A Uchiha Girl Who Ignited a Heart of Opposition Against the Senju

Diejian took a step forward, attempting to draw closer to Juri, but a cane was suddenly pressed against his throat.

Diejian had no choice but to slowly set his raised foot back down.

He tilted his head back, his body stiffening, while Juri continued to exude a dangerous aura.

However, it had not yet reached the level of genuine killing intent.

Diejian maintained his calm, indifferent expression, looking down at Juri.

Though Diejian remained composed, his friend Sakumo could not accept the sight of a weapon pressed against Diejian's throat.

Having experienced the battle against Kakuzu, Sakumo had deeply felt his own powerlessness, the impermanence of the ninja world, and the lightness and weight of life; he had grown into a man who valued his comrades above all else.

He could not sit idly by.

A stark contrast to his usual steady demeanor, a dangerous expression surfaced on Sakumo's face as he quietly reached into his robes.

Hidden there was his favorite short blade.

If the opponent made any suspicious move, he would show no mercy.

Sakumo braced himself, ready to act at any moment to strike away Juri's cane.

Yet Diejian, the person directly involved, remained as composed as his expression suggested, not taking Juri's actions too seriously.

After all, they were comrades from the same village, and at the end of the day, it was merely the posturing of a child.

Diejian signaled with his eyes for Sakumo, who was clearly on high alert, to "stand down."

Although Sakumo reluctantly withdrew his hand from his robes, he did not lower his guard.

True reconciliation with the Uchiha clan was the long-cherished wish of his late grandfather, Senju Hashirama.

Diejian intended to inherit this desire, which Hashirama had been unable to fulfill during his lifetime.

As for the weak thought of "whether he could achieve what the great grandfather Hashirama could not," that had long since vanished from Diejian's mind.

The foundation had been laid by Hashirama.

Tobirama had also inherited that legacy in his own way.

Since that was the case, what was there to be anxious about?

In that brief yet brilliant life, Hashirama had done everything he could and everything he was meant to do before passing on.

As his direct descendant, how could Diejian utter words of discouragement?

Yes, Hashirama did not "fail to realize" his dream; he had entrusted it to the next generation.

---To end the war, establish the village, and turn former enemies into "family."

These were all the achievements of Hashirama.

The duplicity of the Uchiha clan, the relations with other villages.

Indeed, many problems remained, but so what?

There is a limit to what a single ninja can do, and a limit to what any one era can bear.

It is precisely because they understand this that ninjas seek, protect, and nurture those to whom they can entrust the new era.

Hashirama had already done enough.

He had fought his way from the era of war to this point; to demand more would be too harsh.

It was enough to leave the rest to the next generation.

Until now, this is how "dreams" have been passed down.

Ensuring that Hashirama's era is not considered the absolute pinnacle is the best way to repay him, and the mission of those who have been entrusted with the future.

---Long before the birth of Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, there were Uchiha ninjas who had grown weary of battle.

As time flowed, in some distant past, there were Senju ninjas who yearned for peace.

There were many who shed tears for their ancestors and for wishes that could not be realized.

The unfinished dreams they held would never be severed—and in the era of "Senju Hashirama" and "Uchiha Madara," they finally bore fruit.

Inheriting the will of those ancestors who vanished like dew, Hashirama created "Konohagakure," the symbol of peace.

The place Hashirama reached must surely be the far shore of a dream that someone before him had once envisioned.

Therefore, Diejian prayed that the place he would one day reach would not be the far shore of "someone else's" dream, but the far shore of "the dream Hashirama pursued."

---And the first step began today.

Witnessing Juri's hostility toward him firsthand, Diejian finally understood the past relationship between the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan.

Previously, because his friends were overly cautious and Juri herself did not want to be involved with Diejian, they had always just brushed past each other until this day.

But this encounter was unavoidable on the path Diejian sought to walk.

Diejian did not intend to use Juri as a touchstone for his own resolve, nor did he wish to engage in cheap persuasion through empty talk of dreams.

A ninja is one who endures for the sake of their goal.

If necessary, he was willing to endure any slander or defamation, but for now, there was a more fundamental problem.

Diejian gave a wry smile and gently pushed the cane aside.

"Even if you say 'I have no intention of getting close to you'... it's no use. We are a squad now. You could say we're bound by fate."

