The Bet and the Stakes

"..."

Uchiha Sakurako fell silent, as if time itself had frozen in that very moment.

Indeed, judging purely by her senses, she felt an extreme, visceral disgust toward Uchiha Tenshu's lecherous gaze.

She had been stared at by him like that before, and had it not been for the Elder's orders, she would have certainly taught him a lesson he would never forget.

When exactly had she started noticing him and feeling such loathing? It seemed to be the moment he drew close to Yukino.

From then on, she perceived him as a man of deep, calculating schemes, much like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

Though his actions were incredibly subtle, they could not escape her discerning eyes; his petty maneuvers within the clan were impossible to hide.

In particular, that series of behaviors he called "Standing in the Snow for Bomen" and "Tenshu Splits the Pear" made Uchiha Sakurako feel that while he was clever, he was also utterly hypocritical—like the moon reflected in water or flowers in a mirror: seemingly beautiful, yet fundamentally illusory.

For this reason, Uchiha Sakurako had immediately reported Uchiha Tenshu's ambitions and manipulative tactics to Elder Raimon, expecting the Elder to issue a warning or perhaps even banish him.

"...But who could have known that Elder Raimon would pay you no mind and continue to trust you so implicitly? Moreover, you remained indifferent to Lady Yukino's coldness, deliberately putting on an act in front of her..." At this point, Uchiha Sakurako was filled with bewilderment. Why would Elder Raimon keep such a hypocritical person by his side and groom him as a successor? Was he not afraid that Lady Yukino would be harmed by him?

Uchiha Tenshu glanced at her, feeling speechless. To think she started paying attention to me so early. It's a pity that by then, Elder Raimon had already been cornered by the trouble I caused him—he couldn't back down even if he wanted to. Not to mention, his branch of the family had no male heirs, and you women couldn't serve as successors. Simply by virtue of being female, you are naturally looked down upon by the rest of the Uchiha clan; even with great strength and an awakened Sharingan, you would never be taken seriously.

That's not even counting the massive profits from the alcohol trade and the monthly ledger adjustments—Elder Raimon simply couldn't function without my cooperation. Furthermore, Yukino had already been captured by me step by step; she couldn't live without me.

The rest of the story went without saying.

With no male heir and his only daughter's heart captured, combined with Tenshu's own considerable talent, his so-called scheming and hypocrisy were no longer flaws. Instead, they were excellent, instinctive traits for a ninja surviving in the darkness.

Uchiha Tenshu naturally saw no need to explain this to Uchiha Sakurako, so he simply smiled and said nothing.

Uchiha Sakurako continued, "Actually, do you know? Ever since you approached Lady Yukino, I have been tasked by Lady Lingyue to keep an eye on you and collect intelligence. I can say this: no one in all of Konoha understands you better than I do. Whether it was every time you came to Lady Yukino's side to tell stories, or when you were training alone—I have been watching you in silence the entire time!"

As Uchiha Sakurako spoke, she leaned forward, closing the distance to Uchiha Tenshu and exerting even greater pressure.

"I can say that no one in Konoha Shinobi Village understands you better than I do. Even though you hide it very deeply, I can see that you have never placed your heart in the village, nor in the clan. You have always wanted to leave!"

"..." Uchiha Tenshu suddenly stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing. But before he could speak, Uchiha Sakurako asked again:

"Why? Why do you want to leave so badly? Didn't you promise to protect Lady Yukino and Lady Lingyue for the rest of your life?" Her expression was full of confusion; she completely failed to grasp Uchiha Tenshu's mindset.

"Ah! Perhaps so!"

"As for me, I do not deny the things I have done or the promises I have made, but that does not mean I must stay in Konoha Shinobi Village for my entire life to fulfill them."

"What does that mean? Don't tell me you intend to take Yukino and the others away with you!" Uchiha Sakurako could not comprehend it.

"Do you know?" Uchiha Tenshu said, offering no explanation or admission, merely glancing at her lightly. "Most people's eyes can only see the buoy on the surface of the water, failing to see the currents beneath. They focus only on current comforts and are unwilling to examine the future. Even the clan elders with the Sharingan often focus all their Dojutsu Power on the present. But how far can your eyes see?"

"From the moment this village was founded, the so-called Will of Fire was destined to treat all the clans of Konoha like firewood to be burned. The power dynamic between the ninjas and the Daimyo dictates that one side must eventually suppress the other; this is the root of the disaster. Konoha will sooner or later be dragged into endless war, consumed time and time again, until the day the entire village and all its ninja clans vanish."

"Not to mention the Uchiha clan, who pour all their energy into combat—they haven't seen any of this. Peace has never arrived; it is merely a temporary ceasefire. Living in comfort and peace, they will eventually be deceived by the enemy's actions and sacrifice everything they have to protect the enemy's interests."

"Konoha is not our home; it is a sweet trap arranged by our enemies, filled with deadly poison. Perhaps one bite makes you feel satisfied, but that single bite will lead to the total annihilation of the entire Uchiha clan."

"In such a dangerous situation, if you don't think about leaving, you have only one path: death!" Uchiha Tenshu looked at Uchiha Sakurako, his eyes calm, completely unconcerned that these words, which bordered on treason, were being exposed to the outside world.

This was the current reality of the clan's perception. Even if everything were revealed, as an elite ninja groomed by the clan, she would only report it to Elder Uchiha Raimon.

And Elder Raimon himself, after being ambushed and assassinated, had been awakened to the truth by Uchiha Tenshu. Even if she told the Elder, it would have no impact.

"Do you have any proof!" Uchiha Sakurako's eyes widened as she clenched her fists, pressing him for an answer.

"After this winter, next year, that is when Tobirama Senju will be established as the Second Hokage. The result is obvious: in their eyes, the Uchiha clan was never an equal founder who helped build Konoha Shinobi Village through reconciliation! To the Senju clan, the Uchiha are merely the defeated. Elder Raimon's severe injury previously came from Tobirama Senju's actions, not to mention..."

"Not to mention that they have been splitting the clan's power, inserting people like Uchiha Ming into positions of communication between the clan and the village, all while paralyzing the Uchiha and constantly plotting against us. Believe me, it won't just be the position of Hokage; they will want more. To shut the mouths of the Uchiha and other clans, they will certainly give the Uchiha a position that looks bright on the surface but, in reality, will only offend every other clan and civilian in the village. Thus, we will lose the Hokage position for generations and be isolated by Konoha."

"By that time, the fate of the Uchiha clan will be nothing more than to serve as cannon fodder for the wars triggered by this so-called village, sacrificing our lives again and again to protect someone else's legacy. Even then, we will not be accepted by them. It is utterly laughable!"

Uchiha Tenshu sneered at the actions of his clansmen, his vision seemingly already witnessing the future that was destined to unfold.

"How could it be..." Uchiha Sakurako could not imagine that her own Uchiha clan could be so foolish.

"So, do you want to bet?"

"Hmm, let's see if the selection of the Hokage, proposed by Tobirama Senju—the second-in-command of the Senju clan—which requires the approval of everyone, will actually happen. Will they truly follow this claim, or is it a rule that only applies to the Uchiha clan?"

Uchiha Tenshu smiled as he spoke.

"Fine, I'll take that bet!"

Provoked, Uchiha Sakurako nodded, as if she had made up her mind. "If it really is as you say, and the position of the Second Hokage remains with Tobirama Senju of the Senju clan, then it will prove that they have only ever looked at our Uchiha clan as clowns!"

"Then, I will follow your orders completely!"