Chapter 107: Too Regrettable, This Is Reality (5k)

"How's the situation, Dad? You didn't hurt them, did you?"

On the other side, Hui hurried to the spot where Konoha had slipped through the breach; from afar he saw his own father with several people forming a circle outside the formation, occasionally pointing at the dozen or so inside as if discussing something.

"Why did you come?"

The few people were startled when they saw Hui run over himself, and Yizheng seemed to realize something, his expression tense as he looked at him.

Hui let out a light hum, puffed out his chest and said, "Shisui has succeeded; from now on, he should be called the Clan Leader."

"Shisui succeeded? That's wonderful!"

"Truly worthy of Shisui, we indeed didn't place our trust wrongly."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, cheering together; after Yizheng exhaled, he furrowed his brow and asked, "What about Clan Leader Fugaku?"

The few fell silent instantly, exchanging glances, then looked toward Hui.

Hui shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

"The news should arrive soon; the top priority is to dismantle the Barrier and immediately capture all the ninjas inside the formation!"

At once, Hui relayed Shisui's orders to the others, who immediately nodded and eagerly volunteered to take charge.

It was then that Yizheng pointed at the ninjas in the formation and said, "Brother Yi's Octagonal Cage is indeed impressive; look at them."

Hui followed his pointing; he saw a dozen or so inside the formation moving erratically, faces tense, many drawing long knives to swing wildly at the air, while others kept jumping, dodging and weaving.

At the front, a person even picked up two stones from the ground, tucked them into his chest as if treasures, his gaze resolute as he kept slashing, occasionally forming a seal and shouting, "Wind Release—Great Breakthrough."

But nothing came out; instead he rolled to another's side, handing the stone to the other, apparently to cut off the rear.

The crowd couldn't help but laugh; Hui let out a cold hum, noting the stone‑wielding guy, feeling he harbored ill intent.

"Notify the others to stop the formation; you all prepare and act immediately."

"Yes, Captain!"

On the other side, at Fugaku's house, several clan elders began to disperse one after another, and the ninjas spread outward to deliver post‑event notices. They had intended to leave some people to watch Fugaku, but at the Elder's insistence only a few ninjas remained stationed outside the courtyard.

The Elder knew that if Fugaku tried to leave, these people could not stop him at all.

At this moment, he, still fuming, pointed at Fugaku with Badai's support.

He opened his mouth but held it back, then looked at Badai and ordered, "You also go out, watch the outside, and don't let anyone approach."

Badai, though puzzled, nodded and left.

Fugaku glanced at the two, of course knowing what the Elder meant, but it no longer mattered; after all, he was no longer the Clan Leader.

He immediately stood to leave the corridor, unwilling to engage, but the Elder forcibly held him; Fugaku sighed at the gray‑haired Elder and had no choice but to sit back down.

Mikoto, seeing the scene, quietly laughed and brought tea for the two, then left of her own accord.

"You, you, you!"

The Elder pointed at Fugaku, trembling with anger, and whispered, "You useless one, why didn't you tell me with those eyes!"

"The more people know, the greater the danger," Fugaku replied casually.

"You don't even trust me; how could I have wasted so much effort supporting you to become Clan Leader! And even gave Mikoto to you!"

"You had no choice."

"You"

A flippant remark nearly made the Elder choke on his own blood with anger; yet it was the truth. The Elder let out a sigh, then went on rambling.

Fugaku crossed his arms, his expression calm, letting the Elder speak, yet he said nothing.

After berating him for a while, seeing Fugaku unmoved, he finally realized that Fugaku was no longer the Clan Leader; his burdens and worries had fallen onto Shisui, and from now on he only needed to guard the ancestral hall and live a peaceful life.

"Do as you wish, I won't bother you any more!"

The Elder let out a cold hum, rose and left; Fugaku watched his departing back, raised an eyebrow, and slowly shook his head.

"Shisui, what should you do about this now?"

"That's how it is; thanks to the support of several clan elders and members, Clan Leader Fugaku had to agree to decide by clan council vote whether to step down, so I could successfully stop him."

"Of course, without the Third Hokage's trust and support, the Uchiha would probably have headed toward destruction under Fugaku's leadership. Thank you, Third Hokage!"

Shisui bowed his head, his demeanor respectful, his words filled with reverence as he recounted the night's events to the Third Hokage in the Hokage Tower.

