Chapter 20: The Uchiha Meet the Mutants
"Clan Leader, are we really just going to let them go like that?" Inabi, still sore from Hank's beastly kick, couldn't help but want to make a move.
"Calm down. Those two are mutants. They're similar to our ninja world's kekkei genkai, except their genetics are highly unstable. Unlike us Uchiha, who can reliably inherit the Sharingan. Most mutants are just like ordinary people, with no combat ability, but there are some exceptionally powerful ones."
"We've only just arrived here and begun to establish roots. It's not wise to make enemies with the extraordinary forces native to this land. And since they're our neighbors, there might even be opportunities for cooperation in the future."
"The most important point is that bald man just now—he's one of the mutant leaders. Don't underestimate them. That bald man named Charles is an extremely powerful psychic mutant. As the name suggests, he excels at manipulating people's minds."
"Mutants are that terrifying? They don't even need training, yet they're born with such powerful abilities?" Inabi was still convinced by the new clan leader's words. Even though he didn't know where the leader got his information, following him felt like the safest bet.
"Not exactly. Mutants like Charles are rare exceptions. Besides, Charles' mental abilities don't really work on me." The mental resilience from his Mangekyō Sharingan, combined with Uchiha Akira's reborn soul, gave him all the confidence he needed not to fear Charles.
"Don't dwell on it. At least we've gained another estate. Now the clansmen and the ninja cats finally have a stable place to live." Settling the Uchiha residence in one stroke marked a solid beginning for putting down roots.
"Alright, now we've got work to do. Let's start relocating the clan immediately!"
Opening the spatial gate, the four of them stepped into the forest. After issuing instructions, everyone happily began moving. This was the beginning of the Uchiha's foothold in a new world.
Though it was already late, with over a thousand clansmen and several hundred ninja cats, the Uchiha quickly settled down and began organizing the estate. Everyone worked deep into the night before things were finally in order.
That night, the Uchiha clan drifted into peaceful dreams within their new estate.
"Akira, you're still awake?" Uchiha Mikoto set a late-night snack down on his desk.
"Go ahead and sleep, Sister Mikoto. I'm still young and full of energy. I'll rest later."
"It's precisely because you're young that you need proper sleep. Otherwise, you won't grow taller." Mikoto's heart ached as she looked at the half-grown boy who had single-handedly saved the clan and now bore the heavy burden of their future.
Her thoughts inevitably drifted to her wayward eldest son, Itachi, and guilt welled up inside her. She always felt Itachi had gone astray because she had failed to guide him properly.
Originally, she had intended to follow Fugaku in death. But Fugaku had insisted otherwise, saying that it would be too hard for Akira alone to carry the clan, that someone needed to help him, and that Sasuke was innocent.
Fugaku's last wish was that, if they ever returned to the ninja world, Sasuke would still have his mother waiting for him.
"I understand, Sister Mikoto. I'll finish eating and then sleep." Akira knew that Mikoto was perhaps the one who suffered the most—her eldest son had betrayed the clan, her younger son lived alone in Konoha, and her husband had passed on.
Yet she still forced herself to stay strong and support him. "Sister Mikoto, starting tomorrow, help me with keeping records of the clansmen's situation. The Uchiha have only just arrived in this new world, everything is in disarray, and there are countless matters to handle. I can't manage it all alone."
"I will. Whatever you need help with, just tell me." Mikoto smiled with the warmth of a mother.
These past days, it wasn't that Mikoto didn't want to help, but that Akira hadn't asked, and she didn't dare volunteer. The role of clan leader carried both responsibility and immense authority—some people craved that power. Not knowing Akira's stance, she hadn't wanted to overstep. Now that he had spoken, she knew exactly what she had to do.
The next morning, the Uchiha clansmen rose early to continue tidying the estate. Last night had only been a rough cleanup; today, the real work began.
The next priority was establishing defensive barriers.
Although the Uchiha's knowledge of sealing techniques wasn't as advanced as the Uzumaki clan's, they were still a noble family dating back to the Warring States period. Naturally, they had experts in barrier arts. The barriers they could deploy now weren't as sophisticated as Konoha's, of course.
Konoha's barrier had been a masterpiece, incorporating the strengths of many clans, and personally designed by Hashirama's wife, Uzumaki Mito. Still, the Uchiha's mastery of barrier techniques was formidable—an invisible heritage of a great clan.
Whether their barrier could block satellites, however—Akira had no idea. That would need to be investigated later. In this modern world filled with surveillance cameras and satellites, privacy was not easily secured.
The elders skilled in sealing began mapping out the barriers according to the terrain.
"Clan Leader, that guy named Charles came again. Didn't expect him to be so trustworthy," Inabi reported, barging in as usual.
"Inabi, show some composure—you're still my senior, after all."
"Come on, Clan Leader. Senior or not, you're the leader now!"
Akira couldn't help but laugh. It seemed he was the only one in the clan forced to put on an air of maturity. Inabi wasn't truly careless; he was just trying to act easygoing, to take some weight off Akira's shoulders.
"Alright, let them in. Once the barriers are set, it'll be harder for outsiders to enter."
Charles was astonished at the sight of the newly restored estate. In just one night, such a massive property had been almost completely organized. Everywhere he looked, there were black-haired, black-eyed men and women—fitting the image of a great family.
"Hank, do you see this? Compared to yesterday, the speed of their cleanup is unreal. Their efficiency is insane." Once again, Hank was accompanying Charles.
"Charles, don't do anything unnecessary today. Yesterday, because of you, I ruined my brand-new shirt. Don't cause any more trouble."
"Relax, I won't. We'll pay them what we owe and leave. But tell me, how did they manage to relocate so many people overnight without a sound? There's only one main road, and it passes right by the academy."
Indeed, moving so many people silently in one night was something even the X-Men's advanced aircraft couldn't achieve. The jets were stealthy, yes, but they couldn't transport such numbers.
"Charles, I know you're curious—I am too—but don't be impulsive this time. Last night's mess was barely smoothed over." Hank warned him again. Charles wasn't yet the steady man he would become in the future.
"I was just saying."
"You must be Charles and Hank? The Clan Leader is waiting for you in the reception room."
The two stepped into the room, where a young man sat at a desk, quietly eating breakfast. Eating at a desk wasn't proper etiquette, but neither of them commented.
"Hello, Charles, Hank. We meet again. You're early today."
"Good morning, Mr. Uchiha. Since we promised compensation yesterday, we naturally had to come today to honor it. For you to be so young and already a clan leader—you're truly remarkable."
"It's just the clansmen's trust in me, nothing more." Akira neither accepted nor denied Charles' polite praise.