36 - A Different Path to Power [Bonus]

"You're saying it wasn't working for you?" Fugaku's eyes widened.

When he first noticed Masashi, he had just become clan leader.

He heard of a boy in the clan who, unlike others who honed their mental energy through Yin Release, was instead vigorously developing his physical energy through Yang Release.

"I want to explore Yang Release," the boy had declared.

"But our strength lies in—" one elder began.

"Let him try," Fugaku had interrupted.

Driven by the philosophy of "talent must be cultivated without bias" and a family tradition of "diversifying investments instead of putting all eggs in one basket," he approved a stipend for the boy.

At the time, he found the kid rather interesting. Perhaps too interesting for his own good.

He assumed it was a passing phase of youthful curiosity, but Masashi turned out to be different. He wasn't rash, but he was incredibly stubborn.

The boy trained for over a decade.

And not without results—his taijutsu and ninjutsu became incredibly refined, and his genjutsu wasn't lacking either. During the Third Great Ninja War, he even achieved several critical strikes in battle.

By then, Fugaku started to take him more seriously.

Otherwise, when Minato visited the clan compound back then, the audacity of Masashi skipping the welcoming party wouldn't have gone unpunished—like docking his pay.

The man was truly obsessed with money.

But more importantly, at just ten years old, he'd already been frequenting those places!

Who taught him that? Fugaku was furious. He had given him a stipend, and the boy spent it on drinking tea in gambling dens?!

To top it off, he awakened his Sharingan while there. Seriously? The first ever to awaken Sharingan in such a setting?

Still, he believed deep down that if someone with Masashi's capacity to unlock physical potential focused on mental energy instead, they'd achieve greatness much faster.

Look, he even learned Sage Mode.

Was regular clan training no longer good enough? And what about the Mangekyō Sharingan?

"Fugaku-sama, have you mastered Susanoo? If not, I have. Why not come and learn from me?"

"Masashi, that's a rather arrogant statement." Fugaku smiled faintly in frustration. "You're fully aware that the three-tomoe Sharingan isn't its limit, yet you refuse to go further. Is it because you don't want to dirty your hands?"

"No, I simply believe there's no need to walk that path," Masashi replied. "All roads lead to Konoha, after all."

No way I'm going blind here, boss. I don't even have a brother.

Of course, he couldn't say that aloud. It might give people the wrong idea—as if he'd cut down a brother if he had one.

Besides, who in their right mind would assume both siblings could awaken the Mangekyō? Even if they could, wouldn't it make more sense to exchange powers directly?

Twice the joy, none of the pain.

"Naive. You might not even realize it yourself," Fugaku said, his gaze sharp as he tried to steer Masashi back on track. "Do you think no one has tried this path before? The clan abandoned it for a reason. Your stubbornness only shows you're not as unique as you think."

"That's why I'm practicing Sage Mode." Masashi sighed. "I get what you're saying, Fugaku-sama. Pure Yang Release won't cut it; there's a limit."

"Oh?" Fugaku's eyes gleamed. "So, you've already reached the limit? Your talent truly is remarkable. It's not too late to change course. Your current persistence is merely a symptom of our clan's innate arrogance."

Arrogance—Fugaku's biggest observation since becoming clan leader.

Uchiha members who awakened the Sharingan often became prideful, though they rarely realized it due to their semi-isolated environment.

Fugaku hadn't noticed this himself until he became leader and started interacting with the Hokage's office more frequently. The change in perspective was enlightening.

To him, Masashi epitomized Uchiha arrogance—prideful to a fault, prone to overthinking and stubbornness.

"No, no, Fugaku-sama, you've misunderstood. I'm very down-to-earth," Masashi said, not wanting to waste time arguing. He just wanted to claim his stipend and leave. "Today, I've got something to prove!"

"Prove what? If it's Sage Mode, there's no need." Fugaku sounded disappointed.

He'd seen Sage Mode before and understood its limitations—it wouldn't fundamentally enhance the Sharingan. Why turn your eyes into toad-like spectacles?

