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Tsunade had been appointed as a medical advisor to the Uchiha, so naturally, she was provided a place to stay within the district. To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, Andrew decided to personally escort her home using a detour. Once she was safely handed over to Shizune, there was no more for him to worry about on that front.
But Andrew didn't head home for rest afterward.
Instead, he went straight to the police headquarters to keep an eye on Orochimaru. Who knew when, or how, the Sannin might attempt to contact Danzo?
Sure, Orochimaru was powerful, but even he was still bound by limitations. No matter how he planned to reach Danzo, he couldn't overcome the spatial restrictions by himself. He'd need an intermediaryâsomeone to bridge that distance. And Andrew couldn't allow anyone in the clan, even unwittingly, to become that bridge.
There were other Uchiha who could stand guard, sure, but they didn't possess the advantage of Sharingan insight. It would be too risky to leave such a sly opponent unattended or under untrained supervision. Better to handle it personally.
Still, it wasn't ideal to stay on high alert through the entire night, especially when there was no certainty of whenâor ifâsomeone would appear. Being overly prepared often turned out to be useless when the enemy refused to act on your schedule.
The next day dawned like any other. Konoha maintained its usual tranquility. The villagers went about their daily routines, shopkeepers opened their stalls, and shinobi patrolled their sectors. At the police department, arrests were made from time to time, and prisoners were taken in as part of the ordinary process. There wasn't even the faintest trace of any conspiracy or upheaval.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, and Jiraiya had hidden the truth well. So well, in fact, that even the two elder advisorsâKoharu and Homuraâremained in the dark about the argument that had erupted between Tsunade and Hiruzen just the day before.
It was business as usual.
"Andrew, the clan head wants to see you. He said it's urgent."
Andrew turned to find Uchiha Kamasu, one of the patrol captains, approaching him with a formal tone.
"Alright," Andrew nodded. "Keep a close watch on Danzo. If you notice anythingâanything at allâsend a signal immediately."
He figured Orochimaru wouldn't dare make contact in broad daylight with villagers and shinobi constantly coming and going. A few hours of rest wouldn't hurt. Besides, Kamasu and the others were competent enough to hold the line for a bit.
"Don't worry!" Kamasu said, beating his chest with pride. "As long as it's about hurting Danzo, the Uchiha will never let down their guard!"
Andrew cracked a grin. He didn't know if Kamasu truly understood the situation, but the Uchiha's enthusiasm for anything anti-Danzo made them ideal allies for the task.
Without another word, he leapt onto the rooftops and sped toward the Uchiha compound.
"Great Patriarch Fugaku, what pressing matter has summoned me so urgently?"
As he entered the home of Uchiha Fugaku, Andrew saw both the clan head and young Sasuke seated in the living room. He couldn't help but crack a joke to lighten the mood.
Fugaku didn't return the smile. He went straight to the point.
"It's about Sasuke. The boy has been depressed lately. His enthusiasm for training is gone. That won't do."
Andrew raised an eyebrow. "So he's lost his drive. That's normal for kids. You should just force him to train! Why call me into this?"
He had assumed something serious had happenedâmaybe a new threat, a political shift. But this? Fugaku was just worried about his son.
"I am serious about this!" Fugaku replied without hesitation, leaving Andrew momentarily stunned.
"Come on, you can't be serious! I've got enough on my plate. We agreed: you handle the internal clan matters, and I take care of the outside threats. You want me to babysit now?"
Andrew sighed. "I'll help him train now and then, sure, but don't make this a regular thing."
"You misunderstand," Fugaku said calmly. "Sasuke's like this because you found a teacher for Naruto. He's afraid he can't compete now. You caused this problemâwho else should I come to?"
That one hit below the belt.
"What?! That's absurd! I'm still underage! Fugaku, have some shame! You're really dumping your parental responsibilities on me?"
In truth, Naruto becoming Jiraiya's disciple had caused quite a ripple. For all of Fugaku's calm exterior, Andrew could tell the man had been calculating how to keep his own son from falling behind.
Sasuke's reaction was simple and childlike, but understandable. In his eyes, if Jiraiya had to show respect to Andrew, then that meant Andrew was even more powerful. Naruto had Jiraiya, so Sasuke wanted someone even betterâsomeone like Andrew.
Fugaku gave him an icy glare, as if to say: "Do you think I care about your feelings?"
"Let's be realistic here," Andrew began. "Taking a disciple? That's off the table. I've got too much going on, and besides, Sasuke's current level doesn't require direct mentorship. Even with Jiraiya, Naruto's training won't be anything extravagant."
Still, Andrew scratched his head. This was a difficult spot. He didn't dislike Sasuke. On the contrary, he respected the boy's potential. But officially becoming his teacher? That was another story entirely.
They were barely a few years apartâit would be awkward.
"Fair enough," Fugaku said. "But?"
"But I can agree to guide him whenever I'm free. That's as far as I'll go."
He waved his hand dismissively, brushing off any further argument. Becoming Sasuke's official mentor was asking for trouble. Look at what happened to Kakashi and Orochimaruâboth were burned by that very arrangement.
And besides, the Sage of Six Paths always seemed to favor Sasuke with those mysterious destiny boosts. Andrew figured the kid didn't really need anyone's help anyway. Just wait for fate to give him a power-up.
"That's good enough. Sasuke! Did you hear that?" Fugaku said, turning to his son. "If you have any questions about your training, go ask Andrew-senpai."
Sasuke's eyes lit up like firecrackers.
Andrew blinked. "Wait, what do you mean, 'go ask Andrew if you have any questions'? You make it sound like I'm in charge of him now!"
Fugaku ignored his protests and stood up, satisfied that the matter was settled.
Andrew sighed in defeat. When he saw Sasuke's eager expression, he just didn't have the heart to object.
"Fine, I'll guide him. It's not like I agreed to take him in formally anyway."
As Fugaku walked out with Sasuke, he paused for a moment and looked back.
"Andrew, I'm counting on you. I can't fail himânot as a father."
Andrew looked away and muttered, "Alright, alright. I'll consider it a favor to both of you."
But as he sat alone afterward, his mind began to turn.
"If Sasuke's so obsessed with not being left behind by Naruto, maybe it's time to give him a boost..."
His thoughts drifted to Uchiha Itachi, and how Sasuke's eyes had first awakened on the night of the massacre. That moment of deep emotional trauma had sparked the Sharingan. But if they could simulate that stress without actual danger...
"Why not create a controlled environment to awaken his Sharingan early?"
He shared his idea with Fugaku when the clan head returned.
"Open Sasuke's eyes?" Fugaku repeated, thoughtful. "That's... a dangerous path."
"It's not as risky as you think," Andrew replied. "We won't do anything real. Just a bit of theater. Have a few of the clan members act it out."
Fugaku hesitated. The conditions for awakening the Sharingan typically involved intense emotional triggersâgrief, anger, fear. It was risky to mess with that.
But Andrew was confident.
"We'll stage it. Sasuke's still a kid. He can be fooled easily if we play our roles right. And if it doesn't work, no harm done."
He was already drafting the plan in his head. Scenes, dialogue, lightingâeverything.
This was going to be one hell of a play.
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