Chapter 99: Masked Man Appears

Shisui, the first true Uchiha genius acknowledged even by other shinobi villages, had committed suicide.

The news quickly caused an uproar in the village.

The last time a powerhouse of this level took their own life was over a decade ago, during the Third Great Ninja War, when Konoha's White Fang died by suicide.

Unlike other Uchiha, Shisui was considered the least Uchiha-like of them all. He often helped others and never displayed the Uchiha clan's typical arrogance. Instead, he was approachable and humble.

He was not only respected among shinobi, but even civilians held him in high regard.

For someone like him to suddenly commit suicide without warning felt unbelievable to many.

Within the Uchiha clan, the reaction was far more intense.

There was no body, only a suicide note. Shisui's abrupt death seemed highly suspicious.

Many elders, including some old relics who had lived through the Sengoku era and knew the clan's darkest secrets, began to direct their suspicions toward Uchiha Itachi.

Incidents like this had occurred in the Uchiha's past. For the sake of power, some would even raise a blade against their closest kin to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

It just so happened that Uchiha Itachi had been absent from the clan meeting that day, giving him both the time and potential motive. He quickly became the prime suspect.

In the face of these accusations, Itachi simply responded with indifference. He gave no explanations, but deep inside, he felt even more disillusioned with the clan.

No one truly mourned Shisui. They only lamented the loss of a high-level combatant.

Hokage Office

Sarutobi Hiruzen was grilling Danzō. "You summoned Uchiha Shisui that afternoon, and he disappeared afterward. Danzō, don't you have anything to say for yourself?"

"This has nothing to do with me."

Danzō responded calmly, having expected Hiruzen's accusations. "Yes, I met with him. I only confirmed the Will of Fire in his heart and whether he had the resolve to take action against his clan."

"You can check Root's duty logs. I only had about a dozen guards present, and Yami wasn't among them. Do you think any of them are capable of taking down the Shunshin Shisui with Mangekyō?"

"Besides, Shisui left a suicide note. Are you saying I forced him to write it? Hiruzen, don't push all the blame onto me."

Danzō's airtight defense left Hiruzen momentarily speechless.

But he still asserted his Hokage authority. "Regardless, you're the prime suspect in this case. To avoid provoking the Uchiha any further, Root is to cease all operations. You are not to deploy without my permission!"

"Hiruzen, isn't that a bit much?"

Mitokado Homura frowned and spoke up for Danzō. "Danzō clearly didn't do this. Why punish him?"

"That's right. This seems excessive."

This sort of thing had happened often.

Whenever Hiruzen pushed Danzō too hard, the two elders would always intervene to keep a balance of power.

Usually, Hiruzen would back down and give them face.

But this time was different.

Hiruzen was unshakably firm.

He was determined to keep Root dormant, no matter what.

The two elders could do nothing.

He was the Hokage. If he insisted, no one could stop him.

Danzō maintained his calm composure.

He simply acknowledged the order and left the office slowly.

He knew this was only temporary.

As long as darkness remained in the shinobi world, Hiruzen would always need him.

Lying low for now would let him focus entirely on his research.

Hyūga Residence

The crisp sounds of sparring echoed from the training room.

Yami was currently helping Hinata train in Gentle Fist.

It was a surprisingly enjoyable experience, feeling those small, tender fists striking him.

Ahem... it felt more like a relaxing massage.

Hinata's strength was just right.

"Master Yami!"

Hinata stopped when she heard the childish voice. A three-year-old girl came running over happily.

Yami smiled, picked her up, and held her in his arms. "Hanabi, sneaking off again?"

"Hanabi didn't!"

She shook her head seriously. "I came after class!"

"Good girl."

That simple praise made her beam.

Yami couldn't help but sigh. Hiashi and his father-in-law sure knew how to produce excellent daughters.

One was sweet and obedient, the other quirky and lively.

Most importantly, they were both incredibly adorable. When they grew up, they'd be stunning beauties.

Hinata, standing off to the side, watched their interaction enviously. With her shy personality, she couldn't act as boldly as Hanabi. She could only watch from afar.

At that moment, a large hand gently rested on her head, ruffling her hair.

"You're cute too, Hinata. You don't have to change anything."

Looking up and seeing the smile on Yami's face, Hinata's cheeks flushed again.

"Alright, Hanabi. Since your training is done, just sit here and watch your sister for a bit."

Setting down the little girl, Yami resumed judo practice with Hinata.

Before long, Hyūga Hiashi arrived. He didn't interrupt, merely watching quietly from the doorway.

Only after Hinata was covered in sweat did Yami signal to stop.

"Hinata, your fundamentals are solid, and your movements are textbook. But there's one thing you need to work on."

Hinata blinked at him. "Please tell me, Master Yami."

"Don't hesitate when you strike." Yami squatted and whispered, "I know you're gentle and don't like fighting. But in this world, sometimes it's unavoidable."

"If you have to hit someone, that person is your enemy. Don't hold back. Strike with everything you've got."

"Yami is right."

Hiashi walked over. "I've told you this many times. Now even Yami says so. You know what you must do. Don't let him down."

"I… I understand." Hinata nodded nervously.

"Don't be too strict, Hiashi-sama," Yami said, gently patting Hinata's head. "Change doesn't happen overnight. Give her time."

Hiashi said nothing more. He sent the girls out to play and brought Yami to the second floor for tea.

"Yami, Hanabi will soon be of age to receive the Caged Bird Seal…"

Hiashi sighed. "Now I understand what my father felt back then. It's truly… hard to decide."

He hadn't lost Hizashi, but he still hoped to abolish the Caged Bird system.

