Chapter 516: New and old legends in the same frame?

After training, Shisui and Obito returned to the Uchiha Clan Compound with their respective Pokémon.

After dinner with Zorua, Shisui prepared to take Zorua for a walk to digest. As soon as he left the house, he saw Uchiha Fugaku walking towards his home.

“Uncle Fugaku,” Shisui guessed that Uchiha Fugaku might have something for him, so he greeted him proactively.

“Shisui, have you eaten?” Uchiha Fugaku stopped, nodded, and asked with a smile.

“Yes, I just finished eating and was about to go for a walk to digest,” Shisui nodded and replied.

“Uncle Fugaku, are you looking for me?”

“It’s nothing important. Let’s walk together and talk as we go.”

Uchiha Fugaku led Shisui towards a nearby stream.

“Have you heard about the Youth Martial Arts Tournament?” Uchiha Fugaku quickly asked.

Shisui’s gaze was a bit strange; he had a new understanding of the Youth Martial Arts Tournament’s popularity.

In the afternoon, the Third Hokage had just asked Muzuki if they intended to participate, and in the evening, Uchiha Fugaku also brought up the Youth Martial Arts Tournament.

This was a rare occurrence for the Uchiha Clan.

Due to most Uchiha Ninja serving in the Police Force, the Uchiha Clan was relatively closed off and generally paid little attention to matters in the Ninja World.

After all, the Police Force usually only needed to perform missions within Konoha and did not need to leave the village.

Uchiha Ninja like Shisui’s uncle, Uchiha Nobuhiro, who frequently left the village for missions, were a minority.

“Yes, it’s a Ninja competition organized by the Shinobi Sect in the Land of Rain, and the rewards are very generous,” Shisui grabbed Zorua, who had jumped onto his shoulder, and held it in his arms as he replied.

Shisui himself was only nine years old, and Zorua was now a full 0.7 meters tall and weighed thirteen kilograms, so having Zorua stand on his shoulder was somewhat uncomfortable.

Mainly, Zorua was too big; it would be very cramped if it stood up. If it were smaller, Shisui thought it might be quite good.

“I think if you and Obito don’t have urgent matters, you can participate in this Youth Martial Arts Tournament. Even if not for the prizes, you can fight with more geniuses to grow and build your reputation,” Uchiha Fugaku suggested.

Being too famous as a Ninja is actually not conducive to combat, as excessive fame will inevitably lead to some intelligence leaks.

However, being famous is not without benefits. If one wants to become Hokage, the earlier one becomes famous, the better. An unknown Ninja can absolutely never become Hokage.

Uchiha Fugaku had high hopes for Shisui and Obito, so Uchiha Fugaku personally came to explain the pros and cons to Shisui, and also sent Uchiha Yashiro to persuade Obito.

“Thank you, Uncle Fugaku, for coming. Actually, Hokage-sama has already informed us, and Obito and I both plan to participate,” Shisui explained.

All of Muzuki’s disciples except Yamato would participate in this Youth Martial Arts Tournament, even Rin Nohara.

Shisui felt that this Youth Martial Arts Tournament was a truly rare opportunity, offering too many benefits.

The generous prizes that others most desired held the least attraction for Shisui. Shisui’s main motivation for participating was to hone his abilities and gain the Konoha Ninja’s recognition of the Uchiha Clan.

If he and Obito, as Uchiha, defeated Ninja from various countries in the Youth Martial Arts Tournament, it could somewhat increase the Konoha Ninja’s goodwill towards the Uchiha Clan, as it would bring honor to the village.

“From the Sandaime, then that’s good,” Uchiha Fugaku said with a smile.

The reason Uchiha Fugaku was so optimistic about Shisui and Obito, besides their talent, was another important reason: they could easily integrate into the Hokage faction and had the opportunity to gain the Hokage faction’s support.

Obito’s Jonin teacher, Minato Namikaze, was a disciple of Jiraiya of the Sannin, which was a pure Hokage faction with deep roots.

Although Shisui’s teacher, Hayate Mugetsu, was not directly related to the Hokage in terms of lineage, he was highly valued by Hiruzen Sarutobi, was the first Vice Principal since the establishment of the Ninja Academy, and was now a highly reputable strongman in Konoha, also considered a strongman of the Hokage faction.

