The Uchiha Clan's Blind Swordsman

This was not merely war; it was high-stakes politics.

Politics concerning power.

"Minato, you are the person I trust most... This mission must be completed by you, and only you can complete it!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke with great solemnity.

Unaware of Sarutobi Hiruzen's true intentions, Namikaze Minato was deeply moved.

After all, gaining the trust of the Hokage was an honor for someone like him, who had been baptized in the [Will of Fire] since childhood.

However—

The pressure was truly immense.

Namikaze Minato gave a wry smile.

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept the mission.

Only after Minato had left did Sarutobi Hiruzen heave a heavy sigh.

"The number of capable people in the village... is becoming fewer and fewer!"

The training of the new generation had to be accelerated.

Among this current batch.

There were two individuals worthy of focused cultivation.

Itachi Uchiha and Uchiha Chiba.

The latter, after all, was of the Uchiha.

He had to be treated with caution and care.

Itachi Uchiha was a matter for another time.

Uchiha Fugaku held significant power during the Third Great Ninja War.

To strike at his son at such a time would ultimately be unwise.

Therefore... there was only one choice left.

That invisible Uchiha.

"Come out!"

Following Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice, a dark shadow appeared before him.

He knelt on one knee, and the moment he looked up, beneath the cat-face mask, blood-red eyes were reflected.

Sharingan, three tomoe.

"Uchiha Shisui!"

"Your Uchiha clan has produced a truly remarkable genius!"

"I have thoughts of cultivating him!"

"If the opportunity arises, you can help me test his strength!"

"His true strength!"

Uchiha Shisui.

The Uchiha genius recruited by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Who are you referring to?"

"Uchiha Chiba!"

Shisui was stunned, somewhat surprised.

"That clansman who is blind?"

Night, very tranquil.

Yugao Uzuki, a very ordinary girl.

She was not born into a prestigious noble family like the Hyuga or Uchiha.

Nor did she possess unique secret techniques like the Nara Clan or the Akimichi Clan.

She was simply from a commoner family.

She was one of the most ordinary members among the thousands of ninjas living in Konohagakure.

Though her birth was ordinary, she possessed extraordinary ambition.

Konoha-Style Swordsmanship—she did not know who had created it in the beginning.

Yugao Uzuki only knew that Konoha-Style Swordsmanship had been passed down through her family for generations.

It was not a secret technique, yet it had allowed her family to become a backbone of Konoha, playing an important role in both the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars.

By her generation, her clan seemed to be fading from the stage of history.

The reason was simple: Yugao Uzuki was a girl.

Whether one admitted it or not, women were generally weaker than men when it came to taijutsu and swordsmanship.

Existences like Tsunade were, after all, the exception.

Yet, Yugao Uzuki's ambition did not stop there.

So what if she was a woman?

In her view, even as a woman, she could still make Konoha-Style Swordsmanship shine once again.

This was the reason she wanted to constantly challenge herself and constantly surpass her limits.

To a certain extent, she was fortunate.

This strong-willed personality meant she was almost never traumatized by setbacks.

She had been standing here for an entire day.

The shock Chiba had brought her during the day was simply too great.

Just as Chiba had said at the start, she might have lost the ability to wield a sword because of it.

Even though Chiba had left a long time ago, her trembling hands still couldn't draw her blade.

Was it fear?

No, it was excitement.

It was the excitement of seeing the future direction of her swordsmanship.

Uchiha Chiba's mastery of the sword would be the goal she would pursue relentlessly.

And then—

After suppressing the trembling in her right hand, Yugao Uzuki slowly drew her blade.

Although the trembling remained, she held the sword.

Having overcome the obstacles within her heart, what awaited Yugao Uzuki was a new baptism.

"I... have reached a higher level."

"Uchiha Chiba, next time, I will absolutely not be unable to even draw my sword in front of you!"

"I will surpass you!"

What Chiba did not know was that the purple-haired girl had already marked him as a target she must pursue.

As night fell, Yugao Uzuki sheathed her sword and headed home.

The nights in Konoha were not as peaceful as one might imagine.

Recently, the number of missing persons had increased again.

Kurenai Yuhi was not among them, which made her very happy.

Turning the next corner, the purple-haired girl reached her home.

She needed to formulate a new training plan for herself, and then... challenge her target once more.

But at the girl's doorstep, an out-of-place figure appeared.

A pale face and a frail frame signaled that his health was not very good.

He seemed to have been a sickly child since he was young.

Hayate Gekko, a fellow swordsman from her generation.

Before this, he had always practiced swordsmanship with Yugao Uzuki.

However, once Yugao Uzuki sensed that he had other intentions, she stopped asking him to practice.

Because—

Right now, the girl's eyes were only on becoming stronger, only on surpassing others.

She might consider other things after becoming stronger, but certainly not now.

This was her lover from the original story; although it ended in tragedy, the two were destined to be together.

However—

Because of the butterfly effect caused by Chiba, all of Yugao Uzuki's attention had been captured.

"Hayate Gekko, from now on... you shouldn't come looking for me anymore."

The girl's words were absolute.

It seemed there was no room for rebuttal.

This was incredibly cruel to Hayate Gekko, who had been waiting for her for so long.

"Why?"

Though his heart was brimming with a thousand words, all that came out were these three helpless syllables.

"First, I have no intention of wasting my focus on such things right now; I will continue to grow stronger!"

"Second, I am simply not interested in you!"

Everyone has their own goals, and everyone must keep moving forward.

As the young girl walked away without even glancing back.

Hayate Gekko knew that he, perhaps, stood no chance.

Why?

He asked himself again.

She had never been this cold to him before.

Why had she become so resolute tonight?

He couldn't fathom it, nor could he understand.

A fragile peace maintained solely by the front lines is cheap.

Because no one will ever cherish its true value.

As time marched on.