The Choice Given by the Third Generation

If there was anyone in Konohagakure who could use the Telescopic Technique without restraint, it would be the current leader of Konoha, the Third Elder Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Since transmigrating to this world, Uchiha Rei had kept a low profile, unwilling to stir up too much trouble in the spotlight. Yet, unexpectedly, even so, he had ultimately fallen under the Third Elder's gaze.

"This is not a good thing."

Becoming an object of observation for the Third Elder meant that all his actions would no longer be private.

However, the most pressing issue at the moment was not the Third Elder's scrutiny, but the potent poison coursing through his body.

Three days had already passed, with one day gone.

And the shadow of the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall was silently approaching him, ready to strike at any moment.

This night was a turning point for the fate of the Uchiha Clan, and also a turning point for the existence of Konohagakure. As a future "witness to history," he understood that some things had to be prepared in advance, and some locations had to be signed in at first. He continued to search for the next sign-in point.

However, just as he stepped into Konohagakure and before he could return home, he was stopped by two ninjas wearing fox masks.

"The Hokage-sama wishes to see you," one of them said in a low voice.

"As expected, what was bound to come has finally arrived." Uchiha Rei took a deep breath and looked up at the Hokage Building in the distance.

So, he would go and see the Third Elder. The greatest beneficiary of Konohagakure's Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, and also its greatest loser.

The benefit was the maintenance of the entire Konohagakure's stability.

The loss was the disappearance of the Uchiha Clan, which led to Konoha's decline.

What did the Third Elder intend to do before the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall?

Standing before the office door, he took a deep breath and gently knocked.

A voice, old yet authoritative, responded from within.

"Come in, child."

Uchiha Rei pushed the door open, his gaze immediately falling on the familiar yet strange figure behind the desk.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This man, who had once been the leader of Konoha, what was he thinking now?

"You've arrived," the Third Elder's tone was surprisingly gentle. "You have always been one of Konohagakure's most outstanding ninjas. Our oversight in not noticing you before was our mistake."

This statement caught Uchiha Rei completely by surprise.

"I know you are currently poisoned and on the verge of death," the Third Elder continued, a trace of solemnity flashing in his eyes. "Therefore, I have already ordered the Anbu to search for Tsunade with all their might. She is Konohagure's most outstanding Medical Ninja, and she will surely be able to cure the poison in your body."

Uchiha Rei stood in place, unmoving.

It was different from what he had imagined. The Third Elder was being exceptionally polite to Uchiha Rei. There was no order given, and the Anbu didn't surround him like a tidal wave. Of course, Uchiha Rei, who now possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, was no longer afraid of being surrounded by ordinary ninjas. Activating the Mangekyo would allow him to quickly fight his way out of the Hokage Building.

One played the good cop, the other the bad cop. The Third Elder was clearly playing the good cop. However, Lord Tsunade's medical ninjutsu was indeed the best method to resolve the potent poison within his body. If he could obtain Tsunade's medical ninjutsu through the Sign-in System, he could directly resolve the current crisis. But unfortunately, his daily sign-in quota had already been used, and Tsunade was not the Hokage yet.

If he were to sign in at the Hokage Building now, perhaps he would get the Third Elder's skills, like mastery of all chakra types?

The Third Elder watched Rei remain silent and said, "I know your concerns."

The Third Elder took out a scroll from behind him, quickly performed hand seals to unseal it, and a bottle of pale purple liquid appeared in his palm.

"This is a bottle of antidote we reserved when we fought Hanzō of the Salamander. Although it cannot completely heal you, it is enough to alleviate your condition for half a month. The village will definitely bring Tsunade back within this time."

Uchiha Rei did not immediately take it. He slowly reached out, but instead of opening the medicine bottle, he silently stored it in the Sealing Scroll he carried with him.

"You don't trust me?" the Third Elder asked, his tone flat, giving away no emotion.

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

The Third Elder nodded and said no more. He simply waved his hand, "I have other matters to attend to. You should go back and rest first."

Uchiha Rei turned and left.

