Inner Scenery's Circle and the Outer World's Square

Ever since that night when he nearly triggered a backlash from the world, Uchiha Sou had become even more cautious. He submerged his entire consciousness into the state of "Inner Seeking" he had accidentally triggered, carefully contemplating the newborn, faint, and harmonious fluctuations within himself.

He no longer called it "meditation" or "cultivation," but rather "Weaving Logic."

Every instance of "Weaving Logic" was a process of combing through and strengthening the threads of "Causality" within his own being. He guided that innate harmonious fluctuation like the finest embroidery needle, threading through his meridians, cells, and even the subtle reaches of his mental consciousness. This process was agonizingly slow and could not bring about an immediate increase in power, but it provided a foundational, imperceptible transformation.

His Chakra became more condensed and pure, and his mental perception grew increasingly sharp and introverted. The most significant change was that his control over his own body had reached an unprecedented height. He could precisely control the twitching of every muscle and monitor the flow rate and volume of Chakra in any minute meridian. This control did not rely on the dynamic vision of the Sharingan or the forceful drive of powerful mental energy, but rather stemmed from a harmonious unity achieved at the level of internal "Logic."

Externally, he appeared even more "ordinary." His aura was peaceful, and his Chakra fluctuations remained stable at the average level of a Three-Tomoe Sharingan Jonin, perhaps even slightly below. Walking through the clan grounds, aside from the slight respect earned for his "rescue," he received no further attention.

He was content with this.

During this period, he went to visit Uchiha Madara once.

Madara was still healing in the secret chamber, his face pale, yet beneath those tightly closed eyelids, there still lurked a heart-stopping sense of oppression. That cold, lingering Chakra (Tobirama Senju's Rune Power) entrenched in his wounds was like a living thing, extremely difficult to deal with. Madara spent most of his time fighting against this force, and progress was slow.

Seeing Tsang arrive, Madara opened his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over him like lightning.

"It seems that overexertion turned out to be a blessing in disguise for you." Madara's voice was somewhat hoarse, yet carried a hint of imperceptible scrutiny. "Your foundation seems even more solid than before you were injured."

Tsang felt a chill in his heart, but maintained a respectful and weak demeanor on the surface: "Lord Madara is observant. It is just that after such a severe injury, I dare not be eager for quick success. I can only slow my pace, polish my foundation bit by bit, and let you see my inadequacy."

Madara stared at him for a moment, seemingly trying to see something beneath his calm exterior, before finally saying indifferently: "Solidifying your foundation is not a bad thing. The true essence of power is far from as simple as the quantity of Chakra. You may go."

After exiting the secret chamber, cold sweat seeped from Tsang's back. Uchiha Madara's perception was simply too sharp; even while severely injured, he could still detect the subtle changes brought about by his "Inner Seeking." It seemed that future "Weaving Logic" would need to be even more careful.

Unlike the stillness of Madara, Izuna Uchiha was like a string pulled tighter and tighter.

The frequency of his Mangekyou usage was increasing. On the border, the elite squad led by Tobirama Senju was becoming increasingly active, and all sorts of bizarre tactics and prototypes of forbidden techniques were emerging one after another, causing great pressure and casualties for the Uchiha. Izuna had to rely on the power of those eyes time and again to respond, counterattack, and rescue.

Tsang could clearly see that the light in Izuna's eyes was gradually dimming, and his vision would occasionally blur for brief moments—a clear sign of failing eyesight. His temperament had also become increasingly cold and hard, decisive and even cruel in handling affairs, as if he wanted to completely freeze all weak emotions.

One time, Izuna had just returned from the border, carrying a scent of blood and an undisguisable exhaustion. Tsang was ordered to report on a matter regarding the allocation of supplies within the clan.

When he entered the study, Izuna was standing with his back to him, looking out the window, his fingers pressing hard against his temples, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"Lord Izuna." Tsang spoke softly.

Izuna turned abruptly, the Three-Tomoe in his eyes spinning subconsciously for a moment before slowly stopping once he saw it was Tsang, revealing a hint of undisguisable fatigue: "It's you, Tsang. What is it?"

During the report, Tsang noticed Izuna squinting unnaturally several times, or tilting his head slightly, as if adjusting his focus. His heart felt heavy.

"...That is the situation." After finishing the report, Tsang did not leave immediately.

Izuna rubbed his brow, sat back down at his desk, and picked up a scroll: "Hmm, I see. Go and get back to work."

"Lord Izuna," Tsang hesitated, but spoke anyway, "Your eyes..."

Izuna's movements paused. He looked up, his gaze instantly becoming as sharp as a blade, carrying a coldness as if his reverse scale had been touched: "This is not something you should be concerned with."

"This subordinate has overstepped." Tsang immediately lowered his head. "It is just... this subordinate recently browsed through some ancient texts and found a medicinal oil prepared according to an ancient method. It might alleviate the soreness and fatigue after using Dojutsu Power. Although it is of no great use, it might slightly reduce the discomfort." He took a small jade bottle from his robes and placed it gently on the desk.

