Chapter 8

As for whether those two teammates belonged to Root, and whether the Third Hokage and this Jōnin instructor knew about it, Uchiha Yi couldn't be sure.

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

Though he was only a survivor Uchiha Yi had happened to save, his connection to Might Guy meant the Third Hokage would keep an eye on him. He wouldn't let Danzo meddle.

All these years, Uchiha Yi had stayed in touch with Guy, joining him for physical training every so often.

It was only after Guy took Rock Lee on as a student last year that he stopped coming around as much.

But everyone in the village knew that he and Guy were as close as could be.

Without Might Guy as his shield, Uchiha Yi figured Danzo would have dragged him into Root long ago.

Two teammates from Root, and one Special Jōnin sent by the Hokage.

Team Four was going to be interesting. "Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Ichiro Kawaguchi, and this is Shino Kobayashi. We're on the same team starting today, so let's get along!"

"Likewise!"

Not long after Genma Shiranui left, the two Root shinobi came over to greet Uchiha Yi. "Hello. I'm Uchiha Yi."

Uchiha Yi nodded, then turned to leave with a brief excuse. "Sorry, I have something to take care of. I'll be going."

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

"See you, Yi!"

Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi wore broad smiles. But as soon as Uchiha Yi was out of sight, their expressions turned icy.

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 boy make on you?" The Third Hokage asked slowly, pipe in hand.

"At first glance, there's nothing special about him. He doesn't seem like a child consumed by hatred, just a little unsociable. But compared to Sasuke Uchiha, he's much better."

"Mm. It seems spending so much time with Guy has had quite an effect on the boy."

The Third Hokage nodded, looking pleased. "All right, you can go. Keep a close eye on him. After all, he's the last surviving member of the Uchiha Clan."

"Yes, sir!"

Genma Shiranui answered, though he couldn't help feeling a little uncertain.

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

But after a moment's hesitation, he kept quiet and left.

Meanwhile, in a shadowy corner beneath Konoha, a similar conversation was taking place.

At Root Base, Danzo listened to the report from Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi. "...That's what happened. From what we've observed, Uchiha Yi probably hasn't awakened his Sharingan yet."

Ichiro Kawaguchi gave a detailed account while Shino Kobayashi knelt beside him.

"He hasn't awakened it yet?"

A chill flickered in Danzo's one visible eye. "Find a chance to put him under pressure. See if you can force that Sharingan to emerge."

"Yes, sir. Understood!"

Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi answered in unison.

"So this job involves fighting and killing?"

Uchiha Yi looked up and asked in a calm voice.

He had gained some strength by now, but he'd never actually spilled blood.

Genma Shiranui swung the mission scroll in his hand, a senbon between his teeth, looking as laid-back as ever.

"Isn't that obvious? You're a shinobi. Sooner or later, you'll get blood on your hands."

Uchiha Yi didn't respond.

Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi stood off to one side, looking a little nervous.

But one glance at them told Uchiha Yi all he needed to know.

There wasn't a trace of panic in their eyes. They were putting on quite a show.

They were from Root. They'd probably killed more than once already.

The mission was C-rank: basically, they were to clear out a band of bandits lurking around the village.

It wasn't a difficult job, and it probably wouldn't cause much of a stir.

After making a few preparations, the group set out.

Shinobi traveled incredibly fast. In less than half a day, they reached a village.

After asking the village head where the bandits were holed up, they headed straight there.

Before long, they reached a mountainous area.

Only then did Uchiha Yi realize that Shino Kobayashi was a sensor-type shinobi.

And he was no slouch at sensing, either. He could pinpoint the enemy's location with impressive accuracy.

Uchiha Yi didn't think much of it, though.

His Sharingan had reached the point where he could completely suppress the chakra fluctuations in his body.

He'd spent all these years in Konoha without giving himself away. There was no way someone at Shino Kobayashi's level could see through him.

After observing the terrain for a while, Genma Shiranui casually remarked, "All right. Those people don't have any noticeable chakra signatures. You three take them out."

Before he'd even finished speaking, all three shinobi sprang into action.

"Someone's coming!"

"Grab your weapons! Shinobi!"

The bandits spotted them and immediately erupted into chaos, shouting as they reached for their weapons.

Unfortunately for them, they didn't have time.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Water Release: Water Wave!"

Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi attacked almost simultaneously.

A gale swept up a torrent of water and slammed into the bandits. Half of them went down without even having time to react.

Against shinobi, ordinary people without chakra stood no chance.

"N-ninjas! Shinobi are attacking!"

"Run! Save yourselves!"

Someone screamed and tried to flee.

But by then, it was already too late.

A cold glint crossed Uchiha Yi's eyes.

