The Choice the Third Hokage Offered

If anyone in Konoha could use the Telescopic Technique without restraint, it was the village's current leader, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Ever since arriving in this world, Uchiha Rei had kept a low profile, unwilling to stir up trouble. Yet despite his caution, he had still ended up in the Third Hokage's sights.

This isn't good.

Becoming an object of the Third Hokage's scrutiny meant none of his actions would remain private.

But right now, the most pressing problem wasn't the Third Hokage's attention. It was the poison coursing through his body.

Of the three days he had left, one had already passed.

And the shadow of the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall was creeping closer without a sound. It could happen at any moment.

That night would be a turning point in the Uchiha Clan's fate—and in Konoha's. As someone who knew what the future held, Rei understood that some things had to be prepared in advance, and some places had to be prioritized for sign-ins. He continued searching for the next sign-in point.

But just after he entered Konoha, before he had even made it home, two ninja wearing fox masks blocked his path.

"Lord Hokage wishes to see you," one of them said quietly.

As expected, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Uchiha Rei drew a deep breath and looked toward the Hokage Building in the distance.

Then he would go see the Third Hokage—the greatest beneficiary of the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, and also its greatest failure.

His gain had been preserving stability throughout Konoha.

His failure was that the Uchiha Clan's disappearance had led to Konoha's decline.

What had the Third Hokage intended to do before the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall?

Standing outside the office, Rei took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock gently.

An old yet authoritative voice answered from within.

"Come in, child."

Uchiha Rei opened the door and immediately fixed his gaze on the familiar yet unfamiliar figure behind the desk.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This man had once led Konoha. What was he thinking now?

"You're here." The Third Hokage's tone was surprisingly warm. "You've always been one of Konoha's finest ninja. Our failure to recognize you sooner was a mistake."

That was not what Uchiha Rei had expected.

"I know you're suffering from severe poisoning and are on the brink of death," the Third Hokage continued, a solemn look passing through his eyes. "So I've ordered the Anbu to search for Tsunade with all their might. She's Konoha's finest Medical Ninja. She'll surely be able to cure your poisoning."

Uchiha Rei stood still.

This was not what he had imagined. The Third Hokage was being exceptionally courteous to him. There was no order for the Anbu to swarm in and surround him. Of course, now that Uchiha Rei had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he no longer feared being overwhelmed by ordinary ninja. With the Mangekyō activated, he could quickly fight his way out of the Hokage Building.

One played the good cop, the other the bad cop. The Third Hokage was clearly playing the good cop. Still, Lady Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu really was the best way to deal with the poison in his body. If he could obtain Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu through the Sign-in System, he could resolve the crisis immediately. Unfortunately, he had already used up his sign-in for the day, and Tsunade wasn't Hokage now.

If he signed in at the Hokage Building, might he get the Third Hokage's skills—mastery of every chakra nature?

The Third Hokage watched Rei's silence and spoke.

"I know what you're worried about."

He took a scroll from behind him, quickly formed Hand Seals, and released its seal. A bottle of pale purple medicine appeared in his palm.

"This is an antidote we kept from the time we fought Hanzō of the Salamander. It can't cure you completely, but it should ease your symptoms for half a month. The village will bring Tsunade back within that time."

Uchiha Rei didn't take it right away. He slowly reached out, but didn't open the bottle. Instead, he quietly stored it in the Sealing Scroll he carried with him.

"Don't you trust me?" the Third Hokage asked. His tone was even, giving nothing away.

"It's not that I don't trust you," Uchiha Rei replied calmly. "Caution is second nature to a ninja."

The Third Hokage nodded and said no more. He simply waved a hand. "I have other matters to attend to. Go back and get some rest."

Uchiha Rei turned and left.

Once outside the Hokage Building, he couldn't help looking back at that tower of power. If he had a sign-in available today, he wouldn't hesitate to use it in the Hokage's office.

Unfortunately, he had already used up his sign-in for the day.

Back at the Uchiha Clan Compound, he headed straight for his small house on the outskirts of Konoha. He had deliberately chosen the place for its distance from the other clan members. Rei rarely involved himself in clan affairs and seldom attended meetings or gatherings. Aside from carrying out missions with the patrol squad, he had little contact with his clan. His isolation had made him an inconspicuous sapling in Konoha. But he knew that this very obscurity had helped him evade the edge of many conspiracies.

In truth, if the Third Hokage had done this yesterday, it might well have been the best solution. Rei would only have needed to take the antidote and wait for Tsunade to return. He could have recovered safely and started anew. If that had happened, Uchiha Rei would truly have felt grateful to the Third Hokage, and might even have believed Konoha still had some warmth.

But the timing was wrong. Today, he had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and obtained Jonin-level Medical Ninjutsu. Accepting the Third Hokage's "gift" now would be like handing him the reins of his fate and letting someone else take control.

Every gift came with a price, hidden in the shadows.

He returned to his home, but before opening the door, he first checked his defenses as usual.

The fine strand of hair across the doorframe was still intact. No problem.

Nothing inside the house had been moved, either. No problem.

He nodded and went inside.

He immediately summoned a Shadow Clone to sit cross-legged on the bed and rest. Then he quietly left the room, passed through the back alley, and entered a Secret Laboratory.

The laboratory was small, but it held the results of several years of secret work.

He sat down and began a thorough examination of the poison in his body. Now that he had Jonin-level Medical Ninjutsu, his work was practiced and precise. His chakra threaded into every part of his body, and soon he had identified where the poison had entered and how it was spreading.

The results were grim. The poison had already invaded his chakra network. Without treatment, he had only two or three days left to live. The Mangekyō Sharingan was powerful, but it was ultimately just a combat ability. It couldn't do anything about the poison in his body.

He frowned, took out the medicine the Third Hokage had given him that day, and placed it on an instrument to analyze its molecular structure and reaction to chakra.

Soon, lines of data appeared, leading to a final conclusion:

The medicine could indeed suppress the spread of the poison and delay its effects. It would remain effective for fifteen days.

After analyzing its deeper structure, his brow furrowed sharply. The medicine contained a special chakra-disrupting agent.

After taking it, the body's chakra system would fail.

After taking it, using any Ninjutsu would become impossible.

"Heh..." Uchiha Rei gave a low chuckle.

No wonder it was the Third Hokage. On the surface, it was an antidote; in reality, it was a seal.

If he took the medicine, he would be no different from an ordinary person for a while. His Mangekyō would be useless, and his combat strength would drop to zero. Even if he realized the clan was about to fall, he would be powerless to resist. Reduced to an ordinary ninja, he would have no impact on the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall a few days later.

If he refused to take it, the poison would flare up and kill him. Either way, nothing would change.

"Clever," he murmured.

This wasn't a threat, but a perfect game of strategy. The Third Hokage hadn't forced him to do anything. He had simply placed two "most reasonable choices" before him, and each led to the outcome the Third Hokage wanted. No orders, yet he still held the initiative firmly in his hands—that was the so-called Politician's Art.

But Uchiha Rei refused to let anyone arrange his life for him, and he would never become someone else's tool.

"So I'll take neither."

He coldly sealed the medicine back in the scroll. He wouldn't use it unless he had no other choice.

Just then, his brow tightened, and a chill ran through him.

"Damn it."

The Shadow Clone he had placed on the bed had quietly vanished without warning. It hadn't managed to send back even a single useful piece of information. Whoever had dispelled it in an instant was no ordinary ninja.

"Someone broke into my home."