While Uchiha Ling Yun and Uchiha Izumi were attending classes at the Ninja Academy, Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son) had already sent a Shadow Clone to attend in his place, while his real body went to the small forest to receive guidance from Uchiha Shisui.
As possibly the only Uchiha to have activated the Mangekyo Sharingan at this stage, Uchiha Shisui's Ninja abilities were all outstanding.
Whether it was Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, or Genjutsu, even his Chakra reserves were beyond what an ordinary Ninja could match.
In current Konoha, those who could surpass Shisui in Chakra quantity were probably only the Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha; Hiruzen Sarutobi, being old and frail, was likely no longer his equal.
"Clang, clang, clang."
Several kunai collided in mid-air, then changed direction and struck targets in Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son)'s blind spot.
But one of them missed, falling to the ground, which surprised Shisui a little.
"What's wrong, Itachi? Why are you so distracted today?"
Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son) silently picked up the kunai, then suddenly looked up at Shisui.
"Shisui, you work in the Anbu and often have opportunities to interact with the Hokage and the Advisors. I want to ask you something."
"As long as it doesn't involve classified information, I can tell you."
"Are the Konoha higher-ups really hostile towards the Uchiha? Are they intentionally using the enemy's strength to weaken ours?"
Shisui's expression subtly changed, then a somewhat unnatural smile appeared on his face.
"Why do you say that? Aren't you overthinking it?"
"Shisui, don't lie to me. In the recently concluded Ninja World War, among the four great Ninja Villages of Sand, Earth, Water, and Lightning, our Uchiha were least adept at dealing with the Ninja from the Land of Water. Yet, Konoha's higher-ups specifically sent us to resist the invasion from the Land of Water. Was that merely a simple strategic error?"
"This..."
Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son) then relayed Uchiha Ling Yun's previous words and some of his own deductions.
"The suitable candidates to counter the Ninja of the Land of Water should be the Hyuga Clan. Their Byakugan can easily see through the Hidden Mist's assassination techniques. If they were to resist the invasion of the Land of Water's Ninja, casualties would surely be minimal."
"As for us Uchiha, whether on the battlefield of the Land of Wind or the Land of Earth, we could maximize the power of the Sharingan. Especially on the battlefield of the Land of Wind, their Wind Release and Puppet Jutsu are completely useless against us Uchiha. We could easily defeat them while minimizing sacrifices. But why..."
Shisui waved his hand, interrupting the increasingly agitated Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son).
"Itachi, the higher-ups naturally have their considerations. We only need to follow orders. Don't question the decisions of the higher-ups; that would shake morale and hinder unity."
Shisui's words clearly failed to convince Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son), and Shisui, realizing this, quickly changed the subject.
"Did someone say something to you? Otherwise, why would you suddenly think about these things?"
Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son) hesitated for a moment, then still sold out Uchiha Ling Yun. After all, compared to his relationship with Uchiha Ling Yun, he was undoubtedly closer to Shisui.
"Uchiha Ling Yun, you mean? The only son of tachi Uncle? He should be about the same age as you, right?"
Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son) nodded slightly.
"Although Uchiha Ling Yun has a sharp tongue and acts like he looks down on everyone, what he said today makes some sense, Shisui..."
"Alright, let's stop talking about that. All we can do now is train hard so we can better protect the Village and our families. As for Uchiha Ling Yun... I'll find a chance to talk to him. Questioning the higher-ups isn't a good thing."
Uchiha Ling Yun, completely unaware that he had been betrayed by Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son), was simultaneously attending class and studying Sealing Curses/Runes.
Although he didn't use a Shadow Clone to attend class like Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son), he never paid attention during class. After all, he already understood everything the teacher was explaining; listening again would not only waste time but also be mental torture.
Therefore, whenever class was in session, Uchiha Ling Yun would pretend to sleep with his head on the desk. In reality, he was editing various Sealing Curses/Runes in his mind, reconstructing powerful Ninjutsu from his memories using cursed seal script/chant.
Today, Uchiha Ling Yun was constructing the Hidden Cloud Village's secret taijutsu, Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
In the original work (canon), when the Fourth Raikage first appeared, he alone took down Er Zhuzi, who had activated his Mangekyo, and his Taka team.
If it weren't for Gaara's intervention, Er Zhuzi would have been beaten to death by the Fourth Raikage.
As one of the few Nin-Taijutsu in the Ninja World, before a host of 'cheaters' developed, it was definitely one of the strongest close-combat styles. What Uchiha Ling Yun valued most was that practicing Lightning Release Chakra Mode not only increased combat power but also comprehensively enhanced physical strength.
Speed, reaction time, defense, and attack power—it could be said that, apart from long-range attacks and Genjutsu, almost all other abilities could be improved.
Uchiha Ling Yun lightly tapped the table with his finger, mumbling to himself.
"Although I am from the Uchiha Clan, the most convenient way to improve is to awaken the Sharingan: from One Tomoe to Three Tomoe, then to Mangekyo, and finally the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and Rinnegan, replicating Uchiha Madara's path. But there's a problem here."
"Does activating the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan truly require Indra's Chakra? Or does it just require transplanting a blood relative's Mangekyo? If it's the latter, then it's easy to handle. The entire Uchiha Clan is theoretically blood relatives, and there will be three or even four pairs of Mangekyo in the future. If one transplant doesn't work, then two, three, or four pairs. But if Indra's Chakra is required, then there's no way."
"After all, from ancient times to the present and into the future, only Uchiha Madara and Er Zhuzi obtained the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and then went a step further to awaken the Rinnegan. And both of these individuals are Indra's reincarnations. Besides them, many others in Uchiha history awakened the Mangekyo, but none went further to achieve the Eternal."
Uchiha Ling Yun scratched his hair.
"If Indra's power is truly needed, then I'm out of luck. A regular Mangekyo is not only average in power but also has the side effect of blindness. It's better not to activate it than to activate it."
"If the path of awakening the Sharingan is not viable, and I want to enhance my physical strength, then practicing Lightning Release Chakra Mode is undoubtedly the optimal choice. At that time, with the Lightning Release armor combined with the Three Tomoe Sharingan, even without ninja tools, I could possess Kage-level strength. Beating Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura would be no problem at all. Even Itachi, who has the Mangekyo, wouldn't be my opponent."
After some thought, Uchiha Ling Yun decided to construct the Lightning Release Chakra Mode using cursed seal script/chant before the Night of the Nine-Tails Attack, and then use it to comprehensively enhance his physical strength. As for the issue of awakening the Sharingan, he already had a plan, and if things went smoothly, he could awaken it within two years.
Da Xiaozi (The Great Filial Son) awakened his Sharingan at eight years old, and Uchiha Ling Yun felt he wouldn't be any later than him.
Soon, the day passed. After school, Uchiha Ling Yun and Uchiha Izumi were walking back when they were stopped by Uchiha Shisui right at the entrance of the clan compound.
"Uchiha Ling Yun, can we talk?"