Night.
The evening breeze blew gently.
The Uchiha Clan had also concluded tonight's evening gathering.
The outcome was not very good. As the head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Fugaku had not, as everyone expected, agreed to devote all resources to Uchiha ninja.
The Uchiha elders watched their clan head's departing back, sighed wistfully, shook their heads in disappointment, then turned to the Great Elder beside them. "Big Brother, what do we do now?"
"Do not be hasty." Uchiha's Great Elder—Uchiha Sekigen—leaned on his cane. His aged, wrinkled face remained calm as he narrowed his eyes slightly. "Let this old man go see that boy Fuyou first."
Uchiha Fuyou.
Back then, he had been a genius of the Uchiha Clan. At a young age, he had already displayed talent far beyond ordinary people. He was eager to learn, diligent, and hardworking, often immersing himself in the Uchiha Clan's library and training grounds until he forgot to eat.
At the same time, he possessed the Will of Fire that the Third Hokage often spoke of. Though the Uchiha Clan only listened to that so-called Will of Fire in passing, since Fuyou had gained the Third Hokage's recognition and often wrote stirring articles filled with the Will of Fire, that was a good thing. Perhaps he could become a bridge between the clan and the village, allowing the clan to once again enter Konoha's center of power and be accepted by the village.
They had even paid a great price to arrange for Fuyou to become part of the Third Hokage's direct faction, to take one of the Three Sannin as his master. Fuyou had also lived up to expectations. Even the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki acknowledged him as her younger brother, and he had met the graduation requirements after only a few years at the Academy.
Although he ultimately had not applied to graduate early, that was enough to show Fuyou's talent.
A genius of the Uchiha Clan!
And a genius recognized by the Third Hokage.
At the time, they had all believed that Uchiha Fuyou might lead the Uchiha Clan's geniuses toward a new future.
Uchiha Sekigen had thought so too.
Unfortunately.
Things did not go as planned.
On the day of graduation... everything had arrived as expected. Everyone had happily prepared to celebrate the Uchiha Clan's genius, yet they had not expected that, on that very night—
Being a ninja cannot save the Uchiha—Uchiha Fuyou.
That brat had actually said those words in front of the elders and the clan head. He had even acted as though being expelled from the Uchiha Clan did not matter.
He was simply a disgrace to the Uchiha Clan!
At the time, everyone had been prepared to extract his Bloodline Limit and throw him out to fend for himself, but...
"Still, it is rather regrettable."
Uchiha Sekigen gazed at the moon in the sky and sighed mournfully. Shaking his head, he held his cane in both hands and lightly tapped the floor.
After hesitating again and again, he, as Great Elder, had decided to give that child a chance. He believed that after living outside for a while, Fuyou would understand that ninja were the future of the ninja world.
Without strength, any amount of wealth would only end up making a wedding dress for someone else.
Yet he had not expected that brat to actually make something of himself.
That little bit of money was nothing to the ancient Uchiha Clan, but... it was free money, and it was free money every year. That made it a considerable sum.
Even the Uchiha Clan could not casually take out such an extra sum every year. Or rather, they could, but it might somewhat affect the clan's operations.
Therefore, if that money could be spent on the Uchiha Clan's ninja, it would certainly raise the strength of the clan's ninja by another level.
"So what do you plan to do, Big Brother?" asked the Uchiha elder beside him, whose hair was equally white. "Should we have that boy Fuyou come over directly?"
"Wait for now. You all know what Fuyou is like. He is terribly stubborn. Or perhaps... all geniuses think they are right. What a pity, what a shame." Uchiha Sekigen shook his head regretfully, tapped the floor with his cane again, and pondered for a moment. "Let this old man first go see those old people... and find out what exactly they are doing."
Dancing? Singing?
Were those things ninja ought to do?
With a sigh, he turned around. "Rest assured, this old man will find the so-called evidence and make that boy Fuyou understand what is right!"
Ninja!
Ninja who possessed absolute strength!
That was the Uchiha Clan's only way forward!
Since that brat claimed that being ninja could not save the Uchiha, then he, as the Uchiha Clan's Great Elder, would tell that brat... a few stinking coins could not save the Uchiha either.
They would only make them look like... fat sheep to be slaughtered.
"Even being treated as fat sheep is better than being treated as a threat to the village at this stage!"
