"Become the Uchiha clan leader?" Tengen said, smiling faintly at Uchiha Fugaku's words. "I've never considered joining any clan."
"Besides, Fugaku-sama, that's not something you can decide alone, is it?" Tengen added, looking at him.
"Tengen-sama, I could persuade the Uchiha clan. You wield our clan's supreme power, there'd be no issue." Fugaku insisted.
"That's where the problem lies, Fugaku-sama." Tengen said, sipping his tea. "I know how things stand with the Uchiha clan."
"I'd rather not get involved. I hope you'll lead the Uchiha to prosperity." Tengen said with a smile.
An outsider leading the Uchiha? Their jōnin would never allow it.
At most, they'd want Tengen to join to bolster their strength.
Tengen's guess was correct. The Uchiha's pride often bordered on irrational.
Fugaku had raised the topic himself, testing the waters for Tengen's willingness to join.
With Tengen's Wood Release kekkei genkai, claiming he belonged solely to the Uchiha was impossible, he could just as well be tied to the Senju.
Some Uchiha, entrenched in their ways, believed individual strength meant little.
But seeing Tengen's terrifying power up close, Fugaku knew it rivaled a single ninja facing an entire village.
The pinnacle of Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara's strength.
"Such a pity." Fugaku said helplessly. In terms of prestige in Konoha, he couldn't compare to Tengen.
Even within the Uchiha, Fugaku's authority wasn't absolute.
Unlike the Hyūga, bound by the Caged Bird seal that kept branch members under main family control, the Uchiha had no such hierarchy. Influence was tied to individual strength, most evident in their Sharingan.
Fugaku himself possessed the three-tomoe Sharingan.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave, Fugaku-sama." Tengen said.
"Oh, Tengen-sama, do you know of Uchiha Madara?" Fugaku asked suddenly.
"Uchiha Madara?" Tengen chuckled. "Of course, Fugaku-sama. He's a legend in your clan, wielding the same Mangekyō power as me."
"Indeed, a legendary power." Fugaku nodded. "Thank you again, Tengen-sama."
"Then I'll be going, Fugaku-sama." Tengen said, leaving the tent.
As Tengen departed, Fugaku frowned, puzzled. "Was that Uchiha Madara that day really not Tengen?"
Outside, Tengen smiled faintly.
Fugaku's invitation was largely to recruit him into the Uchiha, but that was impossible.
Even if offered the clan leadership, Tengen knew Fugaku struggled with the Uchiha's internal dynamics.
"Was that last question a test?" Tengen mused.
He'd revealed his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan this time, different from the Mangekyō he'd shown Fugaku before.
As for Uchiha Madara's identity, whether to use it or not, Tengen was unsure. Perhaps he'd let it linger in the shadows, leaving the Uchiha to their suspicions.
If the need arose someday, it wouldn't matter.
With his growing strength, Tengen preferred open strategies, bold, upright plans that forced enemies into traps they couldn't avoid, even knowing the danger.
"Tengen!" A voice called from nearby as two familiar figures approached.
"Guy, Shisui." Tengen greeted with a smile.
"You're incredible! We've heard all about your feats." Might Guy said, grinning. "When can we have another taijutsu match?"
"Don't worry, we'll get the chance." Tengen replied.
"Tengen, in just two years, you've grown this much. When we first met, you weren't even my match." Uchiha Shisui said, recalling their encounter at the Uchiha's secret meeting place, the Naka Shrine.
In a mere two years, Tengen had become Konoha's hero.
"Shisui, how's Itachi?" Tengen asked.
"Him? He's not happy about you outshining him, but he's working hard." Shisui said, smiling at the thought of Uchiha Itachi.
"Haha, that kid wants to catch up to me? Impossible." Tengen laughed. "Let's walk and talk."
Tengen chatted with Shisui and Guy, sharing Konoha anecdotes and battlefield tales.
After a while, Tengen bid them farewell and returned to his tent.
He hadn't yet checked the high-definition video signal he'd received today. What could it contain?
A high-quality video, no less.
Tengen examined the player's contents. "A Naruto high-definition video."
"A Naruto video." Tengen said, smiling. It wasn't from another world, but a Naruto one was still promising.
Especially a high-definition one, it was bound to yield something valuable.
"Let's see what I get." Tengen said eagerly, always thrilled by the anticipation.
What treasure would it bring?
The system seemed to avoid duplicates. What else in the Naruto world could be deemed high-definition?
"Extract it." Tengen commanded the system.
Ding.
"Congratulations, you have obtained…"
***
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