Hidden Chunin Strength

Creak~

Uchiha Tenshu lifted his small, frost-reddened face, wiped away a crystalized snot with his gloved hand, and stomped his feet to shake off the snow. Only after finishing these preparations did he push open the solid wood door, which seemed far too grand for his station.

"Whew..."

As soon as Uchiha Tenshu stepped inside, he immediately shut the door. With the entrance sealed, the biting wind and freezing air vanished in an instant, and his body began to warm up.

The interior of the house was constructed primarily of wood, presenting a brown, uniform aesthetic filled with straight, smooth lines.

Yet, within this rigid, square framework, one could clearly see several gray walls built from mud and bricks, through which the heat from the fireplace was being conducted.

Combined with the heated kang that connected all the rooms, the entire interior was as warm as spring.

This major project was a labor of love that had cost Uchiha Tenshu and a few "friends" no small amount of effort to complete.

And this was one of the few inventions Uchiha Tenshu had been able to openly present within the clan during this lifetime.

By now, these kang beds and floor heating systems had spread throughout the clan, and even other families in Konoha had borrowed and implemented them to some extent.

With these minor, visible inventions proving Uchiha Tenshu's "early intelligence," he had not only received generous financial rewards but was also prioritized by the clan. He was granted the same level of training as direct-line descendants, taught a vast amount of ninjutsu materials, and bestowed with various precious secret medicines.

This had allowed Uchiha Tenshu, at only seven years old, to secretly possess the strength of a Chunin.

Do not underestimate a Chunin.

Not to mention that in the original story, a so-called Chunin already held a minor leadership position and was considered the backbone of the village.

For ordinary people, even their lifelong potential would not exceed an Elite Genin; such was the shackle of talent.

In this reality, however, a Konoha-certified Chunin was already considered an elite, comparable to the Jonin of other smaller ninja villages.

As for Konoha's Jonin, they were the high-level officials of the village; if placed in an outside village, they would be the village leader. Even in the late Warring States period years ago, a Jonin was the absolute pinnacle and the pillar of a clan.

If not for the appearance of two monsters who brought a new sense of power to the Ninja World, the Kage Level would likely have been the highest combat power in this world.

Fortunately, Uchiha Tenshu's talent was also of the highest order. He possessed all five innate attributes, grasped various ninjutsu with ease, and harbored many ideas for developing new techniques.

Basically, after reaching adulthood, he was guaranteed to reach the level of Jonin to Elite Jonin. And after the special training he had designed for himself, the Kage Level would be nothing more than a small hurdle—it would never be the end of his journey!

And now, what I lack is time!

Uchiha Tenshu thought silently, casting a glance at the warm and comfortable mansion.

A two-story building, a small garden of over fifty square meters in front, eight uniform rooms upstairs and down, warm and brand new. If this were my previous life, even if I worked my whole life, I probably couldn't afford it. But here, it's gifted upon joining Konoha. Even an auxiliary member like me gets to live in such a mansion, let alone the true clan elite...

After several consecutive years of peace and prosperity, with no worries about food or clothing, it's no wonder even Madara Uchiha couldn't lure people away. With a long-term vision that failed to see future disasters, the Uchiha clan was blinded by this wealth and power! They forgot that the enemy's honey, no matter how delicious, is fatal if consumed.

Uchiha Tenshu warned himself inwardly.

Yet, he was not satisfied with this comfortable, easy life.

After all, I am a transmigrator!

Uchiha Tenshu couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.

He knew all too well what the three words "Uchiha" represented to Konoha.

It meant inherently evil.

It meant born with sin.

It meant people who could be judged with any amount of malice.

Especially his personal experiences over these years made Uchiha Tenshu understand how incompatible his identity was with Konoha.

Even going out to buy books led to people speculating about his motives.

Forging a few tools led to malicious suspicion.

It was only because those people didn't bother to put on a mask in front of a two or three-year-old child that Uchiha Tenshu, a man living his second life, was able to discern these things through their gazes and actions. Otherwise, he might have been like most of his clansmen, satisfied by these fake displays of affection and sinking deeper into the deception step by step.

From that moment on, Uchiha Tenshu extinguished any thought of seizing the position of Hokage or becoming a village leader in Konoha.

After all.

In a place where everyone discriminates against you, slanders you, and frantically smears you, wanting to seize leadership and expecting them to support you is far less effective than building your own force from the start, where you can do as you please.

Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Besides, I was a corporate slave in my previous life.

If I have to be a corporate slave ninja in this life, working 007 for the powerful, then didn't I transmigrate for nothing?

Not to mention, in this world called the Ninja World, the social order is essentially a blank slate. As long as you have a little bit of ability, you can carve out your own kingdom. Why would I pass up the chance to build an empire just to take money to do missions for others? How pathetic!

In any case, Uchiha Tenshu couldn't understand those novels about transmigrating into the Naruto world where the protagonists were obsessed with Konoha, acting like slaves for the village, protecting it, inheriting the Will of Fire, and fighting on the front lines like brain-dead fools.

What were they even aiming for!

Just because Konoha's brainwashing methods were effective?

Regardless, Uchiha Tenshu held no hope for the Will of Fire; he was firmly in the camp of "take the bucket and run to start a business."

However, even if I'm going to run, I need to get enough benefits here before I leave. Otherwise, if I wander the Ninja World alone, it wouldn't be impossible for some powerful ninja to kill me one day, claiming I was "seeking my own death"!

At the very least, judging by the insanity of ninjas, it's quite possible. They might target me because they need a test subject, think I'm suspicious, or just feel like it.

Therefore, to run away, I must have sufficient strength! Uchiha Tenshu pondered seriously.

"Secondly, I need a sufficiently safe territory where I can develop in peace, along with enough inherent potential. Otherwise, if I go through the trouble of breaking away to establish my own faction only to have it crushed by others after a few years of development, that would be utterly ridiculous! In my plans, the research and development of various ninjutsu and technologies will require the support of a large number of people from a powerful organization, so this point must be carefully considered. I must never take it lightly or make a decision rashly!"

Uchiha Tenshu pondered in his mind, though his feet did not stop as he walked toward the kitchen.

Regarding the matter of strength, specifically.

Uchiha Tenshu remained quite confident.

For one, his talent in this life was exceptional; under the guidance of the Uchiha clan members, he had stood out quite rapidly and received excellent training. Secondly, the Uchiha clan placed no restrictions on the improvement of its members' strength, provided they were not high-level ninjutsu or forbidden techniques.

He could access the clan's library as long as he met the requirements. Even though he still had to hide many ninjutsu due to his age and had not yet obtained them, his foresight had already allowed him to map out several primary paths for increasing his power. Once the right moment arrived, he could quickly convert this into actual strength, allowing him to reach the Jonin level rapidly—at the very least, it would be safe enough to run away!

"Therefore, I don't need to worry about strength for the next year or two. At my current rate of advancement, I will have enough ability to protect myself before the wars of the Ninja World arrive!"

"On the contrary, finding a place that is both safe and holds enough potential! That is indeed a problem..."

Uchiha Tenshu chewed on a fried dough stick while holding a cup of soy milk, devouring his meal heartily, all while his mind churned with topics that would have led any Konoha ninja to arrest him on the spot.