Chapter 34: I Can Save Your Lives
Uchiha Natsume and Uchiha Ryoken stood with their jaws practically on the floor. Just five days ago, he couldn't master a single A-Rank technique. Now, in a matter of minutes, he had perfectly executed a B-Rank jutsu. The disparity was mind-boggling.
"Second Brother," Uchiha Natsume said, his voice trembling slightly, "be honest with us. Are you hiding some kind of secret?"
"Haha, it's no secret, really," Uchiha Raizen deflected with a casual wave of his hand. "I just have a knack for quickly learning ninjutsu I've seen performed."
"I give up. I don't even want to talk to you anymore. You're too damn depressing," Uchiha Ryoken muttered, turning away to sulk. It had taken him ten days to master the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. Watching Uchiha Raizen do it in minutes was a brutal blow to his pride.
"Alright, alright," Uchiha Raizen said, clapping his hands together. "Now, perform the Blasting Bird and Annihilating Flame techniques you just learned. I have a feeling if I copy them now, I'll be able to pick them up quickly."
The two of them stared at him, a unified urge to strangle him flashing in their eyes. He was constantly stomping on their self-esteem. But despite their internal grumbling, they each performed the two new techniques twice.
Uchiha Raizen's proficiency for both jutsu jumped to 50/100. Two more days, he thought, and I'll have them mastered.
After packing up, the trio set out once more.
Five days later, they arrived at the territory of the Fūma clan. The settlement wasn't large, but a palpable, wild energy hung in the air. Uchiha Raizen could sense an unusually powerful and chaotic chakra signature—undoubtedly the source of the Fūma's infamous transformation.
No need for pretense, he thought. The moment they crossed into the territory, his system lit up. The very air was thick with pickup orbs, all labeled [Primary Sage Chakra Fragment]. He noted them but didn't collect any yet; they were too low-level to be immediately useful.
"Patriarch, three individuals claiming to be from the Uchiha clan are here. They request an audience," a Fūma clansman reported.
"The Uchiha?" Patriarch Fūma Rivei frowned. "What business could they have with us? We have no conflicts or dealings with them." He stroked his chin. "Very well. Let's go meet them. They are, after all, one of the two strongest clans."
Soon, they stood before the three visitors.
"You claim to be an elder of the Uchiha clan?" Fūma Rivei asked, his eyes skeptically scanning Uchiha Raizen's youthful face.
"I am Uchiha Raizen," he stated calmly. "And this is my proof of office." He donned the formal, high-collared elder's vestment. In the shinobi world, such garments were sacrosanct; to forge one was to invite the eternal, lethal wrath of the entire clan. No one would dare impersonate an Uchiha elder.
"Elder Raizen," Fūma Rivei acknowledged, his tone still wary. "To what do we owe this... visit?"
"We are here to help you," Uchiha Raizen replied, his voice even.
"Help us?" Fūma Rivei threw his head back and laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "What could the great Uchiha possibly help us with? Our strength may not match yours, but we have survived this chaotic era just fine on our own!" The stories of Uchiha arrogance were clearly true; this was sheer madness.
"I can save your lives," Uchiha Raizen stated, his gaze locking onto the patriarch's. The laughter died in Rivei's throat. "I think you know precisely what I'm referring to."
Any hesitation Uchiha Raizen had felt before was gone. Standing here, feeling the volatile energy of the clan and seeing the flicker of recognition and fear in the patriarch's eyes, he was now utterly confident he could bring this clan under the Uchiha banner.