"By the way," Nobuyuki suddenly asked, as if something had just occurred to him, "you've been researching sealing techniques lately, haven't you? Made any breakthroughs?"
"Hm?"
Ren Takashi blinked, slightly puzzled by the question. "I've made some progress, sure. But most of the sealing techniques in our clan's archive are relatively low-grade, so the results have been… limited."
"They fall far short of my expectations."
"I think it's time I tried to obtain some advanced sealing arts from Tsunade-sensei."
"After all, her grandmother was Uzumaki Mito, wasn't she?"
Additionally, Ren had already confirmed that Kushina Uzumaki hadn't yet arrived in Konoha.
Which wasn't exactly surprising.
Even in his past life, there were conflicting theories about when Kushina came to the village.
Some said she was a surviving orphan brought in after the fall of the Uzumaki clan.
Others believed she arrived before her clan was wiped out.
Ren personally leaned toward the latter.
"Uzumaki Mito… You're seriously thinking about trying to get something from her? Isn't that a bit risky?"
Nobuyuki's expression turned unusually stern. "Watch yourself. That woman is not to be underestimated."
"If you're thinking about trying anything clever, don't. She'll see through it in an instant."
Only those who had truly faced Mito in person knew how terrifying she could be.
Despite being the wife of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, she was no decorative figure.
"Hm?"
Ren's brow furrowed slightly. "You've met her before? You know her well?"
His past-life memories picked up on something hidden in his father's tone.
The Nine-Tails was known to possess the ability to sense malice.
As its jinchūriki, Uzumaki Mito shared that ability.
And combined with the Uzumaki clan's Kekkei Genkai—Kagura Shingan, the "Mind's Eye of Insight"—Mito likely possessed a terrifying level of intuitive perception.
"Not well," Nobuyuki admitted. "But your grandfather once told me things about the Nine-Tails."
"That creature can sense good and evil—pure instinct."
"Mito, as its jinchūriki, inherited that sense as well."
"Anyone who ever harbored ill intent toward her… let's just say they didn't end up well."
Even as he recalled it, Nobuyuki's tone was filled with awe.
"I see…"
Ren nodded slowly, though inside, he thought, So it's true.
He suspected his grandfather had learned this from none other than Madara Uchiha.
After all, it was Madara who had once captured the Nine-Tails and forged a summoning contract with it.
If anyone understood its capabilities, it was him.
"Oh, that reminds me—Father, have you noticed something odd about the clan archive?"
Ren looked over. "There's a distinct lack of information—especially on sealing arts and the advanced evolution of the Sharingan."
"Shouldn't an ancient clan like ours, with over a thousand years of history, have far more recorded knowledge?"
"Did Madara… take it all with him when he left Konoha?"
He'd been wondering about that for days.
"Heh… you noticed that too, huh?"
Nobuyuki gave a bitter smile and nodded. "You're absolutely right."
"When Madara left the village, he tried to take the entire Uchiha clan with him."
"But we had grown tired of war. We'd grown used to the peace Konoha offered. So we refused."
"In a rage, he took a large portion of our most precious scrolls and resources with him—"
"Even the Uchiha's ancestral artifact—the Gunbai fan."
"So yes… a huge chunk of our legacy disappeared with him."
That explained why the current clan archive had such fragmented sealing arts.
Many of the current materials had been slowly reacquired by later generations.
"…I knew it."
Ren couldn't help but sigh internally. If I ever cross paths with Madara, I'm going to have to recover those lost archives.
They were the product of a thousand years of accumulation.
Priceless.
And vital to his continued development of chakra theory and advanced training techniques.
Thinking of Madara made Ren also think of White Zetsu.
He immediately swept his spiritual sense through the surrounding area—even beneath the earth—just to be sure.
Only once he confirmed there were no signs of White Zetsu nearby did he relax.
In recent days, he had occasionally sensed Zetsu's presence underground—lurking in trees or beneath the Uchiha compound and even other parts of the village.
Clearly, Konoha—and especially the Uchiha—were under surveillance.
Madara had never truly stopped watching.
Which makes sense, Ren thought. How else could he stir up so much chaos from the shadows?
"Don't dwell on it."
Nobuyuki misread his son's grim expression and tried to console him. "Look, it's not like anyone could've stopped Madara. If he wanted to take those scrolls, there was no way to stop him."
"It's just a shame he's already dead—those scrolls are gone for good."
"Unless we use the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu to summon him and get him to talk…"
"But that jutsu is a forbidden technique listed in the village's Scroll of Seals."
"As Uchihas, we'll never be granted access."
"Unless, of course, you become Hokage one day. Otherwise… best not to dwell on it."
Ren almost laughed out loud.
Madara? Dead? Yeah, right.
He was very much alive—and still meddling.
Ren had no doubt that Madara would eventually try to pick a new agent from within the Uchiha clan.
And with his own existence in the mix, the future would diverge from what he remembered.
It might not be Obito this time.
It could be Fugaku. Or someone else entirely.
After all, Madara liked to choose successors who were close—relatives.
That thought filled Ren with a renewed sense of urgency.
"I won't dwell on it, I promise," he said quickly.
"Good."
Nobuyuki nodded, satisfied. "Once you get your hands on some higher-level sealing techniques from Tsunade, see if you can develop—or improve—a confidentiality seal."
"That way, when we start selectively sharing the Sharingan Awakening Method and the Three-Tomoe Training Technique with trusted clansmen, we'll have some measure of protection."
"Prevent the techniques from leaking out through other channels."
He wouldn't have asked this of just anyone.
But with Ren… Nobuyuki truly believed anything was possible.
His son created miracles.
"A confidentiality contract? Got it. I'll work on it."
Ren nodded in understanding and agreed without hesitation.
They chatted for a while longer.
Ren took the opportunity to ask about the recent progress with the police force, clan contribution system, and educational reforms.
After getting a status update and having dinner prepared by his mother, he finally returned to his room.
There, he began another round of chakra training and resumed his practice of the Sharingan Awakening Method.