Steadfast Will & The Origin of Shadow Space

"We need to buy some vegetables and fruit. Shizuka and the others are still growing; eating nothing but flatbread and meat all day won't do."

"Fine."

"Let's also get some books, paper, and pens. Words alone aren't enough; they need written materials to help them learn."

"There are still plenty left within the clan; the Anbu didn't take everything."

"Then you should quietly go retrieve some. You own a bookstore yourself, why didn't you think of that sooner?"

"I just didn't think of it, what do you expect me to do?"

Uchiha Arashi and Uchiha Izumi walked down the street, chatting in voices only the two of them could hear.

At the same time, they kept a sharp eye on their surroundings, ready to flee at the slightest sign of trouble.

During their walk, they heard plenty of the public's opinions regarding the Uchiha.

In the past, because of the Police Force, the villagers wouldn't have dared to be so vocal even if they were full of complaints, fearing that offending those "red-eyed monsters" would invite retaliation, even though the Uchiha would never have done such a thing. Now that the Uchiha were gone, everyone could finally speak their minds.

"Serves them right! Those bastards should have died long ago!"

"Walking around with their noses in the air all day—isn't it just because they have a good bloodline? If I had the Sharingan, I could do better than them!"

"I heard they were planning a coup. It's a good thing they're all dead; those guys were too dangerous."

"To think they were wiped out by their own clansmen; it seems they weren't even united internally."

"In any case, it's good that they're dead!"

Throughout Konoha, every street corner and alleyway was filled with disparaging remarks about the Uchiha.

Uchiha Arashi remained relatively composed, but Uchiha Izumi was significantly more affected.

"Is the clan really that despicable..."

"Don't be swayed by the words of others. Don't forget, the conflict between the clan and the village was fueled by the higher-ups of Konoha. Perhaps some clansmen had bad tempers, but it wasn't entirely the Uchiha's fault."

Uchiha Arashi said in a low voice.

"I understand... I just suddenly feel like the whole world hates the Uchiha..."

"If you truly can't stand it, then go live somewhere that doesn't hate the Uchiha."

"Huh? You mean..."

"Leave Konoha and go elsewhere. There will always be a place that can accommodate people like us. Even within the Land of Fire, there is room for us to survive."

"It seems you've already thought this through."

Izumi's eyes brightened slightly.

"I have some ideas," Uchiha Arashi nodded, "The Capital of Fire is a good choice."

"The Capital of Fire... you mean, the Daimyo?"

Izumi reacted quickly; after a moment of thought, she immediately locked onto the target.

"That's right. The Daimyo can become the Uchiha's support. If you go there, you will surely receive the Daimyo's protection."

"How is that possible? The Daimyo and the Kage are one. If we defect to the Daimyo, he would only... wait, why us? What about you?"

Izumi suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned her head, and stared fixedly at Uchiha Arashi.

"Let me answer your first question: the Daimyo and the Kage are not actually one. You just need to substitute the relationship between the village and the Uchiha. Think about it carefully: the Daimyo is the supreme leader of this country, yet he has a group of ninjas under him who do not follow his orders. If it were you, could you accept that?"

"I... I couldn't accept it. Those are all destabilizing factors. But I've never heard of any conflict between the Daimyo and the Kage before..."

"Even if there were, it wouldn't be shown. The Daimyo needs the Kage to provide military support. As long as Konoha doesn't go too far, the Daimyo has no choice but to endure it, unless he can find an opportunity to strike a fatal blow and replace them."

"...I understand."

Izumi thought about it and felt that the logic held up. When one's strength is inferior, one must lie low; once an opportunity arises, the Daimyo would certainly not mind taking full control of the entire ninja class.

"Then, regarding what you just said..."

"I have to stay here. I need to keep an eye on Konoha and look for an opportunity to take revenge."

Arashi said concisely.

"Then I'm not leaving either. I want to stay here with you."

The will that had been shaken by the villagers' remarks became firm once again as she recalled the hatred.

"What about Shizuka and the others? They are still young; they can't go on like this forever."

"They must bear all of this. They are also Uchiha, with Uchiha blood flowing in their veins. Their parents and families were also killed, so they must take revenge on the murderers!"

"I really couldn't tell, you're actually more ruthless than I am when you get down to it."

"Hmph, this isn't called being ruthless; this is called having a firm will!"

"Fine, fine, firm will. You're right, you have a point."

"Besides, the days ahead shouldn't be too difficult, right? I've observed your Shadow Space; it's constantly expanding, and it's almost a world unto itself. Aside from the lack of a sun and plants, the living conditions aren't harsh... I'm really curious, what exactly is this ability of yours? You promised to tell me before, don't lie."

Izumi's face was filled with anticipation.

Ever since she awakened the Mangekyo, she had seen many things she couldn't see before.

She had been observing the Shadow Space for some time now, and the more she looked, the more miraculous it seemed; she had asked about it several times before, but Uchiha Arashi had always brushed her off with vague excuses.

However, the more he refused to speak, the more curious Izumi became. After he had dodged her questioning again a few days ago, she had made up her mind today that, no matter what, she would not allow Arashi to brush her off again.

Uchiha Arashi clicked his tongue, feeling that it was finally time to tell the truth.

"Actually, you could consider this a unique application of space-time ninjutsu... using the power of nature as a framework, filled with Yin-style chakra, to forge an entirely new space within the shadows..."

It sounded simple enough, but in reality, he had created this Shadow Space by utilizing the power of "Cognition" to imitate the Shadow Realm of the Wandenreich.

To put it plainly, he had used chakra to replace spiritual power, leveraging the attribute of Yin-style to "create form out of the formless."

But if he were asked to create a new one right now, he wouldn't be able to do it.

Perhaps it might be possible after awakening the Mangekyo in the future, but the problem was that he hadn't even awakened his Sharingan yet, making the Mangekyo feel far too distant.

If he truly wanted to create another, he would have to borrow the power of "Cognition," but that was a long process of accumulation; he had waited a full two years for this current space, and unless the collection speed of "Cognition" could be further increased, he would never waste it like this again.

Upon hearing his explanation, Izumi's interest surged, and she wanted to experiment on the spot.

Uchiha Arashi hurriedly reached out to stop her.

He was joking, of course—he was terrified that others would notice the abnormality surrounding them.

"Let's buy our things first; we can talk about the rest when we get back."

He grabbed Izumi's hand and signaled with his eyes that they were, after all, on a public street.

Izumi immediately realized her mistake and halted her reckless movements.

Noticing that her hand was being held by Arashi, her face suddenly flushed a shade of red.