The Envelope

The three remaining Anbu Ninja were gradually struggling to hold their own.

Kakashi was starting to panic. Their goal wasn't to kill the Mist Village shinobi; they wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.

But even as Chuanyu struck so ruthlessly, Itachi, standing nearby, made no move.

A few seconds later, Chuanyu withdrew his long blade.

The blades in the three Anbu Ninja's hands instantly shattered, and several wounds appeared across their bodies.

Splurt!

Blood spattered everywhere. They stared at Chuanyu in shock before collapsing, unwilling to accept defeat.

"It's over..."

"This guy really is only six years old?!"

Kakashi stared at Chuanyu in disbelief. Even he would have needed a long time to deal with three Anbu from the Mist Village.

"Itachi, who exactly is this guy?"

Kakashi had finally become interested in Chuanyu. He had one Sharingan and was rather similar to Kakashi, but his looks were so much like Shisui's.

"Shisui's younger brother, Uchiha Chuanyu..."

"But Kakashi-senpai, I hope you can keep this confidential."

Itachi smiled at Kakashi, then leaped over to Chuanyu.

"Nicely done. Your growth has surprised me."

Chuanyu paused, then nodded.

He knew Itachi meant his Sharingan.

It had just evolved to the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

He was only one step away from the Mangekyo.

But gaining the Mangekyo was no simple matter.

Unlike ordinary torment, awakening the Mangekyo required enduring a heart-rending pain.

"Brother Itachi, I still have something to do..."

Ao, on the ground, was completely stunned. He had never imagined that Uchiha Shisui had a younger brother.

And one so unbelievably powerful.

Itachi patted Chuanyu on the head. "Go ahead..."

Chuanyu dropped down in front of Ao and rubbed his nose.

Ao immediately recoiled in fright.

But he soon clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Kill me or torture me as you please! I won't reveal the Mist Village's intelligence!"

Chuanyu smiled faintly. "No, I just want to make a deal with you..."

"A deal...?"

Ao looked at Chuanyu in confusion, then his expression abruptly changed.

The world around him turned red. A blood-red glow spread across the sun, and the world grew dull and lifeless.

A sudden urge to end his life arose in Ao's mind...

As the power of Chuanyu's left eye drew him in, Ao's consciousness returned.

"So this is the power of Sharingan Genjutsu? Just now, when I wasn't aware of anything, I actually felt an urge to end my life... What a terrifying eye..."

A flock of crows gathered densely in the sky.

Gradually, Chuanyu's figure appeared.

"Your goal is the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, right? I can give you what you want, but not right now."

Chuanyu's figure flickered in and out before Ao's eyes.

"Why?"

Ao looked at Chuanyu, puzzled.

"You don't need to know. Just promise me one thing, and when the time comes, I'll give you a pair of Byakugan..."

After hearing Chuanyu out, Ao hesitated.

"You don't have a choice. At least I'm more reliable than Danzo. Since I can kill your Anbu subordinates, I can certainly kill you too."

"Now, you can not only stay alive, but also get a pair of Byakugan. If that still isn't enough for you..."

Chuanyu's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Ao hurriedly raised his right hand. "Th-then at least tell me what you want me to do!"

The crows flapped their wings and scattered through the sky, and Chuanyu's figure vanished.

Suddenly, Chuanyu quietly walked up behind Ao.

"A year from now, I want you to bring people to Konoha again."

Chuanyu spoke calmly.

"What do you mean?"

Ao grew more and more confused.

"Bring enough people to attack Konoha. Make as much of a commotion as possible. After just one hour, you can leave with your people."

Chuanyu turned to look at Ao and spoke earnestly.

"Can you tell me what you're planning?"

Ao asked tentatively.

"I won't break my promise to you. Don't worry. Once this is over, I'll find an opportunity to put a pair of Byakugan in your hands."

"Until then, I hope you'll keep your mouth shut. Don't tell anyone who I am."

Seeing that Chuanyu didn't want to explain, Ao didn't dare ask any more.

"Then it's a deal. A year from now, crush this talisman, and I'll bring my people into action."

As he spoke, Ao took a white talisman from his robes and handed it over.

The moment Chuanyu took the talisman, the red world shattered like a mirror, and fresh air rushed into Ao's nose and mouth.

Huff... huff...

"I almost suffocated in that world..."

Ao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then turned and left.

"Let's go back, Brother Itachi."

Kakashi and Itachi dropped down beside Chuanyu. Chuanyu smiled slightly and took Itachi by the arm.

"Mm..."

The mission had been completed successfully, and no one had discovered Chuanyu's identity.

Kakashi, however, suddenly found himself hesitating.

He didn't know whether he should tell the Third Hokage about Chuanyu's identity.

