Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 277 Inviting Father-in-Law to Ascend to Heaven

In the Uchiha clan compound, at the clan head's mansion, Uchiha Retsuyo's cloudy eyes stared at a family photo in his hand.

He knew his time was running out; he could live for another year or two at most, and if he encountered any setback, it was entirely possible that he would die immediately.

Then I can go down and be with my wife and the sons who died tragically. I just want to see Mikoto again.

Although there was an element of transaction involved, as a father, he naturally hoped that his daughter could have a happy future.

"dad!"

Just as he was thinking about his daughter, a familiar voice called out, which startled Uchiha Retsuyo, who thought he was hallucinating.

The next moment, a figure rushed into her arms, and a familiar voice rang out again.

"Dad, Mikoto has come to see you."

Nestled in her father's arms, Mikoto Uchiha could no longer hold back her tears as they streamed down her face.

My father looks much older than he did back then; he must have had a tough time these past few years.

"Is the war over?"

After confirming that it was indeed his daughter who had returned, Uchiha Retsuyo looked at the boy who walked in and had a guess in his mind.

"It just ended. Hiruzen Sarutobi used the Impure World Reincarnation technique to kill the Senju ninja. I came here to persuade Tsunade to leave the clan."

Mikoto said, "Father-in-law, you're about to kick the bucket, so I came to check on you and see if I could persuade some more Uchiha clan members to come to our Kumogakure."

Tamura Hikage's clone sat cross-legged opposite Uchiha Retsuyo and poured himself a cup of tea from the teapot on the low table.

Perhaps because of his own beliefs back then, this old father-in-law seems to have developed a liking for clear tea rather than the thick porridge he used to drink.

"Can't you speak properly?"

While still heartbroken, Uchiha Mikoto turned her head and rolled her eyes at the person in front of her, but after that, her sadness lessened considerably.

Uchiha Retsuyo paid little attention to his son-in-law's words; he was more concerned about his daughter's changes.

Although he was old and his physical functions had declined significantly, his perception was still quite good. He could sense the enormous energy within his daughter's body, and the pupil power in her eyes was also immense, definitely kaleidoscope-level eyes, even stronger than his own pupil power back then.

"Mikoto, have you activated your kaleidoscope?"

Uchiha Retsuyo was very excited that his daughter had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Yes, I've awakened the Kaleidoscope and even learned Sage Mode..."

Nodding, Uchiha Mikoto briefly explained the powers she had learned, which shocked Uchiha Retsuyo, but also made him feel gratified and happy.

"It was definitely the right decision to let you leave with him back then."

I increasingly agree with, and even feel fortunate about, my initial choice.

That kid was able to give Mikoto so much power, which proves that he is sincere towards her, so I don't have to worry about him anymore.

"How's Fugaku?"

He then inquired about the nephew, who represented another path for the family.

"He was rescued by Hiashi Hyuga, but I gouged out his eyes, and I also killed Uchiha Myōkyō."

"I'm not saying this to be mean, but father-in-law, your parenting is a complete failure. How did you manage to get them all targeting me? I can't even hold back if I want to."

Tamura Hiroshi told him the truth, and couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark as he spoke.

Not to mention Uchiha Myokyo, who openly came to deal with him. Although Fugaku was wary of him, his killing intent was also extremely strong.

The murderous intent directed at him was like a light bulb in the dark, making it hard for him to ignore.

"Don't you know why they're staring at you?"

Uchiha Retsuyo glared at him. "Don't you realize how much he's staring at you?"

After taking Mikoto away, and then not only causing Akemi to suffer a crushing defeat on the battlefield in the Land of Hot Springs, but also capturing his fiancée, it would be strange if they weren't keeping an eye on you.

"But father-in-law, you can try to persuade them. You are the head of the Uchiha clan; it's your responsibility. Although I have hurt them many times, as long as you can persuade them well..."

Tamura Hao believed that his father-in-law was a failure as the head of the Uchiha clan, unable to handle even such a small matter, no wonder the Uchiha clan had not produced a Hokage yet.

These words not only made Uchiha Retsuyoshi roll his eyes, but even Uchiha Mikoto couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Can't you speak like a human being?

"I'll go pick someone for you."

With a disgruntled glare at his cheap son-in-law, Uchiha Retsuyo raised his hand, formed hand seals, and created three shadow clones that left.

Now that Fugaku has failed again, he has to make a further choice.

Everything is for the sake of family legacy!

