Ninja Ice House

Chapter 615 Comparison

Scattered, they are like stars in the sky; gathered together, they are like a pile of loose sand. An individual fighter is a dragon, but fighters united as an army are like a worm.

Only when small teams of three to five people are well-coordinated can they somewhat balance the gains and losses in quantity and quality in the field of counterinsurgency warfare, roughly matching the combat power of ninjas.

From this perspective, the existence of the Fighters Association does not give the Furusugi Clan a significant advantage over the ninja village. On the contrary, small and medium-sized organizations with fewer members but higher quality, such as the "Eight Orochi" and the "Fishman Guardians," pose a greater threat to Konoha.

Fortunately, Gu Shanbu Shui wasn't a picky person. Since he had people and resources, he didn't make a fuss. Only children make choices; Young Master wants it all.

"I still want to thank you very much for lending a helping hand to our... Uchiha clan. Also, thank you for your help with Sasuke and Itachi's matter."

"I won't say it was just a small favor. Although it wasn't difficult, the preparations did take a lot of time and resources. Fortunately, the process went smoothly and the result was acceptable."

Gushan Fusui responded naturally.

"There will be someone to take care of Sasuke Uchiha, which should ensure he gets through the period of weakness smoothly. As for what the future holds, that depends on him."

“I understand. He’s not a child anymore. During the years when the Fourth Shinobi World War broke out, there were many children who went to the battlefield at the age of thirteen or fourteen. During the two most dangerous years, most of them did not come back alive. It’s already very difficult for Sasuke to grow up smoothly in that environment.”

"There's no need to be so pessimistic. The powerful Uchiha clan is a threat to the village, while the weak Uchiha orphans are the village's precious asset. Everyone is smart. Even if Danzo has prejudices, the Third Hokage won't turn a blind eye."

"The Third Hokage... During the Third Shinobi World War, Fugaku led his clan to the southern front to confront and fight against the Kirigakure. It was a good move. Although many clan members were killed or wounded, it earned the Uchiha clan a lot of prestige. However, later, when all hope was lost, he tried to seize the position of the Fourth Hokage. After failing, he harbored a lot of resentment and lost a lot of goodwill among the general public."

"If it weren't for the Nine-Tails' attack on the village, and if the clan head had been able to hold back and fully support Shisui or Itachi in their bid for the Fifth or Sixth Hokage position, the chances of success would have been much greater."

Caught between two generations, Uchiha Shisui was a powerhouse with a near-discontinuous talent. His title, "Shisui of the Body Flicker," once reminded people of the invincible "Yellow Flash" on the battlefield. In addition, he awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan early on and possessed the strongest genjutsu, "Kotoamatsukami," which even Kosugi Bokusui found somewhat troublesome. Any Uchiha clan member who wasn't stupid would know what to do.

Itachi Uchiha is also a good choice. His talent is quite rare among his peers. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, he was able to fight Jiraiya at his peak. It's hard to say whether Minato Namikaze was that strong at that age.

“Regret? A little. Fugaku is a man with his own ideas, but... he was bound by his family.”

"That's true!"

The Uchiha clan has produced outstanding talents generation after generation. Since Madara Uchiha, Kagami Uchiha, Obito Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, as well as Fugaku Uchiha, Sasuke, and Itachi, the father and son, have all been remarkable figures. Regardless of their character and stance, their strength and potential are quite astonishing. If they develop normally, they have the potential to become one of the "Five Kage".

Of course, potential is one thing, but whether it can be realized and whether one can grow smoothly is still unknown.

Only one in ten thousand can truly realize their full potential.

It has to be said that the Uchiha clan was also unlucky. The last hundred years were an era of geniuses, and there were only a few pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan in the past thousand years, but five pairs appeared in less than thirty years.

Logically, these people should have led their clan to the pinnacle, conquered Konoha, and dominated the entire ninja world. However, the result was astonishing: the once mighty and powerful clan of the ninja world vanished into thin air.

Calling it a last gasp before death is inappropriate; it's more like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, only to have a major problem in its final attempt.

As Uchiha Mikoto said, her husband was a good husband, a good father, a good clan leader, and also a hidden super master who had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan. His biggest problem was that he wanted everything and tried to combine these "identities" into one, and as a result... obviously, he couldn't be good at everything.

