Makoto's senjutsu training system had clearly defined stages.
The first step was to absorb natural energy to transform and enhance all aspects of the body.
The second step, once the body gradually adapted, was to enter Sage Mode autonomously. At that point, any ninjutsu used would already be senjutsu.
The third step was entering a constant Sage Mode. The most crucial part of this stage was eliminating foreign wills and information from one's own chakra, achieving complete control over it.
At this stage, the difficulty of further training in the various nature transformations of chakra—including Yin and Yang attributes—would be greatly reduced.
As for the later stages, Makoto himself was still exploring them, since he was currently only at the third step.
The only thing that set Makoto apart from others was that, due to the unique nature of his soul, he could directly use primordial white natural energy to strengthen his body—but others could not.
No matter what, this was the advanced training path after becoming a shinobi.
As for the brats in the dojo who weren't even familiar with chakra yet—some who hadn't even begun refining it—their training was no different from that of ordinary shinobi at the beginning: they started with physical conditioning.
The advantage of training in the dojo was that they could grow in an environment filled with natural energy, allowing their bodies to adapt more quickly from a young age.
After handing the brats over to Tenten, Makoto quietly made his way to where Shisui and Itachi were.
He had naturally noticed their presence long ago.
"What are you two hiding here for? Trying to steal a few tricks?"
Itachi wasn't very old, but he was extremely disciplined in both words and actions. When he spoke, his tone almost never carried any emotion.
In Makoto's memory, this guy had slaughtered several streets within the clan during the massacre—from east to west, from south to north—without even blinking.
Only when killing his own parents had he shown a strong emotional outburst. Once he passed that most difficult hurdle, all his emotions became extremely restrained. Even when beating his most beloved little brother, there wouldn't be the slightest expression on his face.
"Makoto-senpai, I hope Sasuke hasn't caused you any trouble."
Makoto said, "Kids being lively isn't trouble. What, do you expect them all to be like you—walking around with a stiff face all day? I honestly doubt you ever had a real childhood."
Itachi: "…"
He felt that Makoto had no right to say that, because they were all the same type—overly mature from a young age.
Including Shisui and Kakashi as well. The pot calling the kettle black.
Shisui was much more casual when speaking with Makoto.
"Do we even need to steal anything? We train here all the time anyway. Besides, if you didn't intend to teach, why open this dojo in the first place?"
"That's true. So you're hiding here watching… worried about Sasuke?"
Shisui said, "More or less. That kid's pretty cold toward everyone except his family. Itachi's worried he won't get along with others."
Itachi said, "From the looks of it, it's going fine. Sasuke should be able to make quite a few friends here."
That was obvious. Sasuke was the classic tsundere type—cold on the outside, warm on the inside. He acted like he didn't care, but deep down, he still longed to be with people his age.
People like that, honestly, were pretty easy to deal with, regardless of gender.
If all else failed—close the door, release Naruto, and let Asura handle it.
Makoto didn't continue the topic. Instead, after sensing their chakra, he asked: "Itachi, your ocular power has increased quite a bit. Not inferior to Shisui's when he first awakened. When did you awaken your Sharingan? What triggered it?"
Shisui wasn't surprised. He had already known.
Itachi replied, "Around September last year. Our team encountered danger during a mission."
Makoto said, "With your strength and that of your team leader—the Minazuki jōnin—you still ran into danger? Who was the enemy? Strong?"
Although Minazuki came from a civilian background and didn't possess any particularly outstanding abilities, being able to reach the rank of jōnin—the highest standard in Konoha—meant his fundamental strength was certainly solid.
"It was a squad of rogue Kirigakure ninja."
"Is your team alright?"
"We're fine. No one died—just two teammates were seriously injured."
So it wasn't Obito personally this time. But since they were Kirigakure rogue ninja, it was hard to say they weren't connected to him.
That isolated, mysterious, and closed-off village across the sea was probably still under Madara and Obito's control.
"Shisui's ocular power has also increased significantly—stronger than when he first reached the three-tomoe stage. There might be a chance for him to awaken the final form of the Sharingan—the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan. As expected of 'Shunshin no Shisui,' the man who made Kirigakure tremble in fear."
Shisui smiled. In recent years, Kirigakure had been making frequent moves in the southeastern region of the Land of Fire—imitating Kumogakure's approach—probing Konoha while encroaching on its interests in the southern smaller nations.
After the Nine-Tails Incident, the Uchiha clan was forced to relocate to the outskirts of the village, placed under surveillance from the surrounding elevated buildings.
