Chapter 19: Sealing Off Itachi's Spring of Origins
"You've been here for a while now—any particular ninjutsu you want to learn?" Fugaku asked, his tone steady.
"I just entered the Academy… I'm probably not qualified to learn any jutsu yet," Seiji replied, pretending to hesitate.
"You can learn them later. Choosing a jutsu is a privilege granted to all Uchiha." Fugaku's eyes rested on Seiji, his stern, square face carrying an unspoken authority.
Every Uchiha ninja had this right—the clan's ninjutsu library was built over generations, a shared legacy of its members.
"Then… I'm truly grateful, Lord Fugaku," Seiji said, showing deep gratitude. Fugaku nodded, clearly pleased by Seiji's attitude.
A few jutsu in exchange for winning Seiji's favor? A deal well worth making. The instructors at the Ninja Academy had already reported that Seiji's talent was remarkable. That only made it more important to ensure he formed bonds within the clan. If not… then steps would have to be taken to marginalize him.
The Uchiha clan needed loyal Uchihas. Nothing less.
"Is there a particular elemental nature you're interested in?" Fugaku asked.
In the ninja world, there were five basic chakra nature transformations: Fire, Water, Wind, Lightning, and Earth. Anything beyond those fell into secret arts or bloodline limits.
"Lightning Release," Seiji answered after pretending to think it over. "I've used chakra paper before—it showed a lightning affinity."
Lightning Release. For Seiji—descendant of the Yotsuki Clan, known for their compatibility with lightning-style taijutsu—it was a perfect match. Getting his hands on lightning jutsu would be like giving wings to a tiger.
In truth, any of the five basic elements had immense potential. But the ninja world had grown far too reliant—and limited—by chakra. Its success was also its shackle. Much of their so-called "technology" simply had a chakra-based core while ignoring broader physical laws.
Take Lightning Release, for instance—it could be developed into magnetism (electricity creates magnetic fields), leading to control over magnetic forces, manipulation of gravity, even electron orbitals. The possibilities were endless.
This—this was the unique insight that came from being a transmigrator. Using lightning just to zap enemies or enhance your body was crude and shallow. Even Fire Release had untapped depths. At its core, it was all about plasma generation and temperature control. Redirecting it toward molecular manipulation or energy regulation could yield phenomena like high-frequency waves and more.
Ironically, it was Kumogakure, the "brute-force" village, that had advanced tech the furthest. Orochimaru excelled in biological sciences and genetics. But in *The Last: Naruto the Movie*, set only a few years after the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kumogakure had already developed the Chakra Cannon—a weapon so powerful it could obliterate the moon in a single shot. The most devastating weapon in the entire ninja world.
"Very well," Fugaku nodded. The Uchiha clan library had a fair number of Lightning Release scrolls. "I'll have someone guide you to select one later. Don't aim too high—just pick a D-rank for now."
"Yes, thank you very much, Lord Fugaku," Seiji answered with another humble bow.
"Alright, alright—let's eat," Mikoto said, glancing at the spread of dishes. "They'll go cold if we wait any longer."
"Mm." Seiji filled a bowl with rice—heaping and full. If he wanted to grow stronger, nutrition was essential. As they began eating, Fugaku shifted the conversation to other topics, chatting occasionally with Mikoto. Even with his normally stern demeanor, he managed to share a few old stories or odd bits of trivia that made Mikoto smile.
Seiji quietly kept eating—listening, watching, calculating. After about half an hour, Mikoto walked Seiji back from Fugaku's house. The two retraced their steps along the same path.
"Mikoto-san, is there a typical retirement age for ninjas?" Seiji asked suddenly. As far as he knew, there was no official retirement age for ninjas, and no one ever mentioned pensions or retirement benefits.
"Retirement? Hmm…" Mikoto thought for a moment. "Most ninjas don't live long enough to retire. But if someone wants to quit, they can apply. Once approved, they'll be allowed to leave the profession and step away from the ninja world." She had rarely seen any elderly ninjas in their eighties or nineties, but she had seen many genin who dropped out soon after graduating from the academy—unable to endure the brutal world they were thrust into.
"I see…" Seiji nodded. That made sense. In *Itachi Shinden*, there was a kunoichi in Itachi's Squad Two named Shinko who, overwhelmed by the cruelty of the ninja world, gave up her status and left. She ended up working at a teahouse in the village.
Ninjas were tools. And who thinks about wear and tear when they use a tool? In this world, even children were expected to go to war. A kunai in hand, and off to the battlefield to kill. There were no therapists for shinobi. No one to heal the scars left behind—not physical ones, at least.
Looking at it that way, it was no wonder the ninja world was overflowing with extremists and broken minds. They were shaped—and shattered—by a system designed to break them.
"As for me…" Mikoto said softly, her voice unusually gentle, "I may be retiring soon."
"Then congratulations are in order, Mikoto-san," Seiji said with a smile. But inside, he felt nothing but cold dread. Was Itachi about to be born? The thought sank heavily in his chest.
"Seiji, when the time comes and you no longer want to be a ninja, you can retire too," Mikoto smiled kindly. Seiji continued walking behind her, quietly. His gaze lifted toward the woman ahead of him. Was there a way to stop Itachi's birth? To prevent his arrival altogether?
His left Sharingan eye flickered faintly red. A ripple of chakra stirred in the iris. He closed his eye—and when he opened it again, it was once more black. As for Fugaku… to Seiji, he was just a weak, self-righteous hypocrite. Mikoto deserved better. And instead, she died alongside him—pointlessly.
Fugaku had only offered Seiji access to jutsu to buy his loyalty, much like how Kumogakure once tried to win him over. A transactional gesture. A shallow bargain. And Seiji could accept that—if that were all. But it wasn't.
Fugaku had never truly viewed the Uchiha clan as his family—only his immediate household. When the clan was annihilated, Fugaku couldn't escape blame. When Itachi betrayed the Uchiha, he slaughtered dozens of innocent clan members. And he fought his way home—where the clan head, Fugaku, waited.
Was it really possible Fugaku hadn't seen it coming? In the anime, he even possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan. Yet he never once rebuked Itachi for his actions. Instead, he praised him—for his resolve. In *Itachi Shinden*, he even said: "Even if our beliefs differ, you are still our pride…"
He willingly chose to die by Itachi's hand, along with Mikoto. And his last thoughts? Only of Sasuke, his other son. Outside their home, meanwhile, lay the still-warm corpses of their kin—men, women, children… Most of the Uchiha weren't even ninjas. Just civilians. Just people.
Not everyone could awaken the Sharingan. Not everyone was born a warrior. But still—they had believed in the clan. And Fugaku, the one chosen to lead them, abandoned them all. Seiji had no intention of being buried alongside such a twisted ideology.
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