Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

of course,

This view is not mainstream.

Having witnessed the era when Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha swept away all enemies with absolute violence, the current ninjas pursue bloodline limits, secret techniques, and forbidden techniques with unparalleled power... Well, I digress. In short, I don't believe that Sogen would lie or exaggerate.

Unlike the infighting among the various ninja villages, Konoha, as the strongest military force in the Land of Fire, has a considerable number of allies and partners, including the Tsuchigumo clan. If they were to use trickery on their allies, it would only create a climate of fear among everyone, and that's not how the leader of the village would act.

"Senior Tsuchigumo, is this what you came here for?"

Seeing that the geisha suddenly relaxed, Zongxian couldn't help but ask a question.

Just for this one thing,

They came all the way to Daming Prefecture.

Although Mount Katsuragi isn't that far from the Daimyo's residence, and it's still within the Land of Fire, the problem is that the ninja is so old that even for a ninja, traveling far is not an easy thing.

"Our clan's situation has not been good these past two years. It involves the safety and survival of the clan, so I can only grit my teeth and go out." The Traveler sighed softly. The situation of the Earth Spider clan is more than bad. Because of the forbidden technique, countless people have tried to attack their clan over the years.

Previously, when En no Kyouza was still strong, he could protect the entire clan on his own. However, as he grew older, his strength inevitably began to decline. Since no one in the clan could replace him, the Tsuchigumo clan's situation became increasingly difficult. In fact, the current Tsuchigumo clan chief and En no Kyouza had an irreconcilable conflict.

The already declining Tsuchigumo clan split into two branches. One branch, led by the Tsuchigumo clan chief, remained in the village that the clan had established at the foot of Mount Katsuragi during its most prosperous period. The other branch, led by the En no Gyōzō, retreated to the old territory of the Tsuchigumo clan deep within Mount Katsuragi.

"Alas! The rise and fall of a clan is nothing new. Since we have declined, we should just keep a low profile and slowly accumulate strength for the future. In the past, the Tsuchigumo clan even fled from Katsuragi Mountain in a sorry state, but in the end, they still managed to reclaim their lost territory. But those young people nowadays... sigh!"

The traveler gave a brief explanation of the situation of the Earth Spider Clan, sighing countless times along the way, his weariness and helplessness clearly evident.

"Every family has its own troubles."

Zongxian shook his head.

I don't find it strange at all.

Who doesn't have their share of troubles? Even now, isn't the Uchiha clan still struggling to climb out of that quagmire? Reversing the clan's reputation, which has been almost completely tarnished and is like the bottom of a pot that has been burned for decades, is not something that can be done overnight.

Let's look at other families, villages, and countries.

Everyone still has their own worries.

"However, this time I came... there is indeed a small reason." A hint of hesitation appeared on the face of the traveler. He glanced at his adorable granddaughter sitting obediently beside him, who looked like a doll, and then at Zongxian sitting opposite him. His conflicted look made Gekko Hayate and Yuhi Kurenai, who were standing behind Zongxian's sofa, feel anxious for the old man.

Zongxian, however, was not in a hurry.

He waited patiently, since he didn't have anything urgent to deal with. It wouldn't hurt to chat with the old man. At home, he would often drink with his grandfather, Uchiha Genji. Of course, he was not yet twenty years old and was drinking non-alcoholic beverages.

About twenty seconds had passed.

En no Gyōzō gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and said, "I am too old, and there is constant infighting in my clan. I wonder... if it would be possible for my granddaughter Hotaru to study at the Konoha Ninja Academy for a few years?"

The old man's words did not diminish his inner turmoil; instead, they became even more pronounced.

"grandfather?"

Aside from a polite greeting at the door, the little girl, who had been quiet and well-behaved all along, spoke up. Her eyes widened, and her turquoise eyes welled up with tears, filled with unease and panic. She reached out her little hand and tightly grasped the sleeve of the traveler, "Don't you want Ying anymore?"

To be honest, six or seven-year-old children are already old enough to go to the battlefield in the ninja world. Of course, not all children at this age can hold a kunai and try to kill people on the battlefield, but generally speaking, children of this age can understand the meaning of what adults say.

