Hyuga Hinata took the snacks back, feeling somewhat dejected.
The afternoon class was on Chakra extraction.
Uchiha Setsuna pretended to listen to the lesson, but he was actually thinking about Yakushi Kabuto.
Class ended.
Uchiha Setsuna left the classroom and headed home.
"Uchiha Setsuna."
Second Pillar caught up to him again.
"If there's anything you need help with, you can tell me anytime. We're both part of the younger generation of the Uchiha Clan, the future of the Uchiha. We should be helping each other now."
"No, I just didn't rest well."
Uchiha Setsuna did not say much more to Second Pillar.
Back home.
Second Pillar spotted a figure and was overjoyed.
"Brother."
"Sasuke."
Uchiha Itachi smiled.
However, Uchiha Itachi noticed that Second Pillar had not seemed to be in a very good mood at first.
"Sasuke, what's wrong? Did something upset you?"
Second Pillar shook his head.
But after hesitating for a while, Second Pillar still said, "Brother, I'm worried about the current state of our Uchiha Clan."
"Oh?"
"Our Uchiha Clan is clearly Konoha's foremost ninja clan, but our situation is far from optimistic. Many members of the Uchiha Clan are actually living poorly."
Second Pillar said, "I think Father hasn't done well enough."
"I want to change that."
"Brother, you've seen it too, haven't you? You think the same way, right?"
"Otherwise, you wouldn't be working so hard."
"I believe that once the two of us grow up, it'll be fine."
"We'll both become very, very strong."
"Then we'll lead the Uchiha Clan back to its peak."
"Brother, what do you think?"
Uchiha Itachi's eyes flickered.
"Sure."
He immediately put on a false smile and bumped fists with Second Pillar.
But Second Pillar could not tell.
"Brother, then I'll go train in the backyard first."
"Alright."
Uchiha Itachi watched Second Pillar's retreating back.
Uchiha Itachi was gratified by how hard Second Pillar was working.
But he did not agree with what Second Pillar had said.
"Lead the Uchiha back to its peak? Make the Uchiha stronger?"
"How could such a thing be allowed?"
"The current Uchiha are already constantly plotting rebellion, making Konoha's situation extremely tense."
"With the village already facing external threats, they're only causing it more trouble."
"If the Uchiha became even stronger, who knew what would happen?"
"This must never happen!"
The next day.
"Start simulation!"
The first thing Uchiha Setsuna did after opening his eyes was begin a Life Simulation.
[At age 6, you displayed the bearing of a genius and attracted countless people's attention.] ... [At 6 years and 2 months old, Yamanaka Ino confessed to you. She was deeply disappointed when she received no response.] ... [At 6 years and 6 months old, you defected to Danzo and became a member of Root.] [At 6 years and 7 months old, you monitored the Uchiha Clan.] ... [At age 7, the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall erupted, and the Uchiha Clan was destroyed.] [At 7 years and 1 month old, you secretly investigated matters related to Yakushi Nonō.] [At 7 years and 2 months old, you found the house where Yakushi Nonō had lived, but after searching the entire house, you found nothing you wanted.] [At 7 years and 3 months old, you searched for relevant information in the Root Organization's base.] [At 7 years and 4 months old, you were discovered. You chose to flee, and Danzo ordered your pursuit.] [Facing a large number of Root Ninja, you could only fight as you fled.] [You used Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu to kill two Root Ninja.] [You used Genjutsu: Sharingan to control a Root Ninja. You wanted to obtain intelligence through genjutsu.] [However, under the effects of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, they could not reveal any information regarding Danzo.] [At that moment, you thought of something: the Yamanaka Clan Secret Technique.] [The Yamanaka Clan Secret Technique could directly read the information in another person's mind.] [You were caught up to.] [You died!] [This simulation has ended.] [Please choose the reward you want from the following two options.] [1: Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu.] [2: The item you were holding when you died.]
"I choose 1."
Uchiha Setsuna knew very well that he had not been holding anything in that Life Simulation.
If he chose 2, he would get nothing again, just like last time.
It was precisely to avoid that awkward outcome that Uchiha Setsuna had deliberately learned a ninjutsu in this Life Simulation. Even if it was not particularly powerful, it was still better than nothing.
A stream of information flooded into Uchiha Setsuna's mind.
Uchiha Setsuna summarized his current strength and ninjutsu.
Chakra level: Chunin.
General ninjutsu: Three Basic Jutsu, Shadow Clone Technique.
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Great Fire Dragon Jutsu, Great Fire Annihilation.
Genjutsu: Fox Mind Technique, Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique, Genjutsu: Sharingan.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
After arriving at the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Setsuna still attended class and still slacked off.
"This Life Simulation told me that Yakushi Nonō's former residence definitely doesn't contain that information."
"That makes sense. After Yakushi Kabuto killed Yakushi Nonō and returned to Konoha, he would definitely have gone to check. Danzo could not possibly leave any chance for Yakushi Kabuto to discover something."
"If it exists, it can only be inside Danzo's Root Organization base."
"However, obtaining that information from such a vast and secretive Root Organization base will be difficult."
"Unless I possess an extremely convenient means of gathering intelligence."
"For example, the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, or the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique that can directly read information from people's minds."
Uchiha Setsuna unconsciously looked toward Hyuga Hinata.
Then he glanced in Yamanaka Ino's direction.
"Should I use these two in the Life Simulator?"
This was not something Uchiha Setsuna wanted to do.
He would be exploiting Hyuga Hinata and Yamanaka Ino's affection for him to achieve his own goals.
Uchiha Setsuna felt that was despicable.
"But aside from this method, I have almost no better options."
"If I wrong them in the Life Simulation, then once the situation is stable in the real world, I'll make it up to them. It's decided."
Hyuga Hinata sensed Uchiha Setsuna's gaze and looked somewhat puzzled.
Yamanaka Ino did not know what she had thought of, but her face flushed slightly.
In an instant, countless scenes had already played out in her mind.
Before you continue