On the way back, they didn't dwell on the matter of the Kekkei Genkai. After completing the mission in the Land of Snow, the two of them rushed back to the Witch's Palace in the Country of Demons without stopping. They collected the remaining payment and then returned to the clan territory.
Honestly, at first, Hiro didn't quite understand why Uchiha Ryo chose to exchange the prophecy of the priestess of the Country of Demons for The Bead of the Wraiths.
After all, although The Bead of the Wraiths carried a genjutsu that could awaken the darkness in people's hearts, it wasn't a threat to the Uchiha clan, which was famous for its genjutsu. Even for ordinary clan members who had awakened one or two tomoe, not to mention those with the three - tomoe Sharingan, they could still break the genjutsu with some time and effort.
To put it more bluntly, if one wanted to improve their genjutsu - breaking ability, it would be better to ask the elders in the clan directly. Although the elders in the clan wouldn't really use offensive genjutsu, it was enough for practice.
When comparing all the conditions, The Bead of the Wraiths was obviously a useless thing that could easily leave psychological shadows.
After all, when there was a better solution, who would choose a thankless task?
So Hiro thought that Uchiha Ryo had been too depressed after going blind. Seeing that The Bead of the Wraiths could make people see again in the spiritual space, he wanted to relieve his depression a little, which was why he chose to exchange the prophecy of the priestess of the Country of Demons for the bead.
If the clan found out about this, the elders would surely nag about it. After all, the prophecy from the priestess of the Country of Demons could be sold at a sky - high price in the hands of the Fang Daimyō of all countries. With this money, the clan would have more leeway in taking on missions.
These complicated matters, Hiro, who had once competed for the position of heir, could naturally consider. But on the one hand, he just didn't want to fall behind at that time. He didn't have a strong sense of responsibility in this regard. He valued his friends more than these troublesome things.
On the other hand, he had secretly used his connections to intercept this mission. Only he knew the specific details. It wouldn't be difficult to change the details of the mission when he got back.
Even if it was eventually exposed, it would only be a matter of high - level officials shifting the blame, and in such a fait accompli situation, the clan's high - level officials definitely wouldn't make it public to avoid causing unrest among clan members. At most, he would just be nagged by his Jiji and father and then be exploited by the medical department for a few more days. It was just a minor thing.
It would be even simpler for Uchiha Ryo. After all, when dealing with the Senju captain, the clan had used Uchiha Ryo's injury as an excuse when his injury had just started to improve. The chief elder who carried out this matter would surely want to compensate Uchiha Ryo. He would probably let it go lightly. And Tajima Uchiha, as Uchiha Ryo's father and the leader of the Uchiha clan, would only be more lenient.
All in all, it probably wasn't a big deal.
But this was just his thought before he awakened his Sharingan.
After successfully using The Bead of the Wraiths to arouse negative emotions when his mind was weak and awakening his Sharingan smoothly, Hiro knew that all the actions during this trip to the Country of Demons were worth it.
Whether it was intercepting missions without permission, changing mission rewards, or failing to report the situation upon returning to the clan, none of these were a big deal anymore.
Could the prophecy of the priestess of the Country of Demons, who could see through life and death, be more appealing to the Uchiha than obtaining a higher level of Strength?
Impossible.
This made this trip and this act not only fault - free but also highly meritorious. However...
Hiro turned his head to look at Uchiha Ryo, who was walking leisurely beside him. [However... Did Uchiha Ryo calculate all this beforehand? No, should I say that a person can calculate all the possibilities in an instant when coming into contact with something?]
Thinking of this, Hiro's gaze towards Ryo became even sharper.
Ryo, who was being stared at like this, felt extremely uncomfortable. He had to stop walking. "Hiro, are you still mad at me? If so, can I apologize? It really makes me uncomfortable when you keep staring at me like this..."
"Just bear it. I'm still steamed." Hiro snorted and then shifted his gaze. However, he brought the topic to The Bead of the Wraiths. "Why did you choose to change the reward to it after touching The Bead of the Wraiths? Were you sure of the effect of the bead at that time?"
"No, it's just that I discussed the awakening of the Mangekyo Sharingan with Akihiko before. Coupled with the characteristics of The Bead of the Wraiths, I had some guesses.
Even if we ignore that, the Sealing Jutsu used in The Bead of the Wraiths is worth learning. Also, the genjutsu that stirs up the darkness in people's hearts is worth learning. After all, our clan's Kekkei Genkai lies in our eyes. If we can use this way to train our pupil power from a young age, we will surely be more adaptable after awakening the Sharingan.
But to be honest, I wasn't really sure before. I even prepared myself to be scolded by my father after going back. I really didn't expect that awakening the Sharingan could be so easy under appropriate circumstances. So, forgive me, okay..."
Hiro gritted his back teeth. "Is that all?"
Ryo forced a laugh. "Of course, I also had a little selfish desire to see the light again in the [genjutsu space]. Well, I admit I was impulsive."
Hiro raised his eyebrows. "So you had a selfish motive?"
"Hiro, I'm also human. Of course, I'll have selfish motives..." Ryo looked a bit helpless. "Humans are creatures dominated by various desires. How can there be a human without any selfish motives?
Even those self - sacrificing people praised by the world will have selfish motives in other aspects."
Hiro knew he couldn't win an argument with Ryo in this regard. He just snorted. "Then what did you do in that illusion?"
"What did I do..." Ryo felt a bit embarrassed but didn't hide it. "I couldn't help crying at that time. Now that I think about it, it was really inappropriate."
"You cried?" This time, Hiro was really surprised. "I remember you didn't cry when Aunt Hui passed away. Why did you cry at such a strange time?"
"Isn't there a saying?"
If you wail when a loved one dies, their soul won't reach the Pure Land in peace..." Uchiha Ryo said with a smile, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. However, a hint of sadness lingered between his brows. "I didn't cry until after Mom's seven - day wake and burial. I went to her grave to have a good cry then.
Moreover, my mother left a message for me before she passed away. She said she hoped I would smile more and not always keep a straight face just to establish my authority... And it's actually quite nice to smile more, right?"
Hiro gave a soft snort. "You're always living for others' expectations. You'll burn yourself out."
"Really? So that's what you think... Well, let's just say so for now." Uchiha Ryo let out a soft laugh. "I'd also like to ask you to help me with the research on the Mangekyo Sharingan later. Is that okay?"
Hiro readily agreed and nodded right away. "Sure. With you on board, I can save some energy for other research. Besides, I shouldn't be the only one going through this. If we're going to make a fool of ourselves, we'll do it together. Let's see who'd dare laugh at me for korega."
Hearing this, Uchiha Ryo raised his hand to press down the corners of his lips, and the smile in his voice was almost overflowing. "That couldn't be better! By the way, what exactly did you see, Hiro? I've told you about what I saw. You should tell me too."
Hiro's face instantly turned as dark as ink. He quickened his pace and said, "Shut up and keep moving!"