Uchiha Setsuna

"What does 'eunuch' mean?" Kushina asked, voicing the confusion of the group. The word "eunuch" didn't exist in this world.

Seeing that the instructor was about to intervene, Sen withdrew his foot from Shimura Saburo's face and calmly explained:

"It means a man, but without... that thing."

"Huh? Without that thing?" Kushina still didn't understand, her big eyes full of question marks.

Minato, standing nearby, stroked his chin. His genius brain quickly processed the information, and he tentatively said, "It probably means he doesn't have anything down there, right? Like the biology lessons we learned in class."

"Yaaah--!"

Hearing this, Kushina's face flushed red, and she directly punched Minato. The girls next to them joined in the teasing:

"How can you say such things in front of girls? You perverted brat!"

Minato clutched his instantly swollen and red face as he got up from the ground, feeling wronged. Why are they beating me up? You were the ones who asked, and Sen was the one who said it.

Several classmates who were usually bullied by Shimura Saburo saw this and immediately joined in the attack on the fallen:

"Hahaha, so weak. His uncle must be a loser too! From now on, we'll call him Shimura the Eunuch!"

"Yeah, Shimura the Eunuch!" Kushina heard them and quietly echoed.

But as she thought about the deeper meaning of "eunuch," she felt both ashamed and angry. She turned to Minato beside her and punched him again.

Minato collapsed to the ground, on the verge of tears. They just pick on me because I'm easygoing, right?

Shimura Saburo lay on the ground, listening to the unrestrained laughter around him. His gaze, however, was fixed on Sen like a venomous snake.

Damn it! The Uchiha clan, just like my uncle said, are inherently evil!

Just you wait, Uchiha Sen!

I'm definitely going to tell my uncle about this, and you'll regret it!

Sen completely ignored these clowns.

He spread his palms, feeling the endless power surging within him, and was filled with emotion.

This Uzumaki Clan physique is amazing! I don't feel any fatigue even after continuous combat, and I'm full of strength!

This is what it feels like to be alive!

After the afternoon combat training class ended.

On the way home from school, Sen and Kushina parted ways at the school gate, agreeing to go see the cherry blossoms together on Sunday afternoon.

Watching the girl skip away, Sen thought, It's also a pleasure to stroll around Konoha with such a cute girl.

Yeah, it's definitely not for any attribute points.

The next day at noon.

Sen had just finished making lunch in his rented room and was about to pick up his chopsticks when he heard a "knock knock" at the door.

"Who is it? Coming over during mealtime, you're not here to freeload, are you?" he muttered, putting down his chopsticks and going to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, a pretty, familiar face appeared before him. She held a large slice of watermelon high in her hand, her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled: "Sen, I'm not here to eat for free today. Look, I brought you some watermelon!"

The visitor was none other than Uchiha Mikoto.

Sen took a small piece of watermelon from her hand and frowned slightly. A palm-sized piece of watermelon wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

However, considering the world he was in, he let it go.

Uchiha Mikoto didn't treat herself as an outsider. After handing the watermelon to Sen, she walked into the room on her own, sniffed the air with her little nose, and exclaimed with delight:

"It smells so good! I knew you'd be cooking something delicious this weekend. Show me, what delicacy is it today?"

Sen shook his head and followed her in.

His parents had been close friends with Mikoto's parents when they were alive, and the two had grown up together like childhood sweethearts.

Even after Sen's parents sacrificed themselves on a mission, their friendship had not faded.

Ever since Sen moved out, Mikoto would often visit like today, bringing some fruit or snacks to "inspect" his living situation.

Of course, to a large extent, it was also because Sen's cooking skills as a transmigrator were indeed far above the average level of this era.

Watching Mikoto praise the food as she ate, Sen casually asked, "Mikoto, your house isn't close to mine. Why do you have time to come over today?"

Uchiha Mikoto was the granddaughter of an elder, possessing noble status and enjoying far better living conditions than him, an orphan.

