Chương 256: Hard Choices

Shisui POV I pulled the chair closer and sat beside Kaen's bed, the faint smell of antiseptic lingering in the quiet room. I should have felt nothing but pride. My team had exceeded expectations, and Kaen had pushed himself further than most boys his age ever could. Instead, the pride felt heavy. Three tomoe at eleven would not go unnoticed inside the clan. News like that traveled fast, and once it did, it never came without consequences.

His parents were hardliners, the kind who believed strength had to be shaped early and controlled tightly. An early evolution would not make them ease their grip. It would do the opposite. They would see talent and close ranks around it. They would train him harder, watch him closer, and measure every step he took. Fugaku-sama would not step in and risk dividing the Uchiha over one boy's personal freedom, no matter how talented that boy was. His own son was proof enough of that.

I ran a hand through my hair and let out a slow breath, my thoughts circling with no clear end. Then a weak voice pulled me back.

"Sensei?" I opened my eyes and saw Kaen trying to sit up, stubborn even now. I placed a firm but careful hand on his shoulder and eased him back against the pillows.

"Your injuries are not fully healed," I told him.

"The poison is still being neutralized. The medical-nin was clear. You are to rest for a few days." He grimaced, frustration pushing through the fatigue.

"Sensei, we have a fight in the finals." I kept my tone steady.

"Six days from now." His eyes widened.

"Did I sleep for a full day?" I nodded once.

"Be grateful you will be able to fight at all." That quieted him for a moment. Then a fierce light flared behind his eyes.

"Sensei, I have the three tomoe Sharingan now." The weakness in his voice faded as he activated them without hesitation. The red returned, deep and steady, three tomoe spinning clearly in each eye. He stared at me for a second, then blinked in surprise.

"Before, I could see things, but now it's different. I can see your chakra way clearer than before, sensei. It's… tight. Smooth. Like it's not wasting anything." He was excited, almost glowing with it, but there was something else in his expression. He was looking for approval, for acknowledgment, maybe even for someone to celebrate with. And at that moment, I was the only other Uchiha in the Hidden Sand Village. I gave him a small nod. Three tomoe was a real milestone.

At his age, it would draw attention whether we liked it or not. His excitement was natural, and I had no intention of taking that from him. I drew a slow breath and met his gaze.

"Listen carefully." He forced himself to focus despite the thrill still running through him. I looked at him steadily and said, "The first change will be your perception. You will not see the future, but you will begin to read intent much more clearly than before because your awareness will sharpen. You will pick up on small movements, slight shifts in balance, changes in breathing. The Sharingan notices things most people never even register. Your ability to see chakra will deepen as well.

You will start to catch subtle changes in flow, hidden strain, uneven control during techniques, which will allow you to handle an enemy's ninjutsu, kenjutsu, and taijutsu far better than before. What you just observed in my chakra is only the beginning of that clarity." I let that settle before adding, "Genjutsu will also become easier for you to detect and easier to cast.

With proper training and discipline, it can become one of your main weapons in battle, something you rely on alongside your improved movement and firepower." He leaned forward slightly despite the pain, his eyes burning with focus.

"Sensei, will you teach me more about Sharingan genjutsu?" he asked. I met his gaze and answered without hesitation, a faint smile forming despite everything weighing on my mind.

"I will." Then I held his gaze a little longer and spoke in a steady tone.

"Your greatest advantage will be information. With three tomoe, you won't simply react faster. You'll be able to track several opponents at once without losing focus. When things get chaotic, you won't freeze. You'll start reading the flow of the fight as it unfolds. You'll notice who is about to move, who is hesitating, where the pressure is shifting, and where the opening will appear. Your ability to process information will be leagues above what it was before.

Fighting multiple enemies won't feel overwhelming anymore." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. His breathing accelerated, like he wanted to jump out of bed and test it right there. I continued before I lost his attention.

