Uchiha Setsuna remained completely silent for a very long time, his withered, arthritic fingers unconsciously stroking the chipped edge of his ceramic teacup. The thick, hardened calluses resting on his fingertips were so incredibly rough that they sounded like coarse sandpaper lightly scraping against dry wood chips.
The lonely, rustling sound of the cold night wind violently blowing through the dense pine forest drifted in from outside the tiny stone house, briefly mingling with the faint, rhythmic shouts of the village guards in the far distance.
That specific, organized shouting was the standard, nightly patrol signal belonging exclusively to the Konoha Military Police Force. It was once a profound symbol of their clan's great authority, but now, it had ironically and tragically become the very political shackles permanently binding the Uchiha to their doom.
Without any prior warning, the elder suddenly and violently slammed his teacup incredibly heavily straight down onto the solid stone table. Hot green tea violently splashed out in all directions, thoroughly wetting the dark fabric of his sleeve, as an intense, burning flash of pure determination—a fierce, martial fire absolutely no less potent than that of a hot-blooded young man—visibly flickered deep within his aged, glowing red eyes.
"You are absolutely, undeniably right, Hiro. We have passively and foolishly endured this humiliating treatment for entirely too long."
"From the very first day that paranoid old dog, Tobirama, cleverly established the Police Force, we fundamentally became isolated 'outcasts' trapped within our own home in Konoha. And now, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura perfectly work in tandem, treating our proud people exactly like helpless fish waiting on a bloody chopping block."
"The majority of the clansmen walking out there are either completely numb and foolishly patient, or entirely blinded by their own unguided, useless anger, but absolutely no one possesses the true, necessary courage to actually take that final, irreversible step. When I was merely a young man, I proudly followed Lord Uchiha Madara directly into the bloodiest battles, and I fiercely guarded our ancestral home standing right alongside Lord Izuna. But in the bitter end, despite all our sacrifices, we Uchiha still tragically ended up being universally hated and feared by absolutely everyone."
Setsuna's raspy, aged voice carried the immense, suffocating weight of decades of deeply suppressed, boiling rage, as well as a distinct, heavy hint of an old, tired warrior's profound desolation.
"Hiro, you are a remarkably courageous young man, and far more importantly than raw bravery, you logically see the political reality of our situation much more clearly than anyone else alive. I fully and completely support your decision."
The elder slowly stood up and walked deliberately over to the far stone wall. He precisely pressed his thumb against a cleverly hidden, mechanical stone mechanism; the solid stone wall silently and smoothly slid open along a hidden track, perfectly revealing a small, dark secret room hidden directly behind it.
He carefully reached inside and pulled out a large, heavy storage scroll deeply engraved with the traditional Uchiha fan crest, and solemnly handed it directly to Hiro.
"Sealed tightly inside this scroll are some vital resources you might find incredibly useful on your journey. It contains exact copies of some of our most closely guarded clan secret techniques, highly classified intelligence regarding certain abandoned, hidden bases scattered throughout the Ninja World, and... a significantly large sum of hard currency, enough funds for you to properly start your new life. What I can physically do to aid you from the shadows is strictly limited; entirely too many paranoid, scheming people within the village and the clan are constantly watching my every move."
Then, the elder abruptly turned, walked straight out into the cold courtyard, and let out a very specific, low, piercing whistle that sounded exactly like a hunting night owl.
After only a brief, tense moment, ten distinct, dark figures landed entirely silently in the courtyard and immediately knelt down on one knee in perfect synchronization before Setsuna.
They were all remarkably young shinobi; the absolute oldest among them appeared to be no more than twenty years old, and the absolute youngest looked to be only around eleven or twelve. However, despite their youth, each and every one of them possessed incredibly sharp, calculating eyes and a fierce, battle-ready aura, proudly carrying the characteristic, unbroken pride of the Uchiha, along with a heavy, dangerous hint of long-suppressed, violent restlessness.
The appointed leader of the squad was a tall, long-haired Uchiha warrior possessing a highly resolute, angular face and dark eyes that burned as brightly as hot charcoal.
He was Uchiha Setsuna's own flesh and blood, his highly talented grandson, Uchiha Renka.
"Grandfather," Renka respectfully addressed the elder in a deep, steady voice, his sharp gaze quickly sweeping over Hiro with intense, calculating scrutiny.