Human energy is limited, and it is impossible to do everything perfectly. If Fugaku Uchiha had focused on managing the clan, coordinating relations with the village, or putting more energy into improving his own strength and showing off his skills to deter any potential troublemakers, the fate of the Uchiha clan might have been completely different.

Another possibility is that a crucial decision was made incorrectly.

That is, on the night of the Nine-Tails, when that rampaging nine-tailed monster was slaughtering people in the village, the Uchiha clan did not step forward to help, nor did they take the opportunity to launch a rebellion and seize control of the entire village in one fell swoop.

Instead, he hesitated and was kept in check by Danzo Shimura, who led the Root organization and the Dark Division.

Everyone is not blind; they can all see the bright Sharingan in Kurama's eyes.

The most effective means of controlling the Nine-Tails, besides Wood Release, is the Sharingan. Since Kurama broke free of the seal, Wood Release has not appeared for a long time. Only the Uchiha clan, who possess the Sharingan and are capable of controlling the Nine-Tails, are the most likely suspects.

At this point, what Uchiha Fugaku, as the clan head, had to do was to ignore the suspicions of the village's higher-ups, take strong action to help clear his name, or simply raise a flag of rebellion and pull off a heist. If he succeeded, he would secure his position as the Fifth Hokage; if he failed, he would run away as quickly as possible.

As a result, Fugaku Uchiha chose to stand by and watch, under the surveillance of Konoha's Anbu.

When neither fighting nor running away, when the winds are high and the waves are rough and a fire is imminent, the most hated people are those who stand by and watch the fire from the sidelines, enjoying the spectacle as much as possible.

Perhaps Fugaku Uchiha's plan was to play it safe, observe the situation, and ultimately rely on the strength and prestige of the Uchiha clan to step in, consolidate the power, and strike back to reap the rewards of victory.

Unfortunately, the outcome was embarrassing. The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, sacrificed his life to quickly end the Nine-Tails' rampage. The Uchiha clan gained nothing and incurred dissatisfaction from all sides, gradually becoming marginalized in the village and heading step by step towards the tragedy of the "Night of the Clan's Extermination".

As the two chatted, Uchiha Mikoto sighed:

"In fact, the problems that Fugaku faced back then were quite complex. Most of the family members had become accustomed to their current lives and had no desire to cause any trouble. Meanwhile, the family's senior members, along with the younger hardliners and the older members who longed for past glories, joined forces to actively promote a military takeover of power."

The entire Uchiha clan's ninja community, especially the upper echelons, had limited opportunities for advancement and were very dissatisfied. However, they were completely separated from the much larger number of ordinary Uchiha clan members.

They couldn't bear to part with their old ways, couldn't bring themselves to take the path of the militant faction, and couldn't suppress the restless young people; so the method of gentle reform was not an option.

At its worst, anyone who got close to ninjas from outside the clan was considered a traitor. Uchiha Itachi was only sent to the Anbu by the clan to act as a bridge for negotiations with the village, but he was ostracized and contemptuously called a dog raised by the village.

Uchiha Shisui pinned his hopes on Kotoamatsukami in an effort to change this situation. Whether it was a temporary fix or a cure, it could at least resolve the immediate predicament, buy some time, and wait for a better opportunity to deal with the situation. However, he was tricked and used by Shimura Danzo to launch a sneak attack and die.

"This problem..."

After pondering for a while, Gu Shanbu concluded,

"In fact, all the major ninja villages have this problem to varying degrees: the upper echelons who wield power and the ordinary people who are content with a peaceful life have different needs, creating a significant divide between them. In Konoha, there is the Ninja Academy, and the successive Hokage have spared no effort in training civilian ninjas, which has largely bridged the gap between the two sides. But in the Uchiha clan, this middle class doesn't exist..."

Are there commoner Uchiha, ninja Uchiha, or commoner ninja Uchiha?

If we had to divide them, the Uchiha clan would be divided into two categories: Sharingan Uchiha and non-ninja civilians. Those who did not awaken the Sharingan but became ninjas are not considered by anyone to be one of them.

Because they did not awaken the Sharingan, they were of "inferior Uchiha bloodline." Because they had the potential to become ninjas, they were not like ordinary Uchiha clan members who lived a quiet life.

They couldn't even mingle with the common ninjas within Konoha Village. Secret techniques and bloodline ninjas rarely treated them well. Despite not having the Sharingan, they still occasionally displayed the arrogance of the Uchiha clan.

