But Mirai quickly frowned. "But I didn't sense any Mangekyō reaction from Uchiha Jiuyuan! Could it be that he hasn't awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?!"
"That's right. Uchiha Jiuyuan indeed does not possess the Mangekyō Sharingan. Even so, he is probably one of the very strongest in the entire clan. I don't mean merely among the top ranks—I mean he is an absolute powerhouse. I don't know who would win if you two fought to the death, but I suspect that even I am no longer his match." The Third Elder spoke slowly, lightly pointing at his own eyes. "Do you understand? What I mean is that even without the Mangekyō, he is a powerful Kage-level expert. So you must be careful around him."
Mirai nodded gently. It seemed that the Third Elder still regarded him as part of his own faction.
Meanwhile, in the Conference Hall, the Great Elder sat alone. After a long while, a voice rang out within the room. "Not bad. That little fellow sensed my presence in an instant. His perception is remarkably sharp."
"Yes, that boy has been growing stronger and stronger. Do you think he'll become like that person?" The Great Elder's expression was extremely grim as he stared at the ceiling. "Jiuyuan, do you still blame me for stopping you from competing with Old Third for the position of Third Elder back then?"
"How could I? You're my biological older brother, after all." At that moment, the Great Elder's shadow twisted, and a figure stepped out from it. The man wore a round, demonic mask over his face, but his build bore a ninety-percent resemblance to the Great Elder's.
The Great Elder gave a bitter smile. "There was no helping it. Your strength was simply too great."
"Hmph, yes. Ever since that person,