Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

The biggest difference between the Mangekyou Sharingan and the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan lies in their stability.

Aside from this one issue, the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan is not significantly different from the Mangekyou Sharingan. Sogen, who has mastered Samehada's ability to recover depleted eye power at any time, has essentially found another way to temporarily make up for this shortcoming.

That is,

When Sogen said in the conference room of the Hokage Building that he only had one-tenth of the skill of the First Hokage, it was really an understatement. If he were to face Hashirama Senju in his prime now, Sogen wouldn't dare to guarantee that he could win, but he believed that his performance would probably not be much worse than Madara Uchiha. At most, his combat experience would not be as rich as Madara Uchiha's.

but,

This is an era without Hashirama Senju.

Furthermore, since mastering the Flame Fan, Sogen's enemies were no longer limited to the Five Great Shinobi Villages. His opponents were Obito Uchiha, the temporarily deceased Madara Uchiha, Nagato with the Rinnegan, Black Zetsu who had been lurking in the shinobi world for a thousand years, and Kaguya Otsutsuki, who was still sleeping on the moon...

Of course, Zongxian understands the principle that one must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time.

Before confronting Obito Uchiha and the others, we need to quell the chaos in the ninja world as soon as possible. After that, we can consider how to deal with Obito Uchiha, Nagato, and other enemies.

The meeting ended in an unexpected way. The Supreme Commander's autocratic behavior left everyone with many complaints. However, when they saw Zongxian's bloodshot eyes blazing with murderous intent, they couldn't utter a single word of objection. Even Hiashi Hyuga, who seemed to open his mouth several times as if to speak, ultimately closed his mouth and chose to remain silent.

that's it,

Following Zongxian's stubborn instructions, the group began to act with mixed feelings. While worrying about the future, many people held a small hope that there might really be news of a victory in retaking Kusatsu Mountain.

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.

Just as the meeting ended, the advance force dispatched by Zongxian had arrived at the border area between the Yuhe Plain and the Kusatsu Mountains. Here, Konoha and Kumogakure ninjas patrol day and night, looking for opportunities to hunt each other down.

"Shisui, does Zongxian have any plans to explain?"

After a rapid advance, the advance troops temporarily stopped to rest and recuperate near the border.

Fugaku Uchiha found Shisui Uchiha, who was the leader of the team, and asked him about the detailed action plan. Although he was the former clan head, as the saying goes, "a new emperor brings a new court," and Fugaku Uchiha was now just an elder in the clan. He was not even the number one person in this advance team, but Shisui Uchiha's deputy.

"plan?"

Zhi Shui's expression was strange.

"That's right. Now that we've come this far, there's no need to worry about leaking information. Can we talk about the operation plan now?"

“Um… Elder Fugaku, I’m sorry, Sōken didn’t tell me anything about an action plan.”

"Zhishui, are you saying there's no plan?"

Fugaku Uchiha's eyes widened.

“According to Sogen, our operation doesn’t need any planning at all. We’re going to defeat the Cloud Ninja guarding the Kusatsu Mountains in the most violent way.” As he spoke, Shisui subconsciously touched the bandaged greatsword Samehada strapped to his back, his mind involuntarily replaying his earlier conversation with Sogen—

"Just use Susanoo to crush them all!"

"Don't worry about the consumption of eye power. Samehada is temporarily in your hands. It will help you replenish the eye power you have consumed."

"Use overwhelming force to crush the Kumo ninja of the Kusatsu Mountains and make these mountain barbarians realize what a mistake it was to march south!"

They didn't give Zhishui any time to consider it at all.

Zongxian had already made the decision for him. He used the Uchiha clan members as the core backbone and also selected skilled ninjas from commoner factions, such as Might Guy, who were not from clans, to form an advance force of less than three hundred people. Of course, such a small number of people could not defeat the entire Cloud Ninja army.

However, dealing with the two thousand or so Cloud Ninja stationed in the Kusatsu Mountains is not impossible.

at this point,

Even Shisui was confident that if he used Susanoo with all his might and without regard for losses, he could break through even if there were tailed beasts in front of him.