Moreover, the Uchiha surname itself makes it difficult to gain the village's complete trust.

Ultimately, it's because the Uchiha surname and the Sharingan bloodline limit are too heavy a burden for the Uchiha clan members who have some talent but not enough, making their situation too awkward.

"Fugaku tried his best to mend the relationship between the village and the clan, but with little success. In particular, Itachi's lack of understanding and subsequent actions were devastating. After Shisui's death, it was basically a failure. Those militant factions were still stirring up trouble everywhere, unaware that Fugaku had long realized that the village might have a plan to eliminate the clan, but he didn't know the specific time and methods."

"That's true. Clan Chief Fugaku may not have been a great leader to reverse the fate of the Uchiha clan, but his intelligence was not low. In fact... he made quite a few arrangements."

"Is it about offering a bargaining chip to get Bu Shui Shao Du to lend a hand on the night of the massacre?"

"Each takes what they need, so it's a good use of resources!"

There are many reasons that prompted Kosugi Bokusui to take action, but one thing is certain: if there are only one or two teams left in the ninja world with the Sharingan as a bloodline limit, then the room for maneuver will be too small.

Awakening the Sharingan is extremely difficult, and the chance of advancing to the Mangekyou Sharingan is even slimmer. However, if successful, a super strong person is born, and the path to a higher level is opened.

"In short, I am extremely grateful. In the most critical moment, only Bu Shui Shaodu was willing to lend a helping hand."

"I'm not at a loss either!"

Gu Shanbu responded calmly.

"I've taken care of the matter concerning Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi. My wife has agreed, so please keep a close eye on things."

"I understand. In fact, even without me, those people wouldn't be able to cause any trouble."

"Times change, and this was originally a good thing for both sides. But if in the future it not only doesn't turn out well, but also attracts a lot of complaints, then that won't be good."

"Don't worry, the Uchiha clan has existed for so many years, they must have some tricks up their sleeves. Otherwise, the Sharingan wouldn't just be passed down within the clan."

"Well... let's leave it at that!"

As Gu Shanbu Shui spoke, he prepared to get up.

"Regarding Itachi, he currently wakes up about twice a week for short periods. If you want to see him, just contact Sakon and Ukon."

"Let's not watch it, it'll only make us unhappy. Itachi isn't fully conscious right now, and he can't say anything."

"You can decide for yourself!"

Mikoto Uchiha is a woman who is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, especially now that she has several young children to raise.

To put it simply, with a "weak point," her actions are controllable, so the risk is minimal.

In contrast, another Uchiha is more worrying.

After chatting about some trivial matters, Kosugi Bokusui went out to check on his daughters. A capable figure flashed around the corner; it was Uchiha Izumi, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit and carrying two swords.

"Lord Bu Shui..."

"Hmm! How does it feel? You're currently the only one who has used the 'Snake Shedding Technique' to completely sever the body and soul. The Usami in front of me is actually more like an independent individual who was forcibly sealed by the Cursed Seal Technique and then stripped away, with her personality, chakra, and body cells reintegrated. It would be best if there were no problems."

This is actually like the original Uchiha Izumi, who disguised herself as Usami and then "gave birth" to a new Uchiha Izumi.

The Uchiha Izumi in front of me is not the same as the little girl with the same name from a few years ago. Strictly speaking, she is somewhat like another side of herself that has been reproduced through parthenogenesis, and she is also a semi-customized product to a certain extent.

“Everyone sees me as the Uchiha Izumi from back then, and some even see me as a physical clone of Usami, but I know very well that I am different. Although I inherited Uchiha Izumi’s memories, body, and most of her abilities, it’s not the same thing.”

"What are you dissatisfied with? Or do you want to obtain another identity?"

"No, not at all. It was originally empty, but now it has suddenly been 'stuffed' with the identity of Uchiha Izumi. It's much more conscious than starting from scratch."

Gu Shanbu Shui was not surprised and said slowly:

"At the canine spirit beast experimental base, the in vitro embryo transfer technology has made great progress, with a significant increase in the success rate. It can even be used in some half-beast breeding programs, and its performance in improving and treating infertility in ordinary people is also outstanding. Moreover, once successful, it starts from the third month of pregnancy and can effectively avoid the adverse reactions of early pregnancy. Of course, there are also many problems."

"So, I'm basically born as an 18-year-old 'embryo'?"

The exaggerated, but not entirely joking, words made Kosugi Bosui laugh.