I Have a Bunch of Relatives Who Want to Be Hokage Chapter 15

Uchiha Shingen and Uchiha Shisui's protection mission officially began.

The two basically protected the daimyo—who argued at work and lazed around after work—one openly and one from the shadows.

Their quarters were also next door to the daimyo's.

The first month was fairly peaceful, with only the occasional minor disturbance.

For example, a group of unregistered rogue ninja once appeared at a farmstead, intending to rob it of grain.

It just so happened that Uchiha Shisui was accompanying the Rain Daimyo to inspect the situation, so Shisui unleashed a Body Flicker.

There had been only one of him before he flickered, but after he did, there were more than a dozen. The rogue ninja numbered fewer than five in total, and they were wiped out in a single wave without any surprise.

The whole thing took less time than it would have taken the Rain Daimyo to yawn.

Another time, an actual ninja infiltrated the city—a missing-nin from Rain Village.

He happened to run into Uchiha Shingen, who was out on patrol.

The unlucky fellow was immediately brought down by Shingen's genjutsu. After questioning him for a long time, Shingen found that he truly was just a minor character who had slipped into the city looking for something to eat.

Once he had gotten the full story, Uchiha Shingen beheaded him. Considering that the man had remained under genjutsu until his death, it could be considered a painless death.

The first month passed in such peace.

In the second month, Uchiha Shisui's ninja crow delivered him a letter from Uchiha Itachi. After reading it, Shisui happily told Uchiha Shingen that Uchiha Mikoto was pregnant.

Uchiha Shingen thought for quite a while before sorting out the logic behind it.

After all, he completely failed to understand why Uchiha Shisui would be happy over someone else's wife getting pregnant.

But those leisurely days did not continue forever.

Near the end of the second month, a large number of the sensory markers Uchiha Shingen had placed in the outer city were suddenly destroyed.

They had not been triggered—they had been directly destroyed.

The so-called sensory markers were actually a Water Release technique Uchiha Shingen had devised by taking advantage of the overly developed drainage system here.

The inspiration had come from the Mist Ninja's ninjutsu, as well as Uzumaki Nagato's future Rain Tiger at Will Technique.

This technique was an advanced application of shape transformation. It used shape transformation to create tiny sharks with biting power and concealed them in the water. First, a water pillar would attack the enemy, luring them into scattering it. Then, the bursting water would carry those tiny sharks onto the enemy's body to attack them.

After copying that ninjutsu, Uchiha Shingen used its principles to develop a sensory ninjutsu.

The other party had used an extremely powerful Fire Release to evaporate a section of water containing his chakra.

Clearly, the other party had not only detected his sensory ninjutsu, but also expressed hostility.

When Shingen sensed this, he and Uchiha Shisui were guarding the Rain Daimyo while he ate.

The brief flicker of emotion on his face was immediately noticed by Uchiha Shisui beside him.

"Brother Shingen, is something wrong?"

"My sensory ninjutsu has come into contact with powerful chakra." Uchiha Shingen decided to go take a look. "Shisui, protect Lord Daimyo."

With that, he left the palace and rushed toward the site of the disturbance.

Though it was not absolute, a region's environment did indeed affect the chakra nature transformations its local ninja excelled at.

Among the Five Great Nations, the Lands of Earth, Lightning, and Water were typical examples.

In the Land of Rain, most native ninja possessed Water nature transformation, while very few used Fire nature transformation.

Judging from the chakra he had sensed, the newcomer was no weakling.

Leaping between the towers, his scarlet eyes caught sight of the target: a figure clad in a black robe.

The instant the other party noticed him looking over, he turned his back, preventing Uchiha Shingen from seeing his face, then sprinted toward the outskirts at the same speed.

His judgment had been wrong. This was not hostility—it was outright provocation.

Uchiha Shingen gave chase.

After staying here for two months, the entire city was one of his return points. Ambushing him here was impossible.

Just like how no one in Leaf Village could ambush him either.

