The walls of the interrogation chamber shook with the aftershock of Kaiten. Dust and shards of wood rained down as Uchiha Kaku, Feng, and Mamoru were slammed against the wall, coughing blood. Shuriken clattered uselessly across the floor, deflected by Shigure's absolute defense.
He stood at the center, body whirling to a precise halt, pale tomoe shimmering faintly in his eyes. The borrowed technique of the Hyūga—the Kaiten—looked effortless in his possession. Stronger, even, than Hizashi himself had displayed.
The three attackers writhed weakly, their arrogance broken.
"Y-you… you can't kill us," Kaku croaked desperately, blood on his lips. "We are Uchiha. To kill your clan brothers is to declare war on your own bloodline!"
Mamoru shook, trying to hold himself upright. The hatred in his eyes was gone, replaced by fear. "If you kill us, the clan elders will never forgive you…!"
Even Feng, who had entered the night mocking his younger cousins, now dropped his pride. His face twisted into despairing supplication. "Shigure… whatever happened between us, we are still Uchiha. Still shinobi of Konoha. Don't throw away everything. Spare us."
Shigure's face twisted into a cruel half-smile. "And now you call me 'brother'? Now you speak of clan and loyalty?" His voice cut like steel. "When you crept in the dark to kill me, where was that brotherhood? When you mocked my very existence—where was that loyalty?"
His chakra surged outward, shaking the room. "No. You wanted me dead? Then be ready to die yourselves."
His hands shot forward, Gentle Fist strikes firing like blades of wind. Palms pierced the air—striking directly at their hearts.
It ended quietly. Too quietly. The three collapsed, lives extinguished before fear could even leave their eyes. Shigure stood over them, his breath steady, his own heart thrumming.
Hatred repaid, kindness repaid. A sword that remembers every wound.
For the first time, he realized: he had killed his own clan.
He worked quickly, his mind sharp in the haze of blood. Transformation Jutsu wrapped him in the guise of the fallen ANBU who mocked him earlier—scarlet Sharingan replaced by a mask once more. His true body vanished into the shadows.
By dawn, the ruins of his home smoldered faintly, charred wood still cracked and black. He lay flat across the broken remnants of his futon, exhaustion clawing at him. His hands trembled faintly—not from fear, but from the body's unwilling admission.
No matter past life or this one, killing left a weight.
Sleep took him in jagged waves.
Until—
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
His Sharingan flared awake instantly. He pushed himself up, pupils narrowing, hand tense against his kunai. "Who is it?"
A flat voice outside answered. "Konoha ANBU. Lord Hokage has summoned you. You are to come immediately."
His pulse raced. The Hokage. Was it about last night? Did they already know?
For an instant he considered refusing… but dismissed the thought. If Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted me dead, ANBU would not be knocking at a door. They would already have taken my head.
Drawing a slow breath, Shigure whispered to himself, "Calm. Think. The Hokage summons… that is my chance." He slid the charred door aside and stepped into the morning light.
The walk across the village was silent. His escort said nothing, only cast the occasional narrow glance his way. Shigure's mind whirled instead, possibilities and strategies aligning.
When at last the shimmering towers of the Hokage's building rose, his escort gestured him forward, then vanished into smoke.
Uchiha Shigure entered the office of the Hokage.
The room was quiet, save for the slow curling smoke of a pipe. Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, cloaked in Hokage robes, the brim of his conical hat lowering his shadowed eyes. Yet his gaze was sharper than the edge of a kunai.
Around him, three ANBU waited. At a flick of the Hokage's hand, they disappeared into the dim air. His face softened by the faintest measure when his eyes turned to Shigure.
"Welcome," Hiruzen said simply.
Shigure bowed stiffly, tone perfectly polite. "Reporting to Lord Hokage. I have completed the graduation exam. I am now a Genin of Konoha."
The Hokage inhaled his pipe once, breathed out a slow smoke ring. His lips twitched into a reluctant smile. "So Hizashi told me. You show… remarkable skill. More than any child I have seen in years." His tone dipped with weight. "More than any should have, perhaps."
