Chapter 263 - 256: Uchiha

Hey guys... It’s been a while. I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is I have less than a month to graduattion Yayyy and the bad news I’ll be going into the real world and might have to drop this completely. Well we’ll see how it goes...

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"You want to go pay respect to Minato-sensei?" Kakashi, lost in thought, murmured.

It was true that following Minato back then was an immensely reassuring time. Minato’s early death was the tragic punctuation to his otherwise glorious life. Choosing to bid farewell to the world in a manner most people prefer not to think about was perplexing.

"Yes, speaking of which, I heard that Minato-sensei’s child became the Nine Tails Jinchuriki. Is this true?" Obito askked suddenly, recollecting a piece of information.

"You mean Naruto? That kid isn’t in a good situation as the Jinchuriki,"

Kakashi sighed. He had showed the desire to care for the child, but unfortunately, even Jiraiya couldn’t secure custody of Naruto. Instead, he had no choice but to leave Konoha to avoid the limelight.

For decades, the Third Hokage had managed Konoha, and though the luster of his prestige had faded with age, his authority remained unchallenged.

Danzo’s Root operated in the shadows only made small movements, unable to openly rival the Third Hokage. Any inclination of the Root rising was swiftly suppressed by the Anbu, under the Third Hokage’s command.

Regardless of the pressure exerted by Root, aiming to sway public opinion, the adoption rights of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki remained firmly in the hands of the Third Hokage. Leaving Danzo with no way of getting his hands on the Jinchurimi.

Even Kakashi, as a captain, had sought to raise the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, knowing that his clearance day would inevitably not arrive.

"What is the Third Hokage thinking? I understand a little about the situation with a Jinchuriki, but if Naruto’s identity as the Fourth Hokage’s son were revealed, his situation should improve," Obito frowned.

Due to the instability of the Tailed Beast within a Jinchuriki, they often faced rejection from people of their village. It wasn’t seen as norm.

However, Uzumaki Naruto wasn’t an ordinary Jinchuriki. His father, the Fourth Hokage, and his mother, a member of the Uzumaki clan. For both of them who were ninjas who had made great contributions to the village their child shouldn’t be treated so harshly, even becoming the target of hatred in the eyes of the villagers.

"The situation isn’t so simple," Kakashi said, pulling out his book from his bag. Leaning against the wall, he turned to the damaged part and continued reading. As he explained to Obito, "Minato-sensei was only in the office for only a year, he had very few departments under his hands. Most of them are now under the hande of the Third Hokage, including me. I haven’t received unnecessary suspicion these years because I saved Jiraiya but others might not be as fortunate. For example Nara Shikaku, he was appointed Jonin squad leader mainly because of the Nara clan’s support, an agreement between the Sarutobi and Nara clans. In terms of trust... he’s likely on the Third Hokage’s watch list."

"The situation in Konoha is truly complicated."

With the knowledge he had from the Land of Demons, Obito thought he had some insight into Konoha’s affairs. However, Kakashi’s revelations revealed a level of internal discord far more severe than he had imagined.

"Without external pressure, the internal rule will naturally be shaken. After all, the Third Hokage’s influence isn’t as unchallenged as it once was. Danzo who had exposed Naruto’s identity as the Jinchuriki likely wanted to test the Hokage’s response. Since then, Root’s expansion has increased more andmore, making them become one of the Third Hokage’s main targets."

Concerning another potential threat, Kakashi refrained from mentioning it—Obito’s clan, the Uchiha clan. Due to the Nine-Tails incident, the village’s senior management had grown deeply wary of the Uchiha.

This was information Kakashi only acquired after becoming a captain, as he was now responsible for monitoring the Uchiha as well.

Recently, the Uchiha internal meetings had become more and more frequent. If this trend continued unchecked, the conflict between Konoha’s senior management and the Uchiha clan would inevitably escalate sooner or later into a full-blown confrontation, which would inevitably lead to chaos inside Konoha.

Kakashi was uncertain about the Third Hokage’s thoughts. He couldn’t believe that the Third Hokage, with his decades of ruling experience, was oblivious to this hidden danger.