"The Sage Mode you've seen is from Mount Myōboku. Ryūchi Cave's is different," Masashi explained.

Then he activated his Sage Mode.

After leaving Ryūchi Cave, he had maintained a steady absorption of natural energy. The power flowed through him like a river finding its course.

Flame-like patterns emerged on his face, completing a wild and tribal look.

It was impossible to call this mere 'eye shadow'; the markings covered his entire face.

Fugaku was startled. This was indeed different from the Sage Mode he knew. And as a man who appreciated arts, he thought it had a certain untamed flair.

But there was no way he'd praise Masashi for this—the boy's ego was inflated enough.

"So what? Is this the difference you were talking about?"

Ignoring the sarcasm, Masashi activated his Sharingan. Under the amplification of Sage Mode, his visual prowess surged, nearing a critical threshold.

Watch closely. This is what innovation really means.

Then, something changed.

It began at his shoulders, spreading to his arms, and soon engulfed his entire body. A substance resembling white crystalline ice formed an armor-like covering.

The only flaw? No helmet.

"Another Ice Release technique? Masashi, this is—" Fugaku began impatiently, only to stop midway. This isn't Ice Release. It can't be…

As if to answer his thoughts, Masashi clenched his right hand. The white chakra condensed into the shape of a katana through sheer willpower.

"Susanoo…" Fugaku, for the first time, failed to maintain his composure.

This had to be Susanoo.

While its form was unconventional—more like armor draped directly on the user than the traditional towering warrior—the principles were undeniably the same.

And that chakra blade? It was unmistakably a product of the Sharingan's evolved visual power.

"I've even named it," Masashi said.

This technique was something he had perfected in Ryūchi Cave: Sage Art: Armament.

By amplifying the Sharingan's visual power with Sage Mode and utilizing Ryūchi Cave's unique techniques, he had created this hybrid marvel.

Tailed beasts? No problem. He had plenty of chakra.

His plan? Use Ice Release to build a mech, powered by Ryūchi Cave molding techniques, and armored with Sage Art: Armament. It even came with an axe and shield for good measure.

"What do you call this technique?" Fugaku stared intensely at Masashi's form.

"Sage Art: Majestic Attire," Masashi replied as he dispelled the technique.

The white chakra dissipated from his body like morning mist, and the sage markings on his face faded quickly, leaving no trace of the tremendous power that had been present moments before.

"This…" Fugaku struggled to reorganize his understanding. "It is certainly… unique."

Majestic Attire? The name gave it away.

Majestic Attire: Susanoo was a ninjutsu once used by Madara. The same Madara who had defined what it meant to be an elite among the Uchiha.

He had elevated the ocular technique, Susanoo, to new heights, overpowering everyone at the time except for Hashirama.

"You're telling me you haven't awakened the Mangekyō?" Fugaku questioned again.

This didn't make sense. This wasn't Uchiha-like at all.

Without the Mangekyō Sharingan, even with the three-tomoe Sharingan, such a feat shouldn't be possible.

And judging by Masashi's casual demeanor, he couldn't believe this was his limit.

Did this mean he had misunderstood the nature of Sage Mode?

"Sage Art can achieve such results…" Fugaku suddenly felt a heavy burden on his heart. His voice grew heavier as he spoke, "We'll need to reassess Jiraiya's abilities."

Although he knew it wasn't appropriate, a sense of despondency crept into his heart. You shouldn't harm others, but you must guard against them.

Konoha's Hokage faction kept producing strategical-level experts, yet their attitude toward the Uchiha clan remained... complicated.

The path for the Uchiha clan to enter Konoha's inner circle was still long and arduous.

The bitterness festered in his heart, making him feel quite uncomfortable.

Then, Masashi spoke.

"Fugaku-sama, I think you may have misunderstood. Jiraiya's Sage Mode is different from mine."

Fugaku's eyes shot up. "What do you mean?"

