Uchiha's personal opinion

"The Hokage's duty is to protect the village's interests and provide a safe haven for the ninja clan's survival and prosperity. However, since Hashirama's death, during Tobirama's tenure until now, they have deviated from this goal of building the village and instead started pursuing the ethereal 'Will of Fire.'" Uchiha Himon racked his brains to organize his thoughts and slowly said, "Therefore, our clan's dissatisfaction with the Hokage line stems from this. It's not just that our clan is ineligible for the Hokage position, but also because they treat the Hokage position as their private property and bestow it privately between master and disciple."

Uchiha Tokumitsu was stunned again. This explanation was completely different from what he knew and understood in his past and present lives.

"It's alright, Deguang-kun, you'll understand eventually." Uchiha Himon laughed a few times, then got up and left. He had already emptied his stomach of the little bit of knowledge he had heard from the clan elders, and if he continued to talk, he would give himself away, so he had to run away quickly.

Uchiha Tokumitsu sat alone in his tent, pondering the meaning behind Uchiha Himon's words.

The ninja clans and commoners, the ninja clans and the Hokage, and the Hokage and commoners are like the three corners of a triangle, independent yet mutually restraining. As the superiors, the Hokage's lineage naturally has the impulse to expand its power and control the ninja villages. As for the ninja clans with their own power, they will not miss the opportunity to strengthen their own clan and benefit their clan members. Thus, the struggle between the ninja clans and the Hokage is inevitable.

"What a terrible world." After pondering for a long time, Uchiha Tokumitsu shook his head, dismissing the various chaotic thoughts in his mind.

“It seems that only power is the truth.” Uchiha Tokumitsu stretched out his left hand, and a ball of purple chakra flame leaped out from it, transforming into fire cats, fire crows and the like as he thought.

The system or order of "one village, one country" that he considered incredibly naive has been able to be maintained to this day even after Hashirama Senju's death. It has to be said that the title of "God of Shinobi" that Hashirama Senju earned based on his strength and reputation is well-deserved.

While Uchiha Himon's words were somewhat unexpected, upon closer examination they made perfect sense.

Just as people who have lived in a relatively peaceful environment in both their past and present lives find it difficult to understand the longing of people in chaotic times for a peaceful and tranquil place.

Just like how, as an only child in his previous life, he sometimes didn't quite understand the sacrifices made for the individual based on the interests of the family. But now that he's a member of a powerful ninja clan, and the most arrogant and outrageous Uchiha in the clan, he has to stand on the side of the Uchiha, regardless of right or wrong. This is purely a matter of self-interest and has nothing to do with good or evil.

Just like the argument he had with Jiraiya yesterday, since he was a ninja in this life, he should think from the perspective of the ninja clan. If he could still be misled by the so-called "Hokage mindset" after two lifetimes, he might as well die sooner.

"Nobuhiko-kun," Uchiha Tokumitsu called over Uchiha Nobuhiko, who was in charge of security for the day. "I have a letter I wish to send back to the clan. Could your ninja cat deliver it for me?"

“That’s no problem, Lord Tokumitsu,” Uchiha Nobuhiko said respectfully.

Uchiha Tokumitsu planned to write down everything he had seen, heard, and thought since he led his army out into the world, as well as his recent training progress, especially the so-called 'Fire Release' he had explored. He wanted to discuss this with his father, Uchiha Nakagen, and Elder Setsuna, hoping to gain new insights through analogy.

……

Just as Uchiha Tokumitsu began carefully crafting his letter home, and the Hokage Building F3 was troubled by the loss of power of the Northwest Border Force, the Land of Rain, the undisputed powder keg of the ninja world, released a new version of its mission!

After several skirmishes with Konoha, Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure and a 'demigod' of the Salamander, and his Amegakure ninja began to launch an attack on Sunagakure, which was entrenched in the western border region of the Land of Rain!

