Kurenai Yuhi's Shock

"You... what are you talking about!"

Kurenai Yuhi, who prided herself on a bold, tomboyish personality, broke character in that split second.

What kind of nonsense was Qingshui spouting?

What did he mean by "dress more lightly"?

Her brain practically short-circuited at that remark.

She was still just a student at the Ninja Academy, and yet Qingshui had the nerve to say something like that.

In that moment, the labels Kurenai had previously assigned to Qingshui crumbled, replaced by new ones: perverted brat, degenerate.

"What does 'dress lightly' even mean?"

Kurenai tried to convince herself that the question didn't mean what she thought it meant.

"What do you think? It means wear less, obviously. You're wearing so many layers, what am I supposed to look at?"

Qingshui spread his hands.

People in this world matured early; girls of Kurenai's age already understood everything.

"If you don't wear less, I won't accept your next challenge. If you're going to waste my time, there has to be some kind of incentive," Qingshui said indifferently.

He sounded exactly like an irresponsible cad.

He couldn't help it; what if Kurenai kept coming to find him every few days?

Was he supposed to stop his training?

It was better to simply paint himself as a scumbag; that way, Kurenai wouldn't bother him again.

"Hmph... you perverted brat!"

Two flushes of red rose to Kurenai's cheeks. It was one thing to guess at his meaning, but another to hear it spoken aloud.

She had never heard such blunt words before. Even Asuma Sarutobi, who constantly pestered her, never dared to act this way, always maintaining a respectful distance and a gentlemanly demeanor.

"A pink dress would work too, adds a bit more of a feminine touch," Qingshui added, sounding incredibly considerate.

"Don't... don't you dare look down on my genjutsu!"

Kurenai threw out that harsh threat and scurried away in a hurry.

While Uchiha Shimizu spoke in a playful tone, his expression remained utterly flat.

Kurenai Yuhi had little value at the moment, so there was no need for excessive contact; ruining his image in her eyes was all for the best.

Qingshui wasn't a eunuch; he had desires for women, too.

But he wasn't the type to sink into indulgence for the sake of desire. His priority was to improve his strength; enjoyment came second.

At this stage, Qingshui viewed other women simply as tools.

Take Nohara Rin, for example; if handled correctly, she could be used as a means to keep Obito in check.

As for how he had defeated Kurenai so easily:

The moment she said, "I'm starting," he had activated his One-Tomoe Sharingan.

Genjutsu was a technique that influenced a person's mental state by affecting their body, most commonly through sensory organs like the eyes and ears.

Advanced ninjas could even trigger genjutsu through physical cues to ensnare their opponents.

What Qingshui had just used was a visual-type genjutsu. The Sharingan possessed the ability to act as a hypnotic eye.

He had trapped Kurenai in an illusion, making her believe she had successfully cast her own genjutsu, when in reality, she had just been talking to thin air.

Furthermore, he had implanted a suggestion in her mind, causing her to perceive his Sharingan as nothing more than ordinary eyes.

This way, he wouldn't expose the fact that he possessed the Sharingan.

Awakening the Sharingan at six years old was truly shocking.

After all, even Itachi hadn't awakened his until he was eight.

Sasuke had done it at seven, triggered by the rage of watching his family's high-definition snuff film.

That was a special case; family members weren't infinite, after all—you lost one every time you used them.

Uchiha Izumi had also awakened her eyes early, but unfortunately, she lacked the stamina, or perhaps the time to grow, before she was killed by Itachi.

"Come to think of it, Shisui is also born today."

According to the official guidebook, Shisui's birthday was October 19th.

The Uchiha clan was about to welcome its number one turncoat.

"Let me see whether this is innate or acquired," Qingshui whispered to himself.

If Shisui were to lean toward the Hidden Leaf Village just as he did in the original story, then he would kill Shisui with his own hands.

In the original work, a large part of the Uchiha's predicament stemmed from Shisui's stupidity.

The Uchiha were planning a coup, not the destruction of the Hidden Leaf, yet Shisui acted as if the world were ending, desperately throwing his support behind the village leadership.

He didn't want casualties?

That was easily solved. One Kotoamatsukami on the Third Hokage, another on Danzō, and everything would be settled perfectly—wouldn't that have been a bloodless coup?

Moreover, there were reasons for the Uchiha to initiate a coup in the first place.

The Uchiha had three specific demands for the coup.

First, the right to participate in political policy-making.

Second, the freedom to choose their residence within the village, rather than being confined to the Uchiha Settlement.

Third, to have an Uchiha become Hokage.

The reason they wanted to become Hokage was that the Uchiha didn't even have the right to nominate a candidate.

Fragments of Itachi Shinden flashed through Shimizu's mind, and he finally left the alleyway.

The Uchiha Settlement.

Inside one of the Uchiha homes, a man stepped out, excitedly clutching an infant.

"Lord Fugaku, this is my child, my own child!"

The man looked overjoyed. Looking at the baby in his arms, the sense of blood connection made him feel that he must protect this child at all costs.

"Not bad. You've become a father as well. Congratulations to us on the addition of a new member to the Uchiha."

As the leader recognized by the clan, Fugaku had come in person to offer his blessings to the newborn.

The Uchiha were a large clan, numbering in the thousands.

This was a significant population; in the Hidden Leaf Village, few clans could boast numbers greater than the Uchiha.

Setting aside the disbanded Senju, only the Hyuga could compare in terms of head count.

Among these clansmen, not everyone was a ninja; most were ordinary people. Only a minority possessed the aptitude to become shinobi.

As for the Sharingan, those who could awaken it were the minority of a minority.

Apart from the bygone Warring States period, they were now in an era of peace, and there were not many Uchiha who could awaken their eyes.

"Have you decided on a name for the child?"

Uchiha Zhao nodded.

"I'll call him Shisui. I hope he can be as strong as my father, Kagami Uchiha, and inherit our clan's bloodline."

"Hahaha, congratulations, congratulations indeed."

Many people gathered around Uchiha Zhao, and many clansmen looked curiously at the newborn Shisui.

Shimizu was among them, standing toward the back.

Inherit, you say? Shimizu thought to himself.

Kagami Uchiha was highly regarded by the Second Hokage; he possessed a strong Will of Fire and dedicated his life to the Hidden Leaf.

It was hard to say whether his line had an inherent tendency to lean toward the Hidden Leaf Village.

Shisui Uchiha was the grandson of Kagami Uchiha.

Although there were some rumors in his past life claiming they were father and son, that was truly absurd.

Kagami Uchiha had been a guard for the Second Hokage and had participated in both the First and Second Shinobi World Wars.

Danzō, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu were all born within the first five years of the village's founding.

Kagami Uchiha was slightly younger than them, born around the 12th year of the Leaf.

Kagami Uchiha died at the age of twenty-five, having actually sacrificed himself during the Second Shinobi World War.

He had left behind only one heir—the very man now holding the infant.

"Zhao, let's go get a drink."

"That's right, you can't just leave us without a treat."

"Of course, I'll treat you. Lord Fugaku, please come along as well."

Watching the rowdy clansmen, Uchiha Zhao smiled and invited Fugaku.

"Let's go."

Fugaku was a man who rarely smiled, but to be a clan head, interpersonal skills were essential; he had to constantly bridge the distance between himself and his clansmen.

Uchiha Zhao handed Shisui to his younger sister, asking her to look after the child and telling his wife to get some rest, saying he would be back in a while, before leaving with the group.

Shimizu glanced at Shisui once more, then turned and walked away.

One had to admit, there was still a great deal of human warmth within the Uchiha.