With these connections, the probability of Shisui and Obito becoming high-ranking Konoha officials or Hokage was much greater than for normal Uchiha.

“Shisui, if you have any needs, you can tell the clan, and the clan will try its best to satisfy you.”

Uchiha Fugaku would not be stingy with Shisui, who was truly the hope for the future of the clan.

“Uncle Fugaku, do you think the Police Force is good as it is now?” Shisui did not make any demands to Uchiha Fugaku but instead asked him a question.

Currently, the Uchiha Clan couldn’t really give Shisui anything. Muzuki, with just one Fire Release Breathing, could easily defeat all of the Uchiha’s Fire Release Ninjutsu, and Shisui didn’t have much financial need.

For the Uchiha Clan, Shisui truly had no high demands; he only hoped they could live peacefully and not mess things up.

“Police Force…” Uchiha Fugaku fell into thought, wondering which aspect Shisui was referring to.

“Within Konoha, besides the Police Force, there shouldn’t be any department completely controlled by a single clan, right?” Shisui didn’t play games and spoke directly.

Uchiha Fugaku was not only the head of the Uchiha Clan but also the captain of the Police Force. For the Police Force to undergo internal reform, it had to first get past Uchiha Fugaku.

Uchiha Fugaku nodded. This treatment was indeed unique to the Uchiha Clan.

“Is it appropriate for a department like the Police Force to be controlled by one clan?” Shisui continued to ask.

Uchiha Fugaku vaguely guessed some of Shisui’s thoughts but immediately dismissed them because they were too radical.

Making the Uchiha Clan give up the Police Force would be equivalent to giving away the cake they held in their hands.

“No matter what, the Police Force is very important to the Uchiha Clan,” Uchiha Fugaku said after some thought.

Uchiha Fugaku didn’t know why Shisui had such an idea. Standing against the interests of the entire clan would not gain any support.

The Police Force had great power, not just maintaining Konoha’s public order.

The Police Force did not need concrete evidence to arrest people; as long as they suspected someone of having criminal tendencies, they could arrest and detain them, whether they were ordinary people or Ninja. After clarifying the criminal facts, they would be directly escorted to prison, and the prison was also within the Police Force’s jurisdiction.

However, those were not the Police Force’s greatest powers. Nominally, the Police Force even had the power to formulate Konoha’s regulations.

Those who truly understood knew that this was a power that looked good but was impractical, because the Hokage also had the power to veto regulations formulated by the Police Force, and the Hokage’s power was the greatest.

In other words, regulations that the Hokage did not approve would never appear, making the Police Force’s power to formulate regulations a mere formality.

Of course, some minor details did not affect the Police Force’s position in Konoha, as no department’s power could possibly exceed the Hokage’s.

“But will other clans truly allow an Uchiha Hokage to emerge while the Uchiha Clan controls the Police Force?” Shisui asked a profound question.

The Uchiha Clan already had a bad reputation in Konoha, and monopolizing a large department would make neither Ninja clans nor ordinary Ninja like such an Uchiha Clan.

Although this was initially the Second Hokage’s decision, in the eyes of Konoha Ninja, the Second Hokage, who made significant contributions to Konoha, granted special treatment to the Uchiha Clan out of consideration for their initial contribution to the village’s founding. The Uchiha Clan should be somewhat self-aware, rather than simply holding onto the position indefinitely.

Uchiha Fugaku froze. Shisui’s statement seemed to have some truth to it; overly powerful factions easily aroused suspicion.

“I believe the Police Force needs reform. It can no longer be staffed solely by Uchiha Clan Ninja; other Konoha Ninja must also be brought in,” Shisui declared.

This was an important step for Shisui to alleviate the Uchiha Clan’s internal conflicts, a necessary step.

“This is a serious matter and requires long-term deliberation,” Uchiha Fugaku said with a hesitant expression.

The position of Hokage was crucial to the Uchiha Clan, but the Police Force was also very important. While the Hokage position was still far away, the Police Force was a tangible benefit held in hand.