"Renka," Setsuna's commanding voice immediately brooked absolutely no argument or hesitation.
"This man standing before you is Uchiha Hiro; you should already know of his reputation. His spoken words are now officially my spoken words. From this exact moment onward, the ten of you will permanently and entirely break away from the Konoha Uchiha and strictly follow Hiro's command to permanently leave this rotting village."
Renka's physical body visibly shook slightly at the monumental command, and an amazing, intense light immediately erupted within his dark eyes—a complex, swirling mixture of profound shock, absolute ecstasy, and unwavering, lethal determination.
He naturally and intimately knew exactly who Uchiha Hiro was; Hiro was widely recognized as the absolute, undisputed genius of their current generation within the Uchiha clan, and one of the rapidly rising, influential leaders within the militant Hawk Faction. Renka himself was also widely considered a rare combat genius by his peers, but when standing directly in front of Uchiha Hiro's overwhelming natural talent, he honestly couldn't help but feel a distinct, humbling sense of inferiority.
The physical breathing of the nine loyal shinobi kneeling directly behind him also noticeably quickened with adrenaline. Two older men who clearly possessed the physical bearing of seasoned Jonin tightly clenched their fists in anticipation, and the seven remaining Chunin, including two young women with pretty but incredibly fierce, determined faces, also clearly had a dangerous, martial fire newly ignited within their dark eyes.
"Grandfather, we..." Renka started to speak, his voice thick with emotion.
"Say absolutely no more!"
Setsuna sharply interrupted him, his intense, glowing gaze slowly sweeping over these ten, highly dedicated young faces.
"The deeply corrupt, paranoid high-level officials currently ruling Konoha and the cowardly, weak-willed power-holders currently running our own clan have long since aggressively pushed the proud Uchiha entirely into a permanent, inescapable dead end. To passively stay here in this village is either to be slowly, completely assimilated and lose our identity, or to eventually face total, bloody extinction. The true, glorious future of the Uchiha absolutely does not lie rotting away within the stagnant, poisonous water of Konoha. Follow Hiro, go far outside these walls, and violently use your awakened Sharingan to aggressively carve out an entirely new world for yourselves! Let the entire Ninja World terrifyingly remember that the boiling blood of the Uchiha has absolutely never cooled!"
A slight, highly energized commotion immediately broke out within the confines of the stone house. Some sets of eyes visibly flashed with immense, unexpected surprise, some briefly showed a fleeting moment of natural human hesitation, but the vast majority were entirely filled to the brim with a long-suppressed, violent excitement and absolute, unbreakable determination.
Renka silently pondered the massive, life-altering command for a brief, calculated moment before firmly speaking first.
"Since Grandfather has officially and finally made this decision, I absolutely have no further objection. Staying here trapped in Konoha is literally nothing more than a slow, agonizingly humiliating death; it is infinitely better to take this massive gamble and fight for our lives."
"We are also entirely willing to follow!" The other nine elite shinobi immediately chimed in unison. They had all long been absolutely, thoroughly fed up with Konoha's constant, suffocating political suppression and were honestly only lacking a strong, decisive leader to finally light the fuse.
Hiro's sharp gaze slowly swept over everyone present in the room, clearly seeing that every single person's dark eyes currently burned fiercely with a potent mixture of deep unwillingness to simply roll over and die, and an absolute, lethal determination to survive.
Besides the squad leader Renka, who was already a fully qualified, highly lethal Jonin, there were two other older Jonin present possessing incredibly steady, dangerous auras, clearly marking them as hardened veterans who had survived many brutal, bloody battles.
The remaining seven Chunin, though visibly much younger and slightly less experienced, showed absolutely no signs of weakness or cowardice; their glowing red Sharingan were already fully activated, with the dark tomoe spinning incredibly rapidly and fiercely within their crimson pupils.
"These ten individuals represent the absolute core, elite fighting strength of our Hawk Faction, and they are undeniably the most courageous, loyal young people left in the entire clan."
Uchiha Setsuna slowly walked over to Hiro's side and firmly patted his shoulder with a withered, bony hand. The physical force behind the old man's grip was unexpectedly, shockingly heavy.
