After the Kaguya clan verified the information, the mysterious dark figure turned and disappeared into the night, without being stopped by the Kaguya members. To them, this sneaky figure was merely a pitiful soul, unable to take revenge on their own.
In the moonlight, the mysterious person removed their disguise. Under the moon's glow, their aged face appeared pale, and the scarlet in their eyes slowly faded away.
Uchiha Igaku thought back to his recent encounter with the Kaguya clan, "These brainless lunatics... They'll serve as the perfect cover for me. When they cause chaos within the Uchiha clan, that will be my time to strike."
"Gin, wake up!"
Feeling a wet sensation on his face, Uchiha Gin slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a delicate girl, her face wet with tears. Her tears dripped onto his face, and in his thirst, he instinctively licked the moisture at the corner of his lips.
Salty and a little sweet.
Seeing him awaken, the girl, crying like a weeping willow in spring, threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed, "I had such a strange dream... In it, you weren't there, and I was so scared all alone."
Still feeling a bit stiff, Uchiha Gin propped himself up and let the girl cry in his arms. He gently patted her on the head, saying, "It's okay, I'll always be with you."
"Really?"
The girl, her nose red from crying, looked up at Uchiha Gin with her teary eyes, as if seeking confirmation.
"Of course. Haven't you always said that you only have me? If I don't take care of you, who will?"
Patting her on the head, he signaled her to get up.
"Hmph, who said that? I can take care of myself without you," the girl pouted, suddenly realizing how intimate her actions were. She quickly jumped up, turning her head away and pretending to be defiant.
"Alright, you two lovebirds, stop it already. You're making us old folks feel like we're getting cavities here," teased the chubby Uchiha Hiro.
Only then did Uchiha Gin notice that Uchiha Haru and Uchiha Hiro, who had been sent away earlier, were now back.
"Where's that old man?"
Recalling the strange behavior of Uchiha Igaku, the boy anxiously asked.
"The clan leader has ordered him to stop participating in the research. You can both rest easy now," explained the thin Uchiha Haru.
"Do you feel any discomfort? Like with your eyes or head?" Uchiha Haru inquired.
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin immediately mentioned his worsening vision, and Uchiha Hikaru brought up the term "weapon" that had been mentioned by Uchiha Igaku's subordinate.
"Weapons?"
Hearing this unfamiliar term for the first time, Uchiha Gin looked confusedly at Uchiha Haru, who sighed and handed him a file detailing a plan about "war weapons."
After scanning the document, Uchiha Gin frowned and said, "Has that old guy lost his mind? He actually wanted to turn me and Hikaru into 'war weapons' with no consciousness?"
Meanwhile, Uchiha Tajima had already rejected the plan, which had been submitted by Uchiha Haru, based on Uchiha Igaku's proposal for the creation of war weapons. Afterward, Tajima returned home alone.
His wife, who had just given birth to twin boys, was nursing the babies, while a younger child slept beside her.
In this era where family planning wasn't a concern, each ninja clan believed in having many children, as population equaled strength.
Watching his wife and children, Uchiha Tajima's harsh expression softened.
"You've worked hard."
Uchiha Tajima sat beside her and gently touched his wife's frail body.
"It's nothing. Where are Madara and Izuna?" asked his wife, a gentle and kind woman.
Though the daughter of the previous clan leader, she disliked fighting. Her soft, calm nature perfectly balanced Uchiha Tajima's more aggressive personality, and they shared a deep love.
"They've reached the age where they should be fighting. I've sent them to the training room to toughen up."
Tajima's eldest son, Madara, and his second son, Izuna, were already old enough to participate in small-scale battles.
Tajima had them train hard under his supervision to prepare them for future conflicts, hoping they'd suffer less on the battlefield.
"Ah, I haven't even fully recovered yet!"
Hearing that her two mature boys had been sent off by her husband, the woman lying on the bed blushed and gave a coy smile, her voice becoming even more tender.
"What kind of man do you take me for?"
Tajima playfully scolded her, though he fought back a smirk.
Back at the Uchiha clan grounds, the night was peaceful. Patrol teams diligently followed their routes, keeping watch over the area.
The darkness didn't affect the Uchiha clan's dynamic vision. As their patrol neared its end, the members relaxed slightly.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."
Suddenly, sharp sounds echoed from the forest. The patrol leader at the front collapsed to the ground as blood spurted from his body.
"Enemy attack!!"
The alarm was raised, and a massive fire signal shot into the sky, exploding in the air. The remaining patrol members drew their weapons and activated their Sharingan, fearlessly charging forward to buy time for the clan behind them.
In an instant, hundreds of figures emerged from the shadows, their faces twisted with bloodthirsty expressions.
The Kaguya clan, like ravenous wolves, pounced on them. Within moments, the small patrol squad was engulfed by the enemy horde, leaving behind nothing but shattered bodies.
The atmosphere of death, like an invisible hand, slowly crept over the once-peaceful Uchiha clan grounds.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Gin, bored in his room at the research center, lay in bed counting the stars outside his window.
Suddenly, in the distance, a spark of fire ignited in the darkness—an alarm unique to the Uchiha clan.
Staring in disbelief at the signal of an enemy attack, Uchiha Gin wasted no time. He jumped out of bed and rushed out of his room.
The research center was in chaos. Guards were assembling while researchers without combat abilities hurriedly packed up their documents. With no one to stop him, Uchiha Gin ran to a specific room and knocked hard on the door.
"Bang, bang, bang."
The door opened, and a sleepy girl, clutching a pillow, yawned as she rubbed her eyes, "What is it now?"
"You need to find a place to hide. Someone's attacking the clan."
Without caring about propriety, Uchiha Gin grabbed her hand and ran.
"Where are you taking me?"
Still dazed, the girl allowed herself to be dragged along by the frantic boy.
They ran all the way to the entrance of the research center, where a round figure was busy organizing the guards.
Seeing the two youths, Uchiha Hiro shouted, "What are you doing out here? Get back inside. The research center is much safer!"
Uchiha Hiro had just received reports from the clan's outer members. A group of unidentified individuals was approaching the Uchiha clan grounds at a rapid pace, hitting every patrol and outpost with pinpoint precision and catching them off guard.
"Take Hikari to safety. I'm going to fight!"
Uchiha Gin shielded the girl behind him, puffing out his chest as he looked fearlessly at Uchiha Hiro with his crimson Sharingan eyes, declaring, "I can fight too!"
"It's not that serious yet. Stay put."
Uchiha Hiro couldn't help but laugh.
Despite the enemy's ferocity, this wasn't a life-or-death moment for the Uchiha clan.
They had existed for a thousand years; an attack like this couldn't wipe them out.
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