Unfortunately, as clan head, he lacked the power to change the minds of the other main house elders.

"I have a way you can try." Yami set down his teacup and said casually.

"What way?" Hiashi asked, surprised.

"Let Hinata and I get engaged."

Yami suggested something that left Hiashi dumbfounded. "Once we're engaged, Hinata will be part of the Shimura clan. Who would dare brand my fiancée with the Caged Bird Seal?"

"And with Hinata as heir, Hanabi won't be assigned to the branch house either. Everybody wins."

Hiashi's mouth twitched.

Everybody wins?

You steal my daughter, and of course you're happy!

Hinata's only six years old… how can you think like that?!

To be honest, Hiashi had thought about marriage ties with the Shimura family.

But not now. At least not until Hinata was older, had formed her own feelings, and could express her affection for Yami clearly. Then he'd support it.

As for Yami's prior engagement with Izumi, that didn't concern him. In this world, it wasn't unusual for nobles to have multiple wives.

Shinobi might not like it, but it wasn't forbidden.

Still, Yami's method was crude—but effective.

The main family elders wouldn't dare challenge Yami. Before, it was because of Danzō. Now, it was Yami's own deterrent.

Strong, well-connected, and utterly ruthless.

He'd killed Uchiha elders without consequence. No one in Konoha had ever been so brazen. Even Asuma, the Hokage's son, was just a rebellious youth who never dared cross the line.

"But… Hinata is still so young…" Hiashi hesitated.

"It's just an engagement. If Hinata isn't happy in the future, you can cancel it."

Yami shrugged. With Hinata's personality, even if he died early, she'd be a widow the rest of her life. There was no way she'd call off an engagement. He only said it to reassure Hiashi.

Sure enough, that promise helped Hiashi make up his mind.

"Alright, I'll make arrangements."

"Don't rush it," Yami said. "It's not the right time. Let's wait a few months."

Hiashi frowned. "Is it because of Uchiha…"

"Yeah." Yami nodded. "Shisui is dead. The Third is on edge. Let's not draw his attention."

"I understand."

Hiashi still couldn't hold back. "Was Shisui's death connected to the village?"

Yami took a sip of tea and replied flatly, "He awakened a genjutsu that could rewrite a person's will without them knowing."

"It's better that he's dead."

Hiashi blurted out, visibly shaken.

Such an illusion was terrifying. For people in high positions like him, it was worse than death.

Hiashi said sincerely, "I'll handle the Elders' Council as best I can. The rest is up to you, Yami-kun."

"Yeah. Don't be too hard on Hinata. Don't compare her to Hanabi. They're just different."

"…I understand."

After their conversation, Yami left the Hyūga residence and went to Anbu, where Kurenai gave him a piece of news.

"The Third Hokage has appointed Uchiha Itachi as an Anbu captain. He's been transferred to Hokage's direct Anbu."

Without Shisui, Hiruzen had lost his Uchiha observer. Now only Itachi remained.

"That transfer was expected."

"Don't worry about it. It's Anbu—Hiruzen's domain."

"They didn't even tell us when they placed him here, and now he's transferred. Really…"

Kurenai muttered, clearly displeased with Hiruzen's actions.

As a woman, she was more emotional. She already viewed the Third Anbu Division as Yami's. Hiruzen's behavior felt like a lack of respect.

Yami chuckled and gently reassured her. "Itachi's a headache right now. It's better if he's gone."

"If the Third asks me for more people, I'll definitely say no."

"Alright, I didn't come here to talk about that. You haven't trained in a while. Come spar with me and let's see how strong you've… hmm?"

Yami stopped mid-sentence and looked toward the distance.

Kurenai blinked. "What's wrong?"

"I found something. Wait here for me."

With that, he vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.

Naka Shrine

Uchiha Itachi stood before a masked man.

It wasn't their first meeting. This was the one who had killed his teammate, awakening his two-tomoe Sharingan.

"You said… you're Uchiha Madara?"

"That's right."

A scarlet Sharingan with three tomoe appeared through the mask. "Hard to believe, huh?"

"Uchiha Madara died long ago." Itachi said coldly. "If you're going to lie, at least come up with something better. This is laughable."

"Heh…"

The masked man chuckled hoarsely. His Sharingan rotated and morphed into a strange pattern.

Itachi's pupils contracted slightly.

He hadn't believed him before, but seeing the Mangekyō Sharingan now, he was 20% convinced.

"I understand your doubts. You think I died in my battle with Hashirama, right?"

The masked man mocked, "But as a Uchiha genius, surely you know… our clan has a forbidden technique to nullify death itself."

"Izanagi…"

"Exactly."

The man nodded. "I sacrificed one eye to fake my death and came to Konoha with a single goal."

"To take revenge on the Uchiha who abandoned me. The Nine-Tails attack years ago… was just a little gift."

Itachi's eyes sharpened instantly.

In his view, the Nine-Tails Rebellion was the root of everything. Without that disaster, the rift between Uchiha and the village wouldn't have deepened. Shisui wouldn't have died.

Whether or not this man was truly Madara, he was undoubtedly the source of it all.

"I sense your anger."

The masked man sneered. "But do you really think this is all my doing? The village was already hostile to the Uchiha. If you want to blame someone, blame that evil Senju Tobirama!"

Just as he was about to continue, his face suddenly shifted.

White Zetsu's voice rang in his head.

"Someone's coming!"

Swish!

A special kunai shot through the air, piercing the masked man's intangible form before clattering to the ground.

"Seems this conversation ends here. I'll visit you again, Itachi. After all… you're a lot like me."

The masked man vanished like a ghost, and a second later, Yami appeared in his place.

(To be continued.)