"I Don't Accept the Uchiha's Apology"
Uchiha Fugaku believed that reconciliation between Chi Yu and the Uchiha clan was impossible.
But Masaki Uchiha didn't share that belief.
As the patriarch of the Uchiha—the so-called number one clan in Konoha—Masaki had long since developed a political awareness that exceeded most. Yet deep down, his thoughts still revolved around the clan's prestige and superiority.
He assumed that if the Uchiha clan extended an olive branch, someone like Chi Yu would have no reason to refuse.
Masaki pressed his fingers to his temples, calculating Chi Yu's strategic value with the focus of a seasoned general. And the more he thought, the more valuable Chi Yu seemed—not merely for his talent or strength, but for his affiliations.
He was a protégé of Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, and had earned the personal favor of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage himself. He was deeply rooted in the Hokage faction.
And the Uchiha? They were isolated—politically neutered, their influence dwindling outside the Police Force, increasingly viewed with suspicion even within their own village.
If Chi Yu could become a pillar within the Hokage's camp, then perhaps... just perhaps, a bridge could be built. A connection to Konoha's power core. But that only worked if Chi Yu didn't despise them.
Masaki turned to his son, Fugaku, who remained silent. He could tell his father was formulating something. And he wasn't wrong.
"Fugaku," Masaki finally said, voice low and firm, "tomorrow, go to Orochimaru's base. Bring Chi Yu a set of our Fire Release scrolls and notes on Sharingan cultivation. Offer them as a sign of goodwill."
Fugaku exhaled slowly, nearly inaudibly. Exactly what he expected.
"Father," he said, "you've said yourself that Chi Yu would never return to the Uchiha clan. Is there a point to this gesture?"
Masaki's voice was resolute. "He won't return. I never expected him to. But we don't need him to come back—we need him not to oppose us. We need him to see the Uchiha not as enemies, but as... a part of himself."
"Even if he has no love for the clan," Masaki continued, "half of his blood is still Uchiha. And once he becomes a key figure in the Hokage faction—and that's inevitable—having him neutral, if not favorable, could be our lifeline."
Fugaku understood his father's logic. But he couldn't help feeling that this would be far from enough.
So many years of animosity, of silence, of looking away while Chi Yu suffered… That couldn't be washed away with a scroll and some handwritten notes.
Still, there was no stopping Masaki when he had made up his mind.
"I understand, Father," Fugaku said with a bow.
Masaki gave him a firm nod. "Good. And Fugaku—don't let someone with only half-Uchiha blood surpass you. You're the next clan head. Act like it."
Fugaku's chest tightened. He had trained hard, desperately hoping to awaken his Sharingan. But nothing. And now, to be compared to Chi Yu—a so-called outsider, even by his own family...
But what could he do?
The Sharingan didn't awaken through effort alone. There was no guidebook. No formula.
---
The Next Day
Chi Yu awoke at dawn, as always.
Orochimaru was still away, but had promised to return soon. Today was the day they'd travel to Ryūchi Cave—to form a contract with the snakes.
After his morning rituals, Chi Yu made his way to the underground training room. For hours, he drilled through sword forms, breathing techniques, and chakra flow exercises. The isolation didn't bother him. He had grown used to silence. Thrived in it.
Then he felt it—the barrier had been triggered.
Orochimaru had allowed him to sense it for precisely this reason.
Chi Yu wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel, muttering, "Someone's here? Looking for Orochimaru-sensei?"
He exited the training hall and stepped into the dim light of the base entrance.
Then he saw it.
That damned Uchiha crest.
Chi Yu narrowed his eyes, leaned lazily against the doorway, arms crossed.
"Tch. You really came. Classic Uchiha—never miss a grudge. Here to settle scores over last night?" His tone dripped with sarcasm. "Though, sending you alone? Kind of insulting. What, no full Military Police squad to arrest the criminal who dared harm your 'noble' kin?"
Fugaku's jaw tightened. A kid? This brat was younger than him—how dare he speak like that?
But Fugaku held it in. "Chi Yu, you misunderstand. I'm here on behalf of the Uchiha clan... to apologize for Yuuto and Kazuma's behavior yesterday."
Chi Yu's expression didn't soften. If anything, he looked amused.
"Oh? Now that's fast," he said, mock-pensive. "I was bullied for years when I first came to Konoha. Didn't see a single apology back then. Why now, huh?"
He turned slightly and gestured toward the base.
"Orochimaru's base. That's the real reason, isn't it? Not him—no, even the Uchiha wouldn't kneel for just Orochimaru. But the man behind him? The Hokage... that shakes the Uchiha, doesn't it?"
Fugaku's stomach sank.
This boy was sharp. Too sharp. Every word cut like a blade.
He went straight to business. "Chi Yu, this is a sincere offering—Fire Release scrolls from our archives and Sharingan cultivation notes. Take it as a token of peace."
He tossed the two scrolls.
Chi Yu caught them with one hand and weighed them casually.
"Fire Release, huh? And Sharingan notes. So that's it—you saw me awaken it, and now you want to cash in on the 'half-blood'? At least you didn't ask me to come home. That would've been really pathetic."
Fugaku's face flushed.
If not for Kushina Uzumaki and the whispers surrounding Chi Yu's loyalties, Masaki would have asked him to come back.
Fugaku bowed slightly. "Since you've accepted the gift, I'll take my leave."
He turned to go.
But then Chi Yu's voice rang out, sharp and cold:
"Wait. Who said I accepted your apology?"
Fugaku froze.
Before he could respond, lightning sparked across Chi Yu's fingertips.
The scrolls ignited in a flash of blue fire and vanished into ash.
Chi Yu met Fugaku's stunned gaze, eyes burning with something deeper than chakra.
"I don't accept the Uchiha's apology."