Back home, Takuya stepped into the bathroom and stuck out his tongue in front of the mirror.
As expected, there was a dark seal etched on it—the Curse of Tongue Eradication, a mark placed on every ROOT member.
If memory served, this curse caused full-body paralysis whenever the bearer tried to speak about certain topics. Specifically, anything involving Danzo or ROOT's secrets. It ensured that even if a member was captured or defected, no information could be leaked.
If that was the full extent of it, Takuya wouldn't have cared—he didn't plan on revealing anything anyway. What worried him was the possibility that Danzo could manually trigger it. If so, then Takuya's life was dangling by a thread.
There's got to be a way to break this thing, he thought, racking his brain for any method mentioned in the original story.
"Nope. Looks like the only real solution is Danzo's death."
In canon, no one ever successfully removed the seal—unless the Third Hokage pulled strings to have it removed. Otherwise, the curse only lifted after Danzo died.
But Danzo wasn't some glass cannon that dies in a team fight for free. The man was paranoid to the core, rarely leaving ROOT HQ and likely packing multiple contingency plans. Killing him wouldn't be easy.
Takuya sighed. For now, he had to shelve the "kill Danzo" plan.
I'll need either Orochimaru's help or to research this myself… and Orochimaru's out of reach for now.
He glanced at the clock—it was nearly time. Activating his sensory ninjutsu, he felt Shisui approaching.
Takuya stepped outside into the courtyard. Surprisingly, ROOT hadn't posted anyone to monitor him—not once had he detected surveillance while using his sensory jutsu. Danzo must have trusted the original him.
Sensing Shisui nearing, Takuya quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a massive surge of chakra.
FWOOSH!
An enormous eight-meter-wide fireball burst forth, instantly incinerating the wooden training dummy and scorching the surrounding earth.
Shisui arrived just in time to witness the spectacular display, stunned by the sheer power of Takuya's Fire Release.
While the Great Fireball was only a C-rank jutsu, it was a staple among Uchiha jōnin. Still, even elite Uchiha couldn't produce one with that scale and speed. The ability to convert chakra into fire so efficiently was simply beyond normal.
"Teacher Hoshino, I'm sorry to interrupt your training," Shisui quickly apologized.
"No problem—I was just finishing up," Takuya replied warmly, inviting him inside.
"Actually, the Uchiha's situation today has a lot to do with your former clan leader, Uchiha Madara," Takuya said as he poured two cups of water, handing one to Shisui and keeping the other for himself.
"You've heard of his betrayal, right?"
Shisui nodded. "The clan history says he left the village."
"If only it were that simple," Takuya replied with a sigh. "If Hashirama hadn't been strong enough to stop him, the village might've been destroyed."
Shisui fell silent.
But Takuya wasn't finished. "The fallout didn't end there. The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, already had suspicions about the Uchiha. After Madara's betrayal, he grew even more wary. As Hokage, he implemented restrictive policies specifically targeting your clan."
These policies fueled resentment among the Uchiha hardliners, leading to thoughts of rebellion. Eventually, the ANBU uncovered their plans, and the conspirators were imprisoned.
One event after another, the Uchiha's reputation grew darker, overshadowing the clan's founding contributions.
"I didn't know all that…" Shisui murmured, eyes full of realization. He'd underestimated how deep the issue ran.
"But not all Uchiha followed that path," Takuya continued. "Some tried to bridge the gap—like Uchiha Kagami. He was one of the few who truly embodied the Will of Fire."
Shisui's eyes lit up. "Teacher, what kind of person do you think Kagami was?"
He'd heard plenty about his grandfather's strength and talent, but he wanted to know how someone like Takuya viewed him.
"A man who carried the Will of Fire within him," Takuya said calmly. "He became a bridge between the Uchiha and the village, easing tensions and building understanding."
It was a simple statement, but to Shisui, it was the most heartfelt and appropriate assessment he'd ever heard.
