"Cough, cough, cough..."
As the slightly bitter cough rang out, a handsome figure with a somewhat pale complexion strode out of the gate of the humble courtyard, his face full of pride.
Hah... ptooey!
He spat a blood-flecked glob of phlegm onto the komainu statue by the gate. Uchiha Jin cleared his throat, then glanced back with disdain.
Trash!
They really were trash!
I'm done pretending, damn it. There's no need to hide it, either. I look down on you all—so what?
Two mighty Kage Level fighters had joined forces, yet they still couldn't subdue a mere elite Jonin like him. In the end, the dignified Uchiha Great Elder had wound up with a shiner, while their esteemed clan leader had taken a Groin Kick head-on.
Mm!
No wonder he was known as Fierce Eye. What a ruthless bastard. I, Uchiha Jin, acknowledge you as the most ruthless man in this world!
Remembering the twisted, murderous glint that had kept flickering in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes, even Uchiha Jin—a man who considered himself a mastermind lurking behind the scenes—couldn't help shivering inwardly.
Even so, that bit of admiration did nothing to improve his opinion of them. If anything, he'd gained an even clearer understanding of just how useless the two men were.
Admittedly,
Uchiha Jin, this so-called elite Jonin, was no ordinary opponent. But his visual prowess was only about fifty percent greater than that of a normal Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Even though he was proficient in Taijutsu, genjutsu, Yin Release, Fire Release, and Lightning Release, his overall strength still couldn't compare to that of a true Kage Level fighter.
In other words,
if Uchiha Jin didn't intend to reveal all his trump cards and fuse every Sharingan and chakra reserve in the system's storage, either Uchiha Fugaku or Uchiha Setsuna could kill him.
But those two useless idiots!
Even while fighting the same enemy, they'd tried to get in each other's way. Whenever they attacked, they held back, only ever trying to capture Jin. They wouldn't even use techniques that might leave him seriously injured.
Who did they think they were up against? Some kind of god...
Cough, cough...
Did they think they were the Uchiha Dance King? Had they really mistaken Uchiha Jin for some dance partner they could lead around at will? Had they taken the Sharingan—the Ninja World's sharpest eyes of observation—for farsighted eyes?
Bah!
Uchiha Jin sneered inwardly. He really couldn't understand how a clan as straightforward as the Uchiha, where strength reigned supreme, kept producing so many Wolongs and Fengchus.
Disagreements? Grudges? Old scores to settle?
By the logic of any normal Uchiha, wouldn't you just settle it with a good, satisfying fight?
Whether you beat the other guy into submission, got laid out yourself charging into battle, or ended up respecting each other after the clash—that was the true way of Uchiha valor.
Just look at the Senju and Uchiha during the chaotic Warring States period. They couldn't even learn the most basic lessons from history. No wonder the Uchiha Clan had grown weaker and weaker under these two men's leadership.
That was the thing about a backbone: once you bent it, it was hard to stand straight again!
It was precisely because Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Setsuna had gotten used to compromising that Uchiha Jin, with nothing but "quasi-Kage" strength, had managed to leave both men in such a sorry state. In the end, he'd walked away at his leisure, dragging a sack loaded with a hundred million ryo in cash.
"Cough, cough, cough... ptooey~~~"
With another hurried cough, Uchiha Jin spat a glob of phlegm at the other komainu statue outside the courtyard. A shadow passed through his eyes.
Though Uchiha Jin truly looked down on the two men inside, he knew perfectly well that he still wasn't strong enough. Even after absorbing the combat experience of two elite Jonin and three elite Chunin, he still fell short of a true Kage Level fighter.
It was only because those two idiots had held back and had their own differences that he'd been able to rely on the Sharingan's keen perception to strike boldly, scraping out an even-looking fight against both of them.
"Tsk, tsk... Still not strong enough..."
Uchiha Jin sighed inwardly. In this Ninja World, where the waters ran deeper with every step, he'd had to struggle this hard against two idiots. His current strength was nowhere near enough to make him feel safe!
With threats within and without, was he really supposed to rely on Uchiha Jin himself to train diligently?
Impossible!
He'd never train diligently in this life. He'd get by on his talent and hard work plus... inheriting the legacies of the Uchiha heroes. But even that was already pushing Uchiha Jin to the limits of his stamina.
No!
It looked like the clan's training regimen needed to be intensified by another thirty percent. The Uchiha Clan-wide Training Plan also had to be put into action soon. He couldn't let those two guys inside drag the whole clan down...
Hmm...
Those two useless idiots inside weren't much to write home about, but shouldn't he find a way to strengthen them, too?
Well... Uchiha Fugaku already had the Mangekyo. It'd probably be difficult to make him any stronger. Still, you were never too old to learn. He'd have to find a chance to get the man studying again before he was killed by his own son. Every little bit of strength helped.
As for Uchiha Setsuna?
He looked as if he were already seven or eight decades old, feeble with age. But his Kage Level strength suggested he had talent, too. Maybe there was still some hope for Uchiha Setsuna?
Hmm... Where should he start?
The Radical Faction!
Uchiha Jin thought of Great Elder Setsuna's special role, and a strange notion suddenly came to mind.
If he gathered the clan and condemned Setsuna for his "cowardice," casting him into the dirt in the very cause he took the most pride in, could that extreme fall from grace possibly push him into awakening the Mangekyo?
It wasn't impossible, but the odds were low...
Or, if the direct approach didn't work, he could try doing the opposite.
For instance, instead of condemnation and judgment, he could have Setsuna lose all hope in the "Radical Faction," then lead the clan in openly pledging allegiance to the Konoha High Command. That kind of shock should be just as powerful.
And if that didn't work, he could try forcing Setsuna into a same-sex relationship. With an old fossil like Uchiha Setsuna...
Cough, cough!
Uchiha Jin quickly shoved the filthy image out of his mind. He could think more about the specifics later. Even useless trash could still be put to use.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha..."
In the not particularly bustling Uchiha Clan Compound, Uchiha Jin's carefree laughter quickly drew the attention of passersby.
But their attention didn't last long. Under Uchiha Jin's gaze, which swept over them like a predator sizing up its prey, they lowered their heads and hurried away from the scene.
Uchiha Jin thought nothing of it. Most of the ordinary clan members in the compound hadn't trained at all. Their bloodline was only a little stronger than that of ordinary people, so for now, they weren't of much use to him.
Mm!
The Uchiha Clan-wide Training Plan needed to be put on the agenda as soon as possible...
As the abacus in Uchiha Jin's mind clicked away, he strode toward the area around the central plaza in the clan compound, his steps steady and resolute.
Uchiha, it's time to get moving!
Before you continue