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

Chapter 53 It was just a simple handshake.

"Tomorrow is the official start of classes, so you all need to work hard. Although the senior program is three years long, there is a system for repeating a year, so my requirements are very strict."

"I won't let Teacher Wu'an down!"

Although the five little girls were curious about the ninja hawk that flew down, they shouted in unison in response to Uchiha Wu'an's words. Their youthful faces were filled with nothing but the drive to fight for the future of Konoha.

The esteemed Hokage's eyes revealed a look of satisfaction—these are all future top-notch employees.

"The teacher has something urgent to attend to, you may leave now."

Uchiha Muan waved to the five little girls who bowed to him, then teleported back to the Hokage's office. Minamoto no Kaori and Uzumaki Minako glanced at him and continued working.

(Why does this give me the feeling of a heartless capitalist who is disliked by the people?)

The thought flashed through his mind and was quickly dismissed. The righteous Hokage glanced at the message he had received from the Ninja Hawk, which was signed by Sarutobi Sasuke.

Uchiha Muan sensed the location of the Flying Thunder God Kunai. There were no obstructions around the Kunai, and he had enough chakra to teleport there at any time.

He then looked thoughtfully at the two secretaries in the room, finally fixing his gaze on Minako Uzumaki.

It's time for the secretary to take charge when there's something to do.

………………

At the foot of a cliff on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Whirlpools, Sarutobi Sasuke and his companions stood quietly to one side, gazing at the Flying Thunder God kunai stuck in the ground.

The sudden appearance of two figures made them lower their heads.

"Lord Hokage."

"Thank you all for your hard work."

Releasing the blush from Minako's slightly flushed face, Uchiha Takeo's breathing became somewhat rapid—

Having been teleported directly from Konoha to this place, and with the addition of a beautiful young woman who had mastered the Uzumaki True Seal Technique, even the powerful Kage Uchiha felt a bit short of breath and chest tightness.

After a second or two of respite, Uchiha Muan opened his Mangekyou Sharingan, which had now expanded to a radius of 2,200 meters, and immediately discovered a sealing altar located underground.

The stone altar was old and worn, with cracks everywhere, but the incantation array on it remained as new as ever.

At the center of the altar was a young girl, sealed by a substantial crystal of chakra.

The girl with waist-length black hair wore a traditional dark-colored long robe of the Uchiha clan, revealing a section of her shapely and smooth calves. She wore a ninja belt around her waist and black sandals that exposed her ten rounded toes.

With her eyes closed, Uchiha Hikari still held a bloodstained katana in her right hand, yet a faint serenity appeared on her face, as if death was not a fear in her life, but a great relief.

During the turbulent Warring States period, the average lifespan was only thirty years, and it was common for children as young as six to take up arms and fight against enemies.

The Uchiha and Senju clans, who stood at the top, were particularly hard hit by this situation. The clan leader's children were all on the battlefield, not to mention the rest of the clan members.

Killing and being killed are played out every day. The ninjas of the entire ninja world are like parasitic worms. Uchiha Hikaru, who is used as a weapon, disregards the lives of others and his own.

I wonder if the Sage of Six Paths, who spreads "benevolence and love and is committed to mutual understanding between people," still has his Rinnegan, representing all things in the universe, looking down upon all living beings?

(Judging by actions, not intentions; judging by intentions, no one is perfect. The Six Paths Immortal, ha!)

Uchiha Muan turned off his Mangekyou Sharingan, and his pure black eyes fell on Sarutobi Sasuke.

"Captain Sasuke, you've done a good job on this mission. Go back and rest, and prepare for the conquest of the Land of Lightning. Secretary Mito will inform you of the specific procedures."

"Yes, Hokage."

After being away for only one night, Sarutobi Sasuke heard that he was going to conquer the Land of Lightning. He suppressed his surprise and knew that Uzumaki Minako was here, so it didn't matter whether he was there or not.

Somewhat anxious, Sarutobi Sasuke bowed and led his team straight to Konoha.

"Let's go, Minako."

"Um."

Having regained her composure, Minako Uzumaki followed Takeo Uchiha into the underground passage with a normal expression. In the dark passage, only the sound of their footsteps could be heard.

In a daze, Minako Uzumaki heard her own heartbeat quicken slightly.

Splash!

A burst of light appeared ahead, illuminating the road and the handsome profile of the young Hokage.

(What happened to me? It was just a matter of holding hands because of the necessity of the Flying Thunder God Technique.)

(Why is this happening?)

(Calm down, Minako, you're already married and have children. Don't overthink it.)

The warmth of her palms seemed to spread to her chest along with the firelight, and Minako Uzumaki couldn't help but let her thoughts wander.

"what!"

A soft touch assaulted him from behind. Uchiha Takeo turned around and looked at the beautiful young woman who had dribbled into him. His probing gaze made Uzumaki Minako, who had taken a few steps back, turn her head away with a blush on her face.

"The passageway here has collapsed."

After explaining his stay, following the memories that [Tian Chang Li Zun] had previously implanted in his mind, Uchiha Wu An used Earth Release ninjutsu to open a passage for people to pass through, and then reached out to hold Uzumaki Minako's slightly cool, soft hand.

"Eh, Wu'an-san?!"

The surprised and uneasy young woman instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but found that she couldn't. Her azure eyes couldn't help but look at the young Hokage, whose face was calm and his expression was natural in the firelight.

"The ground is a bit uneven, it's safer to hold onto it."

This claim is pure nonsense. Even Uchiha Muan himself doesn't believe it, because even a genin wouldn't fall in such a place, let alone a Kage-level ninja like Uzumaki Minako.

But it was this one step that made Minako Uzumaki, who had not been cared for by her husband for five years and had been living in a state of emotional abuse in the Senju clan's territory, walk down it as if possessed, and follow closely behind Uchiha Takeoshi.

In the firelight-lit passage, the warmth of their palms spread. Neither of them spoke; the only sound in the quiet passage was the sound of footsteps.

Before long, the road ahead suddenly opened up, and the beautiful young woman, whose hands had been released, felt a sense of loss.

But then he was immediately drawn to the scene before him—within the familiar sealing array, a crystal radiating a light blue chakra glow illuminated the surroundings, and inside was a beautiful girl with a serene and peaceful expression.

"Wu Ansang, what's this?"

"Sealed here for nearly a hundred years during the turbulent Warring States period, he belonged to the Uchiha clan... a clan member forgotten by everyone—Uchiha Hikaru."

While explaining, Uchiha Takeoshi was deep in thought.

Chakra is a product of the balanced mixing of spiritual and physical energy, which should be the reason why Uchiha Hikaru, sealed in the crystal, has been able to live until now.

Uchiha Muan could sense that Uchiha Hikaru's eye power was fluctuating.

Her life instinct compelled her body to survive, so the eye technique [Eight Thousand Spears] transformed the solid chakra that should not have been absorbed into strands of chakra energy to nourish her body.

However, Hikaru Uchiha's main consciousness did not want to live, so her eye power was kept running at extremely low power, leaving her in a state between life and death.

Based on the current absorption power and the size of the chakra crystal, it will take several hundred years for Uchiha Hikaru to be able to unseal himself.

Therefore, Uchiha Takeoshi solemnly said, "Please, Minako."

(End of this chapter)