Chapter 13 – Shisui's Smile After Defeat
The surge this time was stronger, fiercer, more overwhelming than before.
Chakra burst into Yujiro's body, roaring through his veins like a storm.
Ohhh! Power—power overflowing!
For a moment, he nearly lost control—wanted to throw his head back, distort his face into a crazed grin, strike a JoJo-style pose like some manic villain.
But he forced it down.
Endure. Damn it, endure.
If he broke character here, his lifelong friendship flag with Shisui would shatter on the spot.
So Yujiro put on his best calm, gentle expression and said lightly:
"Just a spar, and under restrictions at that. If you'd used genjutsu or ninjutsu, your odds of winning would've been much higher. Not to mention… you still have those eyes."
Shisui shook his head. "Even so… defeat is defeat. You're generous, Yujiro-nii. Is this what they call the victor's magnanimity?"
The truth was, he'd still cared a little about losing. But after hearing Yujiro's words, the last trace of regret melted away.
Instead, he made a quiet decision.
There was a question neither of them had voiced, but both understood:
In this struggle to save the Uchiha and protect the Leaf… who should lead?
Debates could never settle it. So they'd chosen the ninja way—decide with their fists, like Hashirama and Madara once did.
The result was Yujiro's victory. Shisui felt a pang of disappointment, but then… relief.
Yes, he might be a little stronger, but his personality was unsuited for command. He was a warrior, not a leader.
Yujiro, with his shamelessness and adaptability, was the better choice to stand at the front.
Even though they hadn't known each other long, Shisui had formed his own judgment:
To follow such a man wasn't shameful—it was an honor.
With that, Shisui let out a smile of pure relief.
Then he remembered—his raw strength still surpassed Yujiro's—and laughed louder.
"Hahahahaha!"
Yujiro blinked. Wait, what?
He'd been holding back an Uchiha-style villain laugh this whole time, and now Shisui was the one cracking up. How was that fair?
But… if even the loser could laugh, then why shouldn't he?
So Yujiro joined in. "Hahaha!"
Hearing Yujiro's laughter, Shisui laughed even louder. Their laughter bounced off each other, escalating in volume until Yujiro leaned back, striking a dramatic pose that showed off the physique he'd honed through relentless taijutsu training.
Watching the two of them, even the stoic Uchiha elders felt their hearts stir. Some grew misty-eyed.
One after another, they murmured:
"That laugh… it's just like Madara's in his youth."
From the sound of that laugh alone, they declared—Yujiro had the bearing of a man destined for the Mangekyō.
---
The duel was over. The resentment many Uchiha had harbored toward Yujiro had faded.
Yes, they were the clan of love, the clan of tragedy, the tsundere clan, the beautiful-yet-tormented clan.
But above all—they were still the clan of power.
And the Uchiha would only ever follow the strong.
(Then again… wasn't that true of every clan in the shinobi world?)
Leadership born of charisma rather than raw power—like Yahiko in another story—is rare. That's precisely why organizations like Akatsuki are so striking: charisma can carry you far in chaotic times.
Too bad Danzō ruined everything.
---
The fallout from Yujiro's spar with Shisui kept spreading. The clan's opinion of Yujiro rose; some even claimed he had eclipsed Shisui to become the new generation's strongest.
Shisui tacitly accepted Yujiro as the figurehead, and when asked about it he'd only smile and say:
"Yeah. Yujiro's really strong. I might not even be his match."
When Itachi heard that, he blinked in disbelief.
"Really???" the village's model dutiful son reacted, half skeptical, half intrigued.
Shisui smiled softly at Itachi—who felt more like a little brother and a pupil—and said earnestly:
"Yujiro will bring change to the shinobi world, to Konoha, to the Uchiha. Trust him, Itachi. Trust him like you trust me."
They were sitting in Yujiro's printing press. After Yujiro vs. Shisui, that shop became a new hangout for the Uchiha youths: tea, cat-petting, and reading the latest New Konoha Times while cursing at the paper's nonsense.
Little by little, more young Uchiha gravitated to Yujiro—liking his energy, his swagger, his ridiculous bravery. A small circle, centered on him, began to form.
Yujiro loved it. He was delighted—and a little embarrassingly proud. What should they call this group? Konoha Unity Society? The Free Officers Corps? Branding was important, after all.
---
Fugaku felt conflicted about letting Itachi mix with Yujiro. On one hand, Itachi could learn something; on the other, what if he picked up the wrong things?
But Itachi was obedient in his own way. If his father told him not to go, would he listen? Of course not. So a little self-styled, prematurely mature kid suddenly became part of Yujiro's outer guard.
The first time Yujiro saw Itachi in front of him, he sucked in a breath—but with Shisui's complete trust in the boy, Yujiro pinched his nose and reluctantly accepted Itachi as a peripheral member of Konoha's young guard.
Please don't turn into the same kind of animal you were before, Yujiro practically prayed.
Itachi asked, politely: "So… Yujiro—what is Yujiro-nii doing right now?"
"Over at the Hokage Tower," Shisui replied. "He's meeting with the Fourth—must be discussing something important."
At the thought that Yujiro could now talk policy with the Hokage, longing and admiration flickered across Itachi's face. He'd been praised by Hiruzen for having a Hokage's perspective—no wonder his sympathy for the Hokage faction ran unusually high.
But was it all really as grand as it sounded?
Cut to the Hokage Tower. Yujiro was laying it on thick for Minato:
"Do you know how much I made in three days from that paper? Fifty million ryo!
"How much is an S-rank mission? One million ryo!
"That means in three days I did the equivalent of fifty S-rank missions, Lord Hokage!
"Trust me—let's found Konoha Culture & Entertainment Ltd. I'll be CEO, you be Chairman. We'll grow it, we'll dominate—make trillions. Then we'll buy out the other Four Great Villages! Smash them with money, and Konoha will rule the market!"