"Mysterious scroll?"
Ruri Uchiha grumbled inwardly. "This system's so stingy—what kind of treasure could possibly be hidden in a lame old scroll?"
"Lord Hashirama, you should get some rest. I'm heading back."
As he spoke, Ruri vanished from the inner space, leaving Hashirama Senju standing there in confusion.
He's gone? Not even sticking around to chat a bit? I'm so bored in here all by myself...
Ruri opened his eyes, and sure enough, a massive scroll stood upright in his room.
Just look at this scroll—it's huge and long...
Ruri carefully unrolled it, curious to see what kind of treasure it held.
Whoa. You know what? It's actually pretty packed.
Swords, spears, sabers, halberds. Axes, polearms, hooks, and more.
Glaives, sickles, lances, staves. Whips, flails, hammers, claws. Spiked chains and meteor hammers.
Some flanged, some edged.
Some bound with war cords, others laced with chains.
Barbed hooks, crescent-shaped spikes...
This was no doubt an armory in disguise.
With his parents having passed away early and no inheritance left behind, Ruri Uchiha had to rely on "borrowing" Shisui's throwing stars for target practice when boredom struck.
Just last month, he made off with Shisui's final Fūma Shuriken—and was chased for three full blocks because of it.
But things were different now—he was finally armed and stocked.
No more retrieving thrown kunai or shuriken—they were expendable now.
Ruri formed a quick series of hand seals and released the seal on one of the weapons.
A heavy obsidian-hued blade crashed to the ground with a resonant thud. The shimenawa cord coiled around the hilt had faded to a dull gray with age, but the blade itself shimmered faintly with dark patterns pulsing in an ethereal blue—resonating with chakra.
It bore little resemblance to the slender katana commonly seen among shinobi. Instead, it reminded Ruri of the black heavy ruler once wielded by a figure named Xiao Yan—an echo from a neighboring, qi-driven realm.
He hefted it experimentally—it carried more weight than expected, both in mass and presence.
Without the monstrous strength granted by the Senju lineage, most shinobi would be exhausted after swinging it a couple of times.
"Lord Hashirama, do you recognize this blade?" Ruri asked.
Hashirama furrowed his brow. "Strange... This was the blade I wielded in my younger days. Why would it be sealed away like this?"
"Most likely something Lord Tobirama did… wouldn't be the first time."
No need to wonder—when oddities like this occur, Lord Tobirama is usually the prime suspect.
Ruri stepped into the courtyard, testing the blade with a few sweeping arcs—each strike heavier, more satisfying than the last.
A weapon once wielded by the First Hokage himself—this had to be something special.
Hashirama, still residing within Ruri's body, took on the role of narrator once more. "This blade is forged with a large amount of chakra metal, giving it excellent chakra conductivity. It also contains various other alloys, crafted by the most skilled smiths of the Senju clan. There's no fault to be found in it."
Ruri turned the blade in his hands, its weight and form growing more agreeable with every glance.
At a time when battles hadn't yet spiraled into godlike chaos, a good weapon still mattered.
As for not knowing kenjutsu? That was easy—he'd just have Shisui "borrow" a scroll from the clan archives.
"Lord Hashirama, does this blade have a name?"
Hashirama didn't respond.
Ruri scratched his head. "Never mind, I'll just come up with one myself."
"Since this is the blade of Lord Hashirama, and your expertise lies in Wood Release, I'll name it 'Abyss Flame.'"
"Cough, cough, cough," Hashirama suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit.
After securing the Abyss Flame, Ruri opened the scroll again.
Aside from a few common weapons, the scroll also contained numerous explosive tags and several sets of armor from the Warring States period.
It was unclear whether these belonged to Uchiha Madara or Hashirama himself.
Carefully, Ruri took out a few explosive tags and ninja tools, storing them away before turning his mind to other matters.
The scroll was good, but it was simply too large and inconvenient to carry.
"Lord Hashirama, do you think there's a jutsu that can seal this large scroll into a smaller one?"
"We only need to carry the small scroll on a regular basis, and unseal the large scroll when it's time for battle."
Hashirama pondered seriously for a moment. "First off, I've never heard of such a layered jutsu. And second... by the time you finish sealing it, wouldn't you have already been cleaved by your enemy?
"Back when I fought Madara..."
Here we go again.
After listening to the history of the love-hate relationship between the Senju and Uchiha clans, Uchiha Ruri suddenly came up with an idea.
"Lord Hashirama, do you think after I learn the Flying Thunder God technique, I could mark this scroll, teleport back during a fight, and then carry it back?"
Senju Hashirama looked at him, frustrated. "If you just carry it, you'll die! Back in the day, when I fought Madara..."
Uchiha Ruri left the chat...
Going to bed now, I still have to attend class tomorrow.