Oh, no, there was still one bug in Leaf Village—the genuine fanfiction overpowering canon series.

Uchiha Shingen was not actually that cautious. At least, he had never thought of himself as cautious. It was just that after experiencing being beaten to death by a group of people in his first life, he preferred leaving himself an extra way out in his second life.

After all, even if there was a third life, being beaten to death still hurt.

The capital soon vanished behind him, but the distance was not a problem. With Uchiha Shingen's proficiency in this technique, covering the entire Land of Rain was no issue.

After running for some time, the fleeing enemy suddenly stopped.

Uchiha Shingen recognized this place.

"So it was you that day."

Looking at the distant hill, Uchiha Shingen knew that he had not been mistaken that day after all.

Someone really had been watching him.

"Are you Uchiha Shingen?"

The man in the black robe was clearly suppressing his voice, yet he had his back turned and showed no intention of facing them.

That pose reminded Uchiha Shingen of all those shows he had watched until he was sick of them.

Still, this was the first time he had seen anyone strike such a pose in the Naruto world.

If it had been someone else, Uchiha Shingen would have hit them with a Water Release right away.

But not this time, because of that voice...

When the other party turned around, Uchiha Shingen felt his suspicions were confirmed.

Only Uchiha Obito could tirelessly wear such an ugly mask for more than a decade.

Just as he was about to say something, a yin-yang-faced creature emerged from the ground beside the man.

"Lord Madara, is there something about this brat worthy of your attention?" The yin-yang face immediately launched into its well-rehearsed act.

Uchiha Shingen stared at it without blinking.

When someone you had crossed mountains and rivers to freeload off suddenly appeared before you, what would the tea-loving masses do?

That was a difficult question to answer.

"Brat, what are you staring at?"

"Nothing much. I just think you look rather distinctive." Uchiha Shingen raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you have no idea what you look like?"

The yin-yang face froze.

In its memories, that was not how an Uchiha was supposed to react.

Hadn't it just said that name? Why was there no reaction at all?

That wasn't right.

The yin-yang face glanced at the other Uchiha beside him.

Honestly, this one did not seem very Uchiha either.

Had this generation of Uchiha somehow changed their ways?

"Brat, stop playing dumb." Uchiha Obito turned around, though he still kept his hands behind his back and struck another pose. "I am Uchiha Madara. You should have heard that name."

At the right moment, he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.

Through the hole in the mask, Uchiha Shingen clearly saw the pattern in that eye.

Then he snorted with laughter.

He could not help it. He had always felt that anyone who had read the story would never be fooled by this.

At the very least, it would not work on the Uchiha Clan, because...

"Enough with the bullshit. Uchiha Madara's eye pattern was nothing like yours—the clan records have it all." Uchiha Shingen looked at the two-man acting troupe before him with utter disdain. "And he had the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Its pattern even contained that of his younger brother Izuna. You two are way too unprofessional."

The Uchiha Clan was one of the few ninja clans that systematically maintained ninjutsu archives.

Advanced Sharingan could analyze the vast majority of ninjutsu, but their users were limited by their own conditions. Even if they could analyze a technique, they might not necessarily be able to use it. Thus, preserving analyzed ninjutsu in written form for future generations was, in the long run, the best way to strengthen the clan.

It was precisely because of this tradition that the Uchiha Clan could draw on the strengths of many schools and develop Fire Release, shuriken manipulation, and genjutsu to the utmost level of refinement.

During the Warring States Era, the various ninja clans frequently relocated their bases. The Uchiha Clan's library had been burned down more than once, but every time they moved, they rebuilt it without ever giving up.

After the Hidden Leaf Village was established, the Uchiha Clan's living environment finally became completely stable. After several decades, even counting the Five Great Ninja Villages themselves, the Uchiha library still ranked among the top three in the entire ninja world in both collection size and detail.

When Uchiha Shingen used Senju Tobirama's Water Release, the usual reaction from his clansmen was, "This guy really loves Water Release," because the library had all of it.

