Chapter 12: The Meaning of Family
After the meal, Uchiha Raizen did not follow Uchiha Natsume. An order had been relayed through the camp: pack your belongings; they were returning home. The news spread like a healing balm, bringing smiles even to the faces of the wounded lying in the medical tents. Even the warlike Uchiha had their limits, and the prolonged conflict had worn them down.
A palpable sense of relief and joy hung in the air. The truce, born from mutual exhaustion, also meant a period of safety. With both major clans demonstrating their strength, it was likely many smaller clans would soon seek alliances for protection.
Uchiha Raizen traveled light. With his mother and sisters back at the clan compound and his few personal effects storable in his system's inventory, he was packed quickly. He made his way to the main square where the clan was assembling.
Watching the genuine smiles and hearing the relieved chatter, a realization dawned on him. These people didn't love war. The world forced their hand. In this brutal era where the weak were devoured, strength was the only guarantee of survival. For a major clan like the Uchiha, countless enemies watched from the shadows, waiting for a moment of vulnerability. They fought not for glory, but to protect what was behind them—their homes, their families.
"Clansmen!" Uchiha Tamura's voice boomed across the square, silencing the crowd. "This battle is over! But do not forget that it is in battle that our strength is forged! The next conflict will come, as it always does. For the Uchiha! For yourselves! Use this time of peace to grow stronger! The sword in your hand is the strongest shield for your kin and children! The flames of the Uchiha will one day burn across the entire world!"
"The flames of the Uchiha will burn across the entire world!" a warrior shouted.
"The flames of the Uchiha will burn across the entire world!" another joined.
Soon, the chant was taken up by hundreds of voices, a roaring, defiant promise. Uchiha Raizen watched, understanding that this shared belief, this fierce pride, was the glue that held the clan together through the relentless bloodshed. It was a concept foreign to his old life, but here, in the Warring States Period, it was the very essence of survival.
"Move out! We are going home!" Uchiha Tamura commanded.
With that final order, the logistics unit efficiently sealed the entire camp into storage scrolls, and the long column of Uchiha shinobi began the journey back to their territory. Having no immediate family in the battalion, Uchiha Raizen fell in with his third uncle's group, while Uchiha Ryoken and Uchiha Natsume joined their own parents.
The three-day journey passed quietly. Uchiha Raizen used his daily pickups to gather more chakra and physique fragments, steadily inching his stats upward. More importantly, he received his second system gift.
The first had come after seven consecutive days of pickups. This one arrived after ten. It seemed the interval between rewards was increasing.
Finally back in his small, familiar room within the Uchiha compound, he willed the package to open.
"Open the Primary Gift Package."
[Congratulations, Host. Acquired: Muramasa. One of the Twelve Sacred Swords of Kusanagi. Affinity: Lightning, Fire, Ice. Ninjutsu of these three natures gain a 50% power increase when channeled through this blade.]
This time, it wasn't an experience card, but a weapon. And what a weapon it was! One of the legendary Kusanagi Swords? A 50% boost to his Lightning, Fire, and Ice techniques was a monumental advantage.
He glanced at his experience bar: 98/100. He was on the cusp. After completing his pickups for the day, he would reach Level 2. The powerful S-Rank ninjutsu sitting dormant in his warehouse—Cataclysm and False Darkness—would finally be usable. A new chapter of his life in this world was about to begin, and he would be ready, armed with a legendary sword and forbidden techniques.