"Alright, go rest early."
Kakashi looked at Uchiha Yujin, who was already exhausted, and shook his head helplessly, muttering to himself,
'What on earth did that eyebrowless Uchiha do to make this kid work so hard?'
"Tiger."
"Snake."
Uchiha Yujin formed the hand seals one after another, but each time he tried, he felt uncomfortable all over and couldn't complete the seals properly.
His chakra connection to water was becoming weaker and weaker.
Simply put, he was tired.
"Let's head back for now. We have a mission tomorrow."
These words made the stubborn Uchiha Yujin stop what he was doing.
"Where's the mission?"
"You don't need to ask."
Kakashi stretched lazily.
"Meet me under the Hokage's office at 8 a.m. tomorrow!"
After saying this, he left smoothly.
Uchiha Yujin murmured to himself, "Got it. Meet at the Hokage's office after lunch tomorrow."
Back at the Uchiha clan territory.
Just as Uchiha Yujin was about to go home, his body stiffened.
He activated his Sharingan and looked up.
A purple-haired ninja was squatting on his balcony, staring straight at him.
"The clan leader wants to see you."
Uchiha Yujin had expected this.
He had been learning under Sarutobi Hiruzen's capable subordinate, Hatake Kakashi, so it was impossible that Uchiha Fugaku wouldn't care.
Five minutes later, Uchiha Yujin followed Uchiha Fugaku to a side room for a private talk.
Outside, Uchiha Sasuke peeked his head in, eavesdropping.
"Clan Leader," Uchiha Yujin bowed slightly.
"I can't refuse the Hokage's orders, but no matter how he trains me, my family name is still Uchiha."
He stood up.
"Wherever I go, as long as these eyes still see, I will remember my mission and my identity!"
"I am Uchiha Yujin! A member of the Uchiha clan!"
Uchiha Fugaku breathed a sigh of relief and motioned for Uchiha Yujin to sit down.
"Well done. I was not wrong about you!"
"Always remember who you are!"
Uchiha Yujin bowed once more.
Uchiha Fugaku wanted to exchange a few polite words, but Uchiha Yujin looked at him with eager eyes.
"Clan Leader, I have already mastered the Sharingan Windmill Triple Attack Jutsu. Could you perhaps guide me a bit on genjutsu?"
When it comes to genjutsu, everyone first thinks of Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui.
Then there's the so-called genjutsu master, Kurenai Yuhi, a Konoha jonin who was effortlessly defeated by Itachi.
But in the current timeline, the strongest genjutsu user is neither Itachi nor Kurenai.
It is the clan leader before Uchiha Yujin — Uchiha Fugaku!
In Itachi's memories, Fugaku, known as the "Wicked Eye," made Itachi sweat cold with his genjutsu.
This alone proves that Fugaku's genjutsu skills are formidable, perhaps even surpassing Itachi's.
If Fugaku hadn't been unwilling to harm his own son, the clan massacre might have just been a simple father-son conflict.
Seeking guidance in genjutsu from a ninja like Fugaku was definitely a smart move.
Hearing Yujin's request, Fugaku nodded slightly.
"You must always understand that as a member of the Uchiha clan, genjutsu is a required skill for us."
Uchiha Yujin clearly understood Fugaku's meaning and quickly declared, "I swear to serve the Uchiha clan with my life!"
"Good." Fugaku glanced at Uchiha Yujin calmly. "Genjutsu, as they say..."
His voice was deep and powerful, each word striking Uchiha Yujin's heart like a hammer.
Yet, at the moment Yujin was fully focused, he didn't realize his consciousness was slowly sinking into an invisible genjutsu.
His vision suddenly blurred, and when it cleared again, he found himself standing in a dark, damp prison cell.
In the corner of the cell lay a skeleton shackled by Sealing Stone.
The shape and size of the bones were shockingly similar to his own!
A strange fear welled up in Uchiha Yujin's heart.
He tried to flee, but his feet wouldn't move.
Suddenly, the skeleton began to change.
Gradually, its face became identical to Uchiha Yujin's.
The hollow eye sockets seemed to stare right into his soul!
Uchiha Yujin screamed in terror.
Finally able to move, he staggered out of the cell.
He rushed into the hallway, where countless sealed wine jars were lined up on both sides.
Inside each jar, something seemed to be writhing.
He swallowed hard, summoning his courage to move closer and look, only to find that inside each wine jar was his own body — transformed into a human pig, unable to move or call for help.
Uchiha Yujin was so frightened that he plopped down on the ground.
He felt a sharp pain in his hand, and when he looked down, his hand was burning with black flames — the legendary Amaterasu, an unquenchable fire.
He looked up, blood running cold in his veins. Standing before him were two familiar yet terrifying figures.
One was Uchiha Obito, mask removed, and the other was Uchiha Itachi, with his Mangekyo Sharingan activated.
Their eyes were cold and merciless, as if inspecting a prey on the verge of death.
Uchiha Yujin felt unprecedented despair. His body began to tremble, and fear consumed his soul.
At that moment, a sharp snap of fingers interrupted his thoughts. His vision shifted instantly, and he found himself on a bustling street in New York City.
Just as he thought he had escaped, he saw some people around him turning to dust, their faces filled with terror and helplessness.
A deeper fear gripped Uchiha Yujin. His body started to feel light, and when he looked down, his feet were turning into dust as well.
He looked up at the sky, where a massive crack appeared, revealing endless darkness.
His body floated upward, and he felt his strength rapidly draining away. Finally, his body turned completely into a wisp of dust, dissolving into the air.
Uchiha Yujin's consciousness experienced a journey from fear to despair, and then to complete nothingness within the illusion.
Struggling to open his eyes, Uchiha Yujin's heart tightened!
To his surprise, he found himself back in his bed at home.
On the balcony stood the purple-haired Uchiha kunoichi.
"You're finally awake."
"Mm," Uchiha Yujin said, rubbing his aching forehead. "How long have I been asleep?"
"No, you weren't sleeping. From the moment you were caught in the genjutsu until you got home, it was only about ten minutes."
"I see."
For the first time, Uchiha Yujin truly realized the vast gap between a freshly graduated ninja academy student and a ninja with Kage-level strength.
Watching the purple-haired ninja leave, Uchiha Yujin clenched his teeth, got out of bed, and headed to the bathroom.
After washing his face, he looked up at the mirror.
Because of extreme tension, his Sharingan hadn't closed yet.
"The two-tomoe eye... it really is full of charm."
He mumbled to himself, then returned to his bedroom and lay down on the bed.
Just as he closed his eyes, he suddenly bounced off the bed!
Rushing back to the mirror again, he stared intensely at his eyes.
"Two! Two tomoe!?"
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