Night.
Shinji, dressed neatly, pushed open the front door and stepped out of his home with high spirits.
Having rested the entire day, the slight aftereffects from prolonged use of the Shadow Clone technique had completely dissipated.
He headed straight toward the depths of the Uchiha Clan Territory.
Downstream of the Naka River, several stone lanterns in front of the shrine emitted a bright orange glow.
Ascending the stone steps and entering the courtyard, Shinji stopped directly before the shrine.
Gazing at this ancient temple, which remained unchanged, he couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
The last time he came here, he had sneaked in secretly, but this time, he could step into this place openly.
As long as no evidence was left behind and no one caught him red-handed, some things were inherently about seeking fortune through risk.
No matter how dangerous the process, the rewards to be gained afterward were destined to be immense.
Thinking this, Shinji stepped into the shrine.
But just then, two familiar figures happened to appear at the same place.
The two also noticed Shinji, and one of them faintly exuded a subtle hostility.
"So it's you two."
Shinji casually greeted them, his attitude not particularly warm.
These two were none other than Tekka and Inabi, who had once barged into his home to search it and were knocked unconscious by him.
The moment Tekka saw Shinji, his expression instantly darkened.
He hadn't forgotten the conflict with Shinji during the previous search at his home, where he had been utterly defeated in a single encounter.
That incident had humiliated him among his peers, and he had been training desperately ever since, hoping to reclaim his pride.
Now that Shinji had come to him of his own accord, how could he possibly let this opportunity slip?
Tekka stepped forward, blocking Shinji's path, his tone laced with undisguised provocation:
"I heard you actually became that woman from the Senju clan's student. What a disgrace to our Uchiha."
"I really can't understand why Elder Yashiro and the others remain indifferent to this."
"There are so many outstanding elders and seniors in the clan you could seek guidance from, yet you deliberately choose an outsider as your teacher!"
He puffed out his chest and demanded, "Shinji, have you long since cast aside the honor of the Uchiha?"
Shinji frowned slightly.
From the memories relayed by his Shadow Clone, he already knew that this matter had caused quite a stir in Konohagakure, becoming the hottest gossip topic recently.
Tsunade herself had never publicly commented on it, merely maintaining a silent acknowledgment of the situation.
But within the Uchiha clan, opinions varied.
Ordinary clansmen felt that Shinji becoming a student of Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, could be seen as a powerful alliance.
However, to some in the Police Force, this matter was particularly grating and deeply offensive.
Since the other party had gone this far and deliberately pointed out his becoming Tsunade's disciple in public, if he remained indifferent, word would inevitably spread, potentially causing Tsunade to think less of him.
That was absolutely not the outcome he wanted.
Moreover, he still had an unfinished Side Quest tied to Tsunade.
Shinji immediately sneered and retorted without hesitation:
"A defeated opponent shouldn't embarrass themselves by showing their face."
"What did you say?!"
Tekka flew into a rage.
Inabi, standing nearby, stepped forward and reached out to stop Tekka.
He was more level-headed than Tekka and understood that this sacred shrine was no place for a private fight.
The two had been inseparable lately, so Inabi naturally knew that Tekka had been training relentlessly, all to avenge his previous humiliation at Shinji's hands.
However, this sacred shrine was clearly not the appropriate setting for such a confrontation.
"Let it go, Tekka."
Inabi grabbed his arm, whispering a plea.
But he hadn't anticipated that the phrase "defeated opponent" had already sunk into Tekka's heart like a barbed hook.
Most Uchiha harbored near-obsessive fixations, especially those who had awakened the Sharingan.
Tekka's eyes instantly turned crimson, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan slowly emerging.
He forcefully shook off Inabi's grip, his voice resolute:
"I'm not the same as before."
"Both of us possess the Sharingan, and I've trained diligently under Elder Yashiro. I refuse to believe I'll lose to you, Uchiha Shinji."
Tekka raised his gaze, locking eyes with Shinji. "Care for a match?"
Shinji narrowed his eyes slightly, his own Sharingan activating in response.
He could clearly sense that Tekka was indeed different from last time—his strength had improved, and his Sharingan had advanced from Two Tomoe to Three Tomoe.
But to Shinji, none of this made any fundamental difference.
Shinji gave a slight nod, his tone calm:
"I have no reason to refuse. It won't take much time anyway."
This dismissive attitude not only enraged Tekka but also darkened Inabi's expression.
"What an arrogant guy!"
Inabi stopped intervening, merely patting Tekka's shoulder in encouragement.
In his view, Shinji had been wholly devoted to Medical Ninjutsu and apprenticed under Tsunade, so his combat skills must have long since deteriorated.
Meanwhile, Tekka, after his previous defeat, had broken through with his Sharingan and significantly increased his strength.
With one declining and the other rising, Shinji was bound to lose.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of nearby clansmen.
Before the clan head and elders arrived, onlookers had already gathered.
They were naturally curious about Shinji, a clansman who had missed the clan meeting yet kept stirring up trouble.
Soon, a clearing was made in front of the shrine.
Shinji and Tekka stood facing each other, the air thick with tension.
"Shinji, prepare yourself!"
Tekka assumed a combat stance, his gaze fixed intently on Shinji.
Ten seconds later.
Tekka's vision went dark, and he completely lost consciousness, collapsing heavily to the ground with a thud.
Shinji slowly deactivated his Sharingan, his expression indifferent, as if he had merely performed a trivial task.
The scene fell into dead silence.
Inabi rushed forward, helping Tekka up, then turned to Shinji with a mix of shock and anger:
"Shinji, what did you do?!"
What had just happened defied his understanding; he even suspected Shinji had used some underhanded method.
Shinji simply replied coolly:
"He was just too weak. Next time, don't bother challenging me pointlessly."
The gathered Uchiha clansmen erupted into discussion.
"W-what just happened?"
"It seemed like just one Genjutsu took Tekka down?"
"Is Shinji really that strong?"
The uproar lasted several minutes.
Suddenly, the crowd in front of the shrine parted to form a path.
Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku, accompanied by Elders Homura, Yuichi, and Elder Yashiro, strode forward.
Seeing the scene before him, Elder Yashiro frowned and stepped forward, asking in a low voice:
"What are you all gathered here for? What happened?"
A clansman immediately approached from the crowd, leaning close to his ear to report in a hushed tone.
After listening, a flicker of surprise instantly crossed Elder Yashiro's face.
He strode to the center of the crowd and immediately spotted Tekka, half-leaning in Inabi's arms, his eyes vacant and unfocused—clearly under the influence of a Genjutsu that had yet to be released.
He placed a hand on Tekka and uttered sharply:
"Release!"
The Genjutsu was instantly dispelled.
Tekka shuddered all over, abruptly straightening up as he looked around in confusion.
The next moment, he finally recalled what had just happened.
He had been utterly defeated by a single glance from the opponent.
At that moment, Tekka's cheeks burned with shame, wishing he could vanish into the ground!