Meanwhile, the Hidden Stone Village of the Land of Earth, which was stationed in the northern border region of the Land of Rain, was also a master of deceit and opportunism. Seeing that the main fighting force of the Hidden Stone Village had been mobilized and deployed to the western border of the Land of Rain, they took the opportunity to march south and plunder the Land of Rain. No one, whether noble or commoner, was spared their wrath.

In no time, the border region of the Land of Rain was in complete chaos.

Konoha, Sunagakure, Iwagakure... all three major ninja villages have established ninja army camps within the Land of Rain and occupied many border cities. As the three major ninja villages continue to send more personnel, the situation within the Land of Rain is becoming increasingly critical.

The ninja world's attention was also drawn to this unfortunate country that was constantly shrouded in torrential rain.

In contrast, the Northwest Border Defense Force, which was controlled by the Uchiha clan, along with the Land of Grass and the Grass Village, had become the most powerful ninja gathering area in the Land of Grass after the Hokage's edict quelled underground forces and intimidated the Hidden Stone Village. As a result, the Uchiha clan's rules and will began to take root in the Land of Grass and the Northwest region of the Land of Fire.

Chapter 41 The Temptation of Returning to the Village

The letters that Uchiha Tokumitsu sent back to the village had a much greater impact than he had imagined.

Three days after the letter was sent back to Konoha, a notice regarding the rotation of ninjas in the northwestern border defense forces was sent to the ninja army's main camp.

Uchiha Tokumitsu's name was prominently listed at the top of the list.

Also arriving were replies from his father, Uchiha Nakagen, and Elder Setsuna. Both letters mentioned one thing: the 'Super Uchiha Flame Release Chakra Mode' explored by Uchiha Tokumitsu must be kept strictly confidential and must not be revealed to anyone!

Meanwhile, nine Uchiha Jonin accompanied the second batch of Uchiha ninja to the northwestern border defense force. They would serve as Uchiha Tokumitsu's direct bodyguards on his return journey, ensuring his safe return to Konoha.

"Isn't this... a bit too much...?"

Nine Jonin serving as guards, and they were elite members of the Uchiha clan with the three-tomoe Sharingan... This was far too high-profile.

"Elder Setsuna and Captain Zhongxuan have given specific instructions, so please rest assured," said Uchiha Hakage, the leading Jonin captain, seemingly ignoring the question.

The implication is that it's nothing serious, the family elders have already made arrangements, so just go along with it.

“I originally had two guard squads…” Uchiha Tokumitsu felt that this was more or less a sign of distrust towards his strength and his direct guard squads.

“Young Master Tokumitsu, the matter you reported is of great importance, and we cannot be too cautious.” Uchiha Hakage’s words also revealed that he had some understanding of the contents of Uchiha Tokumitsu’s letter.

"Have you tried it?" Uchiha Tokumitsu asked seemingly out of the blue.

Uchiha Hatake remained silent, instead extending his left hand and silently channeling the chakra within his body, condensing a ball of purple flame in his palm.

Upon seeing this, Uchiha Tokumitsu raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't expected that his so-called 'Super Uchiha Flame Release Chakra Mode', which he had haphazardly figured out, would actually be replicated by a member of his clan.

"However, my chakra control is indeed far behind that of De Guang Shao Jun, and I am not yet able to cover my entire body with fire release chakra to form an aura."

"How many people in the clan have learned it?" Uchiha Tokumitsu asked with great interest.

"Currently, there are 17 Jonin in the clan who have reached the threshold for learning Fire Release, and three who have learned basic chakra fusion..." Uchiha Hakage answered respectfully.

"Only three people..." Uchiha Tokumitsu was somewhat disappointed. He had hoped that more members of his clan would learn this rudimentary Fire Release technique so that they could participate in the optimization and application of ninjutsu.

However, upon further reflection, this makes sense. After all, it has only been three days since the letter was sent back to the clan. In the absence of clan-wide promotion and secrecy, the fact that three ninjas have already grasped such a rudimentary understanding of the so-called 'Fire Release' only shows that the Uchiha clan's strength and foundation are truly unparalleled in the ninja world.

