At noon, as they wrapped up training, Lu Jiu quietly pulled Tianyi aside.
"Tianyi, this is for you," he said, handing over a scroll. "I drafted a plan for the Fifth Hokage yesterday. Take it home and look it over—see if there's anything you want to add or change."
Tianyi accepted the scroll with a nod.
"You're fast," he said with a faint smile. "I'll read through it tonight. Tomorrow, let's go over it together. I've got a lot of ideas to share as well."
Lu Jiu's eyes brightened. "Good. It's great to see you have your own thoughts."
—
That evening, as Tianyi stepped through the front door, laughter echoed from the living room.
"What's so funny, Dad?"
Uchiha Nobuhiko glanced over, grinning.
"You haven't heard? Word's out—Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo must've angered some deity. Since yesterday afternoon, it's been nonstop misfortune."
"Bird poop showers and manure diving—just routine at this point. Even the hospital can't fix their bad luck. Nobody dares go near them in case it's contagious."
"At this rate, they might not last three days before heading to the Pure Land."
He paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Actually... that might not be such a bad thing. What do you think, son?"
"Uh... maybe," Tianyi replied with forced nonchalance.
He could continue wishing ill upon them. But he needed to be careful—too much and they'd die.
If that happened now, Konoha would spiral into chaos. No one was ready to take up the Hokage mantle, and the scandal of their deaths would invite attacks from rival villages.
That didn't align with Tianyi's plans.
He needed time to grow, gather strength, and establish his power base.
"Ahem. Let's not talk about it. Let's eat."
"Agreed!"
—
Meanwhile, at Konoha Hospital...
For ten solid minutes, nothing had gone wrong. Both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo blinked in cautious relief.
"Is it over?" Hiruzen asked, glancing at Danzo across the room.
"Maybe. Let's give it another hour. If nothing happens... maybe the curse has lifted."
Danzo's voice dripped with unease. His eye twitched, hatred simmering just beneath the surface.
"Have you found anything? Anyone suspicious?"
Hiruzen exhaled. "No. You?"
"Nothing. Whoever did this covered their tracks well. Too well."
Danzo clenched his fist. He was seething.
No clues. No target. No revenge.
Then his thoughts turned to the Sihai Restaurant—and one particular Uchiha boy.
"What if it's Uchiha Tianyi? Or the Uchiha clan in general? You know how long their bloodline's been around. They might have methods we've never seen."
Hiruzen looked at him in disbelief.
"Danzo, stop. You have no proof. If we falsely accuse the Uchiha, they'll never forgive us—and neither will the other clans. It'll only damage our credibility."
He lowered his voice.
"Even the Hokage must follow the rules. If we don't, who will?"
Danzo gritted his teeth. "But I followed your orders and went to that restaurant—"
"Danzo!" Hiruzen snapped, eyes sharp. "Don't say that out loud. Not here."
Around them, Anbu and Root agents stood guard. Any careless words could leak.
"Even Root can't be trusted blindly. Don't forget that."
Danzo swallowed hard. "...Sorry."
He composed himself and added quietly, "Still... that brat Tianyi is suspicious. He's too clever. Too calm."
"Enough," Hiruzen said flatly. "You can keep an eye on him. But don't act recklessly. Uzumaki Mito and the entire Uchiha clan stand behind him."
Danzo reluctantly nodded.
But deep down, he was already planning more subtle ways to test Tianyi.
—Trait (Tianyi): Wish Talent [Level 2, 28/1000]
—Upgrade: 3 small wishes per day
Talent upgrade? Tianyi grinned as the notification rang in his mind. Perfect. Triple the wishes, triple the growth.
He'd just finished dinner and was back in his room, cycling chakra through his meridians, when the system updated.
So cursing them earned me luck too? Interesting. Maybe I'll try that more often... though sparingly.
Konoha wasn't ready to lose the Third just yet. And neither was Tianyi.
—
Elsewhere in the hospital, Hiruzen and Danzo shivered in their baths.
"...Who's there?" Danzo muttered, glancing over his shoulder.
The eerie feeling vanished. Just paranoia.
Eventually, they relaxed.
Back in his room, Tianyi decided not to push his luck further.
Better to play it safe. Let's keep things stable for now. In a few years... then I'll really make them dance.
—
The next morning over breakfast, Uchiha Nobuhiko leaned in with a conspiratorial tone.
"Tianyi, I've picked the first batch of people you can trust. Fifty in total. When can you come with me to sign the contracts and start training them?"
Tianyi raised an eyebrow.
"Right after breakfast."
Dad's efficient, he mused. But he wasn't entirely convinced.
Can I really trust them? he wondered.
Maybe I should implement another layer of vetting...
—Trait Activation:
—Wish Used (1): Gain the ability to perceive good, evil, and personal loyalty
—Wish Used (109): Complete activation of perception ability
Ting! A radiant rune bloomed in Tianyi's consciousness.
It spun around the core of his Wish Talent—a bright, mystical symbol deep within his mental sea.
Alongside it, his spiritual contract rune rotated in quiet harmony.
Tianyi's perception sharpened.
He looked at his family.
—Uchiha Nobuhiko: Favorability 100
—Uchiha Mikoto: Favorability 100
—Uchiha Fugaku: Favorability 99, Loyalty 99
Strange, Tianyi thought. Why no loyalty stats for my parents?
Then it hit him—maybe it's because loyalty implies hierarchy. And family doesn't work that way.
Fugaku, though? His loyalty surprised Tianyi.
Is it because of the contract? Or the money? Or maybe... he's just a tsundere.
"Something wrong?" Nobuhiko asked, noticing Tianyi's expression.
"Ahem. No, nothing. Just thinking."
Tianyi chuckled and returned to his meal.
—
After breakfast, Tianyi dispatched a few Shadow Clones and followed his father to a training plaza near the Uchiha Guard post.
Soon, fifty clan members gathered.
Nobuhiko stepped forward to address them—but Tianyi subtly pulled him back.
"Dad," he whispered telepathically, "some of them harbor malicious thoughts toward me. They're not clean."
Nobuhiko blinked. Telepathy? Then he adjusted quickly.
"Point them out," he replied mentally. "Also—when did you gain this ability? Isn't this similar to Mito-sama's? Or the Nine Tails'? How did you learn it?"
His son just smiled.
Nobuhiko, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes.
This kid... he's becoming something else entirely.
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