"Just wait and see!"
Uchiha Munetada waved his hand and spoke bluntly. "Didn't Uchiha Yunqing go to another world? Let's see if he even comes back alive!"
"If he comes back alive—and even gains benefits, greatly improving his strength—then I suggest you give up on Mikoto as soon as possible and marry the granddaughter of the Third Elder or the Fifth Elder instead."
"First, win over a faction of hawkish clan members, consolidate your position within the clan, and then directly establish yourself as the young clan leader—or even the clan head."
"Now that the Space-Time Gate has appeared, there are too many variables. No one knows whether Yunqing, or even other young people in the clan, will encounter a great opportunity in another world and experience a sudden leap in strength."
"You must understand: our Uchiha have always upheld one principle—strength above all else, the Sharingan above all else."
"If someone in the younger generation becomes stronger than you and awakens the Mangekyō Sharingan, then you will have no advantage whatsoever in the competition for the clan head position."
Fugaku's heart sank.
He had never truly considered this possibility before.
In his mind, he had always believed he had no real rival for the position of clan head.
Even Yunqing was merely a competitor for Mikoto.
Now, it seemed he had been far too naive.
Seeing the changes in Fugaku's expression, Munetada knew his words had finally hit home. He felt satisfied. As long as Fugaku didn't lose his head, he was still a capable heir.
Munetada continued, "If Yunqing doesn't return, or if he comes back crippled, then he naturally won't be qualified to compete with you for Mikoto."
"At that point, the Grand Elder will make the right choice and won't stop you from marrying her."
"Also, tomorrow, after the Grand Elder's anger has cooled down, bring some gifts and apologize. Admit your mistake and be polite. That should be enough."
Hearing this, Fugaku instantly forgot his earlier worries. His eyes lit up with delight.
"Yes, Father!"
At the same time, he couldn't help but secretly hope that Yunqing would die in the other world.
"Hmph! Maybe coming back crippled wouldn't be so bad either…"
"Then he'd only be able to watch helplessly as I marry Mikoto. Hmph!"
Fugaku couldn't help but indulge in such malicious fantasies.
That same day, the Uchiha clan held a meeting, seriously discussing the matter of the Space-Time Gate and the exploration of the other world. In the end, they decided to send two small teams—eight people each—as the first group to explore the Pokémon World.
That afternoon, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, also convened a meeting with jonin and representatives of the major ninja clans to discuss the other world.
Ultimately, the village decided to take the lead. Each ninja clan would cooperate by forming an eight-team, thirty-two-man advance exploration force to enter the other world, gather intelligence, and share resources.
Of course, in secret, every ninja clan had its own plans.
Besides cooperating with the village's official expedition, each clan also sent their own private teams to explore the other world.
No one wanted to fall behind.
No one wanted to miss this opportunity.
In fact, it wasn't just Konoha.
Other major ninja villages—and even the daimyo and nobles of various nations—also immediately began making targeted decisions.
The daimyo and nobles, in particular, were even more proactive than the ninja villages.
Because they saw an opportunity to obtain the extraordinary power that had once belonged only to ninjas.
Some of them even began to fantasize about what it would be like if they possessed enough power to bypass—or even eliminate—their own ninja villages, and truly control their nations completely.
Instead of living as they did now, constantly fearing that a ninja might suddenly decide to take their heads.
At the same time, they continued to promote the so-called sanctity of the daimyo and nobility, using money and missions as bait to manipulate, recruit, and brainwash ninjas, further strengthening their control and influence.
…
Meanwhile, in the Pokémon World…
In the Kanto Region, on a deserted stretch of land northeast of Saffron City—
A flash of golden light appeared, and Uchiha Yunqing suddenly materialized.
The moment he arrived, his alertness rose to its peak.
He had no time to admire the scenery. His Sharingan rapidly scanned the surroundings in all directions, while he simultaneously formed hand seals and used chakra sensing techniques to determine his location and whether any danger was nearby.
After confirming there was no obvious threat within several hundred meters, and sensing only the presence of a few relatively weak Pokémon, Yunqing finally relaxed and let out a long breath.
"Hoo…"
With every inhale, the air of this world felt incredibly fresh, and the sunlight felt unusually bright.
"Hm? The air here is much better than in the Ninja World…"
"And this energy in the atmosphere… natural energy?"
"It feels so much gentler than the natural energy in the Ninja World. It feels like I can actually absorb it!"
Yunqing was surprised.
Perhaps because his soul had fused with the memories of his previous life, Yunqing felt that his mental perception had become much sharper since awakening.
Back in the Ninja World, he had faintly sensed a violent energy in the air. He had suspected it might be natural energy, but he couldn't be certain.
Now that he had arrived in the Pokémon World and sensed a similar—but much gentler—energy, he was basically sure.
Both worlds contained natural energy.
"No wonder the natural energy in the Ninja World can't be absorbed easily…"
"And there's even the risk of petrification."
"It's far too violent. Of course something would go wrong!"
"Maybe it's because the Divine Tree absorbed too much of the planet's essence and natural energy… causing nature's wrath?"
These thoughts flashed through Yunqing's mind.
However, now was not the time to dwell on them.
Yunqing quickly suppressed the speculation and silently spoke in his mind:
"System. Sign in."
[Ding! Sign-in successful. Congratulations, Host. You have obtained: Top-Tier Psychic Talent. Fuse?]
[Top-Tier Psychic Talent: Can be developed through training and learning. Continuously enhances mental strength and allows mastery of various psychic techniques.]
"Wow… top-tier psychic talent?"
"Although it doesn't directly grant psychic powers and still requires training, it's still an incredible reward!"
"Fuse!"
Yunqing was extremely satisfied and immediately chose to fuse it.
In the next instant, he felt a warm current surge into his mind, transforming his soul and mental strength.
As the warm current spread, his spirit seemed to undergo a strange mutation.
His mental power became far more active—more controllable.
The cold and sinister aura that had once clung to his spiritual power, due to the influence of the Sharingan, was greatly soothed.
His entire body felt lighter, as if an invisible burden had been lifted from his heart. Even his thoughts became clearer and sharper.
Moreover, even without meditating, his spiritual power was now increasing at several times its previous rate.
That change quickly flowed along his chakra pathways and surged into his eyes.
Yunqing felt his eyes swell slightly, and his pupil power began to rise rapidly.
But there was no pain.
Instead, there was a cool and refreshing sensation.
He could clearly sense an unknown transformation happening within his Sharingan.
His pupil power had become calmer, more vibrant, and far easier to control.
Yunqing immediately pulled out a kunai from his backpack and used its reflective surface to examine his eyes.
He discovered that his Sharingan—previously crimson and constantly radiating a cold, sinister aura—had lost much of its evil and oppressive feeling.
Even the color of his pupils seemed to be shifting toward a brighter shade of red.
This was a good sign.
If possible, Yunqing wanted to maintain a stable and normal mental state, rather than being constantly influenced by the Sharingan and gradually becoming extreme.
"It's time to move."
"First, I need to confirm where I am."
Putting away the kunai, Yunqing adjusted his direction and prepared to head toward the faintly visible city in the distance.
Suddenly, a clear female voice—tinged with curiosity and indifference—rang out directly inside his mind.
"Are you from the Ninja World?"
"You seem to possess extremely strong psychic talent."
"Would you like to learn psychic powers from me?"
Whoosh!
In an instant, a figure teleported to within three meters of him.