Searching for Uchiha Hikari

"Finally, Kakuzu has accepted the eight-million-ryo bounty contract as you arranged. He will ambush the Kumogakure unit in a few days—all evidence will point toward Konohagakure."

The sensation of the silver-spotted cat's soft, smooth fur against his knuckles was soothing. Uchiha Ren enjoyed the mix of envy and jealousy in Daju's gaze while he processed the newly acquired intelligence.

Mitokado Homura's actions were easy to predict; he was merely representing Konohagakure, heading to the Daimyo Palace to wag his tail and beg for war funds and supplies.

Even a ninja village that held the strongest military power in the country still had to consider whether the daimyo and the nobles were willing to open their purses.

This was a power structure and dependency relationship twisted to the extreme.

Aside from blaming the deformed system inherited from ancient times and the deeply rooted ideological shackles of the ninja world, there was no other explanation.

The policy of keeping the people ignorant here was even more brainwashing than the Eight-Legged Essay of the Qing Dynasty.

However, the Land of Rain, trapped in the center of three great nations with a naturally miserable geopolitical position, concerned Ren more.

In the original Naruto series, the Akatsuki organization, which gathered S-rank missing-nin from various villages, was currently nothing more than a few stray cats and kittens.

The only uncertainty was whether those Rinnegan belonging to Uchiha Madara had already been transplanted into Nagato's eye sockets according to the original script, relying on the Uzumaki Clan's unique constitution to nurture them.

Perhaps, once that old geezer Uchiha Madara dies, I can consider heading to the Land of Rain to seize the Rinnegan in advance.

The immense temptation of controlling the Rinnegan early was right before his eyes, and even Ren felt his heart race.

Whether kept for his own use, used as a "power bank" to store energy for that Cyan-White Stone Gate, or even used as leverage to negotiate with Black Zetsu, it was a solid choice.

As for searching for the survivors of the Uzumaki Clan, beyond its strategic value, it was also a way to make up for the lingering regret he felt while watching Naruto in his past life.

"I just don't know if Uzumaki Karin has been born at this point in time... I hope she has no blood ties to those animals in Kusagakure."

With his thoughts settled, Ren curled his fingers slightly, gently scratching the warm chin of the silver-spotted cat in his arms. Listening to its soft purring, he gave his orders in a pleasant, low voice.

"As for Mitokado Homura, just keep an eye on when he leaves the Daimyo Palace."

If there was an opportunity, Ren wouldn't mind intercepting and killing Mitokado Homura halfway; every single one of the Konohagakure higher-ups deserved to die.

He continued.

"Continue to arrange ninja cats in the Land of Rain to closely monitor news within its borders, but prioritize your own safety. If you encounter danger, use the summoning technique to escape."

"After Kakuzu successfully frames them, issue him a mission to head to Kusagakure to rescue the Uzumaki clansmen. Two million for a live one, nothing for a dead one."

"Understood, Young Master!" Ayan meowed elegantly, her tail wagging happily.

"Right, one more thing."

Thinking about the rescue, Ren suddenly recalled a task he had set out long ago.

He asked Ayan.

"During the early days of Konohagakure, in the Warring States period even before Uchiha Madara was born, the Senju Clan once formed an alliance and sealed away an Uchiha clansman. Has there been any progress in the investigation?"

Ayan's ears twitched slightly, the whiskers on her face trembling, and her eyes revealed a sense of difficulty.

"Young Master, that period of history is far too distant, and many clues were destroyed in the flames of war."

Her voice was soft. "The cats can only conduct a carpet search based on the areas where the Uchiha and Senju fought at the time."

However, she immediately held her tail high and reported a piece of good news.

"But, after several years, we have already ruled out large areas to the west and north of Naka Shrine."

"Now only the east and south directions remain. If things go smoothly, it will take another two and a half years to complete the comprehensive search."

Daju, who had finished tidying up the food containers, pricked up its furry ears upon hearing this.

Usually responsible for chores, this was the first time it had heard of this mission.

It couldn't help but lift its round head and ask curiously.

"Young Master, what is there to find about a clansman from the Warring States period? It's been so many years; even if you found them, wouldn't there just be a pile of white bones left?"

"Does that person possess some kind of super-powerful divine weapon belonging to the Uchiha Clan?"

Beside them, Ayan blinked her emerald cat eyes without a word.

In fact, she had asked the same question years ago, but the Young Master hadn't explained it in detail then, only brushing it off with a few brief words.

Ren smiled and stroked the fur on top of Ayan's head. "When you truly find that clansman, you will naturally understand."

What he was thinking of was Uchiha Hikari, who only appeared during the Boruto era.

She was an Uchiha clansman from the Warring States period who lost her parents in the flames of war; the immense grief drove her to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Possessing a powerful ocular jutsu called Yachihoko, her abilities were discovered by her clansmen, and she was treated as a weapon to deal with the Senju Clan.

Originally named Uchiha Hikari, she was referred to as "Nameless" by her clansmen because they believed "weapons don't need names," and they even transplanted other ocular jutsus into her to enhance her power.

She was someone who loved and hated deeply, an Uchiha orphan who had lost her parents.

Because of the cruelty of her clansmen and the inhuman treatment she received, she grew to resent ninjas and the ninja world, longing to completely destroy the entire twisted world.

Without a doubt, this was another typical genius of the Uchiha.

Her ocular jutsu, Yachihoko—

As long as a mark was placed on someone, she could ignore distance, control the target's mind through the mark, and absorb their chakra.

Ren attached extreme importance to this.

If the ocular power of the Sharingan could also be absorbed and aggregated by Yachihoko, every member of the Uchiha Clan who had awakened their eyes would become a recyclable power bank for the Cyan-White Stone Gate.

By then, the development of the stone gate would be greatly accelerated.

If the world connected behind the stone gate were one like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chained Soldier, or KonoSuba—worlds that were within the Uchiha Clan's ability to handle while possessing unique power systems...

Then, the future of the Uchiha Clan would surely usher in an unimaginably rapid development.

As for fighting for the position of Hokage in Konohagakure, unless one had obtained a "Hokage System" or some other cheat, or it simply happened to be one's turn and it would be a waste not to take it, only a fool would actually want to be Hokage.

All that talk about the "Five Villages Brawl: Legend of the Eyes" or the love-hate entanglements of the Otsutsuki bloodline.

These nicknames for Naruto were not given for nothing.

With the time spent fighting for the Hokage seat, one could probably collect a full set of Six Paths bloodlines; in this world, bloodline is everything!

Furthermore, once one possessed the strength or influence to steamroll Konohagakure, playing political games with the village elders would be nothing short of suicidal.

When the time comes that I am invincible under the heavens, the ruling class of the new era will naturally be there to justify my actions!

Everything from the old era will be nailed to the pillar of shame!