If reforming the Police Force guaranteed an Uchiha Hokage, Fugaku would immediately convene a high-level meeting.

But to give up current benefits for an uncertain distant future, even if he approved of Shisui, other elders would object.

Shisui sighed inwardly at the situation.

Uchiha Fugaku was strong and capable, but his personality was indecisive, making it difficult for him to make quick decisions.

If not for Uchiha Fugaku’s personality, despite his abilities, Uchiha Sheng Qing, no matter how eloquent he was, would not have been able to garner so much support within the Uchiha Clan.

“How is Itachi doing now?” Shisui began to change the subject.

He knew that no matter how much he talked to Uchiha Fugaku now, it would be difficult to make Uchiha Fugaku make a decision. It would be better to achieve good results in the Youth Martial Arts Tournament, let Uchiha Fugaku see greater hope, and then persuading him might be much simpler.

“Next time, I’ll have to call Obito along,” Shisui thought to himself.

Unlike Shisui, Obito genuinely dreamed of becoming Hokage.

“He’s doing well. He doesn’t fall when running now, and sometimes he even asks about you, Shisui,” Uchiha Fugaku replied with a smile.

“Uncle Fugaku, Itachi should be free now, right? I’d like to go see him,” Shisui said after some thought.

Why Itachi annihilated the Uchiha Clan and how he did it was still a mystery, and guiding Itachi was also important work.

“Itachi isn’t old enough to train yet. He only has a study period in the morning, and the rest of the time he’s free. Let’s go together,” Uchiha Fugaku explained.

Uchiha Fugaku was very happy to see Shisui and Itachi become friends.

When Uchiha Fugaku took Shisui home, Itachi was sitting on the veranda in the courtyard, gazing up at the sky.

“Father, Shisui-niisan,” Uchiha Itachi greeted Fugaku and Shisui when he saw them return.

Uchiha Fugaku nodded in response, gave Uchiha Itachi a word of caution, and then went to his study, leaving the two of them space to chat freely.

“Itachi, how have you been feeling lately?” Shisui asked with a smile, sitting down next to Uchiha Itachi.

“The same as usual, nothing different,” Uchiha Itachi answered honestly.

Now, his daily routine consisted of reading and writing in the morning, daydreaming or chatting with Uchiha Mikoto in the afternoon, eating dinner and taking a short walk in the evening, and going to bed at eight o’clock.

“Shisui-niisan, are you going to tell a story?” Uchiha Itachi looked at Shisui with a hint of anticipation.

Compared to the repetitive calm of daily life, the historical stories Shisui told were definitely more interesting.

“Sure, but this time I won’t tell history. I’ll talk about the deeds of my teacher, Hayate Mugetsu,” Shisui said after some thought.

He wanted Uchiha Itachi to learn from Muzuki and become a sunny, warm, and righteous Ninja.

Uchiha Itachi showed curiosity and nodded. Stories about Shisui and his teacher meant there would be many of Shisui’s experiences.

“The first time I met Teacher Muzuki was on the first day of Ninja Academy. Teacher Muzuki didn’t formally teach at first, but instead told us about the founding of Konoha and The Will of Fire…” Shisui recounted Muzuki’s lecture content to Uchiha Itachi, a hint of nostalgia flashing across his face.

Although only three years had passed, a lot had truly happened.

When he first entered the Ninja Academy, he never would have imagined that he would become a Jonin at the age of eight, nor that he would awaken his Three-Tomoe Sharingan so quickly. Without Muzuki, this would have been almost impossible to achieve.

Uchiha Itachi listened as Shisui recounted Muzuki’s deeds one by one.

Muzuki, as described by Shisui, was very capable, his Fire Release was very strong, and he was exceptionally good at teaching.

However, the gentle Muzuki occasionally had a mischievous side, such as making Shisui provoke Asuma, or knowing Obito was stubborn and pretending not to notice, then scaring Obito with questions.

“He sounds like a really good person,” Uchiha Itachi became even more curious about Teacher Muzuki from Shisui’s words.

…

Eastern Land of Rain.

The Six Paths City was still under construction.

Compared to when the Shinobi Sect first arrived, the Six Paths City now had the scale of a small town.