After escorting Hyuga Rinne back to the Hyuga compound, Uchiha Fuyou walked alone through Konoha's streets. He looked at the somewhat deserted roads and shook his head with a sigh.
For instance, the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan... as Konoha's two great eye-power clans, neither had ever accepted the other.
Especially the Uchiha Clan... although it had once stood at its peak, after the Second Hokage carried out one round of reforms and the Third Hokage's team carried out another, the Uchiha Clan had declined. Thus, whenever the Hyuga Clan saw the Uchiha Clan, they became even prouder and more arrogant.
They believed that they were Konoha's number one eye-power clan.
However.
When they saw him, Uchiha Fuyou, did they not still greet him with a smiling, "Boss Fuyou"?
For no other reason.
Uchiha Fuyou was stupidly rich and had always won people over with hundreds of millions.
And he believed that in a few more years... he would win people over with even more hundreds of millions!
He arrived at the orphanage on Konoha Street.
After pondering briefly, Uchiha Fuyou walked inside...
"Big Brother Fuyou!"
"Boss Fuyou!"
He was immediately met with the children's enthusiastic welcome.
Originally, according to the plan... Uchiha Fuyou should have possessed an intense Will of Fire, made many friends at the Academy, improved the bonds between classmates, then demonstrated his strength so the higher-ups would not dare underestimate him.
But then.
Something unexpected had happened.
He had become a wealthy man who won people over with hundreds of millions.
There was no helping it.
After thinking about it back then, if he had no cheat, then whether he conducted research, excavated his Bloodline Limit, or developed ninjutsu, all of it would take quite a long time. He might even be forced to become a rogue ninja just as he began to emerge.
It was too dangerous.
His current life was much more comfortable. Everyone believed that Uchiha Fuyou had given up the ninja way and paid him no mind.
Otherwise.
Relying only on that so-called Will of Fire to gain the old Third Hokage's recognition was simply a joke.
Whenever Danzo wanted to make a move, what did the old Third Hokage say?
Let this old man think about it!
Wait a little longer! Perhaps there is another way!
Do not act rashly!
And what was the result?
Uchiha Fuyou had no idea how many sets of ashes had been scattered while the Third Hokage regretted, blamed himself, and repented.
After casually rubbing a few children's heads, he headed toward the orphanage director's office.
He knocked on the door, and after a soft response of "Come in,"
Fuyou entered and immediately saw a blonde woman inside. She wore glasses and a white cloak and sat in her chair. Noticing his arrival, she turned away from the documents on her desk and smiled at him.
The woman wore a gentle smile, her eyes curved as she looked warmly at Fuyou. "Is that Fuyou?"
"Big Sister Nonō." Fuyou nodded slightly and casually sat to one side. "It seems Big Sister Nonō is troubled too. Did something happen? Do you need help?"
"It is nothing." Nonō put away the documents and shook her head with a smile. She poured Fuyou a cup of tea. "Just some minor matters at the orphanage. It is nothing."
"Have there been quite a few more orphans?"
Though the early stages of the war were not particularly intense, and they were currently focused on defending against Sunagakure, war was still war. Where there was war, there would be casualties.
Fuyou pondered for a moment. Then, seeing Nonō looking at him curiously as he thought, he said with a smile, "In a few days, I will be opening several new barbecue restaurants. I will need quite a few apprentices."
"?!" Nonō froze, then smiled softly. She seemed to let out a breath of relief as she nodded. "That is a tremendous help!"
"I just happen to need apprentices!"
"I know." Nonō shook her head helplessly, poured another cup of tea for Fuyou, who wore the expression of someone who won people over with hundreds of millions, and said, "It is truly thanks to you, Fuyou."
Otherwise, she and the orphanage might now...
At that thought, Nonō suddenly frowned, as though she had remembered something. "Is Fuyou leaving the village in the next few days?"
"Yes." Fuyou nodded. "There is business outside that needs handling. Besides, this war seems to be getting increasingly strange. It may become very intense later, so I need to settle everything while things are still calm."
"I see..." Nonō murmured softly to herself. Then she raised her head seriously and looked at Fuyou. "Remember this! Hire more ninja, and..." She paused and lowered her voice. "Watch out for Root Shinobi!"
"???"
Root Shinobi?!
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