Though neither was an overtly offensive pupil technique, Andrew remained more than satisfied with the results. The right eye's senjutsu chakra infusion allowed him to amplify his physical prowess and jutsu manipulation far beyond a standard Uchiha. Its applications were nearly limitless, extending into both offense and support tactics.
And then there was the Time Stop—a one-second miracle with the potential to turn any battle upside down.
"One second may seem short, but in combat—it's lethal."
If he were to clash with Obito again, this time he wouldn't be caught helplessly swinging at air. He might not be able to defeat him outright, but at least he could land a decisive strike. That alone was enough to bring peace of mind.
Still, if Obito chose to stay intangible in Kamui's dimension, there was nothing Andrew could do. A gamble on the Time Stop wasn't an option—it consumed too much chakra and pupil power. If he missed the timing, it might cost him his life. "And my life," Andrew thought grimly, "is more precious than any grudge against Obito."
"This technique is powerful… but you need to be cautious when using it," Shisui advised seriously. He had never seen Andrew so physically drained before. The state Andrew was in after using Time Stop was a stark warning.
"I know. I'll use it sparingly," Andrew nodded, wiping blood from the edge of his left eye.
"Anything new happening lately?"
Shisui considered for a moment before replying, "Not much. Everything in the clan is proceeding as scheduled. The elders are satisfied, and the village's higher-ups seem to have eased off. The Hokage is still trying to curry favor with the daimyo, though."
He added, "Recently, the Third Hokage issued a transfer notice to all the major clans. He wants to establish the Twelve Guardian Ninja for the Fire Nation. The clan agreed to send Sasuke and a few younger jōnin to the academy."
Sasuke... enrolling in school.
According to the original timeline, this was around the time when Itachi's massacre of the Uchiha clan occurred. Time had really moved faster than Andrew realized.
Though he had stayed distant from Sasuke and Naruto, Andrew still kept an eye on them. Sasuke, as part of the Uchiha, was under his protection by default. Thankfully, the current Sasuke hadn't endured the genocide and grew up like any other Uchiha child—confident, a little arrogant, but unscarred.
Naruto, on the other hand, was exactly as described in the original canon. Loud, trouble-prone, and desperate for attention. Andrew still vividly remembered Naruto's uncontrolled chakra incident, when he literally flew across the sky—an event that had left him dumbfounded.
"The Third Hokage remains disappointing as ever. The Guardian Twelve Ninja? What a joke."
Andrew scoffed.
"Ignore that nonsense. Tell Itachi to focus on strengthening our clan's relationship with the daimyo." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "By the way, has there been any movement from Danzo?"
Shisui shook his head. "Strangely, no. The Shimura clan has been laying low as well. They used to send people to the Hokage Tower to complain about us, but now... they avoid us altogether."
"They even halted a construction project when they saw our people near their district."
Andrew's eyes gleamed with realization.
"Stop the police force patrols near the Shimura clan's grounds. Consolidate the six current teams into two and reassign them back to Industry Street. Also, notify all clan members not to act alone." He tapped the table firmly. "If they leave our district, they must travel in groups of four or more."
Shisui straightened, catching Andrew's serious tone. "You think...?"
"It's not a matter of if—it's a matter of when. Danzo will never give up targeting us. His silence only means he's plotting something bigger."
The Uchiha were now effectively self-governing within Konoha. Danzo had fewer avenues to strike—but knowing his ruthless methods, he might directly attack clan members. Andrew couldn't be everywhere at once, so the best defense was preventive coordination.
In reality, Danzo had indeed refrained from confronting the Uchiha directly for some time.
Why?
Because he was obsessed—with the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Ever since witnessing its power firsthand, Danzo had become consumed by envy. He regretted not securing Shisui's eye when he had the chance. Now, the idea of forcibly taking a Mangekyō from the Uchiha was suicide.
So instead, Danzo had turned inward—trying to evolve a normal Sharingan into a Mangekyō through artificial means.
But despite his efforts—chakra injections, genjutsu simulations, and life-threatening experiments—nothing worked.
"If evolving Mangekyō were easy," Danzo cursed, "the Uchiha wouldn't have been so persecuted all these years."
His attempts drained more than his patience. The Sharingan collection he had stockpiled—now reduced to nearly nothing—yielded no answers.
Meanwhile, Andrew and Shisui openly wielded two Mangekyō without fear. Even if Danzo were to acquire a pair, he'd have to return it or risk open war.
Danzo stewed in frustration, hiding deeper in the shadows. He remained silent—but he never stopped watching.
"Damn Uchiha... always in groups of four or more. Did they guess my plans?"
His suspicions zeroed in on Andrew, whom he considered the mastermind behind the Uchiha's resurgence.
Danzo's intelligence agents confirmed that Uchiha patrols had completely withdrawn from Shimura territory, and those who moved about elsewhere did so in groups.
"Tch. That brat again..."
[Ding! You have received negative feedback from Shimura Danzo. +1859 feedback points.]
Andrew, who was in the middle of tasting a dish from the clan's culinary R&D team, suddenly paused.
"Huh? Danzo's disgusted again?" He chuckled. "Must be the patrol adjustments."
Every bit of disgust Danzo felt now confirmed Andrew's growing influence. It also reaffirmed something else—
Danzo would never rest until the Uchiha were destroyed.
So long as Danzo lived, Uchiha would remain under threat. He might be disarmed publicly—his ROOT organization disbanded in name—but the man had been operating in the shadows his entire life.
And shadows don't vanish easily.
"Shisui," Andrew said, setting his plate down, "step up surveillance near the Hokage Tower and the old ROOT headquarters. We can't stop Danzo if we don't see him coming."
"Yes, understood."
Behind their current peace, a storm continued to brew.
The time would come when Andrew would have to decide—eradicate Danzo completely, or wait for the old snake to make the first move.
And Andrew was tired of waiting.
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