I Have a Bunch of Relatives Who Want to Be Hokage Chapter 19

He would forever be the man the young ladies of Leaf Village could never have. At most, someone might have him for a time—but his heart? Don't even think about it. His heart belonged to everyone.

After all, he was a man of the Clan of Love.

My Son Has the Bearing of a Hokage

Uchiha Itachi had been very happy these past few days.

Because Big Brother Shisui had finally returned.

Uchiha Itachi loved the time he spent training with Uchiha Shisui and talking freely about the thoughts in his heart.

Compared to others his age, Uchiha Itachi was noticeably different. One could say he was more mature, or perhaps that, because his father was the clan head, he had understood from a young age the importance of watching his words and actions.

The Uchiha Clan was not like the Hyuga Clan. The Hyuga Clan had a rigid hierarchy, and the authority of the elders and clan head could not be challenged—unless those two sides challenged each other. So-called clan meetings were not something ordinary clansmen could attend.

The Uchiha Clan did not have such a strict hierarchy. Especially after Uchiha Madara left, the atmosphere within the clan had changed considerably. Using one's position for personal gain within the clan was social death. If the clan head did something inappropriate, the old men and women of the clan would dare to block his doorstep and curse him out.

In the Uchiha Clan, very few people thought being clan head was a good job.

Having understood from childhood that he needed to watch his words and actions, Uchiha Itachi was naturally much more reserved. Especially after his father, Uchiha Fugaku, took him to experience the battlefield once, he had become practically the second contestant in the Fugaku-style expressionless face contest whenever he was outside. He spoke little, observed proper etiquette, and aside from seeming somewhat distant, there did not appear to be any problem with him.

Only when he was with Shisui did he act completely differently.

At the training ground, after finishing his genjutsu practice under Shisui's guidance, Uchiha Itachi sat in a chair to rest, utterly exhausted.

"The signs of you casting the genjutsu were still too obvious, Itachi." Uchiha Shisui looked warmly at his little brother. "Didn't I tell you? If the other person notices it, the genjutsu has already failed halfway. You need to guide them according to the situation at the time."

"Big Brother Shisui, it's because your genjutsu is too powerful." Itachi puffed out his cheeks. "Why did you lose to Uchiha Shingen? Is he really that strong?"

He had never shown that expression even before his own parents.

"I brought that upon myself." Thinking about it still made Uchiha Shisui feel awkward. "I wanted to use genjutsu to make him break free from his narrow love for the clan and implant in him a greater love for the village."

"And then?"

"And then..." Uchiha Shisui's expression became very strange. "I discovered that his love for the village surpassed even mine..."

"Huh?" Uchiha Itachi was shocked. "He loves the village even more than you do, Big Brother Shisui!?"

That man with an extremely unhealthy private life who pinched every penny? Of the few times he had attended clan meetings, not once had he failed to indirectly stand against the Hokage Building.

"Yes..." Uchiha Shisui's expression grew increasingly bizarre. "I think he must be the person in the clan who loves the village the most..."

Uchiha Shisui recalled that overly realistic dream after the genjutsu rebounded. During this mission, he had originally wanted to have a proper talk with Uchiha Shingen about it, but unfortunately, he had not found the chance.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi felt as though his entire worldview had suffered a severe blow.

Was he simply too young? Did he not understand that adults had different ways of expressing love?

But Uchiha Shingen did not really count as an adult, did he?

"Alright, Itachi, you should go and get to know Brother Shingen properly yourself. What happened to me can also be considered a very typical lesson. The danger of genjutsu comes from the target's resistance. Once that resistance succeeds, the caster may suffer even greater harm than the target."

After that, the two continued training in earnest.

As usual, Uchiha Itachi did not stop until he was utterly exhausted before heading home.

When he returned home, his mother, Uchiha Mikoto, was busy in the kitchen, while his father, Uchiha Fugaku, sat beside the dining table.

Unlike usual, a small pot of warmed sake sat by Uchiha Fugaku's hand, and he was drinking from it.

"Father, Mother, I'm back."

"Mm. How was training today? You didn't cause Shisui any trouble, did you?" Uchiha Fugaku looked at his son with satisfaction.

It did not matter if this generation seemed to be hopeless, because he firmly believed one thing.

My son has the bearing of a Hokage!

