The setting sun cast long shadows over the house. Uchiha Ye and Uchiha Mikoto stood facing each other.
"Sister Mikoto!" Uchiha Ye began, and Mikoto greeted him with a gentle, understanding smile.
"Ye, this is the fastest way for you to enter the upper circle of the family," she said.
Hearing her words, a warmth spread through Uchiha Ye's chest. He knew Mikoto was worried about him. Blood inheritance disease. These words haunted the bloodline clan like a nightmare. Ye, a genius who had just awakened his Sharingan, was still young. He felt unworthy of the family's investment.
Each bottle of cell-stabilizing medicine cost between one hundred thousand and two hundred thousand, and the cost could increase depending on the user's condition and frequency of use. In the eyes of the proud Uchiha clan, a double-blooded descendant like him, who possessed only the Sharingan, was otherwise weak. He could never make a true mark in the clan.
Suppressing a sigh, Uchiha Ye hid his worries and then looked at Mikoto with a hint of hesitation.
"Sister Mikoto, what about Kushina?"
When Uchiha Mikoto spoke of Uzumaki Kushina, a faint, helpless smile graced her face.
"Ye, although I deliberately approached her for the sake of the family, Kushina is truly a pitiful person. She knew I was approaching her strategically, yet we became good friends."
Mikoto was older than Kushina, but hearing her speak about the red-haired kunoichi, Ye noticed a rare warmth in her expression.
"Don't worry too much about this mission," Mikoto continued. "Just follow the motions. I've already made an agreement with Kushina..."
Listening to Mikoto's careful planning, Ye realized just how much effort she had put in for him. Blood inheritance disease. Mikoto didn't want him to suffer, so she took the lead in handling the situation, striving to secure the best outcome for him.
A teasing smile flickered across Mikoto's face as she added, "Ye, I'm not doing this just for you. I have my own reasons. After the old man leaves, I might not be able to manage alone. I still need your help."
If Mikoto were given another five or six years, she would have enough confidence to take over Elder Setsuna's authority. While the Uchiha emphasized bloodline, strength always mattered more. Ye understood this and chuckled softly.
"Sister Mikoto, the family will rely on us from now on."
The two laughed together, as if letting go of all their worries. Before leaving, Mikoto narrowed her eyes, and a flash of crimson appeared in her pupils.
"Ye-kun, train hard. I plan to become a special jonin."
Ye was momentarily speechless at her words. Watching Mikoto's departing figure, now alone in the empty house, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
"Uchiha," he murmured, rubbing his brows, a smile spreading across his face. This radical family was exactly what he wanted—ancient yet unpretentious. In a ninja world dominated by strength, the Uchiha's power-first philosophy far outshone the Hyuga's.
"My ancestors in my previous life said: when you don't have the power to change everything, you must learn to blend in."
Thinking of this, Uchiha Ye's lips curled into a genuine smile. He truly loved this place.
Meanwhile, the Senju clan.
"Little brat, you come here in the middle of the night. What do you want to report?"
Tsunade had just lost her brother in front of outsiders. She maintained an indifferent tone, though inside, she was unsettled.
Uchiha Ye bowed his head respectfully.
"Captain Tsunade, the clan already knows I have awakened the Sharingan and about my double-blood inheritance. The clan leader and elders received me at Nanga Shrine."
"According to my observations," Ye continued, "it seems the disagreement between the elders and the clan leader was just for show."
Tsunade sneered inwardly. Of course the Senju clan knew. Even the most discerning eyes could see it. The rift was staged to ease tension between radicals and moderates. Without the old men's intervention, the Uchiha would have likely destroyed each other.
Yet this young Uchiha had taken it upon himself to spy during the day and report at night. Tsunade's eyes lingered on the Uchiha family emblem, recognizing the hallmark of a true radical.
"Master Tsunade," Ye said, "later, the elders and clan leader ordered me to secretly contact Uzumaki Kushina. They said it would serve as a bridge between the clan and the village and allow me to enter the upper echelons of society."
Tsunade's expression darkened. They actually let you contact Kushina secretly? She was furious, but she had to admit the strategy made sense. The Uchiha were obsessed with gaining Konoha's trust.
Sister Mikoto had arranged it formally, making the contact appear legitimate. Ye explained everything in detail—the Nanga Shrine, his movements, Mikoto's guidance—leaving nothing out. There was no need to lie, and he wanted Tsunade's trust.
Indeed, Mikoto's bond with Kushina was real. Their mutual sincerity ensured that the Third Hokage, Minato Namikaze, would ultimately benefit from this arrangement. It was clear: in the competition for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the Senju-led regime had won. Only when a tailed beast is in one's own hands can one feel secure.
"Kid, don't you feel bad betraying your family's intelligence?" Tsunade asked, looking at him sharply.
Ye's voice was solemn.
"Captain Tsunade! I did not betray my family. The village of Konoha was founded by the Senju and Uchiha clans together. Everything I do is for my family, for the village! The Uchiha clan's love for the village is no less than that of the Senju, no less than anyone else in this village!"
Ye's eyes flared with determination as magatama appeared in his Sharingan.
"What kind of world do we live in? War! Powerful ninjas, yet countless ninjas suffer in poverty. Older ninjas endure unimaginable hardships. Captain Tsunade, don't you see the damage war has inflicted on this village? The Uchiha have fought tirelessly to end the conflict. Their fire-style ninjas did not retreat on the battlefields of the Land of Rain!"
Tsunade's scalp tingled at his fervor. This child seemed to have lost himself in righteousness.
"We Uchiha are not madmen! We are also devoted to protecting the village and striving for peace!" Ye continued. The magatama in his eyes spun fervently, hinting at a possible evolution into a double-magatama Sharingan.
"Captain Tsunade, the enemies of the Uchiha clan are always those seeking to divide and provoke the village!"
Tsunade, uncharacteristically serious, acknowledged him.
"I see now. I apologize for my earlier words," she admitted. Her sincere gaze surprised Ye.
This response made Ye pause. He realized Tsunade's character matched the future fifth-generation Uchiha he had seen in the infinite moon reading illusion. Though quick-tempered, she was brave, decisive, and willing to shoulder responsibility. Her bright brown eyes now reflected a heroic determination.
Ye took a deep breath as the Sharingan's magatama faded. With a serious expression, he pulled out a scroll from his ninja tool bag. The next step was clear: gradually gain Tsunade's full trust.