Uchiha Yu

"Ah..."

Uchiha Meikyō was feeling troubled.

First, the compensation that should have belonged to him had somehow been embezzled by someone. Now, judging by Uchiha Fugaku's attitude, he seemed intent on making an issue of it. Meikyō feared he would be dragged into this matter.

Whether it was the power struggle among the clan's upper ranks or the entanglements between the entire Uchiha Clan and Konoha's leadership, neither was something a mere Genin like him could withstand.

Unless he could find himself a powerful patron...

Just as he was fretting inwardly, he discovered that the road ahead had been blocked by someone he did not recognize.

"Excuse me..."

"The Clan Head says he has many affairs to attend to and took the wrong token. He asked you to exchange it for this one."

The man took out a more exquisitely crafted token and handed it to Meikyō.

"The Clan Head also said that, as Clan Head, he would protect every outstanding genius in the clan."

This older Uchiha looked at Uchiha Meikyō with meaningful eyes.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Meikyō immediately understood.

Uchiha Fugaku was trying to recruit him!

Or rather, he wanted Meikyō to become part of the Clan Head's faction within the clan. As an Uchiha who had awakened his Sharingan—and one who had awakened it at the age of ten—Meikyō was certainly qualified to attract the Clan Head's recruitment.

He had just been looking for a patron, and one had come right to him!

The excuse about taking the wrong token was merely a cover. The real meaning lay in that new token. If he accepted it, he would be marked as part of the Clan Head's faction.

Meikyō decisively accepted the token engraved with three tomoe and said:

"I will remember the Clan Head's kindness. As a member of the Uchiha Clan, I will certainly stand by the Clan Head's side!"

The Uchiha understood what Meikyō meant and nodded in satisfaction.

"With this token, your name will be listed under the Police Force captain's direct unit."

Then, the elderly Uchiha leaned closer and spoke softly into Uchiha Meikyō's ear.

"Uchiha Yu, the elder guarding the Clan Vault, was a confidant of the former Clan Head and a staunch supporter of the Clan Head. Show him this token, and he will properly guide you."

After saying that, he patted Uchiha Meikyō on the shoulder and slowly headed back.

"It seems that once I take this token, everyone will assume I'm one of the Clan Head's people."

Uchiha Meikyō examined the exquisite patterns carved into the token in his hand and pondered silently.

"Still, for now, this is indeed a good thing. At the very least, Uchiha Fugaku will remain firmly seated as Clan Head for nearly the next twenty years. It's just... this Clan Head has yet to fully spread his wings. From the future storyline, he is also an indecisive sort. Even after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, he would not dare use it. Both his prestige and the strength he displayed to outsiders were relatively low among the Uchiha Clan's successive Clan Heads. Being able to keep his position as Clan Head does not mean he is capable of getting things done. For now, I can use him as a patron, but in the future, I'll still have to rely on myself!"

In the Ninja World, strength was what ultimately mattered.

The Uchiha Clan, even more so, was a clan fanatical about strength.

If you were a Jonin, everyone in the village would hold you in higher regard, and the Uchiha were no exception. If you possessed strength at the level of a Hokage, then as long as you were not foolishly loyal like Hatake Sakumo, you could thrive anywhere. No matter how arrogant the Uchiha were, they would show a certain degree of respect to a powerhouse of that level.

Uchiha Fugaku might be thinking of bringing him under his command now, so that in a few years he would gain another Jonin-level fighter. But if his future self could reach Hokage-level strength, his standing within the clan would likely not be beneath that of Fugaku, the Clan Head. And only by reaching that level would it be possible to change the Uchiha Clan's future fate.

If he possessed strength like Madara's, let alone the position of Uchiha Clan Head, he would not think much of even the Hokage's seat.

With that kind of strength, why not establish his own force and directly unify the Ninja World?

Of course, all that was far too distant for the current Meikyō. He was still only a Genin. Since Uchiha Fugaku could both stand up for him and offer him benefits, it would be a waste not to cling to such a powerful patron.

As long as Uchiha Fugaku did not do anything to betray him, Uchiha Meikyō would be willing to repay him in the future.

As he pondered, an ancient-looking building appeared before Meikyō. A massive Uchiha fan-shaped Clan Crest was painted across its facade.

This was the Uchiha Clan Vault.

Inside were not only the countless Ninjutsu collected by the Uchiha Clan, but also numerous rare treasures: all kinds of precious medicinal herbs, famed blades mixed with Chakra metal, high-quality Ninja Tools purchased from the Ninja Cat Clan, and more.

Such an important place was naturally guarded by a clan elder at the Jonin level.

Uchiha Yu lounged lazily in a recliner. He appeared to be resting his eyes, but he was actually using a spiritual sensory ability to silently monitor every movement within the Clan Vault, lest petty thieves sneak inside.

"Another clansman? Strange. His Chakra isn't much, but his Mental Power is quite good."

A look of surprise appeared on Uchiha Yu's face. He opened his eyes and looked toward the entrance.

There, an Uchiha youth dressed in a pale blue shirt was slowly approaching.

"Elder Yu, I am Uchiha Meikyō. By order of the Clan Head, I have come to collect Ninjutsu."

Uchiha Meikyō took out the token and handed it over for inspection to the thin old man before him.

Uchiha Yu accepted the token and studied the youth before him.

"Meikyō? That name..."

Uchiha Yu quickly searched through his memories.

The Uchiha Clan had only several hundred members in total. As a clan elder deeply concerned with the clan's affairs, he remembered the names of most people in the clan.

"I remember, you are Senji's boy, aren't you? Awakening the Sharingan at this age, you are far more talented than your father. I hope that, like your father, you will not tarnish the Uchiha name."

Uchiha Yu patted Meikyō on the shoulder.

"To die on the battlefield is the final, and most important, honor in an Uchiha's life!"

Uchiha Yu silently watched the youth before him.

"You came here because you awakened your Sharingan?"

Meikyō nodded.

"Your age?"

Uchiha Yu asked again.

Meikyō assumed this was routine registration before receiving Ninjutsu, requiring him to provide his age and family details.

"Ten."

"You awakened it at ten... Was it because of your parents..."

Uchiha Yu let out a long sigh and once again examined the handsome youth before him.

Awakening the Sharingan at the age of ten meant there was a fairly high chance he could evolve it to a higher level in the future. Moreover, from what Yu had sensed just now, Meikyō's Mental Power was also exceptionally strong—so strong that it did not resemble the Mental Energy someone his age should possess. Even with the Sharingan awakened, it was almost equivalent to the Mental Energy produced by two souls.