However, there was a non-interference approach towards the Uchiha and at the same time increased Anbu surveillance. This was indeed a top-secret order issued by the Third Hokage to the Anbu.

Throughout tthe past the Third Hokage has always adopted a relatively gentle policy towards the Uchiha, focusing on peaceful negotiations. This active surveillance of the Uchiha was a contrast from the norm, and it left Kakashi confused.

"It’s really troublesome, but forget it. These are Konoha’s internal affairs, and I’m not qualified to comment as an outsider,"

Obito had complicated feelings for Konoha. In the past, he had diligently worked towards the goal of becoming Hokage. However, upon Rin’s ’death,’ he realized that his true desire wasn’t the title of Hokage but the approval of a certain girl. Becoming the Hokage had merely been an excuse for him to become stronger, masking his genuine intentions.

Furthermore, he was now living well in the Land of Demons, and as he gradually established himself there, his longing to return to Konoha had faded.

"Really? You’ve really changed a lot, Obito," Kakashi commented, glancing at Obito.

"In what way?"

"I thought you were just going to beat me up."

"Did that really happen back then? Well, there was an urge to beat you up back then, but you were just following orders, right? Blame that scumbag for being despicable and treating us like monkeys,"

Obito retorted, his face filled with resentment. While he had initially complained about Kakashi, with time, his grievance had faded.

After he thought about the incident, Obito found it uncomfortable to realize that he, Rin, and Kakashi had been pawns in the power play between Shiraishi and Uchiha Madara.

Kakashi couldn’t deny it. He had recognized Shiraishi’s evil earlier than Obito. As he grew accustomed to it, he no longer found it repulsive. He probably learned it as well.

During this conversation, Obito took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Kakashi, intentionally avoiding Kakashi’s inquiring gaze.

"This is a letter from Rin. She wanted me to deliver it to you personally,"

Kakashi smelled a strong scent of jealousy. Accepting the letter, Kakashi looked at Obito suspiciously. "Did you open it on the way?"

"How could I something so shameless?" Obito retorted, glaring at Kakashi.

"Really? I remember you secretly hiding Rin’s hairband or something like that the past..." Kakashi teased.

"That’s all in the past. Why are you bringing it up now?" Obito blushed in defense, but his tone was no longer as confident as before.

"I’ve always found it suspicious. But isn’t Rin missing her memories? why would she write to me?"

"Absence of memory doesn’t mean complete loss of memory. Under the treatment she received, Rin is much better now," Obito explained.

"Well, let me see what Rin wrote."

Kakashi closed his book, returning it to his bag, and proceeded to open the envelope containing Rin’s written letter.

Obito stood on his toes, his neck stretched long, appearing deeply interested in what Rin had written. Kakashi cleverly adjusted the letter’s position so that Obito could see it without seeming visible. He nodded repeatedly while clicking his tongue, seemingly affirming something, which left Obito feeling a bit unsettled.

’B*stard Kakashi, what did you see?’ Obito impatiently wondered.

"Well, Kakashi, what did Rin write to you in the letter?" Obito still couldn’t help but ask.

"Oh, do you care, Obito?" Kakashi looked at him.

"No, no, just a little curiosity." Obito’s eyes flickered back and forth.

"It’s not something bad. Um, how should I put it? It’s something between adults."

"Something between adults!?"

Different from Kakashi’s straightforwardness, Obito froze as if struck by lightning, wearing a blank expression. Observing Obito’s stunned look, Kakashi narrowed his eyes, seemingly pleased.

"Oh, i was just lying to you. It’s just a very ordinary greeting. I didn’t expect you to take it seriously."

"Ah?"

"Take it, don’t you really want to see it?"

Kakashi generously handed over the letter to Obito. Obito eagerly received the letter, quickly scanning its contents. As Kakashi had stated, it contained simple greetings between friends, with no ambiguous content.

"You are really despicable, Kakashi. You almost deceived me," Obito said, glaring at Kakashi fiercely.

"Ah.. weren’t you already deceived?" Kakashi blinked innocently.

"That was my carelessness!."