Due to reaching cooperation with Iwagakure, Ōnoki had sent some Iwagakure Ninja to help the Shinobi Sect with construction, and also dispatched some young Ninja to receive training.

Muzuki had to admit that Earth Release Ninja were truly fast at construction. With Iwagakure’s support, the construction speed had significantly increased.

“I really hope the Martial Arts Tournament starts and ends soon. It’s hard watching my comrades work without being able to help,” Yahiko sighed, looking into the distance while rehydrating after his training.

He, Nagato, and Konan were still within the age limit to participate in the Youth Martial Arts Tournament as Ninja Sect, so they had been focusing on training for the tournament.

“Then we should perform well in the Martial Arts Tournament,” Konan said, controlling her paper pieces back into her hand.

Although the Ninja Sect was the organizer of the Youth Martial Arts Tournament, as a Ninja Organization, the strength of its young Ninja was also very important.

The better they performed, the more other Ninja Villages and Ninja Organizations would value the Ninja Sect and the Land of Rain.

“Mm,” Yahiko nodded, then looked at Nagato and laughed, “Nagato, you must win until the end! Don’t let anyone else take Ninja Master Sōsuke’s Ninjutsu.”

Yahiko had some confidence in his own strength, but if he considered the entire Ninja World, he truly wasn’t confident about being first.

Nagato was different; Nagato had the Six Paths Sage’s eyes, a unique miracle in the entire Ninja World. Yahiko believed Nagato could win everything.

“I’ll do my best,” Nagato nodded seriously.

He had many reasons to take first place: for Muzuki, for the Ninja Sect, for the Land of Rain. There was no reason for him to lose.

“It’s a shame Leader Kakuzu is out on business. Otherwise, we could have him help you with combat training. Our strength is still far from yours,” Yahiko said, standing up after feeling sufficiently rested.

Thinking of Kakuzu, Yahiko felt quite emotional. At first, Kakuzu wanted to capture Muzuki for a bounty, but he ended up being kept by Muzuki, and gradually, he implicitly accepted himself as a member of the Ninja Sect, contributing greatly with his rich experience and knowledge.

Matters like finding sponsors and merchants for the Martial Arts Tournament were mostly handled by Kakuzu and his team.

“Perhaps in another thousand years, Ninja Master Sōsuke will also become a mythical figure like the Six Paths Sage,” Yahiko thought that Ninja Master’s feat of rebuilding the Ninja Sect could be passed down through the ages.

“You two train on your own for now; I’ll help Nagato with his training.”

Just as Yahiko was thinking about Muzuki’s deeds, Muzuki’s voice entered his ears.

“Ninja Master Sōsuke, don’t you still have matters with Iwagakure? I can train on my own,” Nagato didn’t want Muzuki to overwork himself.

Nagato didn’t know how Muzuki managed to handle both Konoha and the Land of Rain, but he knew it couldn’t be easy.

On one side was Raging Sun Mu Yue, who dominated the Konoha battlefield, defeating many powerful enemies, and on the other side was Ninja Master Sōsuke, the newly emerging legend of the Land of Rain.

“Iwagakure is resting right now; I’m not busy,” Muzuki replied with a smile.

Due to the recent increase in Ninja Sect affairs, Muzuki often had his main body running between two places.

While the Yang Seal Shadow Clone Technique solved the problem of its existence time, it was still fragile and not stable enough for unexpected situations.

Moreover, the Ninja Sect had moved to the eastern part of the Land of Rain, the closest area to the Land of Fire, which significantly reduced Muzuki’s travel time.

“I’ll test how well you’ve adapted to your Rinnegan,” Muzuki led Nagato to a more open area.

Seeing that Muzuki insisted on helping him train, Nagato no longer refused, simply silently remembering Muzuki’s kindness in his heart.

“I’m going to attack. Get ready.”

Muzuki warned him, then quickly began to gather Chakra.

“Lightning Release: False Darkness!”

As Muzuki completed the hand signs, a sharp lightning spear rapidly shot towards Nagato.

Nagato extended his palm towards the incoming lightning spear.

“Shinra Tensei!”

