Hidden Hatred!

Therefore, the Uchiha Clan didn't treat these vassal families as outsiders. Although they didn't respect them as they would their own family, they didn't deliberately target them either. Most of the time, their attitude was simply that of the strong toward the weak within the clan!

It could be said that during their time as vassals of the Uchiha Clan, these small families had lived quite well.

Even in terms of safety, serving the Uchiha Clan was far better than belonging to some other wandering shinobi clan. Most of the time, they handled logistics, and only occasionally took part in battle.

As for the members who died fighting alongside the Uchiha Clan, that wasn't a big deal!

After all, being a ninja was how they made their living.

Death was a ninja's inevitable fate.

Even children knew that.

That was how things had been until recently.

After the entire Uchiha Clan reconciled with their enemy, the Senju Clan, the Uchiha and their vassal families all joined Konoha. With Hashirama Senju's Wood Release construction skills, every clan that joined Konoha received its own compound. The small families that had once lived alongside the Uchiha were now separated from them.

Though they still lived around the Uchiha compound, several families with no ties to the Uchiha had been placed among them. Under this arrangement, the Uchiha's vassal families had gradually begun to keep their public and private dealings separate.

They still treated the Uchiha Clan as their main family, just as before, but they were growing distant from the other vassal families! Especially after Konoha was established, many of the Uchiha Clan's needs were transferred from these families to Konoha.

For the small vassal families that relied on this work for a living, some had suffered a devastating blow, while others had gained considerable benefits. Although Konoha's missions could still keep them going, quite a few conflicts had already begun to emerge!

It was just that these things were still well hidden.

They hadn't affected the Uchiha Clan itself.

"And yet the Uchiha Clan's brain-dead higher-ups can't see that this is obviously a vicious scheme to sow discord, poach their allies, exploit loopholes, divide their forces, sever their reach, and gradually drive them into a corner!"

"What a bunch of useless idiots!"

"Looks like the Uchiha Clan really hasn't had anyone especially clever since Izuna Uchiha died. They've been manipulated like this and still haven't made a move. Are they just sitting around in retirement?"

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Tenshu was furious.

But Uchiha Tenshu also knew—

This kind of conspiracy and covert maneuvering had to come from Tobirama Senju, the Uchiha Clan's greatest hater.

Even he could see through the scheme only because the plot of the anime in his previous life had given him an advantage.

Who else could uncover the truth?

How many people in the entire Ninja World had that kind of insight?

"Tobirama Senju, you naturally evil old dog..."

Uchiha Tenshu recalled an old grudge. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes, then vanished in an instant.

It had happened during the last battle Madara Uchiha led with the surviving members of his clan, after obtaining the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.

Certain that his newfound power would guarantee victory, Madara Uchiha had launched a confident campaign of revenge. Yet he was defeated by the Sage Mode Hashirama Senju had somehow acquired.

And it was during that battle that Uchiha Tenshu's father, Uchiha Yaoguang, was killed on the spot by Tobirama Senju.

Uchiha Tenshu's mother, Uchiha Ningning, had been overcome with grief. Two months after Konoha was founded, she gave birth to Uchiha Tenshu, her posthumous child, and then passed away.

That made Tobirama Senju Uchiha Tenshu's direct enemy!

The rest of the Uchiha Clan might be able to let such a deep hatred go, but Uchiha Tenshu couldn't!

Don't talk to me about peace, righteousness, the village, love, or any of that!

The spirit I inherited from the land of flower growers—

"Even a ten-generation feud may be avenged."

"My parents' killers and I cannot live under the same sky."

"An enemy must be utterly destroyed!"

Only the breath of his enemy could bring peace to his parents' souls.

Even if he had no particular feelings for the father he'd never met,

he still remembered his mother, Uchiha Ningning, who had been with him for only two months.

Her loving eyes and grief-stricken expression were moments Uchiha Tenshu would never forget.

Therefore,

Uchiha Tenshu had firmly resolved to destroy Tobirama Senju and the Senju Clan he belonged to.

As for that oath in his heart,

Uchiha Tenshu had simply been careful to hide it in his daily life. He had never openly revealed his hatred.

That was why no one in the Uchiha Clan knew.

After all, Uchiha Tenshu knew exactly what kind of ruthless man Tobirama Senju was. Once he decided someone was an enemy, he would employ all kinds of schemes and tricks. He was even willing to use inhumane, evil experiments on human bodies. The fact that Uchiha Tenshu was only a child didn't mean Tobirama had never kept an eye on him. Staying disguised was the only way to survive.

While he was still weak,

he had to keep his hatred hidden.

He must never reveal the hatred he shouldn't show.

Sima Yi was the one he ought to learn from.

Endure!

Endure!

And endure some more!

In the woods by the Naka River.

"Today we're training tree climbing. The trees are frozen over, which makes it harder. But if you can complete the exercise under these conditions, you'll take your training to the next level and achieve more advanced Chakra control..."

"So, how do we move our Chakra?"

Shakukotsu Ikki raised his hand and asked.

"Good question! Imagine the feeling of wearing socks and gloves. Wrap Chakra around the parts of your body you want to strengthen. For other areas, picture it like clothing: turn your Chakra into a flowing liquid and gather it over your body."

"Generally, we only use Chakra this way for a moment when we need to. Otherwise, even a Chunin's Chakra wouldn't last ten minutes."

Uchiha Tenshu held out both hands, demonstrating how Chakra flowed to the people standing in front of him.

It wound around his hands, then his feet.

Then Chakra surged around his whole body, making him look as though he were wearing a thin, transparent blue garment.

A wave of force burst into the air.

But it lasted only a second.

Uchiha Tenshu then stopped enveloping his body in Chakra.

It wasn't that he lacked the Chakra to keep it up.

A brief demonstration was enough!

In a dangerous place like the Ninja World, who knew when danger might strike? He had to keep enough in reserve to protect himself.

Even during ordinary training,

Uchiha Tenshu never let his Chakra drop below half.

As for whether

using only half his Chakra could still achieve the desired training effect,

Uchiha Tenshu could only tell you scornfully: Do you even know what it means to belong to the Uchiha Clan, renowned for its powerful Chakra?!