028: Shisui's Death, Sasuke's Little Flame

At that moment, within the Hokage Tower, the Konoha Elders were holding a secret meeting in a quiet room. 

The topic?

"Handling the Uchiha Clan."

Ever since the Nine-Tails' Rampage, after witnessing the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes, the villagers had grown increasingly wary of the Uchiha. They constantly plotted to eliminate this "cancer," the only remaining threat to their rule and the village's stability.

Danzo: "Hiruzen, the Uchiha no longer need to exist. What are you still hesitating about?"

"Are you afraid other villages will use this opportunity to wage war? Not to mention the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki is steadily growing stronger. Even among Konoha's new generation, we have Hinata, and Choji, who can be directly deployed to the battlefield and pose a significant threat."

"We can completely take the risk and thoroughly eliminate the Uchiha."

Homura Mitokado: "Indeed. The Uchiha have already lost their footing in Konoha. After so many years as the Konoha Police Force, they've stirred up widespread resentment among the villagers. Now is the best time to strike."

The Third Hokage shook his head, resolutely rejecting their proposal. "It's not time yet. We still lack the opportunity, and a catalyst."

"You all know how strong the Uchiha are. Let's not talk about the person hiding in the shadows who can control the Nine-Tails, whose identity we haven't uncovered yet. Even the current generation of Uchiha cannot be underestimated. Geniuses like Shisui and Itachi are constantly emerging.

"In recent years, due to the rise of prodigies from the Hyuga and Akimichi clans, the Uchiha's main battle faction has become much more subdued. They've even repeatedly postponed their planned coup.

"We'll slowly add fuel to the fire and let them burn themselves. Furthermore... the ideological work on Shisui and Itachi cannot slacken for a moment."

Hearing this, Danzo scoffed mockingly:

"How much longer do we have to wait? You're just too indecisive."

"As for that 'Shisui of the body flicker,'...I'll play the villain for once."

"What are you trying to do? I'm warning you, you better not lay a finger on Shisui. Otherwise..." The Third Hokage reprimanded him sternly, but his eyes were hidden beneath his newly donned hat.

"Heh." Danzo sneered, slamming the door behind him as he left.

...

Unknowingly, more than three months had passed since the start of the school year.

The situation in Konoha had become rather delicate recently. Disturbances frequently broke out in various places; shops were robbed, and pedestrians were mugged.

This infuriated the members of the Uchiha Police Force, who were responsible for maintaining order in Konoha. When they intensified their investigations, their overly aggressive attitude led to several clashes with villagers.

Against this backdrop, the Uchiha held frequent clan meetings.

The main faction who advocated a war and the radicals once again rose to prominence.

A few days later, Shisui, a well known genius in the ninja world, known as "Shisui of the Body Flicker," belonging to both Konoha and the Uchiha, died unexpectedly.

This news, once spread, instantly sent shockwaves through the Uchiha clan.

It then shook the entire village of Konoha…

…

"Brother, train with me on shuriken throwing!"

"If I can reach your level, I can definitely take care of that guy easily."

Within the Uchiha compound, Sasuke called out to Itachi, who was about to leave.

His studies at the Academy had been relatively smooth lately, mostly consisting of theoretical lessons.

The occasional practical lessons were shuriken throwing, his forte. 

And he easily achieved... second place!

Damn it, he was yet again surpassed by that Natsuki.

That guy was just a brute, relying solely on strength (actually, he used a bit of power of gravity). Every throw shattered the target, but his accuracy wasn't necessarily better than his own.

Hearing his younger brother's request, Itachi beckoned to Sasuke with a smile.

Sasuke ran over happily.

Thump!

Before he could get close, two fingers poked his forehead.

"Next time, okay? I promise, next time."

"Always the same excuse, hmph!"

Sasuke pouted, watching his brother walk away. Just as he was listlessly thinking about practicing on his own, a tall figure emerged from the house.

It was his Father.

"Come with me, I'll teach you a new jutsu."

Fugaku patted his younger son's head, his gaze fixed on the retreating figure of his elder son.

"Yes!"

Sasuke jumped up with joy.

Soon, they arrived at the lake dedicated to training the Uchiha's Great Fireball technique.

"Do you know what the symbol on the back of your clothes represents?"

"I know, it's a fan, our clans crest."

"Yes, a fan. A fan can create wind and strengthen fire. The Sharingan made us famous in the ninja world, but Fire Style is the foundation of our clan."

"Today, I'll teach you Fire Style Technique."

Fugaku seemed to imply something more, pausing for a moment after speaking before starting to form hand seals.

He performed the seals slowly so Sasuke could memorize them.

Once the hand seals were complete, a massive fireball erupted from his mouth.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

The scorching flames brought the tranquil lake to a boil. A large amount of water vapor spiraled into the sky.

"Amazing!"

Besides the flames reflected in Sasuke's eyes, there was already a scene of him defeating Natsuki. 

He eagerly formed the hand seals and exhaled:

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Poof~~

A tiny flame struggled to emerge.

A gust of wind passed, and it instantly vanished.

"Sigh, as expected, not as good as Itachi..."

Fugaku sighed softly, dealing ten thousand points of critical damage to Sasuke's pride.

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