The Uchiha Clan's Blind Swordsman Chapter 43

Although the memorial was held under the banner of honoring the heroes of the Uchiha clan, it ended on a sour note.

Itachi could not understand.

If they were heroes of Konoha, why was the Hokage unwilling to acknowledge their Uchiha surname in front of the other clans?

Likewise, Itachi could not understand.

Why were his father and Chiba so obsessed with the Uchiha surname within Konoha?

Was the Uchiha not the Uchiha of Konoha?

What on earth had happened between Konoha and the Uchiha?

He had originally thought.

That he was a member of the Uchiha clan, and even more so, a ninja of Konoha.

However, just now, when Sarutobi Hiruzen had skirted the issue while mentioning Obito's surname.

In Itachi's eyes.

Konoha was Konoha, and the Uchiha were merely the Uchiha.

Even though standing on high ground allowed one to see further.

It seemed that no one was willing to climb to that easily attainable peak.

Whether it was Sarutobi Hiruzen or Uchiha Fugaku, both were the same.

"What are you thinking about?"

Watching Itachi in a daze.

Chiba raised his hand and tapped him on the forehead.

Coming back to his senses, Itachi stared blankly at Chiba, then spoke.

"Chiba, why must everyone be so fixated on their clan?"

"If one were to think from the perspective of the village, wouldn't there be no difference between Konoha and the Uchiha?"

"Yet, the Hokage and Father seem to have reached a dead end."

Hearing this, Chiba smiled.

"I told you before, didn't I? Your flaw is that you think too much."

"And now, I need to add one more."

"You think too idealistically."

"Do you really believe that everyone can be like you and think from the perspective of the village?"

"I don't know about others, but as the Hokage, I feel he should be able to!"

Itachi nodded with great conviction.

The Hokage was the leader of Konoha.

He did not command any single family, but the entirety of Konoha.

Thinking from the perspective of the whole village was only logical.

"That is why you see Sarutobi Hiruzen always using the village as an excuse."

"Itachi, do you remember what I told you before?"

"What words?"

"Behind the wars between nations lies politics!"

"And behind politics, lies human nature."

"And in this world, the thing that can least withstand the test, and is also the most untrustworthy... is human nature."

"It is as simple as that."

Chiba was speaking in riddles again.

Yet, if one were to carefully savor these words.

Itachi could indeed gain something from them.

Snap.

Before Itachi could ponder Chiba's words further, he was interrupted.

His forehead was tapped by Chiba once again.

"I told you, don't think too much."

"At our age, we should act based on a surge of hot-blooded passion."

"Hot-blooded passion?"

Itachi tilted his head and looked at Chiba.

"That sort of thing, Chiba, do you have it?"

"Of course, it's just that my burning passion won't be stirred by the Will of Fire."

Hearing this, Itachi smiled.

"Chiba-kun is truly still the same Chiba-kun."

Itachi gazed into the distance, though it was unclear what he was looking at.

Suddenly, Chiba felt a tug at the corner of his clothes.

He didn't know when it had happened.

Itachi had raised his right hand, carefully gripping the hem of Chiba's garment.

"Chiba-kun."

"What is it?"

"I want to see the battlefield."

"That's not a good place to be; people die there."

"I know."

"But I still want to see it. I want to truly understand war, understand ninjas, and understand the village."

"So, will you support me?"

Itachi pulled on the corner of Chiba's clothes, gripping it even tighter.

Chiba tilted his head in confusion.

So, why are you so nervous?

Soon, Chiba realized why.

Right, Itachi was only five years old after all.

Even if he waited a while longer, he would only be six.

He was nothing more than a child.

Just a child who thought too much.

Unlike Chiba, who had transmigrated and possessed the soul of two lifetimes, Itachi was different.

Making the decision to go to the battlefield—especially for an Itachi who had already witnessed the cruelty of war once—required courage.

After all.

This time was different from when Uchiha Fugaku had taken him to the battlefield before.

To step onto the battlefield as a ninja meant one had to kill.

And at the same time, one could be killed.

Ding!

[Special mission triggered randomly!]

[As a ninja, one ought to bathe in blood; as the successor of Fujitora Issho, one ought to make his swordsmanship renowned throughout the ninja world!]

[Special Mission: Initial Fame. Slay three hundred enemies on the battlefield. Reward: Double chakra, Fujitora Issho template progress: 2%, Aizen Sosuke template progress: 0.5%. Time limit: three months!]

Another new special mission?

It was unexpected, yet within reason.

Special missions had appeared twice in total.

And both times, they occurred when Chiba was facing a choice.

In other words, do special missions only trigger when facing major events or decisions?

Of course, this might not be a necessary condition.

But at the very least, the probability is much higher.

After all, during his month of daily training, a special mission hadn't appeared even once.

More importantly...

The rewards this time.

The reward for a single special mission was more than what he gained from a month of daily sword-swinging tasks.

Beyond the template progress, this time, the system also granted a reward of doubled chakra.

In the world of the Hokage, what is chakra?

Chakra is a form of energy produced by the perfect fusion of various energy components controlled by the human body, and this energy has two sources.

First, physical energy extracted cell by cell from the trillions of cells in the human body.

Second, spiritual energy cultivated through extensive training and the accumulation of experience.

In some respects, chakra can be equated to physical stamina.

Right now, what Chiba lacked most was the physical stamina required to utilize his Devil Fruit abilities.

"Of course! The battlefield... I've been longing for it for a long time."

Chiba gave a definitive answer.

Chakra is formed by the combination of physical energy and spiritual energy.

Of course, in the world of the Hokage, there exists a third type of energy that acts like a cheat code: natural energy.

However, that is a prerequisite for Sage Mode, and Chiba has yet to come into contact with such things.

Spiritual energy is, in fact, linked to the soul.

Therefore, because Chiba had transmigrated with his soul intact and merged with the original Uchiha Chiba, he possessed a natural advantage in terms of spiritual energy.

Coupled with the inheritance he received from the Shinigami Aizen, which granted him the power of Reiatsu, Chiba's spiritual energy was ridiculously high.

What truly limited Chiba, however, was his physical energy.

Unlike the Senju Clan or the Uzumaki Clan, the Uchiha Clan did not possess that kind of heaven-defying constitution.

Of course, compared to other clans, the Uchiha Clan's physical fitness was still formidable.

After all, they were the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.

At this very moment, the system directly issued a reward that doubled his chakra.