing for so long was that they knew exactly where to lean.

Without harming the interests of the Hyuga, since a genius of the branch family had a request, he didn't mind giving a few sweet rewards.

"I will find a time to ask the Third Hokage. Matters concerning the last Uchiha orphan must be handled with caution."

Putting away the scroll Aoike had prepared long ago, Hiashi made him a promise.

It was not until three days later that the dispute within the Hokage's office finally reached a conclusion.

"Hmph, I have said it before: whether it is the Uchiha or the Nine-Tails, that whole 'bond' business is nothing but child's play."

"Hand them over to Root, and I will forge them into the sharpest blades of Konoha!"

Danzo leaned on his cane, his sharp words concealing dark ambition.

"Enough! Letting the children grow up strong in the village is the will inherited from the First Hokage and our teacher. It is a good thing that Sasuke has formed new bonds in the village."

"Heh, Hiruzen, you are too hypocritical... Without Root... In any case, both the Uchiha and the Nine-Tails are better suited to protect Konoha from the shadows."

"Shut your mouth, Danzo!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his hand on the table.

"I am the Hokage!"

"You will regret this, Hiruzen." After saying this, he did not give him a chance to retort, turned around, and slammed the door shut as he left.

"Hah, I hope you don't do anything unnecessary."

He took a drag of his cigarette to steady his emotions, then had the Anbu summon Hiashi, who was waiting in the lounge.

He put on a benevolent expression to greet this supporter of the Hokage lineage.

"I have reviewed the scroll. It is of no concern; the contents were merely rough drafts, and I took the liberty of adding some of my own insights. I expect it will be easier for the two children to master now."

After Hiashi offered his thanks and departed, the aged Third Hokage finally leaned back in his chair, exhausted.

The darkness of Sasuke's transition from love to hatred was too vast; if left unchecked, he feared history would repeat itself. It would be for the best to have Aoike, who carried half the Uchiha bloodline, make contact with him.

The Hyuga branch family, bound by the Caged Bird seal, was safe.

Having received the reply, Aoike and Sasuke met at the training ground within the Uchiha compound.

Much like a first outing with a relative's child, the atmosphere was dominated by awkward silences and tension.

Fortunately, with the training scroll in hand, their discussion regarding the Uchiha-style ninjutsu and taijutsu provided enough of a topic to avoid total silence.

Once Sasuke began tree-climbing and water-walking practice, Aoike finally had the opportunity to openly engage with things related to the Uchiha.

Back at the Hyuga clan, he had been subjected to nothing but cold stares...

The contents of the scroll were not extensive:

Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu

Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu

Lightning Style: Earth Flash

Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Jutsu

Insights on Uchiha-style taijutsu and the use of the two-tomoe Sharingan.

It could be considered quite comprehensive; it was sufficient for an ordinary person to train up to the level of a chunin. The scroll alone was enough for Sasuke to practice until graduation.