Uchiha Izumi: Little Brother, Open Wide~

Fugaku Uchiha wore the exact same expression as Shisui.

Wait, what? You learned it just like that?

"Ahem, very good. You have a bit of my talent." Fugaku Uchiha coughed twice to mask the shock in his eyes.

He had assumed that no matter how talented the child before him was, it would still take some time to grasp the Great Fireball Technique. He hadn't expected him to learn it so quickly.

"Since that is the case, I shall teach you the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. This technique condenses chakra into flames that are fired like bullets. You can launch several at once, making it flexible and versatile." As Fugaku explained, he performed the hand seals again to demonstrate.

Flames erupted from his fingertips, shooting out like meteors and carving scorching trails through the air.

The Shadow Clone watched intently, his mind rapidly organizing the flow of fire-style chakra.

As for the hand seals Fugaku had demonstrated, he barely bothered to memorize them.

After all, possessing the Otsutsuki Bloodline meant he could afford to be this willful.

The Shadow Clone focused his spirit, utilizing the Otsutsuki Bloodline's superior affinity and control over chakra to guide the transformation directly within his body.

In the blink of an eye, dense clusters of flame rose from his palms, as brilliant as blooming fireworks.

With a flick of his will, these flame clusters shot out like arrows released from a bow, striking the nearby tree trunk with precision and leaving behind charred marks.

"So fast!" Fugaku Uchiha's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

He had seen many talented disciples within the Uchiha Clan, but other than his eldest son, Itachi, he had never seen a second person who could learn a technique just by watching it once.

A complex look flashed in Fugaku's eyes—a mix of amazement at the Shadow Clone's talent and the gratification of a clan head seeing genius after genius emerge within his ranks.

"Very well, it seems I underestimated you." Fugaku shook his head with a smile. "In that case, I will continue to teach you some other ninjutsu."

Once the clone displayed his talent, Fugaku Uchiha did not hold back.

He taught him a succession of secret fire-style techniques, sharing everything from the subtle manipulation of chakra to the advanced variations of the forms without reservation.

However, when the Shadow Clone curiously asked if there were any forbidden techniques within the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku's smile suddenly vanished.

His expression turned stern and guarded, his eyes revealing a hint of wariness: "These are not things you should be touching right now."

Tsk. The Shadow Clone sighed inwardly, feeling it was a pity.

The Uchiha Clan possessed two supreme forbidden techniques.

They were Izanagi and Izanami.

In his view, the effects of Izanagi were somewhat too heaven-defying.

Izanagi could turn unfavorable events that had occurred within a certain period into things that never happened, choosing only the outcomes beneficial to the user to become reality.

In other words, no matter what injuries the caster sustained—or even if they died—they could physically revert to a recorded state.

Although there was a certain side effect—the eye used for Izanagi would go permanently blind—this drawback seemed insignificant in the face of such absolute survival capability.

Seeing the thoughtful look on the Shadow Clone's face, Fugaku softened his tone, though he remained firm: "The reason forbidden techniques are sealed is because their costs and risks far exceed what an ordinary person can bear. You may be gifted, but your temperament is not yet stable. If you touch them rashly, you will only end up on a crooked path."

As he spoke, he looked toward the distant residential area of the Uchiha Clan, where the buildings cast long shadows in the setting sun. "Right now, you should focus on building a solid foundation and mastering the ninjutsu I have taught you."

The Shadow Clone nodded.

"You are right, Clan Head. I understand." He replied respectfully, temporarily burying his desire for the forbidden techniques deep within his heart.

Fugaku nodded in satisfaction and reached out to ruffle the Shadow Clone's hair, a gesture that made him momentarily think of Itachi when he was young.

The setting sun stretched their shadows, weaving them into a mottled pattern on the ground. "Go back now. If you are free tomorrow, come back here, and I will teach you some practical combat techniques for fire-style."

The Shadow Clone acknowledged him and turned to head toward the clan grounds.

The Uchiha residential area was dotted with lights at night, like stars fallen to earth, yet he sensed an unusually oppressive atmosphere.

Patrolling clansmen gathered in twos and threes on the streets, whispering to one another.

"Are you still going to the clan meeting this year?" one patrolman asked his companion in a low voice.

"I have to. There's no way around it," his companion replied helplessly.

"If you ask me, there's no point in holding these meetings. Every year, the topics are the same old things: Konoha is suppressing us, should the clan resist, but in the end, we just have to swallow our pride," he said, his tone full of resentment as he slapped the Uchiha clan crest on the wall hard. "If this keeps up, we Uchiha will be marginalized sooner or later."

"You can't say things like that." The first man looked around warily and lowered his voice further. "Haven't you noticed that Shisui's recent movements have been unusual? He has been frequently contacting the elites of the younger generation in private and has even won over many clansmen who are dissatisfied with the current state of the clan."

"Really?" His companion's eyes turned alert. "What is he trying to do? Could it be... that he wants to start his own faction?"

"Shh—" The first man quickly covered his companion's mouth, looked left and right to confirm no one was around, and then spoke with lingering fear, "Watch your tongue! I only happened to catch him in a secret meeting with a few radical clansmen..."

They walked further and further away, and the Shadow Clone could no longer hear their conversation.

However, the Shadow Clone had managed to extract one piece of information.

The clan was going to hold a meeting soon.

It seems the clansmen don't know about Shisui losing his arm yet. It looks like Itachi might not have told Fugaku about that incident, or perhaps Fugaku intentionally suppressed the news. The Shadow Clone analyzed silently.

He hadn't cared about the previous clan meetings.

After all, given his age and strength at the time, he hadn't been in a position to influence them.

"However, this time, I might as well get involved." He had no intention of letting his main body take the field personally; it wasn't as if he lacked ready-made hands.

Shisui, wouldn't you agree?

The Shadow Clone wore a meaningful smile before automatically dispelling the technique.

Meanwhile, the real Uchiha Ao was currently being fed by Sister Izumi.

"Sister Izumi, I can't eat any more..." Uchiha Ao looked at the Red Bean Paste Dumpling held out before him, his expression one of helplessness.

"Little brother~" Uchiha Izumi called out in a sugary-sweet voice, gently swaying the Red Bean Paste Dumpling held between her fingertips. "Just one more; I saved this one specifically for last."

"No." Uchiha Ao shook his head repeatedly, shrinking back.

Seeing this, Uchiha Izumi blinked slyly.

Little brother is like this...

I really want to bully him...

"If little brother won't listen, big sister will have no choice but to use force."

Just as Uchiha Ao was wondering how Sister Izumi intended to use force, he saw her pop the Red Bean Paste Dumpling into her own mouth and lean in close.

Ao's eyes widened, the tips of his ears instantly burning bright red. Before he could react, Sister Izumi had already gently cupped the back of his head, her warm breath carrying a sweet fragrance as it washed over him: "Open up~"