"It's just a family tree. It's hardly difficult. All you need is attention to detail, and that's an Uchiha specialty."
"I'm talking about what's in the scroll."
"Exactly! The scroll I gave you!"
"What are you even talking about?"
Looking anxious, Inabi quickly scanned their surroundings, then pointed at the scroll and lowered his voice:
"I'm talking about the method for awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan. Can this really work?"
?????
Yan froze briefly, then took two other scrolls from inside his clothes and checked them. With quick hands, he swapped the scroll in Inabi's hand for the blue one.
"Oh! Damn! Wrong one! Just pretend you didn't see that. I'll come find you once I've finished testing it."
"Heh!"
Inabi put both hands in his pockets and gave Yan a teasing look. "Want me to pretend I didn't see it? Just seal my memories like this scroll says. I won't resist."
"It's only an idea. I haven't tested it yet! Please don't tell anyone."
"Then leave the scroll with me for safekeeping. I'll find someone to help you deal with Moryo."
"What are you planning?"
Uchiha Yan clutched the scrolls against his chest. "We're at war right now. We can't just go making enemies."
"Actually, you don't need Moryo or the Yamanaka Clan. A Three-Tomoe Sharingan is enough to help you.
"But I'd really like to know whether you can actually awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. Consider this meeting today forgotten."
As soon as he finished speaking, Uchiha Inabi closed and reopened his eyes. Three tomoe spun rapidly in them, and Uchiha Yan froze on the spot.
Inabi's lips slowly curved upward. He picked up the scrolls and used his Sharingan to copy every one into his mind.
Impressive! There's even a training method for casting the Great Fireball Technique instantly.
Heh, I'll seal this memory first, and it'll be unsealed when you awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan! I really want to see which of us awakens it first.
Inabi kept the family tree scroll in his hand, then patted Uchiha Yan on the shoulder:
"Yan, stop spacing out. Go find Kakashi. I'll deliver this scroll to the clan head for you."
"Ah! I was up all night. I'm a little tired. Thank you."
"Go on!"
Uchiha Yan pinched the bridge of his nose. He kept feeling that he had forgotten something, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember.
He had already explained everything, so he didn't dwell on it. Finding Kakashi came first.
By the time he reached the village entrance, Kakashi and Hyuga Taichi had already been waiting for quite a while.
"Sorry! Something held me up!"
"Yan, did you oversleep?"
"Take a guess!"
Uchiha Yan smiled as he spoke. "Should we wait until tomorrow to leave the village? They're choosing the Hokage today."
"Shut up! We're leaving right now!"
Kakashi's words left the other two exchanging glances, and they followed close behind him out of Konoha.
Their trip to the Land of Rain this time was to deliver a letter to Hanzō of the Salamander. None of them knew what it said.
The Third Hokage had given them this assignment personally. It seemed important, but there was actually no danger at all.
After all, it was only a letter, and no one knew about it-unless someone was crazy enough to attack any Konoha ninja they saw.
Uchiha Yan glanced at Kakashi ahead of him. If he remembered correctly, Kakashi should have been escorting the Third Hokage to the capital at this point.
The plot has changed! One of my few advantages will soon be gone.
"Captain Kakashi, do you know the Lightning Clone technique?"
"Yes!"
"Can Lightning Clones be used to gather intelligence? Can they bring back memories?"
"No! Only Shadow Clones can."
"Then can Lightning Clones use ninjutsu and follow your orders?"
"Obviously!"
"Then can you teach me?"
"No!"
"..."
Uchiha Yan didn't want to talk anymore. This man was too cold to get along with a chatterbox like him.
But staying silent wasn't an option either. Kakashi was the easiest person to get the Lightning Clone technique from, and the only person he knew who had it.
"Captain, have you seen the Fourth Hokage's child? A boy or a girl? Red hair or white? Are you planning to take the child as your student?"
"Can you shut up!"