It was obvious that Hotaru Tsuchigumo understood what her grandfather was saying. Although she didn't know what the Konoha Ninja Academy was, she was certain that it was definitely not on Mount Katsuragi.

then,

The voice, as delicate as a kitten's, was tinged with a hint of sobbing.

It was obvious that she knew this wasn't Katsuragiyama's home, and she struggled to hold back her tears.

However, the more sensible a child is, the more lovable they are.

The present moment is a typical example. The way his beloved granddaughter was so well-behaved and sensible made Yi Zhixingzhe's heart ache. He almost regretted saying those words. However, when he thought of the current chaotic situation in the clan and looked at his granddaughter who was still so young, he hardened his heart and suppressed the regret that was about to rise.

He reached out and patted the little girl's head, saying softly, "Hotaru, don't worry, Grandpa can't bear to see you leave. But you can't stay with Grandpa forever. You need to make lots and lots of friends..." The old man comforted his granddaughter in a rambling manner, while his gaze turned to Zongxian, waiting for the young Hokage's reply.

At this moment,

Zongxian was honestly a little surprised!

From the previous expression and gaze of the En no Kyouzai, he guessed that what the En no Kyouzai wanted to say was probably related to his granddaughter. Perhaps he would be given extra care for the little girl, or it might be some other situation.

Only—

Go to the Konoha Ninja Academy?

This was an option he hadn't considered before.

It's not that he lacks imagination, but rather that he doesn't think the Konoha Ninja Academy is a good place. To be honest, for ordinary ninjas who have no real backing or lineage, the ninja academy is a decent place.

But for those ninjas who were anything but ordinary people,

The ninja academy is largely a place to make friends. At school, you learn some common sense about the ninja world and various miscellaneous basic knowledge from the teachers. The real training is done at home, like his sister, Uchiha Fujika.

At the ninja academy, students mainly learn academic subjects.

Other techniques, such as Uchiha-style swordsmanship, Uchiha-style throwing techniques, and Uchiha-style fire release techniques, are things that cannot be learned at the ninja academy. They are taught at home. Sogen even considered whether to establish a formal 'clan school', but due to various circumstances, it has never been implemented.

"It's not a big problem. There are precedents of students from outside the village enrolling in the Konoha Ninja Academy." Zongxian wasn't lying. For example, the previous Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina, transferred to the Ninja Academy. Similar cases are rare, but there are always reasons why students from outside the village enroll.

Some of these externally enrolled students later became Konoha ninjas, while others left Konoha after completing their studies, and Konoha did not impose any restrictions on them.

In any case, to be honest, the Ninja Academy doesn't have any valuable information that needs to be kept secret.

"However, Tsuchigumo-senpai, are you sure you want to send your granddaughter to the Ninja Academy instead of training with you? There, no one can guide her in your clan's secret techniques. If she misses her prime training years because of this... don't blame me."

"It's alright, I'll have Dunbei take care of Hotaru. As for laying the foundation, it's fine to leave it to Dunbei. As for how high Hotaru can go in the future... that's something I can't decide either."

The traveler answered quickly.

It's clear that this wasn't a sudden whim, but rather something that had been considered for some time.

Indeed, that was the case. He was always troubled by the chaos in the clan, but as he grew older, he was willing but powerless. The followers who had originally followed him back to the old clan land in Gecheng Mountain gradually could not bear the harsh life in the mountains and left.

When he could clearly feel his body decaying day by day, he kept worrying about what would happen to Hotaru if he really closed his eyes one day. Although Dunbei was there, to be honest, Dunbei might not be able to protect Hotaru completely, and the Tsuchigumo clan in its current state was really not a safe environment for growth.

While he was investigating Sogen, in order to prove the alliance he had made with Konoha in the past,

He suddenly thought that perhaps Hotaru could stay in Konoha for a while, and return to the Tsuchigumo clan when she was a little older. Or it wouldn't be wrong for her to stay in Konoha. He himself couldn't give up the responsibility he had for his clan, but Hotaru... didn't need to be bound by her clan like him.

It is precisely because of these considerations that

That's why he took his granddaughter with him on this trip, despite the inconvenience.

