Why Did He Choose to Run Away?

"Good morning, Genichi."

"Lord Genichi, you're here again."

Walking through the Uchiha Clan Compound, Genichi smiled and nodded in response. "Good. You've got plenty of energy. Keep it up."

If you were wondering why the usually rather insular Uchiha Clan was so friendly toward Chiba Genichi,

then you had to look no further than On Uchiha Friendly Attitudes and Uchiha Eye-Opening Theory, two timeless works proposed by Genichi, compiled and summarized by the Second Elder, Uchiha Kohaku, and credited to Chiba Genichi.

In the Uchiha Clan, no one, young or old, male or female, didn't want to awaken or upgrade their Sharingan. So everyone owned a copy of Uchiha Eye-Opening Theory. Some even collected three copies: one to keep, one to read, and one to lend out and spread the word.

Especially after word came back from the battlefield that Mikoto Uchiha had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan at thirteen, a craze for genjutsu training swept through the entire Uchiha Clan.

The Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, once the first ninjutsu most young Uchiha learned, could just stay out of it. These days, if you hadn't trained in at least one or two genjutsu techniques, you'd be embarrassed to go out and call yourself an Uchiha ninja.

"As an Uchiha ninja, you can afford not to know who the Third Hokage is, but you can't afford not to know Lord Chiba Genichi, who wrote Uchiha Eye-Opening Theory." —Anonymous Uchiha.

Besides, the Uchiha Clan had always respected the strong. The name "White Reaper" had long since spread throughout the Ninja World. Every Uchiha ninja who had seen Genichi on the battlefield said, "He's practically me."

His dashing, elegant looks, his clean and decisive swordsmanship, and the strangely impressive things he said from time to time in battle—

He was so cool. He was just too cool. That image had deeply captivated every chuunibyou Uchiha.

And on top of that, everyone could see that Chiba Genichi was involved with Miss Mikoto, the Second Elder's granddaughter. It wouldn't be long before he moved right into the Uchiha Clan Compound.

If he wasn't one of their own, then who was?

Unlike the Hyuga clan, which always kept marriage within the family, the Uchiha Clan didn't object to its members marrying outsiders.

The famous Uchiha researcher Chiba Genichi speculated, "Back in the day, the Uchiha tried to preserve the purity of their bloodline by forbidding marriage to outsiders. They split up couple after couple who were madly in love, driving their people to awaken their Sharingan in droves just to get back at society. In the end, they had no choice but to announce, 'We Uchiha believe in freedom of love.'"

When Genichi arrived at Mikoto's house, he let himself in with his key, as familiar with the place as ever, and found Mikoto waiting by the door.

Mikoto's face lit up with anticipation when she saw him enter. "Genichi, you're here."

"Mikoto, have you missed me these past few days?" Genichi laughed as he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her, and carried her inside.

"Brat, do you think my Sharingan doesn't work anymore?" Seeing the scene, Kohaku almost drew a forty-meter-long Susanoo Great Blade.

"Haha, Second Elder, what are you doing here?" Caught flirting with his girlfriend in front of her family, Genichi laughed awkwardly.

"This is my house. Where else would I be?"

In the end, Kohaku still let Genichi inside.

Looking at Genichi, who was dressed casually yet still every bit the dashing young man, Kohaku couldn't help but sigh. The boy really was exceptional, and powerful too—just like Kohaku himself in his younger days. He was well-liked both in the village and among the clan. It would be nice to have him by Mikoto's side in the future.

Kohaku had lived through the Warring States period and was already old. His health was failing, and he might not have many years left.

"I'm old now. I'm entrusting Mikoto to you from here on, Genichi." Uchiha Kohaku made the request solemnly.

"Grandpa, you're still full of energy. In a few years, you can officiate at our wedding." Genichi reassured him. "You could also make an effort to awaken the Mangekyo while you're at it. Then Mikoto could have a Mangekyo that never goes blind, just like Madara Uchiha."

Mikoto had been lost in fantasies of the wedding, but when she heard about the Mangekyo, her eyes couldn't help lighting up with hope.

Looking at the two good, dutiful children before him, Kohaku felt his vision go dark. "Even if I awaken the Mangekyo, it'll be because you two drove me to it."

Setsuna Uchiha's life hadn't been going well lately.

He'd finally gotten out of the Anbu prison, only to find that his clanmates were far more enthusiastic about training than they used to be. Two happy things had come together, so shouldn't they have made him even happier?

When Setsuna got out of the Military Police Force for some fresh air, he keenly noticed a strange, pitying look in his clanmates' eyes. They no longer treated him with the respect they had in the past.

He couldn't find out why, but it didn't matter. There were no lies under the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

After learning the truth, Setsuna, who believed he'd inherited Madara Uchiha's will, felt as if the sky had fallen.

And so, an uninvited guest appeared at Kohaku's doorstep.

"Kohaku! Uchiha Kohaku! Get out here!"

"You promised you'd keep it absolutely secret!"

"If you've got the nerve to tell everyone, then open the door!"

That was right. Setsuna Uchiha could accept following Lord Madara and betraying the village—that was his loyalty to the clan leader.

He could accept inciting the Uchiha to revolt and failing, then being thrown into the Anbu prison by the Second Hokage. He'd simply been outmatched in his struggle for the Uchiha's glory.

But why? Lord Madara, why did you have to leave through the front gate when you defected?

Setsuna knew that in the eyes of his clanmates, his image was probably changing from "Uchiha hardliner" to "Uchiha laughingstock."

At last, after shouting and making a scene at the door, Setsuna vaulted over the wall. He was about to settle the score with Kohaku when he suddenly noticed that Chiba Genichi, a non-Uchiha, was there too.

To prevent his embarrassing past from spreading any further, Setsuna had no choice but to rein in his temper and maintain the Uchiha's usual haughty image. "You're Chiba Genichi? I've read your books. Not bad. For an ordinary person without a Kekkei Genkai, you've tried very hard."

Genichi wasn't offended. He kept smiling and looked at Setsuna the way someone might look at a cat or dog by the roadside.

An insult like that was nothing. Besides, Genichi was stronger now.

Genichi's strength far surpassed that of an ordinary elite jonin with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan like Setsuna. Even if the Third Hokage and the Hokage's aide came at him together, he could calmly get away using Magnet Release to fly.

If you're wondering why he'd run away—

He had no choice. In this version of the game, the Dead Demon Consuming Seal's instant activation and the close-range self-detonation of the Four-Symbols Seal were still way too overpowered.