I am Uchiha Sekigen.
I had once seen the powerful and kindly First Hokage, followed the peerless and domineering Uchiha Legend—Madara-sama—and now, after enduring all these years, I had become one of the Uchiha Clan's old ancestors.
Now I needed a cane to walk, no longer carrying the same pride I once had. I even needed someone to support me when I went to the toilet at night.
What I wanted most now was to see the Uchiha Clan restore its former glory.
Unfortunately.
The young man I had once thought so highly of had unexpectedly... gone into business.
Early in the morning, Uchiha Sekigen put on a simple disguise and quietly followed that group of elderly Uchiha Clan members to a flat clearing in the outskirts.
Watching those old geezers bustling about with cheerful smiles and leisurely expressions, Uchiha Sekigen snorted inwardly.
Wasteful!
A colossal waste!
An absolute waste!
What was the point of wasting money here?
Could it produce geniuses for the Uchiha Clan again?
Could it make the Uchiha Clan stronger?
Could it restore the Uchiha Clan's former glory?
He immediately rejected all three questions in his heart without hesitation, and began to feel somewhat dissatisfied with Uchiha Fuyou, whom he had once held in such high regard.
Wouldn't it be better to use that money to train Uchiha ninja?
One or two hundred million every year... With that money, how many things could the Uchiha Clan accomplish?
Uchiha Sekigen let out another long sigh, filled with indignation and dissatisfaction. "That little Fuyou truly doesn't know any better!"
After all, I was the one who vetoed the decision to dig out his eyes back then.
And now he was planning to fund the Uchiha Clan without even consulting me, the Great Elder?
He was far, far, far too thoughtless!
Just then.
"Line up, line up! Everyone else is here too, count off!" The young woman leading the group clapped her hands. "Those who just arrived, line up at the back first. If you can't see, I'll arrange something for you later!" After saying that, she turned to the thick-browed, big-eyed uncle dressed entirely in green beside her. "I'll leave it to you, Senior Dai!"
"No problem!" Might Duy's mouth seemed to twitch as he gave a thumbs-up.
As soon as he spoke.
His figure rushed forward, instantly leaving several identical afterimages in the eyes of ordinary people.
"Sir, line up over here! This one goes here. Are you from the Hyuga Clan? Is it okay to stand here?"
Uchiha Sekigen's eyes twitched as he watched. He knew this fellow. In a sense, he was rather famous in Konoha.
A useless Taijutsu ninja!
Though his speed did seem impressive, if he encountered an Uchiha's Sharingan... heh, that was all there was to it.
He sighed inwardly again and muttered, "I never thought Fuyou had fallen this far!"
He was actually recruiting a bunch of trash like this?!
As soon as he said that.
He truly could not bear to watch any longer. Just as he was about to flick his sleeve and leave, intending to have a proper talk with Uchiha Fuyou—
"Sir, please move further into the line." Might Duy appeared beside him. Seeing the clan crest on his clothes, he immediately understood.
Most Uchiha Clan members were expressionless, bad at communicating, and a little tsundere. As long as he was patient, it would be fine.
That was what Boss Fuyou had told him back then, and he remembered it very clearly.
However.
Uchiha Sekigen gave an arrogant snort, contempt written across his face. He intended to throw out a few sarcastic remarks, thoroughly humiliate this piece of trash, and then leave.
"At your age, Sekigen, you're still as punchable as ever!"
An old woman's cold voice suddenly came from in front of him.
Elegant, calm, disdainful, and... faintly familiar.
Uchiha Sekigen suddenly raised his head. Looking at the old woman before him, with neatly combed silver hair, a wrinkled face much like his own, and the distinctive but somewhat cloudy Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan, he froze for a moment. There seemed to be surprise in his eyes. "Byakka, why are you here too?"
"Me?" A graceful smile appeared on Hyuga Byakka's aged face. From her bearing, one could tell that she had once been an elegant and generous woman.
"I came to take a look because I had nothing better to do. I've already been here for many days. I didn't expect..." She looked Sekigen up and down. "This old fossil would come too!"
"The Uchiha Clan's old fossils are nothing compared to the Hyuga Clan's old fossils!" Uchiha Sekigen shot back. "I didn't expect an old fossil from the Hyuga Clan to come here."
