Konoha F4 and the Uchiha

"Yi, you're back?"

"The teacher said yesterday you'd taken leave because something happened at home. What was it?"

The next day, when Uchiha Yi returned to the classroom, his classmates came over to ask what had happened. Though he was an Uchiha, Yi was nothing like the arrogant members of his clan.

As an heir to the Will of Fire, Yi had always been beyond reproach. Unlike other Uchiha, he didn't hold his head high and look down his nose at everyone.

Whether they came from other clans or were civilian students, Yi got along with them all. When someone asked him about training, he patiently taught them.

Of course, Yi couldn't share his clan's Ninjutsu. His clan would never allow it, and neither would the village.

The village still needed Ninjutsu to keep civilian Ninja beholden to it. If the Hokage granted them no favors, how would they remember what he had done for them? It was a way to win their loyalty.

Yi could be friends with his classmates, but he couldn't take over the Hokage's role.

When his classmates heard that something had happened at home, they came to check on him.

The civilian students didn't know the details at first, but those from clans knew what had happened.

Kagami Uchiha, one of Konoha's foremost experts, had died!

Could Yi really be unaffected?

"Don't worry, I'm all right." Yi waved it off. Sensing his classmates' concern, he smiled and said, "My father gave his life to protect the village and his comrades. He never regretted it, and he never would.

"I'll carry on his will and pass down the Will of Fire.

"Don't worry about me. I won't let grief consume me!"

Yi's words moved everyone. Blondie, who sat in front of him, looked at him with a glint in his eyes—as though he had found a kindred spirit.

Just as I thought. Yi understands the Will of Fire, too!

What none of them knew was that, at that very moment, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage Advisor Shimura Danzō, and elders Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were watching it all through the Crystal Ball in the Hokage Office.

"It seems Yi has inherited Kagami's Will of Fire." For some reason, Utatane Koharu gazed at Yi's image with an unreadable expression. Only after a long pause did she sigh.

Mitokado Homura glanced at her, then said, "It is strange how quickly he's emerged from the shadow of Kagami's death."

"There's nothing strange about it. You can't say Yi doesn't care about people, can you? If he didn't care about Kagami—if he were a coldhearted child—he wouldn't have awakened the Sharingan.

"Remember Teacher Tobirama's research on the Sharingan." Utatane Koharu frowned, but she still spoke up for Yi.

Mitokado Homura turned to Shimura Danzō. Danzō was staring at Yi's image, his gaze unfathomable. He said nothing.

"Ahem." Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke. "Enough. There's no doubt Yi has inherited both Kagami's will and the Will of Fire.

"Our main concern this time is the girl from the Uzumaki Clan.

"As for Yi, we only need to watch for any adverse effects from awakening the Sharingan.

"And the Sharingan won't necessarily pose a danger to Konoha.

"Don't forget: even after Kagami awakened those legendary eyes, he still loved Konoha. In the end, he gave his life for it."

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Shimura Danzō. There were things he left unsaid, but a trace of suspicion had taken root in his mind.

Danzō and Kagami had gone on that mission together, accompanied by quite a few Root members. In the end, Kagami had told Danzō to take Kushina back while he stayed behind to cover their retreat.

It all seemed reasonable. Even Kushina could corroborate Danzō's account. Root had nearly been wiped out trying to recover Kagami's body, yet his Mangekyō Sharingan had vanished.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi was Danzō's closest friend and knew him better than anyone. He remained suspicious of him.

What troubled Hiruzen even more was Kagami's body. His fatal wound had been inflicted by an extraordinarily powerful Fire Release, and Hiruzen couldn't help suspecting the Uchiha Clan.

In the Shinobi World, Hiruzen Sarutobi's Fire Release certainly ranked among the top three in power, though he was more adept at the Five Nature Transformations.

Aside from him, there was Kagami himself—and the other members of the Uchiha Clan.

That left Hiruzen Sarutobi deeply distrustful of the Uchiha Clan, particularly the Clan Leader's branch.

Kagami had been their classmate and a bridge between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha. Hiruzen had been willing to trust him. Though he had never granted Kagami much authority, Hiruzen had been ready to give him his full support in dealing with the Uchiha Clan.

As long as Kagami was around, the Uchiha Clan would not become a serious threat. Hiruzen thought highly of Yi, but the boy was still too young.

That was why Hiruzen had not pursued the matter, even though Danzō might have taken Kagami's eyes. Better Danzō than the Uchiha Clan.

If Kagami's eyes had still been there, Hiruzen truly wouldn't have known what to do with them.

"Monkey has a point. Yi is Kagami's son, after all. We'll need his help to keep the Uchiha calm in the future, so we should give him some support." Utatane Koharu's words left Mitokado Homura with nothing to say.

If he objected now, he really would seem coldhearted.

Whatever their relationships had become, they were still comrades who could trust one another with their lives.

Kagami had saved Homura's life more than once.

"Why not leave him to me?" Shimura Danzō, silent until now, finally spoke. "I guarantee I'll raise him to be Konoha's strongest Ninja. It's what's best for him. In Root, he'll receive the best resources and training, and he won't have to worry about the Uchiha Clan turning against him."