"This isn't a big deal. The key is whether you, Tsuchigumo-senpai, are truly prepared. In any case, placing a transfer student into the Ninja Academy isn't difficult for me." Sogen didn't raise any further questions, but instead indicated that he had no issues, as long as En no Gyoza made the decision.

As he said, it wasn't a big deal to begin with.

He doesn't even need to ask the Hokage for permission; he can arrange everything himself.

"...There's no rush. If possible, I'd like to wait until...after that, have Dunbei escort Hotaru to Konoha to study. I wonder if that's feasible?" When making this request, the old man, En no Gyoza, who had experienced the vicissitudes of life, felt rather embarrassed.

Always felt,

He's always been the one making increasingly unreasonable demands.

"It's fine, anytime is fine."

Zongxian didn't care whether Yizhi Xingzhe was being a bit too forward. To him, what Yizhi Xingzhe said was nothing. Besides, given Yizhi Xingzhe's age, he had no desire to spar with this legendary figure.

The Earth Spider Firefly finally quieted down again.

The little girl is quite clever.

Although she didn't understand what Grandpa meant by "afterwards," it seemed that she didn't have to worry about leaving Grandpa's side and being sent to a completely unfamiliar place for the time being. Her anxiety was temporarily relieved, and she returned to her obedient and sensible self.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In a private hospital ward in a town in the Land of Fire.

"The bone has healed very well and there are no problems anymore. You can be discharged." After carefully examining the patient's condition, the doctor finally gave him the discharge permission, which made the patient, who had been feeling frustrated to the point of almost going crazy, so excited that he almost jumped for joy.

The doctor was used to it.

As a private hospital known in the industry for prioritizing money over patient identity, the doctors are experienced and knowledgeable. They can tell at a glance that this patient is not a good person in the conventional sense, but what does it matter to them? As long as they are willing to pay, there is no problem.

"Kogitsunemaru, you're in luck! I just got the news that you've been discharged from the hospital."

Just seconds after the doctor left the ward,

He pushed open the door and walked in.

"Are they going to make their move? Who is their target?"

Kogitsunemaru was changing clothes, taking off his hospital gown and putting on his own clothes.

"He's a rather dangerous legendary figure. Although he's quite old, to be honest, he's still very dangerous. If you want to participate in the operation, be prepared to die at any moment," Kazuma said very seriously.

"Ha ha!"

Kogitsunemaru's lips curled into an arrogant and unrestrained smile. "Wouldn't that be better? Those soft persimmons that can be crushed with a pinch are no fun at all. It's boring if the prey isn't fierce enough."

[Chapter 276. The Secret Techniques of the Earth Spider Clan]

not enough!

Kazuma knew very well that the limited strength he had gathered was far from enough to deal with Konoha. He knew that many people scoffed at his ideas, thinking that he was indulging in wishful thinking and delusions, and that trying to deal with Konoha was like a turtle eating poison, or that he was tired of living!

However, he doesn't care about other people's opinions.

He held fast to his beliefs, and he would not regret it even if he suffered a bloody head. Moreover, after mastering the forbidden technique, since these people could not support him while they were alive, he would let them become dead so that they could contribute their strength to him!

After escaping the Daimyo's mansion, he first found a place to settle Kogitsunemaru to recover from his injuries. Then, while Kogitsunemaru was recovering, he began to try to use that forbidden technique to accumulate power. He first targeted some wandering ninja groups that no one paid much attention to, and then he found a few small ninja families to practice on.

Through several practical exercises

He confirmed once again that this forbidden technique could be used, but it was still lacking something. It had too many flaws and could not be used as a decisive factor in life and death. In his plan, which had been revised dozens of times, he was still missing a way to make the final decision.

The strength of Konoha lies not only in the formidable military force comprised of its numerous clans and ever-growing number of commoner ninja, but also in...

And then there's that small group of top experts.

Rather,

The reason Konoha was able to achieve complete victory in one Shinobi World War after another was because of the unbroken line of top-notch warriors.

For example, there's that man currently holed up in the Daimyo's mansion, who, in just over a month, defeated nearly twenty non-Konoha ninjas who were renowned throughout the Land of Fire, and is known as the "Flame Demon."

Although Kazuma had left the daimyo prefecture, he still had channels to receive intelligence from the prefecture.

Therefore,