"How disgusting."

It seemed the road ahead would be difficult.

Diejian thought to himself, it was fortunate that their jonin instructor was from the Uchiha clan, and he seemed like a gentle person at that.

If even the jonin instructor treated him with such blatant hostility, he would truly be hurt.

Hashirama, who had pushed him forward, had passed away; Tobirama, who had guided him like a signpost, was no longer by his side; and Ina, who had given him warmth, was also absent.

To say he didn't feel uneasy would be a lie, but there was still Sakumo.

Diejian couldn't help but admire Tobirama's keen insight, wondering if this was exactly what he had intended.

---The village is family, and the villagers are kin.

He lightly touched his forehead protector, recalling Hashirama's words.

Feeling that greatness once again, he couldn't help but marvel in silence.

He really had received so much from him.

"However, I will follow the Second Hokage's decision. I have no interest in what that man who fawns over the Senju will do, but I do not want to see the Uchiha clan's standing worsen."

Juri pulled her cane back to her side, her intelligent eyes glancing at Kagami.

The way she gathered her beautiful hair with her hand caught Diejian's attention.

"But Juri, even though you say all that, you still call him 'Second Hokage' properly, don't you?"

Diejian laughed, "I don't really call him that much."

He felt like he was about to be told, "You must call him Lord Second Hokage and use honorifics."

Every time she was called by her name, Juri would look displeased, furrowing her brows as she huffed, "Don't call me so casually."

When Diejian asked in confusion, "Then what should I call you?", Juri replied with a sneer, "Call me Lady Juri."

Diejian secretly thought, Why is this girl a bit like Tobirama? and refused flatly on the grounds that "there's no need for that between comrades."

Watching the two of them bickering but finally interacting, Sakumo leaned toward Kagami and asked in a low voice:

"What is your relationship?"

"She is my younger sister, with quite a few years between us."

"An incompetent brother. Though it is not by my choice."

Kagami whispered to Sakumo, but it seemed the sharp-eared Juri heard him, and she immediately interjected, "Don't say unnecessary things!"

Hearing this, Diejian thought of his own relationship with Tsunade and decided he absolutely did not want it to turn out like this.

Kagami smiled bitterly, looking somewhat lonely; it seemed being treated with such sharp hostility by his sister was difficult for him as a brother.

Sakumo, the relatively normal one, clutched his head in his heart and lamented: "Is this class really going to be okay?"

"It seems everyone is getting along well, so let us begin our recreational activities now."

They aren't getting along at all-- the three of them shared the same thought in that moment.

When Kagami, who had been looking down, raised his face, his eyes had transformed into red irises with spinning tomoe.

---Sharingan.

Someone whispered, and the children stared silently at those eyes.

Sharingan.

It was a Kekkei Genkai, a special physical trait inherited only within specific lineages of the Uchiha clan.

It was a form of ocular power that significantly enhanced dynamic vision, allowing the user to track high-speed objects and perceive the flow of chakra.

It could see through the composition of taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu, recording them in the mind.

For taijutsu, it could mimic the movements; for ninjutsu, by copying the hand seals, it could steal almost any technique (excluding those requiring special talents or other Kekkei Genkai).

At the same time, it could cast genjutsu through eye contact without the need for hand seals.

Ninjas who made an enemy of the Uchiha clan would be tormented by the frustration of having their taijutsu seen through and the crisis of having their ninjutsu stolen, ultimately falling into an overwhelmingly disadvantageous position where even eye contact was forbidden.

Its power was so great that some said, "You can never win in a one-on-one," making it a threat known throughout the ninja world.

Diejian saw the back of the late Hashirama before his eyes.

Sakumo saw his father, who had died in the war.

And Juri---.

"Unless you are particularly confident in your ability to dispel genjutsu, it is best not to look directly into the Sharingan."

Hearing Kagami's voice as he patted their shoulders, Diejian and Sakumo snapped back to reality.

Diejian immediately looked away.

Could he have fallen under a genjutsu in just that split second?

He felt a shiver run through him at the sheer power of it.

"A pity, Diejian. A moment earlier, and you might have dodged it."

Kagami offered praise; although Diejian had still been caught by the Sharingan's illusion, he was the only one who had instinctively tried to avert his gaze at the last possible second.

