After nearly triggering the world's backlash that night, Uchiha Sou grew even more cautious. He immersed his whole mind in the state of "Inner Seeking" he had accidentally entered, carefully sensing the faint, nascent harmony stirring within him.
He no longer called it "meditation" or "cultivation." He called it "Weaving Logic."
Each session of "Weaving Logic" was an effort to sort through and strengthen the threads of "Causality" within himself. He guided the harmony arising within him like the finest embroidery needle, threading through the tiniest details of his meridians, cells, and even his thoughts. The process was excruciatingly slow and brought no immediate increase in power, but it brought a fundamental transformation that took root by degrees.
His Chakra became more refined and pure, and his spiritual perception grew sharper and more restrained. Most notably, his control over his own body reached unprecedented heights. He could precisely control the twitch of every muscle and make minute adjustments to the speed and flow of Chakra through any fine meridian. This control did not rely on the Sharingan's dynamic vision or forceful direction through sheer mental strength. It came from achieving harmony and unity at the level of the "principle" within him.
Outwardly, he seemed even more "ordinary." His presence was calm, and his Chakra fluctuations remained steady at the average level of a Three-Tomoe Sharingan jonin—if anything, a little below it. As he walked through the clan compound, aside from a little respect earned for having "saved the day," he drew no further attention.
He was perfectly happy with that.
During this time, he went to visit Uchiha Madara once.
Madara was still recovering in the secret chamber. His face was pale, but beneath his tightly shut eyelids lay a pressure that still made one's heart tremble. The cold Chakra (Tobirama's Rune Power) coiled around his wound like a living thing, and it was exceedingly difficult to deal with. Madara spent most of his time fighting against it, making painfully slow progress.
When Sou arrived, Madara merely opened his eyes a fraction, his gaze sweeping over him like lightning.
"Looks like that overexertion turned out to be a blessing in disguise," Madara said. His voice was hoarse, but held a trace of scrutiny that was hard to detect. "Your foundation seems even more solid than it was before you were injured."
Sou felt a faint chill in his heart, but maintained a respectful, feeble expression. "Lord Madara sees clearly. After suffering such a serious injury, I didn't dare chase quick results anymore. I could only slow down and polish my fundamentals bit by bit. I'm afraid I've made a poor showing."
Madara studied him for a moment, as though trying to see through his calm exterior. In the end, he only said, "There's nothing wrong with building a solid foundation. The true meaning of power is far more than the amount of Chakra one has. You may leave."
After leaving the secret chamber, Sou felt a little cold sweat trickle down his back. Uchiha Madara's senses were simply too sharp. Even so badly injured, he could still detect the subtle changes that "Inner Seeking" had brought to Sou. It seemed that, from now on, he would have to be even more careful with his "Weaving Logic."
Unlike Madara, who had fallen into silence, Uchiha Izuna was like a string stretched tighter and tighter.
He was using his Mangekyou more and more often. The elite squads led by Tobirama Senju had been increasingly active along the border, and all sorts of bizarre tactics and prototypes of Forbidden Jutsu kept emerging, putting the Uchiha under tremendous pressure and causing heavy casualties. Izuna had no choice but to rely on the power of those eyes time and again to respond, counterattack, and rescue others.
Sou could clearly see the light in Izuna's eyes gradually dimming. At times, his vision would briefly blur—a clear sign that it was deteriorating. His temperament also grew harsher by the day. When handling affairs, he was decisive, even ruthless, as if he meant to freeze every trace of weakness within himself.
Once, Izuna returned from the border reeking of blood and barely concealing his exhaustion. Sou was ordered to report on the allocation of supplies within the clan.
When he entered the study, Izuna stood with his back to him, gazing out the window. He pressed his fingers hard against his temples, his shoulders trembling slightly.
"Lord Izuna," Sou said softly.
Izuna spun around. His Three Tomoe turned instinctively for an instant, only slowing to a stop when he saw it was Sou. A trace of weariness he could not hide crossed his face. "Oh, it's Sou. What is it?"
As Sou gave his report, he noticed Izuna squint unnaturally several times and tilt his head slightly, as if adjusting the focus. His heart grew heavy.
"...That's the situation." Once he had finished his report, Sou did not leave at once.
Izuna rubbed his brow, sat back down at the desk, and picked up a scroll. "Mm, understood. Go take care of your duties."
"Lord Izuna..." Sou hesitated, but still spoke. "Your eyes..."
Izuna stopped moving and raised his head. His gaze instantly sharpened like a blade, cold with the sense that Sou had touched a sore spot. "That's not something you should concern yourself with."
"I've overstepped," Sou said at once, lowering his head. "It's just... I've been looking through some old texts lately and found a medicinal oil prepared according to an ancient method. It might ease the soreness and fatigue that follow the use of Dojutsu Power. It may not do much, but perhaps it can lessen the discomfort." He took a small jade bottle from his robes and gently placed it on the desk.
