Naka Shrine, located in the deepest part of the Uchiha Clan Compound, was backed by a quiet forest and exuded an ancient, chilling atmosphere.
As the place where the Uchiha Clan worshipped their ancestors and discussed major affairs, this had always been a forbidden area within the clan, guarded day and night by elite Ninjas; even a fly would find it hard to get in.
However, today at Naka Shrine, the outer guards seemed somewhat lax.
Because the vast majority of the elites had already gathered in the shrine’s underground.
Like a weightless fallen leaf, Naoki lay quietly atop a massive ancient tree, suppressing his presence to the extreme.
Like an owl waiting to hunt, he calmly observed everything below.
He saw only two Chunin standing guard at the shrine entrance, and they looked distracted, whispering to each other from time to time, their faces filled with uncontrollable excitement and fanaticism.
An opportunity!
Naoki did not hesitate for a second.
His body stretched out as he leaped from the treetop dozens of meters high.
During the descent, he constantly used the thick branches to redirect his momentum, completely neutralizing the impact.
When he finally landed, he didn’t make a single sound.
Then, using the deep shadows cast by the shrine building, he moved like a ghost, easily bypassing the guards at the entrance and slipping into the shrine’s courtyard.
The courtyard was empty.
Only the wind blowing through the bamboo forest made a “rustling” sound, adding a touch of eerie silence.
“System, where is the sign-in location?” Naoki muttered in his mind.
[Host, please enter the main hall of the shrine, find the secret door under the seventh tatami mat, enter the underground secret room, and complete the sign-in in front of the stone tablet engraved with the history of the Uchiha Clan.]
Naoki’s eye twitched.
There really is an underground secret room!
And you even know exactly which tatami mat it is.
Are you Madara’s system or the Uchiha’s architectural blueprints?
He didn’t have time to complain.
He lowered his body and, like a gliding snake, silently slipped into the main hall of the shrine.
Inside the main hall, the light was dim, and the air was filled with a mixture of old wood and incense, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
In the center was a large memorial tablet, engraved with the names of the Uchiha Clan’s ancestors in ancient script.
Naoki didn’t dare look more than necessary, quickly scanning the tatami mats on the floor.
“One, two, three…
seven!”
He precisely located the target and, with a light flick of his finger, carefully lifted that piece of tatami.
Sure enough, a pitch-black entrance leading underground appeared silently before him.
A cold, damp air with a fishy smell of earth rushed out from the entrance, faintly mixed with some…
impassioned roars, sounding like they were on adrenaline?
Naoki’s heart skipped a beat.
There are people down there!
And judging by the noise, quite a few of them!
He had seen those Uchiha rushing here in a hurry earlier; as expected, they came here for a secret rebellion meeting!
What now?
Should he go straight down and risk being stared to death on the spot by dozens of Sharingan to force a sign-in?
Or retreat for now and come back after their meeting?
Just as he was hesitating, the system’s voice rang out coldly.
[Warning: Only three hours remain for the task.
If it is not completed within the time limit, the punishment program will be initiated.]
[Punishment Program Step One: Select the most suitable women’s kimono for the host.
The pink lace luxury princess dress set has been added to the shopping cart, along with a bow hairclip and white over-the-knee socks.]
Naoki’s face turned green instantly, as if he were dripping with bitterness.
You’re ruthless!
He gritted his teeth and steeled his heart.
It’s just going down to sign in, right?
Fortune favors the bold!
As long as I move fast enough, stay hidden, and minimize my presence, I should…
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He took a deep breath, pushing the breath-concealing technique from the Uchiha Fluidity Art to its limit.
Even his heartbeat and the sound of blood flow were forcibly suppressed.
His whole being seemed to merge with the surrounding darkness as he silently descended the cold stone steps into the underground.
The underground was a long, narrow passage.
Dim oil lamps were lit on the walls on both sides, their flames flickering and casting long shadows like writhing ghosts.
From the end of the passage came bursts of excited roars.
“…Senju Tobirama has gone too far!
He established the Police Force, claiming it was out of trust for us Uchiha, but in reality, he is pushing us out of Konoha’s core power!
We can only handle trivial security issues, while the real military and political power is entirely in the hands of the Senju lineage!”
“Exactly!
We Uchiha bled and sacrificed in the First Great Ninja War, and what did we get in return?
Suppression!
Surveillance!
Endless suspicion!”
“That guy Kagami has been completely brainwashed by Senju Tobirama!
He doesn’t deserve to be a member of our Uchiha Clan!
He’s just a dog raised by the Senju!”
“We can’t keep enduring this!