On the way home, Itachi carried Chuanyu on his back as they walked beneath the setting sun.

"Do you think he'll go tell the Third Hokage?"

Chuanyu suddenly spoke from Itachi's back.

"Kakashi-senpai is a man of principle."

Itachi gazed at the distant sunset and replied calmly.

"Then why didn't you ask what I said to Ao just now?"

If Itachi wanted to know, Chuanyu didn't mind telling him everything.

He was working toward the day he'd planned for, all so Itachi would see it.

"I don't ask about your affairs. That doesn't mean I don't know."

"That little scheme of yours..."

Itachi turned his head and smiled faintly at Chuanyu.

"You must be exhausted today. Eat plenty when we get home..."

"Brother Itachi, you really understand me..."

"But could you teach Kakashi-senpai the swordsmanship you used in that fight? He really liked it..."

"Uh..."

"Make him ask me himself."

"..."

The welcome home was as warm as ever. The adorable, slightly clueless Uchiha Sasuke leaped into Itachi's arms, then started horsing around with Chuanyu.

At dinner, Fugaku took an exquisite Kunai from a drawer and placed it in front of Chuanyu.

"Itachi said you did very well today. Take this Kunai as a reward."

Fugaku grinned, picked up his sake cup, and drained it.

After the brief burn of the alcohol passed, his face turned slightly red. He casually picked up a dish to go with his drink and seemed to savor it.

Chuanyu set down his bowl and chopsticks and studied the Kunai on the table.

It was certainly exquisite, but it wasn't new.

The sharp edge had grown somewhat dull, and there were even a few cracks.

Seeing Chuanyu's confusion, Fugaku let out a deep sigh.

"This was the Kunai your father, Kagami Uchiha, used when he was alive. He won it when he first became a Genin."

As he said this, Fugaku couldn't help reflecting on how quickly time passed.

"Father..."

Chuanyu gently cradled the Kunai in his hands. In that moment, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

How could Chuanyu not understand what he meant?

"Your father wrote you a letter before. I'll give it to you now, too."

Fugaku rose and swayed over to the drawer.

By the time he placed the letter in Chuanyu's hands, Chuanyu's eyes were already wet.

"Chuanyu..."

"Perhaps it's too late to say I'm sorry..."

"My duty as a father was beyond me..."

"Even my duty to be a good husband..."

"I missed the best years of your childhood, and I missed the chance to bring you home beneath the setting sun..."

"I don't know what the name Uchiha means to you, but it has brought you so much needless suffering..."

"Entrusting you to Shisui was probably the best choice I ever made..."

"In the end, I had to wait until the day I was going to die for you to come back..."

"I used to think about it, and I was afraid to acknowledge that you were my son..."

"I was a coward. I chose to run away."

"But if I could make the choice again, I'd rather bear all the blame and stay by your side in peace."

"But..."

"It's too late..."

"I'll be forever frozen in the moment I lost you..."

"It's too late..."

Tears soaked the letter in Chuanyu's hands, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

That was what it meant to be father and son: in this life, your fate was to keep watching his back as he walked farther and farther away.

But Chuanyu hadn't even had the chance to see his father once.

Yet the letter carried the weight of his father's guilt and regret.

But for Chuanyu,

that was enough.

"The Uchiha are finding it harder and harder to move forward..."

Fugaku sighed again and again, never letting the sake cup in his hand sit idle.

"The hard part is bearing the burden. As clan head, I'm afraid my clan will be ruined in my hands, but I also don't want them to live such miserable lives!"

Fugaku slammed his sake cup onto the table, then promptly collapsed onto the floor, drunk.

Itachi came out of the room at the noise and shook his head helplessly before helping Fugaku inside.

"Chuanyu, you've had a long day. Go take a bath and get some rest."

Mikoto came over and began clearing the food from the table.

Chuanyu nodded, then got up and went to his room to change.

Settling into the bathtub, Chuanyu closed his eyes in comfort.

A year from now, to deal with Danzo, he'd need to work from the outside in.

Simply killing Danzo wouldn't be enough to fix the Uchiha's situation.

Outside forces would serve as a diversion. When the Uchiha staged their coup inside the village, the Anbu would definitely show up.

That left Root.

But if the border defenses were breached, Root would have no choice but to act.

Then all that would remain was his chance to face Danzo directly.

But Ao's people from the Mist Village might not be enough...

Still...

Cloud Village seemed likely to make a move against Konoha soon, too...

[ Ding! The host's fighting spirit is soaring today! The host's Taijutsu, unwilling to fall behind, has automatically increased by 1! ]

[ Ding! The newly evolved Three Tomoe Sharingan has begun training automatically! Please watch your words, host! This affects the eye's growth! ]

[ Good night, host! Tomorrow will be just as thrilling! ]