With such profound strength and foundation, why did they end up being wiped out by Itachi Uchiha alone? Uchiha Tokumitsu couldn't understand it.

"There's no other way. Among the Jonin of the clan, there are indeed not many people like you, Young Master Deguang, who possess unparalleled mental strength and chakra manipulation..."

“That being said, it’s still a bit lacking…” Uchiha Tokumitsu’s resistance to flattery, especially from his clansmen, was far less than his resistance to ninjutsu. “Alright, let’s arrange for the rest of the staff according to the list. Let’s hurry back to the village.”

……

The return journey was also exceptionally smooth.

Throughout the entire process, there were no enemy ninjas attempting to ambush them or any Root members falsely conveying the Hokage's orders.

In addition to the six guards from Uchiha Tokumitsu's two guard squads and eight other Jonin who came with Uchiha Hakage, there were also nearly a hundred regular ninjas from the Northwest Border Defense Force who were on leave at the same time, forming a mighty ninja army that returned to Konoha without any trouble or obstacles.

Uchiha Tokumitsu's parents, Uchiha Nakagen and Uchiha Emiko, along with Elder Setsuna, were already waiting at the entrance of Konoha Village with their followers.

"Little Deguang~" Emiko shouted excitedly when she saw Uchiha Deguang's small figure in the distance.

Although he felt a little embarrassed, Uchiha Tokumitsu obediently used the Body Flicker Technique to get to his mother's side, and was picked up by Emiko without any resistance, who kissed his cheeks and pulled his hair.

After all, no matter how much talent and wisdom he displays in this life, he is still just a child who is almost nine years old.

Uchiha Tokumitsu had been away from home for nearly four months, and during that time, Emiko, as his mother, had been filled with longing, worry, and unbearable torment. Now that she saw her beloved son return safe and sound, she could no longer suppress her longing.

While allowing Emiko to fully express her longing, Uchiha Tokumitsu, though slightly embarrassed, still politely greeted his father, Uchiha Nakagen, and Elder Setsuna.

"Alright~ Emiko, let's go back first. Tokumitsu must be tired from his journey." Uchiha Nakagen also had a smile on his face. It wasn't just because he missed Tokumitsu, but also because he was very satisfied with Tokumitsu's performance on the front lines.

"Alright, alright!" Emiko still held her precious son tightly and wouldn't let go, but she obediently returned to the village with the others.

Having been away for nearly four months, living in the backward wilderness of the Land of Grass for so long, Uchiha Tokumitsu was struck by how suddenly the once unremarkable Konoha commercial district had become incredibly bustling upon his return. Even the smiles on the faces of the pedestrians seemed more relaxed than those of people living in the towns of the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire.

A stable and peaceful life.

Uchiha Tokumitsu suddenly understood what Uchiha Himon meant by the choice of the ninja clan.

After returning to the village, the ninjas who had been resting dispersed and began shopping lavishly in the commercial street. Meanwhile, the newly returned Uchiha ninjas strolled around the streets in groups without causing panic or hostility among the villagers and merchants. Although the merchants were rather reserved and humble when bargaining with the Uchiha, this was mainly due to the strong battlefield bloodlust emanating from the Uchiha, not out of disgust.

This is also a difference from the original impression of Uchiha Tokumitsu.

In the past, he didn't care about those background figures, so he thought the Uchiha clan had a very bad reputation in Konoha. But today, it seems they're not so bad after all.

It seems that Kishimoto, that old scoundrel, really doesn't know anything about Naruto.

Uchiha Tokumitsu's gaze swept across everything happening along the street, lost in thought.

"what!"

Suddenly, Uchiha Tokumitsu sensed a peculiar gaze upon him, but a quick scan of his surroundings revealed nothing unusual.

"It's that monkey in the Hokage Building."

