Konoha. Uchiha compound.
When Taiichi arrived at Fugaku's house guided by Uchiha Kenro, Fugaku was already waiting at the door with Itachi.
Taiichi wasn't surprised. Once someone was leading the way, it was only natural for another person to go ahead and notify the household.
But Fugaku personally coming out to greet him still shocked Uchiha Kenro. He hadn't expected his own clan head to show Taiichi this much respect.
"Alright, Kenro. We're here. Thanks for showing me the way."
Taiichi spoke politely, but Uchiha Kenro didn't dare accept the thanks. He quickly insisted it was simply his duty, bowed to the clan head, and led his squad away to continue their patrol.
"Taiichi, coming so late—did something happen?"
Fugaku finally spoke, gesturing for Taiichi to enter the house.
"There are some things I need to talk to you about, Fugaku. Somewhere quiet would be best."
As he spoke, Taiichi reached out and gently ruffled Itachi's hair. The little guy looked extremely nervous. Taiichi wondered what he was worried about—surely he didn't think Taiichi had come to report him?
It wasn't impossible. Itachi was probably thinking exactly that. After all, this was the first time Taiichi had ever come to his house in the entire month.
And today of all days, Itachi had gotten into a fight outside. Any kid would start overthinking.
Fugaku wasn't concerned with Itachi's thoughts right now. He understood what Taiichi meant by "quiet." He immediately turned to his son.
"Itachi, go do your evening studies. Your teacher and I have things to discuss."
Itachi could only obey. He walked away, glancing back every few steps. Each time he looked at Taiichi, his eyes were full of pleading.
Taiichi smiled and waved at him, signaling that everything was fine. He didn't tease the boy any further.
Once Itachi's figure disappeared, Fugaku led Taiichi to a secluded room. The two of them knelt on the floor, and the conversation began in earnest.
"Clan Head Fugaku, do all Uchiha awaken or advance their Sharingan only because of the death or injury of loved ones?"
Taiichi was as direct as ever—straight to the point, no hesitation. With his current status and strength, he didn't need to beat around the bush.
Fugaku's eyes dimmed. While the Sharingan was the pride of the Uchiha, its awakening and advancement were topics most Uchiha preferred not to discuss.
"That… I can only say that the vast majority of cases happen that way. But there have also been instances where strong emotions caused advancement."
"Oh? Can you tell me more about the latter?"
"Why? Did you discover something, Taiichi? Why the sudden interest?"
Fugaku grew wary. Bloodline limits were the most closely guarded secrets of bloodline clans. Even if Taiichi was Itachi's teacher, an outsider asking so many questions would naturally raise suspicions.
Taiichi gave him a reassuring smile and didn't hide anything. He explained in detail what he had observed that afternoon.
"…Clan Head Fugaku, has the Uchiha clan ever had a case like Itachi's in its history?"
Fugaku's mind went blank for a moment. He didn't know what to think.
Signs of awakening at only five years old.
Not triggered by negative emotions, but by positive ones.
And the ocular power felt completely different from ordinary Sharingan.
All of this pointed to Itachi's awakening being unique.
But then—Fugaku's stalled brain started working again, this time at full speed.
"This… There don't seem to be any similar records in the clan's history.
As for the examples of advancement through strong emotion you mentioned, the documented cases were all from shock or sudden realization—other kinds of intense feelings."
Fugaku himself wasn't entirely sure. The Uchiha archives were vast, and he hadn't read every single record.
But if such a special case of advancement existed, he should have heard about it.
Taiichi, however, had a different view. If realization alone could advance the Sharingan, then there was no reason positive emotional stimulation couldn't do the same.
The key was probably just the intensity of the stimulus. Normally, negative emotions were simply more likely to create a massive impact—and that impact tended to be both long-lasting and extremely powerful.
Positive emotions, on the other hand, usually gave people only brief stimulation. The final effect was rarely as intense as negative emotions.
Taiichi shared his theory with Fugaku. After combining it with his own knowledge and experiences, Fugaku found himself in complete agreement.
"But… what about Itachi's condition? Will this affect how his Sharingan advances in the future?"
This was what Fugaku truly cared about. It concerned his son's future.
And because there was no precedent for this method of advancement, even he—as Uchiha clan head—couldn't predict where it would lead.
Taiichi also thought in silence for a long time before giving his answer.