Exiting the Hokage Building, he couldn't help but glance back at the tower of power. If he had the sign-in privilege today, he would have unhesitatingly signed in once in the Hokage's office.

Unfortunately, his daily sign-in quota had already been used.

Returning to the Uchiha Clan Compound, he walked straight to his small house located at the edge of Konohagure. This residence was far from his clansmen, a secluded place he had deliberately chosen. Rei rarely interfered in clan affairs and seldom attended meetings or gatherings. Apart from carrying out missions in the patrol team, he had very little interaction with his family. This isolation and detachment made him an inconspicuous sapling in Konohagure. But he knew that it was precisely this hiddenness that had allowed him to escape the sharp edge of many conspiracies.

In fact, the Third Elder's actions, if they had happened yesterday, might indeed have been the optimal solution. He would only need to take the antidote and wait for Tsunade's return to be safe and reborn. If that were the case, Uchiha Rei would truly feel grateful to the Third Elder, and even feel that Konohagure still had warmth.

But unfortunately, the timing was wrong. Today, he had already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and obtained Jonin-level medical ninjutsu. To accept the Third Elder's "gift" now would be no different from voluntarily handing over the reins of fate to be controlled by others.

All gifts are marked with a price in secret.

He returned to his residence. Before pushing open the door, he routinely checked the defensive measures.

The fine threads on the doorframe were still intact, no problem.

The furnishings inside the cabin had not been touched either. No problem.

He nodded and pushed the door open.

The first thing he did was summon a Shadow Clone to place on the bed and then sat cross-legged to rest. He himself quietly exited the room, passed through the back alley, and entered a Secret Laboratory.

The laboratory wasn't large, but it held the fruits of his secret efforts over the past few years.

He sat down slowly and began a comprehensive examination of his own poisoning. With Jonin-level medical ninjutsu, his movements became practiced and precise. His chakra flowed like silk threads into every inch of his body's tissues, and soon, he observed the invasion points and spread of the poison.

The results were not optimistic. The poison had already infiltrated his vascular system. Without treatment, he only had two to three days left to live. While the Mangekyo Sharingan was powerful, it was ultimately a combat ability and powerless against the potent poison within him.

He frowned and retrieved the potion from the Sealing Scroll, which the Third Elder had given him during the day. He placed it on the instrument for analysis of its molecular structure and chakra reaction.

Soon, lines of data flashed across the screen, concluding:

This potion could indeed inhibit the spread of the poison and delay its onset, with effects lasting fifteen days.

After analyzing its deeper structure, his brow suddenly furrowed. Hidden within the potion was a special chakra interference factor.

Upon consumption, the body's chakra system would become ineffective.

Upon consumption, using any ninjutsu would become impossible.

"Heh..." Uchiha Rei chuckled softly, his voice low.

As expected of the Third Elder. On the surface, it was an antidote, but in reality, it was a seal.

If he consumed this potion, he would be rendered as ordinary as a common person in a short time. His Mangekyo would be useless, and his combat power would be zeroed out. In such a state, even if he sensed his clan's impending doom, he would be powerless to resist, becoming just an ordinary ninja, having no impact on the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall a few days later.

If he didn't take it, the poison would recur, and death would be imminent, still changing nothing.

"Clever," he murmured.

This wasn't a threat, but a perfect game. The Third Elder hadn't forced him; he had simply presented two "most reasonable choices," each leading to an outcome the Third Elder desired. Without issuing orders, he firmly controlled the initiative—this was the so-called Politician's Art.

But Uchiha Rei refused to have his life dictated by others, and even more so, refused to be a tool for anyone.

"Therefore, I want neither."

He coldly resealed the potion into the scroll, vowing not to use it until the very last moment.

Just then, his brow tightened, and a sudden chill ran down his spine.

"Damn it."

The Shadow Clone he had placed on the bed dissolved silently without any warning. It hadn't even managed to transmit a single piece of useful information. To erase a clone in an instant meant the intruder was no ordinary ninja.

"Someone has broken into my home."