Even Senju Hashirama's Wood Release ninjutsu had been archived by the Uchiha Clan. With eye power unprecedented before him and unlikely to be matched after him, Uchiha Madara had forcibly analyzed every technique Senju Hashirama possessed. Though he could not use them himself, he had truly been a good clan head at the time—he loved his clan deeply and held hopes for its future generations.

While recording those ninjutsu, he added many of his own insights and tentatively proposed various possibilities, hoping that future generations could use them to learn techniques suited to themselves.

Uchiha Shingen had to acknowledge that favor as well. If not for Uchiha Madara's overwhelming personal efforts, there were some techniques he still would not have been able to learn even on his second run.

So now, as he looked at Uchiha Obito, he sincerely felt embarrassed for him.

Especially since the guy was still trying to bluff his way through it.

"Brat, you know a little, but your understanding is still too shallow." Uchiha Obito maintained his pose of being Shingen's ancestor. "The mysteries of the Mangekyo are not something lapdogs raised in captivity like you can understand."

"You're barely holding this up with that much power?" Uchiha Shingen sneered. "Every pair of Mangekyo eyes is synchronized. When you use your Mangekyo, Kakashi's eye will change as well. It may not fully reveal the Mangekyo pattern, but it is enough to prove who you are, Obito."

"Obito? Is that someone important to you? What a pity. I have never heard of him." Uchiha Obito's tone did not waver in the slightest, though there was a trace of impatience in it. "You possess these eyes, yet you remain obsessed with the past. That is truly disappointing."

If he had not been wearing a mask, everyone would have seen how incredibly expressive his face was right now.

Ugly as the mask was, it could block all forms of observation. Even the highest-level Byakugan could not see the face beneath it.

But Uchiha Obito had no mind to think about that now, because...

He! Had! Been! Recognized!

It did not matter if they did not believe he was Uchiha Madara. Even if they had solid proof that he was not Uchiha Madara, he could still say something suitably imposing like, "I am no one," and keep up the mystery.

But! You fucking called out my name right from the start!?

And he even had reasoning to back it up!?

Those crappy books gathering dust in the library, the ones that did nothing but introduce the clan's history—you actually read those too!? Have you even finished reading all the ninjutsu books!?

No, he had to stay calm. He was no longer his former self. He was Uchiha Madara now.

Getting him to blow his cover was impossible. No one could make it happen.

The same went for this bastard. He could only become his pawn.

Once he dealt with this bastard, he would go deal with Uchiha Shisui.

"Looks like you're a slow-witted junior." Uchiha Obito suppressed a certain urge in his heart—definitely not because he had wanted to beat up Uchiha Shingen for a long time. "Then let's see whether your strength is as impressive as your brain."

"You've awakened the Mangekyo and now you're getting cocky, Obito." Three tomoe appeared in Uchiha Shingen's eyes. "Don't think you can do whatever you want with just one eye. We're going to have a good talk about what happened to you."

Uchiha Obito ignored him. Nothing more explosive could possibly shake his state of mind now.

Besides, his ocular technique allowed him to do whatever he wanted, even with only one eye.

The two moved at the same time.

They used the same technique.

Amid puffs of white smoke produced by activating sealing techniques, batches of shuriken burst from the smoke, continuously colliding in midair to the faint sounds of steel wires being pulled.

The two figures rapidly shifted positions, occasionally crossing paths as the sound of weapons clashing rang out.

Even before the two began fighting, Zetsu had retreated far away. Watching them exchange blows, it silently pondered.

[There's something wrong with Obito... He hasn't been normal lately!]

[Influencing Uchiha Clan members who might awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan was part of the original plan, but now it's more or less been exposed...]

[Could this Uchiha also be one of the "companions" he once valued? Tch! Uchiha are really troublesome! This will only add more variables.]

"It's been a long time since we last sparred. Your shuriken manipulation has gotten really good." After ruining another batch of shuriken, Uchiha Shingen looked at Uchiha Obito. "But with that thing on your face, using Fire Release isn't very convenient, is it?"