Oh, right!
After his rebirth, Madara Uchiha had the cells of the First Hokage, his best buddy Hashirama Senju, inside him.
With that formidable vitality and regenerative ability, swapping eyes like light bulbs really was no great difficulty.
And there was that sneaky old bastard Danzo.
Root had plenty of talent too, so finding a few capable medical-nin was only natural.
Forget it.
At least Fugaku could now count as half an ally.
All that stood between him and being a true brother was a slip of paper bearing his signature, the date, and his handprint.
He could let him know about Shisui.
With that thought, Haruma told Fugaku about Shisui's existence.
"What! Shisui is still alive! And you've been looking after him for a year!"
Shisui Uchiha.
He was not only a genius ninja of the Uchiha Clan, but had also made his name throughout the Shinobi World on the battlefield as "Body Flicker Shisui."
He was also both a mentor and a friend to Fugaku's eldest son, Itachi.
Shisui's death back then had not only caused Itachi to awaken his Three-Tomoe Sharingan on the spot, but had also left Fugaku lamenting his loss for a long time.
Now he had learned that Shisui was still alive, along with the reason he had been forced to take his own life back then.
Fugaku's feelings were incredibly complicated.
But more importantly!
If he could verify that this kid had kept Shisui in the compound for an entire year, that would undoubtedly be the best proof of his foresight, his ability to see the future!
As long as he met Shisui, Fugaku could be one hundred percent certain that this kid's ability to see the future was real!!!
Because of Haruma's flighty personality, Fugaku had previously only been ninety percent convinced that his inexplicable ability existed.
But now...
Fugaku's expression was extraordinarily conflicted and contorted.
Nervousness, anticipation, delight, worry...
Beside him, Haruma watched this vivid display of changing expressions in stunned silence.
It was like a lump of dough being constantly kneaded into different shapes.
Haruma even began to wonder whether Shisui was this old bastard's illegitimate son.
To think he would lose his composure like this upon learning that Shisui was still alive!
Haruma looked at Fugaku strangely and nodded thoughtfully.
That was it!
He had never seen Shisui's parents appear in the anime in his previous life, either. Shisui and Itachi were close in age, and their relationship was incredibly good.
Maybe this old bastard really had gone behind Mikoto's back and played the scumbag with another woman!
Coming back to his senses, Fugaku looked up and asked in a trembling voice, "Can I go with you to the recuperation area to see Shisui?"
All Fugaku wanted at this moment was to talk to Shisui and confirm Haruma's ability!
But when Haruma heard even Fugaku's voice trembling, he became all the more certain of his guess!
Sure enough, this old bastard's relationship with Shisui was anything but ordinary!
He looked so upright and proper, but he was actually a scumbag who cheated behind his wife's back!
Pah!
But this was the old bastard's family business, after all, and Haruma had no intention of pressing him.
Haruma cast Fugaku a disdainful glance!
"Sure."
Haruma said coldly, "Once I've gone back, make sure no one's watching you, then come to my house yourself."
With that, Haruma turned and left coldly. This time, never mind "my dear clan leader"—Fugaku did not even get a cupped-hand farewell.
"What's gotten into him?"
He had given him the money he wanted.
He was also ready to hand over his stock of Sharingan when he went over later.
For a moment, Fugaku was completely at a loss.
Only after a long while did Fugaku murmur, "Does this mean... I'm completely useless to him now??"
As soon as Haruma left the room, he saw Fugaku's wife, Uchiha Mikoto, hanging laundry alone in the courtyard.
Haruma's expression instantly warmed from a snowy night to midsummer.
He greeted the woman sweetly. "Mikoto."
Hearing him while she hung the laundry, Mikoto turned and smiled gently. "Oh, little Haruma! Have you finished talking business with Fugaku?"
When she saw Haruma nod, Mikoto warmly added, "Since you're done, stay and have a meal with us."
"No, thanks, Mikoto. I've still got something to take care of at home."
"All right, then. Go take care of it. Next time you come, I'll cook for you."
Haruma nodded at her words, then looked at Mikoto with a complicated gaze, opening his mouth without making a sound.
"What's wrong, little Haruma?"
"Is there something you want to tell me?" Seeing his hesitation, Mikoto asked outright.
Haruma hesitated for a moment, but finally said softly to Mikoto, "Be careful of Fugaku!"
"Huh!?"
At that moment, Uchiha Mikoto even wondered whether something was wrong with her ears.
Had Haruma just said to be careful of Fugaku? To be careful of her own husband?
"What's wrong with Fugaku?" Mikoto asked instinctively.
Haruma could not bear to deceive this gentle older woman. After hesitating for a moment,
Haruma once again said quietly and solemnly, "Fugaku seems to have an illegitimate son out there!"
"Huh???"
That single sentence from Haruma completely fried Uchiha Mikoto's CPU!
"An... illegitimate son???"
"Based on my observations and analysis, I'd estimate the likelihood at ninety percent!"
Seeing the solemn look on the boy Haruma's face and the sympathy in his expression, Mikoto felt an inexplicable anger seem to flare inside her.
Of course, that anger was not directed at Haruma, but at Fugaku!
But when she remembered that Fugaku came home every day and always told her what he had gone to do whenever she asked, Mikoto reined in her anger.
Thinking of this, Mikoto asked doubtfully, "Surely not? Fugaku always tells me what he's going to do whenever he goes out."
Haruma shook his head. "How do you know he hasn't lied to you and gone somewhere else? Nothing a scumbag says is true!"
"Mikoto! You have to keep a close eye on him from now on! Wherever he goes, you have to know beforehand, then verify it afterward!"
Still bewildered, Mikoto nodded instinctively.
Sure, doing this was a little unfair to that old bastard!
But now that he knew the truth, Haruma really could not bear to watch Mikoto be deceived by that scumbag.
Besides, Haruma had not told Fugaku outright that he had already discovered his special relationship with Shisui.
Even if his guess was wrong, having Mikoto keep that old bastard on a tighter leash would still be a good thing.
"Well then, Mikoto, I'll come see you again when I have time."
Little did Haruma know just how much harm this whole analysis would bring Fugaku!
Having gotten the truth off his chest, Haruma let out a relieved breath, said goodbye, and left.
At noon,
At Haruma's house in the recuperation area.
With bandages wrapped around his eyes, Shisui's expression was unreadable as he sat alone at the dining table, munching on an oversized rice ball.
Meanwhile, Haruma's evil "Keh keh keh" laughter kept coming from the inner room.
For a moment, the scene was rather eerie.
At Fugaku's house in the Uchiha Clan compound.
The atmosphere in the dining room was also somewhat unusual.
Despite the lavish lunch, both Fugaku and Mikoto ate distractedly.
One was preoccupied because he would soon be going to the recuperation area to meet Shisui and confirm Haruma's space-time ability.
The other was preoccupied because of the shocking secret Haruma had presented as fact!
Only the five-year-old boy who had spent the entire morning practicing with kunai at the target range,
Fugaku and Mikoto's youngest son, Sasuke Uchiha, was busily wolfing down his food all by himself.
At just five years old, Sasuke already wore a cool, chuunibyou expression.
After gulping down his meal, he shouted, "I'm done!" and dashed out of the room toward the target range.
He was now working hard with the goal of catching up to his older brother, Uchiha Itachi, in strength.
The first step was to surpass his brother's kunai techniques!