Diejian had been receiving instruction from Tobirama regarding the abilities of the Sharingan and how to counter them, so the urge to look away had been reflexive.

He glanced to the side and saw that Sakumo had averted his eyes just as Kagami had instructed, but Juri remained staring fixedly into Kagami's Sharingan.

Her eyes showed no sign of shifting; it seemed she had yet to awaken the dōjutsu.

Kagami reached out and gently poked the forehead of Juri, who—despite being an Uchiha—had shown no intention of looking away, and offered a helpless smile.

Juri pressed both hands to her poked forehead, her delicate brows knitting together in displeasure.

Watching her behavior, Diejian thought, What a woman, even her smallest gestures are like a painting, and found himself comparing her to his brother, Kagami.

Even to a man's eyes, Kagami was undeniably handsome, a man of refined features.

Diejian secretly sighed at how the Uchiha clan seemed to be filled with beauties and handsome men, then glanced up at the Face Rock of his grandfather.

He then recalled his own face, said to resemble his grandfather in his youth, and the features of his teacher, Tobirama.

(It seems I can't win in that department...)

Diejian was still in the sensitive, formative years of his growth.

He was at an age where he cared about such trivial victories.

When something bothered him, it truly bothered him.

An indescribable sense of frustration welled up within him—the hallmark of his adolescent years.

"The Uchiha clan are members of Konoha. I imagine you will never have the chance to stand against them as enemies," Kagami said.

I certainly hope so, Diejian thought.

"What you are to do next is this."

Kagami raised his hand, from which two bells hung, ringing with a sharp rin-rin sound.

Unlike Diejian, who had question marks popping up over his head, Sakumo raised an eyebrow in surprise, and Juri huffed in dissatisfaction; both seemed to understand the implication.

"Does this mean one of us has to go back? The Second Hokage really did come up with a test of twisted taste."

"What happens to the person who doesn't get a bell, Teacher?"

"What is this about?"

While Sakumo cast a sharp glare at Juri for her insolent remark insulting Tobirama, he addressed the core issue.

However, seeing Diejian—unlike the other two—still failing to grasp the situation, Kagami couldn't help but smile.

He wondered if this boy was simply an optimist or just spoiled.

"This is a test designed by the Second Hokage to select Genin by snatching these bells. Only two of you who manage to take a bell from me will officially become Genin; the remaining one must return to the training facility. It is a survival competition to eliminate 'those with the least ability'."

"Eh?"

Diejian blinked blankly, his reaction exactly as Kagami had anticipated, prompting a wry smile from the teacher.

Understanding the weight of Kagami's words, Diejian lowered his head, his brow furrowing in distress.

Diejian and Sakumo.

They had talked more than once or twice about the days they would spend running side-by-side as Genin.

Furthermore, for Diejian, becoming a Genin was the starting point of a dream he had finally reached.

He absolutely could not be sent back to the facility.

But, however—Diejian looked toward Juri's profile.

Her long eyelashes were lowered, and unlike her brother's, her eyes were slender and narrow, trembling slightly as if she were lost in thought.

If he and Sakumo became Genin here, it would mean Juri would be sent back to the facility.

And if that happened, the connection to the Uchiha clan would...

While having Kagami as their Jōnin instructor was a blessing, the idea of casting the "Uchiha" aside for his own sake went against Diejian's principles.

"Why go to such lengths... can't you make an exception?"

"Allowing the powerless to become ninja only hastens their deaths. A ninja lacking strength must be protected by the village until they can stand on their own. That is the Second Hokage's philosophy. Not sending children to their deaths—that was also the wish of the First Hokage."

Hashirama's ideals, and Tobirama's ideals.

At first glance, it seemed cold, yet it was undeniably logical.

Diejian bit his lower lip.

Sakumo also crossed his arms, groaning in a difficult dilemma.

"Isn't it simple? You Senju brat, why don't you just crawl back to the facility yourself."

Shuri's expression seemed to say "what a brilliant plan," and she tilted her head back, looking down at Diejian with a mocking gaze.

How could that be possible?

But then again, Diejian could not bring himself to abandon either side.

He could not easily give up this starting point of a dream he had finally reached.