Otherwise, Shisui would never have agreed to carry out such a crazy mission. He didn't care about his own safety; sacrificing himself for the village would be a great happiness for him. However, he was unwilling to take so many of his clansmen and village comrades to their deaths.

"You young people...you're really crazy!"

Fugaku Uchiha took a deep breath, stared at Shisui for five or six seconds, and finally shook his head and sighed helplessly, "Fine! I hope your decision is correct, and that you don't waste the essence of the clan."

[Chapter 184: The Uchiha's Revelry!]

"Itachi, Kimimaro, the battle is about to begin. Are you scared?" Shisui found the two little rascals squatting in the corner, munching on dry rations. They were Uchiha Itachi and Kaguya Kimimaro. These two little guys had also been brought out of the village by Sogen and stuffed into Shisui's advance force.

"I don't like war."

"There's nothing to be afraid of."

The two answered in unison, but their answers were quite different.

These contrasting answers reveal the differences in their personalities. Both are geniuses, sharing the same calmness and confidence. However, influenced by figures like Shisui and Hiruzen Sarutobi, Itachi Uchiha possesses a spirit of self-sacrifice and yearns for peace and tranquility.

Kimimaro, who grew up in the Kaguya clan, a family of battle maniacs, and was later taught by Orochimaru, became even more ruthless and cold-blooded. He lacked self-awareness and regarded Orochimaru as his only center.

"Don't you like war? I don't either, but there are many things in life that we can't control. At times like this, all we can do is end the war as soon as possible." Shisui reached out and patted Itachi's shoulder, but his gaze had already fallen on Kimimaro. "Kimimaro, don't be careless. There are many powerful masters among the Cloud Ninja. It's not a bad thing to have a sense of awe."

"I will absolutely not die until I return to Lord Orochimaru's side."

Kimimaro's answer made Shisui shake his head helplessly; it seemed that correcting the little guy's wrong thinking was still a long and arduous task.

"Itachi, I'll leave Kimimaro to you."

Shisui thought it was a good idea for Sogen to entrust Kimimaro to Itachi's care. The two were not far apart in age, and strictly speaking, they were still children. Moreover, they were both top-notch geniuses... Shisui asked him for help again.

"Brother Zhishui, don't worry! I'll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't leave my sight."

Itachi Uchiha made a serious promise.

Kimimaro glanced at Itachi Uchiha but remained silent.

He couldn't beat Itachi. They had sparred more than once in recent days, and Kimimaro had always gone all out, but he had never been able to figure out Itachi's true strength. Since he was no match for Itachi, Itachi naturally took the lead when the two of them were on the move.

The strong are respected.

Kimimaro agreed with this principle!

Before he defeated Itachi Uchiha, it was only natural for him to temporarily obey Itachi's orders.

"Alright, you two hurry up and eat! We'll get started after you finish eating."

After exchanging a few words with the two children, Shisui continued walking and greeting the rest of the clan members one by one, reminding the Jonin to keep an eye on the Chunin, telling the hot-blooded young clan members not to act impulsively, and telling the arrogant clan members not to look down on those who were not Uchiha comrades.

Time passed by,

As the sun climbed to its highest point in the sky, if one were in a village, one would surely see smoke rising like a gray forest. The Cloud Ninja stationed in the Kusatsu Mountains should be having their meal around this time.

Meanwhile, Commander Shisui's advance troops have already eaten their rations.

"set off!"

Zhi Shui gave the order.

More than three hundred Konoha ninjas immediately set off, rushing towards the distant, faintly visible mountain forest. Shisui himself charged at the forefront, without deliberately concealing his figure to ambush or launch a sneak attack. Instead, he simply charged straight ahead. The Cloud Ninja on guard duty were neither blind nor useless.

Warning smoke rose into the sky.

Moreover, the Cloud Ninja's belligerence was no exaggeration. Faced with Konoha's attack, they did not choose to defend. Nearly a hundred people, led by their leader, charged out, showing a fierce determination to fight Shisui and the others to see who was more ferocious.

only--

Their bravery was of no use against overwhelming force.

"Leave no one alive, kill them all."

Shisui's orders were quickly relayed. His soft heart and kindness were not limitless. He had wavered between the village and his clan because, at the time, they seemed to be like the palm and the back of each other. However, the Cloud Ninja were an absolute enemy, a point that Shisui never confused.

