The time had reached eight o'clock in the evening.
As agreed, Kiyohara headed to the Uchiha Clan's Naka Shrine.
The location was remote and secluded. Other than members of the Uchiha Clan, virtually no outsiders ever came here.
Even if an outsider did wander in, they would quickly be driven away by the Uchiha.
Because this place was a sacred shrine worshipped and maintained by the Uchiha Clan.
Kiyohara surveyed his surroundings.
Although it was hidden within the forested mountains, there were still stone torii gates nearby as well as a paved stone pathway leading toward the shrine.
'The Uchiha Clan's secret gathering...'
The words surfaced in Kiyohara's mind.
Beneath the seventh tatami mat from the far right side of the main hall of Naka Shrine was the entrance to the Uchiha Clan's secret meeting chamber.
Kiyohara glanced around and noticed that very few Uchiha were arriving.
He guessed that most of them had already gone inside.
Watching an Uchiha descend into the underground chamber, Kiyohara followed behind.
The staircase stretched downward into darkness.
It was a long spiral descent.
A candle was mounted on the wall every few steps on both sides.
The flickering flames swayed gently, casting long shadows behind him.
Finally, the staircase came to an end.
A wooden door stood before him.
Kiyohara extended his hand and pushed it open.
At that instant, countless pairs of crimson eyes lit up within the darkness.
One pair.
Two pairs.
Ten pairs.
Twenty pairs.
Countless Sharingan stared toward him from every direction.
This was an underground chamber.
The room itself was not large.
Rough stone walls surrounded it, while braziers burned around the room to provide illumination.
Members of the Uchiha Clan sat kneeling in various corners of the chamber.
Looking more carefully, one would notice that their seating arrangement was extremely deliberate.
Genin sat at the back.
Chunin sat in the middle.
Jonin occupied the front.
As for Fugaku himself, he sat alone at the very front, facing the entire clan.
Among those present were old men and young people alike.
Some wore the traditional robes of the Uchiha Clan.
Others wore Konoha's standard shinobi flak jackets.
Yet without exception, every pair of eyes shone with that same crimson light.
Three tomoe.
Two tomoe.
One tomoe.
The tomoe slowly rotated within the dim chamber, making it seem as though countless eyes were blinking at the same time.
Kiyohara stood at the doorway, calmly receiving all those gazes.
He also spotted familiar faces.
Uchiha Tekka.
Uchiha Shisui.
Then crimson light appeared within Kiyohara's eyes as well.
Sharingan!
An invisible wave of ocular power spread outward.
For a moment, many of the gazes fixed upon him abruptly withdrew.
The power contained within Kiyohara's eyes was like a tiny oil lamp suddenly attempting to stare directly into the blazing sun.
Those scrutinizing looks froze instantly.
More and more Uchiha unconsciously shifted their eyes away.
Seeing this, Uchiha Fugaku slowly rose to his feet.
Even he had been startled by that overwhelming ocular power.
Was this really the eye power of a Three-Tomoe Sharingan?
No.
Impossible.
Fugaku's thoughts raced.
He had seen countless Three-Tomoe Sharingan users.
He himself had once gone through that stage.
No one understood the limits of a Three-Tomoe Sharingan better than he did.
Yet Kiyohara's ocular power had clearly surpassed those limits.
Could it be...
Had he already entered that realm?
The Mangekyo Sharingan?
But there were clearly only three tomoe within those eyes.
Could it be that Kiyohara, like himself, was concealing his Mangekyo Sharingan?
Suppressing the shock in his heart, Fugaku raised a hand, signaling the clan members not to act rashly.
"Kiyohara."
Fugaku's voice echoed throughout the underground chamber.
"Welcome to the Uchiha gathering."
Kiyohara gave a slight nod in response.
He stepped into the chamber.
The eyes followed his movement wherever he went, but no one dared to look at him with the same judgmental gaze as before.
Kiyohara walked toward the front of the room and stopped before Fugaku.
"Take a seat."
Fugaku pointed toward the place beside him.
That position was among the foremost seats.
Those qualified to sit there were either elders like Uchiha Setsuna or trusted confidants like Uchiha Yashiro.
Kiyohara did not stand on ceremony.
He calmly sat down.
The atmosphere within the chamber immediately became subtle.
Because those eyes had already proven Kiyohara's qualifications.
Within the Uchiha Clan, strength was everything.
"Amazing, Kiyohara-kun."
At that moment, even Shisui found himself wondering whether Kiyohara had already reached the same realm as he had.
"This guy got stronger again."