A powerful repulsive force erupted, instantly deflecting the lightning spear that was aimed directly at Nagato. It struck a large rock nearby, causing the rock to explode.

Nagato didn’t just sit idly by, waiting for Muzuki to attack. He burst out Chakra and rushed towards Muzuki, extending his palm again.

“Bansho Tenin!”

A powerful gravitational force emanated from Nagato’s palm, pulling Muzuki’s body closer to Nagato.

Whoosh!

Almost instantly, Muzuki used Body Flicker Technique to flash away. Nagato only pulled in a few rocks near Muzuki.

Nagato then pulled in the rocks that had been shattered by the Lightning Release and immediately used Shinra Tensei on the attracted rocks.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

The shattered rocks flew rapidly towards Muzuki like cannonballs.

But for Muzuki, who possessed Transparent World and Byakugan, the trajectory of each rock’s attack was very clear, and he easily dodged them.

“Shadow Clone Technique!”

Nagato quickly performed hand signs and created two clones.

One clone used Water Release to create water spears, the other clone infused the water spears with lightning, while Nagato’s main body used Shinra Tensei again, helping to increase the speed and power of the water spears.

This was one of Muzuki’s teaching achievements. Although the Rinnegan was powerful, Nagato’s Rinnegan had a fatal flaw: it wasn’t his own; it was transplanted by Uchiha Madara.

Because of this, using the Rinnegan was exceptionally strenuous for Nagato.

This meant that even though he possessed a massive amount of Chakra, if he used the Rinnegan at full power, his actual performance might be even weaker than Kakashi’s.

Nagato’s Rinnegan was truly a double-edged sword, giving Nagato the capital for rapid growth, but also causing many physical ailments.

Simply using the normal basic abilities of the Rinnegan was fine, but using Almighty Push or summoning and controlling the Gedo Statue would severely damage Nagato’s body, leading to a shortened lifespan.

“Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!”

Muzuki’s movements were extremely fast. A massive earth wall rapidly rose, completing the defensive Ninjutsu before the water spears arrived.

Boom!

Loud bangs echoed as several large holes were blown through the earth wall, and puddles with electric arcs appeared around Muzuki.

“Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!”

After easily dodging Nagato’s attack, Muzuki released the Chakra he had already gathered.

A massive stream of water surged towards Nagato. Since Shinra Tensei required a five-second cooldown, Nagato couldn’t repel the attack. He could only leap onto the water’s surface and quickly use his Rinnegan to search for Muzuki’s figure.

At this moment, Muzuki, using Water Instant Body, suddenly appeared behind Nagato and threw a Kunai.

After dodging the Kunai, Shinra Tensei’s cooldown finished precisely. Nagato didn’t hesitate and immediately released Shinra Tensei.

Bang!

The repelled Muzuki exploded into water, it was a Water Clone.

The next moment, a chilling Kunai was placed against Nagato’s neck. The Kunai that had just been thrown was Muzuki’s real body.

“In battle, you need to consider the use of Shinra Tensei more. If you use it immediately every time it cools down, your opponent can easily spot your weakness,” Muzuki said, putting away the Kunai and commenting.

He believed there were two situations where Shinra Tensei could be used continuously: one was in a fatal situation, where as long as the opponent was killed, information leakage didn’t matter.

The other was extreme danger, where not using it would mean death. Choosing the lesser of two evils, one would definitely choose to expose information.

In a normal battle, Muzuki thought it could be more flexible, such as varying the interval between each use to make it unpredictable for the opponent, or giving false information to mislead, for example, pretending a five-second cooldown was seven seconds. Incorrect information is more deadly than no information.

“Understood, I’ll remember that,” Nagato nodded.

Although Nagato was older than Obito and the others, Nagato’s combat experience was actually inferior to theirs.

This was because Nagato had not undergone proper Ninja training and was not a Ninja from a Ninja Village.

Before joining the Ninja Sect, Nagato’s combat experience consisted only of a few battles with rogue Ninja, and those were rogue Ninja who would be easily defeated by Chunin from the Five Great Ninja Villages.

Muzuki then pointed out some issues with Nagato’s Bansho Tenin, and finally said:

“Nagato, your current focus can be on developing your Rinnegan, but Nature Transformation Ninjutsu and Taijutsu cannot be abandoned either.”

