Three days later, everyone successfully returned to the Southern Legion's base.
In the ambush that day, the Uchiha had caught the enemy completely off guard.
Unfortunately, they hadn't managed to capture Nara Kensuke, which was a small but notable regret.
After returning to the legion, Uchiha Hikari prepared two reports.
The first was to report on the mission to Legion Commander Uchiha Rei.
The second was to inform the Clan Head about Kyosuke.
There was no way around it. Awakening the Sharingan at the age of seven was simply too rare.
Throughout the generations of the Uchiha, no one had ever been known to possess such talent.
As for what the Clan Head would decide, that wasn't something he could concern himself with.
In the blink of an eye, a week passed.
Kyosuke had recovered from his injuries and began training according to a carefully planned regimen.
Ninjutsu, secret techniques, and even Kekkei Genkai could all be exchanged for points. Even abilities he had already mastered could be improved by spending points.
However, that didn't mean Kyosuke no longer needed to train.
For example, raising his swordsmanship to Level 2 required 100 points.
But through his own training, the number of points required would gradually decrease. Clearly, personal effort wasn't useless.
At present, he lacked the strength to earn points quickly. If he wanted to build up his power, he would have to put in the hard work.
What he didn't know was that all of this had been noticed by someone with an agenda.
That day, Kyosuke had only just gotten up when he received word that the Legion Commander wanted to see him.
"Finally," he said with a nod, then followed his clansmen to Uchiha Rei's tent.
There was a remarkably talented boy living in the camp. If the man made no move, he wouldn't deserve to compete with Tajima for the position of Clan Head.
Along the way, the clansmen greeted little Kyosuke warmly.
He had never received such treatment before. That meant the news of his Sharingan awakening had already spread.
"Didn't they try to keep it quiet?" Kyosuke's gaze flickered, but he remained outwardly composed.
Soon, he followed the clansmen to the tent.
After briefly expressing his thanks, Kyosuke didn't barge in. Instead, he patiently waited in silence outside.
Uchiha Rei was a Clan Leader Level powerhouse. No movement within a hundred meters could escape his notice, so of course he knew Kyosuke had arrived.
Waiting was a sign of respect for the Legion Commander. It also showed everyone that he, Uchiha Kyosuke, was a boy who understood the rules.
Being well-mannered meant he wouldn't act recklessly, and people in positions of power sometimes valued that greatly.
After about ten minutes, he finally heard a call from inside the tent. "Come in."
He lifted the tent flap and entered. At a broad desk, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties was bent over, writing something.
This man was the highest-ranking leader of the Southern Legion, one of the family's powerful elders: Uchiha Rei.
"You're here." Uchiha Rei slowly folded the letter and looked up at the boy, his eyes gleaming with a strange light. "I've heard people talking about you quite often these past few days."
Kyosuke didn't answer. The best way to deal with someone in a position of power was to say little and listen closely.
"To awaken your bloodline at the age of seven—your talent is truly unprecedented. I'm glad to have a young genius like you under my command."
"I'm at your service, sir," Kyosuke replied, playing along.
As the saying went, a distant official couldn't compare to the one right in front of you. He was serving the Southern Legion now, and Uchiha Rei's importance was beyond question.
"Hahaha." Seeing how well the boy understood the situation, the Legion Commander burst out laughing. Only after a long while did he continue, "Unfortunately, you'll have to leave for a while."
"With talent as exceptional as yours, the clan will surely give you the best possible training."
The Legion Commander paused, and his smile took on a slightly playful edge. "Of course, that doesn't mean you'll necessarily be safe in the rear."
"Our Clan Head isn't exactly broad-minded," Uchiha Rei said, apparently hinting at something.
He tossed over the sealed letter and waved a hand. "The escort team is waiting for you. Remember to deliver this letter to the Clan Head."
"Yes, sir. I'll take my leave." Kyosuke bowed respectfully, then exited the commander's tent.
After leaving, he was soon approached by someone who said the Clan Head had ordered him to return to the clan compound at once.
Looking at the package in the man's hands, Kyosuke nodded and immediately left the Southern Legion with the squad.
Along the way, he kept thinking about the conversation in the tent.
"Judging by what he said, there's a lot of tension between the Legion Commander and Tajima."
"Maybe he was testing me, too."
If Kyosuke sided with Uchiha Tajima, then the remark about the Clan Head's narrow-mindedness would surely reach his ears.
If not, Uchiha Rei would truly be able to trust him. In the event of some unforeseen crisis, the Southern Legion could serve as Kyosuke's fallback.
"A bunch of old foxes."
After about a week, Kyosuke and his party finally set foot in Uchiha territory.
A large number of civilians lived around the outskirts. The farther inward one traveled, the closer one came to the Uchiha's actual clan compound.
For a clan to grow and prosper, it needed a large civilian population.
Basic labor, including cultivating farmland and raising livestock, all required plenty of civilians.
They couldn't expect every Uchiha clan member to grab a hoe and start digging in the fields.
There was another important reason, too: having children and continuing the family line.
To keep their bloodline pure, great clans often chose to marry within the clan, but not everyone did so.
Otherwise, after a thousand years or so, they'd all be close relatives.
Aside from the direct family line, members of collateral branches generally married outside the clan, helping ensure that blood continued to circulate within the family.
Kyosuke didn't see anything wrong with this. Indra's bloodline was so powerful that a few marriages outside the clan could hardly dilute it.
Rather than obsess over bloodlines, they should have more children. Growing the population was the real way forward.
"The Clan Head cares a great deal about you." Seeing Kyosuke staring into space, the man leading the group smiled and said, "Everyone will be delighted to see you return safe and sound."
The man was a loyal follower of Uchiha Tajima. The whole way, he had constantly tried to indoctrinate Kyosuke, feeding him all sorts of ideas.
In short, he was saying that anyone who wanted to get ahead had to be loyal to the Clan Head; otherwise, no matter how talented they were, they'd be no more than an ordinary clan member.
Unfortunately, he still needed to work on his persuasive speeches. They were nowhere near enough to sway Kyosuke.
"If Naruto were here, maybe I really would've pledged my allegiance."
Based on what he had seen since transmigrating, along with his vague memories of Uchiha Tajima from his previous life, the Clan Head struck him as stubborn, self-important, and foolish.
They hadn't even met yet, and Kyosuke's first impression of him had already fallen well below passing.
Uchiha Rei had been willing to let Kyosuke leave so readily because he had long since seen through Tajima. He was certain the boy wouldn't stay with the clan forever.
Sooner or later, Kyosuke would return to the Southern Legion.
"Never seen anyone with such a bad reputation." His mind full of random thoughts, Kyosuke soon arrived at the Clan Head's residence.
There, he saw Uchiha Tajima with his own eyes—and a boy with a spiky hairstyle.
Uchiha Madara!
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