What's even more absurd—taking the blame could double up? You could use the "black pot" to spin the wheel again and take another fall?
Uchiha Yuan had no idea how to even begin complaining about this.
Just as he was debating whether to use the black pot for another roulette spin, Uchiha Mei's voice came from outside:
"Huh? Yuan, you're back from the mission!"
"Mei-senpai? Weren't you supposed to be in tomorrow's battle?" Yuan asked, surprised.
"I am. The strategy meeting just ended. Orochimaru told us to go back and prepare on our own."
"Oh, I see."
"Honestly, I was against this offensive. But Orochimaru, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the Hyuga, and most of the jonin in the Bear Country camp all agreed. My objection was useless—I had no choice but to go along," Mei said coldly.
"Why were you against it, Senpai?" Yuan asked.
"Because the cost is too high. Just to boost morale, we're launching a battle we know we're likely to lose and that will cost many lives. Isn't that just putting the cart before the horse?"
"There were originally 50 Uchiha stationed in Bear Country. Now only 14 remain… no, 15 including you.
I don't want our clan members dying for something so vague and uncertain."
Yuan fell silent after hearing Mei's words.
It was likely that Orochimaru had his own ideas—like obtaining the corpses of kekkei genkai users from the Hidden Mist.
But the Ino-Shika-Cho and other jonin in the camp probably were thinking about the actual battlefield situation.
Morale may be intangible, but it truly matters. It can sway the tide of war.
"Strike while the iron is hot, second wind falters, third time collapses"—that logic was common knowledge even for middle schoolers in Yuan's previous life.
But Mei wasn't entirely wrong, either.
A ninja battle is nothing like a regular battle. Individual combat power plays a far greater role, so morale arguably has less impact.
"By the way, Yuan," Mei continued, changing the subject, "I heard your team—your teacher and your teammates—are from clans closely tied to the Hokage, is that right?"
"Yes, Senpai. Is there something wrong with that?"
"Not exactly. I just wanted to give you a heads-up—some people in the clan don't like those who get too close to the Hokage's allies."
Yuan immediately understood. Mei was probably part of the dove faction—those who sought harmony with the village. And the people he was referring to were likely the hawk faction.
"Yuan, what kind of relationship do you think the clan and the village should have?" Mei asked.
"They should rise and fall together. A shared fate. But…"
"But what?"
"It feels like the village's top brass doesn't think the same way. They don't seem to like the Uchiha at all. Some even want to erase us from Konoha completely."
Mei paused, then said, "Those two advisors and that old fossil Danzo probably do think that way. But I don't believe the Hokage himself does."
"You really trust the Hokage that much, Senpai?"
"When I was young, I saw the Hokage dining at Lord Kagami's house. They joked and chatted like old friends. I even saw Lord Kagami escort him home when he got drunk.
So rather than trusting the Hokage directly, I trust Lord Kagami. Lord Kagami had great faith in him. But whenever he talked about those two advisors and Danzo, his face would always look worried."
Hearing this, Yuan nodded. From Mei's words, he confirmed two things:
First, the ideology of the dove faction likely stemmed from Uchiha Kagami.
Second, Kagami himself didn't completely trust the village's leadership. He only trusted the Third Hokage. He remained wary of the advisors and Danzo.
Actually, you could see hints of this in the original story—like how Uchiha Shisui treated Danzo.
"Senpai, why are you telling me all this?" Yuan asked.
"Today I heard from Orochimaru—you've already awakened the double tomoe Sharingan. From your first awakening until now, it's only been a few months and you've evolved from single to double tomoe.
Your talent far exceeds that of the average clansman. Awakening the triple tomoe is probably just a matter of time. That means you deserve to know these things."
"Oh, so that's why. I thought maybe Senpai had some special thoughts about me," Yuan said with a grin.
Just as Mei was about to respond, a female voice called from outside the tent:
"Senpai Mei, are you free? I need to talk to you."
"That's Cai's voice. Let's continue this another time, Yuan," Mei said as he turned and left.
After Mei was gone, Yuan reflected on their conversation.
It was clear to him that Mei had been probing his attitude toward the village.
Right now, the hawk and dove factions within the Uchiha were heavily divided, and the rise of a new genius could easily tip the balance.
"Sigh… what a pain," Yuan muttered, then lay down and activated the roulette again.
He didn't hesitate and spun the wheel.
A line of black text appeared before his eyes:Black Pot converted. Text Game begins.
"You have logged into: Detective Conan."
"You wake up in a windowless, locked room. Lying beside you is a naked woman."
"She's well-endowed, beautiful—totally your type."
"You're not sure why you're here, but with a beauty beside you, you decide to go for it anyway."
"Just as your hand touches the snowy peaks, the cold sensation jolts you awake."
"You quickly check—and find that the woman is already dead."
"At that moment, someone starts banging on the door outside."
"You panic—but actually, there's no need to. You didn't kill her. You're just the fall guy."
"Crash! The door flies open. A girl with horns on her head kicks it down."
"Now you have two options: 1) Escape immediately. 2) Be taken by the police."
"You choose option 1."
"But before you can even leave the room, a bespectacled elementary schooler kicks a soccer ball into your back."
"The force sends you flying across the room."
"You start questioning life—why does a soccer ball hit so hard?"
"But there's no need to doubt. This kid once kicked a ball hard enough to destroy a satellite. The fact that you could even get back up is a miracle."
"Too bad getting up was all you could do. The horned girl knocks you out with one punch. When you wake up, you're in a hospital bed, your right hand cuffed to the rail."
"You try telling the police you didn't kill the woman. They don't believe you—because the room was a locked-room mystery. With only you inside, no one else could be the killer."
(To Be Continued...)