Uchiha Ruri slept soundly, but Uchiha Fugaku couldn't fall asleep.
He called in the elder, Uchiha Senna, and the two of them sat face to face to discuss the events of the day.
Uchiha Senna, who prided himself on inheriting the will of Uchiha Madara, had always been a representative figure of the radical faction within the Uchiha clan.
He advocated surrounding the Hokage building with blades, forcing Sarutobi Hiruzen to step down, and allowing the Uchiha to inherit the leadership of the village.
However, the majority of the Uchiha clan still wished to coexist peacefully with Konoha, not wanting to provoke unnecessary wars.
So, many years ago, on a certain night, Uchiha Senna drank three cups of farewell sake, then, alone, broke into the Hokage building and attempted to assassinate the Hokage at the time—Senju Tobirama.
But he was swiftly defeated by Senju Tobirama, who beat him up and threw him into prison.
He remained imprisoned for many years before being released.
As for Senju Tobirama sparing his life, Uchiha Senna felt no gratitude. Instead, he showed disdain.
"If you don't kill me today, I'll make sure to kill you tomorrow."
After being released from prison, Uchiha Senna's status had significantly diminished.
However, this old man always tried to act superior because of his age, meddling in everything, which made Uchiha Fugaku very uncomfortable.
Today, he came to see the clan leader, mainly to discuss the matter of Uchiha Ruri.
"Elder Senna, coming so late, it's about Uchiha Ruri, isn't it?"
Uchiha Senna nodded and said, "Fugaku, clan leader, I'll be straightforward. Uchiha Ruri is the descendant of a traitor and must be dealt with seriously."
Pfft!
Uchiha Fugaku nearly choked on his tea, wondering why this was being brought up again.
Uchiha Senna had always been deeply critical of Uchiha Ruri.
His father was a fool too—why insist on marrying into the Senju clan? Didn't he know that the two clans were like water and fire?
But later, when Uchiha Ruri performed so poorly, Uchiha Senna gradually forgot there was such a person in the clan.
However, after Uchiha Ruri's three battles today, this old man had once again taken notice of him.
"Elder Senna, what do you mean by that?"
"A Uchiha, using only the First Hokage's jutsu—this is a clear desecration of the Uchiha clan."
Uchiha Fugaku set his teacup down, hesitating for a moment before saying, "He does have half Senju blood in him; that is an undeniable fact."
"Besides, didn't he awaken his Sharingan today?"
Uchiha Senna raised his voice. "But he doesn't look even a bit like a Uchiha. The way he claps his hands, it's almost like he's been molded after that detestable Senju Hashirama."
Uchiha Fugaku immediately covered Uchiha Senna's mouth. "Stop spouting nonsense and don't drag me into this."
Are you, of all people, the one to speak behind the back of Lord Senju Hashirama's name?
Besides, back then you said this kid looked exactly like Lord Uchiha Madara, and that he would surely amount to something great. So now everything you said is worthless?"
Uchiha Fugaku's face was filled with concern. He naturally understood what Uchiha Senna meant.
The clan leader was worried that if the Uchiha clan truly rebelled in the future, Uchiha Ruri might hesitate due to his bloodline, and even end up as a double agent.
If Uchiha Ruri had remained a weakling, it would have been fine, but today he suddenly fought like a beast, effortlessly defeating three opponents.
It's worth noting that although Uchiha Shisui was young, he was indeed a genuine genius of his time.
If Uchiha Ruri really becomes a traitor, it would definitely have a huge impact on Uchiha Senna's long-held ambition to rebel.
But, should the Uchiha really rebel?
Or rather, does the Uchiha really have the ability to rebel?
Yes, White Fang's suicide and Uzumaki Mito's passing have indeed weakened Konoha's upper echelons to some extent.
But those Three Ninjas and Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi aren't pushovers either.
Or are you, Uchiha Senna, trying to emulate Madara-sama and use the Nine-Tails as a battery?
Uchiha Fugaku shook his head, dismissing these disordered thoughts.
" Elder Senna, let's observe for a while longer."
Uchiha Senna snorted, silently cursing the current clan leader for being indecisive and wishy-washy.
I have no idea how someone like you, such a softie, was ever chosen as the clan leader.
After Uchiha Senna left, Uchiha Fugaku went to the courtyard alone.
"Rebel or not, this is a serious issue."
Under the same sky, Hiruzen Sarutobi was also gazing at the moon in the sky.
Thank you all for your support and attention! As the story progresses, the fate of the Uchiha clan will become even more mysterious, with more twists and dangers unfolding. If you enjoy this thrilling plot full of struggles and intrigue, don't forget to follow the updates of this chapter and join us in uncovering more secrets, witnessing the growth and turning points of each character! Stay tuned, leave your thoughts in the comments, and share the story with others. Let's continue this thrilling journey together!