Ninja World.
Land of Fire.
Still the familiar Nanhe River.
After leaving the Ninja Academy, Bai Ye wandered here with a fishing rod in hand.
Today, he chose to fish downstream.
Unexpectedly…
He didn't bring a female companion along. Instead, Sasuke sat next to him, holding a small fishing rod with both hands.
And that rabbit? Nowhere to be seen.
"Godfather, are you sure that kind of Ōtsutsuki bunny is safe just running around like that?"
Sasuke asked with concern, his face a little tense.
Clearly, he wasn't worried about the rabbit getting hurt—he was worried about the poor fool who bumped into it.
"I just saw Xiaobai glaring at a hawk and it fell out of the sky."
As for Bai Ye?
He didn't care at all.
As long as Kaguya didn't disturb those he cared about, she could do as she pleased. He only had three rules: don't touch Terumi Mei's Kirigakure, the current peaceful Konoha, or the Cloud Village that was now paying him protection money.
Anywhere else? Let her frolic.
"And… Dad, does fishing really help improve strength?"
Sasuke looked down at his rod, unsure.
"What is strength?"
Bai Ye asked quietly in return.
Sasuke was stunned, unable to answer immediately.
"When power becomes too strong, people grow impetuous," Bai Ye explained.
"You start thinking the sky owes you something, that nothing is beyond your grasp. And that arrogance—that's a weakness of character."
He leisurely cast his line.
Even without a beauty beside him, this kind of quiet cultivation was pleasant.
He had come to understand this balance after his strength increased to its current level.
Of course.
Fishing was only the surface layer of his cultivation.
The deeper layers... well, let's just say they weren't for kids.
Just a joke.
He already had beautiful wives and concubines. His daily life was filled with delight.
He was, truthfully, someone easy to satisfy.
Was it wrong to love beautiful women?
Clearly not.
"Father, I've learned something today."
Sasuke nodded seriously. No wonder this man had become so powerful—he even cultivated his heart.
Even with Indra's soul removed from him, Sasuke still had the personality flaws Indra once had. And those flaws had to be tempered.
He truly agreed.
Though, his father's name was getting smoother every time it came out.
"It's godfather."
Bai Ye calmly corrected him.
"There's barely a difference."
Sasuke muttered under his breath. In his opinion, his parents' divorce had become inevitable, and it was only natural that his mother would end up with Bai Ye. In fact, they were practically living together already.
The way things stood, calling Bai Ye "Dad" made perfect sense.
Compared to his biological father, who now regularly flew into fits of passion and smashed things he didn't like, Bai Ye was the picture of stability.
That kind of behavior?
Definitely a sickness.
Sasuke had heard the senior guards whisper about it—how mental instability ran in the Uchiha bloodline, especially when their power soared.
And Fugaku's case?
According to Uncle Cong from the Guards, it stemmed from old battlefield injuries. He couldn't "be a man" anymore.
"So, Dad…"
Sasuke looked up curiously.
"What does it mean when they say my father can't be a man? Uncle Cong said he could last three minutes—above average for the Guards. What does that mean?"
"And Sister Hong from the red-light district mocked him the other day…"
"Enough."
Bai Ye's eye twitched. He stopped Sasuke with a silent glare.
Fugaku had really changed…
Bai Ye didn't know why.
The man had a good wife, loyal subordinates, a secure position as clan head—what more could he want?
He should've been living his best life.
And yet, he'd joined the radicals.
He completely deviated from the original timeline.
Not that Bai Ye cared. He was already far from what you'd call a saint. After all, in the last three years, his reputation as a "Cao thief" was earned a thousand times over.
Not his fault—his sister-in-laws were just too tempting.
He sighed and glanced at Sasuke.
If it weren't for the fact that his women were occupied today, he wouldn't have bothered taking Sasuke fishing.
Still, it was good for him.
This kind of cultivation might seem useless, but for Sasuke, it was priceless.
Even just sitting by Bai Ye and breathing the same air could deepen Sasuke's chakra flow.
With the right trigger, awakening Mangekyō would be a piece of cake.
Honestly.
Thanks to Bai Ye, even Sasuke's Indra Chakra had evolved beyond the original.
"A fish bit!"
At that moment—
Sasuke leapt up excitedly and pulled on his rod.
"Don't rush it. Step by step. Be patient…"
Bai Ye advised calmly.
"No, Dad! It's too strong! I can't reel it in!"
Sasuke's face turned red with effort.
"Then use chakra."
Bai Ye looked at him flatly. How did this kid not know how to reinforce his body?
Ninjutsu 101.
"But Father, you never taught me that."
Sasuke replied sincerely.
Ah. Right.
Bai Ye facepalmed. He reached out and flicked Sasuke's forehead, then pressed a chakra pathway technique into his head.
So casual.
But that was Bai Ye's way—cultivation while fishing!
Sasuke blinked, then grinned and activated his chakra to support his arms.
Whoosh!
The next moment, something massive burst out from the water.
Sasuke's expression shifted from joy, to shock, to disbelief—and finally, to rage.
And in that emotional storm, his Sharingan spun furiously.
Suddenly.
The 3-Tomoe evolved—forming the Mangekyō!
From today onward—
Force King Sasuke, seven-year-old Mangekyō Sharingan user, was born!
"Amaterasu!"
Fueled by panic and instinct, Sasuke roared and activated the black flames of Amaterasu on the thing he had pulled up.
The Sharingan—
The eye of the soul.
For some, their Mangekyō powers were born from their subconscious desires.
For others, it was more standardized.
In Sasuke's case—Amaterasu and Flame Control.
It was consistent with Uchiha clan records, even from the Warring States era. The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had noted many Uchihas with advanced fire control techniques.
Bai Ye wasn't sure if Sasuke's Mangekyō confirmed this "eye of the soul" theory, but as in the original timeline, his powers manifested the same.
Amaterasu—the inextinguishable flame.
Flame Control—manipulating Amaterasu at will.
Sasuke marveled at his new power.
Then paused.
He blinked.
Then looked closely at what he caught.
"Dad… I caught Brother Shisui."
Bai Ye fell silent. After a beat, he waved his hand impatiently.
"Throw him back."
Was this real?
Sasuke hesitated, staring at Shisui—currently engulfed in black fire.
Amaterasu.
The flame that never dies.
In the original manga, even White Zetsu couldn't withstand it.
But Sasuke, realizing his mistake, swiftly extinguished the flames using Flame Control and checked Shisui's condition.
"Dad, he's alive! But... his eyes are gone!"
Sasuke reported urgently.
"Still breathing? Then just toss him back in. No need to finish the job."
Bai Ye replied coldly.
Shisui appearing in the river wasn't some grand twist.
He had clearly planned to die here.
Typical Uchiha behavior.
If someone really wanted to die and you saved them, all you'd get was cold treatment in return.
So let them go.
Bai Ye figured today was probably the day Danzo had made his move.
One eye stolen.
The other gifted to Itachi.
And Shisui?
He chose the coward's path—jumping into the river to avoid conflict and putting all responsibility on Itachi.
What a joke.
In the manga, Uchiha suspected Itachi of killing Shisui because Shisui was such a powerful asset.
To protect Itachi's name, Shisui "committed suicide," leaving a vague letter behind.
All to avoid fueling the clan's conflict with the village.
But Danzo wasn't even part of Konoha's leadership anymore!
And Shisui was still sacrificing everything?
Root's number one loyal dog.
"Alright, if you don't get up again, I'll…"
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