The Uchiha clan and the Senju clan were sworn enemies, but they were also neighbors living on the left and right sides of Minato River. Sometimes, they even went to each other's markets to buy goods. Of course, if they were recognized by their enemies while shopping, they would have to bear the consequences themselves.
When Ling had just started to remember things, he asked Tajima Uchiha why they didn't just move to another place instead of staying here and disliking the Senju.
He could still recall his father's expression, which was like he'd just been forced to eat a mouthful of crap. "It's not that we don't want to, but that we can't."
As Ling grew older, he gradually understood why Tajima Uchiha had said what he did back then - or rather, why his expression had been so complex.
To truly explain this whole thing, we have to trace it back to when their Uchiha ancestors moved from the Land of Lightning to the Land of Fire. Due to a disaster in their ancestral land, the entire Uchiha clan relocated. The Uchiha ancestors were eager to settle down, so they didn't carefully investigate their neighbors before settling by the Minato River. That in itself wasn't a big deal, but after settling down, in their eagerness to establish a foothold, they chose their neighbors as opponents - the current Senju clan.
As a result, after the two clans established their rival relationship, they realized that this annoying opponent lived just over the mountain. This led to both clans wanting to keep their distance from each other while also worrying about being attacked from the rear when relocating. So, they all put up with it and stayed.
Living as neighbors with an enemy that they'd fight to the death with... Well, it was definitely the top - notch screw - up in the ninja world.
But ninjas aren't known for having good tempers. How could they tolerate such a situation? They all thought about ways to get rid of their neighbors.
For this reason, poisoning, shouting insults at each other, and attacking the clan territory were all common things the two clans did when they found out their neighbors were their opponents. Ling still remembers to this day that the Senju clan suddenly launched an attack when his mother was pregnant, causing her to have a miscarriage and die. The fully - formed male baby in her womb didn't make it.
And Shun, his younger brother, was on a mission to patrol the clan territory that day and was ambushed and killed by Senju ninjas.
Madara survived by sheer luck because Izuna had a high fever and went to the medical department that day.
Strictly speaking, Ling lost three relatives that day, but he wasn't by their side when they needed him the most.
It's no doubt that he was sad and angry. But Ling was very clear that the Senju clan did what they did because the missions of the two clans overlapped. Ninjas weren't allowed to engage in production, so their living spaces encroached on each other. Compared to hatred, this was the fundamental reason for the fierce conflicts between the two Uchiha clans.
From that time on, he focused on Gitai training. And he targeted anyone who dared to assign missions to the Senju clan. After all, no matter how powerful the Senju clan was, they couldn't keep reproducing if they were not allowed to engage in production and had no missions.
Actually, as a sensory ninja, Ling should have chosen to continue training in ninjutsu and illusions instead of Gitai. After all, he awakened his Sharingan at a very young age, and the Sharingan had a unique advantage in illusions. It would be hard to justify not choosing to develop his skills in illusions, especially since the Senju clan was always weak in this area. It would have been the best choice if he wanted to take revenge on the Senju clan.
Moreover, specializing in illusions and ninjutsu would undoubtedly allow him to avoid direct confrontations with the enemy, greatly increasing his chances of survival. But he still opted for this path regardless of others' opposition.
Because illusions couldn't help him achieve what he wanted to do.
It's not that Ling is boasting or being partial to his clan members. At least ninety percent of the Uchiha clan members who can activate the Sharingan are natural masters of illusions. The remaining ones either lack the talent for illusions or are too straightforward to engage in the mind - playing tactics of illusions.
Ling wants to eliminate those who assign missions to the Senju clan. So he can't leave any evidence of illusion - related killings that could point to the Uchiha clan... But a sword is different. Which ninja clan, large or small, can claim that its members don't know how to use a sword?
Although the Senju clan has a good reputation in the ninja world for their generous and straightforward nature, interests and disputes always go hand in hand. Some people like the Senju clan, while others dislike them. When those who like to hire the Senju clan find that their family members suffer inexplicable assassinations after hiring the Senju clan, the Senju clan will be angry and launch an investigation even without them asking.
But what does it have to do with the Uchiha clan, who like to show off with fancy moves and humiliate their opponents during battles, when the employers are killed by a skilled sword technique?
Thinking of this, Ling couldn't help raising his hand to touch the blindfold on his eyes. Remembering the scene of that day, he smiled softly.
The impulsive choice driven by hatred actually gave him a chance to survive from the hands of the Senju clan.
[Fate can be so ironic sometimes...] Thinking this, Ling tilted his head slightly, looking a bit distressed. [I did think I might encounter the Senju clan after going deeper into the Minato River area, but this is too soon, isn't it?]
Ling sat down by the campfire. He groped to put the freshly caught and processed rabbit on the improvised grill. He held the handle of the staff sword and tried to sense the surroundings through the chakra steel connecting the handle and the blade.
[This chakra amount... It should be an under - developed child, right?] Ling frowned. [Leaving a child from the clan in this deep mountain where they might encounter the Uchiha clan... The Senju clan is really too careless, aren't they?]
Feeling the owner of that chakra getting closer, Ling finally sighed. [Forget it. Try to avoid conflicts outside the mission... If he chooses Concealment or retreat after finding me, I'll let him off - it's just a pity about this nice place I just found.]
Sure enough, the owner of that chakra stopped when getting close to a certain distance. Feeling the retracted chakra, Ling knew that the child had probably found him.
[Not too stupid. After he leaves, I should also find a new... Wait, no. Why is he coming towards me?]
...
Senju Qin doesn't like training within the clan. Compared with his other strong and sturdy peers, he seems like a fake Senju. He doesn't have strong recovery ability, and his reactions are not as fast as theirs. In short, he is an unqualified ninja.
Perhaps due to his lack of talent, Senju Qin hates fighting and doesn't want to be a ninja at all - but he can't.
As long as one can extract chakra, it indicates they have the aptitude to become a ninja. In this era when the Uchiha clan is engaged in fierce battles with other clans, the clan doesn't consider the individual will of its members. After all, the weak are doomed to be bullied. So, even if they're reluctant, they must learn and even get used to fighting.
However, he really didn't want to train with the other clan members. Who would enjoy training where they get beaten one - sidedly?
So, most of the time, he avoided the clan members and went to the deep mountains upstream of the Minato River to train alone. But today, when he arrived at his usual training spot, he found that it had been occupied by a strange young man.
Senju Qin subconsciously suppressed his presence and looked at the blindfolded young man.
[There's no clan emblem. The chakra fluctuations aren't obvious and there's no sense of darkness. He shouldn't be from the Uchiha clan. His clothes and weapons seem quite worn - out... Is he a blind samurai who chanced upon the Minato River?] Senju Qin frowned. [It'll be bad if he's seen by other clan members or those troublesome Uchihas. I have to drive him away.]
After making up his mind, Senju Qin psychologically prepared himself several times and walked towards the young man.