"How could I? I've always listened carefully to Big Brother Shisui."

"Mm, good. Go take a bath, then come back for dinner. There's something I need to discuss with you."

Uchiha Itachi responded and returned to his room.

By the time Uchiha Mikoto began bringing the dishes to the table, Uchiha Itachi had changed clothes and returned to the dining room.

He went into the kitchen first and helped his mother.

Only after everything was finished did he sit in his seat.

"Father, what is it?"

"Mm, it's like this. I discussed it with Shingen, and he'll be teaching you for a while."

This came as something of a surprise to Uchiha Itachi. Then he remembered what Shisui had told him earlier that day: "Go and get to know him properly yourself."

So Big Brother Shisui had already known.

However, Uchiha Itachi was not very willing.

Right now, he was far more interested in the Will of Fire than ninjutsu. After all, learning ninjutsu was not difficult at all for him—he could master it in no time. The Will of Fire, on the other hand, was vast and profound. Every conversation with Shisui brought new insights.

He especially loved that kind of clash of wisdom.

"You're unwilling?" Uchiha Fugaku frowned.

He was happy to see Shisui and his son share such a close friendship, but he also had his reservations about Shisui's ideas.

Having broad vision didn't mean one's ideas were reliable. There were plenty of broad-minded people in this world, but very few who both had vision and could get things done. Most not only failed to accomplish anything, but made matters even worse.

If the conflict between the Uchiha and the Hokage Building had been so easy to resolve, it would have been settled long ago instead of being left for this generation to worry over.

"Of course not. I'd be happy to." Uchiha Itachi answered obediently.

"It's good that you think so." Uchiha Fugaku did not expose his son's insincerity. He merely said, "You'll become a proper ninja sooner or later. Today, as your father, I'll tell you this: the easiest thing to deceive you is your own eyes. Uchiha Shingen is no simple man. The clan still has doubts about many things concerning him. Having him teach you for a while is also meant to help us understand certain matters more clearly."

"Understood, Father." Uchiha Itachi instinctively disliked this arrangement, but he was an obedient, well-behaved son.

After that, father and son did not continue discussing the subject. They chatted for a while, and the conversation gradually shifted to family matters.

The next day, Uchiha Itachi woke up very early.

Following his father's instructions from the night before, he left home and arrived at Uchiha Shingen's doorstep.

Just as he was about to knock, the door opened, and a man happened to step outside.

"Itachi? Are you looking for Shingen?"

"Good morning, Uncle Xinhu." Uchiha Itachi was very polite. Uchiha Xinhu was not a ninja; he ran a weapons shop for the clan. But that did not affect anything.

Whether one was a ninja only affected how the clan allocated resources among its members. It did not affect seniority.

"Is Brother Shingen here? Father told me to visit in advance."

"Oh, Itachi, you're so diligent. Shingen told us about this yesterday too." Uchiha Xinhu chuckled. Seeing Uchiha Itachi putting on the air of a little adult, he found it especially amusing. Unable to resist, he reached out and ruffled the boy's little head. "Shingen went to the training ground early this morning. Being a ninja really isn't easy."

Uchiha Xinhu sighed wistfully.

Neither he nor his wife had the talent to become ninjas. Although the Uchiha were a ninja clan, there were, unfortunately, quite a few clan members like them. Their understanding of the ninja world was not much greater than that of ordinary villagers.

Couples like them, whose children had become ninjas, had it a little better. But overall, their feelings were much like those of parents on Blue Planet seeing their children earn a high salary.

They did not really understand it. They simply thought their child had found a good job, and were happy.

Uchiha Itachi hurriedly restored his thoroughly mussed-up hair, feeling a little aggrieved inside.

Why did Uncle Xinhu have to start touching him in the middle of talking? And he could not dodge, either, or he would seem rude.

"Thank you, Uncle Xinhu. Then I'll go find Brother Shingen." After saying this in a stiff, proper manner, Uchiha Itachi turned and hurried away.

Starting Today, a Teacher

At the training ground, Uchiha Shingen was practicing at the target range.

Shuriken were embedded in both the targets and the ground, with far more stuck in the ground.

This meant that his attempt had failed once again—using Wind Release instead of steel wire to perform the Manipulated Shuriken Technique was very difficult.

He would not have been the first to think of this, nor would he be the last.

