Two days swiftly passed.
The three-day holiday officially ended, and Qingming finally received new orders.
As that Uchiha elder had mentioned, he was indeed assigned to the team supporting the Mist Hidden battlefield.
Not only him, but Uchiha Shisui also received the same mission.
Looking at the mission certificate in his hand, Qingming snorted coldly and strode toward the assembly point.
······
Base Camp.
Southern Region.
In a dense forest.
Dozens of Konoha ninjas were gathered, either sitting or standing together.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the midst of them, silently.
The crowd jumped in surprise, all alert and tense. When they recognized the newcomer's appearance, they relaxed once more.
Then, whispers began circulating among them.
"Is that Uchiha Qingming? He looks so young!"
"Young? He's one of the Konoha twin stars! I heard his strength surpasses that of an average Jonin!"
"Who doesn't know the 'Demon Blade Qingming'?"
"…"
Indeed, the newcomer was none other than Qingming.
Ignoring the murmurs, he walked straight to a secluded corner and performed hand seals, activating the 'Mastery of Senjutsu' to strengthen his body.
Time was precious, and he didn't want to waste a moment.
Seeing his focused demeanor, no one dared to disturb him.
As time slowly passed, more and more people arrived.
At a certain moment, another figure appeared, drawing everyone's attention.
Qingming's ears perked up as he heard the name Uchiha Shisui.
He opened his eyes and glanced over, spotting a figure even shorter than him stepping into the gathering.
Who else could it be but Uchiha Shisui?
As Qingming looked over, Shisui noticed him too. After greeting a few familiar ninjas, he made his way to Qingming.
Qingming regarded him and raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"
"Hmm."
Uchiha Shisui nodded seriously, then pointed toward the dense forest nearby. "Let's talk over there."
After a moment's thought, Qingming didn't refuse. He nodded in agreement and walked toward the depths of the forest, with Uchiha Shisui following closely behind.
Soon, they vanished from the sight of the others.
In the crowd, a few Jonin leaders exchanged glances but didn't say much.
After all, it wasn't yet time to depart. The two were from the same clan and needed to discuss something; how could they possibly interfere?
Moreover, both of their strengths likely surpassed theirs.
Thus, they dared not meddle.
Once they were out of view, Qingming stopped and turned to face Uchiha Shisui. "What is it? Speak."
Actually, Qingming had some guesses about what Shisui wanted to discuss. It was likely related to the peculiarities of their current mission.
Since the Uchiha elder had informed him of certain matters, it was reasonable to believe he would also alert Uchiha Shisui.
As expected, Shisui's first words addressed that very issue.
"Qingming, Elder Hohyu mentioned that our sudden reassignment to the Mist Hidden battlefield is a move by Konoha to suppress our Uchiha clan. Do you believe that?"
Hohyu was the Uchiha elder who had previously spoken with Qingming.
Upon hearing Shisui's question, Qingming raised an eyebrow slightly. Instead of answering directly, he countered, "And do you believe it?"
"I do!"
Uchiha Shisui replied earnestly.
At this, Qingming paused for a moment.
He had initially thought Uchiha Shisui was a clan member brainwashed by the 'Will of Fire'—essentially, someone who had detached from clannish loyalty.
Now, however, it seemed Shisui was not a mindless follower; rather, he possessed his own views.
Indeed, recalling Shisui's later actions, even during the most critical moments, he aimed first to control Uchiha Fugaku with 'Kotoamatsukami' to halt any clan dissent before gradually resolving the tensions.
Clearly, he had found a balance between the village and his family.
This wasn't a sign of being brainwashed by the 'Will of Fire.'
In contrast, Uchiha Itachi's decision to massacre his entire clan for the sake of preventing village strife was a typical case of poor judgment.
A civil war in the village could lead to many casualties, but didn't the Uchiha clan members he killed count as lives?
As the saying goes, "The bottom line dictates the mindset."
You are first and foremost a Uchiha clan member, and only then a Konoha ninja.
Even if you detach from the clannish mindset, you could learn from Uchiha Shisui and seek solutions without resorting to mass murder.
What was the purpose of the Mangekyō Sharingan?
If you had the power to annihilate half the clan, couldn't you also use your absolute strength to control them?
If that still didn't work, you could eliminate a few ringleaders, which would also serve to ease tensions.
But what did you choose?
You opted for outright slaughter.
Regardless of various reasons, it was an absurdly irrational decision.
While Qingming was lost in thought, Uchiha Shisui continued, "It's undeniable that Konoha is currently targeting our Uchiha clan, but this might be a result of certain high-ranking officials deliberately manipulating the situation."
"Oh? What have you discovered?"
Qingming asked, intrigued.
"Hmm."
Uchiha Shisui nodded. "I secretly investigated the 'Root' organization and Elder Danzo. They indeed pose a problem, particularly regarding their attitude toward our Uchiha clan, which is very evident."
'Last time?'
Qingming was momentarily taken aback before recalling the incident after the Chūnin Exams when they had been ambushed by Root ninjas on their way back to the battlefield.
To provide a nuisance for Konoha's upper echelons and to warn Uchiha Shisui, he had indeed mentioned the existence of 'Root' and Danzo.
It seemed that had some effect.
Uchiha Shisui, unaware of Qingming's thoughts, continued, "I suspect this incident was orchestrated by Elder Danzo. If my guess is correct, we might face trouble next."
"Trouble?"
"Hahaha~"
Hearing Uchiha Shisui's warning, Qingming let out a cold laugh and replied calmly, "Afraid of trouble? Then just kill them all."
Though Qingming's tone was nonchalant, it sent chills down Uchiha Shisui's spine, making him feel uneasy.
He momentarily lost focus, and when he regained his composure, he found Qingming had already turned to leave.
Seeing this, Uchiha Shisui hurriedly called out, "Qingming, what's your take on the conflict between the village and the clan?"
At his words, Qingming paused briefly, then replied without looking back, "It's just a struggle for power. What's there to see?"
Having said that, he walked away.
Watching Qingming's departing figure, Uchiha Shisui murmured, "A struggle for power?"
Qingming's words were not mere rhetoric; they reflected his true thoughts.
The conflict between the Uchiha clan and the village essentially stemmed from an unequal distribution of power.
As one of the founding clans of Konoha, the Uchiha clan held too little influence within the village, and their proud lineage couldn't accept this.
Thus, tensions built up gradually, eventually evolving into a confrontational stance.
As for other factors like Uchiha Madara's defection or the mental instability that arose after the Uchiha clan unlocked the Sharingan, those were merely excuses.
After all, in Qingming's two years of interacting with the Uchiha clan members, he had yet to encounter anyone who was completely deranged.
It could only be said that the allure of power was too tempting, leading people to cling to it fiercely.
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