Chương 12: Chapter 10 - First Ripple

I woke up to the morning heat coming in through my windows. For a second, I thought the whole thing with reincarnating and me becoming an Uchiha was just a dream... But hearing Dad still talking about my Sharingan somewhere in the living room made me realize, nope, it wasn't a dream. Grinning to myself, watching the ceiling, I couldn't help but bask in my new reality a little bit more. But under all that, something else began nagging me... Someone hadn't been in the spotlight enough.

It started when my parents said they would hold a little party for me to celebrate the occasion, and it reminded me of how it was when there was nobody to share my successes with. It immediately made me think about Minato... Having no one to high-five but the wall.

"Yeah, no way I'm letting that stand," I muttered to myself, sitting up.

"If there is a party, we're celebrating together, even if I have to drag him by his blond hair." After a quick breakfast, I grabbed my sandals and stepped into the already-hot morning, stretching and taking a deep breath. The village was already up, vendors working their stalls, steam rising from noodle pots... Stop it. No eating now, Renji. I need to find Minato! Issue is... I don't even know where he lives. Huh. I didn't think about it until now... But that's just one problem, and I think I can solve it.

"Okay, Sharingan," I whispered to myself, "time to prove you're more than a fancy eye-filter." At first, I looked at my own hands, noting my own chakra's signatures that I could faintly discern. Then I went to the same little shop where we once ran into each other and asked if he had been there. Luckily, I learned that he came through early that day. Good...

From there, I followed the faint chakra residue through the streets, down the alleys, using my earlier exploration of Konoha to keep a map and route marked in my head. This was like... having a built-in tracker. No wonder the Uchihas were given the task of policing Konoha, huh? Of course, that alone meant nothing much, because there were times where the signs were mixed together with others, leading me into dead ends, forcing me to track back on my steps and pick up his 'scent' again...

It was turning out to be a pretty challenging task, and halfway through, the dizziness finally hit me.

"Note to self," I groaned, leaning against a post, massaging my forehead, "next time don't use ocular superpowers without having enough energy..." and with that, I had a break, visiting Ichiraku Ramen to refill myself with two bowls, hoping that he would maybe appear, but I wasn't that lucky this time around. So... back to patrolling it was, and after noon had passed with me walking the streets, I was sweaty, starving again, and ready to interrogate the next living soul that came by me...

But no matter who I asked, nobody seemed to know him. Weird... There are not many blondies running around in this village, no?! Haaah, at least, after the eleventh person I asked, an old lady at a dango stand squinted at me and finally asked back.

"Blond boy? Hm... Quiet, polite, eats fast, pays the exact change if he can?"

"Yes! That one!" I snapped my fingers, finally feeling I wasn't looking for a ghost but an actual person.

"As far as I know, he lives near the east fields of the village, in a small house by the stream. Tell him Granny Suzu says he still owes me four pieces from last time!"

"Ah..." I flinched, then reached into my pocket for my change to pay off his debt... Damn. Not everyone is a nice one, huh? Anyway... she looked satisfied, so I just bowed and took off, hoping I wasn't simply ripped off by a shriveled old woman. Eh, no matter! Following the directions, reinforced by my eyes as I managed to catch his trails again, the further east I went, the quieter Konoha became. The houses grew smaller, humbler in a sense.

Most of their paint was faded, and many of their fences were leaning to one side or the other. You could tell who lived comfortably and, well... um... who lived simply. To put it nicely. At the very edge of it all, tucked behind tall grass and a crooked plum tree, I finally found it. There was a small wooden house, a single window open, and I could tell that someone was there, reading something; I could hear the pages being flipped. Bingo... I saw the top of a yellow head for a moment... Has to be him!

I crept closer and peeked through the open frame of the window, and yes, there he was, sitting cross-legged at a low table, a book in one hand, a half-eaten rice ball in the other, studying. It's our day off, and he still studies? Come on... When are you going to relax?

"Hey," I knocked on the frame, startling him.

"You know, stalking your classmates is supposed to be an advanced-level skill, but I'm ahead of the curriculum. So...

'Sup?"

"..." He blinked his eyes, surprised at hearing my voice, then looked up sharply, almost as if I was catching him stealing or something.

"Renjiro? How did you even find this place?"

"With these." I tapped the edge of my right eye, "I will be a good hound dog when I join the Police Force. Maybe even better than some of the Inuzuka kids."

"Haah..." He sighed, standing up and walking forward to slide the front door open, and letting me in.

"You shouldn't have come all the way here."

"Should, shouldn't, doesn't really matter by now, does it? I did. That's it." I stepped in before he could argue or change his mind and began looking around.

