Shisui and Itachi came calling!

The Uchiha Clan.

At Bai Ye's doorstep, Bai Ye felt a little surprised to see a tiny kid glaring indignantly at him.

"Sasuke?"

Bai Ye had been wondering how to approach Sasuke later.

He was one of the protagonists, after all.

If he could coax Sasuke over to his side, that would definitely net him a substantial amount of clan fortune.

But why had the boy come looking for him?!

The moment that thought surfaced, Bai Ye realized the reason.

It was probably because he had taken his father's position as Clan Head.

At this age, Sasuke was still an edgy little kid.

"Hmph! So you're the one who took over as Clan Head?!"

Sasuke snorted and shot Bai Ye a sideways glance.

He hadn't really had much of an opinion about Bai Ye before.

When he returned from the Ninja Academy and learned that his father was no longer Clan Head, he had been able to accept that.

But quite a few children in the clan were saying that his father had let the Uchiha down.

That was something he couldn't accept.

And according to those children's rumors, it seemed to have started because of what Bai Ye had said at the clan meeting.

So Sasuke had taken the matter to heart.

As soon as he finished eating, he came straight over to find Bai Ye.

He intended to argue with him.

Just because his father was no longer Clan Head, did that mean people could bad-mouth him like this?!

Even Sasuke had ended up feeling somewhat ostracized within the clan.

Besides, even if they were changing Clan Heads, why hadn't they chosen his older brother?!

His brother was clearly just as capable!

The main issue was that Bai Ye wasn't much older than Uchiha Itachi.

Yet Bai Ye was the one who had become Clan Head.

"Yes, that's right. So you've come to demand justice for your father?"

Bai Ye looked at Sasuke in amusement. The boy really couldn't hide anything at this age!

He had actually come over to confront him on his own.

After hearing Bai Ye's words, Sasuke shook his head, then nodded. "My father hasn't let the Uchiha down!!"

Sasuke hadn't come because of his father's position as Clan Head.

He wanted Bai Ye to make it clear that his father hadn't let the Uchiha down.

"The rumors within the clan reflect people's dissatisfaction, too. If Fugaku had truly won everyone over, these rumors wouldn't exist. Sometimes, you don't need to take things so much to heart.

"Emotions are running high in the clan right now, and that might affect your family. Of course, if it really bothers you, I can speak to the clan members about it."

Huh?!

He... had just agreed?!

Bai Ye's attitude left Sasuke feeling a little embarrassed.

He had come to confront Bai Ye, only to find him so easy to talk to?!

No wonder people in the clan had always said Bai Ye was a very nice person.

"Then... um..." Sasuke suddenly had no idea what to say, stumbling over his words.

Seeing him like that, Bai Ye chuckled, then asked, "Would you like me to help you train?! I can tell you're quite talented. Focus on your training for now.

"You don't need to worry about those rumors in the clan. I'll get things to settle down."

"Would... would that be okay?!"

Sasuke froze, suddenly feeling a little bewildered.

Wait a second?!

Hadn't he come here to confront Bai Ye?! How had this suddenly turned into Bai Ye offering to train him?

But...

If Bai Ye was willing to train him, he honestly wanted that.

After all, Bai Ye was one of the clan's three strongest young shinobi.

He had always wanted someone to teach him, but his father had no time as Clan Head, and his brother was in the Anbu, leaving him practically no time to offer guidance either.

Yet Bai Ye had actually offered to coach him.

He had even said Sasuke was talented...

"It's up to you. I'll wait for you at the Uchiha Training Ground tomorrow evening after school. If you don't come, just pretend I never brought this up."

With that, Bai Ye sent Sasuke home.

He wasn't offering to teach Sasuke for nothing.

His main goal was to keep Itachi under control.

Itachi was obsessed with his little brother. With Sasuke in his hands, keeping Itachi in check would be a breeze.

That oh-so-filial son was an unpredictable factor.

