Yuzuki's eyes flickered to the spot where Shisui had just stood, then back to him.
"Space manipulation?"
Shisui blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before letting out a laugh.
"That's... one way to put it."
Her brow furrowed slightly.
'In my world, controlling space was rare, nearly impossible to master. But flight? That was easy. Here, it seems to be the opposite.'
{Hnn. That depends.}
She could sense Indra's amusement. He knew of those who could fly, but their methods-the Rinnegan, the Tenseigan, the Mangekyō Sharingan-were far beyond her reach for now.
Shisui smirked as he retrieved the kunai from where it had embedded itself.
"Alright, if you're serious about training, I'll help. But in return, you listen to my advice."
He spun the kunai between his fingers.
"And no more trying to assassinate your teacher."
Yuzuki rolled her eyes but gave a small nod.
Shisui grinned.
"Good. Let's start with technique. And maybe, just maybe, I'll teach you how to make a kunai fly exactly where you want it."
Yuzuki arched an eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead, she flicked her fingers subtly, activating a genjutsu.
The world around Shisui darkened, shifting as phantom chains wrapped around his limbs.
His Sharingan spun to life, and in an instant, the illusion shattered.
"Not bad," he admitted-only for his eyes to widen as Yuzuki was already forming hand seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
{You know you don't have to say the name out loud, right?}
'Yeah, but it sounds cooler that way.'
Indra sighed.
A massive sphere of flame roared toward Shisui, forcing him to flip aside as the heat grazed him. When he landed, he let out a low whistle.
"Okay, yeah... You've definitely got talent."
Yuzuki didn't let up. She dashed forward, closing the gap with swift, practiced movements. Her strikes were quick, precise, and surprisingly forceful for her size.
Shisui blocked each one, his eyes gleaming with interest as he parried blow after blow. There was no mistaking the sheer control behind them.
"Fugaku was right," he mused, smoothly evading another strike.
"You've definitely had some kind of instruction."
{Could that be why Fugaku has become even stricter with his surveillance?} Indra murmured.
{And him saying that-was it intentional? A way to test your reaction, or just a slip of the tongue?}
Yuzuki didn't answer, but she made a mental note of it.
Then, in one fluid motion, Shisui shifted his stance and smoothly countered, forcing her back.
"But I doubt even he realizes just how strong you are physically," he added with a grin.
Yuzuki exhaled, stepping back into a ready stance.
"You're not as bad as I thought."
Shisui chuckled.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
After several more rounds, Yuzuki and Shisui finally called it for the day.
As they walked back to her house, Yuzuki remained silent, processing everything she had learned. Shisui, on the other hand, was as relaxed as ever, hands behind his head as he strolled beside her.
"You learn fast," he mused.
"I can see why Fugaku-sama is keeping such a close eye on you."
Yuzuki shot him a look but said nothing.
When they finally reached her door, Shisui gave a casual wave.
"Well, this was fun. See you next time, Yuzuki."
Then, in a blur, he was gone.
Yuzuki narrowed her eyes. That technique...
{Body Flicker,} Indra noted, his tone thoughtful.
'Doesn't seem too difficult to recreate.'
{Hnn. The principle is simple-a sudden acceleration using chakra to propel oneself forward at extreme speed. But the execution...}
Indra trailed off, as if considering something.
'What? You don't know it?'
Yuzuki smirked. 'I thought you were supposed to be a genius.'
{Believe it or not, modern jutsu are... modern. In my time, we didn't have techniques like this.}
Yuzuki raised an eyebrow.
'Seriously? What, did shinobi just run really fast back then?'
{More or less. Chakra-enhanced movement existed, but structured techniques like the Body Flicker didn't become widespread until much later.}
She hummed, intrigued.
'Then why not learn it through your previous reincarnations? Didn't they ever use it?'
{I was... dormant,} Indra admitted after a pause.
{I only ever saw glimpses of the world when my reincarnations were fighting my brother's. Their battles were the only moments where my consciousness stirred.}
Yuzuki absorbed this information, a slow smirk tugging at her lips.
'So, what you're saying is, I'll be the one to teach you this jutsu?'
{...A frustrating turn of events.}
She chuckled.
'Good. About time you admitted I'm better at something.'
{Let's just focus on recreating the technique.}
Yuzuki stretched, already running through possible ways to test it.
'Fine, fine. But when I figure it out first, I expect full credit.'
{Naturally.}
Her smirk widened. This training session had been far more productive than expected.
