The Only Light

This process would only be possible if Uchiha Madara were to return and subdue the village, making the Uchiha the strongest clan once again.

But that was impossible.

Or, a new generation of Uchiha could rise to power and create a balance of power.

But even then, the village and the Uchiha would never be truly equal.

Besides, the Uchiha's arrogance was not something easily shed. If not for the passage of time, the old man would not have let go of his pride to ponder.

He understood the Uchiha as well as he understood himself.

The Uchiha might decline and become estranged from the village.

No matter what, as long as the problem remained unresolved, the Uchiha would inevitably clash with the village in the future.

At that time, the strong individuals of the Uchiha would bear the brunt of it, and with Yan's talent, she would surely have a place among them.

The old man did not want Yan to be in an environment filled with deceit and trickery.

After all, Yan was just a girl. Perhaps finding a good home would be a viable option.

As for the safety of the Uchiha clan, the old man was not worried in the slightest.

As one of the founders of the village, the Uchiha's prestige and strength were top-notch.

The village might clash with the clan, but they would never dare to make a move.

Moreover, the Uchiha's strength was top-tier in the ninja world. Unless the Hokage was a fool, how would they dare to wage war against the Uchiha at the cost of severe depletion of their forces?

Even if the Hokage were stubborn and dared to start a war, a group of Mangekyou users would surely emerge from the Uchiha clan.

As an elder from the Warring States period, he understood the origin of the Mangekyou.

It was the power of revenge bestowed by the gods upon Uchiha clan members after they lost their loved ones.

In such a scenario of mutual destruction, the Konoha leadership would definitely seek reconciliation first.

In summary, the old man believed that the Uchiha clan could not lose its legacy; it could only decline slightly.

"Is this jade pendant you're wearing also a gift from him?"

"Mm."

"Can you let Second Grandfather take a look?"

"Here."

The old man caressed the jade pendant and then returned it to Yan.

He had known about this jade for a long time; his granddaughter Ten Ten treasured it dearly.

Just now, when he touched it, he found it was harder than ordinary jade, like iron, clearly a rare type of jade.

That kid named Uesugi Yayoi was thoughtful.

"It's so beautiful. Next time you have time, bring your friend to the clan grounds, and Second Grandfather will have a chat with him."

"Second Grandfather, what do you want to do?"

Yan's eyes became vigilant, and he puffed out his cheeks.

"You forget your grandfather once you have friends. Don't worry, Little Yan, Second Grandfather won't make things difficult for him."

The old man sighed, as if lamenting.

"Then, pinky promise."

Yan was suspicious but finally extended his finger.

"Okay, pinky promise."

The old man also laughed heartily and extended his finger.

"The Hyuga Clan Blood you wanted, besides mine, there's also blood from two other branch families. I collected it while dueling with them."

Dusk began to fall, and the bright moonlight cast a faint silver glow on the forest, also shining on that pair of Pure White Eyes.

Rin quietly appeared in the forest at night to meet Yayoi.

In the quiet forest, there were only a few insect chirps, and the trees swayed in the gentle breeze.

This was their agreed-upon location and time. Yayoi had scouted this spot in advance; there were no ANBU patrols, and the Hokage wouldn't be peeking at this spot late at night.

Rin threw the test tube in her hand to Yayoi.

"Fresh material. At this hour, you're really capable, Rin."

In the dead of night, Yayoi took the test tube and looked at the Bright Red Blood inside, saying involuntarily.

"You remember what you promised me, or don't blame me for revealing things."

Rin frowned upon hearing this. The words sounded a bit off, but she shook her head and stopped thinking about it.

"Of course, but to truly unlock the Caged Bird, the branch families must be used. You know, there will only be opportunities on the battlefield. Before that, you will inevitably be under the Caged Bird."

"And this blood is just to help me understand the materials faster and in more detail when the time comes."

"I know, you don't need to remind me."

Rin became a little agitated when the Caged Bird was mentioned.

"Are there any precautions I need to take when collecting blood?"

Yayoi examined the blood for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and put the test tube back into his ninja tool pouch.

"No, it's just daily sparring. Besides, my identity is special, so they won't cause me trouble."

Rin thought for three seconds and said.

"Then I can rest assured. After all, if we're exposed, we'll be in big trouble."

Yayoi teased upon hearing this.

Although he was curious about Rin's special identity, they had a long time to spend together, and Yayoi was not afraid of not finding out.

However, the only response to Yayoi was a pair of pure Byakugan.

"If there are new materials in the future, we can meet here."

Yayoi shook his head and chuckled.

"Goodbye."

With that, Yayoi left. When he reached the limit of his Byakugan's range, a puff of white smoke rose, and Yayoi instantly disappeared.

At this moment, another Yayoi walked out of the forest and took the ninja tool pouch. It turned out to be just a Shadow Clone.

The Shadow Clone is a ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. Unlike ordinary Clone Techniques, it has destructive power.

This ninjutsu was taught to him by Tsunade herself after he got close to her. She saw that he found it troublesome to read, study, and experiment all the time and took the initiative to teach it to him.

Because this technique requires dividing Chakra equally, it is suitable for ninjas with vast Chakra reserves. Yayoi, being a Senju, naturally possessed immense Chakra.

Tsunade had no concerns in this regard and directly taught it to him.

Speaking of which, the previous Yayoi didn't need it at all and wasn't suited to use Shadow Clone.

His body was still growing then, and his mental state had just integrated two great bloodlines.

Deep within the two bloodlines were violence and slaughter. Previously, he hadn't dared to push his spirit too hard.

This year, he could feel that the situation of the two bloodlines within him had completely stabilized. Even if Tsunade hadn't taught him Shadow Clone, he would have begged Yan.

Given their relationship, it would definitely work.

Taking the materials Rin sent over, Yayoi quickly hurried home.

No one would be patrolling at this time, but the possibility of someone being an idiot couldn't be ruled out. Going home sooner rather than later wouldn't hurt.

On the other side

"Tch, strange guy."

Rin spat as she watched Yayoi leave without any hesitation.

Damn it, the blood she had gone to great lengths to collect.

But, could he really break her Caged Bird?

Actually, Rin held a pessimistic view. She had thought a lot about it that afternoon.

Never mind that the Caged Bird had been a part of the Hyuga Clan's entire history, and it hadn't been broken in a hundred years.

How could some unknown kid break it, even if he was a Senju.

But what good was being a Senju? Knowing more than others?

Even taking two steps back, if he had extraordinary talent and broke the Caged Bird for her, where would she go within the clan?

At that time, could she still stay in the clan, or even the entire village?

Rin dared not think further. In an instant, she became completely lost about the future.

Completely lost, not knowing where to go, she could only aimlessly follow the flow of time, quietly waiting.

It was like being in boundless darkness, with the final outcome already decided, destined to be lost in the darkness and become a part of it.

Just then, a beam of light shone in, giving her hope.

A bird trapped in a cage would never refuse it, no matter how illusory it might be.

He was like a light, illuminating her confusion, which was why she trusted him.

Even if it might just be a lie.