15 Changing the Course of History

The sun was setting over the expansive forest surrounding Konoha. The sky glowed with a vibrant fade of blue, purple, red, orange, and yellow. The Senju clan head and her two children were getting washed up and into semi formal wear as they prepared for dinner. Once they were all ready, they set out to the other side of the village. Tonight, they would dine with the Uchiha clan head. The outcome of this night would have lasting effects on the course of history.

Nawaki thought to himself as they walked through the dimly lit streets of Konoha. He recalled the prophecy that Gamamaru spoke of and wondered if tonight was one of those fateful moments. As he considered the effects that a positive outcome would have he realized that this dinner could completely alter future events. It was possible that the Uchiha could be prevented from even considering the possibility of staging a coup.

Due to him being deep in thought, he did not even realize that they had arrived at the Uchiha clan head's home. Nawaki was slightly startled when he heard Shunsui's voice saying, "Ah, Toka. It is great to see you. Welcome to my home." Nawaki looked up and heard his mother reply, "Yes, it has been a while since we have last seen each other Shunsui." As Shunsui guided the three Senjus through his home, he made some small talk with Toka.

Once they arrived in the dining room, they all took their seats. Aside from the four of them, Fugaku, Koryu, Hana (Fugaku's mother), Mikoto (Shunsui's daughter), and Biwako (Shunsui's wife) were present. It took a moment but Nawaki realized that Fugaku and his family were present for two reasons. It seemed that Shunsui was grooming Fugaku to become the next clan head. The other reason was that Fugaku and Nawaki were quite close. The relationship could be used to foster friendly relationships between the two clans.

After a round of introductions, drinks were served and everyone conversed. The adults all reminisced about the past and boasted about how amazing their children were. Meanwhile, the four kids were telling each other stories from their missions. Mikoto was a year older than Fugaku and Nawaki but she was also a rookie genin. Apparently she was on a team with Hyuga Hizashi and Lee Itsuki. Their jonin sensei was Hatake Sakumo. Nawaki made the connection and realized that Itsuki was Rock Lee's father. There was no mention of Rock Lee's parents in the anime so he was curious to find out.

After about an hour of drinking and conversation, dinner was served. It was an impressive spread of freshly prepared food. Even though it was delicious, Nawaki couldn't help but think that he could have made something better. Once everyone was done eating and the dishes were cleared, tea was served. Once everyone got their tea, Shunsui invited Nawaki and Toka to join him outside.

It was a warm summer night. There was a slight breeze that wicked away the humidity. As the three of them made their way outside, Shunsui led them over to a few chairs that surrounded a stone table. As they took their seats, Shunsui turned to Toka and said, "As I am sure you have already realized, this dinner invitation was not just a friendly gesture." Toka sighed and replied, "I figured as much. If you are coming out and saying this, I must ask. What is the purpose of your invitation?"

Shunsui smiled and then said, "For as long as our two clans have existed, there has been a fierce rivalry between us. In the warring states era, the Uchiha and Senju were considered the most powerful clans. If a land hired one of us, their opposition would hire the other. Eventually our clans came together and founded Konoha. However, this did not do much to ease the tension between us. How do you feel about the relationship between our clans?"

Toka thought for a moment and then said, "I can't really say that there is much of a relationship between us. It is more of just an innate dislike towards each other. On another note, I am confused about something. What does my son have to do with this?"

Hearing this, Shunsui smiled. He then said, "That brings me to my next point. An opportunity has presented itself that may lead to a prosperous relationship between our two clans. This would also greatly benefit the village. Nawaki is a genius. As a six year old, his intellect is unheard of. I am not sure how much you know, but Nawaki has been doing some research on the Uchiha. More specifically, on the sharingan. This morning, he presented some revolutionary findings that could greatly benefit my clan. While I could just take the information he has given me and have my clan reap all of the benefits, I don't believe that would be the best course of action. Instead, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity and work together with you and your clan to foster a mutually beneficial relationship. I strongly believe that we could use this opportunity to create a friendship between the Uchiha and Senju. What do you think of this?"