-=-
By the time the household settled into silence, the last flickers of candlelight dying out one by one, Yuzuki had already made up her mind.
No one suspected a thing. After all, the Yuzuki that everyone had seen at dinner was barely keeping her eyes open, practically nodding off into her food.
Which made it all the more amusing that now, in the dead of night, she was crouched behind a stone wall, wide awake and ready to commit some light treason.
The Uchiha compound was quiet at this hour, lanterns casting long, wavering shadows across the stone paths. The scent of damp earth and oil smoke lingered in the air, and the only sounds were the occasional rustle of leaves and the faint crackle of a dying flame.
Yuzuki narrowed her eyes at the two guards posted at the archive entrance. Their stance was relaxed, their shifts mechanical, predictable. Perfect.
{A simple genjutsu should suffice,} Indra murmured in amusement.
"They're not expecting an intruder from inside the clan," Yuzuki whispered, smirking. "Then let's not disappoint them."
With the faintest flick of her fingers, her chakra wove through the air, settling into the guards' perception like an intrusive but unnoticed thought. Their gazes dulled, their movements slowing.
Then, for no reason at all, they both turned to face each other and nodded solemnly.
Yuzuki blinked.
"...Okay, I didn't do that," she muttered.
{Hnn... It seems your subconscious is just as mischievous as the rest of you.}
She stifled a snicker as one of the guards scratched his chin thoughtfully, as if whatever agreement they had just reached was of great importance.
'Well, not my problem,' she thought, slipping past them with silent steps.
Inside, the archive stretched before her-towering shelves stacked neatly with scrolls detailing generations of Uchiha techniques. She moved like a wraith between them, fingers trailing over aged paper until she found what she was looking for: Clone Techniques.
Water Clone. Shadow Clone.
Yuzuki tucked the scrolls into her sleeve, her fingers brushing over the old, worn paper. This would do for now. She turned, ready to leave, but-
Something caught her eye.
Body Flicker.
Her movements stilled for just a moment. Of course.
Shisui had used it so effortlessly, vanishing in blurs of motion that seemed like space itself bending around him. And now, right in front of her, lay the answer.
{Hnn. So, neither of us gets the satisfaction of unraveling it on our own,} Indra mused.
{A shame.}
Yuzuki smirked, plucking the scroll from its place.
"Efficiency over pride, Indra. I thought you'd appreciate that."
Before he could respond, a shift in the air sent a warning through her bones.
{Someone's coming.} Indra's voice sharpened, all amusement vanishing.
She didn't hesitate. Pivoting on her heel, she moved swiftly, weaving through the shelves just as Fugaku's measured footsteps echoed into the archive.
The genjutsu on the guards must have been broken.
Her exit was compromised.
Her eyes darted to the nearest window. Without missing a beat, she slipped through it, her landing soft against the cool earth. A flicker of movement at the entrance made her freeze for half a breath.
Then, like a shadow in the night, she was gone.
...
Inside the archive, Fugaku's sharp gaze swept across the room.
No sign of forced entry. No broken locks or scattered shelves. Just silence.
His jaw tightened.
This was not an outside intrusion. This was one of their own.
His eyes flicked downward, catching sight of a single misplaced scroll lying abandoned on the ground. He bent down, picking it up.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
His grip tightened.
"A distraction?"
The guards at the entrance had been found under a genjutsu when the next shift arrived. Someone had slipped past them unnoticed, without raising an alarm. Yet only the most basic jutsu were missing-techniques freely available to any Uchiha who sought them.
No valuable secrets had been taken. No restricted knowledge had been touched.
This wasn't a heist.
This was misdirection.
And whoever had orchestrated it was no amateur.
Fugaku narrowed his eyes.
Someone was playing a game.
And he did not like being made a fool of.
-=-
Yuzuki sat on her bed, her back resting against the cool wooden wall as she idly tapped her fingers against her knee. The heist had gone perfectly. No mistakes. No evidence. And best of all, no one had any idea it was her.
{You're looking awfully pleased with yourself,} Indra noted, his voice filled with dry amusement.
"Shouldn't I be?" she muttered aloud, barely above a whisper. "I got exactly what I wanted."
{Hnn. You're skilled, no doubt,} he admitted. {But overconfidence is a dangerous thing.}
Yuzuki rolled her eyes.
"Here we go."
{You don't think it's strange? The Uchiha are one of the most secretive clans, yet their archives had no real security. Just two guards and a lock that might as well have been decoration?}
She frowned slightly.
