Questions and Answers

"You sly little brat. That's not the kind of answer I want to hear—the sort that offends no one. I want your answer, not some formulaic model response."

Uchiha Gen turned around, his steady, sharp eyes fixed directly on Uchiha Gen.

Even without activating the Sharingan, those aged yet wise eyes still seemed to possess the power to see through people's hearts.

"Great Elder, was I wrong?"

"No, you were right. That is indeed the ideal state for the Clan and the village: you have me within you, and I have you within me; mutually dependent, complementing one another, indispensable to each other. Naturally, that is what every high-ranking member of our Clan hopes to achieve.

"However, that is merely an ideal. Now, young man, tell me your answer. I will decide whether to invest in you in the future based on how well you answer. If you can satisfy me, I do not mind using some resources to accelerate the growth of a genius of the new generation like you. If this is all you have, then I will not withhold what should be given to you. I will simply treat you as I would any other ordinary clansman with a bit of talent."

Clearly, this Great Elder, whose hair had already turned completely white, did not judge whether to cultivate a clansman solely by their talent as a ninja. He also considered temperament, vision, wisdom, stance, and more.

"Now, tell me your answer—the answer in your heart right now. I will not give you much time to think."

The Great Elder clasped his hands behind his back and slowly walked toward the Clan Vault.

Uchiha Gen lowered his head slightly and began thinking rapidly.

The Great Elder was definitely dissatisfied with his earlier answer.

In his view, the Uchiha Clan and Konoha certainly did not share a relationship where everyone got along happily. Otherwise, there would have been no need to ask him this.

Given his age, status, and experience, he had surely already recognized the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha. That was why he had asked such a question.

He wanted to know whether Gen had sufficient vision and intelligence to see it as well, then use that to judge whether he was worth investing in and cultivating, and whether he would be capable of contributing to the resolution of this matter in the future.

It seemed the Uchiha Clan did not lack intelligent people who could recognize the problems currently facing the Clan.

For example, the Great Elder standing before him.

However, he certainly could not have anticipated just how severe the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan would become in the future.

It looked like this man clearly had not lived to see twenty years later. He was even less likely to know that, in the original timeline, his eldest grandson would be stupid enough to commit the bestial act of killing his father and mother and slaughtering the entire Clan.

Before the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, no one would have believed that the powerful Uchiha Clan, a great house that had flourished for a thousand years, would vanish so inexplicably.

For now, though, that contradiction had only just begun to show itself, and only some people had noticed it.

So he needed an answer that matched the understanding expected of a newly graduated genius Genin while also satisfying the Great Elder.

At the very least, he could not say that the Uchiha Clan would face the calamity of annihilation in the future.

No one would believe him.

If he went too far, Uchiha Gen would only think he was deliberately making alarmist exaggerations, then toss him a few passable ninjutsu and be done with it.

After thinking it through, Uchiha Gen had already drafted his response in his mind.

"The relationship between the Clan and the village is now moving in the exact opposite direction from that ideal. Although there have only been some signs in recent years, if they are not stopped, they may one day lead to a great disaster."

Uchiha Gen set the tone right from the start.

The Great Elder's steps paused, and he stopped where he stood, seemingly intending to give Gen more time to speak.

"Continue. State your reasons."

"Power brings status to match it, and status brings a desire for matching authority and benefits. That desire will inevitably invite suppression from those with vested interests. If there is insufficient trust between both sides, then that suppression will naturally lead to even greater calamities."

"I find it hard to believe that a Genin who has only just graduated would say such things. Mikoto said that before you came here, you met Xin Zhi? Did he teach you those words? That dull gourd does not seem clever enough for that."

The Great Elder looked at Uchiha Gen with a trace of scrutiny.

"Great Elder, these are naturally my own thoughts. During this morning's Graduation Exam, Sarutobi Enju defeated Inaho by keeping oil in his mouth. If my Great Fireball had not happened to be strong enough, I would have lost to him as well.

"When we have the ability to contend for first place, we naturally strive for it. Just as when the Clan possesses the strength to obtain a higher status, it will certainly strive for that as well.

"At the Ninja Academy, perhaps it is only a minor trick like keeping oil in one's mouth. But what if it were expanded to the entire village, or even the whole Ninja World?

"Though what happens at the Ninja Academy is simpler, that does not prevent me from drawing an analogy from the small to the great."

The Great Elder nodded slightly. He seemed fairly satisfied with Uchiha Gen's answer and accepted his explanation.

"I would guess you usually enjoy reading and thinking. A young person who has not experienced many things can only gain a vague and not necessarily practical understanding of the world through the wisdom and experience of those before him."

"Sometimes, after training, I read a few books—mostly history. Perhaps it is because I wish to find the traits shared by the powerful figures of the past."

"Then what kind of disaster do you think this will be?"

The Great Elder asked, staring directly at Uchiha Gen.

The latter shook his head calmly.

"We do not need to know. We only need to prepare for the worst. If we can handle even the worst outcome, then the rest is nothing to worry about."

Uchiha Gen suddenly laughed.

He truly did admire this brat—more than any other young member of the Clan.

His talent was decent. In his eyes, it was not outstanding, but he had still taken first place in a Ninja Academy class, so it was not bad. More importantly, he was intelligent, possessed vision beyond his years, and understood the principle of preparing for a rainy day.

"Gen, you are very good. Though only twelve years old, you already possess vision surpassing that of most clansmen and the way of thinking only a ninja at the level of the Clan Head possesses. You may still be somewhat immature, but at last, I have seen another young person with the potential to shoulder the mission of reviving the Clan in the future."

Emmm...

What did he mean by possessing the thinking of a Clan Head at twelve?

Uchiha Gen thought of a certain weasel and glanced at Mikoto, who stood quietly beside them like a Yamato Nadeshiko.

"By the way, Great Elder, you said 'another' just now? Is there someone else in the Clan like me?"