Shigure stayed silent. Let the professor of ninjutsu reveal his own thoughts.
Hiruzen leaned back, expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke again. "Do you recall… what I said once before? That upon your graduation, I would offer to take you as my disciple."
Shigure's eyebrow rose in genuine surprise. "You mean that, Hokage-sama?"
"I do." Hiruzen tapped his pipe clean, his gaze piercing. "From today forth, you remain Genin of Team 7, under Hizashi. But in addition—Sarutobi Hiruzen will also be your teacher. I will guide you personally, in what this village should mean… and in ninjutsu worthy of the title Hokage's student."
Shigure dipped his head. Outward respect, inward calculation. So. He knows. But he doesn't accuse me. Instead, he pulls me closer. To observe me? To control me? Or because he sees something worth molding?
Hiruzen lifted a sheet from a desk drawer and placed it delicately on the wood before them. A simple square of paper.
Shigure blinked. "Chakra test paper?"
The corners of the Hokage's mouth twitched. "Sharp of you to recognize it. Saves me the explanation." He gestured. "Place your chakra within."
Shigure pressed his fingers to it. The paper crackled alive instantly—one half shriveling, another soaked in water, the edges burning faintly while splitting apart, scattering ash and fragments across the Hokage's table.
Hiruzen froze mid-pull of his pipe. His eyes widened before his calm mask returned. "Wind. Water. Fire. Earth. Lightning. All five… and equally strong."
He sat back slowly, the pipe forgotten. "In all my years… a child with all chakra natures." His gaze narrowed on Shigure. "Even among the Uchiha… this is unprecedented."
Shigure merely tilted his head, masking the satisfaction that burned in his chest.
The Hokage exhaled, long, slow, controlled. "Your chakra pool is vast. Deeper than expected for your age. With proper training… you may grow into something even I cannot measure."
He turned, pulling scrolls from the shelf, fingers brushing timeworn leather. "I can refine your illusions? No. Hizashi can hone your taijutsu? Certainly. But ninjutsu—ninjutsu, that is my domain. What is it you wish to learn?"
Shigure paused, considering. Four legendary teachings of the Third Hokage fanned through his mind.
The contract with the Sarutobi clan's summoning monkey—Enma. The cursed Shiki Fūjin, the Reaper Death Seal. The unrivaled shuriken techniques.
And—composite ninjutsu. The weaving of multiple chakra natures at once.
Inwardly, he scoffed. Enma is family-bound. Shiki Fūjin is suicide. Shuriken I can replicate with my eyes. But composite ninjutsu… to blend elements into something greater. That's power worthy of my blood.
He spoke calmly. "Hokage-sama. I want to learn combined ninjutsu."
Quiet filled the air.
Then Hiruzen's eyes gleamed. He chuckled softly, deep in his chest. "Interesting…! Few even know this art exists. And you ask for it outright. You are either foolish, or more brilliant than I thought."
He leaned forward slowly. "And tell me—what will you call me, now that you have accepted this bond?"
For the first time, Shigure let a trace of humility color his voice. He lowered his head.
"…Sarutobi-sensei."
Hiruzen's old eyes softened. The years fell from his face, if only for a breath, as he smiled faintly, genuinely. "Good boy." He placed a hand atop Shigure's head, firm yet kind. "Then our lesson begins."
Behind the Hokage's smile, calculation stirred. Behind Shigure's obedience, ambition smoldered. And though neither spoke of death that marked the night before… both knew the secret bloodline boy was no longer one the village could ignore.
--
Unlock 50 exclusive advanced chapters for just $10 – don't miss out! Check the synopsis/description for the link! 🚀
Loved this fic? 🔥 Then you'll absolutely binge my other hits — "Douluo Dalu: Ten Thousand Years Early System!" & "Douluo Dalu: The Godly Drunkard System" — don't miss out!