"And finally, you'll be able to copy techniques with real reliability. If your chakra allows it and you have the right affinity, that can become one of your strongest psychological weapons against your enemies." His eyes lit up at that, then slowly dimmed as reality settled in. He hesitated before speaking.

"My strongest nature is fire," he admitted quietly.

"Wind is second. The others… I'm not very good with them." I rested my hand briefly on his shoulder and spoke in a steady, reassuring tone.

"Your limits aren't fixed, Kaen. The Sharingan lets you study both your enemies and yourself at the same time. The more you watch how shinobi with different affinities use their chakra, the more you'll understand how it moves and how it's shaped into a specific nature. You'll start to see the transition itself, the moment chakra shifts and takes form, and that will be an eye-opener." I kept my voice calm so he would not mistake it for empty comfort.

"And because your control will improve with time, you might even perform certain aspects better than they do, because you'll be able to optimize the chakra flow in real time. That clarity is what the Sharingan gives you. But it only matters if you train for it." He nodded slowly, the disappointment easing instead of deepening. That steadiness pleased me. Kaen had always been eager to learn. When he committed to something, he gave it everything he had. He was not Itachi, and he did not need to be.

Effort, guided properly, could carry him very far. After a moment, I steeled myself.

"Kaen." He looked at me at once, and I kept my voice calm as I said, "Sena is almost certain to be promoted to chunin. Her performance left little room for doubt." I watched his face shift at her name, pride flickering there before the anticipation returned, and I added, "You and Noa are strong candidates too, if you perform well in the finals." I leaned in slightly and said, "You need to understand what promotion actually means. As a chunin, the village will see you as an adult. You will lead genin.

You will be responsible for lives that depend on your decisions." I let that settle before continuing, "Mistakes won't only hurt you. They'll cost other people." His expression tightened at that, the weight of it sinking in. Then I added, more evenly, "You will also gain full independence. If you want to, you can leave your family home and have your own place anywhere in the village." I kept my tone neutral as I finished, "I'm not telling you to do it. I'm telling you it's an option that will exist."

A complicated look settled on his face as the meaning sank in, and I added, "And your three tomoe will mark you as important inside the clan, especially at your age." He swallowed, the earlier fire in him cooling into something heavier, so I continued quietly, "Expectations will rise. Attention will follow. The pressure will only grow." He went silent for a long while, and I let that silence stretch for as long as it needed to. After some time, I spoke again.

"There are people in the clan who believe the Uchiha are meant to stand above the rest, stronger and destined to rule." Pride pulled at him right away, just like it always did, so I followed with the other side.

"And there are those who want the clan to integrate fully with the village. Cooperation and coexistence without believing that it makes us weaker. A future that most likely won't be soaked in blood." The pride faded from his expression and concern took its place. He looked at me with searching eyes, not speaking, but clearly asking what he should do. That tightened something in my chest, because he wasn't asking as a shinobi looking for advice. He was asking as someone from my clan who trusted me.

I kept my voice level.

"I won't choose for you." I watched him closely as I continued, "You're Uchiha, yes, but you've trained and fought beside people outside the clan. Answer me this, Kaen. Do you really think those comrades are weaker than us? Beneath us?" His gaze shifted, and I knew which names were moving through his head. He stared at the ceiling, silent, caught between pride, loyalty, and experience, and I closed my eyes so I wouldn't focus on him.

After a long silence, I opened them again and when I looked, he was holding his head in his hands, feeling the weight of it like it was physical. I did not rush him.

"You don't have to answer now," I said.

"We still have time before we return to Konoha. Think carefully. Whatever path you choose, make sure it's one you can live with." I did not want him walking a road chosen only out of pressure, fear, or a false sense of obligation tied to unreasonable loyalty. I wanted him to take his own decision and, for once, decide his own path. That… was his last hurdle.

A/N: Well, things actually got worse at work because people are still stuck on the other side of the world, but I said I would be back on Thursday, so here I am. The next few chapters will be mind-blowing, so… take a deep breath;)