After bidding farewell to Uchiha Raimon, Uchiha Tenxiu quickly headed home.
His face was calm and composed, but his heart was filled with anticipation and plans for the future, and the first step was to return to the place where he and his companions trained together.
When Uchiha Tenxiu arrived at the familiar location, many of his companions were focused on their training, completely unaware of his arrival.
"Hmm! Not a single one of them is slacking off, always remembering my instructions to them.
Only such diligent individuals are worthy of being nurtured.
And only such people are fit to follow by my side! Otherwise, no matter how much guidance is given, an unmotivated individual will still fail to grow."
Uchiha Tenxiu nodded in satisfaction, walking from a distance towards the crowd, a gentle smile gracing his lips.
Then, he lightly coughed to get everyone's attention.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Uchiha Tenxiu, their eyes filled with joy as they quickly approached him.
"Big Brother Tenxiu, you're back!"
Everyone gathered around him.
"Yes! I have some news to tell everyone," Uchiha Tenxiu continued, "For the next few months, you will need to train independently!
At that time, Ikki, you will lead the team!"
This news disheartened the companions; they began to whisper among themselves, discussing the matter, and then asked again.
"Big Brother Tenxiu, has something happened?
Weren't we all training quite well together?" Shakugotsu Ikki asked, puzzled.
"That's right, Big Brother Tenxiu, what exactly happened?"
Kamado Taro was also confused.
"Could it be that someone felt that your teachings to us, Big Brother Tenxiu, were a hindrance, and they stopped it?" Kagami Ogawa suddenly speculated.
The others also began to guess along these lines.
"Damn it, there must be bad people in the clan.
Why would they do something like this?
There must be traitors causing trouble."
"Exactly, exactly, to actually come up with some 'Elite Ninja Training Program' is simply too much!"
"..."
Uchiha Tenxiu looked at their expressions, secretly pleased.
These seven individuals were his carefully cultivated confidants, nurtured through various means and measures.
They were not only exceptionally strong but also fiercely loyal to him, and under his guidance and cultivation, their thinking had become more discerning, and they possessed a strategic vision that surpassed ordinary people, having a slight understanding of political schemes and conspiracies.
Of course, Uchiha Tenxiu didn't teach too much.
But even so.
Each of them had become like 'angry youths', lacking reverence for the clan and the Village.
And this was exactly what Uchiha Tenxiu needed.
After all, only such people could wholeheartedly follow him, even if it meant leaving Konoha Ninja Village.
And these seven people were his future foundation, far more important than ordinary clan members.
With them, Uchiha Tenxiu believed he could use these confidants to influence even more people and establish a formidable force.
Uchiha Tenxiu could fully trust that each of them possessed sufficient leadership abilities and, under his guidance, could become leaders who would lead more people forward.
At the lowest standard, if each person could command seven people like he does now, then he would have as many as forty-nine completely trustworthy confidants.
And these forty-nine people, in turn, would each influence more people, and so on, cyclically, a powerful force would gradually take shape.
Thinking of this, a glint of ambition flashed in Uchiha Tenxiu's eyes.
He knew that achieving this goal would not be easy, but Uchiha Tenxiu had enough confidence that with his wisdom and ability, he would surely succeed.
Then, Uchiha Tenxiu briefly explained his external mission to everyone, and after that, he began to provide individualized guidance on specific training aspects for each person.
Similar to Kamado Taro's family sword techniques, Uchiha Tenxiu taught him his Uchiha Style Sword Art.
He even pointed out several secret sword techniques he had developed, as well as his ideas about sword arts and some conjectures about breathing methods within sword arts.
Among them, regarding breathing techniques, the original plot already featured the Seven Days Breathing Method developed by the Taijutsu genius of Sunagakure.
Uchiha Tenxiu, based on its performance combined with the breathing methods from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, slightly imitated a few moves and techniques of sword art, making him a pioneer in breathing method sword arts.
Kagami Ogawa's family was relatively ordinary; although they had about a hundred people, only a dozen were Ninja, and they had long managed the Uchiha Clan's farmlands and ledgers, making their living with their minds.
Kagami Ogawa himself had good talent, possessing innate Water, Fire, and Earth Chakra, and using these three Ninjutsu provided certain enhancement abilities.
Uchiha Tenxiu chose to teach him a Ninjutsu combination route, using Fire Release for offense, Water Release for assistance, and Earth Release for defense, making it a versatile choice.
As for Shakugotsu Ikki, who excelled in Fire Release, Uchiha Tenxiu also taught him some key points of Fire Release nature transformation, first letting him build a solid foundation.
Afterward, he even taught him the simplified hand seal training method he had developed.
As his primary confidant.
As a Ninjutsu-type Ninja, once he mastered the simplified hand seal technique, his strength would undoubtedly increase by leaps and bounds.
