Mikoto Uchiha smiled.
"Well done."
"What do you want to eat tonight?"
"I'll make you anything you want. If I can't, we'll go buy it outside."
Second Pillar's eyes lit up.
"I want to eat lots and lots."
"Alright, alright, whatever you want."
Meanwhile, things were entirely different at Uchiha Setsuna's home.
Uchiha Setsuna told Uchiha Kayan about his results. Uchiha Kayan knew they were not particularly good, but he had seen Uchiha Setsuna's usual hard work and training.
Under those circumstances, Uchiha Kayan could not possibly blame Uchiha Setsuna.
"Keep working hard, Setsuna. I believe you'll definitely become an outstanding ninja."
"Yes, Grandpa."
The next day.
"Begin simulation!"
[At age 6, you were utterly ordinary.] ... [At 6 years and 6 months old, you learned the Mind Body Switch Technique.] ... [At 6 years and 10 months old, you escaped to Kirigakure.] ... [At age 7, the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall erupted.] [You controlled Ao and went to the Mizukage Office Building, where you used the Byakugan on it.] [You canceled the Mind Body Switch Technique.] [Ao saw that Yagura was under a genjutsu and was shocked, even forgetting that he had been affected by the Mind Body Switch Technique.] [Ao found one of Kirigakure's higher-ups, Genji, and told him what he had seen.] [Genji was greatly shocked and began investigating and making preparations in secret.] [Kirigakure descended into chaos, and no one had time to worry about you.] [At 7 years and 1 month old, you waited for an opportunity.] [At 7 years and 2 months old, you waited for an opportunity.] ... [At 7 years and 6 months old, Yagura noticed something.] [A great battle broke out between Yagura's faction and Genji's faction.] [You took the opportunity to escape.] [Several Kirigakure Ninja pursued you, but they were no match for you at all.] [You killed more than a dozen Kirigakure Ninja.] [You left the Land of Water.] [You entered the Land of Lightning.] [Using the method you had obtained from Kumogakure spies, you contacted Kumogakure.] [Kumogakure Ninja came to receive you.] [You arrived in Kumogakure.] [You were imprisoned. The guards were even stricter than they had been in Kirigakure.] ... [At age 8, you were imprisoned in a cell.] ... [At age 9, you were imprisoned in a cell.] [Over the past three years, you had cultivated relentlessly day and night. Your Chakra finally broke through, and your Chakra level rose to that of an Elite Jonin.] [At 9 years and 1 month old, an invisible vortex appeared beside you, and a small white snake appeared in the corner.] [Tobi Uchiha questioned you—why did you know Yagura's secret? Why did you ruin his plan? Why did you interfere with his revenge?] [Tobi Uchiha was filled with killing intent toward you.] [You used the Fire Style: Great Fire Destruction Technique against Tobi Uchiha.] [Tobi Uchiha dodged.] [You approached Tobi Uchiha, intending to remove his mask and gouge out his Mangekyō Sharingan to hold in your hand, but you failed.] [You were killed by Tobi Uchiha.] [You died.] [Please choose one of the following two options as your reward.] [1: Elite Jonin-level Chakra.] [2: The item you were holding in your hand before your death.]
"I choose 1!"
The next moment, Uchiha Setsuna felt an immensely powerful force surge forth from within his body.
His entire body was enhanced.
"So this is Elite Jonin-level Chakra."
"Elite Jonin-level Chakra reserves, as well as Elite Jonin-level Chakra control."
"They're still the same ninjutsu, but now, when I use them, they'll be much more powerful."
"Finally, I can be considered an elite ninja."
Uchiha Setsuna let out a long breath.
"After so many Life Simulations."
With each Life Simulation averaging a year, that amounted to more than thirty years in total.
How many periods of thirty-odd years did a ninja have?
Not many.
Ninjas were powerful, but very few lived long, because the environment they faced was exceptionally dangerous.
That was true whether it was war or missions.
One mistake, and they could lose their lives.
"Only now do I have some real strength."
Uchiha Setsuna knew the true state of the ninja world very well.
In the early stages, when the story had only just begun, Jonin were already considered remarkable ninjas.
But as the story unfolded, it would enter an era where Kage-level fighters were everywhere and Jonin were worth less than dogs.
Could a Jonin withstand a Tailed Beast Bomb?
Only Elite Jonin could be considered somewhat useful.
"This Life Simulation was fairly successful."
"After all, I gained Elite Jonin-level Chakra."
"However, there were still many shortcomings."
"The direction was correct."
"By using Ao's eyes to expose the fact that Yagura was under a genjutsu, I could throw Kirigakure into chaos."
"Once Kirigakure was in chaos, I could escape."
"As for how bad Kirigakure's situation became, that had nothing to do with me."
"Besides, it was only a Life Simulation."
"Kumogakure treated me far more harshly than Kirigakure did."
"The moment I entered Kumogakure, I was directly imprisoned. I didn't even have a chance to speak with their higher-ups."
"Kumogakure did not trust me at all. The only reason they took me in was because it cost them nothing; I had already arrived in the Land of Lightning, so all they needed to do was send someone to guide me."
"And because of my Uchiha bloodline."
"They probably wanted to wait until I came of age, then send in a few Kumogakure women and have me produce Uchiha who belonged to Kumogakure. They would never place even the slightest trust in an outsider like me."
Uchiha Setsuna had not expected anything from Kumogakure in the first place. All he wanted was the time Kumogakure could provide.
Even if Kumogakure kept him trapped in a dungeon for decades, Uchiha Setsuna would not have cared.
"But Tobi Uchiha actually appeared in Kumogakure."
"After discovering that I was the one who exposed Yagura's genjutsu, he bore a grudge against me and wanted revenge."
"And he got to Kumogakure through Orochimaru."
Uchiha Setsuna noticed the snake in the corner mentioned by the Life Simulator's prompt.
"I remember that Kumogakure's previous Eight-Tails Jinchuriki went berserk because Orochimaru poisoned him, so Orochimaru knew Kumogakure's situation well."
"Tobi Uchiha made a deal with Orochimaru."
Uchiha Setsuna's gaze flickered.
"That's strange. At that point in time, Orochimaru should have already left the Akatsuki."
"Yet he was still able to cooperate with Tobi Uchiha."
"Still, that has nothing to do with me."
"In the next simulation, with Elite Jonin-level strength, I can escape directly from Konoha to the Land of Lightning. I won't need to go through Kirigakure, and naturally, Tobi Uchiha won't set his sights on me."
Before you continue