Chapter 35: Mask Shattered, False Concessions
At the Uchiha district, after hearing about Uchiha Tonan’s early graduation, the Great Elder came to visit him at his home. Tonan was sitting under the eaves, whittling a piece of wood with his kunai.
Wood scraps scattered on the floor, and a life-like wooden sculpture appeared. The subject he was carving was none other than Uchiha Mina. Even after death, people’s memories hold significance for the living. Putting Mina’s carving inside, he picked up another piece of wood and began carving Uchiha Teno.
The Great Elder pushed open the ajar courtyard gate and saw Tonan carving Teno’s wooden figurine.
“Great Elder, is there something I could do for you?” Tonan put down the carving and bowed with his hands on his knees, as he politely inquired.
The Great Elder smiled and looked at him up and down. He also did a quick sweep of the house from the corner of his eyes and saw several sculptures placed on a partition.
They were all of Tonan’s parents and Mina.
“We’re all family here, you don’t have to be so formal.”
The Great Elder smiled and sat next to Tonan like an old grandpa next door. After a pause, Tonan got up and headed inside to pour him a cup of fresh tea. Bringing it back, he sat down next to him.
“You really like your tea, don’t you Tonan?” The Great Elder narrowed his eyes, sipping on the tea.
Tonan nodded and stroked the finished carving in his hand. “That’s right. Usually, studying consumes much of my energy, so tea helps me freshen up.”
The Great Elder squinted at the carving in Tonan’s hand and sighed, “It feels like you’ve graduated in the blink of an eye, time really flies.”
“It’s because time flies that every second should be cherished. Don’t wait until you lose something before you regret it,” Tonan said as his kunai continued trimming the half-carved wood block.
The Great Elder looked at the flock of white pigeons flying in the distance. He said, “You’re not like the other clan members. I should say you’re the most unique person I’ve ever met. I thought I was the one who knew you best, but sometimes, I feel like I can’t understand you at all.”
“Leaving Teno for the end. Is it out of guilt?”
Tonan paused with a start, a puzzled expression appearing on his face. He replied, “I’m not too sure I understand what you’re saying, Great Elder.”
The Great Elder smiled and said, “You are patient and rational. You are even able to separate reason from emotion perfectly, acting with logic even during the most critical situations.”
Tonan’s heart jumped, but he put on a despondent expression and shook his head, “That’s not what I am at all. I always act on impulse, and even raised a hand against the senpai at the Interrogation Department.”
The Great Elder sipped his tea unhurriedly before setting the cup aside. He took out a yellowing book from his robe and placed it between them. Then he said, “This has been in my possession for some time. Let me return it to you now.”
Tonan’s pupils shrank slightly. He picked up the book and the two of them sat there in silence. Now that winter was approaching, the cool breeze felt cold against his back. This book was the compiled notes he had given to Teno back then.
The poison on it had long evaporated but Tonan realized the part where the poison was applied had reacted distinctly. It had turned extremely yellow.
He miscalculated. Sure enough, he was too inexperienced back then.
“If I hadn’t awakened my Sharingan and gained value far beyond those of the others, then maybe I would’ve been the one who was executed that day.”
Many thoughts raced through his head at once. He could bully his peer or ordinary chunin and genin, but silencing someone with murder? Unlikely. Lesser so the veteran elite jonin like this Great Elder. Only a fool would be confused by that smiling face. This old man could probably wring him to death with a pinch of his finger.
But if he can’t fight, he could follow. In the next moment, Tonan threw up the book and blinked his eyes, activating his Sharingan.
Woosh
The kunai hit the book precisely and nailed it to a tree in the yard. He then leaped and quickly formed seals with his hands.
“Fire Style – Phoenix Sage Nail Crimson Technique.”
Dense little fireballs shot out from his mouth, smashing into the big tree.
Boom
The entire tree was instantly enveloped in flames. As the cold wind flew by, the flames dotting the tree flickered like stars in the sky. Standing with his back against the Great Elder, Tonan was silent for a long time.
The Great Elder breathed heavily as he looked at the burning tree, and then turned his gaze towards Tonan’s back. A single word came to his lips, “Genius.”
He slowly got up and headed towards the gate. When he passed Tonan by, he reached out to pat him lightly on the shoulder. Just as he was about to leave, Tonan suddenly said, “Great Elder, please trust me. I… will always be an Uchiha. But right now, I can only be like this.”
The Great Elder’s footsteps halted. The delight on his face was obvious when he turned to meet Tonan’s eyes. “I’ve always believed in you. Come to the clan’s shrine in a few days. I’ll take you somewhere so that you can pick up your new ninjutsu.”
Then, with an encouraging look at Tonan, he left.
“Take care, Great Elder.” Tonan bowed deeply with both hands on his knees.
‘Ding! Obtained Uchiha Tenzou’s acknowledgment.’
One cannot say too much while dealing with a shrewd old man. Just say a third of it, then leave him to figure out the rest himself. After the Great Elder left, Tonan straightened his body and breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, a thought flashed into his mind. His pupils suddenly shrank. He saw two yellow handprints on his pants. His face turned ugly at once. Rubbing the handprints with his finger, he sniffed it. It had a light fragrance on it.
“This crafty old bastard tricked me!”
Tonan inhaled deeply to suppress the rage in his heart. Returning to his usual calm, he turned around and walked into the bedroom. Then, he took out the ‘Advanced Spy Camouflage Techniques’ that had been gathering dust in the cabinet.
At night, at the Naka Shrine of the Uchiha clan, the Great Elder and Uchiha Fugaku sat opposite each other in seiza.
“Great Elder, why have you called me?”
“Tonan is more talented than we expected.”
“Huh?”
A frenzied look filled the older Uchiha’s eyes, as he said, “I saw him perform the Phoenix Sage Nail Crimson Technique, and the fluctuation of his chakra was already close to a jonin level”
Fugaku was shocked. The Great Elder looked at the stone tablet in the shrine, his heart pounding, and he said, “That’s not the most important part. The most important part is that his heart has always been loyal to the Uchiha.”
Fugaku calmed down a little and stroked his chin. “You mean to say that everything he shows on the surface was a lie?”
The Great Elder nodded. “Not only does he have talent far beyond ordinary people, but he is of a caliber that none in the Uchiha can match. Everything he has done so far is just to hoodwink Konoha’s top rung.”
Fugaku’s eyes lit up, but then he frowned, and asked, “So, who was the one who poisoned Teno back then?”
“It was him. It must have been to awaken his Sharingan.”
“What…”
“It was true that his relationship with Teno was good, and he really did like Mina. But reason told him what he must do to obtain power.”
Everything made sense to Fugaku now, and several thoughts stormed in his mind. “Is that why he destroyed the bond himself? No wonder he chose to end Mina’s life with his own hands at the final moment. But he had already awakened the third tomoe. Why would he need to do this?”
“Perhaps he feels that he has already reached that level… the Mangekyou… but he most likely failed. After all, he’s still young.”
“But I trust that he will be able to awaken the Mangekyou in time. Then, he will wield the power of the legends,” the Great Elder stated with confidence.
“What do you intend to do now?”
“Let’s keep this between the two of us for now. We should wait for that boy to grow up some more. What we need to do now is to keep our distance from him. When Konoha’s top rung is here, we must appear as if we’re trying to pull him to our side.”
“Also, I’ve decided to pass on that jutsu to him…”