It was not some ancient prescription, but something he had specially prepared during his recent "Weaving Logic" sessions, based on his ultimate understanding of his own ocular meridians and Chakra circulation. It contained the faint fluctuations of his inner-seeking harmony; while it could not treat the fundamental damage to the Mangekyou, it should provide some nourishment and relief.

Izuna glanced at the jade bottle, the coldness in his eyes softening slightly, a flash of complex emotion passing through, which finally turned into a faint weariness: "You have a heart. Leave it there."

"Yes." Tsang bowed and retreated.

As he turned to leave, he seemed to hear a very light, almost inaudible sigh.

Leaving Izuna's residence, Uchiha Sou's mood did not lighten. The medicinal oil might alleviate a bit of discomfort, but it could not reverse the fate hurtling toward darkness. And this kind of subtle concern seemed so pale and powerless before the giant wheel of hatred between the two clans that would never end.

He strolled toward the training ground at the edge of the clan grounds.

In the field, some young Uchiha clansmen were training hard. The explosive sounds of Fire Style, the clashing of Shuriken, and the unwilling shouts of the youths were intertwined, filled with the sense of urgency peculiar to Warring States ninjas, driven by a sense of crisis.

Tsang's gaze fell on a boy of about seven or eight years old. The boy had the common black hair and black eyes of the Uchiha clan, his face still carrying a childish air, but his eyes were exceptionally stubborn. He was practicing the Great Fireball Technique over and over again. His Chakra circulation was slightly sluggish, the scale of the fire he spat out was small and unstable, and he failed repeatedly, yet he tried to weave the hand seals again and again, his lips even becoming dry and chapped from the heat of the Chakra.

Several slightly older boys nearby let out undisguised sneers.

"Give it up, Kagami, your bit of Chakra is barely enough to light someone's cigarette!" "Exactly, don't waste your energy, you'd be better off practicing Shuriken."

The boy named Kagami gritted his teeth and said nothing, his fingers weaving the seals with even more force, even trembling slightly.

Uchiha Sou watched quietly for a while.

He knew this boy named Kagami Uchiha. In the original history, he seemed to be one of the very few Uchiha who could jump out of the narrow clan stance and possess the budding Will of Fire, eventually becoming one of the guards of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. But now, he was just a child who seemed somewhat "clumsy" and "weak" among his peers in the clan.

Tsang's gaze flickered.

He could not directly change Izuna's fate, and he dared not even attempt any minor interference.

But... for a boy who was still insignificant at this moment and not an "important figure," would a trivial "Guidance" on the technique of Chakra circulation also trigger a violent reaction from the world?

A thought quietly emerged.

He walked over slowly.

His appearance made the few mocking boys immediately fall silent, bowing somewhat nervously: "Lord Tsang!"

Kagami Uchiha also stopped his practice, looking at him somewhat awkwardly, his face covered in sweat and soot.

Tsang did not look at the other boys, but looked at Kagami with a calm gaze, saying indifferently: "When Chakra is expelled through the meridians of the throat, pursuing explosive power too much will actually decrease control. Try to restrain thirty percent of your Chakra at the end of the 'Snake' seal, concentrate it at one point, and then release it instantly."

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached Kagami's ears. At the same time, on a level that no one noticed, he very obscurely mobilized the harmonious fluctuation of "Inner Seeking." It was not a direct interference with Kagami's Chakra, but rather like an invisible mirror, allowing an "image" of more efficient and smoother Chakra circulation to quietly permeate Kagami's perception like a drop of water.

This did not even count as interference; it was more like a form of "inspiration" or "demonstration" on a mental level.

Kagami was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously tried to follow Tsang's words. He wove the seals, trying hard to restrain his Chakra at the last moment, and then—

Hoo!

A fireball, significantly more condensed and larger in scale than before, surged forth. Though still not particularly powerful, it was stable and focused, the scorching heat wave causing the nearby youths to instinctively take a step back.

Kagami stared at the result of his own doing, stunned, before a light of pleasant surprise erupted in his eyes.

Uchiha Sou did not speak again; he merely nodded slightly and turned to leave.

After walking a long distance from the training ground, he carefully sensed the movements around him.

The wind continued to blow, the leaves rustled, and the natural energy flowed steadily.

The world's sense of repulsion... had not descended.

Uchiha Sou's footsteps paused slightly, a flash of realization crossing his eyes.

So that is how it is... Directly interfering with the trajectory of fate for "important figures" is a taboo. But for individuals who have yet to become "important figures," or by providing minor guidance that does not directly alter fate but instead offers "possibilities," the world's reaction is far weaker, or even non-existent.

And this method of "guidance," using the "reason" obtained through my own "inward seeking" to exert a subtle influence, seems far more covert and safe than directly utilizing the power of "Causality."

A new, more viable path slowly unfolded before him.

He raised his head and looked toward the direction of the Senju clan.

Seek the "Circle" within oneself to respond to the "Square" of the outside world.

The great wheel of the era continued to rumble forward, but perhaps, in a corner where no one was watching, he could quietly bury some different seeds.

As for what kind of flowers these 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 attempt to... weave more subtle "possibilities."