Adavance chapter in PATREON
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"Fortunately, the Mangekyō Sharingan deteriorates with overuse. Otherwise, the situation would be even worse..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought to himself.
He was convinced that Uchiha Chiichi's rise to Kage-level power must have been due to unlocking the Mangekyō Sharingan.
It was almost a given — a common pattern within the Uchiha clan.
But then there was Uchiha Gen...
That boy constantly defied Hiruzen's expectations.
"At least this works in my favor... If Mangekyō's power fades over time, perhaps Uchiha Chiichi is already losing his edge."
Hiruzen clung to that thought for comfort.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Chiichi, oblivious to Hiruzen's assumptions, withdrew his overwhelming chakra presence.
Though he sensed faint hostility and malice from the Hokage through his unique perception ability, he chose to ignore it.
Koharu and Homura, now regaining their composure, exchanged relieved glances.
But Koharu's hatred toward Chiichi intensified.
"This old hag..." Chiichi muttered to himself, clearly sensing her resentment.
"If she keeps testing me... she might just end up dead."
Chiichi didn't consider Koharu much of a threat — just an annoying voice with little power.
But if she became more than that...
"I'll handle her if the time's right."
Homura, on the other hand, felt no hatred toward Chiichi. Instead, he was frustrated with Koharu.
"Why does she always run her mouth like this? She's going to drag me down with her one day..."
Homura swore to himself that the next time Koharu started trouble, he'd keep his distance.
"That's enough."
Hiruzen broke the silence with a forced smile.
"I'll appoint you as the Deputy Commander of the Mist battlefield — second only to Orochimaru. In addition, you'll have full command of your Uchiha forces on the field."
It was a compromise — the highest concession Hiruzen was willing to make.
Chiichi's eyes narrowed.
"That's fair," he said. "But what about battlefield merits? What about the recognition and promotion of our Uchiha shinobi?"
Hiruzen's face tightened.
"Will you ensure that our clan's efforts are recognized properly?" Chiichi pressed. "No manipulation, no false reports, no stolen credit?"
The Hokage's fingers tightened around his pipe.
"Of course," Hiruzen said with forced calm. "You have my word."
"Heh..." Chiichi chuckled softly.
"I'm sure I can trust you, Lord Hokage. But people... well, they're not always as noble as you."
Chiichi's smile turned sharp.
"How about this? Write a guarantee. Put it in writing, with your Hokage seal. That way, no one can claim to 'act in your name' and tarnish your reputation."
Hiruzen's eye twitched.
"He's good... too good," he thought bitterly.
Still, Hiruzen knew resisting now would only prolong the tension.
"Fine."
Hiruzen quickly wrote out the agreement, stamped it with his Hokage seal, and handed it over.
Chiichi smiled wider as he carefully tucked the document away.
"Ah, Lord Hokage," Chiichi said with exaggerated cheer, "you really are a fair and just leader!"
Hiruzen barely restrained himself from snapping.
"Get out."
"Of course! Thank you for your time!" Chiichi grinned and strolled out with a satisfied swagger.
As soon as the door closed, Koharu's face turned red with fury.
"Hiruzen! Are you really going to let him act like this?" she barked. "He's becoming more arrogant by the day!"
Hiruzen shot her a tired look.
"What did you want me to do, Koharu? Refuse him? Risk a mutiny? Who would fill the gap if the Uchiha refused to fight?"
"Your Sarutobi clan?"
"Or maybe your sleepy clan?" he added dryly.
Koharu froze, her anger faltering.
"Besides," Hiruzen muttered, "Chiichi's power... it's no joke. I suspect his strength may even rival mine."
Koharu's face went pale.
"Then we'll need to keep close tabs on him," she said. "We can't let him gain too much power."
"Forget him for now," Hiruzen muttered. "The real threat is Uchiha Gen. That boy... if we can control him, we can control the whole clan."
Later that Evening — The Uchiha Compound
Chiichi returned home exhausted.
"You're back!" Uchiha Makoto greeted warmly. "Dinner's ready — you should eat and rest."
Chiichi smiled tiredly.
"Thanks, love... I'll just wash up first."
The family gathered around the table.
"How many of our people are going to the front?" Uchiha Gen asked between bites.
"Six hundred from our side," Chiichi replied. "Four hundred from Fugaku's side."
"Fugaku's side is bringing everyone?" Gen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Looks that way," Chiichi muttered. "Desperate move... he's still clinging to the patriarch dream."
Gen shook his head.
"He's blinded by ambition," Gen said. "That's dangerous. Desperate men make reckless choices."
The Next Morning — Uchiha Gen's Lab
Chiichi entered the underground lab to find Gen busy drawing intricate seals.
"Still at it?" Chiichi asked, concerned. "You were working on this all night?"
Gen looked up, his face worn with fatigue but his eyes bright with excitement.
"I'm almost done! Just a little more..."
Moments later, Gen finished the final stroke.
"There!" Gen grinned. "It's ready."
Chiichi watched as Gen presented a stack of talisman papers.
"These are my newest creation — the Death Talisman."
"Death... what?" Chiichi asked, confused.
"It's a mix of the Izanagi technique and teleportation seals," Gen explained. "Each talisman contains enough chakra to rewrite death itself — like Izanagi."
Chiichi's eyes widened.
"But that's impossible without the Mangekyō..."
"Not anymore," Gen smirked. "I've embedded pupil power into each talisman. When activated, it'll negate the user's death within three days."
"Afterward, the talisman teleports the person to a designated safe point — no questions asked."
Chiichi was stunned.
"You're serious? This could save lives..."
"That's the idea," Gen said firmly. "Each of your soldiers must bind one with a drop of blood. After that, the talisman fuses into their body. If anyone falls in battle... their body will disappear — to avoid suspicion, seal their 'corpse' in a scroll just in case."
Chiichi's expression softened.
"You're really looking out for our people, huh?"
Gen smiled faintly.
"They're family."