Chapter 67

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum] 

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]

====

Hokaze's face darkened, while Fugaku remained silent.

For Hokaze, the idea that Jin wanted to seize the position of clan head was utterly outrageous.

The position of clan head had always been predetermined, passed down through the lineage.

However, Fugaku...

Strangely, he felt a sense of relief.

If he didn't have to be the clan head...

Fugaku quickly lowered his head, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind.

Since he could remember, he had been groomed to be the future clan head.

But the dual pressures from both the clan and the village weighed heavily on him.

Everything had been decided long ago; there was no escaping it.

"Jin! Do you realize what you're saying!?"

Hokaze, who had always maintained a generous demeanor, finally lost his temper.

"I know exactly what I'm saying, but do you know what you're doing?"

Jin retorted.

In Hokaze's eyes, Jin's gaze was as still as a dead pool of water, without the slightest ripple, reflecting only his own image.

He suddenly realized that he didn't really understand the young man before him at all.

The personality analysis in the reports described Jin as fiery, fond of jokes, caring toward his comrades, and somewhat selfish.

But looking at the Jin before him,

Hokaze felt like he was staring at a monster from another world, one that would swallow the entire Uchiha clan and even Konoha itself.

Before Hokaze could respond with a reprimand, Jin slowly began to speak.

"You say Konoha is against the Uchiha, that the Hokage's position is passed down within a single lineage, leaving no room for the Uchiha. You say that the higher-ups of Konoha are a bunch of heartless bastards."

"But have you ever thought that the Uchiha are just the same?"

"Clan members who haven't awakened their Sharingan, no matter how talented, are just pawns to be discarded in your eyes."

"Those who have awakened their Sharingan are expected to selflessly dedicate themselves to the clan."

"Even the position of clan head is passed down within a single lineage."

"If you refuse to change, why do you expect Konoha to?"

In Jin's eyes, it didn't matter how much Konoha and the Uchiha clashed; they were all the same at the core.

Hokaze's face turned a deep shade of blue, his years of practice in maintaining his composure completely undone by Jin.

"This is Uchiha tradition! Konoha pretends that anyone can become Hokage, but in reality, it's the same lineage being passed down."

Konoha proclaimed that anyone could become Hokage, but in truth, it was always passed down within a single lineage.

If, after Hiruzen and the others returned, someone else had become Hokage,

Hokaze wouldn't have imagined that the Hokage position would become hereditary.

"Uchiha tradition," Jin sneered. "You mean the tradition of Madara's lineage, right?"

That was the true lineage of the Uchiha clan head, though that line had no descendants to carry it on.

Fugaku's branch was simply the closest to that lineage, which was why they became the clan heads.

Hokaze understood now; this young man couldn't be swayed with just a few words.

Moreover, their fundamental beliefs were different.

"You'll destroy the Uchiha, Jin."

"Then try to stop me."

Jin casually threw a shuriken into the lake, creating ripples on the surface.

It also scared away the fish that had just bitten the hook.

"Elder."

Jin's tone was filled with mockery.

As Jin walked away,

Hokaze closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

He had originally hoped to make Jin realize that the Uchiha clan was his true family and that he should assist Fugaku for the good of the clan.

But he had discovered that Jin felt a deep-seated alienation from the clan.

More precisely,

It was alienation from the entire village.

Jin didn't respect the Uchiha name, nor did he show any reverence for Konoha.

That wasn't the mindset of a typical shinobi.

"Fugaku."

"I'm here, Elder."

Fugaku respectfully approached.

"Be careful of Jin. He has the potential to bring prosperity to the Uchiha clan, but he could also destroy it."

Hokaze said gravely.

In truth, Fugaku didn't need to be told this; he already understood that Uchiha Jin was a double-edged sword.

"If you ever get the chance," Hokaze hesitated for a moment, a struggle evident on his face.

"Kill him!"

Fugaku's eyes widened in shock.

Could he bring himself to kill a member of his own clan? Even one who didn't get along with him?

"The Uchiha can't afford too much turmoil."

Hokaze didn't want to make this decision either. If Jin had fully aligned with the village, he wouldn't have considered it.

But that wasn't the case.

Fugaku looked at the clear water of the lake, where he saw the fish that Jin's shuriken had killed.

It hadn't had any chance to resist.

"The village and the clan."

Hokaze's voice drifted over, but Fugaku could no longer hear what he was saying.

...

"Hey, Yashiro, playing babysitter?"

As Jin walked out of Hokaze's courtyard, he saw Yashiro looking flustered as he tried to calm a crying little girl.

"Need a hand?"

Yashiro shot Jin a look, exasperated.

"Just don't cause any trouble."

Knowing Jin's methods, he'd probably make the child cry even harder.

Jin didn't mind, simply watching as Yashiro tried to console the sobbing girl.

Soon, the girl stopped crying and bowed deeply to Yashiro.

"Thank you, Uncle Yashiro."

She then turned and quickly walked away.

"I'm still young, you know."

Yashiro scratched his head.

"Did something happen to her family?"

Jin asked out of curiosity.

Yashiro sighed in resignation, his face filled with sadness. "Her parents were killed by shinobi from the Hidden Mist, just like yours."

"The Hidden Mist started a war too?"

Jin hadn't heard any news about the Hidden Mist attacking.

Yashiro shook his head.

"The Hidden Mist hasn't launched a full-scale war, but they've been sending small squads of shinobi. Her parents ran into a jōnin team and were wiped out."

"But things aren't calm in the Hidden Mist either. In a few days, I'll be accompanying the heir to the Hidden Mist front lines."

With the intense battles in the Land of Rain and the flood of information, the disturbances in the Hidden Mist were overshadowed. Of course, the village had also intentionally kept the news quiet.

After all, the Hidden Mist battlefield was the Uchiha's responsibility.

Jin shook his head and quickly formed a few hand seals. With a puff of smoke, a scroll appeared in his hand, which he tossed to Yashiro.

"Yashiro, take this. Try to stay alive."

"What's this?"

Yashiro opened the scroll curiously.

"Breath of Stone?"

"You've got an earth affinity and are skilled with a blade, right? I prepared it for you."

Every breathing technique Jin created was intended for specific people.

After all, as he grew up, many people had looked out for him, and Yashiro was one of them.

Even though Yashiro treated all orphans the same way, to Jin, it was a debt of gratitude.

Jin always repaid his debts—whether of kindness or of vengeance.

It was just a matter of time.

"Thanks, Jin."

Yashiro didn't refuse and reached out to ruffle Jin's hair.

"Stop treating me like a kid, Yashiro."

"Alright, alright, Jin's already a capable shinobi."

Yashiro laughed.

Jin looked at him, exasperated. "You're still talking to me like I'm a kid."

Damn it!

(End of Chapter)