"Three-Tomoe Sharingan?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow, noting his opponent's gleeful expression.
In the Uchiha clan, a ninja's strength was often measured by the power of their Sharingan.
When an Uchiha awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, they were generally considered Jonin-level within the clan.
"A guy who hasn't even awakened his Sharingan—let's see how you handle Sharingan genjutsu!" the Uchiha thought, his three-tomoe eyes spinning as he cast a genjutsu on Yusuke.
But before he could revel in his move, he saw a fiery glint in Yusuke's eyes, which were locked on his. Instantly, his own eyes felt as if they were burning in flames.
"Ah! My eyes!" The Uchiha, named Eizo, screamed, clutching his eyes in agony, blood seeping through his fingers.
"Eizo, are you okay?" The only Uchiha who hadn't attacked Yusuke—the one who had defended him earlier—rushed to support him.
"I don't know. It feels like my eyes are burning. I can't open them. Am I going blind?" Eizo's voice trembled.
The two Uchihas Yusuke had knocked away earlier gathered around Eizo, glaring at Yusuke with anger.
Having just experienced Yusuke's strength, they realized the gap between them and didn't dare attack again.
"Uchiha Yusuke, you'd use such vicious tactics against your own clan? I'll report this to the clan leader and demand justice!" Ryuya, the first to attack, shouted furiously.
Yusuke smirked coldly. "He recklessly used genjutsu on me and triggered my counter-genjutsu mechanism. That's all. I'm not interested in wasting time with you here. If you want to teach someone a lesson, weigh your own strength first."
With that, Yusuke walked past them, leaving the tea house. Intimidated by his prowess, they didn't pursue.
"Yusuke-kun, please wait," the Uchiha who hadn't attacked called out, chasing after him.
Yusuke turned, looking directly at him. He bore no ill will toward this man, but if he sought trouble, Yusuke wouldn't hold back.
"I'm Uchiha Soichiro. They were just impulsive—please don't take it to heart. I apologize on their behalf," Soichiro said, bowing deeply.
"It's fine. I don't dwell on such things. If there's nothing else, I'll be going," Yusuke replied, his tone softening at Soichiro's courtesy.
"But will Eizo's eyes be alright?" Soichiro asked, concern on his face.
"I restrained my chakra in time. If he rests and gets treatment, his eyes will be fine. Take him back to the clan for care," Yusuke said, then turned to leave.
"Thank you so much!" Soichiro called out joyfully to Yusuke's back. Yusuke waved dismissively without turning.
Inside the tea house, Kakashi's mind was reeling.
Yusuke's display of speed, strength, and genjutsu defense seemed to surpass his own. As fellow all-rounder ninjas, Yusuke felt like a superior version of him.
"Kakashi, it looks like he might be stronger than you," Asuma said, his eyes wide with surprise. Kurenai nodded subconsciously.
To Asuma and Kurenai, Kakashi was the genius among their peers, excelling in all skills and chosen as a disciple by Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash.
They'd assumed Kakashi was unmatched among their age group, even over Yusuke, a fellow Jonin. But Yusuke's performance shattered their expectations, leaving them stunned.
"Didn't I just say he might be stronger?" Kakashi replied in his usual listless tone.
Though he seemed indifferent to Yusuke's strength, acting nonchalant before Asuma and Kurenai, Yusuke's prowess had sounded an alarm in his proud heart, rekindling his long-dormant fighting spirit.
"Is Uchiha Yusuke just that strong, or have I been slacking? Am I really inferior?" Kakashi questioned himself inwardly.
Unaware that his brief display had reignited Kakashi's resolve, Yusuke, soured by the incident, returned home.
At the Uchiha compound, in the residence of Clan Leader Uchiha Fugaku:
"Clan Leader, we're telling the truth! That Uchiha Yusuke is outrageous. He said he had urgent business to skip the clan meeting, but he was leisurely sipping tea in a tea house!" Ryuya complained indignantly to a middle-aged man in a kimono.
Another Uchiha chimed in, "Worse, he used some strange jutsu to burn Eizo's eyes, nearly blinding him. He's too ruthless!"
The man in the kimono sat upright, eyes closed, face stern, listening to their grievances.
This was Uchiha Fugaku, the current Uchiha clan leader.
"Soichiro, what's your take?" Fugaku opened his eyes slowly, addressing the silent Soichiro.
Soichiro gave a wry smile. "It's hard to say. Yusuke-kun does often skip clan meetings with excuses. But in today's clash, I could tell he held back, or the consequences would've been worse."
"Soichiro, why are you defending him?" Ryuya snapped.
"Enough. You two go back. Soichiro, stay—I need to discuss something," Fugaku said, dismissing Ryuya and the other Uchiha.
Once they left, Fugaku stepped onto the outdoor corridor, gazing at the moon hanging high in the night sky, hands tucked into his kimono's wide sleeves.
Soichiro followed respectfully, standing behind him.
"What do you think of Uchiha Yusuke?" Fugaku asked.
Soichiro shook his head. "I don't know him well, but he seems uninterested in power struggles."
Pausing, he continued, "One thing I'm certain of is his strength! His nickname is 'Flame Blade,' yet he didn't even draw his sword against Ryuya and the others. Sadly, he seems to lack any sense of clan loyalty. Besides his family, he doesn't interact closely with other clan members."
Nodding at Soichiro's assessment, Fugaku said, "You're right. It's time I had a talk with this clan genius."
Turning to Soichiro, he added, "Arrange a meeting with him tomorrow. If there's nothing else, rest early."
"Understood. I'll inform you once it's set," Soichiro replied respectfully.
After Soichiro left, Fugaku stood alone on the corridor, gazing at the night sky, lost in thought.
"Why are you standing here alone, brooding over clan matters?" a gentle female voice came from behind. It was Uchiha Mikoto, Fugaku's wife and the mother of Sasuke and Itachi.
Mikoto's long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her beautiful features mirrored in her sons.
Her belly was slightly swollen, indicating a few months of pregnancy.
"It's nothing, just minor issues. Don't worry—focus on the baby," Fugaku said, his usually stern face softening with a smile as he gently embraced Mikoto.
"Don't stress too much about the clan. By the way, have you thought of a name for the child?" Mikoto asked, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Of course. If it's a boy, I have a name in mind," Fugaku said with a smile.
Curious, Mikoto asked, "What name?"
Fugaku replied slowly, "I can't say yet. I need permission from a certain someone first."
The next morning, after finishing his training, Yusuke tidied up at home and prepared to visit a planned destination before heading to the Hokage Tower for a mission.
As he stepped out, he ran into Soichiro approaching.
"Yusuke-kun, heading out? Good thing I came early, or I'd have missed you," Soichiro said with a smile.
"Yes, the Hokage summoned me today—likely for a mission. What brings you here?" Yusuke asked, finding Soichiro's unannounced visit odd.
"The Clan Leader wishes to meet and talk with you, so he asked me to arrange a time. When are you free?" Soichiro said.
Yusuke pondered, looking troubled. "Sorry, I can't confirm a time yet. I'm visiting a friend soon, then heading to the Hokage Tower. The Hokage wants me there by noon for a mission, and I don't know the schedule yet."
"I see. Bad timing. I'll inform the Clan Leader," Soichiro nodded. "Wishing you a smooth mission, Yusuke-kun."
"Thanks. Please explain to the Clan Leader. I'll visit him myself after this mission," Yusuke said.
After parting with Soichiro, Yusuke headed to a modest orphanage on the southern outskirts of Konoha, his planned destination.
(End of Chapter)
---
Do You Know:
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan enhances perception and genjutsu but requires emotional trauma to awaken.