Tekka had now become a jonin as well, which was why he sat beside Shisui.
"Yeah."
Shisui nodded.
Kiyohara-kun always managed to surprise him.
"Today, I gathered everyone here because there is something I want to discuss."
Fugaku's gaze swept across the clan members in the chamber.
"Everyone has probably already heard the news. After the war ends, the Third Hokage will step down, and the Fourth Hokage will be chosen from among the candidates."
Low murmurs immediately spread throughout the room.
Fugaku raised his hand.
The discussions gradually died down.
"This is an opportunity our Uchiha Clan has waited for for a very long time."
"Since the founding of the village, the Uchiha have never produced a Hokage. It is not because we lacked the capability, but because we have always been excluded from the core of power."
As he spoke, his eyes landed on Kiyohara.
"But now, things are different."
"This war is also an opportunity for the Uchiha Clan."
That was Fugaku's belief.
After all, during the Second Great Shinobi War, the Uchiha's performance had not been especially remarkable.
The most famous figures from that conflict had been the legendary Sannin.
This time, however, the Uchiha's situation was much better.
Even Fugaku himself had earned the title of "Wicked Eye Fugaku."
Those crimson eyes of his inspired fear in countless outsiders.
"So, if any of you have voting rights, I hope you will vote for me."
Fugaku finally stated his purpose.
"I'll definitely support Captain Fugaku!"
"Captain Fugaku becoming Hokage is only natural!"
"Protect the glory of the Uchiha!"
The moment Fugaku finished speaking, a group led by Uchiha Yashiro immediately began shouting their support.
However, most of the Uchiha present genuinely agreed with the idea.
After all, Fugaku was their clan leader.
"Hmph. The village leadership discriminates against the Uchiha. You're being far too optimistic."
Uchiha Setsuna spoke coldly.
Back then, he had chosen rebellion precisely because he saw no hope for the Uchiha within the current system.
The Uchiha were one of the two founding clans of the village.
Yet one clan's Hokage line had been passed down generation after generation, while the other had been pushed farther and farther away from Konoha's centers of power.
Managing prisons.
Maintaining village security.
It sounded prestigious on the surface, but much of the actual work consisted of endless trivial chores.
Disputes over market stalls occupying too much space.
Arguments between villagers over a tiny amount of money.
Countless insignificant conflicts.
Worse still, whenever members of the Konoha Military Police Force arrested criminals to maintain public order, they were often criticized for being too violent.
A criminal would be subdued immediately and restrained to prevent resistance.
Yet nearby villagers would accuse the officers of cruelty.
Sometimes, many members of the Police Force genuinely wondered who the real criminals were.
"Kiyohara is highly regarded by the current Hokage."
Fugaku shook his head.
It was precisely because Kiyohara existed that he dared to envision possibilities that had once seemed impossible.
Kiyohara being valued by Hiruzen represented something important.
Did it not mean that Konoha's leadership was willing to further ease tensions with the Uchiha Clan?
If so, then perhaps an Uchiha Hokage truly was possible.
"That's a special case, just like Kagami."
Setsuna spoke again.
He had known Uchiha Kagami personally.
When they were younger, they had even carried out missions together.
But examples like Kagami's were simply too rare.
"How will we know if we don't try?"
Fugaku frowned.
Old conservatives like Setsuna were beyond persuasion.
Because of the elder's age and seniority, Fugaku often found it difficult to openly argue with him.
"Hmph. Then you youngsters can go ahead and try."
Setsuna shook his head.
In fact, he was perfectly happy to let Fugaku test reality for himself.
Only hope followed by despair could truly guide the Uchiha Clan toward revival.
In previous gatherings, discussions about launching an armed coup had surfaced from time to time.
Of course, Setsuna had been the one who originally stirred up those conversations.
As for Fugaku, he repeatedly changed his stance.
Sometimes he supported the idea.
Sometimes he opposed it.
His constant wavering had left Setsuna increasingly unable to understand him.
Seeing that Setsuna had finally fallen silent, Fugaku immediately continued while the opportunity remained.
"Besides voting for me, everyone can also vote for Kiyohara."
The moment those words left his mouth, every gaze in the chamber focused on Kiyohara.
Kiyohara's expression remained calm.
He knew exactly what Fugaku was doing.
Recruitment.
A public declaration of support.
And establishing Kiyohara's position within the clan.
"Kiyohara."
Fugaku continued.
"No matter which of us becomes Hokage, it will represent hope for the Uchiha Clan."
"If I become Hokage in the future, I will also give you a position worthy of your talents."
The corner of Kiyohara's mouth twitched slightly.
