Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou [222]

Land of Whirlpools.

"Fugaku, it seems your reputation surpasses even the Hyūga Clan's."

In front of a waterfall, Shirou spoke with a smile, while beside him, the more mature Uchiha Fugaku, with his usually stern expression, forced an awkward smile.

"Shirou, stop teasing me. It's not my reputation that's greater. It's just that wherever the Hyūga main family goes, they are always shielded by the branch family. No matter how impressive their battle achievements are, they will always be looked down upon."

Shaking his head, Fugaku spoke with evident disdain when mentioning the Hyūga main family. His eyes revealed a clear trace of contempt.

It was obvious that the pride of the Uchiha made them despise this kind of behavior—hiding behind others for protection.

Over the years, on the battlefield, the Uchihas had earned respect for always being at the forefront.

During times of prolonged peace, ordinary shinobi might view the Uchihas as arrogant and difficult to deal with. They might even harbor resentment toward their pride.

But during prolonged periods of war, that same arrogance became a trait that all shinobi came to trust.

With an arrogant Uchiha at your back, there was no need to worry. You could entrust your life to them, and they would only say something like, "Don't hold me back."

In times of war, the bonds between comrades were purer than at any other time.

"True."

Seeing the disdainful look on Fugaku's face, Shirou nodded knowingly with a smile.

"The system of the Hyūga main and branch families is indeed disgusting. Especially the branch family's role of protecting the main family. Shinobi are meant to protect the weak, not the other way around."

"And yet, the Hyūga main family is not ashamed of this. Instead, they stubbornly cling to this tradition. To them, it's normal for the weak branch family to protect the strong main family. But what they don't realize is that, in our eyes, they look like nothing but cowards..."

With a mocking smile, Shirou continued to expose the greatest flaw of the Hyūga main family.

Under normal circumstances, this was simply their internal matter. But the Third Hokage had appointed someone from the Hyūga main family as a battlefield commander.

The Third Hokage seemed to have forgotten that what the warriors on the battlefield needed was a leader who was strong enough to lead them to victory—battle after battle.

Not someone who hid behind the branch family for protection and yet dared to think of themselves as strong.

"Shirou, with all you've done for the clan over the years, you might become the first Hokage in Uchiha history!"

Fugaku spoke with a tone of melancholy, his eyes showing rare admiration.

Especially when a shimmering, blue chakra sphere appeared in his palm. Fugaku shook his head and said, "The A-Rank, seal-less jutsu Rasengan. At the very least, I know I don't have the resolve or determination to do what you've done—sharing it with the clan and teaching it to every Uchiha Jonin."

Before the Third Great Ninja War, the Uchiha Clan were known for their Sharingan, shuriken techniques, and Fire Release jutsu. But after the war, they added another iconic jutsu to their arsenal: the Rasengan.

In the Uchiha Clan, any Jonin could learn this A-Rank, ultimate-level technique. Unlike the Chidori, which required the Sharingan or extraordinary dynamic vision and reflexes, the Rasengan had no such limitations.

The Rasengan was a seal-less, non-elemental jutsu.

"An ordinary A-Rank Rasengan... is it really that strong?"

Facing Fugaku's admiration, Shirou responded with a casual laugh, a faintly arrogant smile appearing on his face.

This made Fugaku laugh as well. "That's the Uchiha way."

"Hmm. Perhaps it's not strong for you, Shirou, but for the Uchiha Clan, it's undoubtedly an ultimate-level jutsu. On the battlefield, it's saved countless Uchiha lives."

The Uchiha Clan never lacked powerful ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu. But they did lack an ultimate-level jutsu tailored for specific situations.

Most Fire Release jutsu were large-scale and area-of-effect. A focused, ultimate-level jutsu like the Rasengan was almost nonexistent.

The Rasengan had directly elevated the combat power of every Uchiha Jonin, giving each of them an ultimate trump card.

"Fugaku, don't look at me like that. I only did all this for my ambitions."

Hearing Shirou's frank confession, Fugaku laughed heartily.

"Ambitionless people don't deserve the Uchiha name. So, Shirou, go ahead and pursue your goals!"

The Uchiha were nothing if not straightforward. If you openly declared your ambition, the only responses you would receive were either agreement or rejection—nothing else.

"Lately there have been some people lurking in the shadows of the village. And your eyes—are they alright?"

Fugaku suddenly shifted the conversation, his expression turning serious. His words hinted at something significant.

The implication was clear: the village was aware of Shirou's eyes, and someone was deliberately trying to stir up trouble, perhaps even provoke internal strife within the Uchiha Clan.

