Keigo Uchiha was in high spirits!
He raised the corner of his mouth. "This is the benefit of having powerful backing. For civilian ninja, acquiring ninjutsu and resources is extremely difficult. Some may even spend their entire lives stuck at Chunin."
"But for me, as long as I have the talent, obtaining ninjutsu couldn't be easier!"
"The only thing I need to focus on is getting stronger quickly!"
Keigo Uchiha's gaze sharpened.
Although this was Konoha's golden age of peace, he still needed to keep getting stronger!
A person only lived once. Of course he had to reach the peak!
And besides... His gaze softened as he looked at the fair-skinned Hakuto beside him. He had someone he needed to protect.
After the two had left, the Great Elder remained silent for a long time.
"Getting my hands on Senju Tobirama's Water Release legacy won't be easy."
His brows furrowed. "Senju Tobirama had quite a few Water Release Ninjutsu that were forbidden. Even the Hokage's own line might not pass them down, let alone the Uchiha Clan, whom Senju Tobirama had always targeted."
Senju Tobirama had died in the First Shinobi World War.
But who could guarantee that his beliefs hadn't been passed down to Sarutobi Hiruzen?
"Fortunately, the scroll didn't end up in the Senju Clan's hands. If it had, there would be no hope at all."
Suddenly, he tapped his finger lightly on the desk.
Three times in a row.
Each tap was perfectly timed!
In a flash, there was a sharp whoosh!
The sound of something cutting through the air rang out.
Three black-clad ninja appeared beside the Great Elder!
Their faces were concealed, not a trace of skin visible. Their cold, shadowy eyes seemed to come from the depths of hell—icy, murderous, and utterly devoid of emotion!
The man in the middle, especially, kept his presence subdued, yet a keen edge shone through!
He was not yet thirty!
But his eyes held a profound weariness, as if... he had witnessed death and every facet of the world!
"You have a mission to complete. It is for the glory of the Uchiha Clan, and for its prosperity!"
Kyo Uchiha's face was hidden in the darkness, his expression impossible to make out.
Yet his voice was full of force!
"Go to the Land of Lightning! Find the Third Raikage's youngest son, and use the Sharingan to force him to reveal the complete Nintaijutsu of the Yotsuki Clan!"
He spoke slowly, each word firm and resolute!
"What!?"
Though the three were the Uchiha Clan's most elite operatives, the order still shocked them!
The burly ninja couldn't help asking, "Great Elder, peace has returned to the Shinobi World, and the Yotsuki Clan is the Raikage's line, the most powerful family in Kumogakure. You could even say they're no weaker than our Uchiha Clan!"
"Why go that far?"
The three operatives were baffled.
If anything went wrong, it could even spark a war between Konoha and Kumogakure!
And the Uchiha Clan would become Konoha's sinners!
But when they saw the Great Elder's calm expression, they sensed something subtle. This matter... seemed to be of great importance!
"So..." the Great Elder said coolly, "do your best not to hurt him, and leave no trace. I can only entrust this to the three of you."
Don't hurt him!
Leave no trace!
The three felt a chill and immediately understood what the Great Elder meant!
But this mission was even more difficult than killing the Raikage's youngest son!
The unspoken message was clear: if they were discovered, they were to take their own lives and destroy all evidence.
The Great Elder turned around, his expression solemn. "This concerns the future of our Uchiha Clan. I'm sorry for the trouble."
The three men froze, their expressions confused.
The burly man asked cautiously, "Why does the Nintaijutsu of the Yotsuki Clan concern the future of our Uchiha Clan?"
The Great Elder furrowed his brows.
Keigo's situation should be kept secret.
But these three were operatives of the Uchiha Clan.
And this mission was almost certain to be a suicide mission.
The Great Elder didn't want them to die without knowing what they were fighting for.
He paused, then slowly said, "Kagami's son was born with Storm Release and three chakra natures. He needs this Nintaijutsu!"
"What!?"
The three were startled. Even as operatives, their pupils contracted sharply. "So that's why."
"To think someone of the Uchiha Clan awakened Storm Release! With training, he could definitely become a Kage Level powerhouse!"
But then their eyes lit up with fervor!
This was the hope of the Uchiha Clan.
Perhaps... he could lead the Uchiha Clan to new heights!
"Lord Kagami's talent was already astonishing back then. I never imagined young master Keigo's would be even greater!"
The burly man said excitedly, "With the Sharingan, Storm Release, three chakra transformations, and Kumogakure's Nintaijutsu, not only will he make up for the Uchiha Clan's weakness in close combat, he'll also have the Sharingan's dynamic vision!"
"Young master Keigo... will become invincible in the future!"
The three exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with excitement.
Their bodies trembled slightly as they spoke in unison. "We're willing!"
"Even if it means risking our lives, what does it matter if our sacrifice brings forth another Uchiha Madara for the Uchiha Clan?"
With that,
the three departed resolutely under Kyo Uchiha's watchful gaze.
This wasn't a death march.
It was an honor!
"Everything you do will be remembered. You will forever be the pride of the Uchiha!"
The Great Elder was silent but resolute.
This was something they had to do.
"Now, the next thing to consider... is how to obtain Senju Tobirama's Water Release for Keigo."
He took a deep breath, his gaze thoughtful.
Suddenly, a ninja appeared at the entrance. He dropped to one knee and said respectfully, "Great Elder, Sarutobi Hiruzen requests an audience!"
At once,
the Great Elder smiled. It seemed he wasn't the only one after Water Release Ninjutsu. Sarutobi Hiruzen... wanted something too.
His expression remained as placid as still water as he slowly said, "Let him in. Tell him that as Kagami's close friend, he's welcome here."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had been friends with the late Uchiha Kagami.
He had visited the Uchiha Clan many times back then.
So the Great Elder knew Sarutobi Hiruzen well. The Uchiha Clan and Sarutobi Hiruzen even had some history together.
Meanwhile,
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was calm, but a trace of worry lingered in his eyes.
The First Shinobi World War had ended in Konoha Year 21.
And the Second, his own teacher, had died on the battlefield.
He had been appointed the new Hokage in a time of crisis.
But it was already Konoha Year 23, and he still hadn't become Hokage in name!
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath. "The hardliners in the Senju Clan won't back down. In their eyes, only a member of the Senju Clan is fit to serve as Hokage!"
"Although Lady Mito managed to keep them in check with her prestige, they keep causing trouble behind the scenes. Among the clans, I've only won over the Ino-Shika-Cho families and a few smaller ones. The Hyuga and Hatake clans are still watching from the sidelines. To truly defeat the Senju, one of the founding clans... I have to win over the Uchiha, the other founding clan!"
His eyes flashed with determination.
He strode inside!
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