His expression nearly broke.
He was so close to laughing out loud.
Was he already handing out promises before even getting a single step closer to becoming Hokage?
Fugaku really did enjoy celebrating at halftime.
Naturally, Kiyohara did not show any of those thoughts on his face. He merely nodded slightly.
"Thank you, Lord Fugaku."
Fugaku nodded in satisfaction.
"Very well. Today's gathering is concluded. You may all leave."
The clan members rose one after another and filed toward the exit.
Just as Kiyohara was about to find Shisui and have a brief conversation, Fugaku called out to him.
"Kiyohara, please stay for a moment."
Kiyohara stopped in his tracks.
Seeing that Fugaku had something private to discuss with him, Tekka and Shisui quietly departed first.
Soon, only Fugaku and Kiyohara remained inside the underground chamber.
"Come with me."
Only then did Fugaku lead Kiyohara out.
The two returned to the Uchiha Clan compound.
After walking through several sections of the settlement, Fugaku brought him into a room.
He walked toward a wall deep inside the room and pressed his hand against a particular spot.
Rumble.
The wall slowly slid aside, revealing a hidden passageway.
"This is..."
"The Uchiha Clan treasury."
Fugaku entered the passage first.
"I know you enjoy researching ninjutsu. The clan treasury contains a number of techniques that have been passed down through generations of the Uchiha. You may choose one."
Kiyohara followed behind him.
The passage was not long.
At its end stood a stone chamber.
The room was not particularly large.
The stone walls were carved with numerous recessed shelves that contained scrolls, ancient books, and various mysterious objects whose purposes were difficult to identify.
Fugaku stood in the center of the chamber and turned around.
"Go ahead and choose."
Kiyohara's gaze swept across the collection of scrolls one by one.
Then his eyes stopped at a particular location.
"Izanami."
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
A slight change appeared in Fugaku's expression.
"You know this technique?"
Kiyohara did not deny it.
"I've heard of it."
He nodded.
The Uchiha Clan had never truly been united as a single solid entity.
Long ago, internal conflicts had even escalated into civil war.
The rampant use of the forbidden technique Izanagi had created countless Uchiha who relied on it as a crutch during clan warfare, turning battles among their own people into blood-soaked nightmares.
The fighting had become so severe that clan members nearly beat each other's brains out.
In the end, a female Uchiha named Uchiha Naori had emerged.
Using the technique she personally created, Izanami, she finally brought an end to the meaningless internal slaughter.
"Are you certain you want this one?"
Fugaku asked.
"I'm certain."
Kiyohara nodded.
From the future version of Uchiha Kiyohara, he had inherited knowledge of Izanagi.
However, he had never obtained Izanami.
Fugaku walked deeper into the chamber and removed a scroll from one of the shelves.
The scroll looked ancient.
Its edges were worn with age, but it had been preserved remarkably well.
Carrying it back, he handed it to Kiyohara.
"Izanami, one of the Uchiha Clan's forbidden jutsu."
Then Fugaku's expression became noticeably more serious.
"There is something you must remember. The activation conditions for this technique are extremely demanding. Furthermore, once it is used, the caster will permanently lose sight in one eye."
For a Sharingan user, that was an enormous price.
Every ability granted by that eye would be lost forever.
Kiyohara accepted the scroll.
"I know."
Of course, he had no intention of sacrificing one of his own eyes.
He still possessed a reserve of Sharingan eyes.
If he ever wished to use the technique, he would not lack suitable materials.
Fugaku looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something more.
In the end, he simply nodded.
He trusted that Kiyohara would not abuse such a dangerous power.
"Since you understand the consequences, I won't say anything further."
Fugaku nodded again.
"Is there anything else you want? Choose another technique."
In his view, selecting Izanami was practically the same as selecting nothing at all.
Unless one was facing a life-or-death crisis, there was almost no reason to use such a forbidden technique.
Hearing that, Kiyohara could not help feeling that Fugaku was truly spending a great deal of effort to win him over.
Putting away the Izanami scroll, his eyes moved elsewhere within the chamber.
"This one."
He pointed toward a scroll resting near the wall.
"Uchiha Flame Formation."
Following his gaze, Fugaku raised an eyebrow.
"You want to learn this as well?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded.
Fugaku walked over and removed the scroll.
"Take it."
He handed it over.
The scrolls stored here were all copied versions.
The original manuscripts were kept elsewhere.
"Thank you."
Kiyohara accepted it.
The Uchiha Clan had conducted extensive research into fuinjutsu sealing techniques and barrier arts.
