"Shisui, what's this about? You reaching out first… did your eyes evolve again?"
Inahori arrived under the cover of night.
It wasn't that he was trying to sneak around—he'd simply been busy all day on Anbu patrol duty for the Land of Fire. By the time he got back to the village, dusk had already fallen, and one thing led to another until it was dark.
Still, meeting at night had its perks—fewer eyes watching.
He remembered what Shisui once said:
Until he reached a certain level of power—enough to command respect at his age—he wouldn't take action.
For now, he would bide his time and strengthen himself.
But time waits for no one, and the Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't something one could awaken easily. It demanded overwhelming emotion, while his training in taijutsu and kenjutsu had both reached a bottleneck.
Any further improvement would take time… and perhaps something more.
When Inahori appeared, Shisui smiled faintly.
"Inahori-nii, how's your sword training been lately?"
"I've been studying those notes you compiled. I've already mastered the Fire Release and Wind Release sword techniques. I have to admit—Kyoichi-sama's kenjutsu is incredible. Especially the Wind Release form—it completely fixes the shortcomings in our Uchiha-style kenjutsu."
Inahori couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
The Uchiha sword style focused on speed and fluidity. Whether combined with Fire or Wind Release, speed was always the priority, with power relying more on the sword technique itself.
But Kyoichi's Kenjutsu was something else entirely.
His Wind Release: Vacuum Blade style was built around compressed high-pressure wind. A single slash could cut through almost any defensive ninjutsu. It was the perfect trump card.
"Have you taught this sword style to anyone else?"
"What do you take me for?! Kyoichi-sama passed it on to me personally—how could I spread it around? That would be betrayal! I might not be a man obsessed with ideals, but I have my own code of honor!"
Inahori frowned, clearly offended, as if Shisui were questioning his integrity.
Shisui waved his hands quickly, apologetic. "No, no, that's not what I meant, Inahori-nii. What I meant was… this sword art can be shared. It's meant to be a stepping stone for us all—that's actually Sensei's intention."
"Huh?"
Inahori froze for a few seconds.
He hadn't even considered that possibility.
Not because he couldn't grasp it, but because now that he'd learned it, he knew how terrifyingly powerful Kyoichi's sword arts were.
To put it bluntly, even a single one of these techniques, passed down to a family, would be enough to raise them into the ranks of Konoha's great clans.
Maybe not on par with the Uchiha or Hyūga, but surpassing smaller families like the Gekkō or Shiranui? That'd be as easy as breathing.
Such kenjutsu…
And Kyoichi wanted it freely taught to all Uchiha?
Impossible!
If he were in that position, he wouldn't agree either. This was the foundation of a family's legacy.
It'd be like asking the Inuzuka to give up their secrets in ninken training.
Not happening.
Same principle.
Shisui sighed softly.
"That's the problem with the mindset of clan-born shinobi. We look to our clan first—then the village, the nation, and only then the world. But Sensei… Sensei's vision is different. He looks beyond. His eyes are always on the village—and the entire shinobi world."
The clan?
Shisui didn't think Kyoichi cared much for it. Kyoichi had never tried to build some 'Kanda lineage,' nor did he cling to the name of the Senju despite their ties.
If Kyoichi wanted that prestige, Lady Tsunade would've gladly given it.
But he didn't.
So Shisui came to understand—his teacher simply didn't care about the notion of "family."
That was for future generations to worry about.
"Focus on the shinobi world…"
Inahori murmured under his breath, mulling over the words. Then, slowly, he began to understand what Shisui meant.
————
The Uchiha had already lost the Police Force.
And in these peaceful times—without conflict or hatred—the emotional extremes that once birthed the Mangekyō Sharingan were disappearing. The clan's greatest power might one day fade.
But Kyoichi had given them a new path—swordsmanship.
If one door closed, another opened.
Strength didn't have to come from the Mangekyō.
A skilled swordsman with three-tomoe Sharingan, combined with strong taijutsu, could stand among the elite.
And in darker times… the Mangekyō would inevitably reappear within the clan.
So, Kyoichi's gift of kenjutsu—it was a blessing, not a curse.
As long as the Uchiha weren't idiots, there was no reason to reject such a boon. And those who did oppose it… could simply be dealt with.
The more Inahori thought about it, the clearer Kyoichi's intentions became.
No wonder Kyoichi had called it "a great gift" for the Uchiha. These techniques were meant for the whole clan. And with Inahori as the one teaching them, his standing within the clan would naturally rise.
His supporters would multiply by the day.
As for Shisui—
Inahori finally grasped what he meant.
Shisui's ambitions weren't limited to the clan. His sights were set on the village… and the entire shinobi world.
He intended to follow his teacher's path.
It left Inahori conflicted.
He wanted to become clan head—of course he did.
But compared to Shisui's vision… it suddenly felt small. What Shisui saw as a burden, he saw as a prize. The difference in perspective left him unsure how to feel.
"Shisui, the Uchiha need to change."
"I know," Shisui nodded. "When you get back, start gathering people. Teach them the Fire Release sword art first. The Wind Release one's harder—it demands a lot of chakra and fine control, so only teach it to the elites."
"You really would make a fine clan leader, Shisui."
"C'mon, don't jinx me like that!" Inahori coughed awkwardly. "Alright, I get it. I'll handle it. But tell me something—what level have you reached now?"
He'd suddenly remembered.
This kid wasn't simple. He'd awakened his Sharingan at five, and now, barely two years later, he was probably far stronger than when they fought side-by-side on the Eastern Front.
After all…
He wasn't just talented. He also had an unbelievably powerful teacher.
"Guess," Shisui grinned.
"Oi, you brat!"
"Honestly, nothing too impressive. My Sharingan's at three tomoe, but the growth of my ocular power's been slow. My swordsmanship's decent, but I'd hardly call it mastery."
Shisui smiled modestly.
Inahori just flipped him off.
Yeah right. Like he'd believe that nonsense.
Kanda Kyoichi had once claimed he had "average talent," and now, at eighteen, he was one of the strongest shinobi in the world.
Their idea of "just starting out"… who knew what kind of monsters they were comparing themselves to?
Inahori didn't bother arguing. He waved Shisui off and quietly slipped away into the night.
But Shisui…
He wasn't entirely clueless about the Mangekyō.
It was the reflection of one's heart—the manifestation of their truest feelings. To awaken it, one had to experience the deepest love… and the greatest loss. To sacrifice the thing most precious to them, or commit an act of unbearable regret.
And the one dearest to his heart… was his teacher.
But if gaining that power meant losing Kyoichi, then he wanted no part of it.
The more he understood about the Mangekyō, the more he feared it.
Madara had murdered and tormented his own kin for its sake.
That kind of power… was nothing to be proud of.