Besides Him

"I've seen them!" came the natural, yet confused, reply.

"..."

"What's wrong?" What was the point of asking that out of the blue?

Konan looked at Uchiha Fuyou, confused. "When Nagato, Yahiko, and I were wandering, we saw them every day! Sometimes we couldn't sleep for days!"

"...That's right, that's the difference," Uchiha Fuyou said with a sudden burst of emotion. "Even if life is prosperous and easy, don't forget the diligence of your struggles back then. That's what I mean, no matter how life is, always remember the hardships and efforts you went through for a better life. Don't start indulging in pleasure just because life has gotten a little easier." Seeing Yahiko deep in thought and Konan enlightened, he worried he might have gotten too carried away and quickly changed the subject. "Where's Nagato? I don't see him?"

Has he started indulging?

"Yesterday, I went with Kyuusuke to open up the mountain and dig tunnels. I slept very late today, so he's still resting," Yahiko said with a helpless smile, then his excitement returned. "The ninjutsu brother Fuyou taught, Nenjutsu - Digging Pill, is really useful! It can dig a large pit quickly, and it can even be thrown out for remote control, greatly reducing our workload. It's just too difficult to learn. It would be even better if the power could be reduced a bit." He sighed again. "Brother Fuyou said that during the Sage of Six Paths' era, ninjutsu was used to transform the world. I don't know why... it's become a killing machine now."

"..."

This Yahiko is too sentimental, not a successful capitalist.

Fuyou patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "So, you all must lead everyone back to the right path!"

If he wants to manage the Land of Rain, he'll need plenty of diggers.

"Let all shinobi use ninjutsu in the correct way."

"I will! Brother Fuyou!" Yahiko said confidently. "I definitely won't disappoint you, Brother Fuyou."

"No disappointment, no disappointment!"

As long as they work.

Uchiha Fuyou briefly surveyed the Land of Rain managed by Yahiko and the others. Although the territory was small and mostly in low-lying areas, prone to flooding when it rained, the situation was quite good. At least Hanzo of the Salamander didn't care about them.

Moreover, many refugees were coming here now. If factories could be built here, that would be excellent.

Low wages, many workers, low costs. It's just that everything is so chaotic now. Transporting goods over such long distances is too dangerous, and the transportation costs are too high.

As a businessman, the plan had to be shelved; he wasn't considering it for now.

After strolling for a while, he casually put away the Explosive Tags and Kunai, and the group arrived at Yahiko and the others' base. Nagato had woken up by then.

Thinking about the three little ones... orphaned and parentless, they started wandering the Land of Rain. Later, they became disciples of Jiraiya, gaining a skill to support themselves. But then their eldest brother died, their second brother became crippled, and their third sister lost her dream and started following Nagato's dream of "a bag of rice" after he became mentally unstable due to his disability.

This just shows how important parental education is. Children must be taught well at a young age, establishing correct values. Building peace through world destruction... is indeed more reliable than the idea of the God of Shinobi.

If everyone is dead, isn't that peace?

It's just that his mind isn't very clear, and he believed the words of a lunatic. The Uchiha clan... except for him, Uchiha Fuyou, everyone else's minds are somewhat abnormal.

Uchiha Fuyou sighed and patted Nagato, who had just woken up to eat, "Nagato! Stay away from lunatics in the future, and have your own opinions."

With that said.

Nagato silently picked up a bun, looked at Uchiha Fuyou, then pondered for a moment, nodded, and walked to the other side to sit down.

"..."

This kid is really something.

As expected, his eyes aren't his own; he can't judge people accurately!

Uchiha Fuyou also sat down and began to eat lunch, which was prepared by Uzumaki Kushina. It tasted quite good, especially with the Land of Rain specialty, the unique salamander... tender and juicy, delicious and springy. It's good for making fish soup and grilling.

It's just that this thing is poisonous, like pufferfish. If handled by non-professionals, it's possible to poison the entire family with one mistake.

Uzumaki Kushina... At that time, before the Third Shinobi World War had begun, he was on a mission to the Land of Grass to establish a branch store and met this wandering woman from the Uzumaki clan. Thinking about it, he brought her to the Land of Rain to join the three little ones.

