Shiki's Life / Setting Out

Damn it, that's the downside of having acquaintances around.

In Leaf Village right now, the only one who knows the Impure World Reincarnation technique is Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The problem is, Sarutobi Hiruzen certainly didn't understand his Ninjutsu as well as the girls back then.

Hyuga Ziji would certainly know how many safety features Senju Muzoku had added to prevent the Impure World Reincarnation from being forcibly dispelled by the enemy, given that he suffered from severe paranoia.

"This isn't like him at all..." Hyuga Ziji sighed, her emotions unreadable.

Uchiha Shingen remained silent.

It certainly doesn't look like it.

But that was the personality displayed by the Senju Muzoku, and only that kind of personality could instill fear in the enemy...

"I don't know about that. The spellbook that was left behind is just like that."

"Only the technique?" Uchiha Shingen stared intently at Hyuga Ziji. "Please, Shingen- kun, try to recall carefully. Is there anything you've missed? I hope he can come back."

She used to be proud, so when she saw Senju Muzoku entangled with her ex-girlfriend, she angrily broke up with her.

They couldn't bring themselves to make up.

She hasn't dated anyone since then, especially since her deceased father was not only the clan leader but also a doting father. Even after stepping down, he remained an elder. Therefore, she wanted to stay single, and no one could say anything about it.

Now, many years have passed, and hearing news of that person again has stirred up my previously calm heart.

The deceased cannot be brought back; she only wished that he could be buried in his hometown.

"Indeed, there is nothing." Uchiha Shingen suppressed the turmoil in his heart, pretending not to notice the expectation in the other's tone, shook his head, and said decisively, "There are only weapons there, nothing else."

Chapter Forty: Murasaki's Life

In the tavern, Uchiha Shingen and Hyuga Zhengzhong sat facing each other, with a pot of warm sake and a large plate of sashimi on the table.

It was already evening.

Uchiha Shingen poured himself a cup of warm liquor and took a sip.

Leaving the Hyuga Clan Compound, I felt a mix of emotions.

"Shingen, you've finally made it to this position..." Hyuga Masashige said with envy after eating a piece of sashimi. "From now Hyuga Zhengzhong, apart from the Lord Hokage, no one can order you around anymore."

"It's not so bad to have something to do," said Uchiha Shingen.

Although the Hyuga Clan's family system is criticized in private, the clan is actually quite united in the face of outsiders, and the distinction between the main Main Family and the branch family is blurred.

In other words, the only family that can bully the branch family is the Main Family, and not every member of the Main Family is so bored.

Hyuga Clan, who advocates collectivism, has managed to strike a good balance in this regard.

The branch family system is essentially a cruel but effective protection system. At the very least, it ensures that Hyuga Clan members are not Dōjutsu or deliberately harmed outside the village because of their Byakugan.

The Uchiha Clan faces this problem: those clan members who fail to awaken the Sharingan will be targeted once their identities are discovered.

He added a dollop of mustard to his dish and then stirred it with chopsticks; he specifically asked the restaurant to give him a more pungent flavor.

This is a taste I developed during my first playthrough: when eating sashimi, the wasabi must be very strong.

"Your taste..." Hyuga Zhengzhong pouted, "It ruins the flavor of the ingredients."

"What's the point of eating wasabi if it's not pungent?"

Uchiha Shingen picked up a piece of sashimi, dipped it in the sauce, and ate it in one bite, thoroughly enjoying himself.

The Hyuga Zhengzhong, is a stickler for the original flavor; he doesn't add any wasabi at all.

"You don't seem to be in a good mood. Did your conversation with the elder not go well?"

"No, not at all." Uchiha Shingen decided to inquire about Murasaki's situation over the years.

Among his many girlfriends in the first playthrough, Murasaki was a very special person to him.

She made him realize that even in the cruel Ninja World, ninja girls would not approach outsiders simply because of a mission.

Unfortunately, he realized it too late, and after thinking about it for a long time, he felt that it was a good thing for the two of them to separate.

"The Evil of the Forest" has a life too filthy to deserve the sincere treatment of a girl like him.

"Zhengzhong, does your Elder Ziji have any descendants?"

"Ah, there really isn't one." Riyuki Masashige put down his chopsticks and sighed, "Of all the elders, she's the only one without descendants. Her family members have all passed away, and she's always alone."

"Judging from her appearance, she must have had many suitors when she was young, but she didn't like any of them?"

"Of course! The elder was a famous beauty in Leaf Village when she was young. Who in that generation of the clan didn't pursue her? But she was extremely serious about relationships. After her first love died, she never considered that kind of thing again."

Hyuga Zhengzhong and looked at Uchiha Shingen.

"Her first love was that Wu Zu Lord. That's why she invited you this time. However, she doesn't care about the inheritance. Some people in the clan do care, but she scolded them all."

Uchiha Shingen: "..."

So you're still unmarried...?

"Wouldn't it be too lonely to be all alone? Wouldn't I be vulnerable to being bullied?"

As he said this, Uchiha Shingen lowered his head and began to drink his wine.

If Hyuga Zhengzhong utters a name, none of them will survive tonight!

He won't die at the hands of Uchiha Shingen, but at the hands of Senju Muzoku.

"No, no, it's not that bad." Hyuga Zhengzhong waved his hand. "The elder is incredibly strong. There was that lecherous old man who wanted to remarry and took a liking to her, but she came to his door and beat him half to death. Nobody dares to bully her, but..."

He thought about it for a moment, then sighed.

"She must be very lonely, but the elder is a very kind person, especially to children. We were all taken care of by her when we were young, and we visit her whenever we have time, hoping that more people will make her more lively and happy."