Mikoto elegantly put down her chopsticks, gave him a resentful glance, and after a long pause, uttered two words:

"Blockhead!"

She sighed and explained, "Weren't your practical combat results the best in the class last week? The clan is issuing subsidies today, and the elders said they want to give more to a genius like you. Grandpa asked me to notify you to come over after lunch."

Sen nodded.

After they finished eating, they went to the Uchiha clan meeting room together.

The meeting room was old and gloomy. For the sake of "tradition," it had never been renovated, always giving a suffocating feeling.

When they arrived, everyone else had already collected their subsidies and left, leaving only Sen.

Sen entered the room alone. After all, Mikoto didn't need, nor would she deign to accept, such a small subsidy.

Inside the room, four elders, led by the clan head Uchiha Sōgaku, sat in solemn assembly. Uchiha Sōgaku's son, Uchiha Fugaku, stood beside his father.

Seeing Sen enter and bow, Clan Head Uchiha Sōgaku offered a gentle smile. "Sen, the elders are all here today. On one hand, we're distributing subsidies, and on the other, we've taken notice of your talent."

He paused, then dropped a bombshell: "After deliberation, we've decided to double your annual subsidy, from two hundred and forty thousand ryo to five hundred thousand ryo."

Two hundred and forty thousand ryo a year was barely enough if he was frugal.

But... if the clan head had said to add a few tens of thousands, it would have been a good thing. Doubling it suddenly was definitely not simple.

Sen's heart tightened, and he asked directly, "Does the clan head have other arrangements in mind?"

"Hahaha," Uchiha Sōgaku said, looking approvingly at his son Fugaku. "See that, Fugaku? This is Sen. So meticulous at such a young age."

Fourteen-year-old Fugaku, upon hearing this, began to size up this clan brother who was a few years younger than him.

But he looked no different from others his age, except perhaps a bit more robust.

Uchiha Sōgaku continued, "It's like this: I want to train a personal squad for your brother Fugaku, and have you join. You can learn from each other and progress together.

With these extra two hundred thousand ryo, you can also cultivate better. This is a good thing for both of you. Uchiha Yakumi, who is a year older than you, has already agreed."

Sen instantly understood.

Simply put: an extra two hundred thousand a year, and become Fugaku's lackey.

He thought the Uchiha clan head position was elective, but it turned out to be hereditary.

For anyone else, this might have been a shortcut to the heavens.

But for Sen, who possessed a system and utterly despised Fugaku, this "soft-legged shrimp," it was more disgusting than eating a fly.

To avoid conflict with his own son, he would stand by and watch the entire clan be annihilated?

He had a chance to fight back, but for the sake of not fighting his son, he caused the death of a clan.

Furthermore, Sen remembered Mikoto, who had accompanied him earlier... Should he find a way to break them up? After all, she was his childhood friend, someone he grew up with. Could she truly be happy with a man like that?

His thoughts settled. Sen raised his head, his gaze sharp as he looked directly at Fugaku, and asked coldly:

"The relationship between the clan and the village has been tense lately. What are your thoughts on this, Senior Fugaku? I need to confirm if you are worthy of my allegiance."

With that single sentence, all eyes turned to Fugaku.

Fugaku knew this was a dual test from his father and the elders. If he answered well, he would not only solidify his position as heir but also win over this young talent, Sen.

He pondered for a moment, then put on an air of considering the bigger picture and declared loudly:

"The future of the clan, of course, lies in co-prosperity with the village. We, along with the Senju Clan, founded Konoha precisely for peace. These minor conflicts we're experiencing now, I believe, will be resolved soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, the clan head and two of the more dovish elders nodded in satisfaction. This answer was both steady and aligned with the clan's current mainstream policy.

"Boring."

Two cold words escaped Sen's lips.

He turned his back directly to everyone, his voice not loud, but clearly echoing throughout the room:

"Since the time of the Second Hokage, the village has been isolating and suppressing us Uchiha. If we continue this 'co-prosperity,' the clan will eventually be gnawed down to the bone!"