Convincing the Elder

And it was then that the seeds of the Land of Whirlpools' destruction were sown.

To help the nations coexist peacefully and balance their military strength, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, distributed the One-Tail through the Eight-Tails among the various ninja villages.

While the First Hokage was alive, the other ninja villages dared not harbor any ill intentions. But after the First and Second Hokage died in succession, the Senju Clan had no one of sufficient caliber left, and the Uzumaki Clan's strongest fighter, its clan leader, had also passed away. To obtain the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu, seal their own tailed beasts, and acquire jinchūriki for their villages, the ninja villages invaded the Land of Whirlpools.

When the Uzumaki Clan appealed for help, the Third Hokage had too many schemes of his own. Citing the war the village was fighting and a shortage of manpower, he kept delaying his response to their pleas, leading to the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools and the theft of its Sealing Jutsu.

What the Third Hokage had not expected was that the ninja villages would acquire their own jinchūriki one after another. Some even obtained perfect jinchuriki outright, greatly increasing their fighting strength and putting Konoha at a serious disadvantage.

In short, the Land of Whirlpools possessed something the ninja villages desperately needed, but lacked a powerful fighter who could deter them. Konoha, which had always maintained friendly ties with it, proved unreliable this time (possibly due to yet another political bargain by the Third Hokage), and so the country was destroyed.

That was why one should never depend on others for everything. When it mattered most, only oneself could be relied upon.

Qiu Shan Uchiha closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then firmly tapped the location of the Land of Whirlpools with his finger, deciding on the Uchiha Clan's future home.

The Uchiha had no shortage of powerful fighters now. Including Uchiha Itachi, they had four pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan alone. Although Shisui Uchiha could not use his dōjutsu lightly, that did not stop him from activating Susanoo. Besides, even without using his Mangekyō Sharingan, the current Shisui Uchiha was unquestionably a Kage-level fighter.

The Uchiha Clan had far more skilled fighters than the Uzumaki Clan had possessed back then, including quite a few at Kage level. Surely no one would be foolish enough to provoke them.

Qiu Shan Uchiha activated his Sharingan and carefully memorized the map spread across the table. After tidying the room, he did not rush to discuss the relocation with the Elder and the clan leader. Besides, even if the Uchiha Clan moved away, a small number of clan members would remain in Konoha to look after the students attending school there. After all, building a clan compound was easy enough, but establishing a school was not something that could be done overnight.

After lunch, Qiu Shan Uchiha brewed a cup of tea and sat beneath the shade of a tree in the courtyard. Looking at the clan crest on the courtyard wall, which resembled a table tennis paddle, he took a slurp of tea and let out a satisfied breath.

Only a day had passed since he obtained the system yesterday. With the system's powerful support and his own intelligence, he had crossed the threshold to the Mangekyō Sharingan and dramatically increased his strength. He was no longer an obscure Uchiha jōnin. Instead, he had stepped off the chessboard to become the Uchiha Clan's true authority-a Player.

Time passed quickly, and the afternoon was over in the blink of an eye. Qiu Shan Uchiha's Sharingan had finally adjusted, no longer aching or feeling swollen.

Next, he would visit the Elder and persuade him to agree to the Uchiha's relocation. As for the clan leader, he would still need to keep up appearances and go through the motions.

In the lingering glow of sunset, Qiu Shan Uchiha entered the Elder's courtyard. The Elder's wife had passed away, and he disliked having attendants around him, so he lived alone in the rather spacious residence.

Qiu Shan Uchiha knocked on the door at an unhurried pace and only entered after hearing the Elder's reply.

Inside the reception room, the Elder, Uchiha Ling, was leisurely brewing tea. He smiled and said:

"I knew you'd come today, boy."

Qiu Shan Uchiha was a little surprised. "You knew I'd come, Elder?"

The Elder nodded and replied with an air of mystery, "You must have noticed by now, haven't you?"

The question left Qiu Shan Uchiha somewhat bewildered. "Noticed what?"

Seeing Qiushan's expression, the Elder looked exasperated. "Your Mangekyō Sharingan. They should have awakened their dōjutsu by now, shouldn't they?"

At the Elder's words, understanding dawned on Qiu Shan Uchiha. The Elder thought he had come to ask for guidance about his dōjutsu. He was about to correct him, but reconsidered and nodded along instead, though he only intended to reveal part of the truth.

"Yes, Elder. My Mangekyō Sharingan awakened their dōjutsu, and I tried using it. The results weren't very good, so I came to ask for your guidance."

Hearing that Qiu Shan Uchiha had already used his dōjutsu once, the Elder immediately became interested.

"You've already used it? What does it do? You mustn't use it too often from now on. It will damage your Sharingan."

Qiu Shan Uchiha decided to tell the Elder about the Uchiha Clan's massacre. That would help him persuade the Elder to have the clan leave Konoha.

Qiu Shan Uchiha's expression grew somewhat grave.

"My Mangekyō Sharingan's dōjutsu awakened after I went home last night. It was a very strange feeling, as though the dōjutsu had been embedded in my eyes from birth. Even without activating it, I could understand roughly what it did."

The Elder nodded at that. "These dōjutsu awaken naturally once our Uchiha Clan's Sharingan evolve into the Mangekyō Sharingan. They differ from person to person and are inherently suited to each individual's nature. If someone likes to attack, the dōjutsu they awaken will most likely be highly offensive. If someone prefers hiding, their dōjutsu should help them conceal themselves. If they like running away, it might be a dōjutsu that grants speed or flight."

Having finished, the Elder chuckled. "I deliberately didn't tell you yesterday because I wanted to surprise you. Haha! Gave you quite a scare last night, didn't it, boy?"

Hearing the Elder speak like an overgrown child, Qiu Shan Uchiha nearly lost his composure and laughed. He quickly controlled his expression and sighed gravely. "Elder, do you know what dōjutsu I awakened?"

By then, the Elder had also sensed that something was wrong with Qiu Shan Uchiha, and the smile faded from his face.

"What dōjutsu could leave you this upset?"

Qiu Shan Uchiha raised his head and looked at the Elder, the corner of his mouth twitching. Finally, he activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and used Uchiha Fugaku's dōjutsu, Illusion Realm. Of course, he did not use its full power. There was only a gentle tug, weak enough for even an ordinary ninja to break free with ease.

"Elder, please don't resist. Let me show you what my dōjutsu showed me yesterday."

The Elder was a clever man himself. Looking at Qiu Shan Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan, he asked, "A precognition type?"

When Qiu Shan Uchiha nodded, the Elder stopped resisting and entered the illusion space.