The Uchiha Flame Formation was one such result.
The technique transformed chakra extended from the user's five fingers into blazing flames and infused them into the earth, creating a barrier that combined offense and defense.
Its durability was so great that even a Tailed Beast could not break through it in a short period of time.
During the Fourth Great Shinobi War, after Obito used the technique, the flames coating the barrier's surface were hot enough to burn the Eight Tails.
Kiyohara accepted the scroll and stored it away.
"No need to thank me."
Fugaku paused briefly.
"The stronger you become, the better it is for the Uchiha Clan."
His gaze settled on Kiyohara's face.
He desperately wanted to ask whether Kiyohara had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.
In the end, however, he suppressed the question.
"Come. I'll have someone escort you out."
By the time Kiyohara left the Uchiha compound, it was already ten o'clock at night.
As he walked toward Tsunade's house, Fugaku's final words echoed repeatedly through his mind.
When he returned, the house was completely dark.
Kiyohara deliberately lightened his footsteps as he went upstairs and entered his room.
The moment he closed the door, a translucent spirit emerged from his body.
Hyuga Kiyohara.
Those pale white eyes glowed faintly within the darkness.
"My younger self."
His voice sounded directly within Kiyohara's mind.
"When are you going to Kiri?"
Kiyohara sat down on the bed.
"Sometime this month."
"How long will it take?"
"First I'll gather information. Once I confirm Yagura's location, I'll set out."
Hyuga Kiyohara remained silent for a moment.
"Don't forget my last will."
"Don't worry."
Kiyohara lay down.
Hyuga Kiyohara had not appeared for quite some time now.
His spirit body was becoming increasingly faint.
Other than occasionally answering questions related to the Gentle Fist, he mostly remained inside the urn.
Naturally, whenever Kiyohara engaged in certain private activities, he completely sealed off the mental space within his consciousness.
As a result, Hyuga Kiyohara could not emerge from the urn to witness anything.
Two days later.
The Forest of Death.
This vast primitive forest lay on the outskirts of Konoha.
Ancient trees towered overhead, their canopies blotting out the sky.
Dangerous beasts frequently appeared here, so ordinary people rarely ventured inside.
In addition to Training Ground Three, where Kiyohara often trained, the Forest of Death also served as one of Konoha's training grounds.
Konoha possessed more than forty such training areas, each with different environments.
The location for the Chunin Exams would often be selected from among these grounds.
Kiyohara stood within a clearing deep in the forest.
He raised his right hand.
Chakra gathered at the tips of his fingers.
Then he pressed those fingers against the earth.
Boom!
A stream of crimson chakra poured from his fingertips into the ground.
The energy rapidly spread outward, drawing a massive red circle across the forest floor.
The earth trembled.
The next moment, a gigantic crimson barrier rose from the ground with Kiyohara at its center.
The barrier took the shape of a hemisphere.
Its entire structure was composed of blazing flames.
Fire flowed continuously across its surface.
The surrounding air warped slightly from the intense heat.
Standing in the center, Kiyohara carefully felt the power contained within the barrier.
"Uchiha Flame Formation."
He wrapped chakra around his hand and gently touched the inner wall of the barrier.
Immediately, he felt its incredible hardness.
It was as though an entire volcano had been compressed into the shell of an egg.
"Not bad."
He withdrew his hand.
The technique truly was excellent.
With a thought, the barrier slowly dissipated.
The flames transformed into countless sparks before sinking back into the earth.
Just as Kiyohara prepared to continue training, the sound of footsteps emerged from the forest.
He turned his head.
Nohara stepped out from among the trees.
Today she wore the familiar white nurse uniform.
Her brown hair rested upon her shoulders, and as she walked, a glimpse of her fair neck became visible.
A notebook rested in her hands.
Curiosity was written all over her face.
"Kiyohara-kun?"
She approached several steps closer.
Her eyes fell upon the scorched ground beneath Kiyohara's feet.
"Are you practicing barrier techniques?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Uchiha Flame Formation. I just learned it."
"So amazing..."
Rin exclaimed in admiration.
Then she crouched down and stretched out a hand toward the blackened marks on the ground.
Just before touching them, she suddenly pulled her hand back.
"Is it hot?"
"Not anymore."
Kiyohara replied.
If Rin had touched the barrier while it was active a few moments earlier, she would undoubtedly have suffered a nasty burn.
"The flames have already dispersed."
Only then did Rin feel reassured enough to touch the ground.
Her fingers brushed against the charred surface.
"So deep..."
She looked up at Kiyohara in astonishment.
(End of Chapter)