Made Up My Mind

"Yes, that's right! You are absolutely correct!"

"The proud Uchiha clan must never survive by groveling under others; we must maintain our independence!"

Uchiha Raimon nodded in agreement.

After Uchiha Tenshu's prophecy regarding the future, Uchiha Raimon's resolve had hardened, and he realized that the entire Uchiha clan was composed of short-sighted, petty people.

Only he and Uchiha Tenshu truly saw the dangerous situation facing the Uchiha.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of self-satisfaction.

Very well! Let this old man be the one to save the Uchiha.

It is time for me to truly risk my life for the future of the clan!

As Uchiha Raimon thought this, the Sharingan in his eyes grew increasingly bright. The aura of slaughter that once filled his tomoe gradually faded, replaced by a gorgeous, gem-like clarity.

His ocular power had advanced.

Uchiha Raimon quickly noticed this.

His heart surged with wild joy.

"My Sharingan has improved once more. This level of ocular power is nearly double what it used to be."

"Although it hasn't reached the Mangekyō Sharingan level, it far exceeds the limits of a standard Three-Tomoe Sharingan. It is the critical threshold between the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"It is a pity that this step is a world of difference, and I fear I will never have the chance to cross this boundary in my lifetime."

Uchiha Raimon sighed inwardly.

Yet, he was not greedy.

After all, the awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan was said to be pregnant with misfortune. If he could avoid awakening those eyes forever in exchange for the happiness of his loved ones, why not?

Uchiha Tenshu did not know what Uchiha Raimon was thinking, but he noticed the change in his ocular power.

He continued, "Beyond that, we must prepare a refuge far from Konoha in the Land of Fire. This is to ensure that if things become impossible, our Uchiha clan can send a portion of our people away from Konoha at any time, giving us a fallback regardless of the circumstances. Regarding this..."

"I suggest that I take personal responsibility for these matters!"

"After all, with Elder Uchiha Ming having defected, who knows which other clansmen in our family have been blinded by these years of peace!"

"Therefore, we must be twelve times as vigilant."

As he said this, Uchiha Tenshu's handsome young face tightened with seriousness, his expression conveying the gravity of a man who must keep secrets for the sake of the clan.

But in his actual actions, he began to reveal his true purpose: laying the foundation for his own enterprise.

Even if he was helping the Uchiha secure a path of retreat, he could kill two birds with one stone by gaining more support for his own ventures abroad. There was no reason not to do it!

Moreover, Uchiha Tenshu's current strength had reached the level of an Elite Chunin, but he lacked real combat experience. If he wanted to advance further, necessary combat and training abroad were absolutely essential.

One had to know that every ninja at the Jonin level had experienced countless battles.

They were essentially killing machines.

Stronger ninjas, starting from the Elite Jonin level, could release a killing intent so potent that it would render ordinary people completely unable to resist.

Not to mention Kage Level powerhouses.

They could kill simply by using their presence.

One of the necessary conditions to achieve this was to allow one's spirit to grow through sufficient courage.

Slaughter was the best way to nurture it.

And this was an indispensable condition for becoming a powerhouse.

Uchiha Tenshu did not resist this slaughter.

An ancient saying went: to kill one is a crime, to slaughter ten thousand is a hero, and to slaughter nine million is the hero of heroes.

Clearly, if he wanted to achieve great things that ordinary people could not, how could he do it without killing?

Not to mention, the Ninja World was a man-eating world.

The entire world was survival of the fittest.

If you don't eat others, how can you become a master of men?

Kaguya Otsutsuki ate all the people and energy on the entire planet, suffered no consequences, and became the Rabbit Goddess.

The Sage of Six Paths consumed the soul chakra of all the dead on the planet, and did he not become the Sage of Six Paths?

The other members of the Otsutsuki Clan ate their way through entire planets, and they were still perfectly fine.

Even those heroes and great figures of past lives, like Qin Shi Huang and Zhu Yuanzhang, whom people knelt and fawned over, committed all sorts of acts—destroying families, wiping out clans, burning, and pillaging. Yet, as long as their deeds were grand enough, and they thoroughly eliminated their enemies and their descendants, those who remained were either their own offspring or the descendants of ministers who knelt to sing their praises. For the sake of their ancestors' reputation, they would rather distort every fact than admit anything other than that their ancestors were great, capable, and righteous. Isn't that the logic of it all?

Of course, from the very beginning, Uchiha Tenshu's goal was clear: to climb step by step to the very top and possess everything.

And slaughter.

It was merely a tool to reach that goal.

Therefore, Uchiha Tenshu would never indulge in such low-level killing.

Given this need, whether it was for the sake of improving his strength or other aspects, Uchiha Tenshu had to leave the village.

Not to mention.

