Chapter 8

As for whether those two teammates were from Root, and whether the Third Hokage and this jonin instructor knew about it, Uchiha Yi could not be sure.

Still, he figured the Third Hokage was probably being kept in the dark and had no idea who his teammates really were.

He might have only been a survivor saved on a whim, but with his connection to Might Guy, the Third Hokage would have to keep an eye on him and would not let Danzo freely meddle.

Over the years, Uchiha Yi had kept in touch with Guy, joining him for physical training every so often.

It was only after Might Guy took Rock Lee as his student last year that he stopped coming to see him as often.

But everyone in the village knew just how solid his relationship with Guy was.

Without Might Guy serving as a protective talisman, Uchiha Yi figured Danzo would have dragged him into Root long ago.

Two Root teammates and one special jonin sent by the Hokage.

This Team Four was interesting. "Hey, hello. I'm Ichiro Kawaguchi, and this is Shino Kobayashi. Starting today, we're on the same team. Please take care of us!"

"Please take care of us!"

The moment Genma Shiranui left, those two Root men came over to greet Uchiha Yi. "Hello. I'm Uchiha Yi."

Uchiha Yi nodded, tossed out a sentence, and turned to leave. "Sorry, I have something to do. I'll be going."

"Oh, all right. Take care, Yi."

"Goodbye, Yi!"

Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi wore broad smiles. Once Uchiha Yi had completely disappeared from sight, both their expressions instantly turned cold.

In the Hokage's office, Genma Shiranui was reporting to the Third Hokage. "Lord Third, I've met Uchiha Yi."

"Mm. What impression did the child give you?" The Third Hokage asked leisurely, his pipe between his teeth. "At first glance, there was nothing special about him. He doesn't seem like a child harboring hatred, just a little withdrawn at most. Still, compared to Sasuke Uchiha, he's far better."

"Mm. It seems his long-term contact with Guy has had quite an influence on him."

The Third Hokage nodded, a satisfied expression on his face. "All right, you may go. Remember to keep a close eye on that child. After all, he is also one of the last remnants of the Uchiha Clan."

"Yes!"

Genma Shiranui answered, though he had some doubts in his heart.

He wanted to ask about the other two students. Something about those two boys felt off to him.

But after hesitating for a moment, he said nothing and simply withdrew.

At the same time, a similar conversation was taking place in a dark corner beneath Konoha Village.

Inside the Root base, Danzo was listening to Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi's report. "...That is the situation. Based on our observations, Uchiha Yi probably has not awakened his Sharingan yet."

Ichiro Kawaguchi gave a detailed report while Shino Kobayashi honestly knelt on one knee beside him. "He hasn't awakened it yet?"

A chill flashed through Danzo's exposed eye. "Find an opportunity to force him. See whether you can force that Sharingan out."

"Yes, we understand!"

Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi answered in unison. "A combat mission?"

Uchiha Yi looked up and asked calmly.

He had indeed gained some strength by now, but his hands had never truly been stained with blood.

Genma Shiranui waved the mission slip in his hand, a senbon clenched between his teeth, looking utterly carefree.

"Isn't that obvious? Once you become a ninja, your hands are bound to get bloody sooner or later."

Uchiha Yi said nothing more.

Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi stood nearby, looking somewhat frightened.

But Uchiha Yi only needed to glance at them to understand.

There was no panic in either of their eyes. They were merely putting on a convincing act.

Coming from Root, they had probably killed more than once already.

The mission was C-rank, which was just a blunt way of saying they were going to clear out a group of bandits loitering around the village.

It was not difficult, and it was unlikely to cause much of a disturbance.

After making preparations, the group set out.

Ninja truly traveled fast. In less than half a day, the group arrived at a village.

After asking the village chief about the bandits' hideout, they headed straight there.

Before long, they reached a mountainous area.

Only then did Uchiha Yi realize that Shino Kobayashi was actually a sensory-type ninja.

And his sensory abilities were not weak. He could clearly locate the enemy's positions.

But Uchiha Yi did not think much of it.

His Sharingan had already reached the point where it could completely suppress chakra fluctuations.

He had hidden in Konoha Village for so many years without exposing himself. Someone at Shino Kobayashi's level could never uncover his secret.

After observing the terrain for a while, Genma Shiranui casually tossed out a sentence.

"All right, there are no signs of chakra fluctuations from those people. You three deal with them."

Before he had even finished speaking, three figures moved at once. "Someone's coming!"

"Grab your weapons! There are ninja!"

The moment the bandits spotted them, they erupted into chaos, shouting as they grabbed their weapons.

Unfortunately, they were far too late. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough."

"Water Release: Water Wave."

Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi attacked almost simultaneously.

A raging wind swept up a wave of water and crashed into them. The bandits did not even have time to react before half of them fell.

Ordinary people without chakra were completely overwhelmed when facing ninja. "Ni, ninja! It's the ninja attacking!"

