"Have a seat, Shimizu. Tea?" Uchiha Shiya said as he turned to prepare it.
The refusal on Shimizu's lips died halfway. He swallowed it back and nodded. "Alright… thanks."
"This tea was a gift from Clan Head Fugaku. Said it's top quality."
Uchiha Fugaku?
Why would he be giving tea to Sawei's father?
Shimizu had never liked the man much—not because of vague impressions from a past life, but from their brief encounters. There was always something calculating about him, something too deliberate.
And now, without hesitation, Shimizu's thoughts spiraled—
Fugaku… Sawei's family…
Megumi.
Orochimaru.
What exactly was Fugaku planning?
A steaming cup was placed before him, fragrant and inviting. Yet Shimizu only stared at it, watching thin curls of vapor rise into the air, his mind elsewhere.
"You don't drink tea?" Shiya asked.
"Hm? Oh." Shimizu snapped back and reached for the cup.
"Dad, Shimizu doesn't even understand tea. Isn't giving him something this good a waste?"
A clear, youthful voice rang out from the side of the room.
" Megumi, watch your tone," Shiya reprimanded. "And Shimizu is your senior. You shouldn't be calling him by name."
"What did I say wrong? I've never seen him drink tea. And I've always called him Shimizu—he's never had a problem with it!"
…The last time Shimizu drank tea was over twenty years ago, on a rainy night.
If she'd seen that, that would've been the real miracle.
"Yeah, yeah. You're right," Shimizu said lazily, not bothering to argue.
"See?" Megumi puffed up with satisfaction, then tilted her head. "So why did you come by all of a sudden? Something up?"
"Not really. Just… came to check in."
"Heh. Which means something is up."
"Megumi!" Shiya's tone sharpened.
"Then I'll go train. You two can talk." With that, the girl turned and strode out the door.
Shiya sighed. "Ever since she heard about Sawei… she's been more aggressive. More impulsive."
"I'll go take a look," Shimizu said, rising to his feet.
"Thanks."
The moment Shimizu stepped outside, two sharp whistles cut through the air.
Whoosh—whoosh!
He shifted twice in quick succession. Two kunai grazed past him, one after the other, and buried themselves deep into the ground.
A test?
"Holding back like that will get you killed," Megumi's voice came from the rooftop as her hands blurred through seals.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!
Dozens of ember-like fireballs burst forth, scattering in all directions like seeds, converging on Shimizu.
"Hey—trying to blow up your own house?" he called out.
The trajectory of every fireball was under her control. Dodging them would be easy—
—but the house behind him wouldn't survive.
So she was counting on that?
Just as Shimizu prepared to form hand seals—
The two kunai embedded in the ground suddenly shot upward.
Fine, nearly invisible threads were attached to their ends, snapping tight around his arms in an instant.
"Oh? Getting creative now," Shimizu raised a brow. Who taught her that?
In the next moment, a wall of water surged upward, swallowing the incoming flames whole. The fire vanished like stones sinking into the sea.
"I wasn't planning to beat you with tricks like that."
Lightning Release: Ground Flow!
Electricity surged from Megumi's hands, racing along the threads and piercing straight through the water wall.
BOOM!
The explosion roared—but was tightly contained within the barrier Shimizu maintained, never spreading beyond a limited radius.
"Not bad," Shimizu said, glancing around as more Uchiha clan members began gathering. "Crowd's getting bigger. You sure you want to keep going?"
"…Then we'll stop."
The crimson in her eyes faded in an instant.
Megumi retrieved her kunai and leapt lightly down from the rooftop. "I'll let you off this time."
"Who taught you all that?"
"My teacher."
"Orochimaru?"
Megumi frowned slightly. "You should call him 'senior.'"
Shimizu let out a soft chuckle. "Funny. When have you ever called me that?"
"That's different. He teaches me jutsu. You don't."
"Cough… alright. Whatever you want to learn, I'll teach you."
"Forget it." Megumi shook her head lightly, then shot back, "You're that busy—do you even have the time?"
"Time… you can always squeeze some out."
"Heh."
"…Kid, you're really not cute, you know that?"
"Let me ask you something," Megumi said earnestly. "Since my brother died, how many times has someone as busy as you come to see me?"
"…If you wanted a teacher, you could've asked me. I could've recommended someone. Why did it have to be Orochimaru?"
"Can you find someone stronger than one of the Sannin?"
Her tone was calm—because she was simply stating a fact everyone in the village accepted.
In Konoha, aside from the Hokage, no one surpassed the Sannin.
Shimizu opened his mouth… then closed it again.
When would he finally surpass those towering figures of the past?
When would he be able to say, without hesitation—
I'm stronger than the Sannin.
"So yeah," Megumi continued, "I think being chosen by him… is my opportunity."
"You know your brother wouldn't have wanted this."
To many in the village, Orochimaru was synonymous with bloodlust.
Among Konoha's higher-ups, he was aligned with Danzo's faction…
And the Uchiha—already on shaky political ground—would never welcome one of their own getting too close to that side.
After all, Konoha still belonged to the Third Hokage.
But more than that—
Sawei himself had always despised Orochimaru. It wasn't just dislike—it was instinctive rejection, like prey sensing a venomous snake.