"Also, father-in-law, you'd better pass away today. I'll take your ashes with me and bury them in Kumogakure so that it will be easier for Mikoto to pay her respects to you in the future."

Tamura Hao made a request, and then used his Wood Release to create an exquisite urn on the spot, leaving Uchiha Retsuyo speechless.

"roll!"

That brat is really shameless!

Mikoto Uchiha also glared. She had come to visit her father, not for you to see him off.

Not to mention you're trying to force him to give it away. What kind of son-in-law are you?

Tamura Hiroki's clone wouldn't leave; he needed to stay and monitor Miss Mikoto.

To prevent that girl from being fooled by that old guy Uchiha Retsuyo into revealing village secrets.

Leaving aside the father and daughter reunited on this side, on the other side, Uchiha Chiri arrived at Mingjing's residence and met Mingjing's wife, Uchiha Yue. It was Uchiha Retsuyo who arranged the marriage, and it was Uchiha Retsuyo who also handled the wedding.

"Sister Zhili, why are you back in the village? And what's with that headband?"

Uchiha Yue was very surprised to see Uchiha Chiri arrive, especially when she saw the Cloud Village headband on his forehead.

Has Chisato already joined the Hidden Cloud Village?

"You and Mingjing got married this month, that's great."

Looking at Uchiha Tsuki, who was now dressed as a woman, Uchiha Chiri felt quite emotional. The little girl from back then was now a wife and a mother.

"It was the clan chief who mediated the peace, back when you, Chisato-neechan, were captured by Kumogakure..."

Uchiha Yue hurriedly explained, even sounding a little uneasy, realizing that he had taken advantage of her vulnerability.

Most importantly, Sister Zhili used to be very kind to me and often guided me in my cultivation. I always feel sorry for Sister Zhili for doing this.

"No need to explain, you are Mingjing-kun's wife. My fate with Mingjing-kun ended long ago. I am now a member of Kumogakure, no longer a Konoha ninja, and this time I came here..."

Uchiha Chiri gently comforted him, but she couldn't finish her sentence, unsure how to inform Mingjing-kun of his death.

"Has something happened to Mingjing?"

Seeing the change in Uchiha Chiri's expression, Uchiha Tsuki had a bad feeling.

In fact, she had felt uneasy as soon as she saw Uchiha Chiri and Natamura Hao come to visit. It was not a good thing for these two to appear in Konoha at this time.

"I'm sorry, Myokyō-kun and Minato Namikaze teamed up to try and kill me, but I managed to turn the tables and kill them instead."

It's not a secret that Tamura Hiroki's clone spoke on his behalf; people will find out later anyway.

Upon hearing this news, Uchiha Yue swayed and almost fell to the ground, but was fortunately caught by Uchiha Chiri.

"You're being too direct!"

Rolling his eyes at the boy who was following him, Uchiha Chiri took out a small bottle of nutrient solution that he always carried with him and gave it to Uchiha Yue. The pure life force in the solution circulated throughout his body, making Uchiha Yue feel a little better.

"I saw you a few times during the Chunin Exams, and I also witnessed your battle during the Chunin Exams. You are a dazzling genius."

Mingjing has spoken about you many times. Although he regretted and blamed himself for that defeat, he also acknowledged your excellence and strength. If you weren't on opposing sides, you could have become good friends.

"You didn't kill Meikage in the Land of Hot Water back then because of Chiri-nee, right?"

Suppressing the grief in her heart, Uchiha Tsuki looked at the familiar boy.

She remained with the family and had seen the boy many times, but she had never spoken to him.

"Our Hidden Cloud Village desperately needs a master of illusion techniques like Miss Jiri. We considered recruiting either Myokyō-kun or Miss Jiri. After some analysis, we ultimately decided that recruiting Miss Jiri would be more likely. The price we paid was to ensure Myokyō-kun's survival."

I thought Mingjing would be disheartened and retreat into seclusion, but unexpectedly he went to the front lines again. I saw his inner torment and his will to die, so I could only grant him his wish and let him find release.

With a sorrowful expression, Tamura Hao lied, saying that he and Mingjing had long cherished each other, and that this act of killing was a last resort and a relief for Mingjing.

Even Uchiha Chiri didn't realize something was wrong with this deception, because it was the clear mirror she knew.

The lives of hundreds of clansmen and thousands of village ninjas were too heavy a burden.

"I knew this day would come when Fugaku came to persuade Meikyō."

Uchiha Yue said dejectedly. She had long expected this day. When she left, Mingjing had said sorry to her, and those three words made her understand everything.