"I'm bored! The Fourth Hokage was a hero of Konoha, after all. We'd like to look after his child in secret too.
"Besides, you're mired in darkness. You're really not suited to raising a child. Let me help you look after him instead.
"I'm sunny, kind, and humble. I know astronomy, geography, and human affairs. I can raise him into a strong-willed ninja with a heart full of sunshine."
Kakashi stopped and slowly turned to look at Yan, a flicker of puzzlement passing through his eyes:
"You think I'm mired in darkness and unfit to teach others? Don't you know how cruel the shinobi world is?"
"Of course I do!"
Uchiha Yan looked unconcerned. "Being in darkness is all the more reason to yearn for the light. Captain Kakashi, you've forgotten what I said.
"If you don't change, the people you care about will leave you again."
"There's no one left!"
Kakashi turned away, his voice flat. "There's no one left anymore!"
"How can there be no one? Obito's chakra is still with you.
"Don't tell me you intend to keep staring into the darkness with an eye the Uchiha Clan has never seen before.
"What kind of person was Obito? Others might not know, but don't you? He was a truly kind person who helped old ladies cross the street."
"One of a kind? It's only a Three-Tomoe Sharingan!"
"Have you ever seen an Uchiha awaken two tomoe right from the start?
"Wait..."
Uchiha Yan hurried in front of Kakashi, staring at the left eye hidden beneath his forehead protector:
"Did you just say three tomoe? Wasn't it two?"
"There's no difference!"
"How did your Sharingan turn into a three-tomoe one? Do you have Uchiha blood too?
"No! I'll have to get the clan head to investigate properly. If you really do, we have to teach you the Uchiha secret technique.
"Otherwise, with your impure bloodline, you won't be able to withstand the Sharingan's drain. It'll affect your development.
"The secret technique will speed up the recovery of your spiritual energy.
"How about this! Teach me the Lightning Clone technique, and I'll get the clan head to teach you the secret technique. I'll even put your name in the family tree!"
Kakashi looked dumbfounded. After all that talk, he still just wanted the Lightning Clone technique? Didn't the Uchiha have it?
If Uchiha Yan's reminder last time hadn't led him to find Naruto, he would have slapped Uchiha Yan to death long ago.
"We'll talk after we finish the mission!"
"You said it! It's settled, then. Once we finish the mission, you'll teach me the Lightning Clone technique, and I'll put your name in the Uchiha family tree."
"Fine, fine! Can you shut up now?"
"Sure!"
Uchiha Yan promptly shut his mouth and quietly returned behind Kakashi to stand beside Hyuga Taichi.
Meanwhile, the Hokage Building had fallen utterly silent. No one had expected the Uchiha Clan, which had always wanted the Hokage position most, to propose that the Third Hokage take office again.
Not only had the clan heads and jonin not expected it, neither had the Third Hokage or Danzo. The Third Hokage nearly choked to death on his own smoke.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
After a string of coughs, the Third Hokage looked toward the Uchiha with deep suspicion in his eyes:
"Fugaku, what did you just say? I didn't quite hear you!"
"I propose that the Third Hokage resume his position. With war approaching, we need an experienced Hokage to lead Konoha to victory."
"We're choosing the Fifth Hokage now. How could a Hokage who has stepped down take office again?
"Fugaku, I appreciate your kindness, but the Uchiha Clan should nominate someone else."
"The Uchiha have no other candidate!"
Fugaku spread his hands, looking helpless. "We've already discussed it within the clan. Every Uchiha jonin will vote against any candidate other than the Third Hokage."
As soon as he finished, Danzo was the first to jump up and challenge Fugaku:
"Jiraiya and Tsunade are here too. Are even they unworthy of the Uchiha's approval?"
"The problem is that Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade don't want to be Hokage! If they did, the Uchiha Clan would support them fully.
"As for a certain someone who wants to be Hokage, he'll have to wait until the Uchiha Clan is wiped out."
Before you continue