It was no remedy from an ancient text. These past few days, as he practiced "Weaving Logic," he had come to understand the meridians around his eyes and the flow of Chakra through them with extraordinary precision. He had specially prepared the oil based on that knowledge. It contained a faint trace of the harmony he had found through Inner Seeking. It could not treat the fundamental damage caused by the Mangekyou, but it should offer some nourishment and relief.
Izuna glanced at the jade bottle. The coldness in his eyes softened a little, and a complicated emotion flickered through them before giving way to faint weariness. "You were thoughtful. Leave it here."
"Yes." Sou bowed and took his leave.
As he turned to go, he seemed to hear a faint sigh, so quiet it was almost inaudible.
Leaving Izuna's residence, Sou did not feel any lighter. The oil might ease a little discomfort, but it could not change the fate that was heading toward darkness. And in the face of the two clans' relentless hatred, such a small gesture of kindness seemed so utterly powerless.
He walked toward the training ground at the edge of the clan compound.
Several young Uchiha were training hard in the field. The explosive roar of Fire Style, the clatter of Shuriken striking, and the boys' resentful shouts blended together, filled with the urgency unique to Warring States shinobi, driven by an ever-present sense of danger.
Sou's gaze fell on one boy, about seven or eight years old. He had the black hair and eyes common among the Uchiha, and a still-childish face, but his eyes were exceptionally stubborn. He was practicing the Great Fireball Technique over and over. His Chakra flow seemed a little sluggish, and the flames he breathed out were small and unstable. He failed again and again, but each time he formed Hand Seals and tried once more. His lips were chapped and peeling from the Chakra's heat.
A few slightly older boys nearby snickered without bothering to hide it.
"Give it up, Kagami. With that little Chakra, you'd be better off lighting someone's pipe!" "Exactly. Stop wasting your effort. You'd be better off practicing your Shuriken."
The boy named Kagami clenched his teeth and said nothing. He only pressed his fingers together harder as he formed Hand Seals, until they trembled slightly.
Uchiha Sou watched quietly for a while.
He knew this boy, Kagami Uchiha. In the original history, he seemed to be one of the very few Uchiha able to break free of a narrow clan perspective and develop the first stirrings of the Will of Fire. He eventually became one of the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's bodyguards. But for now, he was only a child who seemed a little "clumsy" and "weak" among his peers in the clan.
Sou's eyes shifted slightly.
He could not directly change Izuna's fate. He did not even dare try to interfere in the slightest again.
But... if he gave a small pointer about Chakra control to a boy who was still insignificant, who was not yet an "important person," would that also provoke a violent reaction from the world?
An idea quietly took shape.
He walked over at an unhurried pace.
At his appearance, the boys who had been laughing immediately fell silent and bowed, looking somewhat nervous. "Lord Sou!"
Kagami also stopped practicing and looked at him awkwardly, his face streaked with sweat and soot.
Sou did not look at the other boys. He simply met Kagami's eyes and said calmly, "When Chakra passes through the meridians in your throat, chasing too much explosive force will only make it harder to control. Try holding back thirty percent of your Chakra at the end of the 'Snake' seal, gathering it into a single point, then release it all at once."
His voice was not loud, but Kagami heard him clearly. At the same time, on a level no one could sense, Sou subtly stirred the harmony of "Inner Seeking." He did not directly interfere with Kagami's Chakra. Instead, like an invisible mirror, he let an image of a more efficient, smoother flow of Chakra seep into Kagami's perception like a drop of water.
This could hardly be called interference. It was more like an inspiration or demonstration on a spiritual level.
Kagami froze for a moment, then instinctively followed Sou's instructions. He formed the seals, tried to hold back his Chakra at the last moment, and then—
Whoosh!
A noticeably more concentrated and much larger fireball burst forth. It was still not very powerful, but it was steady and focused. The wave of heat made the boys beside him take an unconscious step back.
Kagami stared at what he had done, stunned. Then delighted light blazed in his eyes.
Sou said nothing more. He only gave a slight nod and turned to leave.
Once he had walked far from the training ground, he carefully sensed his surroundings.
The wind still blew, leaves rustled, and Natural Energy flowed steadily.
The world's rejection... never came.
Uchiha Sou paused, a glimmer of understanding crossing his eyes.
So that was it... Directly interfering with the fate of "important people" was forbidden. But when it came to individuals who had yet to become "important people," or to small acts of guidance that did not directly alter their fate but merely offered a "possibility," the world's reaction was much weaker—or perhaps there was no reaction at all.
And this kind of "guidance," using the "principle" he had gained through Inner Seeking to influence others subtly, seemed far more discreet and safe than directly wielding the power of "Causality."
A new, more viable path slowly opened before him.
He lifted his head and looked toward the Senju Clan.
The "circle" of seeking within oneself, to meet the "square" of the outside world.
The wheel of the era continued to thunder onward, but perhaps, in corners where no one was watching, he could quietly plant a few different seeds.
What kind of flowers those seeds would eventually bloom into, or what fruit they would bear, even he could not fully predict.
He only knew that before the storm truly arrived, he had to accumulate as much strength as possible, and try to... weave more subtle "possibilities."
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