He terrified the Mist Ninja on the battlefield.

He felt no mercy whatsoever when facing these invaders, the Cloud Ninja.

【Uchiha Style: Gale Sword】

With his unparalleled Body Flicker Technique and masterful Uchiha-style swordsmanship, Shisui cut down a Cloud Ninja leader in a single exchange. The head rolled a considerable distance away, and the blood gushing from the neck didn't even touch the hem of Shisui's clothes.

He swept through the Cloud Ninja's formation like a whirlwind, breaking swords and spears, leaving a trail of heads and a waterfall of blood in his wake.

The Kusanagi Sword: Sky Blade shone with unprecedented brilliance in his hands. He did not reveal the Sky Blade's ability to fly through the air; he merely brought out its rare sharpness to the extreme, which was enough to sweep away the enemies in his way.

After acquiring the Sky Blade,

Shisui had been diligently honing his Wind Release technique these past few days, bringing out its 'sharpness' to the fullest extent. Combined with the inherent sharpness of the Sky Blade, he proved with facts what it meant to cut through iron like mud. The broken weapons in the hands of the Cloud Ninja and the rolling heads were the best evidence.

at this time,

Shisui saw flames rising in the sky.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Fugaku Uchiha's hand seals were so fast that no one could react in time. He opened his mouth and spat out a huge, scorching fireball that the Cloud Ninja who had leaped into the air could not dodge at all. The timing of his attack was perfect. No one could have done it better than him.

Amidst a brief, mournful cry, the three Cloud Ninja who had intended to surround and kill Uchiha Fugaku were instead burned to a crisp.

After taking down three Cloud Ninjas with a single move, Fugaku Uchiha remained unfazed. He drew the katana hanging at his waist, his crimson eyes fixed on the Cloud Ninjas as if they were walking corpses. Deep within the heart of this former clan leader, he felt an unprecedented sense of joy and freedom!

Regardless of whether his personality was indecisive or fickle, Fugaku Uchiha was ultimately a genuine Uchiha.

Having been confined within the family for so long without being able to unleash his full potential, he was able to suppress his frustration, but the rare opportunity to fully display his skills like this made him unconsciously excited. He no longer had to worry about the future of the family, no longer had to consider his role as the patriarch, and no longer had to think about those messy things.

All he had to do now was wield his sword and kill. As he swung his sword and felled yet another Cloud Ninja, feeling the blade slice through flesh and break bones, his heart began to pound with joy.

really,

The Uchiha clan was born to dominate the battlefield!

"Yachishi, don't steal my prey!" Fugaku Uchiha complained angrily when he saw Yachishi Uchiha suddenly appear from the side and steal his kill, completely forgetting that Yachishi Uchiha was one of his staunch supporters when he was the clan leader.

but,

As the saying goes, once the person leaves, the tea grows cold.

When Fugaku Uchiha stepped down from his position as clan leader, many of the clan members who still harbored ambitions scattered like birds. After Sogen's dazzling series of combos overthrew Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura's rule, the clan members completely forgot about him, their former clan leader.

"Haha! Elder Fugaku, don't worry, there's plenty of prey to be had!"

Uchiha Hachimoku's smile was carefree and cheerful, completely lacking his usual composure.

As a high-ranking member of the Uchiha clan, he, like Fugaku Uchiha, was always anxiously worried about the future of his clan. The increasing pressure from the village on his clan weighed heavily on his heart, and he never had a single day of easy breathing.

Fortunately, those days are over.

The younger generation of the clan has gradually grown up. The clan leader is a genius, and it is beyond the judgment of ordinary people like them. However, the outstanding performance of Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Arashiyama and others has already relieved Uchiha Hachimoku of his worries about the future of the clan. He can finally put down his troubles and worries and indulge himself to the fullest!

happy!

An unprecedentedly exhilarating experience!

This is how Uchiha Hachimoku, Uchiha Kohei, Uchiha Naruto, Uchiha Narukami, Uchiha Toshikazu, Uchiha Inahisa, Uchiha Tetsuka, and others felt. Such an exhilarating battle made them feel the joy and freedom of being alive!