Returning home, Mu Yue headed straight to the bathroom and stuck out his tongue in front of the mirror.
Just as he suspected, a black curse mark was imprinted on his tongue – a signature trait of all Root members, known as the Seal of Absolute Silence.
If Mu Yue remembered correctly, this curse made anyone speaking about specific forbidden topics completely paralyzed. Naturally, anything related to Danzo and Root fell under this curse, ensuring that even if members were captured or defected, they couldn't reveal any secrets.
But that wasn't what troubled Mu Yue. He didn't plan to betray Root anyway. What worried him was that this seal wasn't just passive; it could be actively controlled by Danzo himself. In essence, Mu Yue's life was in the hands of someone else.
He racked his brain, trying to recall from the original story any method to break this curse.
"Seems like the only way out is if Danzo dies," Mu Yue muttered under his breath.
But no matter how much he thought, he couldn't find anyone in the story who had successfully broken this curse. Even those who had managed to escape Root might have had their seals removed by the Third Hokage. For the others, Danzo's death was the only key.
But killing Danzo? He wasn't some low-level enemy that could be taken down easily. The man was as slippery as they came, rarely leaving the safety of his underground lair. And to top it off, he probably had some revival trick up his sleeve too. He wasn't someone Mu Yue could take on... at least, not right now.
"I guess my only option is to seek help from Orochimaru or try to research the seal on my own," Mu Yue concluded. But in reality, it wasn't much of an option – getting close to Orochimaru was nearly impossible right now.
Glancing at the clock, Mu Yue sensed a presence approaching. It was Shisui.
He stepped outside into the courtyard, feeling somewhat surprised. Danzo seemed to trust the original Mu Yue quite a bit, as he hadn't noticed any Root agents monitoring him.
Just as Shisui was about to enter, Mu Yue quickly formed a few hand seals, unleashing a massive fireball, eight meters wide, that turned the training dummy in the courtyard into ashes. The ground beneath it was scorched black.
Shisui froze at the sight, utterly stunned by Mu Yue's mastery of Fire Release.
Though the Great Fireball Technique was classified as a C-rank jutsu, its strength was often underestimated. Many Uchiha jounin favored it in battle. However, even they couldn't unleash it with such power in such a short amount of time.
"Teacher Yusheng, I apologize for disturbing your training," Shisui said, quickly regaining his composure.
"It's no problem. I just finished anyway." Mu Yue smiled, inviting Shisui inside.
As they sat down, Mu Yue handed Shisui a cup of water and began to recount the tale of the Uchiha clan's past.
"You know about Uchiha Madara's betrayal, right?" Mu Yue asked.
Shisui nodded, "The clan's history says that Madara left the village."
"If only it were that simple," Mu Yue said, shaking his head. He told Shisui how Madara's betrayal had nearly led to Konoha's destruction, only stopped by the sheer might of Hashirama.
Shisui listened in silence, deeply troubled by the weight of the story.
"The Uchiha's downfall didn't end there," Mu Yue continued. "The Second Hokage, Tobirama, had always been wary of the Uchiha. Madara's rebellion only fueled his suspicions, leading him to implement policies that kept the clan under close watch."
Shisui's face darkened as Mu Yue explained how these policies only deepened the divide between the Uchiha and the village. The hawkish members of the Uchiha grew resentful, even plotting a coup. Many were caught by ANBU and imprisoned.
"Is that why the Uchiha's reputation became so tarnished?" Shisui asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"That's right. But not all Uchiha were blinded by pride and resentment. Some sought peace and cooperation, like Uchiha Kagami."
Shisui's eyes lit up. "Kagami... my grandfather. What do you think of him, Teacher?"
Mu Yue smiled softly. "He was a man who embodied the Will of Fire. A bridge between the Uchiha and Konoha, one of the few who tried to mend the rift."
Though Mu Yue's words weren't full of praise, Shisui felt they were the most sincere and fitting description he'd ever heard.
"I want to be like him... just like my grandfather," Shisui said, his resolve clear.
"Grandfather?" Mu Yue raised an eyebrow.
Realizing he'd spoken out of turn, Shisui scratched his head sheepishly. He had no intention of hiding the truth, so he confessed.
"If that's the case," Mu Yue said, eyes gleaming, "how would you feel about becoming my disciple?"
Shisui was taken aback. He didn't want to burden Mu Yue, but the prospect of learning under such a powerful and knowledgeable teacher was too tempting.
Finally, Shisui nodded. "Teacher Mu Yue."
The system's notification appeared immediately. [Do you wish to establish a master-disciple bond with Uchiha Shisui?]
Without hesitation, Mu Yue confirmed. After all, he had just secured one of the most promising talents in the village.
[Master-disciple bond established. Current trust level: 2. Unlocking skills: "Student Growth Boost" and "Teaching Feedback."]
Mu Yue grinned as he read the details. Every time Shisui trained and grew stronger, Mu Yue would receive twice the benefits. If Shisui gained one chakra point, Mu Yue would gain two!
Additionally, whenever Mu Yue gave Shisui a gift, the system would randomly reward him with something in return. The higher the trust level, the better the reward. It was a win-win situation!
Mu Yue pulled out a small scroll and handed it to Shisui. It was a guide he had written earlier, detailing the nature transformation of fire chakra. He had planned to give it to Shisui later, but this was the perfect opportunity to test the system's new function.
"This is a guide I wrote on fire chakra nature transformation. Study it well, and remember, I'm strict with my students. I won't go easy on you just because of some old debts."
Shisui accepted the scroll with gratitude. "Thank you, Teacher. I'll do my best."
Mu Yue nodded, internally grinning. The stronger Shisui became, the faster Mu Yue would rise in power. He'd make sure to push Shisui to his limits.
[You have gifted a student the Fire Chakra Nature Transformation Scroll. Due to immense gratitude, you have received the Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu (Proficient).]
A flood of memories and training experiences rushed into Mu Yue's mind. It was as if he had practiced the Dragon Flame Jutsu a thousand times already. This B-rank Fire Release technique allowed him to control multiple fire dragons with ease, far more potent than the Great Fireball.
Mu Yue glanced at Shisui again. This kid was like a bottomless treasure chest, always unlocking new rewards.
The sky outside began to darken. "It's getting late. I should walk you home. We wouldn't want your family to worry."
"There's no need, Teacher. I live alone now," Shisui said quietly, shaking his head. He didn't want to trouble Mu Yue any further.
Mu Yue's expression softened as he remembered that Shisui's parents had passed away long ago. Both of them, student and teacher, were orphans of circumstance.
"But my uncle comes to check on me sometimes," Shisui added quickly, not wanting Mu Yue to worry.
Mu Yue nodded, deciding not to insist. He had plenty of time to build a deeper bond with Shisui.
As Shisui walked away, flipping through the scroll, Mu Yue couldn't help but smile. Tomorrow was going to be an exciting day. He had two classes to teach, and who knew what rewards awaited him from his students?