Stone Tablet

Qiancao and Wuming settled into the Senju Clan just like that.

To cheer Wuming up, Qiancao told her stories based on all kinds of novels from later generations—a must-have skill for any time traveler.

Most of the time, though, Qiancao practiced various ninjutsu under Wuming's guidance.

The benefit of having a chakra seal on his body was that Qiancao could practice Hand Seals in the courtyard without worrying about breaking the furniture.

Qiancao quickly learned most Fire Release Ninjutsu thanks to the Sharingan's perceptiveness. He had no idea how powerful they were, but he could form the Hand Seals fast enough to use them in actual combat.

Senju Arashi had grown busier by the day. When friends who lived near the Senju Territory heard she had returned unharmed, they came to visit one after another. Every day, she saw a stream of friends.

Whenever mealtime came around, she also had to find time to bring food to the two Uchiha friends she was keeping hidden away.

Qiancao's appetite, meanwhile, kept growing, and Senju Arashi brought him more and more food each day.

His abnormal appetite surprised Senju Arashi so much that she even asked her mother, Senju Ryoko, to give Qiancao a checkup.

The results showed everything was normal. Aside from getting hungry easily, Qiancao had no other symptoms. Perhaps children simply grew hungrier as they got older.

What no one knew was that his growing appetite came from the Sharingan gradually transforming Qiancao's body.

His once-frail body was slowly growing stronger, too. If not for the chakra seal, Qiancao would have felt his chakra reserves growing along with it.

Senju Raizo had not shown his face to the two Uchiha since that day.

He had quietly asked friends from various clans to embellish Wuming's story and spread it around.

The Uchiha Clan's cruel research into the Sharingan over the years was written up as intelligence and delivered to the daimyō of various countries.

Some daimyō, who held up the banner of benevolence and righteousness, temporarily halted their cooperation with the Uchiha. The daimyō of the Toyotomi Clan, for example, dismissed the Uchiha shinobi serving as guest retainers and replaced them with Senju shinobi.

But even more daimyō discreetly sounded out the current Uchiha Clan Head, Uchiha Gaku, asking whether the Uchiha Clan had any more useful weapons like Wuming.

Only then did Uchiha Gaku learn that Uchiha Naoto's Sharingan research project had caused such a huge mess.

Furious, he summoned every shinobi in the Sharingan research group in the middle of the night, intending to call Uchiha Naoto to account.

Flickering firelight cast shifting shadows across Uchiha Gaku's grim face as he sat in the seat of honor, listening to Uchiha Hiri recount what had happened that day.

Uchiha Hiri described the events one by one, still leaving out the time she had spent in the valley. She said only that Senju Arashi had knocked her unconscious, that she had been out for several days, and that she had eventually returned to the clan alone.

After hearing the whole story, Uchiha Gaku held back his anger and turned to Naoto. "I only knew that a clan member named Uchiha Keisuke had died alongside Senju Arashi."

"How could there have been so many twists and turns? Why did you keep this from me?"

Naoto acted as if nothing had happened and replied calmly, "You once promised to leave everything concerning Sharingan research to me."

Uchiha Gaku was momentarily at a loss for words. At the time, he and several brothers had been locked in a stalemate over who would become Clan Head. In exchange for Naoto's support, Gaku had agreed to fund his Sharingan research group.

As one of the few shinobi in the clan to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, Uchiha Naoto had always held an extraordinary position in the clan. It was Naoto's support that had allowed Uchiha Gaku to become Clan Head.

"Even if you had a plan, you should have told us so I could be prepared!" Uchiha Gaku said with a wry smile.

Seeing that Gaku still showed him some respect, Naoto offered an explanation. "I only wanted to conduct a new experiment, so I set Wuming free."

"Now the Senju Clan has more and more allies, while our Uchiha Clan's reputation keeps declining. It's time for us to show weakness and lie low."

Uchiha Gaku's anger eased somewhat at the explanation.

As the Uchiha Clan Head, no one understood the clan's situation better than he did. Though they had repeatedly gained the upper hand in their struggle against the Senju, they had also put themselves in an extremely conspicuous position.

But Uchiha Gaku still had his doubts. "The Sharingan of those two brats won't end up in the Senju Clan's hands, will they?"

Naoto replied, "I planted a seal on them. If their Sharingan are removed, the eyes will automatically be destroyed. Their Sharingan are safe." His words stirred something in Hiri, who stood beside them with her head lowered.

After becoming Clan Head, Uchiha Gaku had seen the stone tablet hidden beneath Naka Shrine. Having awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he had been able to read most of its contents.

When the powers of the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan were combined, they would gain strength rivaling that of the Sage of Six Paths. That was why he had agreed to Uchiha Naoto's research request.

The Sharingan held the potential to reach the realm of the Sage of Six Paths. There was no harm in studying it as much as possible.

Besides, the organization could also recover Sharingan and prevent them from falling into the Senju Clan's hands.

Of course, he couldn't explain that reason to the clan members present. Qiancao and Wuming's Sharingan had to be recovered.

With that in mind, Uchiha Gaku turned to Uchiha Senju, who had been watching from the sidelines. "Take a few clan members and bring the two children back."

Uchiha Eiki didn't agree right away. Instead, he looked toward Naoto.

Naoto merely smiled. He knew that with Eiki's abilities, there was almost no chance he could snatch the two back from the Senju. But unless Gaku let him try, he wouldn't be satisfied.

Seeing Naoto's expression, Eiki groaned inwardly. He hated trouble more than anything, and this time he was sure to suffer for it.

Uchiha Gaku asked Naoto again, "You've had the most contact with those two brats. Where are they headed next?"

Naoto smiled. "I placed chakra seals on them. If I'm not mistaken, their next destination is the Land of Whirlpools. They'll seek out an Uzumaki Clan sealing expert to remove the seals."

Qiancao and Wuming were indeed preparing to leave.

They had changed into robes bearing the Senju Clan crest, and Qiancao held the rhinoceros beetle Aburame Kei had given him.

The two had stayed in Senju territory for ten whole days without leaving Senju Arashi's courtyard. Naturally, they hadn't given away the rhinoceros beetle.

Senju Ryoko handed Senju Arashi a gift. "This is for your aunt. Tell her to come visit when she has time."

Nearby, Senju Raizo pulled Senju Seiichiro aside and gave him a few instructions. "Protect your sister, and don't let those two Uchiha brats get lost, either."

Seiichiro smiled and agreed. This time, Raizo and Ryoko were worried that something might happen to Senju Arashi again, so they had insisted that Seiichiro go along and protect her.