After arranging everything, Shishou came to the entrance of the cave and said to Mikoto, who had come to see him off,
"This is Konoha's Forest of Death. I'll come to find you in a while and bring you some supplies."
"Until then, take good care of them and don't wander around. If Konoha finds you, I won't be able to help."
"I'll have it catch some game for you and guard the area."
After Shishou finished speaking, he clapped his hands.
A giant centipede's head emerged, the same one he had tamed during the day.
"I understand."
Seeing Uchiha Mikoto respond respectfully, Shishou was satisfied and jumped onto the centipede's head, leaving the area.
As long as those children were around, Uchiha Mikoto would follow his arrangements.
In time, he might even gain a helper with the Mangekyō Sharingan.
As for whether Mikoto would turn against him after awakening the Mangekyō,
Shishou wasn't worried at all.
Because he had already planted the destructive insects in her body.
For now, Mikoto couldn't resist him.
And soon, Shishou believed he would be able to fully win over Uchiha Mikoto.
...
The next morning.
Shishou looked at himself in the mirror, feeling a headache.
His body couldn't accommodate the vast amount of energy fed back by the destructive insects.
This caused his body to rapidly develop, making him look like an eleven or twelve-year-old boy.
No longer the eight-year-old child he once was.
This meant he couldn't face his acquaintances and schoolmates in his current form.
"Sigh."
"What's going on here?"
After using the Transformation Jutsu to revert to his previous appearance, Shishou felt helpless.
That day,
Shishou didn't see Sasuke at school.
The streets of Konoha also had a strange, tense atmosphere.
Shishou knew.
The news of the Uchiha massacre had spread throughout Konoha.
Most clan members had heard about the Uchiha being wiped out overnight.
Konoha also issued an S-rank bounty on Itachi Uchiha, the perpetrator.
From then on, thirteen-year-old Itachi Uchiha started his S-rank rogue ninja life, becoming 'Suzaku' of the Akatsuki.
But these things didn't matter to Shishou.
He found a chance to deliver some supplies to Mikoto and the children, instructing them to remain hidden.
He then used his insects to investigate how the village was handling the Uchiha corpses.
After several hours of searching, Shishou finally found the Uchiha corpses in a shrine within the Uchiha district.
The members of Root had temporarily placed the bodies in the shrine, waiting for orders to proceed with further disposal.
Shishou wouldn't miss this opportunity. He quietly sent some destructive insects to the shrine to continue devouring the Uchiha corpses.
Shishou had no qualms about this.
He had saved a dozen Uchiha children, so collecting some interest was entirely reasonable.
After all, the Uchiha no longer needed their bodies.
With the feedback from the destructive insects, Shishou's chakra levels significantly increased, and his body rapidly grew again.
Eventually, he reached the appearance of a twelve-year-old and then stopped changing.
Meanwhile, Shishou's Uchiha bloodline power continuously strengthened, making it easier for him to use the Sharingan.
After devouring part of the corpses, Shishou stopped, not wanting to overdo it and arouse suspicion.
To avoid accidentally revealing the existence of his Sharingan, Shishou started wearing sunglasses like a true member of the Aburame clan, never taking them off.
A few days later,
Sasuke returned to school.
His expression hadn't changed much.
But his demeanor had transformed.
If Sasuke's previous coldness was an imitation of Itachi, his current coldness was genuine.
Determined to avenge his clan, he had become a true avenger.
This didn't stop Naruto from continuing to pester Sasuke.
Although he was often beaten up by Sakura and the other girls, Naruto still picked fights with Sasuke every day, playing out the endless cycle of rivalry between Asura and Indra.
Perhaps because of this, although Sasuke remained cold, he was no longer unapproachable.
From this perspective,
Shishou fully supported Naruto's actions.
If Sasuke might call him "Dad" in the future, he wanted Sasuke to have a good life.
Of course, Shishou wasn't going to waste time actively interacting with Sasuke.
He continued to methodically pursue his own goals.
Finding a new place for Uchiha Mikoto and the children.
Figuring out ways to earn money to support Mikoto.
Getting closer to Mikoto.
Studying the Aburame clan's secret techniques.
Learning summoning jutsu.
Raising insects.
He had plenty of things to keep himself busy, leaving no time to deal with unnecessary matters.
As he pondered, Shishou put down the secret technique scroll he was holding and gazed at the blue sky outside the classroom window.
"Maybe it's time to start a money-making organization."