Chapter 5 Goodbye Itachi, Fire Style Chakra Nature Transformation

Chiba didn't head straight home. Instead, he was intercepted by members of the police force and directed to Fugaku's residence.

"Sasuke, stop running around. It's time to go to bed," Uchiha Mikoto scolded her young son.

"Mom, why hasn't big brother come back yet?" Sasuke inquired.

"Itachi has his own mission. You don't need to wait for him," Mikoto reassured him.

Upon entering Fugaku's house, Chiba was greeted by Sasuke, who had not yet become the second pillar, and Uchiha Mikoto. After exchanging brief pleasantries, Chiba followed Fugaku to the courtyard.

"Are you satisfied with the outcome today?" Fugaku asked, looking directly at Chiba as they sat down.

Chiba remained silent for a moment, then calmly replied, "To be honest, I'm somewhat dissatisfied, but I also understand the difficult position you're in, patriarch."

Fugaku sighed, recognizing the insincerity in Chiba's response. However, he couldn't blame him.

He had just had a confrontation with the Third Hokage and was tired from attempting to pacify the clan upon his return.

After contemplating for a while, Fugaku locked his gaze with Chiba and spoke in a hushed tone, "Since you have activated the Mangekyou Sharingan, you deserve to know certain things. The clan is planning a rebellion. However, we are not yet ready, so we cannot afford any mistakes at this crucial time."

"A rebellion?!" Chiba's eyes widened, as if he had just been made aware.

Observing Fugaku's sincere expression, Chiba quickly inquired, "Patriarch, is this true? Are we going to eliminate Danzo?"

His impatience was palpable.

Fugaku fell silent for a moment, then nodded. He looked up at the sky and spoke through gritted teeth, "Uchiha has reached its current state due to Danzo's actions. He bears the primary responsibility!"

Chiba was perplexed. Who holds the position of patriarch between Fugaku and Danzo? Fugaku had just implicated Danzo as the main culprit!

Whether Fugaku was acting or not, Chiba's opinion of him had considerably diminished.

"Patriarch, don't worry. I will personally kill Danzo when the time comes!" Chiba declared, fueled by intense hatred.

"I suspect that tonight's attack on me was orchestrated by Danzo," Chiba gritted his teeth, voicing his suspicions.

Fugaku nodded in agreement. "It has been a long time since the Uchiha incident, and if Danzo truly sought revenge, he would have acted long ago. This attack must have been orchestrated by Danzo to gauge our Uchiha clan's reaction."

Chiba nodded, acknowledging the validity of Fugaku's analysis. It seemed to be the most plausible explanation.

After conversing for a while, the two eventually parted ways.

As Fugaku watched Chiba's departing figure, he sighed deeply, a mix of concern and uncertainty etched across his face.

After leaving Fugaku's house, Chiba spotted Itachi leaning against a nearby wall.

"Are you waiting for me?" Chiba asked, surprised.

Itachi nodded and began walking into the distance. Chiba followed, and to his surprise, they ended up at his own house.

Chiba opened the door in silence and prepared tea. Itachi took the teacup and stared into space for a moment before whispering, "I overheard your conversation."

Chiba was taken aback and, after a brief silence, asked, "What do you want to say?"

Itachi calmly looked at Chiba and said, "If Uchiha rebels, regardless of success or failure, it will bring chaos and vulnerability to Konoha. Other ninja villages will seize this opportunity, and it could lead to a full-scale ninja world war."

As Itachi spoke, a pained expression flickered in his eyes. He, who had experienced the battlefield of the Third Great Ninja War, couldn't help but despise war when he recalled the countless corpses.

"What about the outbreak of war?" Chiba inquired, his brow furrowing.

"When war breaks out, people will die..." Itachi began, but Chiba waved his hand, interrupting him. He didn't want to be swayed.

"Loss? I don't know them, and they don't know me. I'm not some great figure; I simply want to live," Chiba stated firmly.

Itachi shook his head, glanced at him, and turned to leave.

"Two different paths, that's all!" Chiba muttered under his breath, then closed the door and went to sleep.

...

Early the next morning, Chiba made his way to the headquarters of the police force. Upon entering, he sensed a serious atmosphere in the air.

To his surprise, Captain Fugaku was present.

Once everyone had gathered, Fugaku spoke, "You're all aware of the conflict from yesterday. Starting today, we will intensify our training in practical combat exercises, striving to achieve our peak condition as soon as possible."

Boom!

Fugaku's words caused the entire headquarters to erupt. His statement marked the official commencement of preparations for the rebellion.

"Yes, Captain!" the officers responded in unison.

The Uchiha clan members shouted with excitement, their voices echoing through the air. Chiba couldn't help but feel speechless. Did they not realize that mobilizing such a large group would raise suspicions in Konoha? Nevertheless, he quickly regained his composure, knowing that the real training was about to begin within the police force.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Fire Style: Burning Palm of Impatience!"

...

Powerful ninjutsu techniques were unleashed one after another on the training grounds, accompanied by the sound of impacts. Chiba immersed himself in the moment, feeling the thrill of his increased abilities.

[Chakra Level: LV4 (5103/20000)]

[Sharingan Power: LV3 (603/2000)]

[Body Flicker Technique: LV2 (22/100)]

[Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique: LV2 (12/100)]

[Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Technique: LV2 (11/100)]

...

[Fire Style: Chakra Nature Transformation: LV1 (1087/10000)]

As he heard the continuous voices and witnessed his own progress, Chiba couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness. He was once again experiencing the exhilaration of growing stronger. His proficiency in Fire Style ninjutsu, kunai throwing, combat experience, taijutsu, and genjutsu all increased significantly.

He knew that opportunities like this didn't come every day, and the looming threat of a potential genocide urged him to seize every chance to improve. He absorbed attributes frantically while engaging in fierce battles with his teammates.

In the following days, Chiba fell into a more regular routine. He worked at the police force during the day, participated in actual combat exercises, visited the ninja hospital before returning home at night, and occasionally attended family gatherings. On the surface, it appeared that the tensions between the Uchiha clan and Konoha were easing.

However, Chiba was well aware that this was merely the calm before the storm. The night of the impending massacre drew closer, and his time was running out.

As time passed, his strength continued to grow, and his Sharingan power inched closer and closer to unlocking the Mangekyō Sharingan.