Never Waver!

The first impression most people had of the Fuma Clan was that they were a fallen ninja clan skilled in using large ninja tools.

Since they were said to be fallen, their ancestors must have enjoyed a period of prosperity.

During the Sengoku period, their clan had been considered mid-tier. At their height, they had joined forces with the Uchiha Clan to oppose the Senju Clan.

In the Land of Fire, the Sengoku period was, in essence, the Senju and the Uchiha each leading a group of followers into battle.

After the two sides united, every notable ninja clan joined Konoha.

The Fuma Clan had been among the unluckiest. They were eliminated during the preliminary contests, leaving them ineligible to join Konoha.

Hashirama Senju was a great philanthropist, but Tobirama, who handled the affairs, was not. He wanted clans with inherited secret techniques, or civilians who were blank slates.

He would never accept a clan with little strength and a deep-seated clan mentality.

So even now, the Fuma Clan was less famous than the Fuma Shuriken favored by the Uchiha.

--

The Land of Fields.

Compared with the Land of Hot Water, famous for its hot spring tourism, and the Land of Iron, rich in iron ore, the Land of Fields was a true reflection of most small countries in the Shinobi World.

It had poor transportation, a weak economy, and virtually no military strength. It held little standing in the Shinobi World.

It was only later, when Orochimaru established the Village Hidden in the Sound there, that this small country's status rose.

Only after setting foot on this land did Uchiha Sora realize he'd gotten one thing wrong.

What the hell was there in the Land of Fields for Orochimaru to squeeze out? He'd probably end up paying for the country's infrastructure himself.

Even if this little country were auctioned off as a whole, it wouldn't be worth as much as a single town in the Land of Fire.

Thinking about it, claims that Sasori and Chiyo had each destroyed a small country on their own sounded impressive, but that was all.

Seeing a woman selling her own child on the street just to get enough to eat, Shisui looked pained.

"Sora, do you have any food left in your bag?"

Uchiha Sora had seen the scene too. He replied calmly, "You'd get her killed, Shisui."

"If you give her food here, she won't be able to protect it."

Shisui furrowed his brows. "Why wouldn't she be able to protect it? She could just eat it right away."

"See that group in the alley? They've already got their eyes on you."

"They wouldn't dare attack us while we're dressed as ninja, but the moment you give that woman anything, they'll swarm her..."

"You think eating it will keep it safe? You're underestimating them. They'll cut open her stomach to get the food, and they'll get a meal of meat while they're at it."

"How could they..."

Uchiha Sora remained expressionless as he continued, "I may not like Konoha. It has a deeply dark side."

"But I grew up in Cat Village, so I know one thing very well."

"Compared to the outside world, Konoha is practically paradise."

"Orphans there don't starve to death. An orphanage takes them in. At worst, they get sent to Root for training."

Even the children Orochimaru used in his experiments were obtained outside Konoha.

"You've killed a few Root ninja yourself. Why would they face death without flinching for someone like Danzo...?"

"Because to them, Danzo is the savior who rescued them from hell."

Uchiha Sora looked at the people in the street, shambling like the living dead, and spoke slowly. "When people are starving to the extreme, they can cast aside all those so-called feelings and morals."

"I remember Orochimaru once said he'd seen many orphans. Compared to what became of them, dying would have been a better ending."

Uchiha Sora despised Uchiha Itachi for massacring his clan, but he didn't believe it had been a completely irrational act of madness.

He had witnessed war and knew how wonderful Konoha was. Itachi had wanted to protect Konoha at all costs and let Sasuke live there.

He simply hadn't been strong enough. When forced to choose, he had placed Sasuke above the village, and the village above his clan. That was why he'd done such a thing.

Shisui's steps were heavy. He wasn't some sheltered noble boy, and Sora's reminder quickly helped him understand the root of it all.

"Sora... why do you think... the Shinobi World can never truly know peace?"

"Can war really never end?"

Uchiha Sora smiled faintly. "Don't dwell on that question. There's no answer to it."

"All we can do is make sure we're on the winning side of every war!"

Shisui watched Uchiha Sora's back.

After a long moment, he came back to himself and followed.

--

An Uchiha jonin visiting a place like the Land of Fields was no different from a Celestial Dragon going to the countryside.

Uchiha Sora went straight to the official in charge at the Daimyo Residence and ordered him to summon the Fuma Clan. Then he drove the Feudal Lord out of the manor and settled in with Shisui.

The Land of Fields' Daimyo Residence wasn't even as luxurious as Shisui's old family home.

The next day, a group of plainly dressed ninja gathered outside the Daimyo Residence. They were the Fuma Clan.

Only two of them entered the residence to pay their respects to their former overlord.

One was the current leader of the Fuma Clan, a hunched, ugly middle-aged man. Beside him stood a stunning young girl with blue hair.

"Greetings, Lord Uchiha. I am Fuma Kage, and this is my daughter, Fuma Kageya."

The girl stared at the seated youth, her gray-blue eyes filled with confusion.

He looked even younger than she was, yet he calmly accepted the kneeling homage of her father, a jonin...

"Kageya, don't raise your head!"

Her father's scolding brought Kageya back to her senses. She hurriedly followed his example and knelt.

Uchiha Sora saw through Fuma Kage's intentions at a glance.

The way a small clan survived was by paying tribute to a great clan and seeking its protection.

The Fuma Clan had nothing valuable to offer, so they had brought the most beautiful girl in their clan, hoping to win the powerful man's pity.

"Clan Leader Kage, I came all this way to find you. You can probably guess why."

Kage was taken aback, then hurriedly bowed again. "The Fuma Clan is willing to serve you. We'll obey you, even at the cost of our lives!"

No matter how he looked at it, the Fuma Clan wasn't important enough for a powerful Uchiha to come after them. That left only one possibility: recruitment.

The Fuma Clan's finest hour had been when they served as the Uchiha's followers during the Sengoku period.

The greatest wish of every Fuma Clan leader had been to restore the clan to glory.

This was their chance to rise to greatness overnight. Even if Sora's first order was for Kage to die, he would carry it out without hesitation!

Uchiha Sora nodded and spoke slowly. "To be honest, the Uchiha Clan has now left Konoha. I plan to recruit some ninja clans and establish a ninja village belonging to the Uchiha."

"So if you're hoping to join Konoha, you're going to be disappointed."

After a brief pause, Kage bowed and said, "In that case... all the better!"

"Our ancestors have told us from generation to generation that the Uchiha are the strongest clan in the Shinobi World. The Senju only surpassed the Uchiha for a time thanks to the strength of the God of Shinobi. They never had the ambition to rule a nation!"

"I believe that under the Uchiha's leadership, we can build a ninja village to rival the Five Great Nations!"

Uchiha Sora smiled faintly. "There's no need to flatter us. Our records show that the Uchiha and the Senju fought for a thousand years, and at their best, they were only evenly matched."

"I don't make empty promises. Follow us, and you'll gain wealth, fame, and power."

"Of course, you need to understand that danger will come with them."

"If your clan is destroyed because of me, I won't feel any guilt. Have you made up your mind?"

Without hesitation, Fuma Kage bowed low.

"I will follow your vision and never waver!"