Uchiha (Part 1)

Yuzhen's evaluation of White Zetsu increased in his mind once more.

He had previously treated White Zetsu as expendable material for Black Zetsu, viewing Black Zetsu as the greatest mastermind in the Ninja World and White Zetsu as merely his cheap pawns.

But who would have thought that a cheap pawn could play such a crucial role in unexpected ways?

Unexpectedly, besides providing three practical Ninjutsu and serving as Experience Packs, White Zetsu actually possessed resistance to Genjutsu…

Regardless of which of the two scenarios Yuzhen had speculated, "White Zetsu Transformation" could indeed help him break free from Genjutsu.

Having rescued his clansmen and made an unexpected discovery, Yuzhen's mood eased slightly, and he stopped thinking about the combined Summoning Beast.

He could only try to ignore such matters.

A bird's call with a peculiar rhythm suddenly reached Yuzhen's ears. He understood the hidden message within it and immediately rushed in the direction of the sound.

After entering a forest, he quickly found Hagane Chihori hiding in the treetops.

"Clan Leader."

Chihori's condition looked very poor, as if a gust of wind could knock her over.

"How are you? Can you hold on?"

Yuzhen supported her with one hand, afraid she might fall from the tree.

"There's no major problem, just that my body has become weak from excessive Chakra depletion over a long period…"

She said this lightly, yet "draining the pond to catch fish" could be fatal, especially for ordinary Ninja.

Chakra was indeed the source of a Ninja's power, but it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a slow-acting poison.

Chihori's body needed considerable recuperation.

There was no time to be picky now. Yuzhen took out a bottle of Ration Pills and handed them to Chihori.

After taking one pill, Chihori's complexion changed from an unhealthy pale to an unhealthy flushed red, but at least it made her feel a bit stronger.

Ration Pills were only suitable for healthy Ninja; they were potent, and those with weak bodies could easily develop problems from them.

But at this moment, it was good that Chihori had something to replenish her energy. He couldn't expect Yuzhen to pull out some miraculous tonic, could he?

"After the village was breached that day, we scattered and broke through, but we were unfortunately ambushed by Tsugawa Ninja. Some resisted and were killed. After we exhausted our Chakra, we were sold here as slaves… Seven of us came here, and now only I remain."

After regaining some strength, Chihori briefly explained her experiences during this period.

Yuzhen thought to himself that perhaps the Hawk or Lion Summoning Beasts he had dealt with contained parts from his own kin… It couldn't be helped. Not only did Yuzhen not know the truth about those Summoning Beasts beforehand, but even if he had, he would have had to act.

He could only remain silent about the fate of these clansmen.

"Clan Leader, what about the other clansmen?" Chihori asked again, her expression somewhat anxious.

"Including you and me, there are eighteen of us left," Yuzhen replied truthfully.

"Eighteen…"

The reality was too tragic, and Chihori visibly became sorrowful.

Suddenly, she remembered something else. "Beji…"

"Yes, it completed its mission admirably."

Well, that statement was easy to understand. It said nothing, and therefore said everything.

People couldn't be saved, and dogs couldn't survive either. This was the current reality for small Ninja Clans surviving in the Ninja World.

Silence fell in the forest for a moment. After learning about the state of their clansmen, Chihori needed time to collect her emotions.

It might take a hundred years for a small Ninja Clan to develop into a Ninja Village, but after just one night, they could be reduced to their size from a hundred years ago… like a factory reset.

This cruel reality was indeed difficult for the "natives" of the Ninja World to accept.

About an hour later, Yuzhen saw that Chihori had recovered some strength and said, "Let's go. Regardless, we should return to the camp first… Everyone will be extremely happy to see you."

Yuzhen protected Chihori, and the two returned to the camp without incident.

The clansmen in the camp had an emotional reunion with her, which is not worth mentioning here.

During this time, someone explained to Chihori their decision to abandon the surname "Hagane." Chihori understood the significance of this, but she still requested to keep the clan's surname.

Yuzhen naturally agreed. Mixing their clan's true surname among a pile of other surnames would not interfere with their original objective.

They were originally planning to leave the camp, but because Chihori's body needed recuperation, they were forced to rest in place for a while longer.

Meanwhile, three days after the town was burned, two Ninja arrived.

One of them looked to be in his thirties, while the other was only eleven or twelve. Their foreheads were bare, as if they didn't have the habit of wearing forehead protectors.

But even so, others could immediately tell their origin.

These two wore long black outer coats, with a symbol on the back that looked very much like a ping-pong paddle…

This symbol was called the "Fan of Fire," representing the renowned Uchiha Clan.

"The lead was correct, but unfortunately, we're a step too late," said the older Uchiha Ninja.

The young ninja said nothing, idly kicking at the iron fence on one side.

They had already found the location of the dungeon, which was filled with the stench of blood and rot. The ground was littered with the corpses of people and beasts, all burned to a crisp, making it impossible to tell anyone apart.

Presumably, after Yuzhen left, the ninja he released not only dealt with that Tsuchishi but also had another "match" amongst themselves for some reason.

Seeing the older ninja still patiently searching for clues, the younger ninja finally spoke with a hint of impatience:

"Captain, shouldn't we be leaving soon? We've already wasted too much time on something so insignificant."

"Insignificant?" The older ninja ignored the urging. "This is for the sake of friendly relations between our two clans."

"But the person we're looking for is just a good-for-nothing."

"Precisely because the other party is a good-for-nothing, our unreserved search effort shows even more sincerity."

The young ninja wanted to retort but couldn't find a suitable reason for a moment.

He felt that the captain's words sounded somewhat reasonable at first listen, but upon closer thought, something felt off.

It could only be said that a sycophantic mindset was not to be encouraged.

They searched around here and found nothing of value, but fortunately, others had made some gains.

Thirty minutes later, another Uchiha ninja approached them, carrying a half-dead person.

"Captain, I found this around here. I wonder if it'll be useful."

With that, he threw the person he was carrying at the captain's feet.

This ninja was one of those released by Yuzhen that day. For some reason, he hadn't left promptly and had instead been wandering around the area.

As a result, he had escaped the wolf's den only to fall into the tiger's mouth.

The captain picked the person up. It was clear the individual had already suffered a round of punishment; his mouth was twisted, and his eyes were vacant.

A hint of crimson appeared in the captain's eyes, revealing three black tomoe beneath the red irises. In an instant, he used his absolute Eye Power to cast an exquisite Genjutsu, easily invading the unfortunate ninja's mind.

Yuzhen's actions that day were gradually "read" out.

After seeing everything, the captain tossed the ninja aside, his expression growing strange.

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This chapter counts as an extra update.