"Nice place. Cozy... I like the minimalist aesthetic."

"No need to try to be considerate. It's falling apart, I know, I live in it." He closed the window behind me, groaning, "But it's quiet, and I like it that way."

"Yeah. Quiet's nice." I hummed, seeing that he wasn't joking, as there was literally nothing inside, not even a picture frame or a proper bed, just a futon in the corner. Damn. This was not a home... just a place he was using to sleep between classes... There was no... color in it.

"It's nice..." I repeated, glancing at him with one eye, "For a cheap rental."

"..." That made him pause a little, understanding what I was saying, his eyes immediately flicking toward the table. It told me enough as there was only one cup, one plate, and one chair. It was pretty obvious nobody else lived here. So... He also noticed that I noticed. No wonder he got quieter than I had ever heard him.

"Renji… there's something I should probably tell you."

"I'm all ears," I leaned against the cracked wall, arms crossed, waiting, letting him collect his thoughts and take a long, slow breath.

"I lied. Back at the Academy, when you asked about my parents... I said they worked far outside the village." His voice thinned out a little even more.

"No... They don't. They're gone, Renjiro. Have been for as long as I can remember..." Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"Yeah. I know." I murmured, nodding at him, watching his expressions change a little.

"..." A moment later, he blinked away the surprise he was feeling, "You knew?"

"Pretty much from day one. You had that… look when you said that." I shrugged, trying to keep my tone light, since I wasn't blaming him for it at all.

"I just didn't want to bring it up."

"If you knew I was lying to you," He studied me for a long second, then asked, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it's private. You didn't even know me, so why should I be entitled to know about your background? But we are friends now... So, I came to nag you a little and make sure we are straight as a kunai!"

"Heh..." The corner of his mouth curled up a little, shaking his head, "I feel like you're quite impossible."

"Finally, someone appreciates it." I grinned at him, "Anyway, get your sandals. You're coming with me."

"What? Where?"

"My parents are holding a party tonight. Nothing fancy, just good food, fizzy drinks, and Dad making a fool of himself. Aaaand, you're invited."

"Renji, I can't—""Not up for debate!" I cut in, waving a hand, "I scoured half of Konoha to find you; I'm not leaving without you. So either you come willingly, or I tie you up and bring you there."

"That's…" he twitched the corner of his mouth, "You wouldn't be able to."

"Oh?" I perked up, "Is that a challenge? Don't forget, I got a set of new eyes!"

"Okay, okay, I got it!" He rubbed the back of his neck with a smile, glancing toward the small table again, and I watched as that smile disappeared, "But... It's your family's celebration. I don't belong there..."

"Nonsense," I stepped closer, poking his chest lightly.

"You belong with me, idiot. That's what friends are for! Besides, you kept us focused on that forest test... Leading us. I'm just returning the favor. And... You think I'm letting you skip free food after all that? It was a team effort, and we can invite the others, too. Although I am not keen on letting an Aburame and their bugs into our house, but... oh well. I can deal with it once. I just don't need a buzzing infestation that keeps me up all night..."

"Don't tell this to his face!" He finally laughed, "Haaah... You never give up, do you?"

"Persistence is my most annoying quality."

"That's… accurate." He exhaled and reached for his sandals.

"All right, you win this time around."

"Of course I do, I'm an Uchiha! Winning's in the bloodline."

"Sure, sure," He waved me away as we stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine.

"So?" I said, walking backward to face him, my hands behind my head, "Who are we picking up first from the other two?"

"I don't know where they live." He said bluntly, making me shrug.

"Me neither... Oh well, we have time! Let's make it into a mission, hm? I found you, now you can help me find them!"

"That's... not even a bad idea..." He muttered, scratching his chin, "That's a good... training. Good thinking, Renji!"

"I just knew it," I added, pursing my lips, "You are a training maniac... Well, at least I know how to motivate you."............ Far away from the kids, the Third Hokage's pipe glowed as a thin curl of smoke rose toward the ceiling from it. He sat behind his desk, where dozens of scrolls were stacked in disciplined order, as he was going through them, reading them one by one and scribbling down orders where he had to.

"Enter," Hiruzen said without looking up when a knock disrupted his work.

"My Lord," Shinno Arakumo stepped inside, bowing deeply before speaking.

"Forgive the interruption, Lord Hokage. There's been a… development within the Academy."

"Ah." Hiruzen placed his pipe aside, knocking it against the edge of the table.

"When a man of your caliber calls it a development, I should prepare myself. Go on..." He looked at him, knowing well that the current Head Instructor wouldn't come to him if it wasn't actually important.