"I want to become an Uchiha like my grandfather!" Shisui declared, eyes burning with determination—completely forgetting he had just admitted their relation.
"Your grandfather?" Takuya asked curiously.
Realizing his slip, Shisui hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Don't worry about the whole 'debt of gratitude' thing, Teacher. If you ever have time, just visit his grave. I think that'd mean more than anything."
"Saving my parents' lives isn't something I can just let go," Takuya replied seriously. "So how about this—Shisui, would you like to become my disciple?"
Shisui froze. He felt like he was taking advantage of Takuya's kindness. But at the same time, he didn't want to reject such a noble man… and the idea of training under someone this powerful and wise was tempting.
In the end, he nodded. "Takuya-sensei."
『Would you like to form a Master-Disciple bond with Uchiha Shisui?』
The system prompt popped up instantly. Takuya hit "yes" without hesitation. This was his golden goose!
『Bond formed. Current Trust Level: 2. Skills unlocked: "Student Growth Feedback" and "Gift Return."』
Takuya checked the skill descriptions and nearly cried with joy. "Student Growth Feedback" meant whenever Shisui got stronger, he would get double the benefit. If Shisui gained 1 chakra point, Takuya gained 2!
"Gift Return" meant that every time Takuya gave Shisui a gift, the system would give him a reward in return—once per day, with better rewards at higher trust levels.
He pulled out a small booklet he'd written earlier that day—his personal notes on fire chakra transformation. He'd planned to give it to Shisui later to earn some favor, but now was the perfect time to test the feature.
"This is my guide to fire chakra transformation. Study it well—I'll be checking your progress regularly. As your teacher, I won't go easy on you."
The stronger Shisui got, the stronger I get. No way Takuya was going to let that potential go to waste.
"Thank you, Teacher. I'll give it my all," Shisui said sincerely, accepting the booklet.
Takuya's firmness reassured him. This wasn't just about gratitude—Takuya genuinely cared about being a good teacher.
『You've given your student a training manual. Due to the student's gratitude, reward received: Fire Style – Dragon Flame Jutsu (Proficient Level)』
The moment he claimed the reward, Takuya's mind filled with detailed memories—years of training the Dragon Flame Jutsu, as if he'd practiced it thousands of times.
A B-rank Fire Release jutsu, the Dragon Flame technique focused on precision and control rather than raw power. Mastery allowed for reduced hand seals and even launching multiple fire dragons at once.
Thanks to the system's reward level, Takuya could now cast it instantly with a single seal—summoning three fire dragons at once.
Takuya stared at Shisui like he was a walking gold mine—an endless source of EXP and loot boxes.
Realizing it was getting late, Takuya stood. "It's getting dark. Let me walk you home so your family doesn't worry."
"Thanks, Sensei, but I'll be fine. I live alone now," Shisui said with a small wave.
Takuya paused. That's right—he'd never heard of Shisui's parents. They likely died shortly after he was born.
So between the two of us, we can't even come up with one set of parents… wow.
"But my uncle stops by often to check on me," Shisui added, sensing Takuya's concern.
Takuya nodded. He didn't push further. It was only their first day as teacher and student. There'd be plenty of chances to grow their bond later.
On the way home, Shisui flipped through the training manual again. He recalled the awe-inspiring fire jutsu he'd witnessed earlier and felt a deep curiosity growing inside him.
As a renowned Uchiha prodigy and grandson of Kagami, Shisui had encountered many powerful shinobi. His standards were high.
But even so, Takuya didn't seem like an ordinary Chūnin—and having someone that strong teaching at the Academy? Strange. The school only needed basic instructors to teach the Clone Technique.
Meanwhile, watching Shisui disappear down the road, Takuya felt a rising sense of excitement for tomorrow.
He had morning and afternoon classes lined up—what new rewards awaited?
Especially in the afternoon… with Might Guy and Obito in class, what kind of potential would they have?