Chapter 22: Departure
Uchiha Tajima listened to Uchiha Raizen's explanation and, while still finding the boy's perception unnerving, ultimately accepted it. The shinobi world was full of bizarre abilities; this was just another one.
"Very well. What do you intend to do now?" the Patriarch asked.
"I want to excavate the area and see what kind of creature dared to infiltrate the Uchiha clan," Uchiha Raizen declared with bold conviction.
"You... realize where we are, correct?" Uchiha Tajima said, his voice laced with disbelief. "This is the council hall, facing the ancestral shrine. You propose to dig it up?"
"But this is a significant security breach!" Uchiha Raizen insisted. "If we don't identify our enemy, we remain vulnerable. We may not fear this... thing, but we must know what it is, don't you agree?" He knew he couldn't just start digging without permission; that would be a death sentence.
Uchiha Tajima was silent for a long moment. "There is logic in what you say. Fine, I will arrange for—"
"No need to arrange anything! I'll handle it!" Uchiha Raizen interrupted, already dashing off to find a shovel before the Patriarch could change his mind.
Four grueling hours later, covered in dirt and sweat, Uchiha Raizen finally unearthed the target: the bizarre, plant-like corpse of Black Zetsu. Seeing it with his own eyes confirmed his theory. Simultaneously, two system notifications chimed in his mind.
[Pickup successful: Advanced Yin-Affinity Bloodline.]
[Pickup successful: Fire Release: Underground Flame Extinction (SS-Rank).]
He had acquired a supreme bloodline and another SS-Rank technique. The effort had been worth it.
"Patriarch, this is the intruder," Uchiha Raizen announced, hauling the strange body and placing it before Uchiha Tajima.
"This... creature is unlike anything I've seen," Uchiha Tajima murmured, examining the form with a deep frown. "If it belonged to a major clan, its characteristics would be known. This is... alien."
Uchiha Raizen nearly laughed. You have no idea.
"If there's nothing else, Patriarch, I will take my leave," Uchiha Raizen said, bowing and quickly making his exit before more questions could be asked. Uchiha Tajima remained, staring at the enigmatic corpse, sensing a strange and potent energy emanating from it.
Upon returning home, Uchiha Raizen found the front of his house crowded with well-wishers and piled high with gifts—the perks of his new status as a Special Elder.
"Mother," he said, finding her inside. "I will be away for some time. Please, take care of yourselves. If you encounter any trouble, go directly to Master Oki or the Patriarch."
"I understand, Raizen," his mother replied, her eyes filled with worry. "Just promise me you will be safe. I don't care about wealth or power. I only want my son to come home alive."
"I promise."
He packed a small travel pack, his movements efficient. He avoided saying goodbye to his sisters directly; he knew their tears would break his resolve. This home, this family, had become his anchor, his reason to fight in this brutal world. Leaving them was the hardest thing he'd had to do.
Stepping out of the Uchiha compound, a sudden, embarrassing realization struck him: he had no idea where he was going. The world outside the clan's territory was a vast, unknown map. If he just wandered aimlessly, he might blunder straight into a Senju stronghold and meet a swift end.
Cursing his lack of foresight, he turned on his heel and marched back into the compound. He needed a guide, someone he could trust. He went straight to Uchiha Tajima and made a request: he wanted Uchiha Ryoken and Uchiha Natsume to accompany him. They were his only true friends, the only ones he could rely on to watch his back in the treacherous world outside.