"My eyes. It seems some people understand the Mangekyō Sharingan better than we Uchihas do."

With a relaxed smile, Shirou shrugged. His pupils slowly morphed into the distinctive pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"If they call us the evil Uchihas, shouldn't we be allowed to deceive them a little?"

Shirou's playful remark made Fugaku burst into laughter. Especially when he saw Shirou's clear Mangekyō Sharingan, which showed no signs of any issue whatsoever.

With a casual smile, Shirou dismissed the matter. Fugaku, however, understood the true state of Shirou's eyes. After all, Shirou wasn't interested in petty power games—he aimed for the entire ninja world.

"They've underestimated the Uchiha!"

Fugaku's eyes gleamed with Uchiha pride. Trying to elevate Shirou's reputation to provoke a struggle for the clan leadership? Even if there was an issue with his Mangekyō, Shirou wouldn't take the bait. He had already set the Uchiha Clan on the path they had long desired.

"Still, Shirou, while the Mangekyō Sharingan is powerful, a shinobi should never lose their sense of caution."

In the end, Fugaku couldn't help but offer a word of advice, worried that Shirou might become overconfident in his abilities.

The two chatted casually, with no trace of animosity over the clan leadership.

If Shirou were an overly ambitious man, he might have felt dissatisfied and sought to train harder, unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan, and vie for the clan leader position.

But Fugaku, despite appearing career-driven and stern, was inwardly indecisive. He hesitated, second-guessed himself, and feared making mistakes—a man ill-suited to bear the weight of leadership.

For Fugaku, the burden of leading the clan had been suffocating. No matter what choice he made, he feared it would be the wrong one.

When Shirou appeared, others thought Fugaku would feel threatened. But only Fugaku himself knew—he had felt relieved.

Someone was there to make the hard decisions, to carry the weight of the clan.

"Shirou!"

As Fugaku thought this, a flicker of guilt appeared in his eyes. He felt ashamed for shouldering Shirou with the clan's burdens. Yet, Uchiha's pride prevented him from showing his vulnerability.

"Fugaku?"

Seeing Fugaku lost in thought, Shirou looked puzzled. Fugaku quickly laughed, waving it off to change the subject.

"My child was born at the beginning of the war. We were both on the frontlines back then, so I only managed to tell you briefly. Now that the war is over, I'll be counting on you—the strongest Uchiha—to guide my son, Itachi."

"Itachi?"

Hearing this, Shirou froze for a moment before breaking into a smile.

"Naturally, once the war is over and I return, I'll take Itachi as my disciple and personally guide him. Of course, I also have another suggestion. How about Itachi's companions, a girl from the Senju clan and the child of Aburame Shikuro?"

"Senju? Shikuro's child?"

Uchiha Fugaku was stunned for a moment, but then his face showed a look of deep emotion. He nodded gratefully and said:

"Shirou, thank you!"

He wasn't a fool and instantly understood the deeper meaning behind this. The girl from the Senju clan was a signal of a potential political marriage alliance. As for Shikuro's child, Fugaku had heard about him. Although two years older than Itachi, he was also a genius who had inherited the nano-scale poisonous insects.

While Shirou was doing this outwardly to show his willingness to cooperate, it also made it clear that he harbored no ill intentions toward Fugaku's lineage. He was even willing to take Itachi as his disciple.

But Uchiha Fugaku was still deeply moved. This was also Shirou's way of expressing trust and reassurance.

"Fugaku, emotions are emotions, but when emotions combine with interests, that's when they become the strongest."

Shirou laughed as Fugaku nodded solemnly in agreement.

This statement referred to the relationship between the Senju and Uchiha clans but also to the dynamic between them—combining emotions and shared interests for long-term cooperation.

Meanwhile, Shirou narrowed his eyes slightly. Itachi, huh? No matter. Children need to be trained early. After all, Shisui and Kakashi are prime examples of success.

By then, Itachi would become the sharpest blade of the Uchiha!

Just then, a black butterfly appeared on Shirou's shoulder. His expression suddenly shifted.

"Fugaku, it seems I won't have time to talk with you today."

When Fugaku saw the butterfly, his face also turned serious, and he nodded.

"Is it Mikoto's summoning beast, the Hell Butterfly?"

Uchiha Mikoto's summoning beast, the Hell Butterfly, glowed with a faint blue light at night. Rumor had it that the butterfly was connected to the messengers of the Shinigami.

In reality, it had the ability to transmit messages. Additionally, when its wings flapped, they released a light powder that enhanced genjutsu's power and success rate.

