Uchiha Setsuna remained silent for a long time, his withered fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of the teacup, the calluses on his fingertips so rough they could scrape wood chips.
The rustling of the wind through the pine forest came from outside the stone house, mingled with faint shouts in the distance.
That was the patrol signal of the Konoha Military Police Force, but now it had become the shackles binding the Uchiha.
He suddenly slammed the teacup heavily onto the stone table; tea splashed out, wetting his sleeve, as a flash of determination no less than a young man's flickered in his eyes.
"You are right, we have endured for too long."
"From the day that old dog Tobirama established the Police Force, we became 'outcasts' in Konoha; Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura work in tandem, treating us like fish on a chopping block."
"The clansmen are either numb and patient or blinded by anger, but no one dares to truly take that step. When I was young, I followed Lord Uchiha Madara into battle and guarded our home alongside Lord Izuna, but in the end, we Uchiha still ended up being hated by everyone."
Setsuna's voice carried the suppressed rage of many years, as well as a hint of an old man's desolation.
"Sho U, you are a courageous young man, and more importantly, you see things more clearly than anyone. I support you."
He walked to the wall and pressed a hidden mechanism; the wall slid open, revealing a secret room behind it.
He took out a scroll engraved with the Uchiha Crest and handed it to Sho U.
"Inside are some things you might find useful, including copies of some clan secret techniques, information on certain hidden bases in the Ninja World, and... enough funds for you to start. What I can do is limited; too many people in the clan are watching me."
Then, he walked into the courtyard and let out a low whistle like a night owl.
After a moment, ten figures landed silently and knelt on one knee before Setsuna.
They were all very young, the oldest being no more than twenty, and the youngest looking only eleven or twelve, but each had sharp eyes and a fierce aura, carrying the characteristic pride of the Uchiha and a hint of long-suppressed restlessness.
The leader was a long-haired Uchiha with a resolute face and eyes as bright as burning charcoal.
He was Uchiha Setsuna's grandson, Uchiha Renka.
"Grandfather," he said in a deep voice, his gaze quickly sweeping over Sho U with scrutiny.
"Renka," Setsuna's voice brooked no argument.
"This is Sho U; you should know him. His words are my words. From this moment on, the ten of you will break away from the Konoha Uchiha and follow Sho U to leave this place."
Renka's body shook slightly, and an amazing light erupted in his eyes—a mixture of shock, ecstasy, and determination.
He naturally knew Uchiha Shao Yu, the genius of their Uchiha Clan and one of the leaders of the Hawk Faction. Renka himself was also a genius, but in front of Uchiha Shao Yu, he couldn't help but feel inferior.
The breathing of the nine people behind him also quickened. Two men who looked like Jonin clenched their fists, and the seven Chunin, including two girls with pretty but determined faces, also had fire ignited in their eyes.
"Grandfather, we..."
"Say no more!"
Setsuna interrupted him, his gaze sweeping over these ten young faces.
"The corrupt high-level officials of Konoha and the cowardly power-holders have long since pushed the Uchiha to a dead end. To stay is either to be assimilated or to die. The future of the Uchiha is not in the stagnant water of Konoha. Follow Sho U, go outside, and use your Sharingan to carve out a world! Let the Ninja World remember that the blood of the Uchiha has never cooled!"
A slight commotion immediately broke out in the stone house. Some eyes flashed with surprise, some showed hesitation, but most were filled with long-suppressed excitement and determination.
Renka pondered for a moment before speaking first.
"Since Grandfather has decided, I have no objection. Staying in Konoha is nothing but a slow death; it's better to take a gamble."
"We are also willing!" The other nine chimed in. They had long been fed up with Konoha's suppression and were only lacking a leader.
Sho U's gaze swept over everyone, seeing that everyone's eyes burned with unwillingness and determination.
Besides Renka, who was a Jonin, there were two other Jonin with steady auras, clearly veterans of many battles.
The remaining seven Chunin, though younger, showed no cowardice; their Sharingan were already activated, with tomoe spinning rapidly in their pupils.
"These are the core strength of our Hawk Faction and the most courageous young people in the clan."
Uchiha Setsuna walked to Sho U's side and patted his shoulder with a withered hand, the force of which was unexpectedly heavy.
"Renka is a Jonin with rich experience and can share a lot of the burden for you; the other two Jonin are high-level combatants of the clan, skilled in offense and defense."
