When Shiranui Riku returned to the underground base, Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen.
After taking a shower, Riku went straight to his room and fell asleep.
He had been furious earlier about what happened with Uchiha Yuto and Uchiha Kazuma. Did they really think he was some pushover they could mess with however they pleased?
But as time passed, Riku was no longer angry. There was no point getting worked up over idiots like them. If anything, he found the two of them kind of amusing. Since they couldn't beat him, they decided to pull the Uchiha clan card to pressure him.
But what did he have to worry about? He was under Orochimaru's protection now.
With that thought, Riku lay down and quickly drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, things weren't going as well for Uchiha Yuto and Uchiha Kazuma. The two were currently being treated at the Ninja Hospital.
Not long after, the current head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Masaki, arrived at the hospital, accompanied by a boy around Riku's age—his son, Uchiha Fugaku, the future heir of the Uchiha clan.
Uchiha Masaki took one look at Yuto and Kazuma, both with their right arms in casts, and frowned sharply. "What happened?!"
The moment Masaki appeared, Uchiha Kazuma went pale with fear and dared not utter a word.
It was Uchiha Yuto who gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Masaki, it was that guy—Shiranui Riku!"
Masaki's frown deepened. "Didn't I explicitly tell all of you not to stir up trouble with him?!"
Uchiha Masaki was fully aware of Riku's status. He had donated a set of A-rank ninjutsu to the village, which several members of the Uchiha clan had studied. And judging from Sarutobi Hiruzen's attitude, it was clear that the Third Hokage had plans to groom Riku for the future.
Though not many knew officially that Orochimaru had taken Riku on as a disciple, Masaki had his own sources. As a direct student of the Third Hokage and one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru's choice had elevated Riku's standing in the village practically overnight.
It was no secret that Riku now belonged to the Hokage's inner circle.
Back when Riku contributed that powerful ninjutsu set, and Sarutobi's behavior began to shift, Masaki had already warned his clan to keep their distance from Riku. That's why the Uchiha had been quiet around him for the past few years.
And after Riku officially became Orochimaru's student, Masaki gave the order again—don't touch him.
His voice now heavy with authority, Masaki asked coldly, "Did you go out of your way to provoke him?"
Yuto opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Though both Yuto and Kazuma usually acted high and mighty, their Uchiha pride and loyalty kept them from lying. Even now, they couldn't bring themselves to deny what they had done.
Masaki's expression darkened further. "Once you've recovered, you'll be punished according to clan law. And I'll say it again—don't cause trouble for that boy!"
Disappointment weighed heavily on Masaki's shoulders. His clansmen were arrogant and oblivious to reality.
He understood clearly now the Uchiha clan's precarious position in Konoha. In his eyes, they were like an old man clinging to his final breath of life.
The villagers feared and hated them. The Uchiha themselves were too proud to see their decline. If the ninja world weren't in a state of constant tension, if Konoha didn't still need the Uchiha, the village might've already taken steps to dismantle the clan entirely.
And if anyone in Konoha were willing to ignite war for the sake of survival, besides Danzo lurking in the shadows, it would be Masaki himself.
To him, the only way to revive the Uchiha name was to prove their value. To show Sarutobi Hiruzen—and the entire village—that Konoha couldn't function without the Uchiha clan.
And how could they prove that? Through war. On the battlefield.
Masaki had told his clan to lie low more than once. But pride was a hard habit to break. Even when they tried, they couldn't shed their arrogance.
It was exhausting. As clan leader, Masaki felt like the stress alone was cutting years off his life.
He turned slightly to look at Uchiha Fugaku and allowed himself a faint smile.
At least his son wasn't following the same crooked path as the others. Fugaku was calm and self-disciplined—unlike many of their tribe.
Masaki believed Fugaku would become a capable leader one day.
He cast one last glance at Yuto and Kazuma lying in their hospital beds. Words hovered on the tip of his tongue—but he held them back. What good would it do? Nothing he said now would make a difference. It would just go in one ear and out the other.
Forget it.
He was about to leave when, after some internal struggle, Yuto finally blurted out, "Lord Masaki… that guy, Riku… he's awakened the Sharingan!"
Masaki froze mid-step. He spun around, disbelief in his eyes. "What did you say?!"
Yuto repeated himself. "Shiranui Riku has awakened the Sharingan."
Masaki's expression shifted rapidly. "How old is he? Thirteen? Fourteen?"
Fugaku answered, "Father, he's two years younger than me—probably twelve."
Masaki was stunned. "He awakened the Sharingan at twelve? No… maybe even earlier? This kid—he's a genius?!"
His own son, Fugaku, was already acknowledged as a prodigy within the clan, yet at fourteen, he still hadn't awakened his Sharingan.
Even the legendary Uchiha Madara didn't awaken his Sharingan until he was fifteen.
Masaki remembered the day the ANBU brought Riku to the clan. The boy carried the blood of the Senju clan—Uchiha's ancient rivals. Masaki, like many others, had looked down on him.
He had outright refused to recognize Riku as one of their own.
But had he known the boy's true talent…
Had he known then what he knows now, Masaki would've fought tooth and nail to keep Riku in the Uchiha clan, no matter the backlash.
But it was too late for regrets now.
Masaki stood there, lost in thought, while beside him, even Fugaku was quiet—deeply troubled.
As the future clan head and Masaki's own son, Fugaku was hailed as a genius. Everyone believed he would one day become the strongest Uchiha of his generation.
Fugaku had always shared that belief. He thought his strength would carry the clan, that he would be the pillar of the Uchiha's revival.
But now… Shiranui Riku, who wasn't even fully Uchiha by blood, had already awakened the Sharingan.
At only twelve years old.
Fugaku hadn't even shown signs of unlocking his.
He was shocked—and, deep down, more than a little unwilling to accept it.