...

In the forest.

"Mikoto!"

When Shirou arrived, Uchiha Mikoto looked gravely serious.

"Shirou, I've spotted a ninja tracking us. It's the same monster we saw in Orochimaru's lab…"

Naturally, Mikoto knew about White Zetsu. These matters had already been studied by Orochimaru, Tsunade, and others, so there was no need to hide them.

"Tracking us!?"

When he realized Mikoto had discovered White Zetsu, Shirou frowned. Ever since capturing a clone of White Zetsu last time, he hadn't sensed any surveillance from them.

Perhaps they had been monitoring from beyond his sensory range, but this time, exposing themselves so blatantly was unusual. He didn't believe it was simply an oversight.

In other words, this was deliberately staged by Madara. That means the plan has begun!

Shirou immediately connected the dots in his mind. First, Minato's team was sent on a mission, and now they had discovered these clues.

"Shirou!"

Mikoto's serious voice interrupted his thoughts. She pointed to her fingertip, where another black butterfly rested.

"The Hell Butterfly's powder will only last for a day. Should I investigate further?"

White Zetsu's identity was extraordinary and tied to Wood Release cells, so this wasn't something they could handle lightly.

"No. We'll go together."

"Together?"

Mikoto was a bit surprised. She hadn't expected Shirou to take this so seriously. However, she didn't argue and instead nodded.

"Alright! The person tracking us is heading in this direction…"

With the Hell Butterfly leading the way, the two of them moved swiftly through the forest.

Meanwhile, Shirou's eyes narrowed. Interesting. If Madara was baiting him into coming here, it saved him the trouble of investigating in secret.

He could already guess much of Uchiha Madara's intentions. The earlier exposure of White Zetsu had already raised their suspicions. Naturally, this elaborate plan by Madara wasn't something he wanted anyone to disrupt.

So, the purpose of this operation was clear: to give White Zetsu an identity! An identity that could perfectly cover up everything from before!

...

Meanwhile, on the battlefield of the Land of Whirlpools' forest:

"Kakashi, Rin was captured by Mist ninjas during the mission!"

A heavily injured Konoha ninja rasped, causing Hatake Kakashi's pupils to contract. Memories of Obito's dying words surfaced in his mind.

"Captain Kakashi, Rin's team was ambushed. The target should be over there…"

Uchiha Shisui pointed solemnly in a distant direction. This was the Mist battlefield, after all.

"Shisui, you and Guy escort the injured back. I'll pursue them. If I can't catch up, I'll retreat when appropriate…"

Without hesitation, Kakashi issued his orders. Missions involving infiltration and pursuit required the skill of a Jonin like him. Shisui and Guy, though strong, weren't yet capable enough for such tasks.

Years of battlefield experience had trained even the impulsive Guy to nod seriously.

"Kakashi, stay safe!"

"Disperse!"

Ninjas, known for their mobility, didn't waste time on emotional goodbyes in the chaos of the battlefield. They acted swiftly and decisively.

...

At the same time, in the Mist battlefield:

"Tch, damn it. They assigned us such a crazy mission. But ha, I love it…"

A deranged laugh echoed as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist gathered again, standing on the surface of the sea.

"Enough with the nonsense. This time, our mission is to infiltrate the Land of Fire, then accidentally expose our identities to cover up the village's other secret plans."

Kuriarare Kushimaru spoke coldly. While some of them grumbled in dissatisfaction, none underestimated the dangers of infiltrating the Land of Fire.

Though they were strong—some among them capable of matching Kage-level power when wielding their swords—they were up against countless Konoha ninjas.

"Tch, we get it. Isn't this just a decoy to make the Konoha ninjas think we're on an assassination or sabotage mission?"

Jinpachi Munashi's voice, filled with madness, came from behind his mask. His eyes sparkled with bloodthirsty excitement.

"Kehehe, this time I'll enjoy the bloodbath."

"Shut your mouth! Don't forget what happened last time when we didn't even make it into the Land of Fire!"

At the mention of their previous mission, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's expressions darkened.

Despite their combined strength, which could rival any of the Five Kage, they had suffered a humiliating defeat during their last mission. If not for the timely intervention of the three major ninja villages, they might have been annihilated.

Especially Juzo Biwa, Fuguki Suikazan, and Raiga Kurosuki—those three looked particularly grim.

In the original timeline, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had been reduced to a mere shadow of their former selves, with some even defecting. Yet, to have survived battles against techniques like the Eight Gates shows their undeniable strength.