"I believe this won't affect the Sharingan's future advancement. Whether the stimulus comes from positive or negative emotions, the goal is the same—to trigger specific ocular power in the brain. The essence is identical.
As long as one's own strength is sufficient, the Sharingan can advance on its own even without these stimuli.
Besides, the Sharingan is also called the eye that reflects the heart. When Itachi generated ocular power today, the feeling I got was completely different from ordinary Sharingan. That warm sensation already says a lot.
And based on my judgment, a Sharingan advanced this way shouldn't carry the usual risk of drastic personality changes afterward."
Fugaku let out a long breath. The weight on his chest finally eased.
People were like that. Once something involved their own family, they easily lost their composure.
Taiichi's words weren't things Fugaku didn't already know. He had simply needed someone with enough weight to give him a clear, definitive answer.
"Then how should Itachi advance his Sharingan going forward? If we just let things develop naturally, he might still end up walking the same old path as the rest of the clan."
Taiichi looked at Fugaku with a little more warmth. No matter how capable Fugaku was as clan head, his genuine love for his child was obvious.
Still, Taiichi sighed.
"There's no way to predict these things. A shinobi's missions change in an instant. No one can guarantee a smooth future.
In my opinion, don't deliberately chase Sharingan advancement. Building a strong physical foundation comes first. Once your strength is sufficient, the Sharingan will advance on its own.
The next best option is to try advancing the Sharingan through positive emotional stimuli whenever possible, while keeping your own personality firmly in control.
But if something truly unbearable happens… then it can only be called fate. There's nothing we can do to prevent it."
Fugaku found himself sighing more than usual today. He knew very well what state some of the clan members who had awakened their Sharingan were in. Even he had once briefly lost himself in hatred.
The village leadership's wariness toward the Uchiha wasn't without reason. Clan members whose personalities changed drastically after advancing their Sharingan had caused problems not only for the village but also within the clan itself.
Now they finally had a chance for his son to walk a different path… yet this new worry had still appeared.
"Clan Head Fugaku, there's no need to worry too much. As long as the strength increase isn't too sudden, the changes brought by the Sharingan can still be adapted to. The key is to focus on training yourself."
Taiichi had the right to speak on this matter. He understood the ordinary advancement of the Sharingan, and even the final leap to the Mangekyō. He knew exactly what kind of changes occurred.
He also had some theories about the mechanism that caused personality shifts in users, which was why he emphasized focusing on self-training.
"Then… I'll have to trouble you to keep a close eye on Itachi from now on."
Fugaku bowed deeply, showing the full extent of a father's protective love.
Taiichi accepted the gesture without hesitation. He had already invested a great deal of effort in Itachi.
After the conversation ended, Taiichi didn't stay long. He said goodbye to Fugaku, and to Mikoto and Itachi who had come out to see him off. Under the three of them's watchful eyes, his figure disappeared at the end of the street.
On the way back inside, Itachi couldn't hold back anymore. He clutched the hem of his clothes with both hands and voiced the worry in his heart.
"Father, did Teacher come this time because I did something wrong?"
Fugaku looked down at his son in surprise, not understanding why he would ask that.
Recalling the conversation he had just had with Taiichi, there had been nothing about that. He realized something special must have happened today to make his son this anxious.
"What, you still won't tell me?"
Fugaku deliberately put on a stern face and answered Itachi's question with one of his own. Itachi's little face instantly turned pale.
Itachi was still young. He couldn't tell that his father was testing him. After a brief silence, he told Fugaku everything that had happened outside that day, detail by detail.
When he finished, he still couldn't help asking, "Father, did Teacher come because of this?"
His little face was scrunched up with worry, terrified of hearing bad news from his father.
Fugaku no longer teased him. Instead he smiled and reassured him.
"That's not it at all. Your teacher only came to discuss matters concerning the war on the front lines with me. I just didn't expect your day to have been so eventful."
Even Itachi could tell he had been tricked by his father. His cheeks puffed up and he looked thoroughly annoyed.
But in the end he controlled himself. With stiff movements, he bowed to Fugaku.
"Then… Father, I'll go rest now."
He forced the words out one by one, then turned and quickly walked toward his room.
Watching Itachi's figure disappear, Fugaku's smile faded. He stood in place, lost in quiet thought.