"They weren't expecting someone from within to pull something like this."
{Or they were,} Indra countered. {And now they'll be watching.}
Yuzuki scoffed, stretching her legs out.
"Let them watch."
Before Indra could respond, a faint creak from the hallway made Yuzuki snap to attention. Footsteps-small, light ones.
Sasuke.
Yuzuki barely had time to school her expression before the door slid open, revealing her little brother rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Yuzuki-nee?" he mumbled, blinking at her blearily. "Why are you still awake?"
She exhaled, forcing herself to relax.
"Why are you?"
Sasuke yawned, rubbing at his cheek.
"I got thirsty."
Yuzuki nodded toward the hallway.
"Well, go get water, then."
Sasuke hesitated, staring at her instead.
"You always stay up late," he said suddenly, tilting his head. "Are you planning something again?"
Her fingers twitched, but she forced a smirk.
"What makes you think that?"
"You always have that look," he said simply. "Like you're thinking about something big."
Yuzuki froze for half a second.
{Sharp,} Indra mused.
She clicked her tongue.
"I think you're just imagining things."
Sasuke didn't argue, but he didn't look convinced either.
Yuzuki sighed and stood up, ruffling his hair before nudging him toward the hallway.
"Go on, then. Get your water before you pass out on the floor."
Sasuke grumbled but did as he was told, and when he returned, she walked him back to his room.
As she tucked him in, Sasuke peered up at her.
"You're not gonna stay up all night, are you?"
She snorted.
"What am I, nocturnal?"
Sasuke giggled sleepily.
"Kinda."
Yuzuki rolled her eyes but said nothing.
As she stepped out of his room and slid the door shut, she leaned against the wall for a moment, exhaling.
{He notices more than you give him credit for,} Indra said thoughtfully.
Yuzuki's smirk was faint.
"Of course he does. He's my little brother."
And with that, she finally turned in for the night.
-=-
Fugaku Uchiha stepped into his home, closing the door behind him with deliberate precision.
The compound was silent-late enough that his family was already asleep.
He moved through the halls on instinct, pausing briefly outside each door.
First, Sasuke's room. His youngest son lay curled under the blankets, breaths soft and steady.
Good.
Next was Yuzuki's room.
He slid the door open just enough to glance inside-and paused.
She was sprawled across the bed in an utterly ridiculous position, one leg dangling off the edge, blankets tangled around her like she'd fought a war in her sleep.
One arm stretched toward the pillow, the other clutched a stolen corner of the blanket like it was some kind of hard-won trophy.
Fugaku blinked.
For all her cunning-for all the concerns that kept him awake about her future-right now, she looked like nothing more than a particularly ungraceful child lost in deep sleep.
A quiet exhale escaped him, something between mild exasperation and reluctant amusement.
He stepped back, shaking his head slightly as he slid the door closed.
Lastly, Itachi's room.
Empty.
Fugaku exhaled through his nose.
Itachi was out again.
Training, most likely. Or on assignment.
He had been distancing himself more and more lately-a pattern Fugaku hadn't missed.
Shaking the thought away, he made his way to his study.
The moment the door shut behind him, his shoulders sagged, his carefully maintained composure cracking just slightly.
The weight was piling up.
Pressure from the elders had grown relentless.
They wanted action. Answers. Demanded he do something about Konoha's growing suspicion of the clan.
But what could he do?
Anything too drastic would only make things worse.
The village's scrutiny had sharpened ever since the Kyūbi's attack.
The Uchiha had done nothing wrong-yet the mere sight of the Sharingan in the beast's eyes had branded them as suspects.
Fugaku clenched his jaw and rubbed his temples.
And then there was Yuzuki.
Her talent was undeniable.
It should have been a source of pride-yet all he felt was unease.
It was too much, too fast.
It would draw attention. Make people wary.
And wariness, he knew too well, turned into fear.
Fear turned into action.
He had placed restrictions on her for her own protection.
But deep down, he knew-it wouldn't be enough.
She was headstrong. Cunning.
She'd find a way around them.
And when she did... would she resent him for it?
He sighed, fingers tightening around the edge of his desk.
The clan was at a crossroads.
His family was splintering in ways he couldn't control.
And he, the clan head, was expected to hold it all together.
He straightened his posture. His expression returned to its usual unreadable mask.
The clan leader could not afford weakness.
With that final thought, he extinguished the lone candle burning in his study, casting the room into darkness.
-=Chapter End=-
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