"We have a situation at hand. Renjiro Uchiha, Daizen Uchiha's son, who is a chuunin, had awakened the Sharingan at just six years old."

"..." The silence that followed was surprisingly long before Hiruzen's brow lifted just a bit, smoke still coming from his forgotten pipe, finally making him flinch, "At six years old?"

"Yes, sir." He nodded, his expression dark, "It was confirmed by both parents and several witnesses, not only by us. The awakening occurred during the night navigation exercise."

"That would make him one of the youngest in clan history," Hiruzen murmured, lifting the pipe to his lips, "And… how did he handle it?"

"With remarkable control, my lord." Shinno continued, placing a slim folder before the Hokage, detailing all that happened in the midnight exercise, "The child dispelled a genjutsu on his own team. From what we can tell, he protected three other students."

"I see," Hiruzen leaned back, fingertips brushing the document, opening it slowly. Behind his calm eyes, thousands of thoughts were flashing by as the details were making him straighten his back. A six-year-old who breaks a genjutsu through willpower alone, Sharingan or not… That's impressive... And dangerous if mishandled, priceless if directed to the right path.

"Excellent work, Arakumo. File a commendation for the team. And for the boy..." He paused, then smiled faintly.

"... send a message to his father. The Hokage's office wishes to personally congratulate the family. Make it public enough to reach the clan."

"Yes, Lord Hokage." The Head Instructor bowed, and when he left, Hiruzen rose from his chair and stepped to the window, watching the village. Outside, Konoha was shining under the summer sun, looking peaceful.

"Perhaps," he whispered, "this generation will do better than ours did..." Far beneath the Hokage's building, or in this case, Konoha itself, light barely ever filtered through narrow slits in the concrete, cutting across a desk that was covered with thick mission dossiers. In this constant, half-lit, half-dark room, Danzō Shimura just sat there, reading the newest one that was placed in his hands just an hour before. Subject: Uchiha Renjiro, son of Uchiha Daizen. Rank: Academy student.

Issue: Awakened a one-tomoe Sharingan during a training exercise. Witnessed by instructors and peers, confirmed by Unit 06.

"Too..." he muttered, his fingers tightening around the paper, "Too early..." Watching him without a presence, across his desk, a Root operative waited silently, his face masked and his hands clasped behind his back.

"Do we act?" the operative asked when Danzō finally looked up from the report.

"No." His gaze shifted toward the stone wall, where old maps of Konoha were pinned with colored threads, from the village's founding to the modern day.

"Not yet. For now, keep up the observation only. We cannot interfere with children… not openly at least. But..." He stood up, pacing slowly, his walking staff tapping against the stone floor, "File the boy's name. Have one of ours stationed among the Academy's support staff as soon as possible! We will see what we can make of the situation."

"Yes, sir." As the operative vanished into the corridors, Danzō looked down again at the report.

"Uchiha..." He whispered, shaking his head, "If there is trouble, it always comes from that clan..."............. Later that night, lanterns glowed softly inside a spacious hall carved with the Uchiha clan's fan emblem. At that moment, several men and women sat in a semicircle, and at the head of the group, Fugaku Uchiha kneeled with his arms resting on his knees, looking at his closest friends, confidants, and allies.

"So it's confirmed," he said, eyes half-closed in thought.

"Six years old?"

"Yes," One of the older ones, one of Fugaku's peers, Yashiro, cleared his throat, "It's Daizen's son… He is loud, earnest, and loyal to the village. He's always been too public with his... views... He places Konoha above the clan."

"Mhm..." Fugaku's gaze slowly turned toward him.

"I know him."

"The village for sure will show interest in the boy," Yashiro continued.

"Maybe." Fugaku's tone was measured, raising a hand to stop him from going on a rant he had heard many times...

"I know. Maybe this is our chance to prove we can still shape Konoha's future as we see fit."

"Could be," Across from him, Inabi, one of his close friends from the Second Shinobi World War, leaned forward.

"A sign that we were waiting for."

"Don't rush into the fire just yet," Fugaku replied, shaking his head, "This is a delicate matter, and we must take measured steps, as our ideas, even if they meet and align, we are still not the majority within the clan. Don't think what we believe is what the rest believes! There are more Daizens in the clan than you may think... For now." He turned toward the small window that looked out over the compound's lantern-lit streets.

"For now, we should focus on the change at the top of the clan."

"Our plans are almost ready," Inabi added, as the others nodded, "It won't take long to make you into the new chief..."

"We will first do that," Fugaku inclined his head, looking back at them, "Still, keep an eye on the child... We can't let a talent like his be... taken from us."