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"Ahem." Black Zetsu cleared his throat twice.
"Indra, Asura. Next, I'll give you a proper introduction to these reincarnations of yours."
He lifted his chin and smiled. "There have always been heroes. They come and go. But if the people in front of you were missing from Shinobi history—it would be far less eventful and much less interesting."
Black Zetsu clapped softly, stepped aside, and began to introduce the men and women who had carried Indra and Asura's bloodline and destiny through the generations.
He gestured to Senju Shūichi and Uchiha Senichi. "Let's start with the first generation of reincarnations. These two—Senju Shūichi and Uchiha Senichi—lived through the last years of Ninshū and saw the start of the clan wars."
"Their fight to the death started the feud between the Senju and Uchiha. After Senju Shūichi killed Uchiha Senichi, the two clans developed a hatred that couldn't be undone. Even when Shūichi tried to end the war and make peace, the Uchiha refused. From then on, the hatred only grew..."
Black Zetsu spoke calmly, explaining the hidden history step by step.
"..."
Senju Shūichi's hand curled into a fist, and he let out a long sigh. "Senichi and I could have avoided that fight from the very beginning. If I hadn't dealt him a killing blow back then, perhaps the generations after us wouldn't have suffered through generations of warfare."
Uchiha Senichi sighed too, sounding tired and resigned. "Shūichi, you're still too naive. The Uchiha's anger toward the Senju began with the clan rules my father left behind. Even if you hadn't killed me, my descendants would have fought the Senju anyway. That conflict was already inevitable."
Indra's gaze intensified. He looked straight at Senichi and asked, "Oh? Who was your father?"
"Uchiha Raku," Senichi answered. "You should know him. He was your youngest grandson."
Recognition flickered in Indra's eyes, and he nodded faintly. "So it was Raku... When I was on my deathbed, I did specifically tell him not to forget the struggle between shinobi clans."
He paused, then gave a small, approving smile. "I didn't think that boy would follow my words so closely."
Then his expression changed. He frowned, looking both surprised and annoyed. "Wait. You said Shūichi killed you? So you lost?"
Uchiha Senichi snorted at once. "Yes. I lost."
He looked up at Indra, his voice rising with long-held resentment. "But I have a question for you. As the Uchiha ancestor, you should know about the Mangekyō Sharingan, right?"
At the words Mangekyō Sharingan, Indra paused. Clear surprise appeared on his face.
"Mangekyō Sharingan? Are you referring to an advanced form of the three-tomoe Sharingan, the one where a unique pattern appears in the eye?" Indra frowned, his confusion plain.
"That's right. Since you know about it, let me ask you this." Senichi's voice got colder. "Those eyes are powerful, but the side effects can destroy someone. I couldn't handle the cost of using them."
"If my eyes hadn't almost gone blind and my strength hadn't faded, I never would have rushed into that last fight with Shūichi."
"You wanted your descendants to win, right? So why didn't you leave a way to fix the Mangekyō's blindness?"
"..." The question struck a nerve. Several Uchiha standing behind him looked at Indra all at once.
They had wondered about this for years. Some had tried to ask Senichi, but he didn't know either. That made it even more confusing.
Only Uchiha Sa remained calm, entirely unconcerned with the argument. She had never awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, so the problem had nothing to do with her.
Indra frowned even more, looking both surprised and annoyed. "What are you talking about? The Sharingan is just the Sharingan. You control your own eye power. Why would it cause blindness?"
"I used the Sharingan for years in battle and training, and my eyesight never declined."
"Then why do we risk going blind?" Uchiha Gen couldn't hold back, his frustration clear. "You're the Uchiha ancestor, but you don't know about this?"
Indra's expression cooled. "For that answer, you should ask my biological father."
The Uchiha turned silent at once.
No one knew what to say for a moment...
"Ancestor, I'm sorry. It was my fault that the conflict between the two clans reached that point." Senju Shūichi hurriedly turned to Asura and bowed, his face full of guilt.
Asura only smiled and patted him on the shoulder. There was no blame in his eyes. "It's all right, Shūichi. The Uchiha were the ones who started that conflict. You were only protecting your own people. You don't need to take every sin onto yourself."
After saying this, Asura turned to Black Zetsu. "Sage Black Zetsu, please continue. I'd like to hear more about my descendants."
Black Zetsu smiled with a hint of meaning.
He stepped aside and looked at Uchiha Kitsune, who seemed to have lost all hope. Black Zetsu gently patted him on the shoulder.
"Good. Then the next one is a major figure."
"The man who crossed the river dressed in white, the first to give up love to prove his path, the Shinobi world's legendary survivor, the one who faced two Asura reincarnations alone—Uchiha Kitsune!"
The moment Black Zetsu finished, every eye in the room turned toward Uchiha Kitsune.
They looked at him with many different emotions.
"Sage Black Zetsu, please choose your words carefully!" Senju Uzuki gave a cold snort and turned her head away, refusing even to look at Kitsune. "What do you mean, 'give up love to prove his path'? He and I were never close. Don't drag me into nonsense."
"Sorry, Uzuki. That was my mistake." Black Zetsu's apology was sincere, though his expression still held a trace of amusement. "But from where I stood, he did love you."
"Hmph! Shameless bastard who crosses every boundary and uses any vile trick. JUST THINKING ABOUT HIM MAKES ME SICK!!" Senju Futen glared at Uchiha Kitsune, his eyes blazing with anger.
"..." The other Uchiha reacted completely differently. They stared at Kitsune in awe, unable to contain their excitement.
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