If Uchiha Tenshu wanted to go out, start his own enterprise, and carve out his own territory, he would inevitably need to scout various places in the Ninja World to see what was suitable for development and what was not.

Merely imagining it in his mind.

That would not be foolproof.

Therefore, the present was the best time to achieve his goals of external exploration, practical combat, and securing more support for his venture.

Hashirama Senju had not yet passed away.

The prestige of the God of Shinobi overshadowed all other forces in the Ninja World, ensuring that as a ninja of Konoha, he would hardly encounter opponents too difficult or dangers beyond his own capabilities.

Furthermore, with Tobirama Senju not yet in office, external forces would not casually start wars or drag him into the fray.

Otherwise, once Tobirama Senju took office next year, Uchiha Tenshu reckoned the Uchiha clan would begin to suffer.

Not to mention, people from other great nations were constantly probing Konoha; ninjas venturing out would certainly encounter attacks disguised by other ninjas. The further into the coming years, the more they would drive toward the abyss of war.

Therefore, all actions must be taken during this window of opportunity to rationalize everything, so that by the time Tobirama Senju took office, it would be perceived as the norm.

And he would have no suspicions.

Thus, he would avoid having eyes constantly fixed upon him.

"Another plan is that the Senju clan still harbors hostility and hatred toward us; they have never truly treated us as comrades in Konoha. Therefore, we must guard against the traps of the Senju clan and the small families that support them."

"We must prevent the total annihilation of the entire Uchiha clan!"

"After all, who knows if the current Senju clan is just lulling us into a false sense of security? Waiting for us to let our guard down before delivering a fatal blow! We must not be careless!"

Uchiha Tenshu said solemnly.

Although he spoke these words, in reality, combined with the current situation of Elder Raimon, Tenshu was clearly telling the elder to boldly and confidently treat the other side as an enemy—after all, they had already come to their doorstep to kill!

"That shouldn't be the case! Although this ambush might have been pushed by Tobirama Senju, it could just be his own idea," Uchiha Raimon said with some hesitation.

After all, in the few years since Konoha was established, he had seen ordinary Senju clansmen who didn't seem to target the Uchiha much; it felt more like individual animosity.

"Elder Raimon, you must not be too naive. The Senju and our Uchiha have fought for years; how could that hatred be so easily erased? Now, Konoha is peaceful on the surface, but in the shadows, the Senju's vigilance toward us has never diminished. Plus, with Tobirama Senju's hostility toward us, those ordinary clansmen will only follow orders; they won't care at all whether we are in the wrong!"

"In short."

"We cannot entrust the fate of the entire clan to the goodwill of the Senju. Once they have an opportunity, our Uchiha will surely fall into an abyss from which there is no return." Uchiha Tenshu's gaze was firm, his words earnest, and his expression full of gravity.

It was only because Uchiha Raimon had been ambushed and assassinated once.

He knew in his heart of Tobirama Senju's ill intentions.

Added to that, Konoha had only been established for a few years.

Throughout the Ninja World, all clans still placed their own interests above those of the village.

Therefore, the strongest Genjutsu, the Will of Fire of Konoha Shinobi Village, had not yet completely taken root in people's hearts.

Otherwise.

Uchiha Tenshu would never have dared to speak such rebellious words.

Uchiha Raimon fell silent. After a while, he nodded slowly and heavily, saying, "You are right, Tenshu."

At this moment.

Uchiha Raimon finally made up his mind.

Since Uchiha Tenshu arrived here.

Uchiha Raimon's thoughts had changed time and again.

Unknowingly.

He had already made a decision equivalent to "betraying the village."

"Then, since you want to do this, I will arrange special missions for you from the clan to give you sufficient reason to leave the village without attracting attention. However, once you are out, you will have to be responsible for everything. If there is trouble, I will have my trusted aides assist you. Remember, you must act with caution; you must never let others find out."

Uchiha Raimon looked at Tenshu and specifically urged him.

As someone who had watched Uchiha Tenshu's growth over the past two years, Uchiha Raimon had absolute recognition of his talent and wisdom, considering him a genius rarely seen in the Uchiha clan in a thousand years—well, a genius in terms of wisdom.

Therefore, he understood Uchiha Tenshu's intentions.

Since Uchiha Tenshu was confident and felt he could handle such matters, he would certainly be able to do it.

Thus, he felt at ease letting him carry it out.

"Please rest assured, My Lord Raimon. I will make secret preparations to leave a retreat for the clan. If the Senju clan truly harbors ill intent, we will be able to withdraw safely, or at the very least, preserve the embers of the Uchiha." Uchiha Tenshu felt a surge of joy in his heart, though he remained solemn on the surface, patting his chest as he spoke.

Finally, he could take the first step toward his grand ambition!