When Uchiha Fugaku saw that Shiranui Riku had actually burned the two scrolls, he was almost furious.
Although the scrolls were only copies, they were still extremely valuable. The first scroll contained a collection of the Uchiha clan's legendary Fire Style Ninjutsu, passed down through generations. Techniques like Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu, Fire Style: Great Fire Destruction, and Fire Style: Dragon Flame Song Jutsu were all recorded within it. While the Great Fireball Jutsu might be common in the ninja world, the one cast by a true Uchiha was a different beast entirely.
Even more valuable, however, was the second scroll—a detailed compendium of Sharingan training experiences. It documented every nuance of using the single tomoe to the triple tomoe Sharingan. This scroll was a prized inheritance of the clan.
Yet Shiranui Riku showed no appreciation at all. He had burned them without hesitation.
To Fugaku, it felt like a direct slap in the face.
His chest rose and fell with suppressed rage as he glared at Riku.
But Riku stood there, casually leaning against the doorframe with a mocking smile.
Fugaku took several deep breaths, slowly regaining his composure. Then, in a calm voice, he said, "Since you choose to reject the goodwill of the Uchiha, then I won't impose further. Excuse my disturbance."
He turned to leave.
Riku watched him silently. There was something different about this Uchiha. Even after being provoked, he remained composed. Any other Uchiha would have lashed out. And the fact that he had come alone to apologize meant he must hold significant standing.
"Hey," Riku called out. "What's your name?"
The young Uchiha paused. "Uchiha Fugaku."
He didn't look back and walked away.
Riku smirked.
Uchiha Fugaku—future patriarch of the Uchiha clan, father of Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke.
The sarcasm on Riku's face deepened. "You really did raise two special sons."
In Riku's eyes, Uchiha Itachi's infamous massacre of the clan was not justice.
Yes, Itachi had claimed he did it to protect the village, sacrificing a few for the greater good. But he didn't strike down enemies. He murdered his own people. His family. His kin.
To Konoha, Itachi was a hero. To the Uchiha clan, he was a traitor.
And what made it worse was that he didn't even kill Sasuke. The one act of mercy—keeping his brother alive—turned the whole idea of noble sacrifice into a joke. If Itachi truly believed in his cause, wouldn't he have gone all the way?
Riku saw Itachi as nothing more than a pawn, a fool brainwashed by the Will of Fire, deluded into thinking he was doing the right thing.
The Uchiha didn't need enemies. They could destroy themselves.
But Sasuke... Riku found Sasuke somewhat interesting.
As Riku turned to head back into the base, a familiar voice drifted toward him.
"You're quite clever, Riku."
He turned. Orochimaru stood under a tree, arms crossed, a sly smile on his face.
Riku grinned back. "They offered them to me for free. Why not take advantage of it? The Uchiha's Fire Style and Sharingan techniques will be useful."
Two scrolls reappeared in his hands.
The ones he burned earlier? Mere decoys. Blank scrolls he had swapped in just before igniting them with a burst of lightning.
Fugaku never noticed the switch.
Orochimaru stepped closer. "Aren't you worried the Uchiha will retaliate?"
Riku tucked the scrolls away and smiled confidently. "Not at all. I have you, Orochimaru-sensei. Besides, if Fugaku came personally to apologize, it means they're desperate. They want to use me as a bridge to you."
Orochimaru chuckled. "More precisely, they want a path to my teacher—the Hokage. They're betting on your future."
"I never said that," Riku said innocently.
Orochimaru gave a soft laugh and turned toward the base. "Come. I'm busy. After I take you to Ryuchi Cave today and draft your training plan, I'll be gone for a while."
Riku followed him inside.
In the underground office, Orochimaru began to explain.
"Summoning is a space-time technique. A practitioner and a beast sign a blood contract. Blood is the medium through which the summoned creature identifies the caller.
"You imprint your chakra and blood into the contract. Once signed, you can summon the beast by focusing chakra into your hand. The hand must bear the blood mark. Then you perform the seals: Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram.
"The strength of the summoned creature depends on how much chakra you use. More chakra, more power."
He demonstrated.
Orochimaru bit his finger, letting blood flow across his right palm. With practiced ease, he formed the seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke erupted. As it cleared, a massive blue serpent appeared, coiling and hissing before them.