His hands moved, fingers flashing as he formed the Hand Seals. In an instant, Fire Release was ready.

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"

Flames burst out, setting the entire bandit hideout ablaze. Those who were still alive became human torches. They screamed a few times before collapsing to the ground, unable to get up again.

In no time, the rest had all been burned to charred remains.

Uchiha Yi had known he'd see something like this, but witnessing it firsthand still turned his stomach. He fought to keep from throwing up on the spot, but in the end, he couldn't help doubling over and retching several times.

He knew perfectly well that the three people beside him were watching.

"Nice control over Fire Release."

Genma Shiranui came over and offered a casual compliment. But when he saw Uchiha Yi look up, he froze.

"You... awakened it?"

There was a tomoe in each of Uchiha Yi's eyes. Of course, he was showing them on purpose.

He could clearly sense Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi's eyes light up, only to quickly hide their reaction and pretend they hadn't noticed.

"They're just ordinary bandits, with no chakra signatures. You three, take them out."

After glancing over the area, Genma Shiranui gave the order.

As a team's instructor, he usually didn't get involved.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The three of them charged forward at once.

"Enemy attack! Someone's coming!"

"Get over here! Shinobi are attacking!"

The bandits realized what was happening, but it was already too late.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Water Release: Water Wave!"

Ichiro Kawaguchi and Shino Kobayashi attacked almost simultaneously. Half the bandits who rushed at them went down at once.

They were all ordinary people who didn't even know what chakra was. Against shinobi, they were no more than paper dolls.

"Damn it, they're shinobi!"

"Run!"

"Run for your lives!"

Run?

Too late.

A cold glint flashed in Uchiha Yi's eyes as he rapidly formed Hand Seals.

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"

After returning to Konoha, Genma Shiranui went straight to the Third Hokage to report what had happened.

"Oh? The boy awakened his Sharingan too?"

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

"How's his mental state?" The Third Hokage lowered his pipe.

"He should be fine. He just threw up a few times. That's a normal reaction."

Genma Shiranui thought for a moment, then added.

"All right. Keep an eye on him."

"Yes, sir."

Although Uchiha Yi had awakened his Sharingan the first time he killed someone, the Third Hokage didn't think much of it. The boy was already twelve, after all. It wasn't as if he'd awakened it particularly early.

Awakening the Sharingan at twelve wasn't anything unusual.

But when the news reached Danzo, his reaction was completely different from the Third Hokage's.

"Hmph. He awakened it because of an emotional shock? Just as I thought. He's an Uchiha through and through, with the blood of a sinner running in his veins."

Danzo's eyes darkened. He gave the two subordinates before him an order. "Keep watching Uchiha Yi. I want to see how far this oddball of the Uchiha Clan can go."

"Yes, sir!"

Over the next two or three days, Uchiha Yi returned to the routine of ordinary missions. According to Genma Shiranui, they needed more time to get used to working together.

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

If not for the murderous chill that always lurked in their eyes, he might have believed they were genuinely trying to be good teammates.

Danzo was probably about to make a move.

Sure enough, after three quiet days, the first mission assigned to their team was to wipe out a band of bandits.

For a while after that, every mission they took involved killing: putting down rebellions, wiping out bandits, and one bloody task after another.

Even Genma Shiranui, who usually didn't pay much attention, began to realize something was wrong.

Especially during their most recent mission to put down a rebellion, when Uchiha Yi's Sharingan suddenly evolved into the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

Genma Shiranui was no fool. He'd served as a bodyguard for the Fourth Hokage, after all. The moment he saw the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, he had a vague idea of what was going on.

Someone was deliberately pushing Uchiha Yi, forcing him to keep killing so his Sharingan would evolve.

So he didn't hesitate for a second. He finished off the remaining rebels on the spot, then hurried back to the village with Uchiha Yi and the others.

Just as he'd feared, something happened.

They'd barely made it halfway back when they were ambushed.

"Who are you?"

Genma Shiranui looked at the figures dressed in black up ahead, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

The other side didn't even bother hiding. They let their chakra surge openly.

They were all Chunin-level shinobi, with a Special Jōnin among them.

The one in front gave him the sense of facing a full-fledged Jōnin.

"You three, run! I'll hold them off!"

Genma Shiranui didn't have time to think. He rushed forward and engaged the enemy.

Uchiha Yi and the other two turned and ran.

But as he retreated, a cold glint flashed in Uchiha Yi's eyes.

Tsk, tsk. The old bastard Danzo had finally lost patience.

That's right. All seven or eight of the unexpected attackers were from Root.

One of them was an old acquaintance who had been keeping an eye on him for a long time.

But Uchiha Yi wasn't in a hurry to act. Genma Shiranui was still there. He couldn't reveal his true strength so soon.