After sending the little brat Shisui away, Uchiha Maí headed straight to Fugaku's residence.
The clan head himself seemed surprisingly relaxed. He looked to be in a fairly good mood, sitting in the main hall and fiddling with a tea set, practicing his brewing technique.
From a side room came the sound of a baby crying, mixed with Mikoto's gentle voice coaxing the child — most likely changing baby Itachi's diaper.
As expected, no matter how cold a man appeared on the outside, his insides were still warm. No matter how aloof and cool a handsome guy might be, there was always a time when he'd dealt with diapers and crying infants.
"Clan Head, did you call for me?" Maí asked as he stepped into the main hall.
Fugaku didn't answer right away. He stopped what he was doing, placed two fingers against a teacup, and gently pushed it across the table toward Maí.
Maí picked it up, took a symbolic sip, and praised it with a straight face.
"Excellent tea."
In truth, Maí didn't know a damn thing about tea. Before transmigrating, his favorites were plain milk and milk tea — followed by coffee, energy drinks, and every kind of sugary soda.
Tea? Not familiar at all. Honestly, it didn't even compare to bottled iced tea.
Fugaku also lifted his cup and took a sip. Apparently satisfied with his own skills, he nodded slightly and began speaking slowly.
"In the years right after the Second Ninja War ended, the ninja world still hadn't fully settled down. Small-scale conflicts happened frequently.
"Six years ago, Kumogakure sent a team to infiltrate the Land of Fire to scout Konoha's defensive layout. We received orders to eliminate that squad.
"Your parents accepted that mission. Before leaving, they entrusted you to the previous clan head. They never returned."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"A few years ago, when you applied to enter the Ninja Academy, I was against it.
"The Uchiha are the strongest ninja clan in the world. We have the best inheritance and teachers most suited to guiding you. There was no need for you to attend a place like the Academy.
"Unfortunately, you insisted. At the time, I wasn't yet the clan head and had no authority to stop it.
"Now, looking back, you made the right choice."
Fugaku looked at Maí and smiled faintly.
"Maí, you did very well today."
"Which part did I do well?" Maí asked, confused.
"All of it," Fugaku said with a chuckle, patting Maí on the shoulder.
Sending Asuma to the hospital again — and doing it right in front of the Hokage — had been absolutely worth it.
Being able to enter Minato Namikaze's team made everything worthwhile. Forget hospitalization — even the intensive care unit would have been acceptable.
After all, who was Minato Namikaze?
A disciple of one of the Sannin, Jiraiya. An elite jōnin at just eighteen years old. One of Konoha's most popular ninja, with limitless potential ahead.
And who was Jiraiya?
The direct disciple of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. A man who, ten years ago, could fight alongside Orochimaru and Tsunade against the so-called Demigod Hanzō. Now, his strength had grown even further, rivaling that of the Hokage himself.
Jiraiya's name was now extremely influential. Along with Orochimaru, he was a leading candidate to become the next major power figure.
If you rounded it all up, what Uchiha Maí had done was equivalent to what Uchiha Kagami had once done.
Kagami had been one of Senju Tobirama's students and teammates, of the same generation as Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō. Tobirama had held Kagami in high regard.
It was common knowledge that Tobirama disliked the Uchiha. He created countless techniques specifically to counter them, and even after becoming Hokage, he never stopped using overt strategies to suppress the clan.
Kagami's existence had greatly eased the tension between the Uchiha and the Hokage's faction, preventing Tobirama from wiping the clan out completely.
For Fugaku, a moderate, Maí becoming Minato's student and teammate was nothing short of a gift from the heavens.
After a moment of thought, Maí understood why Fugaku was so pleased.
Sigh… old uncle, you really do worry yourself sick over the Uchiha.
"What did Minato say during the dinner?" Fugaku asked casually, like making small talk.
"Not much," Maí replied. "Aside from some trivial things, he said that starting tomorrow we'll begin several days of cooperative training."
"Cooperative training…"
Fugaku stroked his chin, thought for a moment, then said,
"Maí, you've already awakened the Sharingan, haven't you?"
"Yes, Clan Head. I awakened it not long ago," Maí nodded.
Fugaku was pleased with his honesty and continued.
"You awakened it at eight years old. Even among the Uchiha, that's extremely rare.
"The Sharingan is the greatest foundation that allows the Uchiha to stand as the strongest clan in the ninja world. It's why almost every clan member who awakens it is guaranteed to become a jōnin in adulthood.
"Once awakened, it significantly enhances observation and reaction speed.
"With two- or three-tomoe Sharingan, one can even observe chakra flow, copy opponents' movements, and store them as visual imprints within the eyes.
"Most Uchiha awaken their Sharingan between the ages of twelve and sixteen. With it, we can learn nearly any ninjutsu.
"Dōjutsu power is one factor. The other is our powerful ability to imitate and learn. That's why once we awaken and evolve the Sharingan, our strength increases rapidly.
"You've joined Minato Namikaze's team. You must perform well — strive to surpass Kakashi and become Minato's most outstanding disciple."
He paused, then said,
"I have something for you. Take a look."
Fugaku reached into his robe and pulled out a scroll, handing it to Maí. He accepted it and glanced at the title:
Uchiha Fire Release: True Explanations — Annotated by Izuna
Izuna… Uchiha Izuna.
Holy hell.
Maí's pupils contracted slightly as he realized the weight of what he was holding.
Fire Release: True Explanations was a book every Uchiha ninja owned. Maí had a copy at home himself — usually used to weigh down instant noodles.
But books like this were like advanced mathematics textbooks or The Art of War. Just reading them didn't mean you'd actually understand anything.
If you wanted to learn, the best option was a powerful teacher. The second-best was a version with annotations — essentially a textbook filled with notes and highlighted key points.
And of course, the level of the annotator mattered immensely.
Throughout history, countless people had written commentaries on The Art of War. The most famous were Cao Cao and Du Mu.
Within the Uchiha clan, there was no shortage of people who had annotated Fire Release: True Explanations. After all, who wasn't a jōnin?
But none of those versions could compare to the one Maí held now.
Uchiha Izuna — Madara's younger brother. One of the first Mangekyō Sharingan users. A master of Fire Release. A rival to the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, in both talent and strength.
His annotations were top-tier among top-tier.
As for Uchiha Madara… setting aside whether he'd ever write something like this, even if he had, ordinary Uchiha probably wouldn't be able to learn from his Fire Release anyway.
Seeing that Maí recognized the scroll's significance, Fugaku smiled.
"You're an Uchiha. Not knowing Fire Release simply won't do.
"This was annotated by Lord Izuna himself. I'll let you keep it for a few days. Take it back, read it carefully, and note down any techniques you want to learn before returning it to me.
"While we still have time, see if there's anything you especially want to learn. I'll demonstrate it once — you can record it with your Sharingan."
(End of chapter)
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