I Burn, You Regret

Hokage office area.

"Another genius has emerged from this clan."

Muttering to himself, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. In the crystal ball before him, the Uchiha dueling arena was projected.

Telescope Technique!

It is a rare reconnaissance-type skill in the Ninja World, allowing one to obtain real-time dynamics without being at the target's location, effectively bypassing physical spatial limitations, with monitoring precision reaching the level of observing individual behavior...

Even though Jiraiya had sent letters many times expressing a strong interest, claiming that while out traveling, he really needed this technique to gather intelligence for Konoha, Hiruzen never dared to teach it to his lecherous disciple.

Because once he learned it, he would definitely use it to peep into women's bathhouses or women's restrooms.

It was immoral.

It would bring shame to Konoha.

If he were to peep at the women of the nobility and get caught, it would be extremely troublesome to handle; the Daimyo might even send people to inquire about it.

And the original reason for developing this ninjutsu was merely to monitor the daily life of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto.

"Itachi, Shisui."

Sarutobi gazed across the distance at that excessively young face, his mood complex: "Now there is an additional Uchiha Xiu."

Once upon a time, Konoha was teeming with experts.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were all homegrown talents with Kage-level strength at a young age, with impeccable roots.

Not to mention Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang, whose strength surpassed that of the Sannin and who possessed the keen eye to see through the potential of others!

The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

The stable Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina.

Back then, there was no fear of the Uchiha rising; on the contrary, it was a cause for joy. Because there was no fear of rebellion, even in the most extreme situations, they could be completely suppressed and made to fight for the village's interests!

They even continued the tradition left by the Second Hokage, bringing that child named Uchiha Obito... into the Hokage's master-disciple lineage system.

"Can't the Uchiha be like the Senju Clan? Dissolve the family, abandon the surname, instead of insisting on controlling all appointment rights for the Police Force."

"The Battle at the Valley of the End, the Night of the Nine-Tails, all have a direct connection to you."

"Since this year, the frequency of private gatherings among the radicals has been increasing; they are no longer satisfied with the status quo."

What will our Konoha eventually become?

At the thought of this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's posture hunched a little more.

"Hiruzen, hand that brat named Uchiha Xiu over to the Root." A voice suddenly came from the corner of the room.

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, straightened his back once more, and swept his gaze over with his pipe in his mouth.

It was his old comrade-in-arms.

A guy whose head was half-wrapped in bandages.

"I've checked; this brat is not one of the radicals. Plant the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on him and let him serve the village honestly."

"Danzō, you are not allowed to act on your own!"

"Hmph, the inherently evil Uchiha." Danzō curled his lip and walked closer, "I have always acted for the sake of Konoha, but you have sat in this position for too long and have become naive. Besides, Itachi has joined the Anbu, so now it should be the Root's turn..."

With a heavy tone, the Third Hokage bit down on his pipe and warned: "Say no more!"

"As the Hokage, I have the final say in all matters. Remember... the Root will always be the root of Konoha, not yours."

"I will find a way to evaluate this child. If he passes, he will go through the special promotion process, be recruited into the Anbu, and appointed as a squad leader to send more positive signals to Fugaku and the moderates within the Uchiha."

Narrowing his eyes and confirming that his old partner's attitude was extremely firm, Shimura Danzō said coldly:

"Monkey, you will regret this!"

His figure vanished in an instant.

Just as suddenly as he had appeared.

In the quiet office once again, Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his pipe and casually deactivated the Telescope Technique.

The large glass ball on the table immediately returned to normal.

A dignified Hokage did not have the leisure to spend all day doing nothing but monitoring a young Uchiha!

Moreover, there were many restrictions on using it; in most scenarios, it could only monitor locations that were in plain sight or where powerful chakra fluctuations erupted.

Otherwise... how could that mysterious masked man have succeeded on the Night of the Nine-Tails?

Dueling arena.

Uchiha Xiu felt a sense of relief in his heart. In the process of fighting the elder, he suddenly felt as if he were being watched from a distance.

The gaze did not come from around the arena.

It was highly likely the Third Hokage, peeping with that crystal ball in his office.

After all, in the powder-keg environment of the Uchiha compound, a fierce battle had suddenly erupted; the Monkey had no reason not to inquire—the fact that he hadn't sent the Anbu in to investigate was already giving Fugaku plenty of face.

"It's not a big problem. Facts have proven that my sensory perception can detect counter-surveillance at the first instance, so it won't affect the layout."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Figure after figure leaped down from the high walls.

"Xiu, you must attend next week's clan meeting."

The middle-aged man wearing a black tight-fitting combat suit spoke in an imperative tone, his exterior layered with the green flak jacket permitted only to Jonin, the Uchiha clan crest embroidered on both shoulders.

"That's right, you need to recognize the current predicament of our clan and join us."

"Stop being foolish; compromise and weakness will only lead the Konoha higher-ups to further suppress the Uchiha!"

Two more Jonin stepped forward to chime in.

Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Inabi, and Uchiha Tekka—the pillars of the radical faction.

The so-called clan meeting was merely a title; in essence, it was an occasion for the radical faction to vent their emotions.

"Ahem, the clan possesses two ultimate ocular techniques. Each use requires the sacrifice of an eye, so they cannot be practiced by others personally. The principles are also extremely complex and only remain within the inherited secret scrolls."

Suddenly, an old man leaning on a cane parted the crowd.

Compared to dry persuasion, Uchiha Setsuna was more seasoned, choosing to lead directly with benefits.

"..." Clan Leader Fugaku couldn't help but frown.

Izanagi: turning unfavorable events that occurred within a period of time into something that never happened, choosing only to make favorable events reality. The duration of its activation varies according to each person's ability.

During this period, even if one died, reality could be altered; it was a terrifying ocular technique that could make one invincible!

Izanami was the opposite.

Let alone mastering them, those qualified to even learn them could be counted on one hand.

Even veteran Jonin who had rendered distinguished service, like Inabi and Tekka, had no right to touch them, nor did they even know of their existence.

Now, in order to win over Xiu, the soul of the hawk faction, Elder Setsuna, chose to break the rules...

He didn't even bother to ask for the opinion of him, the clan leader!!

"Go." Elder Shin, representing the moderate faction, spoke slowly. "The clan meeting should be attended. This old man will always support you."

Based on his understanding of Uchiha Xiu, this child had his own strong opinions and wasn't so easily brainwashed.

Moreover, the strong deserved to have more say.

Compromise and forbearance... were they truly not viable?

Looking at this child Xiu, perhaps he is an excellent candidate to become Hokage!

For the sake of the clan's future, what harm is there in taking a gamble?

"Fine."

Under the anticipation of the masses, Uchiha Xiu nodded, accepting the invitation from the hawk faction.

Only a fool would pass up a free lunch; he felt no guilt whatsoever in "farming" the clan's gold.

In the crowd, Shisui wore a grave expression.

You, who once sought me out in private to earnestly discuss the future of the Uchiha—have you succumbed for the sake of profit? Have you become narrow-minded?

The mysterious ultimate ocular techniques in the mouths of the elders are nothing in the face of my Mangekyo Sharingan!

Everyone is drunk while I alone am sober—that describes Uchiha Shisui perfectly, thinking himself very clever, able to walk between the village and the clan, balancing both sides...