Anyone caught in the genjutsu of the Sharingan becomes like a puppet controlled by strings, and Tōshirō was no exception.
Elder Itachi wasted no time and asked directly the crucial question: "Have... you awakened the Sharingan?"
He held his breath and waited calmly for the answer.
Tōshirō's gaze was vacant as he nodded.
Elder Itachi took a deep breath, and a slight change appeared in his usually calm expression: "Let me see your Sharingan."
Shortly after these words were spoken, Tōshirō's eyes turned a crimson red, and in the round pupil appeared small circles with a shape resembling a comma.
This was the Sharingan, the eye that the Uchiha clan took pride in.
Upon seeing those eyes, Elder Itachi couldn't contain his emotions, and his breath quickened.
The child before him possessed two Kekkei Genkai, and it was no wonder he had such immense chakra at such a young age.
"When did your Sharingan awaken?"
"At the age of five."
Hearing this, Elder Itachi was both surprised and delighted.
To awaken the Sharingan at just five years old was a rare occurrence.
Having good talents doesn't necessarily mean early activation of the eyes. For example, Uchiha Madara, despite awakening his eyes relatively late, became the strongest ninja in Uchiha history.
But the earlier the Sharingan awakens, the more it indicates great potential.
If Elder Itachi was not mistaken, Tōshirō's grandmother passed away at that age, which seemed to have deeply affected him.
Tōshirō's ability to awaken the Sharingan at the age of five was the result of both talent and circumstances.
After a brief shock, Elder Itachi made a decisive decision.
The student he had recently taken in, Fugaku, had a maturity beyond his years, a composed character, and was a rare genius ninja in Uchiha history. Elder Itachi had high expectations for him and had even decided to groom him to become the leader of the Uchiha clan.
But all this faded after the revelation of Tōshirō's two Kekkei Genkai.
Although this decision might be unfair to Fugaku, the candidate for clan leader might need to be reconsidered.
Tōshirō's personality might have some flaws, but in the face of absolute talent, these could be overlooked.
The Uchiha clan believed in strength, and the clan leader was always the strongest among them to be able to enforce control.
Additionally, Tōshirō's ice release held special significance for the Uchiha clan.
Ninjutsu, alongside the yin and yang elements, was divided into five main elements: wind, fire, lightning, water, and earth, each influencing and being influenced by the others. For example, the Uchiha clan's mastery of fire-based ninjutsu was unparalleled, to the point that even opponents skilled in water-based ninjutsu could not challenge them.
But the question remains, can any ordinary person become a match for the Uchiha?
"Senju Tobirama."
Elder Itachi mentioned this name.
If you think about it deeply, most of the ninjutsu developed by Senju Tobirama was aimed at countering the Uchiha.
The Flying Thunder God Technique, which made the Sharingan unable to track its speed, the Shadow Clone Technique meant to reduce the Sharingan's effectiveness by confusing the ability to distinguish between the real body and the clones, even the Darkness Technique that blocked the Sharingan's vision, and the water techniques specifically developed to counter the Uchiha's fire techniques.
In short, Tobirama was obsessed with countering the Uchiha.
But now, with the emergence of ice release, the equation could be reversed, and Tobirama's water techniques could be countered.
Ice release, if developed correctly, could be effective against water techniques, and the best way to counter ice is through fire, a technique the Uchiha excel in.
Using fire techniques against the Uchiha is akin to inviting disgrace.
Elder Itachi imagined Tobirama's face when he realized that his water techniques were rendered ineffective by ice release, and if not for his old age, Elder Itachi might have burst out laughing: "Tobirama, even you face a day of direct targeting."
Perhaps that's why Kuzan's father married his mother, to bring that special Kekkei Genkai into the clan.
At that moment, Elder Itachi felt grateful for his wise decisions because if he had let Tōshirō fall into corruption and waste his talent, he would have felt deep regret.
In this world, those with great talents pass on those advantages to their descendants in one way or another.
With this exceptional talent, Elder Itachi began considering arranging a marriage for Tōshirō.
Tōshirō is now ten years old, and in just two years, he would reach the age of maturity in their time, which means he could become a father.
And perhaps based on these thoughts, a bold idea appeared in Elder Itachi's mind, an idea that even astonished him.
If this idea succeeded, the Uchiha clan could return to a position of power, even go beyond, living a period of strength and prosperity surpassing that of Uchiha Madara's time.
After carefully analyzing the idea, Elder Itachi quickly performed a hand sign and erased Tōshirō's memory of what had just happened. Unless Tōshirō's Sharingan power reached nearly his own level, he would never regain those memories.
Tōshirō began to regain consciousness gradually, seeing Elder Itachi looking at him with a friendly smile, which made him uneasy: "Elder Itachi, is there anything else?"
As if nothing had happened, Elder Itachi sighed and said: "I've thought about it, and perhaps your suggestion to become a medical ninja is a good idea."
What?
Tōshirō was confused, as Elder Itachi had previously rejected his request, so what had changed?
"What? Do you not want to?"
Tōshirō quickly shook his head, then nodded repeatedly: "Of course I do! But what made you change your mind suddenly and agree to let me become a medical ninja?"
Elder Itachi turned his gaze to the horizon as if recalling old memories, and sighed deeply: "In fact, I wanted you to become a combat ninja, as that is the fate of the Uchiha clan. But after thinking about it, with your current state, even if I forced you, you wouldn't achieve the desired results. It could even lead to the opposite outcome."