"Renka is an elite Jonin possessing incredibly rich tactical combat experience and can easily share a massive amount of the leadership burden for you; the other two Jonin are highly versatile, high-level combatants of the clan, exceptionally skilled in both lethal offense and absolute defense."
"The remaining Chunin are also highly trained elites possessing an extremely strong, unquestioning execution of orders. I am entirely too old and my broken body can no longer keep up with a prolonged flight, so I absolutely cannot venture out into the world with you, but I entrust the lives of these children entirely to your capable hands."
Uchiha Renka immediately took a firm step forward and spoke in a deep, highly respectful voice.
"Lord Hiro, we completely understand that the treasonous path of defection is incredibly dangerous and highly likely to be soaked in blood, but as long as you confidently lead the way, we will absolutely, unquestionably accompany you straight through raging fire and deep water."
One of the female Chunin, practically dressed in dark purple, highly functional martial arts attire, also confidently spoke up.
"Lord Hiro, my name is Uchiha Rei. I heavily specialize in advanced illusionary techniques and practical medical ninjutsu. If there are any inevitable injuries sustained while on the run, I am fully qualified to effectively handle them."
This specific, highly surprising revelation made Uchiha Hiro genuinely pause and take another, much closer look at the young woman. He knew from his absorbed memories that the vast majority of the Uchiha clan inherently possessed an overwhelmingly strong affinity for Yin release chakra, and very few ever possessed the necessary Yang release affinity. To successfully practice complex, healing medical ninjutsu, a strong foundation in Yang release chakra is absolutely, fundamentally required. It was truly an incredibly rare, highly valuable asset for the girl standing in front of him to be a full-blooded Uchiha who actually knew how to effectively utilize medical ninjutsu in the field.
Another slightly more petite female Chunin quickly added her own skills to the roster.
"My name is Uchiha Mei, and I highly specialize in covert tracking and advanced sensory scouting. I can effectively help everyone completely avoid Konoha's elite ANBU pursuers out in the wilderness."
Hiro looked deeply at the ten highly capable, fiercely loyal people standing at attention in front of him, then turned to look at the gray-haired Elder Setsuna standing quietly beside him, and a profound, completely unexpected warm current of genuine gratitude violently surged deep within his chest.
He fully, intimately knew that this hardened, seventy-year-old man had not only practically and dangerously bought him the necessary time to gather his thoughts, but had actually, literally entrusted the entire future survival of the militant Hawk Faction directly into his hands. With the highly skilled, lethal help of these ten elite people, the incredibly dangerous path of defection would undoubtedly possess a massive, entirely unexpected extra layer of tactical security.
He took a very deep, centering breath, very slowly raised his head, and deliberately revealed his newly evolved Sharingan to the room.
Completely different from the ordinary, standard Three Tomoe that they were all intimately familiar with, his Mangekyo Sharingan, heavily empowered by the absolute, divine blessing of the Six Eyes, possessed a faint, beautifully ethereal flowing light spinning endlessly within the crimson pupils, making them appear even more profoundly powerful, ancient, and deeply mysterious.
"Everyone," Hiro's voice was incredibly powerful, deeply resonant, and carried absolute, unquestionable authority.
"From this exact day forward, we are absolutely no longer Konoha's loyal, obedient ninja, and we are certainly no longer helpless lambs simply waiting to be quietly slaughtered in the dark. We must fight and live strictly for ourselves, and violently fight to secure the true future of the Uchiha. The long road ahead of us may be completely covered in thorns and soaked in our enemies' blood, but as long as we fiercely work together as one cohesive unit, we will absolutely, surely carve out a bloody way to survive and thrive."
Uchiha Setsuna's aged gaze was instantly, magnetically drawn directly to this pair of incredibly special, highly evolved eyes. His slightly cloudy pupils suddenly and violently contracted down to pinpricks, his withered physical body involuntarily leaned heavily forward, and his breathing suddenly became incredibly rapid and ragged.
He stared completely fixedly, practically unblinking, at Hiro's left eye. The dark tomoe resting within his own Sharingan were currently spinning wildly out of control, acting exactly as if he desperately wanted to permanently and flawlessly engrave every single, microscopic detail of these god-like eyes directly into his aging mind. His raspy voice was visibly trembling with sheer, absolute disbelief.
"This... this incredible power is... is this truly the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan?!"
