Chapter 24 (Patreon)

Half a day later—

“Stop, stop! No more!”

Shisui hurriedly raised a hand to stop Yujiro, who was about to swing again.

The entire morning had passed, yet Yujiro had not given him even the slightest chance to breathe.

Every attack flowed into the next without pause.

And the worst part was—

Yujiro’s fighting style was absurdly aggressive.

They were supposed to be sparring.

This was training, not a battlefield.

In the distance, Kakashi twitched slightly at the sight.

This scene…

Felt painfully familiar.

A few months ago, he had also been beaten into silence like this.

Yujiro lowered the black blade and smiled faintly.

“You’re strong, Shisui.”

Then he casually added,

“Take a break. We’ll continue this afternoon.”

“Hah…”

Shisui sighed helplessly.

Now he finally understood what Fugaku meant.

When dealing with Yujiro, underestimating him even a little was dangerous.

The entire morning, Shisui had not dared to reveal a single opening.

Because he knew—

The moment he slipped, the fight would end instantly.

Of course, Shisui still had many techniques he had not used.

But those were dangerous moves meant for real enemies, not companions.

Likewise, Yujiro had also been holding back.

Rather than trying to win outright, he was deliberately using controlled pressure to push his own body closer to its limits.

After an entire morning, his progress had only increased slightly.

Even against someone like Shisui, reaching the Second Stage still required a true life-and-death trigger.

At noon, Yujiro lazily leaned against a large tree.

Lunch had already been laid out on the grass nearby.

The atmosphere between the five of them was surprisingly relaxed.

“Shisui-san, how long are you staying in the village this time?” Itachi asked while eating a rice ball.

“Probably around two months,” Shisui answered with a smile.

“The pressure at the border has eased recently, so I was temporarily recalled.”

Then his expression turned serious.

“But don’t worry.”

“I’ll protect Konoha.”

As he spoke, his eyes carried complete conviction.

Beside him, Yujiro silently watched Shisui and sighed inwardly.

Another victim of the Will of Fire.

Still…

If Shisui had not been raised with those ideals, perhaps his future choices would have been different.

Even after losing one eye, Shisui still would have been capable of using Susanoo.

And alongside Itachi after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan—

Even without knowing that Fugaku himself possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan—

Just those two alone would have been enough to shake Konoha.

What a waste.

One would drown himself in the river.

The other would slaughter his own clan and die carrying everything alone.

Yujiro shook his head slightly.

“The Will of Fire…”

The faint murmur escaped his lips almost unconsciously.

Shisui’s eyes immediately lit up.

“You also know about the Will of Fire, Yujiro?”

His tone even carried a hint of excitement.

Like he had found someone who shared the same belief.

Yujiro slowly raised his head.

“Shisui.”

“What exactly do you think the Will of Fire is?”

Shisui answered without hesitation.

“It means risking your life to protect Konoha.”

His voice was firm.

“We live in Konoha. So we protect Konoha.”

“Wherever the leaves dance, the fire burns.”

“The fire’s light will illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout.”

“These are the Third Hokage-sama’s words.”

“And I’ll always believe in them.”

After Shisui finished speaking, even Itachi and Kakashi unconsciously grew quieter.

To them—

That truly was the Will of Fire.

“…Ridiculous.”

Yujiro’s calm voice suddenly cut through the atmosphere.

Everyone froze.

They all looked toward him.

Yujiro’s gaze remained indifferent.

“First— risking your life for Konoha.”

A faint trace of mockery appeared in his eyes.

“Have you ever seen what happens afterward to the people who die for this village?”

Shisui hesitated slightly.

“…It shouldn’t be too bad.”

“You don’t know.”

Yujiro’s voice was flat.

“But I do.”

“The shinobi who die for Konoha…”

“Some of their bodies are left on the battlefield for days.”

“Some are never even recovered.”

“And their families?”

Yujiro gave a quiet laugh.

“A pathetic pension.”

“And even that requires endless procedures before they can receive it.”

“This is the answer Konoha gives to its dead.”

Back when Yujiro trained alone, he had often overheard ordinary civilians whispering about these things in the streets.

But those people could only bury their resentment deep inside.

They were civilians.

They still had to survive tomorrow.

Still had to work.

Still had to live.

Meanwhile—

The higher-ups in Konoha sat comfortably above them all.

Pretending not to see.

Pretending not to hear.

Shisui fell silent.

After a long while, he quietly said,

“Maybe… the higher-ups have their own difficulties.”

Yujiro simply raised a finger.

“Second.”

“‘Wherever the leaves dance, the fire burns. The fire’s light will illuminate the village and let new leaves sprout.’”

Then he looked directly at Shisui.

“Don’t you think those words are ironic?”

“Ironic?”

Shisui, Itachi, and Kakashi all frowned slightly.

None of them understood what Yujiro meant.

Yujiro continued calmly.

“Wherever leaves dance, fire burns.”

“So tell me…”

“Without fire, can leaves still dance?”

“And if the fire keeps burning…”

“Will the leaves survive?”

His gaze slowly swept across Shisui and Itachi.

“Do you know where that fire comes from?”

Silence.

A heavy silence.

Yujiro did not say the answer aloud.

But both Shisui and Itachi understood immediately.

The Uchiha Clan.

The clan most proficient in Fire Style.

The clan that would one day become the fuel feeding Konoha’s flames.

Yujiro had already said enough.

Whether they understood the meaning behind his words—

Or what choices they would make in the future—

He did not care much.

As friends, they could train together, eat together, laugh together.

But if one day they became enemies—

Yujiro would never show mercy.