"Relaxing a little is quite interesting." Hyuga Byakka did not mind and merely smiled. "That junior of yours... Uchiha Fuyou... not bad! Not bad!"
As soon as she said that.
Uchiha Sekigen seemed to choke on his words and did not know what to say.
This woman was mocking the Uchiha Clan, wasn't she?!
Uchiha Fuyou.
The Uchiha genius of old.
The Uchiha disgrace of today!
Saying that in front of him was clearly mocking the Uchiha Clan for failing to keep hold of its genius!
In a fit of anger, he was about to retort with the Hyuga Clan's dark secret—the Caged Bird—
The group leader suddenly walked over with a smile. "Are you acquainted with Senior Byakka?"
"An acquaintance I'm not very familiar with." Byakka smiled reservedly and nodded.
Before Sekigen could speak, the group leader said again, "Then could I trouble Senior Byakka to look after this elder?"
"Certainly!"
After the two exchanged a few simple words, the group leader left. Uchiha Sekigen was still frowning, but he paid them no mind. With a cold snort, he turned to leave.
"Stop!" Hyuga Byakka said blandly. "Raise your head!"
"Hmph! How boring. I refuse to associate with the likes of—"
Before he could finish.
Under Uchiha Sekigen's stunned gaze, Hyuga Byakka stepped close, took both his hands, and glanced at him with her cloudy Byakugan. "At your age, and you're still so childish? Raise your hands and watch my movements!"
"???" Uchiha Sekigen was utterly dumbfounded. Looking at the old face right before him and feeling her hands holding his, his body involuntarily began moving along with Byakka's.
He stared blankly at that face, and his eyes became clear again from their cloudiness, as if he had seen that face from long ago... beautiful, captivating, elegant, and poised.
At that moment.
Hyuga Byakka stopped, frowning slightly as she looked at Uchiha Sekigen, who seemed completely stunned. "Did this old fellow understand? Why are you staring like an idiot?"
"I..." Uchiha Sekigen came back to his senses, gave another cold snort, and said flatly, "I didn't understand. What kind of mess was that? Teach me again!"
"...Where is your Sharingan?"
"I'm old! It's useless now!"
"Heh." Hyuga Byakka chuckled softly. "You are indeed old. This time, make sure you watch carefully."
As soon as she said that.
She guided Sekigen again with her hands. As Sekigen watched her elegant and tranquil movements, the corners of his mouth involuntarily lifted slightly before vanishing in an instant.
If one was not paying attention.
One would not notice it at all.
But.
What had I come here for?
It felt as though I had forgotten something important!
But Hyuga Byakka gave a cold rebuke. "Focus! Watch carefully! You're actually spacing out?"
The doubt in Uchiha Sekigen's heart was tossed aside. His expression turned serious. If he could forget it, it must have been something unimportant.
Since it was something unimportant, then forget it. What mattered now was making these old Hyuga Clan geezers understand that when it came to dancing... no one surpassed the Uchiha Clan!
Meanwhile.
After completing a simple registration with Konoha's gate ninja and leaving the village as a merchant for business activities, Uchiha Fuyou bid farewell to Rinne, who stood behind him with a faint smile. Under Hyuga Rinne's gaze, Uchiha Fuyou slowly left the village with two guards.
The two guards beside him were trusted subordinates registered in Konoha, allowed to accompany him in and out of the village. Of course, they were not particularly strong, merely average.
After all, if they were too strong, they would not have such freedom.
And after leaving Konoha... there was another group waiting for him beyond Konoha's territory.
Near dusk.
He finally left the boundaries of Konoha Village and arrived in a forest.
The moment he stepped inside.
Several figures in black robes appeared nearby and stood directly before Uchiha Fuyou. "Boss!"
"Daibutsu." Uchiha Fuyou smiled faintly. "You came this time?"
"Hahaha." Daibutsu laughed heartily. "I had nothing better to do, so I came! Boss, are we heading back now?"
"Wait." Uchiha Fuyou shook his head, then turned around to look behind him. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly. "Let's deal with the few little rats following us first!"
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