This forced Uchiha Hikaru to once again curse the white-haired Senju Tobirama—truly evil to the core.
He was ruthless in how he manipulated people's hearts. In the short time since Konoha's founding, he had used his understanding of the Uchiha clan to break down their psychological defenses.
He had tamed a pack of wild wolves into obedient house dogs. Senju Tobirama... you really are something.
As he silently cursed Tobirama in his heart, Uchiha Hikaru continued channeling natural chakra, carefully probing the situation within the Uchiha clan's territory.
After some time, Hikaru was nearly certain—this was the Uchiha clan at the height of its glory, before the births of Madara and Hashirama.
He could sense the presence of three Mangekyō Sharingan users.
And if he included the infamous girl said to be the clan's secret weapon—who was deliberately concealing her presence—then this generation had four Mangekyō users.
As for the clan's numbers, Hikaru's sensory perception told him there were nearly five thousand Uchiha shinobi gathered in this stronghold.
This was during the chaos of the Warring States Period.
Clearly, the "war girl" wasn't the only one to watch out for. The other Mangekyō users must also be monsters in their own right.
While Hikaru was still focusing his senses across the compound, the sun dipped behind the mountains—just in time for Taichi and Renjiro to finish their gatekeeping shift.
Two older Uchiha men, likely in their twenties or thirties, approached them.
"Taichi, Renjiro—you're off duty. Time for the next watch."
Hikaru, still in disguise as Taichi, nodded and looked up at the men.
In his perception, both were elite Uchiha with fully awakened three-tomoe Sharingan. The chakra levels in their bodies were nearly 50% higher than the average Jonin in future Konoha.
War was cruel—but it also served as a harsh crucible that forged powerful shinobi.
This was likely why the Uchiha clan had flourished so immensely during the Warring States Era.
Driven by the need to protect their family, every Uchiha fought like their life depended on it—and often, it did.
After clocking out, Hikaru returned home with the other "Taichi"—actually a shadow clone in disguise.
After all, Taichi's parents and grandfather had died in battle. He'd been raised with Renjiro like brothers, and naturally lived with Renjiro's family.
Renjiro's parents had recently accepted a mission from a local noble and taken a dozen clan members with them, leaving only his grandfather at home.
Using the memories he'd extracted from both boys, Hikaru seamlessly imitated their usual behavior.
He slipped off his shoes, put on a pair of indoor slippers, and sat down properly on the tatami mat in the living room.
The shadow clone, still in the form of Renjiro, dashed barefoot into the kitchen and leapt onto the back of the elderly man cooking there.
"Grandpa Yuanzou! What's for dinner today?" he grinned. "I've been on gate duty all day—I'm starving!"
Yuanzou tapped him on the forehead with a wooden spoon, scolding gently.
"Taichi, how many times have I told you—I'm getting old! Stop jumping on my back."
"What if one day your grandpa finally gives out?"
"If I get sick, who's going to cook for you two?"
The disguised Renjiro grinned, snuck a slice of dried meat from a steaming pot, and stuffed it in his mouth.
"Grandpa Yuanzou, you're stronger than you think. I saw you helping Grandma Yumi move a full water tank yesterday!"
"You're still as strong as an ox!"
He patted the old man's shoulder, still chewing.
From the living room, Hikaru—still disguised as Taichi—spoke in a stern voice.
"Renjiro, I've told you before: show Grandpa proper respect. Have you already forgotten the etiquette lessons we learned at the clan academy?"
"As an Uchiha, you must treat your elders with reverence… and crush your enemies with unrelenting strength."
"Grandpa cooks for us himself because he knows we're picky about the food. He's already busy with the clan's affairs—don't make things harder for him."
At that, the clone deflated like a popped balloon. Shoulders slumped, he sulked back to the tatami mat and sat quietly, still munching on dried meat.
"...Fine. I'll be more careful next time."
Hikaru narrowed his eyes and scolded further.
"Now you suddenly remember? You just plop down here and expect Grandpa to serve himself? You think we can forget the etiquette I just mentioned?"
"No wonder you haven't awakened your Sharingan yet."
With that, Hikaru stood and went to the kitchen, helping Yuanzou carry out the dishes.
The old man just smiled and settled himself at the head of the table.
"Renjiro, you're fine in every way except you take things too seriously," he said. "Taichi's your younger brother—cut him some slack."
He then turned to the "Renjiro" clone and gave a friendly scolding.
"You've got heart, Taichi. But what's fine at home won't fly outside. You need to carry yourself like a proper Uchiha."
"Your brother is right. Never forget—you're part of the strongest shinobi clan in the ninja world."
With that, he picked up his chopsticks and started placing food into their bowls.
"You two are the future pillars of the Uchiha."
"The Senju… they're not what they once were. Give it five or six more years—when your generation grows up…"
"It'll be time for the Uchiha to wipe out the Senju once and for all and end this thousand-year feud!"
His voice hardened, eyes flashing with deep, bitter hatred.
"And then, we'll avenge Renjiro's grandmother. And your parents and grandfather, Taichi."
"So eat. Eat a lot. Now's the time your bodies need to grow. You mustn't go hungry."
Both boys—one real, one shadow clone—dug in obediently, wolfing down rice and meat with both hands.
Even as he maintained the disguise, Uchiha Hikaru could feel the intense bloodlust and hatred radiating from the old man.
He sighed silently.
Ashura. Indra.
Even if you two eventually made peace… you're the reason the ninja world has bled endlessly for a thousand years.
And further back—this all started with the parenting failure of the Sage of Six Paths.
Ridiculous. Entire generations have lived and died in war, all because of a feud over inheritance in one broken family.
How laughable…
But all of that ends now.
With Uchiha Hikaru's arrival, this era would be rewritten.
Anyone who stands in his way…
Is the enemy.
…
…
PS: For the Mangekyō Sharingan users in this era, I'll be rewriting them as Uchiha Chiri and others. They're original characters, not from canon, and I'll keep them grounded in the Warring States Period to fit the timeline of Uchiha dominance before the founding of Konoha. The next arc will be the full-scale war between the Uchiha and Senju. Stay tuned!
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