We must reclaim the glory that belongs to the Uchiha!
We are the strongest clan in Konoha!”
A highly provocative voice echoed in the underground secret room, drawing bursts of fanatical agreement.
Naoki clung to the corner of the passage like a gecko, poking out only half his head and slightly lifting his eyelids to peek inside.
He saw at least forty or fifty Uchiha Ninjas standing densely packed in the spacious underground secret room.
In everyone’s eyes, the flames of hatred and fanaticism flickered.
Their Three-Tomoe Sharingan shimmered with an ominous red light in the gloom.
They all radiated powerful Chakra fluctuations; the weakest among them likely had the strength of a Chunin.
And at the very front, a gloomy-faced middle-aged man with fanatical eyes stood before a massive stone tablet, delivering an impassioned speech.
That person should be the leader of the Uchiha Radical Faction, Uchiha Setsuna.
Naoki’s heart sank to the bottom instantly.
Good grief, I’ve stumbled into a nest of berserkers.
This isn’t some secret meeting; this is clearly a pyramid scheme brainwashing session, the kind that comes with a planned armed coup!
If he were discovered now, he would definitely be torn to shreds on the spot, and even his Grand-uncle wouldn’t have time to collect his body.
His gaze struggled past the crowd and landed on the massive stone tablet.
That was the sign-in location the system mentioned.
The stone tablet looked ordinary, engraved with some ancient, tadpole-like script.
Under the light of the oil lamps, it appeared mysterious and eerie.
Naoki’s scalp tingled.
With so many people and so many human high-definition cameras (Sharingan), how was he supposed to run to the stone tablet and sign in without being noticed?
This is simply an impossible task!
“System, can we negotiate?” Naoki tried to communicate in his mind.
“I’m standing right here, not far from the stone tablet.
Can you count it as a successful remote sign-in?
It’s the thought that counts.”
[Sign-in must involve physical contact with the target object, and the contact area must not be less than one square centimeter.]
“Then can I throw a stone at it?
That counts as physical contact.”
[Contact must be made by the host’s own body.
Use of any form of projectiles or puppets is prohibited.] This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“…”
Naoki was in despair.
It seems today I’m being forced to pull a tooth from a tiger’s mouth.
He looked at those agitated Uchiha Clan members who could go berserk at any moment and felt like a small cracker dropped into a shark tank—not even enough to get stuck between their teeth.
He forced himself to calm down, his brain working at high speed to analyze the situation.
There were too many people in the secret room, the light was dim, and they were emotionally charged—these were his advantages.
But the disadvantage was that these people were all sensory-type Ninjas with their Sharingan active.
Any trace of abnormal Chakra fluctuation, or even an uncoordinated breeze, could trigger their alertness.
Charging in would be a death sentence.
The only way was to wait.
Wait for an opportunity.
An opportunity where everyone’s attention was drawn to the extreme, leaving even the Sharingan with no time to look elsewhere.
Just as Naoki merged into the wall like a stone, patiently waiting for his chance, the speech in the secret room reached a frenzied climax.
Uchiha Setsuna raised his arms high and roared with a raspy voice:
“Compatriots!
We have suffered enough humiliation!
Now, a miracle has descended!”
“Did you all see the Entrance Ceremony a few days ago?
What did that Senju white-haired brat use?
It was Great Fire Annihilation!
Our Uchiha Clan’s ultimate Fire Release!”
“Senju Tobirama said it was physics?
Bullshit!
That is the proof of our Uchiha bloodline!
It is the continuation of Lord Madara’s will!”
“That child, Senju Naoki!
He is definitely the bloodline left behind by Lord Madara!
He is the true hope of our Uchiha!”
“We must rescue him from the Senju cage!
Let him return to his roots!
Lead our Uchiha to reclaim our past glory!
Take back everything that rightfully belongs to us!”
“Welcome back the Holy Son!
Reclaim the glory!”
“Welcome back the Holy Son!
Reclaim the glory!”
The atmosphere in the secret room reached its peak at this moment.
Everyone was stirred to a fever pitch by Uchiha Setsuna’s words.
They raised their fists high and shouted frantically, making the entire underground space hum.
Naoki listened from the corner, dumbfounded and completely stunned.
Holy Son?
Who?
Me?
Are the thought processes of you Uchiha all a bit abnormal?
I’m a Senju, and you want to welcome me as your Holy Son?
This logic is even less scientific than Grand-uncle’s Physics-based Fire Style!
However…
He looked at those fanatical Uchiha Clan members who had temporarily let down their guard, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
It seems the opportunity has come!