The setting sun illuminated the Senju clan.
Senju Shuichi leaned on a wooden staff worn smooth with age, standing alone at the edge of a cliff.
The wind swept dry grass across Shuichi's face.
Senju Shuichi's later years were lonely.
The death of Uchiha Izumichi became a scar that would forever lie across his heart.
From the day his close friend passed away, Shuichi could no longer summon even a trace of fighting spirit. He no longer had the will to raise the Senju clan's banner and lead his people into endless wars.
The ninja who once dominated the battlefield now carried nothing but exhaustion and melancholy.
"When will cycles of vengeance ever end…", Senju Shuichi murmured softly, his voice fading into the roaring wind.
He looked toward the distant mountain ranges. That land had long been the battlefield between the Senju and the Uchiha. Every inch of it had been soaked with the blood of both clans.
Senju Shuichi chose to stop the war not because he was weak, nor because he had lost the strength to fight.
After witnessing decades of bloodshed with his own eyes, he had finally understood the cruel truth.
The hatred between the two clans had already taken root in the flashing blades and endless battles.
If they continued slaughtering each other like this, the conflict would only grow deeper until it became an unsolvable knot.
"It's just a pity. If Izumichi and I had realized this earlier, it could have been avoided…", Senju Shuichi said with regret.
By that time, what awaited the Senju and the Uchiha would only be a desperate struggle to the death, or even mutual destruction where both sides perished together.
Resolving the century-old hatred between the Senju and the Uchiha was the real reason he laid down his weapons and ended the wars.
Therefore, Senju Shuichi did not use his overwhelming strength to crush the Uchiha. Instead, he hoped to slowly reconcile with them.
Unfortunately, that wish for reconciliation never lived to see the day it could come true.
Time eroded his body, and illness wrapped around him.
With his life running out, Senju Shuichi eventually died quietly in the clan's residence, alone.
By then, fifteen full years had passed since the death of Uchiha Izumichi.
———
[Ten Years After Senju Shuichi's Death]
Incense smoke drifted through the central altar of the Uchiha clan territory.
The Uchiha clan had gathered here to hold a grand clan ceremony to worship the divine tablet of the Sage of Six Paths.
The clansmen wore uniform clothing, their expressions solemn. Only at a remote corner near the edge of the altar hid a malice completely out of place with the peaceful atmosphere.
"Get lost, little beggar! You've got no parents, and you still dare come here!"
"An Uchiha like you isn't even worthy of worshipping the Sage of Six Paths' tablet. You're just dirtying the Sage's eyes!"
Three sharp shouts broke the silence. Three slightly stronger Uchiha children surrounded a thin, frail figure and punched and kicked him.
The dull sounds of fists and feet hitting a body rang out repeatedly. The children's faces were filled with contempt and the pleasure of bullying.
After venting their cruelty, the three cursed as they turned and left, leaving the thin child sitting collapsed on the ground.
The Uchiha adults watching from a distance saw everything clearly, yet not a single one stepped forward to stop it. They simply looked away coldly, pretending they hadn't seen anything.
In the Uchiha clan, which valued bloodline and family background, an orphan with no one to rely on was never worth anyone's concern.
After a few seconds of silence, the boy on the ground slowly pushed himself up and stood.
He raised a hand and brushed the dust and footprints off his clothes. There was no expression on his young face. He still looked calm and indifferent.
His name was Uchiha Katsu. He was the most insignificant orphan in the Uchiha clan.
His parents were dead, his ancestors gone, no relatives and no support. Within the clan, he was as small and unnoticed as dust.
"Cough, cough… those bastards really hit hard."
"When I become strong in the future, I definitely won't let you off!"
Uchiha Katsu clenched his teeth.
But he buried this overwhelming anger deep in his heart, his face still expressionless.
He was far more mature than others his age. Long ago he had already seen through the warmth and cruelty inside the clan.
The Uchiha clan worshipped strength.
For a weak and worthless orphan like him, the fact that they even gave him some food to eat was already considered generosity.
With no one to rely on, he had no capital to resist. For now, the only path left for him was endurance.
Uchiha Katsu raised his hand and wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth. Silently, he walked to the incense altar and picked up a stick of incense, lighting it.