The Third Hokage laughed, his face creasing, continuously nodding and praising; after Shisui finished, he asked, "Truly worthy of Shisui, you even thought of this."

Shisui lowered his eyes, blushed slightly and smiled, explaining, "No, how could I know such a complex matter? It was taught to me by the elders; everyone's heart actually leans toward the Leaf Village, which is why they were willing to help me."

The Third Hokage smiled gently, even more satisfied, and whispered, "Those elders indeed have great foresight; after you become Clan Leader, you can heed their counsel more."

"Yes! Truly worthy of the Third Hokage, I will remember it firmly," Shisui replied immediately, without hesitation.

"As the Hokage, I theoretically should not interfere in your clan's affairs; I'm only offering advice, however..."

The Third Hokage nodded, then hesitated a bit; seeing Shisui's curious expression, he said, "I just don't know how you plan to deal with Fugaku?"

Mentioning this, Shisui's expression turned uneasy; he lowered his head, his voice tinged with apology, "I'm sorry, Third Hokage. Although Lord Fugaku has erred, he is still my elder; I truly cannot act against him, so I have temporarily imprisoned him, intending to later have him guard the ancestral hall."

Hearing this, the Third Hokage fully relaxed, patting Shisui's shoulder and saying, "No problem. In the end the Coup never really happened, so let's not bring it up again. Let Fugaku live peacefully as an ordinary ninja."

"The Third Hokage's generosity could contain the entire Leaf Village!"

"Hahaha, that's the first time I've heard such praise; I'll take it as a compliment. It's getting late today, you should return to handle clan affairs; starting tomorrow, you will be the Clan Leader."

"Shisui will always be your subordinate."

"Hahaha, having you in the Leaf Village is truly a blessing!"

Leaving the Hokage Tower, Shisui saw Danzo on the road; Danzo stood in the shadows with a scowl, turning his body to meet Shisui's gaze, as if he had been waiting there just for Shisui.

"You think stopping the Coup lets the Uchiha integrate into the Leaf Village? Naïve!"

Shisui's expression remained calm, replying softly, "I trust the Third Hokage; he will certainly accept the Uchiha."

"Even if Rizhan is willing to trust you, I will never trust you; there are many like me who remain wary of you. What can you say?"

"Why does Lord Danzo hate the Uchiha so much?"

"Because you are filled with hatred and sin; you are a hateful clan."

"Who defined this?"

"It needs no definition; it has been so since ancient times."

"I see."

Shisui's eyes shifted, three tomoe emerging, meeting Danzo's gaze once more before quickly returning to normal, then he slowly departed.

Danzo's pupils contracted sharply, instantly falling into a genjutsu, his face full of disbelief, surrounded by darkness on all sides, a whispered phrase echoing endlessly in his mind.

"Lord!"

A soft call roused Danzo, and he came to his senses looking at the group of bruised and battered Root members before him.

"He actually dared to lay hands on you, Lord—shall we take him down?"

Danzo looked back at Shisui's retreating figure, his eyes growing increasingly gloomy, but after seeing the state of his men, he still chose to leave.

By the time Shisui returned to the clan grounds, the Barrier had already been withdrawn, and the Konoha Elite Forces stationed outside had largely departed, leaving only a few on guard.

The moment he stepped into the clan grounds, Shisui finally breathed a sigh of relief; his conversation with the Third had left him more exhausted than a fight with Fugaku.

He ran nonstop toward home, but as he neared the alley, Shisui's expression suddenly changed.

"Who's there?"

He leapt abruptly onto a utility pole and flung a kunai toward a dark corner.

With a soft thunk, the kunai pierced flesh.

The world was a vast expanse of white; in the darkness, the specks of red upon the snow were inconspicuous, but Shisui's eyes had already taken the form of three tomoe.

Under the three-tomoe Copy Wheel Eye, Shisui clearly saw a small white snake struggling unconsciously beneath the kunai.

Shisui's expression was calm as he said softly, "Lord Orochimaru, visiting late at night—might there be some urgent matter?" A cold wind blew past; all was silence.

A figure slowly emerged from the darkness—the person had long black hair, purple eye markings extending to the bridge of the nose, and pale skin concealed beneath a loose white robe.

He approached step by step, soundless and without a trace.

"As expected of Shisui-kun. I hadn't thought I would be discovered."

Orochimaru stood in the snow, looking up at Shisui, and after their eyes met, spoke in a slow, unhurried tone; his voice was slightly hoarse and magnetic, and the look in his eyes as he regarded Shisui was full of admiration.