Perhaps it was an incomplete awakening, or perhaps he was just unfamiliar with it since it was a recent awakening, but currently, Nagato could only use Bansho Tenin and Shinra Tensei. Abilities like Preta Path’s Ninjutsu absorption and Human Path’s soul extraction were not yet usable.

Nagato’s fastest way to improve his strength now was to develop his Rinnegan. Even if he only had the basic abilities, once all abilities were fully developed, relying on the Rinnegan’s inherently high status, he would have few rivals in the current Ninja World.

However, this pair of Rinnegan was ultimately not Nagato’s own. Heaven knew what contingencies Uchiha Madara had left behind. For better future development, Nagato’s other abilities could not be neglected.

“Especially the Yang Release Breathing I taught you; you must practice it for an hour every day in the training room.”

After Nagato cultivated Basic Breathing to Constant State, Muzuki, after careful consideration, taught Nagato Yang Release Breathing.

Nagato possessed the Sage Body of the Uzumaki Clan, naturally endowed with powerful vitality and Chakra, making him suitable for cultivating Yang Release.

Stronger Yang Release could strengthen Nagato’s Sage Body, to some extent counteracting the side effects of the Rinnegan.

“I will, Ninja Master Sōsuke. You should rest for a bit,” Nagato couldn’t help but advise.

He rarely saw Muzuki idle, as if Muzuki always had something to do.

“Then I’ll listen to you and rest for a bit,” Muzuki said with a smile, sitting down nearby and watching Nagato train.

“The Martial Arts Tournament venue should be completely finished within half a month, then we can proceed with the next phase of operations,” Muzuki thought to himself.

To ensure the Ninja Sect could reap maximum benefits, Muzuki’s plan was very comprehensive.

Besides the incredibly enticing rewards, Muzuki also prepared some other promotional methods.

He planned to invite Senior Hanzo as a special guest for the Youth Martial Arts Tournament, to watch the matches with him.

The newly emerged legend and the previous legend appearing on the same stage would undoubtedly generate a lot of buzz, and he could also benefit from Senior Hanzo’s influence.

When a partner holds a big event, shouldn’t the Rain Ninja provide some support? After all, quite a few Rain Ninja came to Muzuki for classes last time.

That night, Muzuki had a Shadow Clone take a few Ninja Sect to find Senior Hanzo.

Senior Hanzo originally intended to pretend he wasn’t there; he really felt a bit awkward facing Muzuki now.

But thinking of those days of unlimited lectures, Senior Hanzo eventually met Muzuki in the leader’s office.

“Sōsuke, state your purpose,” Senior Hanzo said calmly.

“I merely wish to invite Senior Hanzo to attend the Youth Martial Arts Tournament as a spectator,” Muzuki replied with a smile.

“I’ve been busy with official duties recently, so I don’t have time to watch,” Senior Hanzo refused directly, his expression unchanged.

He really didn’t want to go. He could already imagine how other spectators would discuss him if he sat with Sōsuke.

“Senior Hanzo’s here, did he send Rain Ninja to compete, hoping to get the Fire Release that defeated him?”

“I heard Senior Hanzo and Sōsuke are enemies, why are they sitting together? Could it be that Senior Hanzo has already been defeated and conceded?”

It would definitely be a bunch of people discussing his defeat by Sōsuke, and they might even bring it up again when the first-place winner is decided and the prize is awarded.

Muzuki’s smile remained, “Hattori, how do you find my lecturing skills?”

Senior Hanzo’s expression instantly changed drastically, and his mind reeled. He couldn’t understand how he had been discovered when his disguise was so good. Even the Rain Ninja didn’t know he was listening to the lectures!

After his surprise, Senior Hanzo’s face darkened. Since Muzuki had discovered him, calling him for interaction was definitely not accidental; it was deliberate.

Silently cursing Muzuki, Senior Hanzo immediately changed his tone: “When will it be held? Such a grand event certainly cannot be missed.”

Senior Hanzo truly had no choice. If the story of him secretly listening to lectures for seven days got out, he would completely become the laughingstock of the Ninja World.