After flipping through the notebook Xiaoyu brought back, Kaze couldn't help but nod in appreciation.
Though he still hadn't figured out which big shot it belonged to, the contents spoke for themselves.
The notebook didn't just explain the principles behind Rokushiki—it also laid out the training methods in a way that was thorough and easy to follow. From the look of it, the writer had intended to spread these techniques throughout the Navy to strengthen their overall forces.
If Xiaoyu really had traveled to another world, then the One Piece timeline over there was probably around the period when Garp had just joined the Marines, and Roger was still a rising pirate.
Of course, the exact timeline didn't matter much to Kaze.
He wasn't the one hopping between worlds—Xiaoyu was.
"Well done, Xiaoyu."
Finding such a useful notebook naturally put him in a great mood. Kaze praised Xiaoyu without hesitation and reached out to give her a well-earned headpat.
This time, Xiaoyu didn't dodge. She tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes in contentment, accepting the affection like the proud little ninja cat she was.
Only after being properly rewarded did she leap to the other side of the plate and begin her focused assault on the fish meat—tail flicking, ears twitching, completely immersed in her feast.
Watching her munch away so happily, Kaze chuckled and withdrew his hand.
Still, now that he had a complete training manual for Rokushiki, there was no way he could hold back his excitement to learn it himself.
And more importantly—
Rokushiki wasn't like the Devil Fruit Xiaoyu had brought back last time, which could only grant powers to a single person.
This technique could be taught.
Which meant… he could pass it on to other members of the Uchiha clan.
(T/N: Well this is new. Good thing he decided to share it with others instead of being selfish.)
Kaze's eyes lit up as an idea took root in his mind.
Just imagine it—dozens of young Uchiha elites, all with fully awakened three-tomoe Sharingan, leaping through the sky using Geppo, surrounding Danzō midair from all directions.
(T/N: Geppo (Moonwalk) is a technique in One Piece that allows the user to kick the air itself to stay airborne, effectively letting them move as if flying.)
What kind of overwhelming momentum would that be?
Give it up, Danzō. You're surrounded. It's all Uchiha out there.
"Xiaoyu, you really brought me something incredible this time."
As he spoke, Kaze gently stroked the cover of the notebook in his hands like it was a precious treasure.
Deep down, he knew the truth.
If he wanted to sit in the Hokage's chair, relying on his own strength alone wouldn't be enough—not by a long shot.
Even with his talent, he'd need at least three or four trustworthy allies backing him.
Even Uchiha Madara, that stubborn one-man army, had people around him—Black Zetsu, Obito, and others helping behind the scenes.
(T/N: Though the former stabbed him in the back by the end. What a plot kill.)
Kaze had no interest in picking fights for the sake of it.
But some conflicts were inevitable.
The higher-ups of Konoha had always looked down on the Uchiha. The rift had grown so wide that it was practically beyond mending.
Then there was Fugaku, Shisui, Itachi…
"Fugaku might not be an idiot, but as the clan head, he didn't resist the massacre at all. That, in itself, is a crime."
"Shisui… loyal to the Will of Fire. If the story stays on track, he won't be around for much longer."
"And as for Itachi…"
Just the thought of that guy's face was enough to make Kaze's expression darken.
Just the thought of someone murdering their own parents sent a chill down Kaze's spine.
Let alone wiping out even the women and children of the clan.
And honestly…
Itachi might've sugarcoated it as being for "the greater good" of Konoha, but what did he really achieve, spending all those years undercover in Akatsuki?
The intel on Pain? That still ended up being bought with Jiraiya's life.
Trust someone like that to be a loyal right-hand man? Yeah, only if you'd taken a chakra-enhanced donkey kick to the head.
After thinking it through, Kaze realized—if he wanted loyal followers, he had to pick them out himself. From among the Uchiha.
"The clan meeting tonight… it's the perfect chance to win people over."
To make it stand out, Fugaku had even scheduled the gathering for 10 p.m.—a pretty unusual move.
As per tradition, it would be held at the Naka Shrine.
That place was layered in barriers. Even the ANBU and ROOT couldn't snoop around.
Which was precisely why the higher-ups had only ever been sure of the Uchiha coup twice—once from Shisui's report, and the other from Itachi.
"It's only six, huh."
Kaze glanced at the clock on the wall. There were still a few hours before the clan meeting kicked off.
And since he wasn't feeling hungry anymore…
He figured he might as well spend the time diving into those Rokushiki techniques.
"I'd better head outside."
Kaze paused to think for a moment.
Considering the last time he experimented with the Thunder Fruit and accidentally blew up Fugaku's house…He figured it was best not to risk caving in the floorboards this time while trying out Soru.
So, to avoid bothering the neighbors downstairs, he decided to head to the open-air training grounds near the Naka River.
After all, that place was basically the Uchiha's private sandbox.
Yeah…
Being pushed to the edge of the village wasn't all bad. At least the surrounding forest was all within Uchiha territory—perfect for sparring, sneaky meetings, or the occasional chakra-powered detonation.
Having made up his mind, Kaze carefully tucked the notebook Xiaoyu brought back into his robes, threw on a loose haori, and made his way toward the training grounds.
What he didn't expect, though—
Was to spot a familiar figure already there, training alone.
Someone widely known as the genius of the Uchiha.
Uchiha…
Shisui.
At that moment, Shisui was standing a good twenty meters away, his movements clean and precise as he flung a shuriken at a distant wooden post.
Shisui's hands moved in a blur as he formed a string of hand seals.
Puff!
Puff!
Puff!
A moment later, clouds of smoke burst into existence around the flying shuriken, and several more black, razor-sharp projectiles shot out from the smoke.
They flew in perfect sync with the original, all of them slamming into the wooden post in rapid succession with crisp thunks.
What amazed Kaze the most—
Was how smooth and seamless the whole thing was. From start to finish, it took no more than the blink of an eye.
Each shuriken embedded itself a third of the way into the wood.
If that had been a real opponent, they'd be down for the count.
Now that was a proper Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.
(T/N: The Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique allows a single thrown shuriken to multiply midair, creating multiple tangible copies that all strike with lethal force.)
Watching the performance, Kaze couldn't help but give a mental nod of approval.
Sure, their ideologies were destined to clash—but Kaze had always acknowledged Shisui's strength.
If he hadn't, he wouldn't have listed him as Hypothetical Enemy Number One.
And honestly… every time he thought of Shisui's eventual fate, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry.
But Shisui, sharp as always, had already sensed someone approaching the training grounds.
He paused mid-sequence and turned to look.
When he saw it was Kaze, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.
"Kaze? What brings you here?"
From what he remembered, Kaze rarely visited this place. And as for training? He'd never seemed all that motivated.
His sudden appearance here of all places was unexpected, to say the least.
"Oh, just here to mess around," Kaze replied lazily, casually waving his hand as if to say don't mind me, carry on.
Then he stepped back to give Shisui some space, intent on practicing Soru on his own.
But Shisui, thoughtful as ever, narrowed his eyes slightly.
"There's still a few hours before the clan meeting tonight… maybe I should take this chance…"
"…to gauge just how strong Kaze's become."