The Uchiha's Path to the Top, Starting from Konoha

Chapter 231 Decision

"Today, His Majesty the Head of State has displayed such skill, and everyone on Mount Myōboku is deeply grateful."

Inside the palace deep within Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage, who had risen from his throne, watched as Uchiha Takeoshi approached slowly. The aura that the other man inadvertently revealed deeply shocked him.

"This guy's strength is truly increasing at an unbelievable rate, like inflating a balloon!"

The Great Toad Sage couldn't understand it, but that didn't stop him from accepting the reality.

Its existence is its own justification!

"Among those deeply grateful, does the Great Toad Sage include you?"

Uchiha Wu'an chuckled softly, his open golden dragon eyes sending chills down the spine of the Great Toad Sage.

"I've been letting my men fight to the death all this time. When will the Great Toad Sage fight for me? We did sign a summoning contract, after all."

"I am too old and frail to go to the battlefield. I would only be a burden and a target. It is better to let the young people train more. Shima and Fukasaku have always been people I have high hopes for."

The Great Toad Sage was fairly aware of the current situation.

If he's put on the field, it's most likely to be to deal with the Dragon Emperor.

Surrounding and killing the Dragon Emperor is no problem, but Hagoromo Otsutsuki and Hamura will definitely not sit still. If they face each other head-on, how can this old toad with his old arms and legs withstand the heavy blows of these two?

"Moreover, His Majesty controls the white snake in Ryuchi Cave, and the role it can play is far greater than that of this old man."

The Great Toad Sage's excuse deepened Uchiha Takeo's gaze. His fixed eyes fell on the Great Toad Sage's wrinkled, aged face, and he slowly said, "What if I insist that you come?"

"The Great Toad Sage must have also made a summoning contract with Hagoromo Otsutsuki, right?"

"Staying silently in the back all this time is really making me uneasy!"

After those three sentences were spoken, the room fell into an even deeper silence.

The air itself seemed to freeze at that moment.

The giant toad sage lowered his eyes, making it impossible to see any change in his gaze, and simply kept smoking his pipe, exhaling thick rings of smoke.

Having lived for a thousand years, Gamamaru knows the key to his survival—the ability to assess situations and act accordingly, or as the saying goes, a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall.

His ability to make angel investments based on foresight allows him to be successful in all aspects of life.

Even though his stance was ambiguous, Hagoromo Otsutsuki didn't intend to target him, but by participating in the Dragon Emperor's siege, he was clearly provoking Hagoromo Otsutsuki's bottom line!

Gamamaru knew perfectly well that Hagoromo Otsutsuki was no longer the hot-blooded young man he once was, and it would be strange if he didn't skin him alive.

"But judging from Uchiha Takeo's attitude today, he is clearly forcing me to take sides."

Having never been forced to the brink of disaster and make a choice in a very long time, the Great Toad Sage couldn't help but feel a rebellious streak and thought to himself with a sinister glint in his eyes.

"Should we pretend to agree and let the Dragon Emperor go, or wait for Hagoromo Otsutsuki to appear and then switch sides?"

"No!"

The idea was rejected by the Great Toad Sage as soon as it came up.

If he hadn't killed Uchiha Muan, given the latter's mastery of space-time ninjutsu, he probably would have found him in no time, and he would have lived in constant fear for the rest of his life.

Mount Myoboku will never have peace again!

"Let's just take it one step at a time. This old man is truly suffering!"

The Great Toad Sage sighed inwardly, then turned his gaze to Uchiha Takeoshi, his voice tinged with sorrow and helplessness, "Since it is the leader's order, this old man will certainly obey!"

"Don't look like a loser who's already given up before the battle even begins!"

Uchiha Takeo could roughly guess what the Great Toad Sage was thinking—this fickle old toad was most likely to have two ideas.

Going all out to help is certainly good, but he was also prepared to defect midway through the battle.

In any case, the advantage is in my hands!

"The battle will begin soon, I hope the Great Toad Sage is well prepared."

"I will be the ultimate victor!"

Having received a satisfactory answer, Uchiha Takeoshi opened a spatial portal and instantly returned to a small village in Yu City, which was now part of the Rain Province in the former Land of Hot Springs.

The small village is surrounded by tranquility, with the occasional chirping of birds adding a touch of life to the peace.

On the edge of the village, hidden among the lush trees, Uchiha Takeoshi's gaze was drawn to a dark corner.

