Chapter 15:Hyougen's origin

At noon, while I was sitting in my room reading a book about ninjutsu theories that I had borrowed from the clan's library, I heard a knock on the door.

I set the book aside and got up to open it.

Standing there with his usual smile was Shisui.

"Hey, Shisui. What brings you here?" I greeted him and gestured for him to come in.

He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Hyougen, but the clan leader is summoning you. I think it's about yesterday's incident."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh… So you know about it?"

He chuckled lightly. "Well, I know a little."

I didn't press further. Instead, I nodded and asked him to go ahead while I changed my clothes before heading to the clan leader's house.

---

A few minutes later, I was walking through the clan compound toward the house of Uchiha Fugaku.

The house was modest—not too extravagant but not too simple either. I knocked on the door and waited for a moment until it opened, revealing a small child, around four or five years old.

It was Itachi, the clan leader's son.

I looked at him curiously. This was probably only the second time I had seen him. For a brief moment, I couldn't stop myself from thinking: How could this small child be the one who will one day massacre the Uchiha clan?

In a calm and respectful voice, he said, "Come in. My father is expecting you."

I nodded and stepped inside.

Inside, I saw Uchiha Fugaku seated in the living room.

"Welcome, Hyougen. Have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chair across from him.

I sat down and got straight to the point. "Has the investigation concluded? Is that why you summoned me?"

He nodded. "Yes, the investigation is over. We found nothing contradicting your testimony. You have been declared innocent."

I let out a quiet sigh of relief, even though I had known I was innocent. However, I had been worried that Danzo might manipulate the evidence.

But Fugaku continued in a serious tone, "That said… Danzo won't stay silent. He may attempt some tricks, so I advise you to remain within the clan's borders and avoid leaving for now."

His words made sense. I nodded in agreement.

He added, "As for your position as a shinobi, I requested the Fourth Hokage to put it on hold for now. Since your teammates have died, your team has been disbanded. Of course, if you wish, you can serve as part of the patrol guard protecting the clan's territory for the time being."

"Thank you, sir, but I have some money for now, so I'm not in urgent need of work."

Fugaku gave a small smile. "Oh, I forgot that you own a shop. That's good. You can focus on your training then."

Then, his expression suddenly turned serious. "Tell me, Hyougen… Have you awakened your Sharingan? There's no need to hide it from me."

His unexpected question surprised me, but I thought about it for a moment. He didn't seem to have any ill intentions, so I decided to tell him the truth. "Unfortunately, I haven't awakened my Sharingan yet."

He didn't seem too surprised. He nodded and said, "I see… I was planning to teach you some genjutsu techniques, but that will have to wait. In the meantime, you can focus on training with the Fire Release techniques your father left behind, as well as the technique you received from the Fourth Hokage."

"As you say, sir. But there's something I'd like to ask…" I hesitated slightly.

"What is it?" he asked with curiosity.

I gathered my thoughts for a moment before speaking with determination. "I want to know about my parents' past."

He remained silent for a brief moment before answering, "Very well… I will tell you."

Excitement swelled within me.

He said, "Your mother was not from the Uchiha clan. Your father married her several years before the Third Shinobi War. Because she was an outsider, she was somewhat isolated from the rest of the clan."

I nodded with a hint of sadness, recalling how my mother had always seemed lonely, with only two friends, often lost in thought.

Then he continued, "As for your father… he was an orphan, and your grandfather's identity is unknown. There are rumors that he wasn't an Uchiha. His mother passed away when he was six years old."

His words shocked me. I wanted to ask more about the mission in which my parents died, but his expression made it clear that he didn't want to discuss it further.

I left the clan leader's house with my mind full of thoughts.

Maybe this is why I can't awaken my Sharingan… My blood isn't pure, since both my grandfather and mother weren't Uchiha.

But that doesn't matter now. As for the truth about my parents' mission… I can find out when I become stronger. Right now, I don't have the strength to take revenge anyway.

---

At the same time, inside the Root base…

A sharp impact echoed through the dimly lit chamber, followed by a muffled cry.

"You fools… You couldn't even forge evidence properly?" Danzo said coldly as he stared at the kneeling shinobi before him. "Aren't you from the Yamanaka clan?"

The shinobi lifted his head slightly. "Sir, I apologize for failing the mission. We tried, but the investigation was led by the Third Hokage's men, and we couldn't manipulate the results."

Danzo's face remained emotionless, but his voice dropped to a low mutter. "Hiruzen… Always standing in my way. Wasn't it enough that you denied me the title of Hokage? Now you interfere with my plans again?"

After a brief silence, he gave his orders in a firm tone. "Assign a Root operative to monitor Uchiha Hyougen. If he leaves the clan's territory or the village, report to me immediately. Move."

"As you command, sir." The shinobi responded emotionlessly before vanishing.

Left alone in the shadows, Danzo stared ahead, deep in thought.

"Boy… You may have fooled everyone else, but I know you awakened your Sharingan. There's no way you survived a battle against a jonin without it. I will take your eyes… and your unique body may prove useful to Orochimaru."

Then, his voice softened into a near whisper.

"My dear Ayame… Don't worry. You won't be alone for long. I'll send your little teammate to join you soon… I heard you liked him."

He finished his words with a twisted smile before disappearing into the darkness of his lair.