There was also the option of having Sakumo withdraw.

Sakumo was neither Uchiha nor Senju, neither from a prestigious clan nor a family that used secret ninjutsu; to put it bluntly, he was not a "necessary" existence.

Moreover, with his outstanding strength, he should be able to become a Genin in next year's exam—.

With his head bowed, Diejian's eyes were filled with troubled hesitation.

"Uchiha Shuri, can you stop this? Why don't you just go back yourself?"

Unable to tolerate Shuri's excessive remarks any longer, Sakumo jumped out to defend Diejian.

Diejian looked up in surprise, watching the dangerous atmosphere between Shuri and Sakumo, and recalling his own pathetic state from a moment ago, he felt ashamed of his own lack of reason.

So, what should be done—should I just let myself fail?

Kagami, who had been silently observing the situation, thought to himself.

The one who broke the hair-trigger tension was none other than Diejian.

"Stop it, you two. There's no point in us infighting here."

"Hmph... then what do you intend to do, Senju?"

"That... I don't know yet."

"See? That's why I say Senju who only know how to talk big are all like this. Enough, shut your mouth."

Shuri used an exaggerated gesture to show her intolerance, and at her attitude, a vein throbbed on Sakumo's temple once again.

Diejian reached out to block Sakumo, stopping him.

"Hey, Shuri. Do you have a dream?"

"Ha—I thought you were going to say something else—"

"Please answer me."

Overwhelmed by Diejian's serious expression and aura, Shuri gasped.

His eyes were as firm and unyielding as a tree rooted in the earth, yet they contained a light as supple as a willow leaf.

Shuri pretended not to notice that she had been shaken by the aura Diejian was emitting.

She glared fiercely at Diejian, straightened her back, puffed out her chest, and declared that she stood with the glory of the Uchiha.

"I will elevate the status of the Uchiha clan above the Senju, and one day, it will be by the hands of the Uchiha that this village prospers. When it comes down to it, if Konohagakure did not have the power of the Uchiha clan, it wouldn't even exist."

"Uchiha" is not inferior to Senju.

What is there to fear?

What is there to be ashamed of?

As the eldest daughter of the proud Uchiha clan, a special lineage that inherits the Sharingan, this body is by no means inferior to a Senju.

One day, I will awaken the Sharingan and change this village.

And then—.

Shuri glanced at Kagami.

One day, I will make my older brother—

To Shuri's upright declaration, Diejian only whispered "Is that so," and closed his eyes.

What on earth is wrong with this guy...

Shuri made no effort to hide her distrust, turning her gaze away from Diejian as if even looking at him was unpleasant, while Kagami watched her silently.

After a while, confirming that Diejian had opened his eyes, Kagami hung two bells on his belt.

"The rule is, the test ends when two of you three can take the bells from me."

Confirming that all three nodded in silence, Kagami snapped his fingers.

"—Then, begin."

The bells rang with a "ling—" sound.

★

Kagami used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished suddenly from in front of the three.

Diejian drew a Kunai, Sakumo pulled out his short blade, and the two stood back-to-back, guarding their surroundings.

Ignoring Diejian's call to "come over here," Shuri ran off alone and hid in the bushes.

Who would want to be with a Senju guy...

Once, Uchiha Madara attacked the village, and Senju Hashirama stopped him.

This was a confrontation that would be recorded in history.

In the place later known as the Valley of the End, the First Hokage, Hashirama, was in the midst of stopping Madara, who led the Nine-Tails, while within Konohagakure, two deeply opposed factions were engaged in a literal slaughter.

It was a fierce battle, small in scale but decisive for the light and shadow of the village.

The "Sharingan" Uchiha, who sought to reclaim their former glory.

Believing that the moment of Madara's attack was their golden opportunity, they took up their weapons.

They raised their clan crest high, intending to reclaim the name of the "Uchiha" that had been hailed as the strongest during the Warring States period.

The "Konohagakure" Uchiha, who hoped to coexist with the Senju.

Having experienced unprecedented, massive wars, they understood the pain of endless conflict.

They held high the mark of the spiraling tip, attempting to protect the village and bring prosperity to the Uchiha clan in a form different from war.