It was a vast, empty land, the surrounding plants seemingly unwilling to approach, appearing withered and shriveled. As he drew near, a pungent, fishy stench filled the air, nauseating and as if some unspeakable evil lurked within.

"This is the place where evil gods are worshipped."

He muttered to himself, his face utterly calm.

Uchiha Takeo had heard of the evil god cult that came from Yu-no-ichi. In the original Naruto, Hidan, who could survive having his head severed, came from Yu-no-ichi.

This immortality, resulting from the worship of an evil god, was something that Uchiha Muan hadn't had time to investigate before due to his busy schedule. Now that he had some free time, he wanted to see if he could add another trump card to his deck.

Or we could find out who that so-called evil god really is and see what kind of person he is.

If you're lucky, you might even get the coordinates of a world.

Uchiha Muan stepped lightly into the clearing, and an ancient altar appeared before him. The altar was made of black stone, its surface covered with mottled bloodstains and mysterious runes, emitting a sinister light.

In the center of the altar, several twisted tree branches intertwined, as if telling a story of endless sorrow.

Several withered skeletons, dressed in tattered clothes, hung from the branches, seemingly swallowed up by the evil of this place.

It's hard to imagine what kind of horrific rituals were once performed here.

The ground around the altar was covered with scattered black feathers, like the remnants of some evil creature.

Uchiha Wu'an frowned slightly, enduring the nauseating smell that filled the surroundings, his eyes scanning the area, his spiritual power spreading like a wave.

When the locals reported the worship of the evil god, the Uchiha patrol team immediately arrived at the scene and killed the ninjas who were worshipping the evil god without even needing to use ninjutsu.

Hidan, the only one left, was sent to Konoha, where he underwent forced education and contributed his blood and flesh to become a rare and precious beast.

The altar that could connect with the evil god was not destroyed by the Uchiha patrol team. The fact that they didn't kill Hidan back then made them realize the altar's extraordinary nature, and they originally planned to notify the Academy of Sciences.

Upon learning of this, Uchiha Takeo immediately intervened and intercepted him.

Evil gods from outside the ninja world always pique people's curiosity.

"The purity of evil here doesn't even seem as high as the public cemetery next to the fortress city in the Heavenly Province."

Uchiha Takeo pondered silently, his eyes gleaming with thoughtful light.

If this evil is allowed to continue to grow, who knows if it might connect with an even more powerful evil god.

Just then, a low murmur came to his ear, as if beckoning him, making him uneasy.

"Come quickly...come quickly...become my sacrifice..."

The voice lingered in his ears like a ghost, and Uchiha Takeo couldn't help but smile with delight.

"I haven't even contacted you yet, and you've already contacted me!"

Uchiha Muan looked around, trying to find the source of the sound, but only saw that the shadow above the altar was getting thicker and thicker, as if some kind of power was quietly gathering.

"Is this what it is?"

Uchiha Muan thought to himself, and waved his hand, preparing to cast a spell.

His fingers traced streaks of light and shadow in the air, gathering powerful magical energy, preparing to completely control and amplify this source of evil.

Just then, the runes on the altar began to flicker, and black light swirled in the air, seemingly responding to his movements.

Uchiha Muan's heart stirred, realizing that this altar was not a simple evil object, but probably some kind of ancient seal that was being awakened by someone or something.

"No matter what you are, you can't escape my grasp!"

Uchiha Muan roared in a low voice, his demonic power surging at his fingertips, instantly transforming into a dazzling beam of light that shot straight towards the altar. The light drew a graceful arc in the air, as if to tear apart the darkness.

However, the black light on the altar grew stronger, seemingly resisting his attack.

Uchiha Muan's heart tightened as he felt a powerful force approaching him, as if it were about to drag him into endless darkness.

"That's interesting!"

Uchiha Wu'an frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on the altar, and he poured even more demonic power into it. Just as he was about to touch the altar, a burst of black light suddenly erupted, forming a whirlwind that swept over.

At the same time, seven-colored magic orbs, corresponding to the seven-colored magic shields of fire, earth, lightning, wind, water, yin and yang, appeared beside Uchiha Wu'an, constantly rotating and firmly protecting him.

The black whirlwind that rushed towards them creaked and groaned as it struck the magic shield. Seven-colored light flashed alternately as it withstood the altar's counterattack.

"A powerful figure in the modern world? Impressive strength indeed!"

