Jin's brows knit tight.
He sensed at once that something was off. Nara Shikaku could not be that foolish, so why choose this line now.
Was it because the dead were Uchiha and not worth an inquiry.
Or because of the war, to keep Konoha from splintering.
He sank into thought.
None of that mattered most. What mattered was whether Shikaku had already marked him.
Then again, so what.
Marked or not, if Shikaku had not moved, there was no need to overthink it.
Time was what he lacked.
If he kept lying low and growing, once he reached Kage level it would not matter even if the truth surfaced. In this world the strong were kings.
With that settled, he smiled.
"So that is how it is."
"For me, it is good news."
"With Yoshio and his pals dead, I can finally breathe a little easier."
Across from him, Shisui looked conflicted.
He could not accept Jin's relief.
But he knew what Jin had endured under Yoshio's sneers, so he swallowed his discomfort.
He shook his head and drew a breath.
"Enough of that."
"I brought everything you asked for."
"See if it suits you."
He produced three scrolls.
Jin's eyes lit up.
He checked the first scroll and found three thousand explosive tags, five hundred tempered steel kunai, and two hundred shuriken.
His mouth twitched.
Uchiha really were loaded.
An explosive tag cost a thousand ryo. That alone was two million. Add the weapons and the single scroll neared five million.
No wonder.
After the clan's fall in the original story, the village reclaimed the hoard, and Sasuke never bothered with the leftovers. Even scraps would have funded a lifetime.
He had once thought the nine hundred thousand ryo his parents left was a small fortune. He had been young.
This compensation alone came to roughly five million. In comparison, his parents had been poor.
"Shisui, this is too much."
"Did you cover part of it yourself."
Shisui grinned and shook his head.
"You are overthinking it. This is the clan's compensation."
"Five million is nothing."
"A B rank mission starts around six hundred thousand. An A rank starts around two million."
"This scroll is only a few missions' worth for the clan or for me."
"The real value is in the other two."
"The second holds an early tachi of my grandfather's grand-uncle. In sheer cost it is worth at least five hundred million ryo, forged with chakra metal and a measure of star iron."
"The sword forms with it are a family style, no weaker than the Hatake school. We simply have few blade specialists."
"And the greatest treasure is the third scroll."
"Izanagi and Izanami. Our clan's secret arts. They are priceless."
Jin sucked in a breath.
So this was a great clan indeed.
No wonder the Hokage faction had wanted the Uchiha gone since Tobirama's time.
They were rich.
Even ignoring the ancient hoard, what Shisui had casually handed over would turn civilians green. Even second-tier clans like Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Sarutobi, and Shimura would not outfit an ordinary member this way. Third-tier clans did not need mentioning. As for the Hatake, pure sword fame could not match Uchiha depth. Only the Hyuga could barely stand toe to toe.
He sighed.
Uchiha were walking their own road to ruin.
Sitting on a mountain of wealth without the strength or temperament to protect it.
If they did not die, who would.
Their fall would make Konoha rich overnight. One whale dies, and all feed.
While he brooded, Shisui smiled.
"Want to hit the training ground."
"I have time today. Let me coach you a bit."
"Tomorrow…"
Worry clouded his face.
Jin was not a prodigy. He would not be assigned a jonin mentor, only a chunin who had seen battle, and basic squads had no time to polish teamwork. Assignments went out and units marched to the front at once.
Shisui did not feel at ease.
While he was only a chunin in rank, most jonin would lose to him. For this childhood friend whose parents had died because of his grandfather, he could not help but open a small stove.
Otherwise, did anyone think an ordinary Uchiha would get this much compensation. Fugaku had given face to Shisui. The tachi, the sword style, the Sharingan secrets were from Shisui's own coffers.
Jin quickly shook his head.
"Better not."
"Tomorrow squads are assigned and we head to war."
"I want to rest and be fresh."
"If I wear myself out today, how will I be sharp tomorrow."
"Shisui, let it be."
"I know you mean well."
"But my talent is what it is. One day of training changes nothing."
"What I need is to conserve strength."