"If you truly do not wish to learn, I can't put a shuriken to your neck to force you, can I? After all, I'm not a demon."
"Also, I promised your grandmother that I would take good care of you. Considering all this, I've decided to accept your desire to become a medical ninja. Although ice release is a rare Kekkei Genkai, it is only a small addition compared to the power of the Sharingan within the Uchiha clan."
Is this the concept of great families?
Although these words might sound like praise for the Uchiha clan and their ability to use the Sharingan, it's remarkable to let a rare ninja with such a Kekkei Genkai become an unloved medical ninja, this is indeed a bold move.
Tōshirō was amazed by the boldness of his clan.
"But..."
With these words, it was clear that everything said before was just empty talk, and what comes next is the essence.
I knew it wasn't that simple... Tōshirō crossed his arms, nodding as if acknowledging that now things make sense.
It's impossible for the clan to let a ninja with a rare Kekkei Genkai become an unloved medical ninja; there must be additional conditions.
In a low voice, Uchiha Clan Leader Itachi said: "If you ever get the chance to activate the Sharingan, I hope you follow the clan's instructions and become a combat ninja. As a member of the Uchiha clan, you must know what the Sharingan means to the clan."
The Clan Leader Itachi, of course, knew that Tōshirō had already activated the Sharingan and was saying this deliberately so he could use it in the future, if necessary, to force Tōshirō to become a combat ninja.
But Tōshirō didn't know this; he naively believed he had hidden it well and thought that Clan Leader Itachi agreed to let him become a medical ninja only to achieve his goal of activating the Sharingan.
A medical ninja, although not frequently involved in frontline battles, witnesses many painful scenes related to death, which can serve as emotional fuel to help activate the Sharingan.
With reluctant anger, Tōshirō nodded and said: "Understood..."
"And to make sure you don't go back on your word, I want you to swear on your late grandmother's spirit."
Tōshirō hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth because there's no gain without sacrifice. If he showed fear now, it would confirm that he had something to hide: "I swear that if I activate the Sharingan in the future and if the clan needs me, I will obey their orders, or else I will blow myself up."
"I, Tōshirō Uchiha, swear. And what does that have to do with me? Tōshirō is just my host's name."
Additionally, I swore for the future, but I have already activated the Sharingan, hehe.
Clan Leader Itachi was surprised; this boy was ready to do anything to avoid becoming a combat ninja.
"I don't want you to die; I want you to live well and serve the clan."
Then Clan Leader Itachi looked at him with deep, cunning eyes and continued: "And also..."
Tōshirō interrupted, saying, "And also? Can you tell me everything all at once?"
"If you think I'm dragging things out, it's better for you not to become a medical ninja. Instead, become a combat ninja."
Clan Leader Itachi said in a reprimanding tone.
Although he knew that Tōshirō had awakened the Sharingan, he wanted Tōshirō to act as if he didn't know, so as not to arouse suspicion.
The more conditions he placed, the fewer suspicions would arise, and the more control he would have over Tōshirō, so why not take advantage of this opportunity?
Tōshirō gave in and remained silent.
Clan Leader Itachi exhaled sharply: "Even though I agreed for you to become a medical ninja, I want you to come every day to train with me."
Tōshirō was pleased with this condition since it meant he wouldn't have to train alone, but he pretended to be reluctant and said, "Ah, I'm a medical ninja; why should I train? I won't be on the front lines."
Clan Leader Itachi sighed: "I know your grandmother's death affected you deeply and made you hate fighting, but you need to understand something important..."
Then he stopped speaking deliberately, waiting for Tōshirō to ask what he meant.
Tōshirō understood this and wanted to show his curiosity to appear as if he was learning from the clan leader: "What is it?"
Thanks to this question, Clan Leader Itachi continued speaking with pride: "You must realize that having a shuriken and not using it is entirely different from not being able to use a shuriken at all."
Tōshirō thought for a moment, then nodded as if he understood.
Clan Leader Itachi felt relieved, thinking that Tōshirō was beginning to understand.
After some thought, Tōshirō concluded seriously: "Indeed, there is a difference. Only ninjas without power use shuriken. The truly strong ninjas forgo shuriken and prefer to use jutsu directly."
Clan Leader Itachi: "???"
...
After Tōshirō left, darkness began to creep across the sky.
But unlike the gloomy atmosphere, Itachi's heart was filled with joy and tranquility, even his movements became lighter.
When he returned home, there was no one to greet him as usual. He had lost his partner and family members in the war, and there was no one left to say, "Welcome back."
The more he thought about it, the sadder he felt, but he had grown accustomed to it, relying entirely on the clan. As long as the clan was okay, he would be happy.
"If these two boys can build a strong bond, perhaps even more, true reconciliation between the Uchiha and Senju clans might be achieved."
"When two opposing forces unite, true peace in the world can be realized..."
Clan Leader Itachi quietly sat down to prepare himself a cup of tea. As he held the cup, he suddenly heard a sharp, powerful sound behind him, as if the air itself had trembled.
"What I meant by those words wasn't what you understood."
Though he hadn't heard this voice in a long time, Clan Leader Itachi had never forgotten it.
"Crack."
The cup slipped from his hands and shattered on the ground, spilling hot tea and causing steam to rise.
As he spoke, a man emerged from the shadows.
His black hair was darker than any abyss, and his sharp red eyes were so terrifying they could make demons shiver.
"Uchiha Madara."
Clan Leader Itachi slowly opened his dry mouth and uttered this name.
(End of Chapter)
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