"You haven’t grown up at all, I take it back. You’re still the same as before. Once things involving Rin are mentioned, your thought process is zero. For ninjas, this is a very fatal weakness."

"It has nothing to do with you. I’ve delivered the letter. Next, I’m going to pay my respect to Minato-sensei and move over to grandma’s. I don’t know how long it will be until we meet again. In short, you should be careful in Konoha. I won’t want to hear news of your death one day. But seeing how bad you currently are, it may be difficult for you to die."

Although unhappy with Kakashi’s playful act, Obito still reminded Kakashi to be careful in Konoha. While lacking experience as a spy, Obito understood that the life of a spy was challenging, far from how it seems on the surface.

After conveying his concern to Kakashi, space ripples, like a whirlpool, appeared around Obito’s body, swallowing him as he vanished from the room.

....

It had been more than half a month since she entered Konoha ninja academy.

Kazuhime had gradually accustomed herself to the learning rhythm of Konoha Ninja School, seemingly handling it with ease.

Despite the short time frame, she had already undergone a written test and a practical class, achieving top grades in her class. While others saw this as a commendable achievement, Kazuhime viewed it as an expected outcome with no reason for pride.

Interpersonal communication presented no significant issues. She didn’t have an air of superiority as the top student, making it easy for her to get along with classmates and form her own group, despite being a transfer student.

However, there was one thing concerning to Kazuhime. The homeroom teacher of Class A, the second grade she was in, appeared to pay too much attention to her.

During class, he kept observing her discreetly several times, making her wonder if he harbored any strange hobbies. So, after class one day, Kazuhime took the initiative to find the teacher in charge of her homeroom, seeking clarification.

"Fujimura-sensei."

"It’s Mahiru-san, what’s the matter?"

The middle-aged man, surnamed Fujimura, sat with a fat body and a biv belly. He paused in grading homework, lifting his head in surprise at the transfer student, who seemed to have important matters to discuss with him.

To be honest, he was quite curious about Kazuhime’s identity. She was the transfer student personally entrusted to his care by the Third Hokage. At this point, it was unusual for a new student to arrive, and the Third Hokage’s personal explanation hinted at the extraordinary nature of this transfer.

He considered Kazuhime to be a mysterious girl harboring many secrets, given the personal attention from the Third Hokage and the unfamiliar ’Mahiru’ surname, unheard of in Konoha for decades.

"Nothing special, I just want to know, why you keep observing me secretly during the class?"

"Uh... is that obvious?"

"Ordinary people may not be able detect it, but to me, it’s no different from an open book. Today is no different, you have observed me eleven times."

Kazuhime trusted her insight ability, although, as a student, it was inappropriate to belittle her teacher this way. Nonetheless, she believed that Fujimura-sensei was weaker than her, making it easy for her to notice his observations.

"Haha, Mahiru-san’s eyesight is really sharp." Fujimura scratched his head in embarrassment.

"In other words, are you admitting it Fujimura-sensei?"

"Yes."

Fujimura nodded, acknowledging the observation since he was found out.

"Then, what is your reason for secretly observing me? Or is Fujimura-sensei actually a perverted lo*ic*n?" Kazuhime gave Fujimura a dangerous look.

"Ahem, that’s too rude, Mahiru-san. I don’t have such a bad habit. Why would you think of such a thing?"

Fujimura was startled by Kazuhime’s bold assumption. Fortunately, there was no one else in the office; only he and Kazuhime were present. Otherwise, the words Kazuhime used could have caused him considerable trouble.

"Why is that? It’s useless to lie in front of me. Even if it’s a battle, dealing with a mere Chunin will be easy for me."

Kazuhime was confident in her abilities. Even without releasing the seal in her body, she felt more than capable of handling a Chunin.

Fujimura, upon hearing Kazuhime’s threatening words, didn’t feel angry but looked at Kazuhime blankly, seemingly caught in some memory.

"It’s too similar, Mahiru-san."

"What?"

"Whether it’s the serious expression or the rude tone towards sensei as a ’merely chunin,’ it’s very similar to a student I taught in the past."

"Well..."