As his sister, Megumi couldn't possibly be unaware of that.
And yet…
Every single one of those obstacles had been cast aside by this girl, not even ten years old.
Why?
"Back then, my brother protected me…" Megumi's voice grew firmer, her fists tightening at her sides. "But now?"
"I just want to become strong. Stronger than anyone."
A jolt ran through Shimizu.
"You want revenge?"
"I'll kill him."
"Even if… it's those legendary eyes."
…
...
...
Shimizu had come prepared, thinking he could at least warn her about Orochimaru. He'd even rehearsed what to say.
In the end, not a single word landed.
And now—knowing how deeply she clung to her brother's death—
his already heavy mood sank even further.
Her target was the Rinnegan.
…If she actually managed to kill Nagato, what would that leave Naruto with? Nothing but empty air?
Maybe… when the time was right, he could tell her the truth. Redirect that hatred.
But then…
Wouldn't that hatred just turn toward him instead?
…Forget it. That was a problem for another day.
"Isn't that Shimizu?" Uchiha Mikoto greeted him warmly.
"…Hello."
Shimizu forced a response, though the feeling was hollow. This wasn't the first time—every time he left Sawei's house, he'd just happen to run into either Fugaku or Mikoto nearby.
Too convenient.
"Our Itachi just woke up. Want to come take a look?"
"No, thanks."
He refused outright.
By now, Itachi should be around two years old.
But honestly? Shimizu had zero interest.
He had considered getting close before—for the sake of learning one-handed seals.
But now, he'd already found his own path toward no-hand-sign techniques.
So he simply walked past Mikoto, heading back toward the village.
"Shisui, did you remember what I told you earlier?"
"I did," Shisui nodded.
"Good… hm? Oh—Shimizu?"
Shimizu was genuinely stunned.
He'd just stepped out of Fugaku's residence—and not even a few moments later, he "coincidentally" ran into Fugaku again… this time with Shisui.
Too coincidental.
"Hello, Fugaku-senpai."
"Shimizu, let me introduce you. This is Shisui—one of the brightest talents of our clan," Fugaku said warmly. Then he turned. "Shisui, this is the 'Shunshin Shimizu' you've been wanting to meet."
"Ah—Shimizu-senpai!" Shisui greeted him earnestly, a bit stiff, with that unmistakable youthful awkwardness.
…Maybe I'm overthinking it.
Fugaku might orchestrate these "chance meetings," but Shisui? He looked too straightforward, too genuine to be part of something like that.
But in the end…
Did it even matter?
"Fugaku-senpai, I have urgent matters to attend to. I'll be taking my leave."
Shimizu was already preparing to disappear with the Body Flicker Technique—
"Wait. Shimizu, I have a request."
"…Go ahead."
"Recently, a retired jonin opened a ninja tools shop near our clan's district… I've heard he was a spy?"
"That's correct." There was no need to hide it. Konoha's higher-ups hadn't bothered suppressing the information.
"That's… troubling." Fugaku's tone grew thoughtful. "Choosing that location specifically—one would assume he had designs on the Uchiha."
Sensing Shimizu's impatience, Fugaku cut straight to the point.
"I've learned that this retired jonin once served under you. I'd like to know more about the situation."
"I'm afraid I can't help much," Shimizu replied flatly. "The matter was handled by the Anbu. And I've already left the Anbu myself."
"…That's unfortunate." Fugaku sighed, though whether it was genuine was hard to tell.
"Ah—Itachi, careful!" Shisui suddenly dashed forward, catching the small child just before he tripped. "Mikoto-san!"
There they were—
Two-year-old Itachi, nine-year-old Shisui, and Fugaku himself.
Aside from Sasuke, who hadn't even been born yet… nearly every major Uchiha figure from the original story stood together in one place.
Heh…
A faint, unreadable smile tugged at Shimizu's lips.
"Shimizu, why not come inside for a bit?" Fugaku offered again.
"No."
"Shimizu-senpai—will you take me as your student?" Shisui's voice rang out suddenly.
Shimizu paused mid-step.
He turned, meeting the boy's gaze.
The young Shisui stood there, holding little Itachi's hand—
Two figures bound for a tragic future.
And in those steady eyes, Shimizu saw it clearly—
The same hunger for strength.
The same fire.
Just like Megumi.
…Or maybe it wasn't just Shisui.
Even Itachi, barely more than a toddler, seemed to carry that same unsettling depth.
For a moment, everything overlapped in Shimizu's mind—
Orochimaru.
Megumi.
The wind-style training he still needed to complete.
The unknown threats of Tobi and Madara.
And the looming war.
Time… was not something he could afford to waste on things like this.
And yet—
When the words left his mouth, they betrayed him.
"…We'll talk when I have time."
Body Flicker Technique!
He vanished.
"'Shunshin Shimizu'… the name truly fits," Fugaku remarked with quiet admiration.
Then he looked at the visibly disappointed Shisui and said calmly,
"He didn't reject you outright."
"Next time you see him, ask again."
"You're a man. You don't back down after a single failure."
"And don't forget—your name is Uchiha."
"…Yes!"