Shisui sensed the cold, sinister aura on Orochimaru—one that had grown increasingly close to that of Root's people—and said, "Had I not seen this little snake, I would have thought you were Danzo's man."

As he spoke, Orochimaru watched Shisui leap down from the utility pole, then lock onto his presence and ask, "So, Lord Orochimaru, can you tell me why you would appear at the Uchiha clan grounds at this hour?"

Sensing the change in Shisui's bearing, Orochimaru merely chuckled, "I merely heard some interesting things and came to take a look while I was at it.

As expected of a clan with a thousand-year legacy—what a peculiar Barrier. Even I cannot conceal myself while sneaking in covertly, so Shisui-kun really needn't be so tense. I only just entered and have done nothing."

"I see. If it's convenient, I would ask that you leave, Lord Orochimaru. I worry that if you are discovered by my clansmen, it will cause a commotion."

"Hehehe, since Shisui-kun does not welcome me, then I shall take my leave."

Orochimaru smiled, his tone relaxed, and did not insist; he glanced behind Shisui, then turned and departed.

But Shisui suddenly spoke, "Starting tomorrow, I will be the head of the Uchiha clan. If Lord Orochimaru is merely visiting, you are welcome anytime; but if you harbor other intentions—please forgive me, for I cannot tolerate anyone harming my clansmen, especially the children of the clan."

At the mention of children, Orochimaru's eyes shifted slightly; with his back to Shisui, he licked his lips, "Uchiha children truly produce an endless stream of geniuses, however—"

The corners of Orochimaru's mouth curved up slightly, and a long white snake, hidden in the snow, slowly slithered behind Shisui, then shot up and coiled around him, binding him tightly.

"Shisui-kun, do you truly have the power to protect all of this?" Orochimaru smiled, then turned to face Shisui.

The giant white snake seemed to receive a command; it pressed close to Shisui's cheek, flicking its tongue, then opened its enormous maw in a display of intimidation.

Shisui's expression remained calm; he merely watched Orochimaru quietly with his Copy Wheel Eye.

"The power of the Uchiha is not something a person like you could ever imagine."

The words had barely fallen when Orochimaru's pupils contracted; he felt a pressure closing in from all sides, and when he came to his senses, the scene before him had instantly reversed—Shisui stood calmly in the distance, while the white snake was tightly coiled around his own body, its enormous maw slowly closing in to bite his neck.

Orochimaru's pupils trembled, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead; he looked at Shisui, his eyes filled with disbelief.

That someone of his ability would fall under a mere Copy Wheel Eye genjutsu.

"Genjutsu—when?"

Bound by the white snake and unable to free himself, the white snake also seemed to be controlled and completely ignored his commands; his expression twisted, then he opened his mouth wide, and another small white snake slowly crawled out from within.

After the small snake crawled onto his head, it opened its mouth and spat out a long sword; the sword fell, and Orochimaru, using two fingers, caught it with difficulty, then prepared to forcefully sever the white snake.

However, at that very moment, his vision suddenly went pitch black, with only a pair of three-tomoe Copy Wheel Eyes flashing through his mind.

When his sight returned once more, he saw Shisui still standing atop the utility pole, quietly looking down at him.

And his own body was rigid, holding an iron sword pointed at his own neck, ready to thrust at any moment—had Shisui not stayed his hand in time, he would have already severed his own head.

"You—"

"How regrettable. This is reality."

The three tomoe reflected Orochimaru's terrified expression; his hands trembled, sweat pouring like rain, panting ceaselessly, then he tried to forcefully drive his body to break the genjutsu.

But sudden pain shot through every part of his body, and the snowy ground before him slowly dissolved—the world turned crimson, as five massive iron spikes pinned him fast; Shisui stood before him and said calmly, "Let us end it here. I ask that you leave the clan grounds as soon as possible, Lord Orochimaru, and that you keep your distance from the clan's children."

As Shisui finished speaking, he dissolved into a flock of crows and vanished from the genjutsu; Orochimaru's eyes were filled with horror, and enduring the pain throughout his body, he tried to bring his hands together to dispel the genjutsu—just as he was about to succeed, the iron spikes vanished.

He collapsed, drained of all strength, into the snow; when his vision recovered, he struggled to raise his head, only to see that Shisui had long since departed, with only a few crows circling overhead.

