The three men stood ready to clash!
White Fang sensed danger from the man before him, but his younger brother had yet to appear. He dared not attack outright, since they were not far from Ling Tian.
In his mind, his younger brother was merely a Jonin.
And he had no combat experience whatsoever.
Although Duy knew how strong Ling Tian was now, he held back because White Fang had not made a move.
As for Uchiha Red Four, he disdained striking first.
If he needed to strike first against two idiots, wouldn't that prove he was inferior to them?
Ling Tian came out to find this scene.
"What are you doing?"
"I called these two idiots a few names, and they took offense."
"..."
Looking at Fourth Baby's haughty expression, Ling Tian helplessly slapped his forehead and said with a rueful smile, "Senior Duy, don't mind him. There's something wrong with his head."
Just what on earth had I created?
Even if you came with a personality, it shouldn't be like this!
Where was my adorable Fourth Baby?
Uchiha Red Four turned toward him at those words. When he saw his original glaring fiercely at him, his gaze instantly swept toward White Fang, carrying a trace of contempt amid his arrogance.
If not for my original, I'd kill you both!
"Who is he?"
White Fang looked rather displeased. No one would be happy after being insulted like that.
The main problem was that he wanted to argue back, only to find he couldn't.
"Didn't he tell you?"
White Fang frowned. "Isn't his name Uchiha Island?"
Might Duy's thick eyebrows knitted together as well. "He seems to have become much stronger. Ling Tian, what's your relationship with him?"
Ling Tian was at a loss for words. He knew what Duy meant: this man's aura was the same as his own had been that morning.
He was still wondering how to explain when...
"I, Uchiha Red Four, owe no one an explanation for how I live my life!"
"..."
"Shut your mouth!"
Ling Tian roared, "If you really want to die, I'll take you back right now!"
"Idiot."
Uchiha Red Four gave another contemptuous smile, then strode away.
"Where are you going?" Ling Tian asked.
With his back to his original, Uchiha Red Four raised his head and declared loudly, "Fire Style alone is the path to invincibility. What need have I to borrow your Sharingan?"
"Explain yourself."
"I shall repay the Uchiha's kindness on your behalf!"
"..."
Goddammit.
Ling Tian wanted to curse!
As his clone departed, he looked at the two men still staring at him and smiled bitterly. "I can explain..."
His voice was filled with helplessness.
"Everything's fine now?" White Fang asked.
Ling Tian nodded. "Yes."
"Duy, come on. Let's go have a few drinks!"
"Senior White Fang, Kakashi and Might Guy are training."
"Don't worry about them. Once they're done running, my brother can cook them something. Tonight, we're drinking until we drop."
"I haven't met my goal for today yet."
"Duy, don't tell me you've never had a drink!"
"Of course I have. Let's go right now."
"Then let's go. It's my treat tonight."
"Senior, when will we be finished?"
"..."
With their arms around each other's shoulders, the two men walked farther and farther away.
Ling Tian could only stare speechlessly at the heavens. What the hell was all this?
At the same time.
The night was enchanting in the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Uchiha Red Four returned to Fugaku's home amid respectful greetings from the clansmen.
Given his status, he did not even need to announce himself. He entered without any trouble.
Fugaku had not gone to bed either. He was alone in the garden, admiring the moonlight.
Sensing movement, he stopped absorbing chakra. When he saw the newcomer, he asked calmly, "Why have you come back?"
Red Four replied just as calmly, "Uchiha Island is dead."
"Who are you?"
Fugaku asked the same question White Fang had.
A person could change, but his bearing would not. The scorching aura radiating from the man before him could never belong to the man he remembered.
If Ling Tian could make him this powerful in the short time since he had left, would Ling Tian even need an alliance with the Uchiha?
He could storm his way in alone.
"I have no time to chat with you. I have come to propose a marriage."
"A marriage?" Fugaku asked in confusion.
"Before Uchiha Island died, Ling Tian promised to marry his daughter. He also promised to have you take his daughter as your adopted daughter. I want her to marry Ling Tian with all the honor and splendor she deserves."
"You told him he couldn't give the Sharingan to anyone else, but he left them to me. Ling Tian promised him he would tell you."
"Finally, he asked me to protect the Uchiha in his place and look after his clansmen. Ling Tian agreed."
"So, from today onward, I am Uchiha Red Four."
"If you want to reclaim these eyes, I can return them right now. But if you do, all those promises Ling Tian made to Uchiha Island will be void."
Fugaku's heart churned at those words. His thoughts were tangled as he struggled to make sense of everything the man had said.
"Make your decision quickly. I have other matters to attend to."
Seeing no response from him, Red Four grew a little impatient.
"You're willing to return the Sharingan?"
After pondering for a while, Fugaku finally spoke.
He was astonished. These were the Sharingan, one of the Three Great Dōjutsu. Who in the Shinobi World wouldn't want them?
And these had three tomoe. An Uchiha Shinobi who had awakened three tomoe was a bona fide Jonin. As long as he wasn't useless, he could even strive to become an elite Jonin.
Yet what had he just heard? The man before him was actually willing to return them.
At his words, Red Four lifted his gaze contemptuously and declared with pride, "My divine techniques are already invincible. What need have I for your clan's Sharingan to bolster them?"
"..."
Was that contempt?
Was that contempt for the Sharingan?
Fugaku was furious.
Someone actually looked down on the Sharingan.
Did you know this bloodline was passed down by the Sage of Six Paths?
Did you know that beyond the Three-Tomoe Sharingan lay the Mangekyo and the Eternal Mangekyo?
Did you know how powerful the innate ninjutsu gained upon awakening the Mangekyo were?
Did you know the Mangekyo's visual prowess and genjutsu were several times stronger than those of three tomoe?
You knew nothing. What right did you have to look down on the Sharingan?
Seeing that he remained silent, Uchiha Red Four continued calmly, "To me, the Sharingan are merely a burden. Even without them, I am still invincible. Having them will only add more ties to hinder me on my path of invincibility."
"Even if they eventually developed into the Mangekyo, the Eternal Mangekyo, or the even stronger Tomoe Rinnegan, like Madara Uchiha's, I still wouldn't care for them."
"Wouldn't care for them..."
Fugaku murmured, his eyes vacant.
The man knew how powerful the Sharingan were, yet still scorned them.
Were the Uchiha really that worthless?
He began to doubt.
"That's right. My divine techniques alone make me invincible. Having the Sharingan or not makes no difference to me."
Fugaku remained dazed for a while. Looking at the man before him, who had been his subordinate just moments ago but had now become someone who did not even value the Sharingan, he feigned calm and said:
"Since this was Island's choice, I support him."
"Good. In that case, fulfill his final wishes first. Have his daughter marry Ling Tian, and take her as your adopted daughter. Naturally, I will also fulfill the promises I made to him."
Before you continue