Chapter 2: Away from Humanity.
If Uchiha Uranium's guess was correct, he was probably a walking radiation source, constantly emitting microscopic energy from within.
Not just upon contact, but as long as he existed, everyone around him would constantly absorb this radiation, eventually developing all sorts of ailments, suffering from systemic ailments, cancer, death, genetic mutations, and other painful experiences, all leading to a tragic death.
He didn't want to see such an outcome.
So he left. As long as he stayed in the clan, everyone would die, it would just be those with higher spirit power who would die later. If not for his parents, then for himself.
Who knew one day a clan member would discover that his mutated Sharingan was the source of the microscopic radiation particles absorbing him, causing infertility and his own death, and then kill him prematurely?
Not to mention that he had been traveling through time for six years. His parents' kindness in raising him was still fresh in his mind, and feelings couldn't be faked. It was better for him to leave, both emotionally and logically.
Hence the scene now: a child, carrying a heavy package, stood hesitantly in the bushes. The spirit beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest weren't herbivores. Once he entered, it would be difficult to escape.
After a moment, Uchiha Uran gritted his teeth, pulled a gleaming dagger from the package, strapped it to his back, and, with his hands free, slowly and cautiously made his way inside. He couldn't go anywhere, regardless of clan territory.
As long as anyone was around him—and even more than just around him, if he appeared in a town or village—the peaceful lives of ordinary people would soon be shattered.
Endless death and the hideous, disgusting decay and mutation of flesh would follow them for the rest of their lives.
Only uninhabited places, only the untouched Star Dou Great Forest, would be his final resting place. It was a shame. He'd been fantasizing about the Five Village Fight and the Eye Legend, all that fancy stuff. He had the Sharingan, after all. Maybe once he opened his Mangekyō, even the Spirit Hall Shrek would be on his way.
It was such a shame.
Entering the bushes, everything around him changed. Though still a long way from the real Star Dou Great Forest, the vegetation and everything else were almost identical. The ground began to grow damp, and the air grew a bit stuffy.
Though the outside world was less than a hundred meters away, the air was pleasant and sunny, yet the inside was a completely different place.
It felt more like a rainforest, with the smell of rotting vegetation. The air was intensely humid and hot, and sunlight filtered through the layers of dense foliage, filtering down to the ground. The abundant rain had fertilized the dense vegetation, lush and overgrown, with vines tangling and roots tangling, forming a dense barrier.
After barely an hour of walking, Uchiha Uran's silver-white hair was already drenched with sweat, its slightly curly ends clinging to the sides. His fair skin was irritated by the scorching sun, and beads of sweat dripped down his forehead, running down the bridge of his nose and past the corners of his mouth, leaving a hint of salt.
The young man was dressed rather extravagantly in blue and white trousers and a long shirt, with deerskin boots. The hems of his trousers were rolled up, exposing his ankles to protect them from the filthy mud and rotting branches on the ground.
Fortunately, his family was well-off and he possessed a spatial soul guide, but it was already full. Otherwise, he could just throw the bag on his back into it and avoid the arduous task.
After understanding his unique situation, he quickly packed his wilderness survival supplies. After all, he had been reborn and had watched a few episodes of Bear Grylls and Derek Johnson. Although he hadn't practiced them himself, he could still follow the example.
Not to mention that he was a First Ring Spirit Master. After the baptism of his spirit rings and the physical strengthening of his Sharingan martial spirit, his current six-year-old physique was perhaps even stronger than the physique of the inactive, otaku in his previous life.
However, he also knew that his little actions had likely been noticed by his father. After all, as the clan leader, his father must be formidable, and he was only a child. He packed his things and prepared his luggage, his intention to leave was obvious, but his father didn't appear or stop him.
So before leaving, he muttered to himself for a while, trying to explain his reasons and intentions to leave. He felt guilty. If he had noticed the changes in his body earlier, the servant who had previously cared for him wouldn't be lying in bed, suffering from the torture of radiation.
Actually, looking back now, he could have just had his father carve out a place to live in the deserted area ahead of time, saving himself the suffering of the Star Dou Great Forest and the constant risk of death. But the guilt at the time overwhelmed him, causing him to act rashly.
As for why he was so sure his father had seen everything, well, his spatial soul guide contained a stack of books—encyclopedias on soul beasts, martial soul knowledge, Uchiha family histories, forest survival manuals, trap-making manuals, and instructions for cultivating soul power. It was obvious he'd prepared everything.
"Ah, I don't want to dwell on this anymore. I'm already here."
Suddenly, he paused, glancing around suspiciously. It was quiet. There were no soul beasts as he'd imagined, no terrifying mosquitoes or insects. Nothing at all, just plants.
"Did I stray into the territory of some thousand-year-old soul beast?"
Uchiha Uran became wary. Although this outermost area was typically home to soul beasts between ten and a hundred years old, there was no guarantee a thousand-year-old soul beast, driven from its territory, would have wandered into this lower-level area.
This wasn't a game; nothing was set in stone. If he ran into one, he'd probably be dead. After waiting for over ten minutes, nothing happened.
"Forget it. This area isn't a good place to camp and survive. It's too humid. I'm going to walk to the sides and find another way. I can't go any further inside." After a moment's reflection, Uchiha Uran made his decision. If his guess was correct, the Star Dou Great Forest had all sorts of areas.
Since he was currently in a rainforest-like wetland environment, there must be a forest environment or something else suitable for him, but not this one.
He turned and continued trudging forward, pushing aside the lush green leaves that obscured his vision and taking as long strides as possible on the moist, vegetation-covered ground.
Pushing aside the leaves, Uchiha Uranium was disappointed to find muddy puddles of stagnant water ahead. Bubbles constantly appeared in the puddles, then dissipated. A strong, unpleasant smell emanated from the surrounding area. Tall broadleaf trees and low bushes grew on both sides, forming an impassable road.
"Looks like I have to change lanes."
The boy subconsciously gritted his teeth, feeling a little anxious. He had to take a detour and go back, which wasted a lot of time.
"Forget it."
With a sigh, the boy turned around and continued walking the way he had come. He didn't notice that behind him, dark brown, warty toads emerged from the stagnant water puddles.
One by one, they climbed out of the puddles and fled in the opposite direction of the boy, jumping away from him desperately, as if he were a flood beast.
(End of this chapter)