Seiji looked at the scroll handed to him—it was about the "Shuriken Manipulation Technique."
Although it's called a shuriken technique, it was often applied to throwing kunai as well.
By attaching a high-durability, elastic special cord or wire to a kunai, one could throw it at a target and then retract it.
Mastering this technique also allowed thrown shuriken to curve mid-air.
"If you can't handle it, you can always seek guidance from Yakumi."
"Senior Yakumi? I know this technique."
Seiji nodded.
Uchiha Yakumi was the one who had brought him from the Land of Lightning to Konoha.
"Go ahead, young man. It's not good to stay around someone like me, half-buried in the past."
Elder Setsuna waved his hand.
Seiji respectfully nodded and stepped out, accompanied by Uchiha Tekka.
"Elder Setsuna really values you, kid."
Tekka said with admiration. This was his first time seeing Setsuna when nothing else mattered.
"Is that so?"
Seiji smiled faintly. Truth be told, only a purely hawkish or pacifist Uchiha could truly protect the clan.
Someone like Fugaku, nominally pacifist, would still engage in armed coups.
When it came to actual political upheaval, he'd revert to being pacifist.
This flip-flopping was one of the reasons the Uchiha eventually fell.
But for now, before becoming truly powerful, it was better to maintain a pacifist front.
Being too independent within the Uchiha would inevitably draw the Konoha higher-ups' attention.
After all, Konoha's ANBU had always been monitoring the Uchiha.
Ironically, Itachi joined the ANBU, and one of his daily tasks was monitoring the clan alongside colleagues.
The surveillance covered nearly all of the Uchiha compound, 24 hours a day.
The entire Uchiha compound was infiltrated; no Uchiha aside from Itachi knew this.
Itachi had never revealed a word to the clan, simply following Konoha's orders.
Officially, this surveillance was a decision made by Konoha's high command after the Nine-Tails Incident. Whether Danzo Shimura had conducted partial prior monitoring remained unknown.
Seiji didn't want to gamble.
He needed more time to strengthen himself.
Every passing day allowed Seiji to progress slightly more than the day before, until he could fully control his own destiny.
After chatting briefly with Tekka, Seiji reached a crossroads, and they parted ways.
"I wonder if I'll gain any new entries…"
Seiji prepared a few dishes, ate, and then continued his training.
The special cord and wire required for the Shuriken Manipulation Technique would have to be purchased later. For now, Seiji made do with an ordinary rope.
Fsh!
The whistling of kunai slicing through the air echoed repeatedly in the courtyard, continuing late into the night.
...
In a sushi shop located toward the back of a Konoha street:
"Has Uchiha Seiji really graduated?"
Samodo put down the intelligence handed by his subordinate and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Even on the second day after Seiji's graduation, their excellent undercover agents had gathered this intel.
It was so unbelievable that Samodo sent several more people to verify.
But during this time, all intelligence confirmed the first report—Uchiha Seiji had indeed graduated!
Yasukawa Yukiya noticed Samodo's furrowed brow and said:
"For us from the Hidden Cloud, this might not be bad. It shows just how valuable he is."
"That's right."
Samodo exhaled heavily.
The more of a genius Uchiha Seiji was, the greater the potential of his bloodline.
If both his eyes awakened the Sharingan, he could fully master his Kekkei Genkai.
Some mixed-blood ninjas inherit incomplete powers, making them weaker than purebloods.
The key point: Seiji's rapid graduation completely disrupted their plans.
They had intended to proceed gradually.
Before the Third Ninja World War broke out, they would have had their chance.
But Uchiha Seiji graduated in the blink of an eye.
"Any updates from the village?" Samodo asked.
Since their undercover agents were far from the Hidden Cloud, communications were delayed.
It was said the village was developing ninja techniques or technology to solve this problem.
"The Raikage has issued another order, elevating Seiji's importance rating."
Yasukawa handed Samodo the latest intelligence.
Samodo rubbed his furrowed brow.
"The ninja academy has already started its break. After the break ends, the second enrollment begins. Tell Samui to ensure her brother adapts to Konoha and enrolls quickly."
"Yes."
"Also, recently Seiji hasn't been visiting much. Tell Samui to increase her efforts to win him over, so she can pay him a visit."
...
Time passed, and the weather in Konoha grew colder.
After returning from a mission, Masaki Yuhi lowered the kunai on his back.
He habitually glanced at his wife's photo.
She had passed away when Yuhi was very young, and he had essentially raised his daughter alone.
"Father, you're back."
Yuhi's daughter, Yuuhi Akane, wore tight thermal pants, looking a bit thin, with a thick coat and sweater underneath.
She had just washed her face and was wiping it with a cloth.
"Aren't you cold?"
Masaki Yuhi glanced at his daughter. His face was lean, with protruding bones, exuding a strict and upright aura.
Earlier, he had seen the Hokage's son, Asuma Sarutobi, near their home.
As Akane's father, he knew she was on a team with Asuma and an Uchiha.
He hadn't met the Uchiha, only heard he came from the distant Land of Lightning.
He didn't know whether he wore black or white.
"I… I'm wearing two layers."
Akane whispered.
"You're going out?"
Having just returned from a long mission, Yuhi noticed his daughter had grown a bit taller.
Children at this age seemed to develop rapidly.
"Yes, meeting a friend."
Akane nodded.
Yuhi gazed at his daughter, momentarily lost in thought.
She strangely reminded him of his wife when young.
Her face, however, lacked some of the maturity and resilience of her mother, appearing more innocent.
"Going to see Asuma?"
"No, Seiji."
Akane shook her head slightly, her eyes flickering.
She quietly observed her father's expression.
The Uchiha's position in the village was delicate, and her father naturally had some concerns.
Moreover, Seiji came from the Land of Lightning, and his identity and background differed subtly from Konoha's ninjas.
Akane didn't know how her father would react to her having a friend who was an Uchiha.
(End of Chapter)