[New Side Quest Acquired]
[1. Split the Uchiha and establish a clan of your own]
[2. Uproot all high-ranking members of the existing Uchiha factions, leaving the clan with only one voice]
[Reward: Unknown]
Staring at his task list, Haori felt a moment of dizziness.
He already thought his own ideas were extreme—borderline outrageous.
Yet he never expected the system's mission to be even more excessive than his own thoughts.
From blowing up the Kannabi Bridge to now, he had done more than a few "over-the-line" things.
For example, once he infiltrated behind enemy lines, he immediately went big—so big that there was a high chance other squads sent behind enemy lines were indirectly screwed over by him.
And he had also snatched a sizable portion of the credit for the bridge-destruction mission, forcing Konoha's higher-ups—no matter how displeased—to pinch their noses and promote him anyway.
He had even already resolved himself to eliminate those clan elders.
But compared to the system, he suddenly felt… conservative.
Whether it was the alternative options in the branching quests,
or the main quest that didn't just demand overthrowing Fugaku but also keeping his wife—
all of it was absurdly over the line.
And now came something even heavier.
"One option is basically telling me to wear a helmet when fishing in the future,
the other is telling me to wipe out both factions' elders entirely…"
Originally, Haori only intended to get rid of extremists like Uchiha Setsuna.
But the system's mission was pushing him to become even more extreme.
That said, Haori had no intention of refusing.
One kill is killing. Two kills are still killing.
He had no fondness for the so-called dovish faction either—especially since that group had produced traitors, and many of them had likely opposed the clan head in the past.
Back then, Uchiha Madara, wishing to honor Izuna's will and protect the clan, wanted to lead the Uchiha away from Konoha.
But the final result was that the vast majority of the Uchiha chose to stay.
That group included Uchiha Setsuna, who had once wanted to leave—and who had now become elders.
"I knew this main quest wouldn't be easy… but I didn't expect it to be this hard."
Murmuring to himself, Haori decisively chose Option Two.
Thankfully, none of his quests had a time limit. Otherwise, he really would've had a headache.
After parting ways with Kakashi, Haori returned directly to the Uchiha compound.
In truth, he was desperate to set out immediately and explore Akizuki Valley.
After all, Akizuki Valley was located within the Land of Fire.
But he also knew he couldn't appear that impatient.
He had just finished reading Uzumaki clan records—if he immediately left Konoha afterward, it would be impossible not to attract attention.
"I need a reasonable excuse to leave the village."
For a shinobi, leaving the village wasn't simple—especially during wartime.
So even though Haori was eager, he had to restrain himself and wait.
For the next week, he kept a routine:
Visiting Kushina regularly to discuss sealing techniquesTraining diligentlyResearching Sage Mode
There was one thing he hadn't quite understood.
He already possessed Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode. As long as he gathered and fused natural chakra, he could activate it.
So why did the system still give him a training method?
He didn't need to start from scratch with toad oil immersion.
After carefully reviewing the materials, he finally understood.
"This system… is actually pretty considerate."
Yes, he possessed Myōboku Sage Mode—but there was a problem.
He wasn't a contracted summoner of the toads.
If he used it in a situation where no one survived and no witnesses existed, it wouldn't matter.
But that clearly wasn't realistic.
Not to mention that Minato Namikaze was still alive—and Jiraiya was very much active.
If either of them saw him using it, his secret would be instantly exposed.
The training method provided by the system allowed him to convert the power of Myōboku.
This conversion could also suppress the distinctive traits of Myōboku Sage Mode.
As for why the system didn't give him this method directly—
after thinking for a moment, Haori's face darkened.
"Does this system think… I couldn't master it on my own?"
Sage Mode truly was absurdly difficult to learn.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be only a handful of users in the entire shinobi world—each one a legendary figure.
By directly granting him mastery of Myōboku Sage Mode, skipping the hardest initial step, and then letting him modify it through other training—
Haori finally understood why, after completing the bridge-destruction mission, he received two rewards.
"Though… I've gotten similar treatment before."
After sorting everything out and experimenting with basic conversion and training of senjutsu chakra, Haori decided it was time to act.
A week had passed, and he had already consulted Kushina on many sealing techniques—enough to justify a period of "digesting" what he learned.
Meanwhile, although large-scale battles had mostly ended, small-scale conflicts were still frequent.
Even though Konoha had eased up, it still needed shinobi to maintain its mission system.
"You want to take on missions?"
At Uchiha Setsuna's estate, the old man looked surprised at Haori.
"I thought you'd keep visiting that Uzumaki woman to learn sealing techniques."
"It's just about broadening my abilities," Haori replied calmly.
"After all, my eyes have already reached three tomoe."
Haori had never hidden his visits to Kushina, and he wasn't worried—his excuses were prepared long ago.
"True. Three tomoe already. Expanding your skill set isn't bad, and you do have ties with Minato Namikaze."
Setsuna nodded, then smiled.
"Taking missions is a good idea. But may I ask your reason?"
Because I want to go out, dig graves, and maybe find power to kill all of you faster.
Haori silently complained—but outwardly he answered calmly:
"Elder, I'm still a chūnin."
Despite his strength and battlefield performance, Haori's rank remained chūnin.
Among their generation, only Kakashi had become a jōnin.
Even though war lowered promotion thresholds, the requirements for jōnin were still extremely high.
After all, from an official standpoint, jōnin already brushed against the village's core power structure.
"Indeed. You're still a chūnin."
Setsuna instantly understood, his expression turning satisfied.
"It seems you really did understand my meaning. And I agree—it's no longer appropriate for you to remain a chūnin."
"That's true, Elder. For the sake of the clan, I want to advance."
Haori nodded. Advancement meant becoming a jōnin—and that required merit and mission count. This excuse fit perfectly.
"Excellent. I like this hunger, and I like your ambition."
Setsuna looked increasingly pleased. After thinking briefly, he said:
"No problem. But since we're still at war, your missions will be limited to within the Land of Fire."
Haori nodded—though inwardly he couldn't help complaining.
This fits my plans perfectly, but you're really not going to ask my opinion at all, are you?
"And one more thing," Setsuna continued, lowering his voice.
"I've heard that Uchiha Shisui is also carrying out missions.
He's a genius of our clan—only ten years old, yet already displaying extraordinary talent.
If you encounter him, as a clansman and a senior, I hope you'll look after him.
And if possible… test his level as well."
Uchiha Shisui?
Haori's expression turned a bit strange, though he didn't think too deeply about it.
Because at this moment, only one thought filled his mind—
Set out. Dig graves.
Then figure out how to bury them all.
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