Shindai carried Nameless on his back as they stepped out of the cave.
Sunlight fell upon Shindai and Nameless once they left the cave. Having been away from sunlight for so long, Nameless immediately shut her eyes and buried her face against Shindai's shoulder.
After walking for a while, Nameless, who had been silent until now, asked, "Can you tell me about Konoha? Especially how the Uchiha and Senju clans came together to create it?"
Shindai thought it would be good to talk about it with Nameless. It was possible she might remember something after hearing the story.
Shindai began explaining, "Oh right, that? That was a major historical event that took place several decades ago. At that time, the ninja world was in chaos. There wasn't even a concept of ninja villages yet. The Uchiha and Senju clans were bitter enemies."
When Nameless heard "several decades ago," her body trembled slightly, her expression filled with disbelief.
However, since Shindai was carrying Nameless on his back, he didn't see her reaction.
Shindai continued, "But then two powerful leaders emerged from the Uchiha and Senju clans—Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. Madara Uchiha was the leader of the Uchiha clan, while Hashirama Senju was the leader of the Senju clan. They clashed repeatedly over the years, with neither side ever gaining the upper hand."
"Hashirama Senju was a magnanimous great man who didn't want these endless battles to continue. He repeatedly pleaded with his rival Madara Uchiha to seek peace and cooperation."
"After a one-on-one battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, Madara lost. When Hashirama once again pleaded for cooperation between their clans, Madara demanded Hashirama commit suicide or kill his younger brother Tobirama Senju before he would surrender. The noble Hashirama Senju chose to take his own life. Moved by Hashirama's actions, Madara Uchiha agreed to reconcile and cooperate."
"Shortly afterward, the two strongest clans—the Uchiha and the Senju—joined forces to establish the Hidden Leaf Village. Led by the Land of Fire, the other four nations formed their own ninja organizations, established ninja villages, and ushered in an era where the Five Great Nations united the ninja world."
"Huh? Why is your breathing so heavy all of a sudden? Did you remember something?"
On Shindai's back, Nameless' breathing had grown ragged and uneven. Shindai was even worried she might stop breathing the next moment.
Nameless took a deep breath, calming herself down before continuing, "I'm fine. Please, go on. What happened next?"
Shindai asked, "You're really okay? Maybe we should take a break? I'm not in a hurry anyway."
Nameless' voice slightly trembled as she said, "No need. I need to hear the rest—especially about the Uchiha."
Seeing how eager Nameless was to know, Shindai continued, "Alright then. After that, originally Hashirama Senju wanted Madara Uchiha to become Hokage, but this met with opposition because the position of Hokage must be democratically elected. Public opinion generally supported electing Hashirama Senju as Hokage. Having been the last clan to submit to the Senju, the Uchiha's influence within the village could never rival the power of the Senju. Even among the Uchiha themselves, there weren't many who truly trusted Madara Uchiha."
In other words, aside from Hashirama Senju's best friend Madara Uchiha who supported his becoming the Hokage, all other clans and villagers in Konoha supported Hashirama. As a result, Hashirama naturally became the Hokage.
Later on, Madara Uchiha left Konoha alone. When he returned, he suddenly attacked the village, attempting to destroy the village he had once co-founded with Hashirama. That battle became a famous historical event known as the Battle of the Valley of the End.
Of course, the final outcome was Hashirama winning while Madara lost. To commemorate this great battle, statues of both men were erected on either side of the Valley.
Afterwards, the Uchiha clan continued living in Konoha as one of its ninja clans—thus matters remained.
Nameless now felt mentally disoriented, her emotions unable to calm down for quite some time.
Shindai, meanwhile, felt somewhat numb. He had spoken so much at once, yet after finishing, Nameless completely ignored him. How could someone be like that?
Night had already fallen, and Shindai found a campsite, preparing to sleep through the night before continuing their journey tomorrow.
"I'm going to rest first. There's dried meat by the fire if you get hungry. Don't eat it all at once—save some for me. I don't want to rely on Military Rations Pills; we're continuing tomorrow anyway."
Still, not a single word of response came from Nameless.
"Tch."
Feeling cold-shouldered, Shindai lay down on the ground, turned over, and gave Nameless the back of his head.
Sitting beside the fire, the flickering flames cast shifting lights and shadows across Nameless's face.
Nameless's true name was none other than Hikaku Uchiha. She was originally a member of the Uchiha clan during the Warring States period. Her parents died in the wars, leaving her an orphan, which led to her awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Back then, the leader of the Uchiha clan was Tajima Uchiha—Madara's father.
Because of her Mangekyo Sharingan's dojutsu power, she was seen merely as a weapon by her own clansmen, stripped of her name, and simply called "Nameless."
Eventually, due to her overwhelming power, other clans grew fearful. Hikaku Uchiha was ultimately sealed away by the Senju and Sarutobi clans.
This was where the Double Seal on the cave wall originated.
Hikaku Uchiha never imagined she would live to see sunlight again, let alone find herself in this world decades later.
Everything had changed, making her feel alienated and unfamiliar.
She harbored deep hatred toward the Uchiha clan. Despite being her own people, they treated her as a weapon and subjected her to dehumanizing cruelty.
That was why earlier, when she recalled everything inside the cave, Hikaku's expression was filled with hatred.
The Uchiha clan, the Senju clan, Konoha, Konoha ninjas...
Hikaku Uchiha directed her gaze toward Shindai.
At this moment, Shindai was already snoring loudly, one hand reaching into his pants, scratching his behind before turning over again and snoozing like a log.
Hikaku Uchiha's eyes flickered with complex emotions. According to Shindai's account, Konoha was founded jointly by the Uchiha and Senju clans—so perhaps Konoha could be considered as belonging to the Uchiha.
But decades have passed. Are the Uchiha of today still the same as they once were?
Though Hikaku Uchiha bore hatred toward the Uchiha clan and sought revenge, his inherently kind nature made him question whether it was right for him to do so.
Hikaku Uchiha picked up a piece of dried meat and began chewing it thoughtfully.
"Forget it. I'll go check out Konoha first."
If only… A cold glint flickered in Hikaku Uchiha's eyes.
The next day.
"Ahh! It's gone, all gone!"
Shindai woke up in the morning hoping for breakfast but found the bag beside the fire completely empty—no dried meat left inside.
Still resting nearby, Hikaku Uchiha was woken by Shindai's voice and frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Shindai didn't say anything; instead, he held up the empty bag and gazed at Hikaku Uchiha with a pitiful expression.
He hadn't spoken a word, yet somehow he'd said everything.
Hikaku Uchiha felt awkward—he had been thinking last night and ate one piece after another absentmindedly, forgetting to leave any behind.
Shindai sighed. "Forget it. We're not in a rush to return to Konoha anyway. After entering the Land of Fire, we can buy food elsewhere. Do you have your strength back now?"
Hikaku Uchiha nodded silently.
"Then let's head out now. Even after entering the Land of Fire, it's still quite a journey to reach Ōmaki Village."
Shindai and Hikaku Uchiha continued onward, heading toward the Land of Fire.
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