Just as Uchiha Tokumitsu was about to use his sensory ninjutsu to investigate what was going on, Elder Setsuna spoke up.

This reminded Uchiha Tokumitsu of the so-called spying technique—the Crystal Ball Telescope Technique.

“Monkeys like to stay in cages and spy on others, don’t worry about them.” Uchiha Zhongxuan said as he walked, his expression unchanged.

"That's all the monkey can do, but it's alright. Once we get back to the clan's territory, there will be a barrier to protect us, so he won't be able to see us." Uchiha Emiko's expression remained unchanged as she gently stroked Uchiha Tokumitsu's smooth, long hair.

This also reveals the attitude of the clan towards the Hokage.

Even the other Uchiha clan members surrounding them paid no attention to the three's words and continued walking normally without looking to the side.

Uchiha Tokumitsu also didn't believe that they, as ninjas with sharp ears and eyes, would not have heard what was just said.

The Uchiha radicals made almost no attempt to conceal their malice and aversion towards the Hokage.

……

Back in their ancestral home, the strange feeling of being watched vanished without a trace.

"You should all go home first, and De Guang should get some rest too," Elder Setsuna said with a smile to the Uchiha De Guang family. "But I'll still need your help to come over tonight."

"Okay, thank you, Elder Setsuna~"

Back home, like most mothers, Emiko put her beloved son down and brought out a large amount of food from the kitchen, worried that her child, who had been away from home for so long, might be hungry and thin.

The warmth of home made Uchiha Tokumitsu feel very relaxed.

It was the kinship he experienced in this life that made him feel that this world truly existed. Everything before his eyes was also vividly happening.

Family ties, clan ties, and the unbridled killing on the battlefield—these were the mediums through which he confirmed the reality of this world.

Uchiha Nakagen, who had been completely ignored by Emiko, silently sipped a cup of barley tea. Only after Uchiha Tokumitsu had finally managed to stuff all the food into his stomach did he slowly begin to speak, "How did you develop the 'Fire Release' you mentioned in your reply?"

"...I was just thinking that chakra fusion could create new bloodline powers, so I gave it a try, and I didn't expect it to succeed." Uchiha Tokumitsu answered casually, seemingly unconcerned.

“It is indeed a very good method.” Uchiha Nakagen pursed his lips. “The clan has been passing down Yin Release and Fire Release for a thousand years, but no one has ever explored the fusion of these two chakra natures. You are the only successful example…”

"Why?" Uchiha Tokumitsu also found it strange. He didn't think that his thinking or abilities could completely surpass the family that had produced so many talented people over the past thousand years.

“Everyone… never thought of this…and your chakra manipulation is indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people.” Uchiha Zhongxuan said with a hint of melancholy, “The clan’s ninjutsu secrets are as vast as clouds and smoke, and even if one spends a lifetime, one cannot learn them all. As a result, it is naturally difficult to make breakthroughs and innovations.”

Uchiha Tokumitsu remained silent.

Perhaps this is what is called 'the obstacle of perception'.

"Alright, Deguang, you should rest for a while. We still have to go to the elders' place tonight." Emiko, who came out of the kitchen, gestured for Uchiha Deguang to go back to his room and rest.

Uchiha Tokumitsu nodded obediently, and just as he reached the stairs, he suddenly turned back to his father, Uchiha Nakagen, and asked, "Then... Father, have you learned the chakra fusion of 'Fire Release'?"

"I didn't... but Emiko has already learned it." Uchiha Nakagen's face turned bright red as he stammered.

Emiko's silvery laughter echoed from the kitchen.

Uchiha Tokumitsu touched his nose somewhat awkwardly and quickly ran back to his room upstairs.

Having been away from home for so long, returning to my little nest naturally brought a sense of relaxation. My previously tense nerves immediately loosened up, and as soon as I lay down on the bed, Uchiha Tokumitsu quickly drifted off to sleep...