Uchiha Rei stood silently in a high place, a breeze brushing through his long hair.
His Phantom Clone had just left the Clan Compound. Using Genjutsu to sense the area, his real body precisely detected someone's presence.
It was Uchiha Rekka.
As expected, he was already waiting there.
Under a large tree beside the Clan Compound, Uchiha Rekka stood with his arms crossed. He had been waiting for quite some time.
He said nothing at first. The moment Uchiha Rei arrived, he spoke in a low voice.
"The situation right now... is bad."
Uchiha Rei nodded silently, unsurprised. He had already guessed as much; he had only been waiting for confirmation.
"The Clan Head has lost control of the family." Rekka lowered his gaze, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice.
"The Hawk Faction took advantage of the situation. Some of the Direct Lineage have been sidelined, and now, even the Clan Head isn't invited to the meetings."
"As expected." Uchiha Rei murmured, a hint of coldness entering his eyes. "The war between Konoha's high-level and the Uchiha will probably begin within the next few days."
Rekka's expression darkened further. "You know the Akatsuki have already started approaching the Uchiha Hawk Faction, right?"
"I do." Uchiha Rei's voice held no inflection.
"Late last night, they held a secret meeting. I was notified and attended as well." Anger flashed in Rekka's eyes. "But the Clan Head... wasn't invited."
"They no longer trust him."
"We met a man who called himself 'Uchiha Madara.'" Rekka gritted his teeth, recalling the man wearing the Black Swirl Mask. "He offered to help us in exchange for two conditions."
Uchiha Rei closed his eyes. "Find Itachi, and... the Nine-Tails."
"That's right," Rekka said gravely. "The first demand was to find Uchiha Itachi. Quite a few people in the Hawk Faction are keeping their eyes on Uchiha Sasuke, hoping to use him to draw Uchiha Itachi out."
He paused, then continued. "The second demand is... to control the Nine-Tails and cause another Nine-Tails' Rampage. That Masked Man swore he'd succeeded once before, and that this time he'd bring Konoha to its knees for good."
"Foolish." Uchiha Rei cut him off coldly. "They have no idea who that man really is."
Rekka froze for a moment and looked at Uchiha Rei. "You know who he is?"
"Of course." Uchiha Rei raised his eyes. "The so-called Uchiha Madara is nothing but a revenant wearing the skin of someone from the past. His real name is Uchiha Obito."
"Uchiha... Obito?" Rekka was struck as if by lightning. "The Obito who was your peer, the one who died on the battlefield?"
"He didn't die." Uchiha Rei's voice was devoid of emotion, as if he were stating the most ordinary fact. "Instead, he was reborn on the brink of death, made hatred his vessel, and personally orchestrated the Nine-Tails' Rampage."
"He's the real mastermind behind it all?"
"That's right. During the Nine-Tails' Rampage, the Fourth Hokage and his wife were killed, and the village nearly fell. The Uchiha were left burdened with heavy suspicion as a result. Do you think that was a coincidence? It was all Obito's doing. He even personally turned against his own teacher."
Rekka's face went pale. Cold sweat slowly trickled down his temples. He muttered to himself, "He killed his teacher... Who could be evil enough to do something like that..."
"He's no longer the hot-blooded boy he once was. He's a monster whose soul has been corroded by hatred." Uchiha Rei said, "He inherited Uchiha Madara's legacy, and his will as well."
As the words fell, the night breeze stirred. Leaves whirled beneath the tree, and the silence was so profound that it seemed the entire village of Konoha was holding its breath.
"What should we do now?" Uchiha Rekka asked in a low voice, unease and urgency showing in his expression.
Uchiha Rei didn't answer at once. Instead, he glanced at him and asked, "What's your standing in the family now?"
Uchiha Rekka paused briefly at the question, then answered earnestly. "Ever since Uchiha Itachi defected, my standing has risen quickly. After all, I was already the family's Elite Jonin second only to Itachi. I can now attend some meetings, whether they're held by the Hawk Faction or the neutral faction. I can't influence the decisions, but I've gained access to quite a bit of core information."
Uchiha Rei nodded and closed his eyes, sinking into thought.
Time passed quietly. Rekka said nothing more, afraid to interrupt him. Only when a branch swayed and a leaf fell, like the gentle chime of fate's pendulum, did Uchiha Rei open his eyes.
"You have just one task now."
Rekka asked without thinking, "Do you want me to find Uchiha Itachi? A lot of people are looking for him, and the Hawk Faction is especially persistent—"
"No." Uchiha Rei cut him off, his voice firm. "What we need to confirm now is the timing."
"The timing?"
"Yes. The time of the decisive battle." Uchiha Rei looked into the distance.
The antidote the Third Hokage had given him would last only fifteen days. It wasn't an act of goodwill; the Third Hokage wanted to keep him from interfering in the Uchiha Clan's affairs during those fifteen days.
Three days had already passed.
He raised his hand and looked at the barely perceptible pulse beneath his fingertips. "That means the Uchiha Clan's plan... will definitely be carried out within the next ten days."
Rekka sucked in a sharp breath.
"Within those ten days, find out what the Uchiha Clan is really planning, especially when they intend to go to war with Konoha."
"What about you?" Rekka asked.
"I'll approach the Hokage and Root." Uchiha Rei's gaze was icy. "Obito won't limit his contacts to the Uchiha. He'll approach Root as well. I have to find out what he's planning next."
"How will we contact each other from now on?"
"Use the ring." As he spoke, Uchiha Rei lowered his eyes to his hand.
Rekka looked a little embarrassed. "I... lost it before. That time in Root, when I fought Danzo, I nearly died. The ring saved me. It turned into the Fire Guard and blocked the attack... then it vanished."
His voice was full of regret. It had been the first keepsake Uchiha Rei had given him, and he hadn't been able to protect it.
Uchiha Rei simply smiled calmly. "The things I give don't truly disappear."
As soon as he finished speaking, Rekka's finger suddenly trembled. The ring that had once vanished quietly reappeared on his fingertip, glowing faintly.
It slipped free, floated up, and landed in Uchiha Rei's hand, changing shape over and over in his palm.
"I've strengthened it," Uchiha Rei said. "You can choose any form you like, and even turn it into a weapon. It will resonate with your chakra."
Before he had finished speaking, the ring had already changed, becoming a short blade, then a long sword, and finally a sharp Kunai.
Rekka's eyes shifted. He said earnestly, "Then I choose a Katana."
I'll be your samurai. A warrior would die for the one who understands him.
Uchiha Rei didn't respond. He only smiled faintly. The ring changed again, finally forming a plain, sturdy Katana. Its scabbard was as black as ink, and its blade was understated, without a glint—but its edge plainly promised death.
"It can resonate with your mind. As long as you activate its power, I'll be able to sense it." Uchiha Rei handed the Katana back to Rekka. "From now on, we'll meet atop the largest ancient tree outside the Uchiha Clan Compound."
Rekka accepted the Katana solemnly and bowed deeply, his gaze as unwavering as fire.
With everything arranged, Uchiha Rei turned and left the Uchiha Clan Compound.
He didn't go home.
Someone else was waiting for him outside the village.
Before you continue