Toka was stunned. She did not realize just how much of an impact Nawaki would have with his research. She knew some general bits about his work but did not know that it had so much potential. As she thought about the opportunity that lay before her, she could just imagine her father rolling in his grave with excitement. She saw only one logical decision. Toka then said, "I hate to be so straightforward, but what will the Senju gain from this relationship?"

Shunsui sighed. He then said, "Depending on how beneficial the research is, I am willing to have any ninja from your clan trained in the Uchiha's exclusive techniques. We would also supply a steady stream of data and patients for Nawaki to use in his research. Does this sound fair?"

Toka didn't even have to think. It was as if she was being handed a blank check. Without hesitation, she said, "That sounds quite reasonable. I look forward to a prosperous relationship between our clans." Shunsui smiled and then said, "Great. Now if you would please allow me and Nawaki to discuss something in private." Toka nodded and excused herself.

Once Toka had left, Nawaki turned to Shunsui and asked, "So what did you want to talk about?" Shunsui looked at Nawaki and activated his sharingan. As the tomoes appeared, they kept rotating and formed into a pinwheel pattern. This was his mangekyo sharingan. Shunsui then said, "As you said earlier, long term usage of the mangekyo sharingan results in the user going blind. I have been slowly losing sight for a while now and I am afraid that I will go blind in the near future. Do you think that you would be able to take a look?"

Nawaki nodded and said, "I'll see what I can do. Please just give me a minute." Nawaki closed his eyes and entered the lotus position. He started rapidly absorbing natural energy. Olive colored markings began to materialize on his face as he entered sage mode. When he opened his eyes, they were now yellow. He set his gaze upon Shunsui and felt the flow of chakra through his body. He observed the erratic and unstable flow of energy through Shunsui's optical system. Nawaki then said, "May I?"

Shunsui nodded and allowed Nawaki to examine him. Nawaki pressed his thumb up against the Uchiha's upper nose and placed his index finger on his temple. He replicated this with his other hand. Nawaki was able to feel the violent flow of chakra with the mangekyo active. He felt a lot of chakra being lost as it moved to his eyes. Nawaki then went to work. Extending his natural energy, he slowed and stabilized the flow of chakra in his optical system. He then circulated natural energy through these chakra pathways to repair and reinforce them. After a few minutes, he relinquished his control of Shunsui's chakra flow. Slowly, the flow sped back up but it was different this time. It was much more stable and there was very little chakra wasted as it moved to the eyes.

From Shunsui's point of view, he felt Nawaki place two fingers on each side of his face. Then he felt a warm and powerful energy extend into his head as it forcefully dictated his chakra flow. As the flow calmed down, he felt his vision fade. Once the flow slowed, he suddenly felt the foreign energy flowing quickly through his eyes and he was able to see like he never had before. After a few minutes, he felt the energy recede as his own chakra flowed back in to replace it. He was shocked, it felt as if it took little to no effort at all to keep his eyes active. He was able to see even better than he used to.

Shunsui then asked, "What did you do?" Nawaki smiled and said, "I used natural energy to repair and reinforce the chakra pathways in your optical system. I repaired the damage that was done. However, this will not prevent the damage from recurring. I recommend using the same training method as Fugaku. Keeping your eyes active at all times will strengthen the chakra pathways."

Shunsui could only say, "Thank you. I was hoping you could help but I was not expecting my vision to be completely fixed. You are truly special. I trust that you and Fugaku will make exceptional clan heads in the future. I look forward to the prospect of you two working together. Let's head back inside and join the others."

Nawaki and Shunsui headed back inside and joined the others. When Nawaki sat back down, Fugaku turned to him and said, "Mikoto was just telling me about how her jonin sensei is a kenjutsu master. Maybe you can ask him to train you." Nawaki's eyes lit up. He had just received his grandfather's sword but had no one to teach him how to use it. This was the opportunity he was waiting for.

After another half an hour, the Senju family said their goodbyes and headed home. As they walked home, they all had the same thing on their minds. Thanks to Nawaki, tonight was a night that would change the course of history. As they walked, a notification popped up.

*Title Acquired: Will of Fire*