"Serious."

"Huh? What's wrong? Why are you so serious?"

"That pervert, is he from the Hyuga Clan?"

"No, he's an elder of the Yamanaka Clan, probably in his seventies or eighties now."

"I'm going to tell the Hokage that I'm going to leave the village and see if I can find anything." Uchiha Shingen put down his wine cup. "Please pass on a message to Elder Murasaki for me. Tell her I'll do my best to find something, but she shouldn't have too high hopes. It's been so many years; even if there's something, it's rotten by now."

Murasaki's life shouldn't be like this.

It was his mistake, undeniably.

Uchiha Shingen decided to go and take a look at Kannabi Bridge. In his previous life, he specialized in studying Chakra, but his research on the physical body was relatively limited.

He doesn't know the Yin Seal; that was created by Tsunade herself.

Uchiha Shingen hoped that he could at least restore Murasaki's youthful appearance. Girls all love beauty, and Murasaki's obsession with maintaining her appearance was extraordinary. If he could succeed, she would surely be very happy.

That's the decision.

During this period, he didn't take any other orders; he just did this.

"Oh! You've got a clue?"

Hyuga Zhengzhong Uchiha Shingen with surprise and delight.

Those who weren't born into the Hyuga Branch Family wouldn't know what this feeling is like, or how sensitive they are to the gaze from the Main Family.

Only Hyuga Ziji was different in the eyes of all the branch family children. When facing this elder of the Main Family, they did not feel inferior as members of the branch family. Instead, they felt more deeply than ever that they were children of the Hyuga Clan.

These people all knew about Hyuga Ziji's heartache.

"Shingen, you're not lying to me."

"I'm not lying, I did search that place, and I had some leads. I sealed it off again afterward," Uchiha Shingen said "seriously." "I don't joke around when I need to be serious."

"That's true, you're the most reliable." Hyuga Zhengzhong his fists, eager to help. "Do you need any help? I can call for backup. You don't know how difficult it was for those of us who received care from the elders back then."

"No need, you guys are much slower than me." Uchiha Shingen picked up his wine cup again. "You should spend more time visiting the elders. Come on, let's have a drink."

"Let's go!" Hyuga Zhengzhong his glass in high spirits.

The two ate and drank, reminiscing about their experiences on the battlefield. The more they talked, the more engrossed they became, drinking one glass of wine after another.

The intoxication was growing stronger.

People who want to get drunk all have their own reasons—they only get drunk if they want to.

Uchiha Shingen clinked his sake cups together on the table.

Are you alright?

"Enough with the nonsense. I have Byakugan; I can see Chakra. Alcohol is nothing to me."

"As if you're the only one who can see this." Uchiha Shingen curled his lip, picked up the sake jug, and found that the jug was empty.

He shook the bell on the table.

The waiter pulled back the curtain and peeked in halfway, beaming.

"Bring another pot of tea, and also some hot dishes."

"Okay."

Seeing Uchiha Shingen felt the time was Hyuga Zhengzhong.

He knew this guy's drinking habits very well; at this point, he'd definitely black out when he woke up.

"Serious."

"Um..."

"What's the name of that lecherous guy you said was beaten by the elder?"

"Hmm... Oh, Yamanaka Zhengming, huh! You old codger!"

Hyuga Zhengzhong Masashige muttered to himself; he was already quite drunk. He picked up the last piece of sashimi and ate it.

Uchiha Shingen silently memorized the name.

Chapter 41 Departure

Yamanaka Zhengming Uchiha Shingen.

The Yamanaka Clan, whose foundation is based on mind control, has not been without its share of scoundrels, such as Yamanaka Zhengming.

However, when the village was being built, two powerful figures were stationed there, so all the crooked tricks became docile.

Uchiha Madara is not Senju Hashirama; he would kill anyone who dares to mess with him.

When Senju Tobirama Hokage, Senju Muzoku played a role previously held by Uchiha Madara, except he didn't kill anyone.

Sometimes living a long life is a skill in itself. Yamanaka Zhengming, who was once despised by his own people, has now grown into a senior citizen.

This guy's dark past is probably not known to many people nowadays. Even a fool would know that this group must have been up to no good back then, otherwise Uchiha Shingen Hyuga Ziji n't have come to beat him up.

From Uchiha Shingen's perspective, since the Yamanaka Clan also has designs on the "legacy" and has been making many small moves lately, Yamanaka Zhengming must have been involved in this matter; otherwise, it wouldn't fit Yamanaka Zhengming's character.

Back then, Yamanaka Zhengming was once hung from a tree and whipped by the Senju Muzoku because he almost caused a diplomatic incident.

He's not exactly a bad person, but he just likes to stir up trouble every now and then.

Anything that could be done normally, he'll always find a way to do abnormal things in his hands.

It can only be said that his father Senju Muzoku when he was a child, so he had to take over the beatings himself.

The elders in the Yamanaka Clan hold a position of power in Leaf Village; to do something like this, you'd have to resort to some underhanded tactics.

I just can't feel comfortable unless I give him a good thrashing.

Uchiha Shingen has no shortage of time in this loop, and rather than letting the so-called "legacy" farce fester and causing trouble someday, he might as well take this opportunity to resolve it all at once.

Since we're all ninjas, let's follow the rules of the ninjas.

The next day, Uchiha Shingen went to chat with the expressionless clan leader first.

Uchiha Fugaku's first reaction was...

"You've really mastered the Impure World Reincarnation?"

"I didn't learn it." Uchiha Shingen cut off that possibility without hesitation. "What's the point of learning something like that?"

Uchiha Fugaku thought about it and realized that it made sense.