This response was unexpected; Kazuhime didn’t anticipate that Fujimura-sensei would pay attention to her for this reason.

"That is to say, you have been observing me secretly just because I’m similar to a student from your past?"

"Yes. Every time I see Mahiru-san taking class seriously, i feel like I’m twenty years younger." Fujimura said with emotion.

"Troublesome, is it the self-delusion of a middle-aged man?"

This look of contempt towards him was remarkably similar, almost like a carbon copy. If it weren’t for the certainty that those two people had left Konoha, he would have thought that Kasuhime was the child of those two.

But how was that possible? They were already notorious traitors of Konoha; even if they had children, it was impossible for them to be present in Konoha.

After clarifying her doubts, Kazuhime left the office. As Fujimura observed Kazuhime’s departure, he subconsciously scratched the thinning hair on the top of his head.

"Well, I’m really getting younger and younger, and the feeling of being back to twenty years ago keeps getting stronger."

Unfortunately, there was no going back.

Cultivating three outstanding ninjas was indeed a glorious achievement a teacher could take pride in for a lifetime. However, thinking of the students he valued the most, they all later became Konoha’s notorious S-rank rogue ninjas.

This, he thought, was like a trick of fate. Yet fate wasn’t entirely playing tricks on him, for now, it had given him hope again.

He has been engaged in education for two or three decades, Fujimura could distinguish between a genius and an ordinary person at a glance. In his opinion, Kazuhime was even more outstanding than even Uchiha Ruri from the past, or Uchiha Itachi who graduated from academy a year ago.

Determined to train Kazuhime into an excellent ninja, Fujimura felt resolute at this moment.

....

In the laboratory.

"How’s Kazuhime in Konoha?"

After returning from Shikkotsu Forest, Ruri, despite her indifferent appearance, still cared about Kazuhime’s situation in Konoha.

After all, It differs from the Land of Demons. Any unexpected accidents would be challenging for them to handle.

"Don’t worry. According to the report, Kazuhime has officially enrolled in Konoha ninja academy. And I’ve instructed her to write two letters every month regularly, people from the merchant association will send them over. There won’t be any problems."

Shiraishi has made all the arrangements since sending his daughter to Konoha temporarily. Even in the event of an unforeseen incident, he would be a able to safely transfer her out of Konoha without harm.

As long as she attended the academy, fulfilled her duties as a student, and avoid drawing too much attention, there shouldn’t be any issues.

Konoha’s high-level executives won’t continually keep an eye on a princess from a neutral country.

Ruri felt relieved hearing Shiraishi’s reassurances. Shiraishi picked up a test tube, calmly preparing a drug.

"Speaking of which, according to Kakashi’s work report, he’s currently assigned to the Anbu responsible for monitoring the movements of the Uchiha clan. It used to be just Danzo who mistrusted the Uchiha clan, but now it’s likely that the Third Hokage has lost trust in them as well."

When Shiraishi mentioned this, he intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Ruri. The Uchiha clan is, after all, Ruri’s maternal clan. He thought that since this issue involved Ruri’s clan, it would be better to inform her.

"Surveillance?"

Although Ruri anticipated that the Uchiha clan’s situation would be ver bad after the Nine Tails incident, she didn’t expect it to deteriorate to this extent. And this time, it wasn’t just Root, but even Anbu was tasked with monitoring the Uchiha.

As Shiraishi had mentioned, Konoha’s high-level mistrust of the Uchiha was no longer an individual matter but a collective vigilance.

"The Third Hokage’s authorityis declining, and he’s likely more concerned about the consequences of his actions. He’s no longer as confident as before in controlling the situation. Monitoring the Uchiha is merely a manifestation of his lack of confidence."

"That sounds truly pitiful."

This statement carried a tone of sorrow, addressing not only the Uchiha but also the ninjutsu professor, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"So, what’s your plan? If you intend to get involved in Uchiha affairs, I can deploy some spies in Konoha for assistance."

While changing Konoha’s high-level perspective on the Uchiha was impossible, reaching out to the Uchiha clan members was within reach. Being of the same clan, even though Ruri was now a rogue ninja, it was unlikely that Konoha’s Uchiha would be so heartless as to forsake the bond of kinship.