Whether in his first cycle or second cycle, Uchiha Shingen did not possess Senju Tobirama's talent.

He truly did not have the talent to create an entirely new, practical ninjutsu out of nothing.

Still, he was capable of innovation. He did have the ability to improve existing techniques.

His solid theoretical knowledge was one factor. As a transmigrator, he also had an informational advantage: he could fully draw on the successful examples of powerful people and choose directions that suited him.

But some things simply could not be changed just because one wanted to change them, especially mature ninjutsu from old ninja clans like the Uchiha or the Senju of the Forest.

Those were already outstanding achievements forged through countless trials, researched and refined by generation after generation. They could not be casually improved further just by having a clever idea.

Those who could perfect the new techniques developed by Senju Tobirama, like Namikaze Minato and Orochimaru, were already extraordinary geniuses.

Though Uchiha Shingen was not suited for that sort of thing, he would not belittle himself over it, much less become discouraged.

Comparing one's weaknesses to another person's strengths and then getting discouraged over it—wasn't that just making trouble for oneself?

He walked over and began gathering the shuriken scattered across the ground.

In the sunlight, a shadow stretched over the ground and reached Uchiha Shingen's feet.

He looked up and saw a little boy watching him.

No one in the clan failed to recognize this child.

"Itachi, you're up so early?" Uchiha Shingen placed the few shuriken he had already pulled out into a bag beside him. "Perfect timing. Give me a hand."

"Okay." Uchiha Itachi obediently agreed, then bent down and started pulling them out as well.

Before long, the field had been cleared.

"Brother Shingen, why did you bring so many shuriken?" Looking at the large bag of shuriken, Uchiha Itachi was curious. He had not seen any sealing scrolls.

"You can just use sealing techniques." Uchiha Shingen rolled up his sleeve, and Uchiha Itachi saw a strip of cloth wrapped around his wrist, covered in sealing formulas.

Everyone knew that sealing scrolls were absurdly expensive. Not only were their formulas difficult, but they also consumed a great deal of materials.

The larger the sealing space, the more complicated the formula and the greater the material requirements. By the same logic, explosive tags were not cheap either.

Uchiha Shingen had learned this method of storing shuriken from Uchiha Sasuke of the original timeline.

Moreover, he knew this level of sealing technique himself, saving on labor costs. Since he could buy the materials wholesale, the overall expense was entirely acceptable.

This way, he reduced the weight of his equipment, increased the number of shuriken he could carry, and got daily practice with sealing techniques—a single move with many benefits.

"No wonder Brother Shingen, your ninja tool pouch is so small." Uchiha Itachi suddenly understood.

This wasn't exactly an innovative approach, since it only required money—or rather, proficiency in sealing techniques.

Uchiha Itachi hadn't considered it at first because Uchiha Shingen had never displayed any talent for space-time ninjutsu within the clan. Whether it was sealing techniques or summoning techniques, he had shown nothing.

On the other hand, everyone knew about his obsession with money.

"So, Brother Shingen, are you actually very skilled in space-time ninjutsu?" Uchiha Itachi asked.

"I know a little." Uchiha Shingen brushed it off. "What, you don't think I bought these?"

"Impossible. Brother Shingen, you're famous for being frugal. How could you possibly be willing to spend extra money on something like this?"

So his stinginess was already famous throughout the clan?

Uchiha Shingen could not help but reflect on himself.

Heavens bear witness, he had only wanted to save a little money so he could use it to practice ninjutsu.

"Fine." Uchiha Shingen tied up the bag of shuriken, then looked at Uchiha Itachi. "You came to see me because the clan head told you about me becoming your teacher, right?"

"Yes."

"Then what do you want to learn?"

"Shouldn't that be for Brother Shingen to decide?" Uchiha Itachi looked at Uchiha Shingen curiously.

Even Shisui had never asked him what he wanted to learn. He would simply teach according to his own experience.

"That's true." Uchiha Shingen shook his head. "I can help you based on my own experience, but you need to have your own ideas too."

"Then..." Uchiha Itachi thought for a moment. "Could Brother Shingen teach me Water Release?"

"That's no problem." Uchiha Shingen nodded. "But not today. I have Police Force work to do today."

As he said this, Uchiha Shingen suddenly felt that this was an opportunity.