Lick—Orochimaru's clothes were already soaked through with sweat; feeling the cold wind, he licked his lips, gasping for breath, and beneath his horrified gaze rose a glint of greed.

"Shisui-kun!"

Slurp—On the other side, Shisui had already returned to the courtyard; though he loathed Orochimaru's behavior, the other man was, after all, the Third's disciple, and having just become head of the Uchiha, injuring him would inevitably provoke unnecessary trouble, so he had only carried out a simple display of intimidation.

Passing through the corridor, Shisui saw the light on in the study and breathed a sigh of relief; only here could he truly relax; he approached the study door quietly and knocked softly.

"Come in."

Pushing open the door, Sima Yi sat quietly at the desk, writing something.

Shisui looked around the room, then asked, "Where are Itachi and Sasuke?"

"Hui came by earlier; after learning the outcome, I had him wake Itachi. The two of them should be home by now."

Shisui's expression changed, thinking of Orochimaru, a trace of worry surfacing on his face.

Sima Yi looked up, saw that his expression was off, and said, "Your handling was already very good. Fugaku staying at the ancestral hall means he'll have more time to teach him in the future. Uchiha's future has already been greatly changed in your hands."

Hearing this, Shisui knew Sima Yi had misunderstood, and immediately told him about Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, him again."

"Although I'm not clear on his strength, when Itachi left with Sasuke I had Hui escort them. With Hui's strength, even if he can't match him, he should still be able to make enough commotion to attract others. You needn't worry."

Only then did Shisui react — the clan meeting had just ended not long ago, and Uchiha's Elite Forces were still patrolling the clan grounds. The slightest commotion would draw many people.

"That's good then."

Seeing this, Sima Yi stopped his brush again and said, "Tell me about tonight's situation first."

Hui only knew the result and the general process, not the inside details. Listening to his description, Sima Yi felt something was off somewhere.

"Clan Head Fugaku, he—"

Shisui scratched his head, looking embarrassed — he had actually forgotten the real business. He then told him everything: Fugaku's Mangekyo, the process of the genjutsu duel, and the exchange with the Third Hokage.

He spoke for a full quarter of an hour before stopping. Sima Yi nodded frequently as he listened.

"So it seems Fugaku was intentionally paving the way for you. His sudden change of character in deciding on a Coup at the clan meeting was merely to pressure the other factions and establish a common enemy, so that you could smoothly persuade them to support you as clan head.

His complete disregard for the changes in the Police Department was the same.

As for the duel in genjutsu, by his words it was a test of your strength and resolve.

It seems he had long intended to yield the position of clan head. We ended up going to unnecessary trouble, but this is fine too — with his power willing to support you, the clan will be more stable."

Sima Yi sighed. Uchiha people were truly hard to read.

"Ehehe~"

Shisui gave a sheepish laugh and said, "Grandpa is already very formidable. Even if Lord Fugaku hadn't intended to step down, with Grandpa's methods we would still have succeeded."

"Hahaha, so you're comforting me now."

Sima Yi chuckled softly, not minding it, and only asked again, "Then do you know what eye technique those eyes of his awakened?"

Shisui frowned in thought, shook his head after a moment, and replied, "Everything Lord Fugaku used was a forbidden technique from the scrolls. Whether it contained his own eye technique, I cannot be certain."

"Find a chance to ask him. If possible, find a way to have him record it onto a scroll, to add some depth to the clan's resources."

"Okay, Grandpa!"

Shisui responded with a smile. Today his mood was excellent, and he couldn't help saying, "Thanks to Grandpa, we've finally completed the first step. Next is stepping beyond the clan!"

"Completed the first step?"

But unexpectedly, Sima Yi not only didn't voice agreement, he instead revealed a smile laden with deeper meaning.

"Grandpa..."

Shisui's mouth twitched, and a bad feeling rose in his heart once more.

"Why is Grandpa smiling? Did I miss something?"

Shisui thought desperately — clan elders, the Police Department, ninja, ordinary clan members, and outside of the clan, Konoha's higher-ups.

He quickly recalled every internal and external faction that could affect him, but still couldn't figure out who he had missed.

Sima Yi shook his head and said softly, "I wouldn't call it missing anything, because you didn't grasp much to begin with. As for the reason, you'll understand in a few days."

"This—"

101102103 made revisions; those interested can go back and read them again, especially 103 (End of this chapter)