Chapter 2: The Way of the World, the Art of Adaptation

"Who?!"

The three tomoe spun, and Shisui swiftly rose, drew his tantō, his expression grave.

Yet no matter how he searched, he still could not detect any unfamiliar presence.

"Do you want to know the future of the Uchiha? Do you want to stop being lost?"

The cold voice rang out again. Fine sweat slowly slid down Shisui's forehead. This voice gave him a strangely familiar feeling, as though he had heard it somewhere before.

But he did not answer. The three tomoe spun faster, taking the shape of a pinwheel — this was the legendary power recorded in the Uchiha clan's annals, the Mangekyō Copy Wheel Eye!

His ocular power climbed to its peak, yet he still sensed nothing.

"Yes or no."

The voice in his head seemed to have lost patience and did not repeat its earlier words.

"The future of the Uchiha?"

On the surface, Shisui watched the tent warily, but in his heart he was deeply conflicted.

He thought of the conflicts within the clan, of the conflict between the clan and the Hokage, of the conflict between the clan and the commoners.

After a moment, he slowly sheathed his tantō and deactivated his Mangekyō.

"Being able to transmit information right in front of these eyes, it seems I have no choice but to trust you."

Lowering his guard was undoubtedly extremely dangerous for a ninja, yet not a single one of the clan's or the Village's problems could he solve, and this caused him constant, unrelenting pain.

"If 'yes' — please tell me the future of the Uchiha, please let me stop being lost!"

As his low voice fell, a sudden gust of wind whipped through the tent. Shisui's vision went black, and when it returned he was already standing in the Uchiha clan district.

Dark night, overcast clouds, silence.

"Big Brother Hui! Clan head! Elders!"

Yet what greeted him was not his clansmen of old, but one corpse after another with their eyes gouged out.

Over a thousand clansmen, corpses strewn across the land, blood flowing like rivers. Whether old or child, whether ninja or civilian, they all lay in pools of blood, cold and stiff.

In the vast Uchiha clan district, not a single Uchiha clansman could be found.

Shisui froze in place, his eyes unconsciously activating.

"No, this can't be real. How could this—"

With these eyes of his, such a thing could never have happened! He stepped forward, and a familiar figure appeared before him — lonely and yet strange.

"Itachi."

The vision vanished, and Shisui returned to the tent. He stared blankly at the moonlight outside the tent, and after a moment his usual gentleness returned.

"Itachi, it seems a great deal has happened. But forcing people to submit with weapons, maintaining order through violence — that can hardly be called peace."

His expression was calm. Though the vision had not revealed much, he had still faintly guessed something.

But all that was for later. He refocused his gaze on a screen floating in the void.

Points: 1. Strategist: None. The moment the panel appeared, it told him how to use it. He could spend one point to summon a strategist; points increased by one each year; besides summoning, points could also be used to strengthen a strategist's strength.

"Please, help me find my way out of this confusion!"

Shisui's expression was solemn. He knew that even if he understood the Uchiha's future, he still had no confidence he could rebuild the bridge between the clan and Konoha.

The points were spent, and a faint light took human form, stepping out from the moonlight.

Moonlight fell like a curtain over his tall, imposing figure. His aura was frail, yet his eyes were bright and piercing; a gaze as sharp as an eagle's swept across.

The two locked eyes for a moment, and Shisui felt as though he were facing a thousand armies, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, as though he had been seen through completely. Even standing before the Third Hokage he had never felt such pressure — not physical, but psychological.

The old man stood straight and tall. After a glance at Shisui, he clasped his hands behind his back and quietly surveyed his surroundings.

After a moment, he gently stroked his long beard and laughed: "I never imagined that after death I would come to this world. The world is truly vast and wondrous." Shisui stepped forward, his manner respectful. "Sir."

The old man looked at the other's red pupils and marveled again and again. "So you are Shisui Uchiha? What a remarkable race."

"Yes, sir. May I know your name?"

"Hahaha, this old man is Sima Yi, courtesy name Zhongda. But it seems I have now become a member of the Uchiha as well. In public you may call me Uchiha Yi; in private, call me Teacher."

Sima Yi wore a smile. Before coming to this world he had been told he had already obtained Uchiha blood. Having died once already, he did not mind changing his surname.

Shisui was delighted, a little excited, and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Teacher!"

"Teacher, the Uchiha and the Village—"

Sima Yi raised a hand. "Don't rush. When facing great matters, one must keep a calm heart and not act in haste."

Shisui paused, then calmed himself. "Yes, Teacher."

"Do you have any history books on hand?"

Sima Yi did not know much about this world; without any intelligence he could offer no advice.

"History books?"

Shisui was taken aback, then gave an awkward smile. "The clan does have some books recording the family's past, but I have never read them."

"Never read them?"

Now it was Sima Yi's turn to be stunned. In the memories the system had given him, the Uchiha were a great clan — and a child of a great clan did not read history books?

"Then what books have you read?"

Surely not all ninjutsu? Wouldn't that make him a brainless brute?

Shisui thought for a moment and replied: "My grandfather's left-behind 'Notes on the Use of the Copy Wheel Eye,' 'A Complete Collection of Genjutsu,' 'Detailed Explanation of Ninja Tool Use,' and from the clan, 'Elementary Fire Release Essentials,' 'Intermediate Fire Release Essentials,' 'Atlas of Human Anatomy,' 'Trap Disassembly'—"

Shisui spoke for three minutes straight, but without exception every single one was a killing art.

"Ninja..."

Sima Yi shook his head. From Shisui's learning experience he could already sense how peculiar the profession of ninja was.

"Of course, there is also the most important one — the Third's 'Will of Fire.' I always carry this book with me. Would Teacher like to see it?"

Shisui's eyes lit up. He pulled a somewhat creased book from his bosom; one could tell its owner had often read it.

"It's actually paper."

Sima Yi did not refuse. He took the book, gave a soft sigh, and carefully began to flip through it.

But after only three pages, he slightly furrowed his brow, and then, reading ten lines at a glance, he finished the entire book in just a few minutes.

Sima Yi looked up, his gaze sharp, and turned to Shisui with a hint of depth. "What do you think of the contents of this book?"

"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire also burns unceasingly. The firelight will continue to illuminate the Village, and cause the newly sprouted leaves to bud. This is the will that the Third has always upheld—the Will of Fire. He will be the hope for Konoha and the Uchiha to coexist!"

At the mention of the Will of Fire, Shisui's eyes lit up, somewhat agitated.

Still not as good as the Taiping Arts.

That was Sima Yi's inner judgment, but watching the agitated Shisui, he did not speak it plainly.

"The book is quite good; it will be a great help to our upcoming actions."

When a person's thoughts are set down in a book, his persona becomes defined—especially when that person is the supreme leader. With words to back his deeds, he stands in an unassailable position.

"Right? I told you! The Third Hokage, who could write a book like this, will definitely help the Uchiha." Seeing that his teacher also approved of the book, Shisui was a little happy and couldn't help but say a few more words.

Sima Yi watched Shisui's resolute attitude and shook his head repeatedly, sighing softly: "The way of conducting oneself in the world is also the art of adapting to change—how can one cling to a single extreme?"

"Eh? What does that mean?"

(End of this chapter)