"Uncle Shin, what did Genya-kun mean just now?"
After the two left Genya's room, Uchiha Izumi finally looked at Uchiha Shin with curiosity in her eyes.
Genya didn't seem as weak as she had imagined. He even seemed to be hiding some secrets she didn't know about.
And that man wearing the tiger mask… he gave her a strange feeling—both unfamiliar and somehow familiar.
"You'll find out soon enough. In the next couple of days, someone will come to collect a sample of your blood. After that, just wait."
Uchiha Shin gave a brief explanation, then added, "This will only benefit you. There's no downside."
As for the matter of the cellular serum, it wasn't something he could explain clearly right now. And it wasn't the right time to talk about it either.
Izumi didn't press further and simply nodded. But after a moment of hesitation, her eyes flickered and she asked again, "Uncle Shin, do you know the masked man standing behind Genya-kun?"
"Why? Do you recognize him?" Uchiha Shin asked in return, a bit surprised. It had taken him a few careful glances before realizing the man was Shisui, who had been staying in the basement.
Could it be that Izumi recognized him too?
"I'm not sure… he just felt familiar. But I can't tell which clansman he is," Izumi said with a shake of her head, still puzzled.
"He's a clansman. It's normal to find his figure familiar," Uchiha Shin brushed it off casually. The truth about Shisui couldn't be revealed just yet.
Shisui of the Body Flicker was the clan's trump card.
"Oh."
Inside the office.
"You were almost recognized."
Genya looked toward the door where the two had left, the corner of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.
Just now, it was obvious that Uchiha Izumi had a slight delay in her expression when looking at Shisui. She seemed to be somewhat familiar with his figure, so Genya made a teasing remark!
"She used to be very close friends with Itachi. She was also somewhat familiar with me back then. Unfortunately... Itachi's betrayal made a naive young girl bear so much on her own!"
Uchiha Shisui spoke with some sadness when talking about this. It seemed like he was reflecting on something.
"At least he survived. You know, when Uchiha Itachi led Root ninjas to invade the clan, many ninjas and clan members died under their blades!" Uchiha Genya said seriously, his expression also tinged with melancholy.
Instantly,
The room seemed to fall into silence. No one spoke.
Uchiha Shisui's expression flickered. It seemed like he was thinking about what kind of tragic event that had been.
"Let's not talk about it. It's in the past."
As time passed day by day, the appearance of a masked clan member beside Genya didn't attract much attention. Only a few knew Shisui's true identity.
That night, a black crow flew to his window, cawing twice.
Genya opened the window, and the crow flew inside.
The crow then spit out a jade slip from its beak, which only had a few words written on it: "In the Land of Rivers, at Takumi Village, there's news of Hidan's appearance!"
After the jade slip was spit out, the crow cawed twice and flew away.
Only Genya was left, gently rubbing the jade slip and murmuring to himself: "I guess it's time to go out. Staying in Konoha is indeed boring!"
With that said, a smile curled on Genya's lips.
The next day,
"Genya, you're going out again?" Uchiha Kinya heard the news and looked a bit worried.
Although he knew his son's strength would protect him, as a father, he still worried that Genya might encounter danger.
"Don't worry, father. With Shisui by my side, how could there be any danger!" Looking at his father's worried expression, he said again, "If someone really could kill me, even in the clan, no one could stop it!"
Genya said this seriously, and it was the truth!
If that person had the strength to kill him, no one would be able to stop him.
"Kinya-san, let Genya-kun go!" Uchiha Shin spoke from the side. Right now, Uchiha Shin had immense trust in Genya. If Genya wanted to leave, it meant there was something he needed to do.
If they tried to stop him, it would just be a burden!
"Be careful over there!" Uchiha Kinya knew he couldn't persuade Genya, so he could only reluctantly agree.
That afternoon,
Genya confidently walked out of the Konoha gates with Shisui by his side.
Hokage Office…
"You're saying that Uchiha Genya left Konoha with only one person?" Sarutobi Hiruzen listened to the report, smoking his pipe. His eyes, reflecting the flickering light of the flame, seemed to flicker as well.
What is Uchiha Genya trying to do?
"Yes, he left with a masked Uchiha." An Anbu ninja lowered his head and reported.
"Do you know the identity of the masked ninja?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked again while weighing the situation.
Actually, they had already known for a few days that Genya had a masked Uchiha with him. Since this masked person appeared, even Uchiha Shin had stopped following Genya around.
It was as if he trusted this person completely.
"No… It's like that person appeared out of nowhere. We haven't been able to investigate their identity!" The Anbu ninja shook his head, also curious about the masked ninja by Genya's side.
It was too mysterious, like the person had materialized out of thin air.
Especially now, the Uchiha clan is closed off, and even the Anbu ninjas can't get in. It's impossible to gather any information.
"Is that so?" Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brows deeper. Since Uchiha Kinya took control of the Uchiha clan, things had become somewhat uncontrollable.
"Hiruzen, don't you think that masked figure looks a bit familiar?" At that moment, Danzo, who had been silently sitting behind Hiruzen, suddenly spoke up.
Since the news of the wooden cow, Danzo had been regularly meeting with Hiruzen to discuss strategies.
Now, hearing the conversation about Genya, he asked a question.
"Familiar? Like who?" Hiruzen looked at Danzo. He knew there was someone masked beside Genya, but he had never seen them in person.
Danzo seemed a little melancholic. "I've seen him. His figure resembles Shisui!"
"Shisui?" Hiruzen's brow furrowed. "Danzo, have your eyes gone bad? Shisui is dead. How could it be him?"
Hiruzen felt that Danzo was losing his grip on reality, to think that person was Shisui?
"Hiruzen, I've seen him with my own eyes. His figure is very much like Shisui, especially those eyes!" Danzo said, his conviction growing stronger with each word.
"I think you've been overworking these days, Danzo. You should go rest for a while!" Hiruzen said in a deep tone, cutting Danzo off.
"Should we do something about Genya?" Eisuke stepped forward, making a throat-cutting gesture.
"No need… He's just a waste."
Outside of Konoha village.
"We're going next?" Stepping out of Konoha, Shisui gazed at the endless wilderness, feeling a bit melancholic. He took a deep breath and looked at Genya.
Genya looked around, then slowly spoke, "A while ago, there was a bet between Hayashi and Orochimaru. Since we're out, we might as well go check it out…"
****
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