Mingjing still couldn't let go, and indeed found it difficult to let go.

"We came to the Uchiha clan this time for two reasons. First, we wanted to select some clan members to bring to our Hidden Cloud Village for resettlement. Mikoto is here too."

Secondly, Jiri and I want to come and see your child with Mingjing-kun. We have two options: one is to take you and the child to Kumogakure, where Jiri will act as the child's teacher and pass on everything Mingjing-kun has to him.

Another option is for you and your child to remain in Konoha, and we will carry on the legacy of Myokyō-kun.

Tamura Hiroshi continued, offering two options.

"Aren't you afraid your child will seek revenge when they grow up?"

Uchiha Yue was silent for a moment before asking, a hint of doubt in his mind.

"I don't think it's hatred, and neither does Mingjingjun. His children will definitely inherit his will."

Tamura Hiroshi was very serious about his persuasion, and even hypnotized himself.

Mingjing is my closest friend and a confidant who cherishes me deeply. How could we possibly become enemies?

"He lost to you, and it's no wonder!"

Wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, Uchiha Yue understood; perhaps this was the bond between men.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I cannot leave. Shisui also has the hopes and wishes of Meikyō entrusted to him."

She ultimately declined their invitations. She knew that as long as she went to Kumogakure, her sister Jiri would definitely take good care of her and her child. However, she and her child carried the will of Meikyo, and Shisui was going to do what Meikyo had not finished.

In fact, she had liked Mingjing for a long time, which is why she agreed without hesitation when the clan leader came to propose marriage.

She will help Mingjing complete what she hasn't finished.

"I understand, but I hope Lady Yue can teach Shisui well in the future and not let him repeat the mistakes of Mingjing-kun. The dark side of this village is too terrible."

Tamura Hikage's clone kindly reminded him, then handed the scroll prepared by Uchiha Chiri to Uchiha Tsuki.

He had checked the scroll on his way here and confirmed that there was nothing wrong with it. It simply contained Uchiha Ichiri's insights on genjutsu training and some genjutsu techniques.

"Thank you for the reminder. I will teach Shisui well."

Uchiha Yue nodded. She naturally knew this, which was also the main reason for Mingjing's crushing defeat in the battle of the Land of Hot Water.

They were not defeated by the Hidden Cloud Village, but by the people in the village themselves.

"Then I won't bother you any longer!"

After glancing at Uchiha Chiri, who was staring at him, Tamura Hao bid farewell to Uchiha Tsuki.

Since the person has already seen it, there's no need to keep it any longer.

Furthermore, Miss Chiri also needs to persuade some acquaintances. Although she is a woman, she has considerable prestige in the Uchiha clan, especially among women.

The Hidden Cloud Village welcomes any outstanding female ninja; they take as many as they can get.

There's no way around it; no matter the world, men always have the advantage in terms of strength. Female ninjas are rare in the ninja world, making up only about 10% of the population.

Konoha is doing alright, managing to maintain a roughly 2:1 ratio of male to female ninjas, but Kumogakure is far behind, with a 5:1 ratio of male to female ninjas.

The situation was even worse in Iwagakure, where the ratio of male to female ninjas reached ten to one, and the situation in Sunagakure wasn't much better.

Although they have put forward policies to encourage ninjas and ordinary people to marry and have children in order to accelerate the spread of chakra bloodline and make it easier to cultivate more ninjas in the future.

However, high-ranking ninjas do not lack those benefits and treatments; they prefer to marry female ninjas as wives, so that their offspring will be more outstanding, especially ninja women with bloodline limits or secret techniques.

The Uchiha are the top ninja clan in the ninja world, making them the best choice.

Furthermore, so many Uchiha men died on the front lines, and now the male-to-female ratio in the clan is unbalanced. I imagine that old father-in-law is also having a headache over this.

"How much of what you said is true?"

After leaving Uchiha Myokkei's mansion, Uchiha Chiri suddenly asked a question after walking for a while.

At first I didn't think so, but the more this kid talked, the more outrageous it became; there must be something lying in it.

"Does that matter?"

Tamura Hiroshi countered with a question, admitting that he had indeed lied, but it was a white lie.

We can't let Uchiha Shisui become an avenger in the future, only to be killed by himself.

"Isn't it important?"

Uchiha Chiri asked in return, realizing that this brat was indeed lying.

Does it matter?

"Isn't it important?"

Does it matter?

"Isn't it important?"

……

The two kept asking each other questions, as if they were stubbornly arguing.