Besides, Sasuke was Indra's reincarnation, so Bai Ye wanted to see whether he could gain something from him at this stage.

Teaching Sasuke was merely a pretext. What really mattered was using this to keep that oh-so-filial son under control, while also getting Sasuke to accept some of his ideas.

As for anything else, now that he had become Clan Head, he wouldn't be going out on missions anymore anyway.

He might as well teach Sasuke first, then see whether he could use him to make contact with Naruto.

Although for the Uchiha Clan, making contact with Naruto was practically impossible.

After the Nine-Tails' Rampage, the Uchiha had become prime targets for surveillance, let alone being allowed to approach the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Still, he had to give it a try.

Now it was a matter of whether Sasuke would show up.

Even after Sasuke returned home, he was still a little dazed.

All he wanted to know now was, Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?!

Somehow, he seemed to have gained another person willing to teach him...

But now he faced a choice: should he go or not?

Bai Ye had apparently told him to think it over. Once he made up his mind, he could go find him after school tomorrow.

On one side was the person who had taken his father's position as Clan Head.

On the other was a teacher who could make him stronger and make his father and brother see him in a new light.

He was instantly torn.

"Sasuke, what are you thinking about?" Uchiha Mikoto's gentle voice sounded beside him. Snapping out of his thoughts, Sasuke glanced at the stern-faced Uchiha Fugaku nearby and shook his head, saying nothing about what had just happened.

He didn't know whether he should tell them, or whether Uchiha Fugaku would get angry if he did.

Besides, he hadn't made up his mind yet.

If he didn't go tomorrow, he could just pretend nothing had happened.

"Nothing. I was just thinking that my brother's coming home tomorrow..."

Sasuke had remembered that Itachi was coming back.

He seemed to have said it would be tomorrow.

Still wrestling with those thoughts, Sasuke woke up the next morning.

As he was about to leave for school, he saw Itachi waiting at the door. The instant he spotted him, Sasuke excitedly ran over. "Big brother, you're back! Do you have some time off now?!

"Can you teach me some new jutsu?! I've already learned both the Great Fireball Technique and the Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Sasuke no longer knew how long it had been since Itachi last had a break.

Lately, every time Itachi returned, he only stopped by briefly before leaving on another mission.

For some reason, Sasuke suddenly remembered Bai Ye's offer to teach him yesterday.

"Sorry, Sasuke. I probably won't have time today either, and I have another mission tomorrow, so..."

Looking at Sasuke, Itachi sighed. When he saw the slight disappointment on his face, he crouched down and tapped the center of Sasuke's forehead with his index and middle fingers. "This is the last time, Sasuke. Forgive me!"

He truly had no time right now. He and Shisui had just returned today, and they still had to see the Hokage first.

After that, they would probably have another mission very soon.

With those words, he left. He had only come home to see Sasuke in the first place.

Outside the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Shisui was leaning against a utility pole. When he saw Itachi arrive, he straightened up and brushed the dust from his shoulders. "Finished talking?"

"Yes. Let's go, Shisui."

Itachi nodded, and the two went to the Hokage's office together.

When he saw them arrive, Hiruzen Sarutobi set down the documents in his hands, a smile crossing his face. "You're back. Did you stop by the Uchiha Clan just now?"

"Yes... is something wrong, Lord Hokage?"

Shisui asked nervously.

This...

Could returning to the Uchiha immediately after reaching the village be taken as a sign that they had passed information to the clan?!

"Don't be nervous. I only meant that if you visited the Uchiha Clan, you should know they've changed Clan Heads, right?"

A warm smile crossed Hiruzen Sarutobi's face. He had clearly guessed what Shisui was thinking.

"Changed... Clan Heads?!"

Both Shisui Uchiha and Uchiha Itachi froze.

That couldn't be right, could it?!

They hadn't noticed anything when they went back.

"You didn't know?!"

"No. When we went back, Itachi only stopped in to see his younger brother. That was all!"

They really hadn't known!