"Sage Arts do share some similarities, but the three great secrete realms have fundamentally distinct natures in their Sage Techniques." Masashi began drawing small circles in the air with his hand, as if mapping out the different types.

"Each path offers different advantages, different ways of growth."

Noticing the clan leader's disheartened demeanor, he could guess his thoughts and decided to offer some consolation.

"To put it simply, Mount Myōboku's Sage Techniques are more refined, but they don't directly enhance one's raw strength using natural energy. So the family's assessment of Jiraiya-sama's abilities is accurate and doesn't need much adjustment."

Fugaku pondered for a while and then shook his head. "Explain it more thoroughly."

"Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode is perfect for combat but has a singular approach to utilizing natural energy," Masashi said, recounting what the White Snake Sage had once explained to him.

Fugaku waved his hand, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

That was understandable; Masashi himself had taken over a week to fully digest this information.

"How does that mean we don't need to reassess Jiraiya's strength?"

"Mount Myōboku's Sage Techniques act as a powerful 'weapon'—while strong, they are relatively static because they don't enhance the user's intrinsic power," Masashi said, choosing his words carefully.

"Ryūchi Cave's Sage Techniques, however, use natural energy to unlock one's physical potential and can store it. The stronger the body, the more energy can be stored, which can then be used to create senjutsu chakra during combat."

"I think I understand a bit," Fugaku nodded. It was quite an eye-opener today. His expression had shifted from concern to genuine interest.

"So, Ryūchi Cave's techniques are superior?"

"It's not about which is stronger," Masashi clarified, shaking his head slightly. "Ryūchi Cave's Sage Techniques are growth-oriented in the long run. Their nature also allows for shape manipulation. If I had studied Mount Myōboku's techniques, I wouldn't be able to do what I did just now."

"I see. But we still need to reassess." Fugaku felt enlightened. "The clan has always regarded Orochimaru as the strongest of the Sannin and ranked Jiraiya below him. That conclusion must be wrong."

Exhaling deeply as if to expel all his frustrations, he felt much better.

He considered himself a capable clan leader with excellent comprehension skills. From his perspective, Masashi's ability to achieve such feats with just the three-tomoe Sharingan was thanks to Ryūchi Cave's Sage Techniques.

But fundamentally, it was due to Masashi's strong ocular power. However, forcing him to abandon this path now didn't seem persuasive.

Previously, it might have been debatable. But now, he had demonstrated abilities that should have been impossible with just the three-tomoe Sharingan.

He was so...damn stubborn!

Then again, without such stubbornness, he likely wouldn't have achieved such miracles.

Forcing himself to remain calm, Fugaku reminded himself that this path might not be replicable for others. He still held to his belief that following the clan's traditional methods was the safest approach.

"The point is moot; I won't convince you otherwise," he said, resigning himself. He decided not to ask about Masashi's true limits—it was exhausting. Besides, there was an even more pressing matter.

"There's something important you need to know. The Fourth Hokage's wife is about to give birth. And she is the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."

I know. Masashi kept his expression neutral.

This marked the true turning point for the Uchiha clan in Konoha. It was the moment they were pushed into direct opposition.

"However, our clan has been completely excluded from involvement. The Hokage's office has refused all clans under the guise of secrecy."

"Even the Third Hokage and Danzō won't participate?" Masashi suddenly asked, watching Fugaku's reaction carefully.

When Konoha was first founded, four great clans stood at its core: Senju, Uchiha, Sarutobi, and Shimura.

But now, only Uchiha and Sarutobi remained.

Danzō was a ruthless figure. He cared little for the Shimura clan and always viewed matters from Konoha's perspective.

Unlike clans like Uchiha or Hyūga, Shimura and Sarutobi were 'ordinary' ninja clans, formed in the old era as family-based groups.

They relied on their ancestral ties but lacked special bloodlines or unique techniques. Over time, clans like Shimura transitioned into individual ninja families, losing cohesion as traditional clans.

Compared to Danzō's selfless pragmatism, Hiruzen's favoritism toward his clan was much harder to overlook.

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