He bowed respectfully toward the divine tablet of the Sage of Six Paths and gently placed the incense into the burner, praying sincerely in his heart.
"Sage of Six Paths, please bless me. Bless me with a bright future and great power…"
———
Late at night, Uchiha Katsu tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
'Why… why don't I have a father or mother…'
Uchiha Katsu silently shed tears. Feeling depressed, he ran alone outside the clan territory.
He didn't feel much sense of belonging toward the Uchiha clan. In fact, he even felt some resentment toward it.
But he could only curse them quietly in his heart.
Uchiha Katsu sat alone by the river, listening to the sound of the flowing water.
Just then, a sudden rustling sound appeared.
Following the sound, Uchiha Katsu quietly moved behind a tree and discovered that in an open clearing ahead, a girl was training.
"Ha!"
The girl suddenly leaped into the air. Blue chakra appeared on her fist.
With just one punch...
BOOM!
The huge rock in front of her shattered instantly.
'Hiss… what is this?'
Seeing this scene, Uchiha Katsu's pupils shrank.
He immediately recognized it as the monstrous strength of the Senju clan.
"Have the Senju become this arrogant? Now they even dare train near the doorstep of our Uchiha clan…", Uchiha Katsu frowned slightly.
Ever since the death of Clan Leader Uchiha Izumichi forty-six years ago, the Uchiha clan had always been at a disadvantage. Even after Senju Shuichi died, the Uchiha clan remained at a disadvantage.
The Senju clan had almost been pressing the Uchiha down the entire time.
"I'd better leave quickly. If that girl discovers me, an Uchiha, I'll definitely die…"
Uchiha Katsu thought to himself and quickly prepared to leave.
The moment he moved...
Crack!
A crisp sound rang out.
Uchiha Katsu immediately looked down.
'Damn it, why is there a branch here!?'
The next second, he felt a gust of wind rushing toward him.
"Who's there?!", The Senju girl shouted coldly and instantly appeared behind Uchiha Katsu.
Uchiha Katsu was only a weak kid.
How could he withstand the attack of a strong Senju girl?
In the next moment, Uchiha Katsu was grabbed by the throat by the Senju girl.
This time, Uchiha Katsu clearly saw the girl's face.
She was actually quite pretty, with a high ponytail. Even though she looked about the same age as him, she was noticeably taller.
"Who are you?" The Senju girl frowned slightly.
Uchiha Katsu closed his eyes tightly, completely at her mercy.
'It's over… am I really going to die in such a pathetic way?'
Uchiha Katsu did not struggle.
Just when he thought he was about to die...
"Who are you?", The Senju girl asked with a frown.
"I… I was just passing by…", Uchiha Katsu said with difficulty.
The pressure on his neck suddenly loosened.
The girl's tense posture finally relaxed, and she spoke to Uchiha Katsu.
"So you're just a passerby. Since you're not an Uchiha, you should leave quickly. There are Uchiha around here."
Uchiha Katsu quickly pushed himself up from the ground and repeatedly thanked the girl. His voice was filled with relief at surviving.
"Thank you! May I ask your name?"
"My name is Mio. For certain reasons, I can't reveal my family name. I'm leaving now. You should leave here quickly too."
Senju Mio glanced at him calmly, said nothing more, and turned to walk quickly into the dark forest.
Only after Mio's figure completely disappeared did Uchiha Katsu's legs give out. He collapsed onto the ground in relief, gasping for breath.
"Luckily it was just a young girl… If it had been an adult from the Senju clan, they would have definitely noticed the flaws in my story…"
Katsu pressed a hand to his chest, secretly thankful.
Wandering around the border of the two clans in the middle of the night already raised many suspicions.
If he had encountered an adult Senju ninja, they wouldn't have asked anything at all. They would have simply treated him as a spy and killed him immediately.
"I have to leave quickly! I didn't expect even little girls from the Senju clan are already coming near the Uchiha territory to train. In a few years, could it be that the Senju will wipe out the Uchiha clan…"
Not daring to stay any longer, Uchiha Katsu climbed to his feet, carefully concealing himself as he hurried back toward the direction of the Uchiha clan territory.