The Third Hokage, worried that they might stir up trouble within the village, directly handed over the Kirigakure issue to Uchiha Fugaku.
After that, Shisui was frequently dispatched to the southeastern front. Relying on the genjutsu of his three-tomoe Sharingan, along with his unique Body Flicker Technique and near-indistinguishable clone techniques, he beat the Kirigakure ninja so badly they couldn't even find their bearings.
He even nearly killed Ao—the so-called "Byakugan Killer" of Kirigakure—and was given the title "Shunshin no Shisui." After Makoto, he became another young genius from Konoha to make a name for himself on the battlefield.
Shisui didn't care about such titles. What concerned him now was the change in his Sharingan.
"I heard from the clan head that awakening the Mangekyō requires extreme emotional stimulation—like witnessing the death of someone you deeply love right before your eyes, or killing someone important with your own hands."
"But I don't want to open my eyes that way. It's too extreme. Maybe your method is the right one, Makoto—that should be a training path better suited for our clan."
Makoto said, "That's right. The so-called Mangekyō should be a sudden surge in mental power, stimulating the Sharingan to undergo a qualitative transformation in its ocular power, awakening the strength your ancestors left within your bloodline."
"Using extreme emotional stimulation is indeed a shortcut—but taking shortcuts comes at a cost. Excessive stimulation can drastically alter a person's temperament, making their thinking rigid and extreme."
Itachi said, "That's probably the root of why our clan is feared and ostracized. I don't think anyone wants to become the medium for that kind of stimulation, nor would anyone be willing to befriend someone whose personality could change at any moment."
Makoto said, "That's not an unreasonable way to look at it. That's why awakening the Sharingan too early isn't necessarily a good thing for the Uchiha. But once people grow up, their emotions become more stable, making it harder to trigger that kind of awakening. That's where the contradiction lies."
Shisui said, "There's more. From the clan's records, I also learned that using the Mangekyō Sharingan has other consequences. The records are very vague, and the clan head isn't willing to explain in detail."
"He only said that once I awaken it, I'll naturally understand. Without awakening it, worrying about it is pointless. Makoto, do you know anything about this?"
Makoto said, "I don't need to know the details to guess the consequences. If I explain it using my training system, it's a classic case of imbalance between Yin and Yang—mental energy becoming too strong while physical energy fails to keep up."
"I imagine that without a sufficiently strong body as a foundation, using the power of the Mangekyō would place a tremendous burden on the body—especially the eyes, which would suffer the most damage. In more severe cases, it might even lead to an incurable bloodline disease."
Shisui said, "An imbalance of Yin and Yang… so that's how it is. As expected, your explanation is much clearer and more straightforward."
"And you don't even have the Sharingan, yet you can still use power similar to Susanoo through your own training."
"Looks like I'll have to come train at the dojo more often. I want to break free from the curse of these eyes and find a more stable path for the Uchiha."
Makoto said, "That's a given. I don't want to see you turn into some sickly weakling. If you don't even get a girlfriend before that happens, am I supposed to take care of you for the rest of your life?"
Shisui rarely showed embarrassment, but now he did.
"You bastard. You should worry about Yūgao and Honoka first."
"What's so hard about that?"
Shisui: "…"
All he could say was—just as expected of the friend he had known since childhood. Whatever he did, he always acted with complete confidence—even when it came to dealing with two girls.
If it were him, his brain would've exploded long ago.
Listening to all this information about the Sharingan, Itachi recalled his own experience.
He was different from Shisui.
Shisui had awakened his two-tomoe Sharingan years ago during a conversation with Makoto, triggered by a sudden shift in understanding. The process had been relatively calm.
But for Itachi, it had been exactly as his father described.
A teammate he acknowledged had nearly died right in front of him. In that instant, the shock triggered his awakening.
After awakening the two-tomoe Sharingan, he could feel that tangible madness—something that frightened him, yet also drew him in.
Because of that, he killed the enemy in an almost cruel manner, completely different from his usual behavior.
Most importantly, after returning home, his father only cared about the Sharingan and didn't ask at all about his two severely injured teammates.
That made him believe that the entire clan had already stepped onto a twisted path.
Unconsciously, Itachi reached up and touched his eyes.
"In that case… those unpleasant voices within the clan must disappear. Their existence is an unstable factor for the village—and it's also detrimental to the Uchiha's development."
Shisui said, "Itachi, you're being a bit extreme. Could it be the influence of the Sharingan?"
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