Fugaku turned and started chatting with Ruri about other topics.
"You're asking the wrong person. I might understand less about the Mangekyo Sharingan than you do."
Ruri shook her head. These past few years, the times she'd met with Elder Shifang could be counted on one hand; partly because of missions, partly because he genuinely seemed old now.
He was no longer the person in her mind, full of wisdom, able to give her practical experience as an elder.
Especially after that Root incident—it remained a thorn in her heart.
If she didn't pull it out, she felt her thoughts would never be at ease.
"Elder Shifang is tight-lipped. The reason he won't talk might be because the conditions for awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan are extremely harsh for us."
Fugaku nodded, sharing his thoughts.
With the intelligence they had now, there was only so much they could guess.
For example, maybe it's about even stronger emotional stimulus?
The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan evolved through this kind of power.
If he wasn't sure about Elder Shifang's character, Fugaku would have thought this Mangekyo Sharingan was just a legend.
Ruri wasn't that interested in the topic; as for the Mangekyo Sharingan, she thought, if she could awaken it, great—if not, she'd just study Immortal Technique and use Natural Energy to fight.
One shouldn't be seduced by power; true strength was about making power a part of yourself, not simply becoming a puppet operated by power.
The more she learned about the boundless possibilities of Natural Energy, the more she understood that in this infinite world, human strength could be very insignificant at times.
No matter how strong a ninja became, they couldn't escape this world—they needed it to be born and to survive.
People ought to have a sense of awe toward the world.
"Oh, looks like someone's here to see you. I won't interrupt your date. Let's chat again next time."
Fugaku glanced aside, noticed something, gave Ruri a small smile, and walked away sensibly.
Across the corridor, Hakushi was standing there—he'd come to find Ruri.
In the eyes of many Uchiha ninjas, Hakushi was almost considered half a clan member.
The genius child foster husband, after all.
Though most didn't understand why their Uchiha genius girl was interested in such an ordinary guy—must be a peculiar taste. As outsiders, all they could do was send their blessings.
He'd end up joining the clan sooner or later anyway.
So, generally, the Security Team—which didn't allow visitors—let Hakushi come and go freely. Sometimes, Uchiha ninjas would greet him; Hakushi would smile back.
Some Uchiha ninjas were hot-tempered, truly arrogant; some were easy to talk to, at least didn't constantly say "we Uchihas this, we Uchihas that".
On the Security Team's rooftop.
A gentle breeze blew. Ruri, dressed in black ninja gear, leaned lightly against the railing at the edge of the rooftop and took the lead, asking, "Looking for me at a time like this—is it another money issue?"
"Why would you think it's about money?"
Hakushi suddenly looked a little helpless.
"Because every time you suddenly come to me, it's about money."
Ruri was just used to it.
"Admittedly, funds are tight, but there's still enough to splurge. I came this time for something else."
"Go ahead, what is it?"
If it wasn't about money, it probably wasn't anything major.
"Insect Man and the others found a few Uzumaki Clan survivors in the Land of Tea."
Hakushi shared the info.
Ruri immediately looked at Hakushi, her relaxed posture vanishing.
"The Uzumaki Clan?"
She wanted to confirm the authenticity of the intel.
"Yeah, the Uzumaki Clan."
Hakushi confirmed it.
"Haha, is that so? That is… genuinely interesting."
Even someone as indifferent as Ruri couldn't help but smile on hearing the news.
Hakushi nodded, as if he'd expected exactly this.
Ruri's reaction was just as he'd predicted.
The organization owed much of its formation to Ruri; even though Hakushi was the manager, Ruri's status in the group couldn't be denied.
In some ways, Ruri was the true commander—she just didn't bother with things day-to-day.
And now, the Uzumaki Clan—closely tied to the Senju Clan—had fallen so far that they needed help from an Uchiha; truly ironic.
After all, the Uchiha Clan had long been rivals with the Senju, so relations with the Uzumaki Clan were naturally bad.
You had to wonder—those Uzumaki ancestors who were close with the Senju Clan, if they could see this from the grave, what would they think?
What kind of complicated expression would the First Hokage have if he heard—really, that's something worth seeing.
The sealing techniques still in use in Konoha, including the Tailed Beast sealing ninjutsu, all came from the Uzumaki Clan.
And yet, the Land of Whirlpools—the Uzumaki Clan's homeland, right next to the Land of Fire—was destroyed under their noses. The clan scattered, hid their identities, living uncertain lives.
Now, the Land of Whirlpools is nothing but ruins everywhere, with huge losses in population.
"I remember, back in school, there was a red-haired transfer student in the neighboring class—her name was Uzumaki Kushina, right?"
After laughing, Ruri's expression went calm, remembering something.
"That's right. The Uzumaki ninja have incredibly strong life force, which is why they make ideal Jinchuriki. Plus, they excel at powerful Sealing Techniques—the seal for the Nine-tailed Beast was gifted to Konoha by the Uzumaki Clan. Great life force, fit to be Jinchuriki, and skilled in sealing—that guarantees the Tailed Beasts won't ever go berserk again."