"What’s the point of doing that?"

Ruri laughed bitterly. Rather than saying she abandoned the Uchiha, it was more accurate to say that she’s the lost dog who was kicked out of the Uchiha clan

Seeing the pain in Ruri’s eyes, Shiraishi understood that she still couldn’t let go of the past events in the Uchiha clan.

Pushed to a dead end by the Uchiha Sora, she chose to escape from konoha with her loyal subordinates as a last resort. This remained an everlasting thorn in her heart.

"I don’t think so."

"What?"

"Many things were too coincidental at the beginning."

Especially the pair of Mangekyou Sharingan that Uchiha Miyoko gave him. That’s to say, after Uchiha Madara and his brother and before Uchiha Obito awakened his eyes, another member of the Uchiha clan awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan.

It’s ust that he couldn’t be sure about the Uchiha who had awakened the eyes.

There were two people he suspects.

One is the elder Uchiha Sora, who lived in seclusion and abdicated after Ruri defected.

The other person was a disciple of the Second Hokage, the Uchiha ninja whose cause of death was a mystery—Uchiha Kagami.

If Uchiha Kagami used Izanagi to escape death, just like Madara did, to avoid the scrutiny of the world and plan something behind the scenes... In Shiraishi’s view, it was a plausible course of action.

With Madara as a lesson from the past, adding another Uchiha Kagami isn’t far-fetched. Besides, the cause of Uchiha Kagami’s death was even more mysterious than Madara’s.

"Coincidence? I don’t think there is any coincidence. Moreover, no matter how difficult the situation of the Uchiha clan is, they still firmly hold the throne as the number one clan in Konoha. In the face of absolute power, Konoha’s senior management can only resort to some discreet tricks."

"Are you referring to the rising star of the Uchiha clan, Shisui? Recently, he has indeed gained a great reputation in the world. I’ve heard reports saying his flicker is as fast as the Yellow flash. His accomplishments in genjutsu are rumored to surpass even his flicker."

Although it was just a rumor, the widespread circulation of this information suggested that Uchiha Shisui, bearing the name "Shisui The Flicker," was no ordinary ninja.

CThinking about it this way, Shiraishi felt that he might have been too concerned.

Regardless of the Uchiha clan’s hardships, they are still capable of producing powerful ninjas like Uchiha Shisui, deterring outsiders from acting recklessly.

Given the hesitation displayed by the Third Hokage at this moment, he lacked the audacity to directly attack the Uchiha clan, as it would fundamentally destabilize Konoha’s rule.

It’s merely a matter of using so-called strategic maneuvers to maintain the status quo.

"Alright."

At this moment, Shiraishi set down the test tube in his hand and released a long breath.

"Did you succeed?"

Ruri’s expression showed considerable emotion.

Shiraishi nodded, glanced at the newly prepared substance in the test tube, and smiled at Ruri. "Well, next, we can turn these into finished products. The risk has been assessed, and it won’t pose a threat to life. Just avoid using too much at once. After all, it’s the first time using it. Whether it could enhance the pupil power of the Sharingan still needs to be tested."

"Well, thank you."

"It’s nothing. This is my main research focus. Unfortunately, the negative power of Zero Tail is still insufficient, resulting in a lack of purity in the drug. Even if it were able to increase the pupil power of the Sharingan, the impact may not be large. For you, the effect might be close to zero."

This was only natural. Ruri’s normal pupil power has surpassed that of Obito, who possesses a Mangekyou Sharingan, and the auxiliary effect of drugs should be limited.

However, if these drugs are administered to the rest of the Uchiha clan, it could enhance the pupil power of their Sharingan.

Shiraishi’s original intention was not to create these drug to enhance Ruri’s pupil power, but for the benefit of the others in the Uchiha.

After dealing with the Sharingan, next, was the Byakugan turn. Without maintaining the balance, Ayane will undoubtedly be displeased.

Shiraishi felt that he had the most challenging task.

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T/N: So yea I’m a computer major it’s been truly hectic for me these past months. Well it’s good to be back for a bit.