Konoha's True Number One Uchiha Prodigy

As if something had occurred to him, Uchiha Yi asked Tsunade, "Have you studied Lightning Release, teacher?"

"Lightning Release?" Tsunade frowned and set down the scroll in her hand. She had assumed she would be teaching Yi Fire Release and had spent the past few days cramming it. She had never expected him to ask about Lightning Release instead.

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ Tsunade had to admit she had miscalculated. Who could have guessed that an Uchiha would want to learn Lightning Release?

"The Senju Clan has some Training Notes on Lightning Release, though not many," Mito Uzumaki said, lifting her teacup and taking a slow sip. "If you want them, I'll have Tsunade look for them tonight and give them to you tomorrow."

Mito Uzumaki knew her granddaughter had planned to teach Yi Fire Release. She had said nothing, only smiled.

The Uchiha had built their reputation on Fire Release. Madara Uchiha's flames had once been the stuff of countless nightmares.

That Yi wanted to study Lightning Release instead was unusual.

"Sorry for the trouble." Yi relaxed slightly. Tsunade and Mito Uzumaki were willing to let him read the Training Notes, which showed they genuinely wanted to help him grow stronger.

The Senju Clan had probably developed Lightning Release further than the Uchiha Clan had. He could build on what he learned from them.

Notes on advanced Ninjutsu were practically the heart of a clan's legacy.

Yet Mito Uzumaki was willing to hand them over to him. Grandma Mito really is a good person!

After dinner at Mito Uzumaki's home, Yi took Uchiha Mikoto back with him. Not long after they left, Hiruzen Sarutobi came alone to the Senju Clan Compound to speak privately with Mito Uzumaki.

"Thank you for your help this time, Lady Mito," Hiruzen Sarutobi said to her with deep respect.

Clearly, Yi's meeting with Mito Uzumaki had been arranged partly at Hiruzen Sarutobi's request.

"It was nothing." Mito Uzumaki shook her head slightly. "Yi is a good boy. If you treat him sincerely, he won't do anything to harm Konoha. Perhaps the trouble brewing within the Uchiha Clan will be resolved through him."

After a pause, Mito Uzumaki added, "He's a child who understood what it meant to be Hokage at six years old."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted sharply. He understood what Mito Uzumaki meant. Yi was not only gifted and had grasped the Will of Fire; he also had remarkable political instincts.

What was this, a problem born of good fortune?

If Yi truly could resolve the Uchiha Clan's problems one day, letting him become Hokage was not out of the question.

But that was decades away. Hiruzen Sarutobi might not even be alive by then.

Deep down, Hiruzen Sarutobi hoped it would happen.

He would not deny the risks posed by the Uchiha Clan, nor would he deny their strength. War would soon break out, and he needed that strength.

"Please keep an eye on the boy when you can, Lady Mito." Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and made his request.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had assigned Kagami Uchiha the mission to Uzushio Village. He had never expected Kagami to die there, leaving Yi an orphan. Hiruzen Sarutobi felt responsible, and in the end, he had not even been able to bring back Kagami's eyes. Part of him wanted to make it up to Yi, however little he could.

And if Mito Uzumaki could guide Yi down the right path, it would be good for both Yi and Konoha.

"What? Tsunade took you on as her student?" Yi told Yohei Uchiha as soon as he got home, leaving Yohei stunned.

"Yes. Mikoto has permission to train with her too." Yi nodded. "This is good for us."

Yohei Uchiha stood and paced back and forth several times before speaking. "But now you've been marked as one of their people. The Elder and the Clan Leader may use that against you."

"So what?" Yi curled his lip. "What are they going to do, throw me out of the Uchiha?

"Or strip me of my Uchiha bloodline?

"Don't give them too much credit. A few decades ago, they were nobodies. In the end, those people only got where they are by taking advantage of the situation."

Yi's words silenced Yohei Uchiha. It was true, wasn't it? How had the current Clan Leader risen to power, if not by betraying Madara Uchiha?

Come to think of it, his claim to the position was hardly legitimate.

The Uchiha Clan had always respected strength above all else, and Kagami Uchiha had been its strongest member. If Kagami were still alive, the current Clan Leader might not have held on to his position for many more years.

"So you want to side with the Hokage? They may not truly have your best interests at heart," Yohei Uchiha asked, rubbing his temples.

Though Yohei Uchiha belonged to the peace faction and hoped the village and the clan could coexist, he did not want the village interfering too much in clan affairs.

It was a contradiction, one that had much to do with Yohei Uchiha having been born during the Warring States Period.

"I know. But I need their help too, don't I?" Yi looked intently at Yohei Uchiha. "Only by becoming one of their own will I have a chance to compete for the position of Hokage someday."

Hokage? Something stirred inside Yohei Uchiha. Both the Dove Faction and the Hawk Faction were fixated on that position. Yohei Uchiha especially had once thought Kagami Uchiha stood a chance, only for Hiruzen Sarutobi to get it instead.

Were they going to give Yi that chance now?

Yi had the right background, after all.

Yohei Uchiha sighed. "You and Mikoto focus on training with Tsunade from now on. Leave the rest to me.

"I'm not too old to stand up for you. If those people object, I'll deal with them.

"But you'll need to prove yourself too. At the very least, you have to surpass Fugaku."

Uchiha Fugaku, the current Young Clan Head, had graduated only recently and had already joined the Konoha Military Police Force to build his record. He had reportedly awakened his Sharingan, and his strength rivaled that of an ordinary Chunin.

Before Yi displayed his talent, Uchiha Fugaku had always been considered the greatest prodigy of his generation. It had even seemed possible that he would awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan someday.

Yohei Uchiha wondered when Yi would surpass Fugaku. He had high hopes for him.

"I will." Yi smiled confidently. Forget the future. Fugaku probably can't match me even now.