Now it seems she's doing quite well. At least Nagato has an older sister, and he's become much more lively.

"You shouldn't use those eyes too much," Uchiha Fuyou said after some thought. "They put too much strain on your chakra. You're still growing, and if you're not careful... if you overload them, I might have to arrange a wheelchair for you. Learn other ninjutsu yourself, and cultivate a positive and optimistic mindset."

The Rinnegan, it can be said that it truly evolved from the Sharingan. It gets stronger when one gets angry.

Uchiha Fuyou estimated that Nagato's extremism later on might also be related to these eyes.

So.

Is the Sharingan the source of infection for the Uchiha lunatics?

And the Sharingan originated from the Divine Tree... He remembered that some people had speculated that Kaguya Otsutsuki transformed from a goddess into an extremist not just because she had children or due to menopause. Perhaps she was also... infected by the Rinnegan.

The lunacy of the Uchiha clan is also an inherited lunacy.

"I know," Nagato nodded.

These eyes... are indeed a bit strange. When I use them, I feel particularly energetic, and my mind tends to heat up. Before I know it, I've done something impulsive. I didn't think much of it then, but now that I think about it... it's extremely dangerous for a shinobi to lose their composure.

"Sister Kana checked me. When I get excited, my eyes produce a chakra similar to the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, making it easy to be mentally confused."

"..."

Uchiha Fuyou chuckled awkwardly.

As expected, the Uchiha clan's mental conditioning and mental health issues also need to be prioritized!

After eating, he and Uzumaki Kushina went to the underground laboratory, which he had spent a lot of money to build.

Unfortunately.

There were too few researchers.

The experimental samples... are too few.

"Lord Fuyou, please," said Kushina Uzumaki, wearing a white lab coat, with a gentle smile as she gestured to a bed similar to an operating table. "This time, it's just a simple check-up."

Here were most of his Sharingan and chakra data. His awakening was different from other Uchihas; it wasn't triggered by witnessing the death of a loved one or comrade, but rather upon graduating from elementary school... He started earning money, and after his first upgrade, he awakened it himself.

From then on, he relied on the system for upgrades, and his attributes increased, naturally leading to the awakening.

Perhaps he was too excited about making money, which was also a form of emotion!

Uchiha Fuyou, with his eyes open, watched Kushina Uzumaki lean closer, carefully examining his eyes. Her distinctive red hair and gentleness were different from the fiery red pepper that was his sister Kushina.

It was heartwarming.

Unlike his soft and sweet childhood friend Rin, she was very much like Nonō, giving off the feeling of a gentle older sister.

A moment later.

"Adult, you're really not staying in the Land of Rain?" Kana suddenly said softly. "Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan all hope you'll stay."

"I'll wait a bit longer."

How could he leave before he'd siphoned all the money?

Uchiha Fuyou smiled and shook his head. "I can't let anyone know I'm in the Land of Rain!"

"Kana understands." Kushina Uzumaki also pursed her lips into a smile, her eyes blinked, and after a moment of silence, she said, "Thank you."

Before Fuyou could speak, she smiled again and said, "Your pupil power has increased, but there haven't been many other changes." With that, she put away her plastic gloves, her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes a little hazy, and extended her jade-like fingers, as delicate as green onions, towards Uchiha Fuyou. "Adult... please!"

"Actually, biting off your wrist..."

"Adult, please!"

"...Thank you... thank you for the hospitality!" Looking at the smiling Kana, Uchiha Fuyou directly took her fair, slender index finger into his mouth and bit down gently. Instantly, a warm, liquid-like substance filled his mouth, as if his entire mouth was suddenly full. His body felt as though it had been starved for days, and he began to frantically absorb the energy flowing from Kana.

A soft moan of "Mmm~" echoed in the sealed laboratory.

Uchiha Fuyou wanted to pull away, but... his finger remained in his mouth, never retracting, as if... it was even gently scratched.

"???"

What was going on?

Meanwhile.

In a slightly more luxurious house in the Land of Rain.

A figure wearing a heavy gas mask looked at the intelligence on the table and muttered, "Did that group of brats have any strange actions today?"