บท 15: Shisui Uchiha
SHISUI UCHIHA
The air was sharp, crisp with the morning chill as Shisui walked alongside Elder Shinji.
Shinji was tall and broad, as was his shadow. The Uchiha clan grounds had been quiet, almost somber, this early in the morning, and the silence hung between them, heavy.
Today was the start of his journey at the Academy—his path to bringing honor to the Uchiha name. Or, at least, that's what Elder Shinji kept drilling into his head as they made their way to the village center.
"Shisui," Shinji's voice was low, firm, each word clipped and precise like the typical Uchiha. He didn't waste any flourishes or unnecessary gestures. The clan elder was a man of action, of certainty, with a presence that commanded respect. So, respect Shisui gave.
His eyes, the signature Uchiha crimson when his Sharingan flared, now dark and serious as he looked down at Shisui. "You know what is expected of you."
Shisui nodded, already knowing what would follow. He had heard these words countless times before, from his mother, his father before he died, and now Shinji.
"There is no room for second place," Shinji continued, his voice emotionless. "As an Uchiha, you must always be at the top of your class. Always. Show them what it means to be born into our clan. The might of the Uchiha is your legacy to uphold."
"Yes, Elder Shinji," Shisui said, his voice calm, practiced. The words felt like a routine now. Something he had to say, even though he wasn't entirely sure he believed them.
Elder Shinji was silent for a moment, his gaze hard and assessing as he stared straight ahead. They turned a corner, the tall buildings of Konoha coming into view, their facades weathered by the ongoing war.
The Third War had been raging for four years—most of Shisui's life—and though he had been too young to truly understand it at first, the weight of its consequence, of his expected future, now sat heavy on his shoulders.
"Do you understand the responsibility you bear?" Shinji asked, his voice breaking through Shisui's thoughts. His tone had a sharper edge now, as if daring him to show hesitation.
"Yes, Elder," Shisui replied. But inside, his thoughts churned.
Responsibility. Legacy. The might of the Uchiha. They were words he'd heard all his life, and yet he struggled to connect with them.
He had never understood why everything had to revolve around the clan, why his life—his choices—was always about something bigger than him.
Why was it never about what he wanted, about who he was outside of the Uchiha?
He didn't hate being part of the clan, but he didn't understand why the elders were so fixated on proving something to the rest of the village, to the rest of the world.
What did it matter if he was the best? Wasn't it more important to understand himself, to understand the world around him? There had to be something beyond power, beyond the expectation of greatness.
"Do you understand why we must always be the best?" Shinji's voice interrupted Shisui's thoughts again as if he had sensed his internal questioning.
"Yes, Elder Shinji," Shisui said again, though the words felt hollow.
He could feel Shinji's eyes on him, even if he wasn't looking at him directly. They were searching for something—perhaps a hint of doubt, a sign of weakness. Shisui gave him none. He didn't know what Shinji would do if he found it.
The Academy gates loomed ahead of them now, a stone structure with the symbol of Konoha etched into the arch above. A small group of people had already gathered outside, waiting for Hokage's speech.
Elder Shinji fell silent the closer they got, his eyes narrowing as if assessing the crowd, his steps slowing as if something had caught his attention.
Shisui glanced up at him, wondering what had caused him to go quiet. His sharp gaze was locked onto a small group standing off to the side, just beyond the gates.
Five older people, Yamanaka by the looks of them, stood behind a boy who looked about Shisui's age.
He squinted, focusing on the child at the center of their group.
The boy had ash-blond hair, slightly tousled, and his posture was calm, confident—too calm for someone just starting the Academy. At least compared to the others.
His eyes, an odd shade of gray, were alert, sharp. Something about him felt… different.
He wasn't dressed like any of the other children waiting outside the gates, Shisui included—that much was clear.
While the rest of them wore the standard, practical clothes of young shinobi—simple tunics, shorts, and sandals—he stood out, dressed in an all-white kimono.
The fabric looked expensive, flowing down to his ankles with long sleeves that hung at his sides. He looked more like he was attending a ceremonial gathering (Shisui was well familiar with) than starting his first day of school.
And then there were the geta on his feet—elevated, wooden sandals that made him stand out even more. They were the kind of footwear one might expect to see on a noble attending a formal event, not on someone Shisui's age about to train to be a shinobi.
He looked more like a symbol than a person.
He didn't seem to belong here, and yet… he commanded attention without saying a word.
Shisui looked back up at Elder Shinji, and for the first time since they left the Uchiha compound, Shinji seemed tense. Not outwardly, but Shisui could feel it in the way his jaw clenched ever so slightly, the way his eyes hardened as they fixed on the boy.
"Who are they?" Shisui asked, his voice quiet, cautious.
Elder Shinji's gaze stayed locked on the Yamanaka boy. He didn't answer for a moment… as if weighing something in his mind.
Then, finally, he spoke, his voice low, but dismissive. "It seems the Yamanaka have found themselves a genius to stand behind."
Shisui blinked, surprised by the words. A genius? In the Yamanaka clan? The clan known more for its mind jutsu and support roles in missions than for raw power or combat prowess?
"Never let him surpass you, Shisui," Elder Shinji said, his voice carrying a note of finality, like making a verdict. "No one from the Uchiha will ever be outdone by a Yamanaka. Is that understood?"
Shisui nodded, though his mind was already spinning with questions. Why did it matter if he surpassed him? Why was it always about competition? Strength? Prestige? Why was the weight of his worth measured only by how much better he could be than others?
"Do not disappoint the clan," Shinji said, his gaze finally turning back to Shisui.
"I won't," Shisui replied, the words slipping out automatically.