And it wasn't just him.
The others were the same.
Uchiha Tenxiu provided professional and detailed guidance to each person, whether it was Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, or Kenjutsu.
In all aspects of Ninja training, Uchiha Tenxiu invariably surpassed everyone, and this was what the young men admired most.
After all, their families, who had followed the Uchiha Clan for many years, also worshipped strength.
And in their eyes, Uchiha Tenxiu, who appeared before them, was an individual with incredibly powerful talent and outstanding strength, yet so friendly to them.
Naturally, this made them immensely convinced and deeply admire him.
"Ikki, from now on, you will oversee them!"
After completing all the training guidance.
Uchiha Tenxiu's face was as gentle as a spring breeze, a faint smile gracing his lips, as he softly instructed Shakugotsu Ikki, the oldest among them.
He knew that Ikki was the most trusting of him among his confidants, and also the most astute and flexible subordinate by his side, capable of handling all this.
Ikki's Shakugotsu family, during the turbulent Warring States Period, shone like a brilliant pearl under the glory of the Uchiha Clan, becoming their specialized subordinate family for refining minerals, constantly contributing to the Uchiha Clan's war preparations.
They were the Uchiha Clan's most indispensable and powerful helpers, and thus suffered severe blows, often being among the first technical personnel targeted for elimination by enemy families.
However, with the rise of Konoha, like a surging torrent, all families flocked in, and this former haven also tottered in the tide of the times.
Except for a small amount of minerals intercepted by various families, the rest were like plundered treasures, redeemed by Konoha and the Land of Fire, becoming Konoha's war materials.
At the same time, all families' mineral refining personnel also gathered in Konoha like migratory birds, which undoubtedly brought a heavy blow to the Shakugotsu family.
The Uchiha Clan's demand for minerals decreased with the peaceful era, and Konoha's demand would not give them orders, coupled with the fall in weapon prices during peacetime.
From then on, the remaining personnel of the entire Shakugotsu family, inherited from the Warring States Period, had a worse year than the last, until Shakugotsu Ikki became Uchiha Tenxiu's subordinate and followed by his side.
As Uchiha Tenxiu's alcohol business grew immensely, it was inconvenient to openly use this large sum of money.
To have a more legitimate reason to use more funds, he made a few small inventions and gave them to the Shakugotsu family to produce, sharing profits proportionally to obtain some funds.
Although it didn't lead to sudden wealth, it allowed the Shakugotsu family, whose life was becoming increasingly difficult, to slowly persevere.
And it was precisely this operation.
That made everyone in the Shakugotsu family immensely supportive of Shakugotsu Ikki following Uchiha Tenxiu, all believing that Uchiha Tenxiu was their Shakugotsu family's opportunity to change their fate.
As long as Uchiha Tenxiu grew, they would undoubtedly be greatly valued.
Not to mention, Shakugotsu Ikki, as the person involved, was even more moved, treating him like a belief and being extremely loyal.
And so it was.
Whenever there was something important.
Uchiha Tenxiu would entrust it to him.
And now, his departure time was uncertain.
The task of maintaining this small group.
Could only be left to him!
"Yes, Big Brother Tenxiu!"
Shakugotsu Ikki patted his chest, assuring him, his eyes filled with loyalty and approval as he looked at Uchiha Tenxiu.
Then.
After waving goodbye to everyone, Uchiha Tenxiu, like a solitary goose, returned alone to his desolate home.
First, he stood for a while before his parents' portraits.
Afterward.
He entered the dark secret room alone.
In the secret room, the smile on Uchiha Tenxiu's face receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace.
Though small, the secret room was like a sealed cage, suffocatingly dark, instilling fear.
Yet, Uchiha Tenxiu sat cross-legged with an expressionless face, unconcerned, closing his eyes like an old monk in meditation, and began to regulate his breathing rhythm.
In his mind, he had to carefully consider the impact of recent events on himself, as if searching for clues within the intricate network of threads.
And deep within his mind.
The light of a certain mysterious fragment grew deeper, like a star in the night sky, shimmering with captivating brilliance.
Uchiha Tenxiu sat quietly in this endless darkness, time flowing like fine sand in an hourglass, second by second.
Silence and solitude followed him like a shadow, gradually forming a thick cocoon around him.
However, Uchiha Tenxiu felt no discomfort; instead, he thrived in this environment, enjoying it immensely.
His brain also became more active, like a lit bonfire.
Only in this darkness could Uchiha Tenxiu, like a chameleon shedding its disguise, nakedly discard all external masks and unreservedly release his inner self, observing his true nature as clearly as a mirror.
It was a world full of calculations; he was no longer content to be subordinate, and his ambitious desires, like a raging fire, yearned to consume everything in the world.
