Chapter 10: The Dangerous Sharingan

The two of them turned around, only to see a small boy with a slight resemblance to Uchiha Itachi, carrying a single-strap backpack and walking towards them with a proud and defiant demeanor.

"Oh, isn't this Second Pillar?" Chiya's face lit up with a mischievous smile.

After frequent visits to the Uchiha clan, Chiya naturally got to know Sasuke.

For some reason, when faced with one of the future Four Uchiha Maniacs, Chiya always had an uncontrollable urge to tease him.

After countless encounters, they'd somewhat become familiar with each other — though just barely. In the future, Chiya still intended to beat some sense into him, given his tendency to show off and challenge stronger opponents.

Time and again, Sasuke would get beaten up, only to recover and think he was invincible again the next day.

Sasuke's face flushed with anger. "I told you already! My name is Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke! Not Second Pillar! And you're just my brother's loser anyway!"

Chiya smirked, "Alright, alright, Second Pillar. But tell me, how do you know I lost to your brother? Have you ever seen us fight?"

"Hmph! I don't need to! My brother is the strongest!" Sasuke's face shone with pride and admiration. Just as he was about to continue boasting, he suddenly realized the insult and angrily barked, "And stop calling me Second Pillar!"

"Sure thing, Second Pillar." Chiya replied calmly.

"You bastard! I said I'm not Second Pillar! I'm Sasuke!" Furious, Sasuke clenched his fists and charged at Chiya.

Unsurprisingly, Chiya easily sidestepped his attack, causing Sasuke to nearly faceplant into the ground.

Watching from behind, Uchiha Izumi's worries vanished as she burst into soft laughter. Looking up at the sky, she murmured, Maybe I was just overthinking things…

…

Far away, two figures stood atop Konoha's tallest building, observing the scene below.

"That's your brother, huh? Can't believe how much he's grown already… And that kid playing with him, who's he? He doesn't seem to harbor any hostility towards the Uchiha like the other villagers do. That's rare," said Uchiha Shisui, the strongest Genjutsu user of the Uchiha clan.

"He's Fujiwara Chiya. We were classmates in the academy. He's close to Izumi, so he doesn't share the same prejudice against the Uchiha," Itachi answered calmly, though there was a subtle tension in his voice.

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you're not very comfortable about him. Did something happen?"

Activating his Sharingan, Itachi's tone deepened. "He's extremely dangerous."

Shisui, startled, immediately activated his own Sharingan to observe. A second later, his pupils contracted in shock. "This… his chakra…?"

"You noticed it too," Itachi said gravely. "Chiya isn't a Jinchuriki, nor is he from the Uzumaki clan, yet his chakra reserves far exceed what's normal for his age. In fact, there are barely a handful of people in the entire village who can rival his chakra amount."

Shisui frowned. "Still… judging him as dangerous based solely on his chakra reserves seems premature, don't you think? Maybe he's just naturally gifted. It's not like he's done anything harmful to the village or the Uchiha."

"No… it's not just that," Itachi muttered. "I have a feeling… there's far more to Chiya than he lets on."

Shisui clapped Itachi's shoulder. "Relax, Itachi. You're under too much pressure from the clan's internal turmoil. Even if Chiya has secrets, as long as he doesn't harm the village or threaten the Uchiha, there's no need to overthink it."

"...Maybe." Itachi deactivated his Sharingan but couldn't shake the unease.

"You didn't tell anyone else about this, right?" Shisui asked.

Itachi shook his head.

"Good. Let him be. Everyone has their own secrets, Itachi. As long as he doesn't become a threat, there's no need to interfere." Shisui let out a deep sigh. "Sometimes, I really envy ordinary civilians. At least they don't have to shoulder so much."

With that, Shisui vanished from sight.

Itachi lingered a moment longer, glancing once more at Chiya. Eventually, he too disappeared.

At the same time, Chiya nonchalantly pressed his hand against Sasuke's forehead, easily blocking his punch. However, his gaze subtly shifted to where Itachi and Shisui had been moments earlier.

They've already left? As expected, there's no such thing as a simple Uchiha… too bad none of them have any social intelligence.

"Chiya-kun? What are you looking at?" Izumi asked curiously.

"Nothing important. Let's go." Chiya turned away, but internally he sighed. Since Shisui has returned, the time for Danzo to target his eye isn't far off…

…

Elsewhere, Shisui knelt on one knee before the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Lord Hokage," he greeted.

As in the original timeline, Shisui reported the recent skirmish with the Hidden Mist and the brewing coup within the Uchiha clan. However, the moment he revealed the existence of his Mangekyo Sharingan's ultimate Genjutsu — Kotoamatsukami, capable of altering one's will without them realizing — Hiruzen's eyes darkened.

"So… your ability is capable of permanently changing a person's mind without them noticing?" Sarutobi turned his back to Shisui, concealing his reaction.

"Yes, Hokage-sama but because the power of this technique is too great, it takes more than ten years to cool down each time it is used. I plan to use Kotoamatsukami on Uchiha Fugaku during tomorrow's clan meeting to prevent the coup." Shisui showed no hesitation.

For a brief moment, Sarutobi's eyes flickered with deep concern and calculation. But he maintained a calm facade. "Very well. Treat this as an official mission from me. Go ahead with your plan — and report to me tomorrow."

"Understood, Lord Hokage." Shisui bowed and vanished.

Alone in his office, Sarutobi's expression darkened. A Genjutsu that can alter someone's will without trace… far too dangerous to remain unchecked.

In his heart, Sarutobi already made his decision — Shisui Uchiha was now a threat. And there was only one man ruthless enough to neutralize such a threat — Danzo Shimura.