The voice from the altar resounded once more, extending an invitation to Uchiha Takeuchi, "If you pledge your allegiance to me, I will grant you immortality!"

"An immortal body? There is no such thing as immortality in this world!"

Uchiha Muan's eyes gleamed with the light of a golden dragon's pupils as he peered at the base of the altar.

The super-powerful class [God of Magic], derived from the seven major mage classes, along with the powerful Primordial Dragon bloodline, directly granted him a great deal of innate magic.

One of them is a pair of golden dragon eyes that can see through the essence of power.

"It possesses an aura that does not belong to the ninja world, and the essence of its power is no less than that of the Six Paths."

"The aura left behind by this seal, ah, so it's related to Hagoromo Otsutsuki."

The evil god sealed within the altar was already extremely weak, all its power had been worn away by the great force of time, leaving only a trace of its essence to barely survive.

If it weren't for the fact that a few days ago, the greedy ninja sacrificed the lives of many villagers, breaking a gap in the seal and allowing a massive amount of spiritual energy to enter, the surviving evil god would have been overjoyed and quickly recovered.

Otherwise, even if Uchiha Wu'an, whose strength was already at the peak of the Blazing Sun realm, stood by the altar and let the evil god exert all his strength, he wouldn't be able to break through his magical protective shield.

The evil god continued his seductive plea, "Why wouldn't it be?"

"If you're willing to dedicate your body and soul, I can make you invulnerable to swords and spears, impervious to fire and water. Even if your head is cut off, your heart is pierced, or your body is severed at the waist, you won't die!"

"Heh, you've been sealed to this extent, so you'd better not talk big."

Uchiha Mu'an's dragon eyes flashed, indicating that he had already made a discovery, and he immediately called upon his main body in his mind.

So in the next second, a giant hand tore through space, crushed the altar amidst the evil god's exclamation, and grabbed the evil god's soul sealed inside, leaving.

The province of fire, the capital of fire.

"Please, sir, don't do this!"

As the magical power surged and refined, the evil god let out a mournful wail.

Feeling disturbed, Uchiha Muan used his magic to create a sound-blocking space and calmly watched the evil god being gradually refined by his magic.

Kaori Minamoto and Osamu Uchiha, who were also standing nearby, walked over with their large pregnant bellies. A comfortable autumn breeze blew through the window, ruffling the two women's bangs, and their bright eyes fell directly into Uchiha Takeoshi's palm.

"Darling, what's this?"

Kaori asked curiously.

"Something that might help the governor truly become the governor."

Uchiha Takeo's answer made Uchiha Rinpoche both happy and frustrated.

To become a true governor, one must possess strength at the level of the Blazing Sun. For someone who is normally at the level of the Radiant Moon, being able to take another step forward is naturally a happy thing.

But as the governor of the Fire Province, he was burdened with a mountain of tasks and was on the verge of depression.

"Lord An, let's give this governorship to someone else."

Uchiha Rinpoche touched his six-month-old belly and glanced at Uchiha Takeoshi. "Even if you don't care about me, Takeoshi should at least think about your own child. The mother of the child can't afford not to rest properly now."

"Hey, you've got all the team members in the Fire Province, plus family members like Sifang to oversee things and help you out. All you have to do every day is sign documents properly, there's nothing tiring about it."

Uchiha Wu'an complained, "In the past, the governor of a province would start as a Hokage, something our Uchiha clan would beg for. Now they're actually looking down on it."

"Who can blame me when my husband is the one who rules the ninja world?"

Uchiha's cheeks flushed slightly. Having witnessed the rule of Konoha under Hashirama and Tobirama, she understood the mindset of the Uchiha clan at that time.

After Hashirama Senju died, a senior member of the Uchiha clan launched a coup, attempting to seize the Hokage position by force. Unfortunately, the coup was all bark and no bite, and was suppressed by Tobirama Senju.

If it weren't for the sudden emergence of Uchiha Muan, the fate of the Uchiha clan would still be unknown.

"Good to know."

Uchiha Wu'an snorted, then reached out and put his arm around Minamoto Kaori's waist, embracing his two beautiful wives as he admired the early autumn scenery outside the window.

The sphere of refining, suspended in the air, is constantly eroding the evil god's resistance.

Uchiha Muan only needs to do two things: dig deep into the soul of the evil god and find the spatial coordinates of the other world, and eliminate its essence to become a harmless, high-quality energy, so as to further advance the Uchiha governance.

(End of this chapter)