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Chapter 11 - Disposable Pawns

SASUKE POV

I pushed my chakra into the paper in my hand. In the next second, half of it ignited and crumbled into ash, while the other half wrinkled and split.

Fire and lightning, just as I expected.

That means I have two elemental affinities, not counting the Yin Release I gain through the Sharingan.

Not bad. The more affinities one has, the easier it is to wield multiple elements. Very few shinobi can master all five. Hiruzen, Orochimaru, Tobirama, and even Kakashi each had multiple affinities, yet only one they truly excelled in. For the Second and Third Hokage, it was water and fire. Orochimaru leaned toward earth. Kakashi mastered lightning.

A jack of all trades gains versatility. But to rise to the very top, being a master of at least one element is necessary.

I'll work to develop all the elements I can, but my priority will be the ones I already have an affinity with. Since I'm already training in Fire Release, I'll now split my time with Lightning Release.

If I push myself, I should be able to learn Chidori within a month or two, though that depends since I have other training that demands my focus.

As for where to find the jutsu, that's not a problem. Father left behind a scroll containing countless techniques. It's one of the secrets I uncovered without alerting anyone else. That scroll isn't just filled with common ninjutsu, but also Kekkei Genkai techniques like Wood Release, Ice Release, and even some fūinjutsu. It's the true legacy of the Uchiha, knowledge collected through the Sharingan during the Warring States era and beyond.

If Kakashi, a non-Uchiha, could copy a thousand jutsu with just a single Sharingan, then it's no exaggeration to say the Uchiha clan possesses more techniques than anyone else.

Especially after Konoha's formation during the Warring States era, the clan collected not only the jutsu of their enemies but also of their own allies. And no one could ever question them for using their Sharingan in battle. Every fight became an opportunity to observe, to copy, to expand their already massive arsenal of techniques.

And Obito… that mentally deranged psycho. How dare he attack and nearly destroy the clan? If he wanted revenge, he should've killed Minato. Oh wait, he already did. Then why not Naruto? Oh, right. He couldn't, because Naruto was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. The point is, even if he was blinded by rage, he should've just destroyed Konoha outright instead of turning his blade against us.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. I swear, I'll summon Rin and make her taken by Kakashi. Not just him, I'll summon Minato too, for a threesome right in front of Obito. I'll force him to watch it again and again until his mind completely shatters.

…Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes. After Konoha's formation and the countless wars that followed, the Uchiha didn't just face enemies. They fought alongside allies as well. And in every battle, no one could question them for using their Sharingan. Every fight was a chance to learn, to grow, to steal more power.

He left me a copy of it all. I'm sure he must have left a version with Hiruzen too, to keep his suspicions low. Along with the scrolls of jutsu, he left me enough money to survive for generations, weapons like kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, and maps detailing the clans and villages of the world.

Sometimes I wonder, did he hope I would one day leave Konoha and destroy it if the opportunity came? Maybe he did. After all, he sacrificed everything to save me. It must have hurt him beyond measure.

Especially seeing his proud son turn against him and the clan, it must have shattered his heart.

But if only he'd had the courage, he should have taken Itachi's eyes and locked him away.

Sigh. There's no point in dwelling on it, or so I tell myself. Yet I still can't stop. I've even started simulating what might have happened if the Uchiha had acted differently during the Nine-Tails' breakout, or at Shisui's death.

Brutal as those scenarios may be, I can't help but think the massacre shouldn't have been that easy. The odds of the entire clan being wiped out, it doesn't add up.

Dammit. Control yourself. Don't dwell on it.

Maybe I should find something to distract myself. Training and overthinking will only drag me deeper into this spiral.

What about targeting someone?

I'll need a steady source of information about what's happening in the village if I'm going to plan properly and adjust those plans when things shift. That means I should start choosing my targets carefully.

I can't go after strong ones like Kakashi or Gai, and I definitely can't afford to tangle with the major clans like the Hyūga or the Nara trio.

I've already set Neji's path in motion, but he won't be useful to me in the way I need, at least not for years.

Which leaves me with only one option: weak clans or weaker individuals.

Hmm. Mizuki might be a suitable candidate. If Orochimaru could use him as a disposable pawn, then there's no reason I can't do the same.

In fact, given that the village will eventually suspect his ties to Orochimaru, any chaos he creates in the future could easily be attributed to Orochimaru's influence. At the very least, it would buy me time and divert attention away from my true plans.

Anko is another possibility. Truthfully, she was never the brightest in those memories, and that makes her an excellent prospect.

As for targeting someone from a clan, that's more complicated. Loyalty runs deep in bloodlines, and getting one of them to betray their roots won't be simple. But people are weak in other ways. If I can exploit vices, create an addiction, whether to drugs, power, or pleasure, then even the proudest shinobi can be reduced to a willing servant.

If I play it correctly, I can corrupt them piece by piece, slowly rotting the foundations of the village from the inside out.

The only obstacle is that I currently lack proper expertise in this area. None of my templates carry the necessary knowledge, and the gacha has yet to provide me with the tools I need. Still, with time and the right opportunities, I can bridge that gap.

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