Chapter 78
Fugaku pondered for a moment before responding seriously:
"Father, I believe the incident with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was purely accidental."
"She snuck into our clan's territory."
"And it was the negligence of the Anbu, not something heavily tied to the Uchiha."
Noticing his father's increasingly angry expression, Fugaku quickly changed the topic to how to handle the situation.
"As for how to deal with it... I think we can leave it to Haneda."
While Fugaku's answer wasn't ideal, it was at least practical. As a leader, it's not always about handling every situation personally but knowing who to entrust with the task.
The clan head nodded slightly. He had long since given up hope that Fugaku would have a strong strategic vision for the future of the Uchiha. As long as Haneda was around, things wouldn't get too out of hand.
As the clan head was thinking about how to further secure Haneda's loyalty, Fugaku spoke again:
"By the way, Father."
"Haneda just completed an S-rank mission, defeating an opponent with both Steel and Swift Release bloodlines."
"This ninja had at least the strength of an elite jōnin, otherwise, the mission wouldn't have been classified as S-rank."
"Haneda, along with Kakashi, nearly killed him. Then, he teamed up with Minato to finish the job."
"Father, Haneda is very strong now. It's time we teach him some of the clan's secret techniques."
Hearing Fugaku's tone of praise and his request for Haneda, the clan head smiled warmly.
His son had finally started to understand! He knew how to pull people closer at the right time.
What Fugaku didn't know, though, was that his father was simply thinking about solidifying Haneda's place within the clan. Fugaku, on the other hand, simply wanted to share the clan's techniques with Haneda due to his impressive abilities.
Fugaku's request was more of a formality than anything else.
"Yes, you're right. It's time."
The clan head nodded slightly, then motioned for Haneda and Fugaku to follow him.
They arrived at a concealed bookshelf in the study. The clan head raised his index finger and released the seal.
A long underground passage was revealed.
Just like the one in Haneda's home, the passage required a specific technique to unlock, though this one was more advanced.
Whoosh~
With a light breath, the clan head ignited the oil lamps on either side of the passage, dimly lighting the way.
At the end of the dark passage was a secret room.
Inside were many scrolls, carefully categorized and arranged on shelves.
"This is where we store the clan's recorded history and various secret techniques. It's been here for hundreds of years."
"What I am going to teach you next are the Uchiha's ultimate eye techniques: Izanagi and Izanami."
As the clan head spoke, he took out two scrolls and handed them to Haneda.
Haneda was already familiar with Izanagi and Izanami.
One was used by Danzo as a "revival token," while the other helped someone trapped in a loop of destiny find their true path.
Mastering Izanagi would give him a powerful last-resort technique, even if it came with a steep price. It could save his life in dire situations!
As Haneda held the two scrolls, his eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Having more trump cards is always better, since you never know when you might need them.
"Izanagi requires three hand signs: Hare, Boar, and Sheep."
"Activating this technique allows you to turn any unfavorable event into an illusion, while making favorable outcomes a reality."
"For example, in a life-or-death situation, you can use it to 'resurrect' yourself."
"In contrast, Izanami is meant to counter Izanagi."
"Izanami records a series of interactions between the user and the target, trapping the opponent in an infinite loop of events."
"You can think of it as a powerful genjutsu. And the only way to escape it is to accept one's fate and recognize their true self."
"But remember, the cost for both Izanagi and Izanami is the permanent blindness of one Sharingan."
At this point, the clan head's expression turned serious, and he warned:
"Remember, Haneda!"
"Izanagi should only be used when your life is truly on the line!"
"Izanami is used to prevent the misuse of Izanagi!"
"I hope you never have to use them."
Seeing how serious the clan head was, Haneda nodded instinctively.
"I understand, Clan Head."
With that, Haneda realized the true intentions behind the clan head's words.
He didn't want Haneda to die, nor did he want to be betrayed by his own clan.
There was both public duty and personal sentiment in his words.
Originally, Haneda had been excited to receive the scrolls, but now, they felt much heavier in his hands.
Still, overall, this was an unexpected gain.
"Alright, if you ever need to look something up, come find me, and I'll bring you here."
The clan head put away his serious expression and smiled.
...
Later that night, Haneda arrived at his doorstep alone.
In the dim glow of the streetlamp, he could make out someone sitting by the door, waiting for him.
It was Obito.
"What's up, Obito? You're not trying to drag me back to your place, are you?" Haneda teased as he approached, smiling.
"No, Haneda."
Obito shook his head, fidgeting nervously with his fingers.
"It's just... the night is still young. How about we train together, Haneda?"
Curious, Haneda asked:
"You're not going to sleep tonight? What brought on the urge to train?"
"I vaguely remember you saying five years ago, 'Why train at night? Do you even train?'"
"Well..." Obito's face reddened, clearly embarrassed by what he wanted to say.
He had recently experienced situations where Rin, Haneda, and Kakashi almost died in battle.
He hated his own powerlessness.
That feeling had made him determined to change.
Moreover, today's events had made Obito reflect even more.
Minato-sensei's words, *'I really don't want to lose you,'* echoed in his mind, reminding him of his own inadequacies.
He didn't want to lose Rin, Haneda, or Kakashi.
He never wanted to go through such an experience again.
"Alright then. I was planning to train myself anyway, so I'll take you with me!" Haneda smiled.
He could tell what Obito was feeling just by looking at his face and eyes.
Since Obito didn't want to say it out loud, Haneda decided to accept without pressing him further.
Besides, Obito had grown, and now that he wanted to work hard, Haneda was more than happy to help him.
Hearing Haneda agree, Obito's eyes lit up immediately.
Though Haneda excelled in lightning release, kenjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, his fire release techniques weren't lacking either.
On top of that, he was a master of the Sharingan.
With Haneda teaching him, Obito didn't expect to surpass Haneda but hoped at least to catch up with Kakashi.
At that moment, a familiar but distant system notification sounded in Haneda's ears:
*Ding! Uzumaki Kushina's favorability +3.*
*Ding! Uzumaki Kushina's favorability +7.*
…
*Your favorability with Uzumaki Kushina has reached 81. You've gained 0.6 units of chakra, beginner-level understanding of sealing techniques, and a trace of Nine-Tails chakra enhancement.*
***
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