On top of the desolate ruins, Setsuna Uchiha clenched his fists so hard his knuckles bled. His eyes shot two beams of ice-cold, murderous intent toward the three Cloud ninjas: Moroi, Ramii, and Dodai.
Never in his long life had he felt such a bone-deep, agonizing pain. He was the Great Elder of the Uchiha, a proud eagle who soared through the heavens! He was the legendary figure the young fledglings looked up to with awe.
But now, he was forced to stand by and watch a fledgling—one who was destined to transcend the clouds and soar ninety thousand miles high—use his own flesh and blood to carve out a pathetic escape route for him.
The three tomoe in Setsuna's Sharingan spun with such violent speed they nearly merged into a single black line, on the verge of forming a new pattern. But... that was it. Setsuna knew, with a painful clarity, that he lacked the innate talent of someone like Uchiha Kagami. He did not possess the caliber to awaken the Mangekyou.
Instead, his eyes bulged, the whites becoming a roadmap of shattered red capillaries. His eyes were crimson, like a demon's. A single trail of bloody tears traced a path down his weathered cheek.
Setsuna closed his eyes in agony, but in the darkness, the shadows of the dead appeared: Tajima, Madara, Izuna, Kagami... a wall of Uchiha ancestors stood before him. They were silent, numb, their scarlet eyes wide with a mix of resentment, anger, and silent interrogation: Why is it that a mediocre waste like you is the one who survived from the Warring States period until now?
Setsuna snapped his eyes open. The hesitation was gone, replaced by a lethal electricity. He scanned the Cloud trio with eyes still leaking blood. Then, he threw his head back and laughed.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The laugh sounded like someone having their fingernails ripped out—a sound of pure, unmitigated torture.
"Fine!" Setsuna roared with tragic fury. "Ren Uchiha! As the Great Elder, the leader of the Hawks, and as your adoptive grandfather... I acknowledge your will!"
"Go then! Die without any lingering regrets! Die a magnificent death in this place!"
Inside the barrier, Ren's heart skipped a beat. He looked at the old man in horror. Wait, old man, don't get emotional and stay here to die with me! I've worked too hard for this! Just run, is it that hard to lose face?!
But Setsuna leveled his blade at the three Cloud ninjas, his gaze as cold as an eternal glacier. He made a vow, his voice sharp enough to cut bone:
"Rest easy, Ren. I will run away like a stray dog with its tail between its legs! But these three... they will endure the eternal wrath of the Uchiha Clan!"
"From this day forth, I will mobilize the entire clan's resources to hunt them down! The Daimyo offices and Hidden Villages of Wind, Fire, Earth, Water, and Lightning will all receive a permanent, high-priority assassination contract!"
"Furthermore, the Underground Bounty Stations will permanently feature their heads! Every organization—from the Star, Waterfall, Grass, Rain, and Hot Springs ninjas to the Dragon Hall, the Akatsuki, the Iron Country, and even the Hannya... every single faction in the world will know!"
Setsuna's eyes were manic, his words sounding like he was chewing on nails. "Your heads. One hundred million Ryo... EACH!"
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Ramii trembled, a flash of panic crossing his face. "Setsuna Uchiha, have you lost your mind?! You're breaking the unspoken rules of the shinobi world! This is a path to your own destruction!"
Beside him, Dodai and Moroi felt like they had been struck by a hammer. Their heads were ringing.
Everyone was insane! The kid was a bomb, and now the old man had gone off the deep end! In the cycle of hatred, many clans felt pain, but no one dared to do what Setsuna just did—openly placing a massive bounty that bypassed the village systems.
The Uchiha, however, were different. As one of the two strongest clans since the Warring States, they had the "Gundam-level" connections to make this happen. A 300 million Ryo bounty meant spending over a billion in backroom deals. It meant the entire clan would have to tighten their belts and sell assets just to kill three people.
But the Uchiha were rich. Very rich. And the "Hawks" within the clan were precisely the kind of lunatics who would happily empty their personal bank accounts to fund such a grudge.
Setsuna sneered at Ramii, his gaze filled with arrogant disdain. "Rules? You think I give a damn about rules?! Do you think you've mistaken me for someone else? I am SETSUNA UCHIHA!"
The faces of Ramii, Dodai, and Moroi paled instantly.
That's right... this old man was Setsuna Uchiha. The man who dared to plot a coup and attempt to assassinate the Second Hokage while the legendary Kagami Uchiha was still alive. He was a complete and utter sociopath. A terrorist through and through.
"You... you are a madman! A lunatic!" Dodai screamed, his voice cracking with fear.
Ramii pointed a shaking finger at Setsuna, unable to even form a sentence. Moroi looked utterly defeated, his soul leaving his body. Who could understand his pain? He had a "suicide bomber" kid in front of him and a "maniac elder" behind him promising to turn his head into a chamber pot.
Even Ren felt a lump in his throat as he watched Setsuna. A cold shiver ran down his spine.
I... I suddenly don't want to die here anymore, Ren thought with a groan. If I die and this old man goes back alone, the Uchiha clan will go extinct way faster than the original history!
Ren let out a silent internal wail: Help! Why are all these people named Uchiha so mentally unstable?! I thought Shisui was the only one with problems, but Setsuna is in a whole different league of psychosis!