Hiro nodded very slowly and deliberately withdrew a small fraction of his active ocular power; the brilliant, glowing bands of ethereal light swirling within his eyes gradually slowed down their rapid rotation, but still easily and clearly maintained their unique, highly evolved geometric form.
"You could certainly say that, Elder. This specific evolution is indeed a highly unique type of Mangekyo Sharingan."
"The Mangekyo... it really, truly is the legendary Mangekyo!"
Uchiha Setsuna suddenly and violently stood up from his stool, his physical movement so incredibly hurried and frantic that he almost completely overturned the heavy stone table. His withered, scarred palm slammed incredibly heavily straight down onto the solid tabletop with such immense, raw physical force that the heavy ceramic teacup literally jumped an entire inch into the air.
There was absolutely no longer even a single, microscopic trace of hesitation or doubt resting in his aged eyes; it was completely and entirely replaced by an uncontrollable, absolute ecstasy and pure, unadulterated excitement. His cloudy, battle-hardened eyes even unexpectedly welled up with genuine, highly emotional tears.
"I had truly, deeply thought that the legendary, divine power of the Uchiha's Mangekyo had entirely become nothing more than a lost myth after the passing of Lord Uchiha Madara. I absolutely never, ever expected it to miraculously reappear right here in your generation, and it's even so incredibly, uniquely powerful! This is undeniably the absolute, divine hope bestowed directly upon our proud Uchiha bloodline by the heavens themselves!"
He literally stumbled over to Hiro's side and gripped Hiro's shoulders incredibly tightly, his aged knuckles turning starkly white from the sheer physical force of his grip. His raspy voice was heavily tearful yet exceptionally, undeniably firm.
"Hiro! You are undeniably the true, absolute future of the entire Uchiha clan! With these god-like eyes of yours guiding us, why in the world should we ever worry about not being able to fully restore our lost glory? What does it possibly matter if those cowardly old fogies in the capital try to suppress us? What does it matter if the ignorant villagers of Konoha ostracize us? Armed with the absolute power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, you can easily lead our clansmen to violently carve out a blood-soaked, glorious path forward and proudly build an entirely new home that truly, rightfully belongs to the Uchiha!"
Although the several young, elite Uchiha warriors standing around them were not entirely clear on exactly why the usually stoic Elder Setsuna was acting so incredibly, violently excited, they all vaguely, intimately knew the immense, historical weight and terrifying legendary power associated with the name 'Mangekyo Sharingan'. Every single one of them currently looked directly at Uchiha Hiro with an overwhelming, profound sense of deep, absolute admiration and unbreakable loyalty.
This incredibly powerful man standing before them was Lord Uchiha Hiro, their absolute, unquestionable future leader.
"We are entirely, absolutely willing to strictly follow Lord Hiro, permanently defect from Konoha tonight, and remain fiercely, unquestionably loyal until our dying breaths!"
The ten elite shinobi shouted loudly in perfect, military unison, their combined voices so incredibly powerful that they literally made the entire stone house physically vibrate slightly. Thankfully, the structural soundproofing here in the secret base was incredibly good, so there was absolutely no need to worry about the noise leaking out and alerting the patrols. Their glowing red Sharingan all lit up brightly and simultaneously, the dense, crimson light actively intertwining beautifully within the dim, shadowy stone house, perfectly reflecting their incredibly resolute, highly dangerous faces.
Uchiha Setsuna looked deeply at the highly inspiring scene unfolding right before his very eyes, a profound, heavy flash of genuine, lasting relief finally appearing in his cloudy eyes as the deep, worried wrinkles resting at the corners of his eyes visibly and smoothly relaxed. He carefully reached into his dark robes and took out a highly worn, ancient scroll tightly wrapped in coarse sackcloth, and tremblingly, reverently handed it directly to Hiro.
"This document is a highly classified, detailed map of the ancient, forgotten secret escape passages located on the deep outskirts of our clan territory. It was originally built with my direct participation when I was merely a young man, and utilizing these specific routes can completely and easily avoid Konoha's standard patrol teams and Danzo's hidden Root sentries. You absolutely must leave safelyfrom here tonight. But tell me, have you truly, fully thought about exactly where you intend to go once you escape?"
Hiro gave a single, firm nod and spoke with absolute certainty.
"The Hidden Cloud Village."