Beside him, Mikoto could tell her husband had something on his mind. She stepped forward and gently placed her hand on his arm.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem with Itachi?"
Fugaku shook his head lightly.
"It's not about Itachi. It's just… from what happened to him today, I started thinking about how ordinary villagers see us Uchiha. Even children are hostile toward the Uchiha. It seems changing things only from the top isn't enough."
Mikoto realized this concerned the entire clan and didn't say anything more. She simply stood quietly at her husband's side, offering silent support.
While Taiichi continued developing steadily in the rear, new changes were coming to the front lines.
The war had now been going on for almost two years.
---
The endless fighting wasn't just a massive drain on the village's finances. It was also an enormous test of everyone's mental state.
Front-line shinobi weren't like Taiichi, who got called back to the village every so often.
Even though those returns were never Taiichi's own idea, the rest periods were very real.
Most front-line shinobi, however, had already been on the battlefield for two years or longer.
War-weariness had long since built up to a dangerous level.
Only because Konoha currently held the advantage on every front had this emotion been temporarily suppressed. But it was only buying time.
Because of this, everyone in Konoha—from the leadership down to the front lines and the rear—hoped for a decisive victory that would completely turn the tide.
Against this backdrop, an extremely difficult mission was handed to Minato. As members of Minato's team, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin naturally became the support squad for this mission.
"Kakashi, Obito, Rin—this mission is going to be extremely harsh. Are you sure you want to participate?"
Minato spoke seriously. He cared deeply for his students, but he also respected their choices.
Before Kakashi could answer, Obito stepped forward and spoke first.
"Minato-sensei, we've already thought it through. How could we miss such an important mission?"
Obito was so excited that his whole body was shaking. The team had been completing missions independently lately, and his confidence in his own strength had grown rapidly.
But to Minato, this just looked like a lack of composure.
The hesitation on his face grew stronger. He wondered if he should switch to a different squad. This mission was too important to allow even the slightest mistake.
Kakashi clearly noticed Minato's hesitation. He kicked Obito in the rear to cool him down, then turned back to Minato.
"Sensei, let us go. This mission is especially important. Having us there is also a form of insurance. Don't forget—we can always call for backup at a critical moment."
Kakashi's words finally put Minato at ease. He had already guessed some of the village's arrangements regarding Taiichi.
But after one particular mission report back in the village, when Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi said he wanted Minato to succeed him as Fourth Hokage, that guess had turned into certainty.
Thinking back to that moment—
"Minato, what are your thoughts on the candidate for Fourth Hokage?"
Hiruzen's question came out of nowhere. Minato, who had just finished his mission report, was completely unprepared and froze on the spot.
"Well… Jiraiya-sensei and Orochimaru-sama are both excellent, and Tsunade-sama has returned as well." Minato scratched his head, but in the end he made up his mind. "I still hope Jiraiya-sensei becomes Hokage."
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe. Wisps of smoke curled upward. He didn't seem satisfied with Minato's answer.
"What about you? Don't you want to be Hokage yourself?"
"Of course I do!"
The words left Minato's mouth without any hesitation. But he quickly added an explanation.
"Still, I'm still young. I can wait a few years. For the Fourth, I support Jiraiya-sensei taking the position."
A smile appeared on Hiruzen's face.
"You're quite filial, thinking so much about Jiraiya."
Minato's face rarely showed a hint of shyness. But just as he was about to speak, Hiruzen cut him off.
"Jiraiya has already written to me. He doesn't want to become Hokage. After the war ends, he plans to continue searching for the Child of Prophecy."
Hiruzen's words were clearly spoken through gritted teeth.
He was furious at Jiraiya's choice. If Jiraiya had been standing in front of him, Hiruzen would have loved to beat that man until his face bloomed like a peach blossom.
All for some prophecy whose truth was unknown—abandoning the entire village to go searching for this so-called Child of Prophecy.
Hiruzen still couldn't calm the anger in his chest.
He took several deep puffs from his pipe, trying to settle the frustration in his heart, before speaking again.
"As for Orochimaru, he's not suitable for the position of Hokage right now. And Tsunade—if it weren't for Taiichi, she wouldn't have returned at all."
After saying all this, Hiruzen seemed to have aged another ten years. None of the disciples he had worked so hard to raise could take over for him. It made him feel strangely like a failure.
Fortunately, he still had his grand-disciple.
>