Incompatible ideologies intensified the internal opposition of the Uchiha clan, and with Uchiha Madara's attack as the catalyst, the two factions within the Uchiha clashed violently.

However, the "Sharingan" Uchiha were ultimately the minority and were thoroughly crushed, leaving the "Konohagakure" Uchiha in full control of the power.

The only problem was that the parents of Kagami and Shuri belonged to the "Sharingan" Uchiha.

Kagami Uchiha stepped forward as one of the "Konohagakure" Uchiha to protect that honor.

Because Kagami, having witnessed the entire course of the great battle at Hashirama's side, was certain that Madara's attack and the Uchiha coup had no possibility of success.

Furthermore, Tobirama would never forgive the "Uchiha" for committing such foolish acts.

They would be annihilated—to escape the fate of destruction, he would not regret even fighting against his own kin.

Kagami loved the village deeply, and he loved the Uchiha clan deeply.

From the day Uchiha Madara launched his attack, for Uchiha Shuri, this world had turned into a parched, hellish landscape covered in sand.

During the time she had fallen into a deep sleep due to Kagami's Genjutsu: Sharingan, everything had changed beyond recognition.

After she awoke, Kagami told her the truth.

Although he had not let her participate in the battle, Shuri was a member of the Uchiha and had the right to know the truth, the right to face it squarely, so Kagami told her of the Uchiha's hopelessly foolish actions.

—To protect the village. To protect the Uchiha, to protect their honor.

(I don't know anything about that.)

The clan was split, Konohagakure, her home, was shaken, and her brother and parents were killing each other.

What was Shuri supposed to do?

The Uchiha clan was her pride.

Konohagakure was the important home that had given her life and raised her.

Her brother, her parents—they were the family she loved most.

Precisely because she loved all of this so deeply, Shuri did not know where to cast this hatred.

What should she resent? What should she hate?

Where had the bright future of Uchiha Shuri of Konohagakure gone?

Where was the present where she was embraced by her mother, praised by her father, and patted on the head by her brother?

Where had that gentle world gone—the one where she was a first-term graduate of the Ninja Academy, making a name for herself in Konoha and being praised by her beloved family?

Suffering in agony, Shuri happened to look up at the Face Rock one day.

The Hokage statues guarded the village with their stern expressions.

Looking closely, two figures were swaying atop them.

(Senju, Hashirama...)

One of them was a man she was accustomed to seeing.

The founder of her home, the important place—Konohagakure.

Then, who was that other small shadow...?

(Senju, Diejian...!)

A classmate from the Ninja Academy, the grandson of the Hokage, Hashirama.

Moreover, he was the direct descendant of the former enemy, the "Senju," and the next head of the family.

With his hair swaying in the wind, standing beside Hashirama—Diejian reached out to touch his forehead protector, as if carefully confirming the sensation.

—That's right. It's the Senju.

Shuri's heart cleared as if she had received a divine revelation.

But that feeling was like a sky full of dark clouds being blown away by a storm.

Her tainted heart, before she knew it, had reached a conclusion.

I and my brother have lost our parents, the Uchiha clan is suffering, and what are the Senju doing?

Aren't they supposed to be allies?

---It is all the fault of the Senju.

The heroes of Konoha, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.

It was precisely because the Senju were unreliable that Madara, the leader of the Uchiha, left the village.

It was precisely because the Senju lacked backbone that those unremarkable, mediocre members within the Uchiha clan grew so arrogant.

It was precisely because the Senju were all spineless that her magnificent brother was forced to go and help them.

It is all the Senju, always the Senju---.

Juri's dream was to establish an Uchiha regime that would replace the Senju.

But that could not be achieved through force.

Because her magnificent brother would not allow it.

Juri was also clear on Kagami's will.

Though reluctant, she knew that she was cherished by Kagami.

She also knew that the actions of her parents were deserving of condemnation.

She did not want to accept the embrace of Kagami, who had killed their parents and whose hands were stained with blood.

She also felt that it was fortunate she had not accepted the embrace of her parents, whose hands had been stained with Kagami's blood.

---Senju!!

In other words, she had made up her mind to prove that the Uchiha clan was superior to the Senju clan.

---In any case, most things are the fault of the Senju!!

And just like that, an Uchiha girl who burned with a spirit of rivalry against the Senju was formed.