Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
At the training ground in the Uchiha Compound.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
"Byakugan: Gentle Fist!"
"Fire Style: Small Fire Snake Jutsu!"
A few small figures were fighting back and forth on the training ground.
"Shisui, Sasuke's not weak enough to be fighting his classmates this evenly, is he?"
"Is he holding back?"
"But why would he do that?"
Wouldn't showing them the gap between their abilities motivate Naruto and the others more?
Today, Shisui and Itachi were responsible for Sasuke's safety, so they had been observing his daily activities from the shadows.
Aside from his large appetite and generous spending—Itachi and Jiraiya had given him plenty of money—
he was basically like any ordinary person in every other way.
What puzzled Shisui and Itachi most was that, given what they knew about Sasuke,
his temperament should have been far more mature than that of a child.
By all rights, he shouldn't have formed this kind of friendship with Naruto and the others.
"Maybe that's the wisdom Sasuke has that we don't."
"When you're dealing with friends, you shouldn't just keep suppressing them."
"Instead, you need to put yourself on equal footing with them."
"And, Itachi, haven't you noticed something?"
Uchiha Shisui glanced meaningfully at the training ground where Sasuke and the others were.
"Something?"
"Do you mean...?"
Itachi looked a little confused. Aside from seeing Sasuke hold back, he couldn't see anything else.
"You'll find out soon."
"According to the information we received earlier, these kids should be heading outside now."
Shisui didn't explain directly. He simply offered those few words.
Sure enough, the kids' fight ended soon after.
The group headed out of the Uchiha Compound.
Once they were outside, shinobi from the Root Organization and the Anbu began keeping watch.
But Sasuke wasn't bothered in the least by their professional surveillance.
"Next, it's time to study for our cultural lessons."
"Naruto can now recite the Will of Fire quickly."
"And he can explain what it means in his own words."
"That's the main reason Naruto passed the cultural section of this latest quiz."
"As shinobi of Konoha, we need to understand our culture."
"The Will of Fire..."
Sasuke began.
Naruto was already used to this routine.
But Neji, Lee, and Hinata all looked somewhat puzzled.
Even children their age knew that the Uchiha and Konoha's higher-ups were at odds.
The higher-ups' suspicions had even forced the Uchiha to move their Compound to the village's outskirts.
Fortunately, they had all improved greatly under Sasuke's guidance, so they let the matter go.
Neji, in particular, hated rigid rules and dogma.
Even so, he didn't say anything.
But the more they learned about the Will of Fire, the more they noticed its flaws.
The idea of abandoning everything for the village...
The selfless spirit of sacrificing oneself to protect the village...
And all the rest...
These lofty-sounding words were just a way of manipulating everyone!
Children's hearts were the clearest of all.
They quickly noticed the problem.
"Someone's watching us, so we need to act enthusiastic. Don't overthink it. This so-called Will of Fire is just something we memorize for exams."
"Everyone should have their own way of the ninja, not some so-called Will of Fire!"
Sasuke slowly wrote the words on the ground.
Neji and the others understood what he meant at once.
They began reciting the Will of Fire Sasuke had written with even greater enthusiasm.
The sight left Uchiha Itachi, watching from not far away, utterly stunned.
"Do you understand now?"
"The friends Sasuke has made aren't just ordinary friends."
"Hyuga's greatest prodigy, Hyuga Neji!"
"Hyuga Main Family Eldest Daughter, Hinata Hyuga!"
"Rock Lee, a disciple recognized by the Taijutsu master Might Guy!"
"And... Konoha's Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto!"
Shisui listed each of their identities.
"You mean Sasuke wants to use his own efforts to change the prejudice other clans hold against the Uchiha?"
"And then unite these clans."
"So the Uchiha won't be standing alone anymore."
Itachi explained his understanding.
"Maybe it goes beyond that."
"Among these kids, Sasuke is clearly the leader."
"When they grow up, perhaps he'll do more than just change people's minds."
"Itachi, people always say you think like a Hokage."
"But you don't act like one the way Sasuke does!"
Uchiha Shisui said with a hint of emotion.
He had once been a firm believer in the Will of Fire, too.
He'd thought that as long as the village grew stronger, any personal sacrifice was worthwhile.
But now Shisui's views were beginning to change.
Especially since the Will of Fire he heard from other people was so different from the one he had imagined.
"I understand."
"What Shisui has been doing lately is related to this, isn't it?"
Itachi spoke slowly.
"Mm."
"If the entire Uchiha Clan starts thinking this way, we'll become incredibly powerful!"
Shisui gazed up at the sky, filled with longing.
What he had once hoped for might really be drawing closer, step by step.
And right now, the only people in the clan capable of making it happen were him and Itachi...
After training, everyone went their separate ways.
Their special training exercise was tomorrow.
Sasuke invited Naruto to come home and eat with him.
Tomorrow, they could set out together.
Meanwhile, inside the Root Organization.
"Sir, the people we assigned are being watched by the Anbu and the Uchiha."
"They haven't had a single chance to make a move."
"Perhaps you should discuss it with Lord Hokage. The Uchiha are acting so brazenly now that they'll soon be impossible to control."
A Root Organization member spoke with concern.
"Discuss it?!"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is too busy celebrating that he's won over the Uchiha to listen to me. Do you think he'd hear a word I said right now?"
"What a fool!"
"He trusted them just because some brat recited the so-called Will of Fire!"
"How did someone like that become Hokage?!"
Danzo was seething with frustration.
According to his original plan, he shouldn't be here worrying about these issues at all.
He should already have begun receiving Orochimaru's technological enhancements.
The Uchiha Clan and Hiruzen Sarutobi...
Both had become thorns in Danzo's side!
Before you continue