Soon, the two arrived at Uchiha Fugaku's residence.
Unlike the secluded little courtyard left by the previous parents of Seimei, Uchiha Fugaku's home was far more luxurious.
As the head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku lived in the heart of the clan's territory, the most bustling area, occupying a vast expanse of land.
Inside, there were pavilions, terraces, rock gardens, and flowing streams—everything one could ask for in a grand residence.
The two walked for several minutes before finally crossing a moderate-sized pond and arriving outside the reception room.
An Uchiha clansman came over and led them inside.
The deputy captain of the Security Force briefed Seimei before turning and leaving.
After the deputy left, the Uchiha clansman offered Seimei a cup of tea, explaining that Uchiha Fugaku was busy with some matters and would meet him shortly. He asked Seimei to wait for a while.
Hearing this, Seimei nodded.
However, he initially thought he would wait no more than a few minutes for Fugaku to arrive.
Unexpectedly, after finishing three cups of tea, Fugaku still had not shown up.
As the Uchiha servant refilled his tea for the fourth time, Seimei finally asked directly, "How much longer will the clan leader take to arrive?"
The servant gave the same response, saying that Uchiha Fugaku was still occupied and asked Seimei to wait a little longer.
Gazing at the composed and unyielding Uchiha servant, Seimei's expression grew faintly dangerous, and his eyes seemed on the verge of transforming into the Sharingan.
Yet, although this Uchiha clansman lacked the qualifications of a ninja, his mental fortitude was commendable. Under such pressure, he carried out his duties without faltering.
After refilling Seimei's tea, the servant returned to his post, standing silently like a statue.
Seimei stared at him and thought to himself, "Is this a show of dominance?"
Calling him here but refusing to meet him immediately—if this wasn't an attempt at establishing dominance, then what was it?
However, upon further reflection, it didn't seem entirely like that—or at least, not completely.
With memories from his previous life, Seimei had some understanding of Uchiha Fugaku's personality.
To put it nicely, Fugaku was indecisive. To put it bluntly, he was easily swayed by others.
For instance, after the Nine-Tails incident, in the name of the greater good, he followed the village's decision to relocate the Uchiha clan's territory from the center of the village to a remote corner.
This move immediately created a physical separation between the Uchiha clan and the rest of the village, drastically accelerating the accumulation of tension and conflict between the two sides.
Later, when tensions deepened after the relocation, and clan members, frustrated by discrimination, collectively petitioned for a coup, Fugaku—despite being fully aware that such a coup was almost doomed to fail—still agreed to it.
That so-called "petition" was essentially a form of collective pressure.
And yet, it was enough to make him capitulate.
These examples were clear evidence of his personality flaws.
Additionally, during the coup preparations, his constant wavering and endless meetings only made matters worse.
If one decided on a coup, secrecy and swiftness were paramount. The fewer people who knew, and the more sudden the action, the better. But Fugaku's approach was the opposite. He let everyone know, as if he were afraid the village might miss the news—truly laughable.
Moreover, Fugaku's judgment of people was problematic—or rather, he allowed his personal emotions to cloud his decisions.
During the coup, his trust in his son, Uchiha Itachi, was excessively blind and out of proportion.
It was this blind trust that became the final straw breaking the camel's back.
If not for Uchiha Itachi, even if the Uchiha coup ultimately failed, the clan would not have faced total annihilation.
At the very least, the ordinary members of the clan would not have been wiped out entirely.
Regardless of whether it was to save face or to consider the opinions of other clans, the village was unlikely to completely exterminate those ordinary people.
At most, they would be strictly monitored, allowing them to gradually fade away like the Senju clan or, more likely, assimilate into the village.
What?
You say there's still one survivor—Sasuke?
Leaving aside the fact that he massacred his entire clan just to protect his younger brother—how insane and selfish does that sound?
Just by existing, Sasuke seems more like a bargaining chip that Konoha deliberately left behind to control Uchiha Itachi.
Perhaps in his past life, when reading manga and watching movies, Seimei could still passionately cheer for "Itachi the God," admiring how he calculated everything and sacrificed everything for his younger brother.
But now, actually living in this world as a member of the Uchiha clan, when thinking about his own fate, Seimei felt absolutely nothing for Uchiha Itachi.
If it weren't for the fact that the timelines of these worlds didn't align, the first thing Seimei would have done upon returning to the village was eliminate him.
Even so, after discovering the genjutsu technique Bringer of Darkness , which was highly effective against the Sharingan, he learned it immediately.
Clearly, even now, he still didn't trust this traitor.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Seimei was almost certain that Uchiha Fugaku hadn't left him here just to intimidate him.
That left only one possibility.
Perhaps Fugaku was currently investigating the rumors that had spread through the village that morning, trying to determine their origin and whether they were connected to Seimei.
Only by gathering enough information could he maintain the upper hand in their upcoming meeting.
That was the instinct of a clan leader.
Having figured this out, Seimei decided not to waste any more time and began training openly.
However, he didn't recklessly practice Imprint of the Heart.
While the version he was practicing now was vastly different from the one originally developed by Uchiha ancestors, it still had the same roots.
If Uchiha Fugaku had studied this technique, he might notice something unusual—though the chances were slim.
After all, both Fugaku and his son had exceptional talent and had no need for such a "desperate last resort" technique.
But one could never be too careful.
Seimei had no intention of exposing his ability to mass-produce Mangekyō Sharingan before he had truly become invincible.
So, he chose not to take the risk.
Besides, he wasn't the only one around—there were several Uchiha shinobi hiding nearby, both in the open and in the shadows.
Their talents weren't on the same level as Fugaku's. It was entirely possible that some of them, like his past self's parents, had studied Imprint of the Heart early on.
The chances of being recognized weren't low.
To play it safe, Seimei decided to train Palm Sage Technique instead, strengthening his body.
Throughout this process, he referenced the content from the book he read earlier that day, constantly adjusting the Yang Release chakra he infused into his body, gradually exploring ways to improve efficiency.
Whether it was due to his extensive experience with Palm Sage Technique, his ability Dominion Over the Body, or the skill proficiency panel, his progress was astonishingly smooth.
Almost every attempt brought noticeable improvement.
At this rate, he wouldn't need five or six days—just three or four at most—to reach the threshold of transformation.
Overjoyed, Seimei devoted even more energy to his training.
Time passed, minute by minute.
While the village outside was turbulent with hidden undercurrents, things remained peaceful in Seimei's training area.
Before he knew it, over two hours had passed, and it was already late at night.