Scheming

Facing the two Uchiha elders' murderous, suspicious gazes, and the possibility that the weaponized girl named Hikari might launch a fatal attack at any moment, Yue Uchiha didn't draw his blade or deliver a righteous speech like a conventional transmigrator.

His mind raced, as cool and precise as a computer.

"The effect of Yagokoro Omoikane" was absolute.

If the jutsu had defined his transmigration as "100% luck," then meeting these people at this time and place had to include a way to solve his greatest current predicament.

In other words, there had to be a crucial clue to his "blind left eye and depleted ocular power."

Though he pitied Uchiha Hikari, if he killed these two old men and took her away now, he'd have to face the entire Uchiha Clan's pursuit—and wander through the Warring States Period with an unstable "bomb" who could go berserk at any moment.

Besides, he didn't know how people in this era treated the side effects of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

On the other hand, if he used his identity as a fellow Uchiha to blend in...

The Uchiha Clan was one of the two most powerful clans of the Warring States Period, with the deepest reserves of strength and resources.

If they dared to use Uchiha Hikari as a weapon so frequently, they must have some secret technique or medicine that could slow the depletion of Mangekyō ocular power—or even restore it.

Otherwise, at the rate they were using Hikari, even with her Mangekyō, she'd be completely blind in less than half a year.

"So that's it... This is what 'luck' was guiding me toward?"

The scales in Yue's mind tipped in an instant.

He reined in the fangs he'd bared a moment ago, deftly turning that bloodlust—the kind that made him seem ready to tear someone apart—into a world-weary coldness and exhaustion.

"Don't misunderstand."

Yue Uchiha slowly released Hikari's wrist and even took half a step back. Then he slid his tightly gripped straight sword into its scabbard with a sharp CLANG.

The gesture eased the standoff by a fraction.

"I'm not your enemy, and I have no intention of challenging the elders' authority."

Yue's voice was hoarse, tinged with just the right amount of weakness.

"I'm just a lone wolf with nowhere left to go. My branch settlement was wiped out in a surprise attack by the Senju Clan. I'm the only survivor."

"A branch settlement?" One of the elders eyed Yue suspiciously. "There are quite a few Uchiha branches in the south. We did hear recently that the Senju Clan had led an attack on several outposts... But—"

Before he could finish, he saw the Three Tomoe in Yue Uchiha's right eye abruptly stop spinning. Then the black Tomoe stretched and intertwined.

"Mangekyō... Sharingan?!"

The elder's voice shot up an octave. His suspicion gave way to utter shock and greed.

The kunai in his hand clattered into the mud. He stood as if he'd witnessed a miracle—or the most dreadful nightmare.

During the Warring States Period, the Uchiha Clan had no shortage of powerful shinobi, but those who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan were still exceedingly rare. You could count them on one hand.

And now, another pair stood before him.

The air seemed to freeze.

The intricate star-shaped pattern in Yue Uchiha's one remaining eye turned slowly.

Though he deliberately suppressed his ocular power and didn't release the suffocating force of attraction, the mere presence of those eyes was enough to make the ordinary Sharingan around him tremble instinctively.

Even Uchiha Hikari, who had been numb the whole time, suddenly lifted her head.

Her gaze, marked with the same Mangekyō pattern, focused on Yue's face for the first time. It was the resonance of kindred spirits—the scent of two lonely beasts finding each other in a dark forest.

"What's the matter, Elder? Is this still not enough?"

Yue's voice remained hoarse. He slowly raised a hand to cover his already-blind left eye, revealing just the right hint of pain and madness.

"To awaken these eyes, I watched my clansmen, my parents, my beloved... die one by one at the hands of the Senju Clan!"

Yue suddenly took a step forward, no longer concealing his murderous aura. Like a wounded lone wolf, he let out a roar.

"I'm a cripple now, a blind man, a wandering soul with no home! I don't care whether you're Main Family or branch, and I don't care about the elders' authority! I only want revenge! As long as I can kill the Senju Clan—as long as you let me kill them... I'll give you everything!"

Every word was soaked in blood, perfectly matching the image of an Uchiha consumed by hatred.

The two elders exchanged a glance. The wariness in their eyes finally vanished, replaced by barely concealed delight.

If he'd been a rational, powerful shinobi, they might have been wary of him.

But a madman, blinded by hatred and bent only on revenge?

He was practically the finest expendable weapon Heaven could have given them!

Another ultimate weapon on par with Hikari. The thought of the credit they'd earn made their hearts pound.

May the Uchiha prosper!

"Good! What a blazing desire for revenge!"

The leading elder laughed and stepped forward, even giving Yue's rain-soaked shoulder a hypocritical pat.

"Since you have such resolve, the clan will naturally welcome you. From this day on, you're no longer a stray dog. You're the sharpest blade of the Uchiha Clan!"

He turned to Hikari. "Hikari, from now on, he's assigned to your unit. You both have those cursed eyes, so you can form the Twin Demons. The Senju Clan claims to have the forest's favor? Then we'll use this pair of Asura to burn their forest to ashes!"

Uchiha Hikari looked at Yue. The emotion in her eyes gradually faded, and she returned to her lifeless, empty expression.

She nodded mechanically, seemingly indifferent to having another kindred spirit at her side.

"My name is Yue Uchiha. What's yours? I'm glad to join you in taking revenge on the Senju Clan."

Yue's voice sounded muffled beneath the rain. He held out a hand, hoping to test this so-called "weapon" with a simple gesture of courtesy.

"Yue Uchiha...?"

Hikari didn't take his hand.

Her unfocused black eyes mechanically swept over his palm, as if checking for Explosive Tags or poisoned Senbon hidden there.

Once satisfied, she looked away. Her pale little face remained blank and numb.

"Names are just codenames to make it easier for the elders to issue orders."

Hikari's lips moved slightly, her voice as frail as a withered branch that might snap at any moment. "As long as I can kill the Senju, it doesn't matter what I'm called. Happiness... that kind of emotion is an unnecessary burden for a weapon like me."

After speaking, she didn't look at Yue again. She turned and dragged the chakra Short Blade, far too heavy for her small frame, toward the heart of the camp, trudging through the mud.

The rain soaked her ill-fitting, oversized combat clothes, clinging to her emaciated back and making her look all the more desolate.

Yue lowered his hand, which had been suspended in midair, and watched her with a deep gaze.

"Have even concepts like names and handshakes been erased from her...?"