Just then, a slight tremor came, and the two of them turned to look at the Thousand Hands Clan's territory.

"Is that Tsunade? Are they fighting?"

Uchiha Chiri was stunned and immediately thought of Tsunade, but how did they end up fighting?

"I knew Tsunade wasn't good at persuading people."

Tamura Hiroki's clone made a comment, not surprised by it, after all, that older sister was known for her fiery temper.

At the same time, on the other side, Tamura Hiroshi's true form was communicating with Orochimaru.

That's right, Orochimaru has returned to Konoha. He was sent back by Hiruzen Sarutobi using Tobirama Senju, clearly because he was worried about things here.

"The kaleidoscope of the Lieyang clan chief has been used to such an extent by Haojun."

Looking at that spatial passage, Orochimaru couldn't help but sigh.

As early as when he saw this person use a spatial portal to launch a surprise attack, he guessed that it was Uchiha Retsuyo's eyes.

Considering the Sage Mode curse mark on Fugaku Uchiha's body, the situation becomes quite easy to guess.

They had gathered information about the Uchiha clan, including Uchiha Retsuyo's Mangekyou Sharingan.

As far as they knew, Uchiha Retsuyo's Mangekyou Sharingan had long since reached its limit, and it seemed that Haojun had repaired those eyes.

"Samehada really likes special bloodlines like the Sharingan. These bloodlines are also very suitable for Samehada. After purifying and fusing the eye power, it can enhance every eye technique. Unfortunately, it still can't break through that limit."

With a slightly regretful expression, Tamura Hao tried to fool him, saying that he still hadn't been able to break through that limit.

"It seems that Miss Hikari has broken through that limit. Has she completely integrated the transplanted eye technique?"

Orochimaru humbly asked for guidance. He knew from seeing the Susanoo that Uchiha Hikaru's eyes had broken through and reached the same level as Uchiha Madara, obviously because he had fused his eye techniques.

According to the information left by the Second Hokage, Madara Uchiha seems to have fused his younger brother Izuna Uchiha's eyes, and the final Mangekyou Sharingan pattern was a fusion of the two's Mangekyou Sharingan patterns.

Clearly, the key to transformation lies in integration. My current eyes are also a product of pupil transplantation. Can I achieve that as well?

"It can't be called a breakthrough, but more like a completion. Just like the kaleidoscope itself is an incomplete power, which is why there are so many side effects."

Light somehow completed its own kaleidoscope, creating a perfect kaleidoscope, but the pattern remained unchanged.

Tamura Hiroshi selectively mentioned a few points.

"Complete it, the pattern remains the same, a perfect kaleidoscope."

Orochimaru muttered those three key points to himself, lost in thought.

If the eye pattern hasn't changed, it's indeed different from Madara Uchiha's evolutionary path, but it's clearly an improvement, much more powerful than the ordinary Mangekyou Sharingan.

When he infiltrated the battlefield of the mountain city, he could feel the oppressive aura from the eyes, which must be a more advanced type of eye.

"Mingjing-kun's eyes seem to blend in a way that is different from how they blend in with light."

His gaze fell on the overlapping patterns in Orochimaru's eyes, and Tamura Hao clearly understood the differences within.

Because Black Zetsu secretly guided Uchiha Hikaru's eye technique transplant, the external eye technique and eye power were integrated into his original eyes, with Uchiha Hikaru's eye technique and eye power being the main focus.

Therefore, the kaleidoscope pattern of Uchiha Hikaru is not an overlap, but rather its own pattern.

However, Uchiha Myōkyō's was merely a simple transplant and coexistence, without the guidance and fusion of a powerful figure like Black Zetsu, which resulted in the current overlapping appearance.

"It's definitely different, and we've certainly gone down the wrong path. The improvement isn't obvious, and there's no sign of fusion or transformation."

Orochimaru felt regretful and troubled.

I had high hopes for these eyes, but this is the result. They did not meet my expectations, let alone achieve fusion and transformation.

"I have an idea here; Lord Orochimaru, you can give it a try if you're interested."

Tamura Hiroshi had an idea inspired by the structure of the Rinnegan.

"Please speak, Hao-jun!"

Orochimaru licked his lips, clearly intrigued.

He highly recognized this person's abilities and intelligence. The operation he performed on Yuhi Shinku last time was very good, and Yuhi Shinku's feedback was also ideal, reaching the level he had envisioned.

Now that I have a new idea, I'm sure I won't let myself down.

(End of this chapter)