But as he looked at the boy standing with the older Yamanaka, as their eyes now locked, as the boy gave a small nod of acknowledgment, Shisui couldn't help but wonder why he got this feeling in the pit of his stomach when he saw how calm the boy looked.
How… self-assured he appeared. It was different from the other geniuses in Shisui's clan. They had an air of pride around them while he had an air of… hm, Shisui didn't know.
He just might have to ask him what that was.
###
The Will of Fire.
Shisui remembered the words as clearly as if they were still ringing in his ears.
"As long as there are leaves, the fire will burn. And as long as the fire burns, the village will endure."
He didn't know why, but those words… they stuck with him.
As Hokage-sama spoke to the students, standing on that podium in front of the Academy courtyard, his voice moved through the crowd. His eyes swept over all of them, stern yet kind.
But for a moment—just a moment—his eyes paused on Shisui. And on the Yamanaka.
"We must protect the future. Protect one another. This is the Will of Fire."
No one else would have noticed the way his gaze lingered, not unless they were looking for it. But Shisui noticed. He always noticed.
The crowd shuffled around Shisui as the Hokage's speech ended, everyone eager to get out of the midday sun.
His mind was still wrapped around those words, around that look in the Hokage's eyes. What was he thinking? Why did he focus on the two of them?
The Will of Fire…
Shisui shook his head. Too many questions this early in the morning. One step at a time.
The Academy courtyard was crowded now. Students were beginning to make their way inside, and Shisui followed suit.
Elder Shinji had stopped his lecturing the moment they arrived—probably didn't want to make a spectacle of himself in front of the Hokage or the other clans. But his words still rang in Shisui's ears.
"Surpass him, Shisui," Shinji had said, his gaze never leaving the Yamanaka surrounded by his elders. "An Uchiha must always be at the top, Shisui."
Why did it matter so much to them that the Uchiha were always on top? Why was their value measured by how much they outdid everyone else?
Shisui didn't dislike the Yamanaka boy—heck, he didn't even know him. And yet, he was already being told to surpass him, to make sure no one saw him as anything less than perfect.
His mind was spinning again.
There were so many things Shisui didn't understand about the world, about the clan, about this obsession with greatness.
He could feel the gazes of some of the other students on him as they walked toward the Academy building, their eyes stealing glances at him, whispers following his footsteps.
"Is that an Uchiha?" Shisui heard one girl whisper, her voice just barely audible over the chatter.
"Yeah, he's cute," another girl said, giggling softly behind her hand. "Do you think he'll be in our class?"
Shisui sighed inwardly, pretending not to hear any of it.
He had long since learned to tune those things out. Instead, he kept his pace steady, his hands in his pockets, his eyes half-closed like he didn't have a care in the world. They were just distractions. None of it mattered.
The classroom was small and simple, filled with the nervous energy of new students a year older than Shisui. He scanned the room, his gaze landing on an empty seat by the window. The one next to it was already taken.
The Yamanaka.
Shisui didn't know why, but something drew him to the boy. Maybe it was his calm, how he seemed completely at ease while everyone else buzzed nervously.
Maybe it was the way he held himself—so sure, so steady, like nothing could shake him. Whatever it was, Shisui found himself walking over to him without even thinking about it.
"Mind if I sit here?" Shisui asked, leaning casually on the desk beside him.
The boy opened his eyes, and for a moment, they locked onto Shisui's. His gaze was sharp, analytical, like he was studying Shisui.
Then, after a beat, he gave Shisui a small smile. "Sure."
Shisui slid into the seat next to him, feeling the tension ease slightly. There was something oddly calming about sitting there, next to him. They introduced themselves, exchanged a few words—Satoshi Yamanaka, he said his name was—but before they could get much further, the classroom door slid open, and a woman walked in.
The teacher.
She was tall, with dark hair pulled into a neat bun, square glasses, and sharp eyes that surveyed the room with authority. She wasted no time, moving to the front of the classroom and addressing the students immediately.
"Welcome to the Academy," she said, her voice firm but not unkind. "Today, we will begin the process of placing you into appropriate classes. This will be done through a series of four tests."
Shisui sat up a little straighter, his attention fully on her now.
Tests? That wasn't something Elder Shinji had mentioned, but Shisui wasn't surprised. It made sense to test them right from the start. Separate the strong from the weak. See who had potential and who didn't.
"The first test will be a written exam, testing your general knowledge of history, geography, and ninja theory," the teacher continued, pacing slowly in front of the room.
"The second will be a stamina test. You will be required to run a set number of laps around the school grounds."
Some of the students shuffled nervously at that, glancing around at each other. Shisui remained still, watching.
"The third test will be a shurikenjutsu test. You will be evaluated on your accuracy and technique. And finally," she paused, her eyes sweeping over the students, "the last test will be a combat evaluation. That will conclude your first day."
A small murmur ran through the room. Shisui felt a flicker of excitement for some reason. Maybe because he had the chance to show what he could do. Maybe because he was curious what Satoshi could do.
The teacher's gaze lingered on them for a moment longer before she spoke again. "I will begin passing out the written exams. There is to be no cheating. Anyone caught cheating will immediately be placed in a lower-level class. Understood?"
"Hai, sensei," the class chorused.
As she started handing out the papers, Shisui glanced at Satoshi beside him. He seemed calm—maybe too calm for someone about to be tested. His eyes were closed as if he didn't care about the test at all.
Shisui couldn't help but feel curious about him. There was something about Satoshi Yamanaka that intrigued him.
Maybe this year wouldn't be so boring after all.
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[A/N] Gotta say, I love my boy Shisui and his neverending thoughts.
Welp... Why not... Another chapter coming in a few minutes for my favorite little readers ;)
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