There was nothing particularly special about psychological evaluations in the shinobi world—they mostly involved filling out questionnaires, answering a few behavioral questions, and undergoing a basic mental health assessment.
Nara Kazuki figured that unless someone walked in with a face full of angst, muttering "I want to kill" every other sentence, these evaluations were usually a breeze. Pass rates were basically guaranteed.
And sure enough, he easily received his "Psych Evaluation: Passed" form. All that was left was to submit it for recordkeeping, and he was done.
Once he handed it in, Kazuki bumped into Shisui, who already looked eager to go on the next mission. Itachi wasn't with him.
"The Crow's not here?" Kazuki asked curiously. Uchiha Itachi had always seemed deeply interested in the ANBU, and as the eldest son of the clan head, he'd taken the lead by joining such a dangerous life-risking squad. Kazuki suspected Itachi's reasons were as political as they were personal.
Especially given that Sarutobi Biwako had died at the hands of a suspected Uchiha, and Uzumaki Kushina had nearly been killed as well—it was impossible that Uchiha Fugaku wasn't nervous about the clan's standing.
"He's at home with his little brother," Shisui replied with a smile. He'd spent some time around Itachi lately and noticed the kid shared his ideals: hoping for peace between the village and the clan. Itachi hadn't articulated it all yet, but the seeds were there.
"I see," Kazuki nodded knowingly. So Itachi was officially on duty as a full-time little brother protector now.
Funny enough, the Uchiha brothers did echo Madara and Izuna in a way. Except Itachi's obsession with his sibling was on a whole different level. If Madara were still alive, Kazuki figured he might've picked Sasuke over Obito to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan.
"Captain, want to come over and hang out at my place? I've got the newest game from the market!" Shisui said excitedly.
Kazuki's expression turned strange.
He couldn't help it. After running into that Uchiha pervert in the alley, his brain now auto-flagged "invites to Uchiha homes" as potential traps. That clan had a few... peculiar members.
But seeing Shisui's expectant gaze, Kazuki gave in.
He already guessed Shisui's real motive. The guy likely wanted to use Kazuki as a bridge to get closer to the Fourth Hokage and ease tensions between the village and the clan. That aligned well enough with Kazuki's own goals, particularly when it came to unlocking more "Backtrack Achievements." So he agreed to visit the Uchiha compound.
The Uchiha district was vast but tucked away from Konoha's central zones. Fewer merchants worked the area, and you could feel a certain isolation in the air.
As they walked through the streets, Kazuki noticed how most villagers glanced at Shisui with veiled disdain.
Yet Shisui remained cheerful, greeting everyone warmly, undeterred by the cold shoulders.
Kazuki glanced sideways at him. A tragic figure, really. His lack of political cunning had played a role in his demise, sure—but at his core, Shisui was loyal and hardworking. He just hadn't diagnosed the true sickness rotting his clan from within.
The Uchiha's issues ran deep. Prejudice was a mountain, and you didn't move it in a day.
"Shisui, you... oh? And who's this?"
Just as they entered the Uchiha compound, Kazuki and Shisui were "coincidentally" met by Uchiha Fugaku himself, the clan head. The man wore a mask of curiosity as he looked Kazuki over.
Kazuki's mouth twitched.
Come on, we're all old foxes here—don't pretend this is some casual stroll.
But if Fugaku wanted to pretend this was a chance encounter, Kazuki wasn't going to call him out. He played along.
Still, he created two shadow clones and sent them off to continue training—one for Great Fireball Jutsu, one for Shadow Imitation Technique. He was also working on Rasengan, but until he had enough chakra to assign a clone to each skill, he had to prioritize.
"Greetings, Lord Fugaku. I'm Shisui's team captain," Kazuki said with a polite smile.
Fugaku nodded with a smile of his own, then led them toward Shisui's house, walking just close enough to observe, not overbearing, yet clearly weighing Kazuki.
Along the way, Kazuki passed by countless pretty faces—men and women alike. The Uchiha clan's gene pool was absurdly strong. Even Itachi, in the future, would grow up to be a total heartthrob. Honestly, Kazuki thought the whole clan could debut as idols if they wanted.
Fugaku stayed cordial but didn't overdo it. When they reached Shisui's house, he bid them farewell and left.
"Your clan head's pretty friendly," Kazuki said, glancing at Shisui.
Shisui looked a little embarrassed. He could hear the teasing tone in Kazuki's voice and knew his captain had already seen through everything.
But this was the Nara clan—infamously sharp-witted. Shisui hadn't expected to fool him in the first place.
"Yeah... originally the clan head just wanted me to invite you over. But when he heard the name 'Flame Demon,' he decided..."
Shisui trailed off awkwardly.
Kazuki chuckled.
That's what reputation got you.
Sure, the Iwa-nin who gave him that title were a pain in the ass, but their dramatics had inadvertently turned Kazuki from a nobody into someone worth watching.
If, one day, he pulled off something major—like taking down Hanzo of the Salamander—then maybe the name "Flame Demon" would echo through the entire shinobi world.
"Alright then, let's grab a bite and check out that game," Kazuki said, waving off any further conversation. They were here to relax. No need to turn it into a diplomatic summit.
In fact, pushing too hard with Minato could backfire. Better to let things develop naturally.
Shisui paused mid-sentence, then nodded. He got it.
Everything started somewhere.
The Uchiha clan didn't expect to fix their relationship with the Fourth Hokage in a single day.
But having a beginning was enough. And Fugaku wasn't in any rush to push straight to the Hokage's doorstep.