"The remaining Chunin are also elites with extremely strong execution. I am old and can no longer move, so I cannot venture with you, but I leave these children to you."
Uchiha Renka took a step forward and said in a deep voice.
"Lord Shōba, we know the path of defection is dangerous, but as long as you lead the way, we will accompany you through fire and water."
One of the female Chunin dressed in purple martial arts attire also spoke.
"Lord Shōba, my name is Uchiha Rei. I specialize in Genjutsu and Medical Ninjutsu. If there are any injured on the way, I can handle them."
This made Uchiha Shao Yu take another look, because most of the Uchiha Clan have Yin Attribute Chakra, and very few have Yang Attribute. To practice Medical Ninjutsu, Yang Attribute Chakra is required. It was truly not easy for the girl in front of him to be of the Uchiha Clan yet know how to use Medical Ninjutsu.
Another petite female Chunin added.
"My name is Uchiha Mei, and I specialize in tracking and scouting. I can help everyone avoid Konoha's pursuers."
Sho U looked at the ten people in front of him, then at the gray-haired Elder Setsuna beside him, and a warm current surged in his heart.
He knew that this seventy-year-old man had not only gained time for him to gather people but had also entrusted the future of the Hawk Faction to him. With the help of these people, the path of defection would undoubtedly have an extra layer of security.
He took a deep breath, slowly raised his hand, and revealed his Sharingan.
Different from the ordinary Three Tomoe, his Sharingan, with the blessing of the Six Eyes, had a faint flowing light spinning in the pupils, making them appear even more profound.
"Everyone," Sho U's voice was powerful and resonant.
"From today on, we are no longer Konoha's Ninjas, no longer lambs to be slaughtered. We must live for ourselves and fight for the future of the Uchiha. The road ahead may be full of thorns, but as long as we work together, we will surely carve out a way to survive."
Uchiha Setsuna's gaze was instantly drawn to this pair of special eyes. His cloudy pupils suddenly contracted, his withered body involuntarily leaned forward, and his breathing suddenly became rapid.
He stared fixedly at Sho U's left eye, the tomoe in the Sharingan spinning wildly as if he wanted to engrave every detail of these eyes into his mind, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"This... this is... the Mangekyo Sharingan?!"
Sho U nodded slowly and withdrew part of his power; the bands of light in his eyes gradually slowed down but still maintained their unique form.
"You could say that, Elder. This is a type of Mangekyo Sharingan."
"Mangekyo... it really is the Mangekyo!"
Uchiha Setsuna suddenly stood up, his movement so hurried that he almost overturned the stone table. His withered palm slammed heavily on the tabletop with such force that the teacup jumped an inch.
There was no longer any hesitation in his eyes, replaced by uncontrollable excitement and ecstasy; his cloudy eyes even welled up with tears.
"I thought the Uchiha's Mangekyo had become a legend after Lord Uchiha Madara, but I didn't expect it to reappear in your generation, and it's even so special! This is the hope bestowed upon our Uchiha by the heavens!"
He stumbled to Sho U's side and gripped Sho U's shoulders tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, his voice tearful yet exceptionally firm.
"Sho U! You are the true future of the Uchiha Clan! With these eyes of yours, why should we worry about not being able to restore our glory? What if those old fogies suppress us? What if Konoha ostracizes us? With the Mangekyo Sharingan, you can lead the clansmen to carve out a blood-soaked path and build a home that truly belongs to the Uchiha!"
Although the several young Uchiha around them were not clear why Setsuna was so excited, they vaguely knew the weight of the Mangekyo Sharingan, and each one looked at Uchiha Shao Yu with admiration.
This was Lord Uchiha Shao Yu, their future leader.
"We are willing to follow Lord Shōba, defect from Konoha, and remain loyal until death!"
The ten people shouted in unison, their voices making the stone house vibrate slightly. The soundproofing here was very good, so there was no need to worry about it leaking out. Their Sharingan lit up simultaneously, the crimson light intertwining in the dim stone house, reflecting their resolute faces.
Uchiha Setsuna looked at the scene before him, a flash of relief in his cloudy eyes as the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out. He took out a scroll wrapped in sackcloth from his bosom and tremblingly handed it to Sho U.
"This is a map of the secret passages on the outskirts of the clan territory. It was built with my participation when I was young and can avoid Konoha's patrol teams and Root's secret sentries. You should leave from here, but have you thought about where to go?"
Sho U nodded and said.
"Hidden Cloud Village."
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808