"Run! Do you want to die?!"

Someone screamed and tried to retreat.

But it was already too late to run.

A cold glint flashed through Uchiha Yi's eyes.

His hands moved, fingers weaving through seals as Fire Release took shape. "Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu."

Flames erupted violently, setting the entire bandit hideout ablaze. The survivors became living torches. After screaming a few times, they collapsed to the ground, never to rise again.

Before long, everyone left had been burned into blackened charcoal.

Uchiha Yi had known this was what he would see, but witnessing it with his own eyes still made his stomach churn. He forced himself not to vomit on the spot, but in the end, he could not hold it in and bent over to retch several times.

He knew perfectly well that the other three were watching him. "Your Fire Release was quite clean."

Genma Shiranui walked over and casually praised him. But when he saw Uchiha Yi look up, he froze. "You... awakened your eyes?"

One tomoe had appeared in each of Uchiha Yi's eyes. Naturally, he had revealed them on purpose.

He clearly sensed Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi's gazes brighten beside him, only for them to quickly suppress it and pretend they had seen nothing.

"They're just ordinary thieves, with no chakra fluctuations. You three, deal with them."

After taking a glance, Genma Shiranui gave the order directly.

As an instructor, he generally did not act unless necessary.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

All three charged out at once. "Enemy attack! Someone's attacking!"

"Quick, someone come, it's a ninja!"

The people in the bandit hideout reacted, but it was already too late. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough."

"Water Release: Water Wave."

Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi attacked almost simultaneously, and half the bandits who rushed forward fell in an instant.

These people were all ordinary civilians. They did not even know what chakra was. Against ninja, they were as fragile as paper. "Fuck, they're ninja!"

"Run!"

"Run my ass! Escape!"

Run?

Too late.

A cold glint flashed through Uchiha Yi's eyes as his hands rapidly formed seals. "Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu."

After returning to Konoha, Genma Shiranui immediately sought out the Third Hokage to report. "Oh? That boy awakened his eyes too?"

"Yes, it seems it was his first time seeing blood."

"How is his mental state?" The Third Hokage took the pipe from his mouth.

"He should be fine. He only threw up a few times. A normal reaction." After thinking for a moment, Genma Shiranui added, "All right, keep an eye on him."

"Yes."

Although Uchiha Yi had awakened his Sharingan for the first time, the Third Hokage did not take it too seriously. After all, the boy was already twelve years old, so awakening them was hardly early.

Awakening the Sharingan at twelve was nothing unusual.

But when the news reached Danzo, his reaction was completely different from the Third Hokage's. "Hmph. He awakened his eyes because of emotional turmoil? As expected of the Uchiha Clan, with the blood of sinners flowing through his veins."

Danzo's gaze darkened as he ordered the two subordinates before him, "Continue watching Uchiha Yi. I want to see just how far this Uchiha aberration can go."

"Yes!"

Over the next two or three days, Uchiha Yi returned to doing routine missions. According to Genma Shiranui, it was to give them more time to adjust to one another.

But over those days, Uchiha Yi clearly noticed that Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi had become much friendlier toward him.

If not for the cold killing intent they continued to hide in their eyes, he might have believed they sincerely considered him a teammate.

Danzo's side was probably about to make a move.

Sure enough, after three peaceful days, the first mission their team received was to wipe out a group of bandits.

For some time afterward, all their missions involved **, suppressing rebellions, and all sorts of ** in rotation.

Even Genma Shiranui, who had not cared much at first, began to feel that something was wrong.

Especially during their latest rebellion-suppression mission, Uchiha Yi's Sharingan suddenly evolved into two tomoe.

As someone who had served as the Fourth Hokage's guard, Genma Shiranui was naturally no fool. The instant he saw those two-tomoe Sharingan, he vaguely understood.

Someone was deliberately forcing Uchiha Yi, forcing him to continuously ** his Sharingan and evolve it further.

So he did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately dealt with the remaining rebels and hurried back toward the village with Uchiha Yi and the other two.

What he feared most came to pass.

Halfway there, something happened.

They were blocked. "Who are you?"

Genma Shiranui looked at the black-clad figures ahead, and cold sweat immediately broke out across his forehead.

The other side could not even be bothered to hide. Their chakra fluctuations were brazenly on display.

They were all at chunin level, with even special jonin among them.

The one at the front gave him the feeling of a full-fledged jonin-level opponent. "Run! I'll hold them off."

Genma Shiranui had no time to think. He charged forward and immediately engaged the enemy.

Uchiha Yi and the other two turned and ran.

But as he retreated, a cold gleam flashed through Uchiha Yi's eyes.

Heh. That old bastard Danzo finally couldn't hold back anymore.

That was right. The seven or eight people who had suddenly appeared were all from Root.

One of them was even an old acquaintance who had been watching him for a long time.

But Uchiha Yi was in no hurry to act. Genma Shiranui was still here, so he could not reveal his strength so quickly.