Within Three Steps of a Crouching Dragon, There Must Be a Phoenix Chick!

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Accompanied by that slightly bitter cough, a handsome figure with a somewhat pale complexion stepped out through the gates of the simple courtyard, his expression one of unadulterated arrogance.

Ptooey!

A glob of phlegm streaked with blood landed carelessly upon the stone guardian dog statue at the entrance. Uchiha Jin cleared his throat and cast one last look of disdain back at the courtyard.

Trash!

Utter trash!

I'm done pretending, damn it. There's no need to hide it anymore—I look down on you all, so what?

Two dignified powerhouses of Kage-level strength, and yet, even joining forces, they couldn't subdue a mere Elite Jonin. In the end, the esteemed Great Elder of the Uchiha had been left with a panda-eye, and our Clan Head had been forced to endure a kick straight to the crotch.

Hmph!

Truly worthy of being called the Fierce Eye; I, Uchiha Jin, am willing to acknowledge you as the most ruthless in this world!

Recalling the way Uchiha Fugaku's eyes had flickered with that twisted, murderous light, even a man like Uchiha Jin, who considered himself a mastermind behind the scenes, couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

However, even so, this sliver of admiration couldn't make Uchiha Jin feel anything positive toward them; if anything, it only deepened his realization of just how pathetic these two were.

Admittedly.

Uchiha Jin, this so-called Elite Jonin, was no simple man, but his ocular power was merely fifty percent higher than that of a standard Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Even with his mastery of Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Yin Release, Fire Release, and Lightning Release, his overall strength still couldn't compare to a true Kage-level powerhouse.

It could be said.

Had Uchiha Jin not intended to reveal all his trump cards—such as merging all the Sharingan and chakra stored within his system's vault—either Uchiha Fugaku or Uchiha Setsuna would have had the strength to kill him.

But these two wastes!

In the midst of fighting the same enemy, they were still busy interfering with each other. Every strike was held back; they were obsessed with capturing Jin alive, unwilling to use even the methods that might have left him severely wounded.

What kind of opponent did they think they were facing? A god...

Cough, cough...

Did they think they were the Uchiha Dance King? Did they really take Uchiha Jin for a dance partner they could pull around at will? Did they really mistake the Sharingan, with the strongest observation power in the ninja world, for a pair of reading glasses?

Bah!

Uchiha Jin let out a cold, disdainful snort in his heart. He truly couldn't fathom how such incompetent fools kept popping up in the Uchiha Clan, a place with a simple, strength-oriented culture.

Disagreements? Conflicts? Old grudges?

According to the mindset of a normal Uchiha, wasn't this something that could be solved by a good, straightforward fight?

Whether it was beating the other party into submission, ending up lying on the ground during the charge, or even developing a mutual respect at the end of the clash—that was the true path of valor for the Uchiha Clan.

Just like the Senju and Uchiha of the chaotic Warring States period; the fact that they lacked even this basic ability to learn from history was no wonder the Uchiha Clan had grown increasingly soft under the leadership of these two.

That's why I say, once a person's spine bends, it's hard to stand up straight again!

It was precisely because Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Setsuna had grown accustomed to compromise that Uchiha Jin was able to use his "quasi-Kage" strength to leave them both battered and bruised, eventually walking away leisurely with a sack containing one hundred million ryo in cash.

"Cough, cough... ptooey!"

Following another sharp, hurried cough, Uchiha Jin spat another glob of phlegm onto the other guardian dog statue outside the courtyard, a trace of gloom appearing involuntarily in the depths of his eyes.

Although Uchiha Jin truly looked down on the two men inside, he knew clearly that his own strength was still insufficient. Even after absorbing the combat experience of two Elite Jonin and three Elite Chunin, he was still a cut below a true Kage-level fighter.

It was only because those two wastes inside were holding back and harboring grudges against each other that he had been able to use the powerful insight of the Sharingan to strike decisively, barely achieving a superficial "five-to-five" stalemate.

"Tsk, tsk... my strength is still not enough..."

Uchiha Jin sighed inwardly. In this ninja world where the waters grew deeper with every step, having to go through all this just to deal with two wastes left him feeling very insecure about his current power!

Under these circumstances of internal strife and external threats, was he really supposed to rely on his own diligent cultivation?

Impossible!

He would never, ever diligently cultivate in this life. He would rely on his talent and hard work to... inherit, yes, inherit the legacies of the Uchiha martyrs. But even that was reaching the limit of what Uchiha Jin felt his body could handle.

No!

It seemed the intensity of the clan training needed to be increased by another thirty percent, and the "Uchiha Strong Clan Plan" needed to be implemented as soon as possible. He couldn't let those two inside ruin everyone else.

Hmm...

While those two wastes inside were somewhat hopeless, perhaps he should find a way to strengthen them as well?

Well... Uchiha Fugaku already had the Mangekyo; strengthening him further would likely be difficult. But one is never too old to learn; he had to find an opportunity to make that guy study hard before he was killed by his own son. Every bit of strength gained would count.

As for Uchiha Setsuna?

Although he looked seventy or eighty years old and physically frail, the fact that he possessed Kage-level strength showed that his talent wasn't low. Could that guy, Uchiha Setsuna, still be saved?

Hmm... where should he start?

The Radical Faction!

Uchiha Jin thought of Great Elder Setsuna's special status, and suddenly, a strange idea popped into his head.

If he were to rally the clansmen to denounce and judge him for his "cowardice," casting him down from the very cause he took the most pride in, would that extreme psychological disparity be enough to stimulate him into awakening the Mangekyo?

It wasn't that the possibility didn't exist, it was just too low...

Or, if a direct approach wouldn't work, perhaps he could try a reverse strategy?

For instance, instead of denunciation and judgment, he could express utter disappointment in the Radical Faction, then openly defect to the Konoha higher-ups alongside his clansmen. That kind of shock value should be no less effective than the former.

Failing that, he could try forcing the issue; if an old fossil like Uchiha Setsuna were to...

Ahem!

Shaking the murky images from his mind, Uchiha Jin felt that the specific plan could still be refined. Even trash had its uses, after all.

"Hahahahahaha..."

Within the not-so-bustling Uchiha district, Uchiha Jin's hearty laughter quickly drew the attention of many passersby.

However, their attention didn't linger for long. Under Uchiha Jin's gaze, which felt like a predator scanning its prey, they lowered their heads and hurried away from this place of trouble.

Uchiha Jin didn't mind this at all. Most of these ordinary clansmen in the district didn't train; they were only slightly stronger than the average person due to their bloodline, and to him, they held no value for the time being.

Hmm!

The Uchiha Clan-wide Training Plan also needed to be put on the agenda as soon as possible...

Accompanied by the constant clicking of the abacus in his mind, his firm and steady footsteps never faltered as he strode toward the area where the central plaza of the district was located.

Uchiha, it is time to get moving!