Seeing their bewildered expressions, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't dwell on it and instead told them what had happened earlier.

As for the exact circumstances, Hiruzen Sarutobi truly didn't know.

That was also why he had summoned them.

Once the two had heard Hiruzen Sarutobi's explanation and digested it...

Their feelings were rather complicated.

"So the Uchiha Clan's current Clan Head is Bai Ye?! Then where exactly... does Bai Ye stand?"

Shisui asked in confusion.

Bai Ye?!

He knew Bai Ye, but he had never understood what he was thinking.

In the past, he had actually tried to bring Bai Ye over to their side, but Bai Ye had refused.

Shisui had tried another time or two afterward, but Bai Ye still seemed unwilling to get involved, so he had finally given up.

What he hadn't expected was for Bai Ye to choose to become the Uchiha Clan's head at a time like this.

"I don't know where Bai Ye stands either, so I need you to ask him. If he shares your position, perhaps there will be room to ease the conflict between the Uchiha and the village."

As Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, his expression grew wistful. "I'm truly sorry for making you two children bear so much..."

Those words from Hiruzen Sarutobi moved both Shisui and Itachi.

"Lord Hokage, this is what we should do. We don't want the Uchiha and the village to keep going on like this either!"

Hearing their words, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with a gratified expression. "Then I'll leave this matter to you."

After Shisui and Itachi left, Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura appeared together.

"Sarutobi, why make this so complicated?! We might as well take action directly!"

"Calm down, Danzo. Let's see where the Uchiha stand first!"

"Yes, let those two ask about Bai Ye's position first!"

Since Bai Ye had taken over, nothing had happened.

But they all knew very well that this was the calm before the storm.

A lack of movement was the most dangerous thing of all.

Back when the Uchiha had constantly clamored about rebelling, they hadn't been worried.

A dog that bites doesn't bark.

"Let's see where the Uchiha stand first. Those two children have both inherited the will of fire. With them there, we can resolve the Uchiha problem."

Heh...

You really are a hypocrite, Sarutobi.

Danzo gave a cold smile.

Still, he said nothing about it. Although he talked about taking action, having Shisui and Itachi probe the other side's situation was indeed necessary.

"Indeed, if things become too dangerous, that won't be good for the village. Let's first see what they intend to do!"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were more in favor of Hiruzen Sarutobi's approach.

Even if they were going to take action, they had to make preparations first.

Acting rashly wouldn't do the village any good.

The Third Shinobi World War had only ended recently, followed by the Nine-Tails' Rampage, and all of the Sannin had left Konoha.

It was fair to say that Konoha was now at its weakest.

If internal conflict broke out with the Uchiha at a time like this...

The other villages wouldn't simply stand by and watch. Even if they hadn't recovered either, they would certainly seize this opportunity to take advantage of the chaos.

Meanwhile, back with Shisui and Itachi in the Uchiha Clan.

After leaving the Hokage's office, the two went straight to see Bai Ye.

When Bai Ye saw them arrive, a playful smile flickered across his lips. "Come in for a chat?"

Sure enough...

He hadn't even needed to seek them out. As long as he became the Clan Head...

These two would come to him on their own.

Neither refused Bai Ye's invitation. This was what they had come for in the first place.

In the living room.

Bai Ye brewed a cup of tea for each of them, then leisurely took a seat. He said nothing, simply sipping his own tea in silence.

He was in no hurry anyway.

After all, he held the initiative.

"Bai Ye, we came to ask where you stand. We don't know why you suddenly chose to step forward and become the Clan Head, but... you know what relations between Konoha and the Uchiha are like right now, don't you?"

Shisui finally couldn't hold back any longer.

He felt he had to speak up and discuss this matter with Bai Ye.

Bai Ye's stance...

After hearing Shisui's words, Bai Ye's lips curved into a smile. Sure enough, Shisui took the bait.

I wasn't worried about him asking. I was worried he wouldn't ask. Now I can really let loose with my views...