NARUTO- CH-125. What is happening in Uchiha clan?

Shizune sighed, realizing her mistake, and stayed behind, silently watching over Shiki.

At the Uchiha compound, the atmosphere was unusually quiet.

Sasuke noticed it the moment he returned. The bustling streets were deserted, replaced by an eerie stillness.

Something was wrong.

His gaze sharpened as he spotted two Uchiha ninjas dressed in black mourning robes.

Someone had died.

Sasuke hurried home, where Fugaku, also dressed in black, greeted him grimly.

"Put this on," Fugaku instructed, handing him mourning clothes.

Unease crept into Sasuke's heart. A funeral requiring the clan head's attendance wasn't for an ordinary ninja.

"It's Shisui," Mikoto said softly, appearing in a black kimono. Her voice carried the weight of grief.

"Shisui-nii?!" Sasuke froze in disbelief.

Shisui, the genius who rivaled Itachi, was dead.

"How could this happen?" He whispered, numb.

"Change and come," Fugaku ordered, his face expressionless.

Mechanically, Sasuke allowed Mikoto to help him into mourning attire. Together, they headed to Nanga Shrine.

When Sasuke arrived, he spotted Itachi amidst the gathered crowd. His brother's presence brought him back to his senses.

The Uchiha clan was enraged.

"Who killed Shisui?!"

"They took his eyes! It's unforgivable!"

"This must be Konoha's doing!"

"Rebellion, Chief!"

The angry voices rose in unison, but Fugaku raised his hand, silencing them.

"Today is not for this," Fugaku said coldly. "Let Shisui rest in peace first."

Itachi stood quietly, observing the growing divide. The hawks in the clan were gaining influence, and conflict with Konoha seemed inevitable.

Fugaku's stance left little room for doubt.

Itachi recalled his earlier conversation with Hiruzen, who had denied involvement in Danzo's actions and reassured him that Konoha would not strike unless the Uchiha initiated a coup.

Sasuke, meanwhile, looked around nervously. Though he didn't fully understand the situation, the tension was palpable.

"Itachi," He whispered, gripping his brother's hand.

"Don't worry, Sasuke," Itachi said gently. "Everything will be fine."

Sasuke felt a small measure of relief.

The days following Shisui's death were subdued.

School life carried on peacefully, much to Shiki's relief. He had expected Sasuke to challenge him to a sparring match, but the other boy seemed too affected by recent events to care.

That suited Shiki just fine.

Between attending school, practicing techniques, and researching, his schedule was packed. Occasionally, he even found time to tutor Chihori and Karin. Life moved forward, though the shadows of the past lingered.

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

Shiki was naturally promoted to the second-level Gu Master.

He had been a first-level Gu Master for too long and had accumulated enough true energy, so the process was smooth and without any setbacks.

The most obvious change between a second-level and a first-level Gu Master is the quality of the true energy.

From bronze true essence, it advanced to red iron true essence.

The quality improved significantly—one portion of red iron essence is equivalent to ten portions of bronze essence.

Beyond this, the differences were minimal.

For a Gu Master, the Gu worm is the most critical component.

Due to his achievements, Shiki had already obtained many second-level Gu worms in advance.

Now, he could fully utilize their effects, marking a substantial surge in his strength.

Notably, the wine worms had been combined into the four-flavor wine worm.

This evolution rendered the original alcohol worm obsolete.

[Four-flavor wine worm: A second-level Gu worm. It helps a second-level Gu Master refine their second-level true essence and progress to higher levels.]

This meant that even though Shiki was only at the initial stage of the second-level Gu Master, he could use the intermediate level of true energy.

The value of the wine worm series was evident from this development.

It was the end of another school day.

Shiki stood up and prepared to leave.

"What's Shiki been busy with lately?" Kiba stretched and asked curiously.

In the past, Shiki would occasionally hang out with them after school, but now he hurried off as soon as classes ended.

"I know," Ino said with a slight smirk.

Sitting next to Shiki in class, she had observed his recent activities closely.

"He's reading medical books."

Everyone looked at her curiously.

"Medical books?"

"I see," Shikamaru guessed. "It's probably related to Lady Tsunade's mission."

"Learning medical ninjutsu is really difficult," Sakura sighed. "I've tried it, and I barely understand anything."

Ever since she decided to become a medical ninja, she had borrowed numerous medical books. But without a teacher to guide her, she could only grasp vague concepts.

Now, she was eager to graduate and join a team led by an excellent ninja.

"Shiki works so hard. I can't fall behind," Ino declared, suddenly motivated. "I'm going home! See you tomorrow!"

"You're really fired up," Shikamaru muttered, yawning.

Meanwhile, Ino's recent changes had become a hot topic among her family and friends.

___

Sasuke was deep in thought.

After attending Shisui's funeral, questions about his clan had lingered in his mind. Yet whenever he asked his family, they evaded answering directly.

Sasuke decided to confront Shiki.

As Shiki left the classroom, he suddenly noticed Sasuke appear beside him, his speed amplified by Lightning Chakra.

"Why are you here today?" Shiki asked, walking forward. "Where's your teacher?"

"He's on a mission," Sasuke replied.

"So, you want to spar?" Shiki paused. "I'm not free right now. Go find Naruto."

Before unlocking the Sharingan, Sasuke and Naruto were evenly matched. But now, the Sharingan tipped the balance.

"Not that," Sasuke hesitated before asking, "I have a question for you."

"What is it?" Shiki asked, curious.

"What's happening with the Uchiha clan?" Sasuke asked, his tone serious.

Shiki was surprised. Sasuke was showing a level of awareness he hadn't expected.

"Why ask me?" Shiki replied, puzzled.

"You're Tsunade's student," Sasuke explained.

Shiki nodded slightly. "What do you think of the Uchiha clan?"

"They're all very kind to me," Sasuke replied without hesitation.

"And their attitude toward your brother?" Shiki pressed.

Sasuke froze. He wanted to say the clan treated Itachi the same, but he realized that wasn't true.

Some clan members didn't seem to like Itachi.

"Why is that?" Sasuke asked, unable to understand.

"Didn't your brother tell you?" Shiki countered.

"No. He says I'm too young and promises to explain when I grow up."

__________

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