The self-proclaimed will incarnate of Madara said that in the future, Madara's reincarnation would be reborn into the Uchiha clan, and he would possess immense potential. Therefore, Uchiha Setsuna was tasked with finding Madara's reincarnation.
Although Uchiha Setsuna couldn't identify Madara's reincarnation, the shadowy figure known as Zetsu could. However, for some unknown reason, Zetsu couldn't personally enter the Hidden Leaf Village, so Uchiha Setsuna had to find a way for Zetsu to observe from outside the village.
Fortunately, no complex secret rituals were required; Zetsu only needed a glance. Uchiha Setsuna simply had to take the children for a stroll near the village entrance. But first, he needed to find a way to identify the newborns within the clan.
To this end, Uchiha Setsuna began to show concern for the clan, even leading Uchiha Kagami to believe he had truly turned over a new leaf. However, no one knew that Uchiha Setsuna was actually searching for Madara's reincarnation.
After some effort, Uchiha Setsuna successfully befriended families with newborns in the clan and, under various pretexts, had them bring their children to locations where Zetsu could observe them.
Subsequently, Zetsu's findings revealed that Uchiha Tetsuya's son, Ken, was Madara's reincarnation. Thus, Uchiha Setsuna began to approach Uchiha Tetsuya, and through his "sincere" treatment, they became close friends, naturally allowing him to meet Ken.
Because Ken was the reincarnation of Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Setsuna had very high hopes for him, believing that Ken would eventually replace Uchiha Kagami's rule and restore the Uchiha clan to its original glory, rather than its current increasingly misguided state.
"I truly hope to see what Ken will be like when he grows up soon. I wonder what kind of person Ken will become in the future," Uchiha Setsuna said, his words carrying a double meaning.
"You can't rush a child's growth. Ken is still just a little rascal right now," Uchiha Tetsuya said with a laugh.
"Honestly, I'm not a child anymore. I'm about to go to the Ninja Academy, so I can be considered a provisional ninja!" Uchiha Ken expressed his dissatisfaction with his father treating him like a child.
"Yes, yes, back then, you would have been old enough to be a ninja," Uchiha Tetsuya said, almost dismissively.
Due to reforms in the Ninja Academy's education, the requirements for ninjas had become higher. Someone Ken's age would indeed have been a ninja during the Warring States period, but in the current Ninja Academy, he was merely a preparatory student.
Moreover, with the implementation of the specialization system, the types of ninjas had diversified. Unlike traditional ninjas, students entering the medical ninja and research ninja fields began to appear. These individuals would not set foot on the battlefield.
For traditional ninjas, a true ninja was naturally one who could fight. Even less powerful intelligence ninjas could be considered traditional ninjas. Medical ninjas were barely acceptable, but research ninjas were completely looked down upon.
Research ninjas did not need to learn any specific combat methods; instead, they gained recognition through theoretical knowledge and chakra usage, allowing them to enter the research department. How could such defenseless ninjas be called ninjas?
Uchiha Tetsuya believed that research ninjas were also a viable path. Ultimately, being a ninja was a profession that flirted with death. Traditional ninjas had to face danger, and their mortality rate was very high.
While medical ninjas and research ninjas might not be as powerful as traditional ninjas, precisely because of this, the village did not intend to use them as combat forces but rather as support personnel, which meant a higher survival rate.
As a member of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Tetsuya deeply loved his child and was a supporter of the Kagami faction's new laws. Therefore, he believed that Ken's future path as a civilian security officer, medical ninja, or research ninja would be excellent, especially as a research ninja.
Although there wasn't much potential evident yet, from Kagami's scattered remarks, it was known that most of the village's high-ranking officials supported the research department, indicating that this profession still had great potential.
However, due to the clan's influence, Ken's future ambition was to become a member of the Uchiha Police Force. Uchiha Tetsuya thought this was also acceptable, with the best path being a civilian security officer.
If Ken possessed exceptional talent, he might potentially transfer to the security officers involved in combat. However, Uchiha Tetsuya thought this was unlikely, as he himself wasn't that talented.
After finishing their ramen, the three left the ramen shop. Uchiha Setsuna, acting as if on patrol, walked alongside the father and son, chatting, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. Just then, Uchiha Setsuna's steps suddenly faltered. Noticing this, Uchiha Tetsuya asked, "What's wrong?"
"Tetsuya, look at that guy. Isn't there something off about him?" Uchiha Setsuna whispered.
Following Uchiha Setsuna's gaze, Uchiha Tetsuya saw a plainly dressed man who appeared unremarkable and had no suspicious movements. If there was anything slightly suspicious, it was only that he was looking left and right, as if searching for someone.
"Is there anything suspicious..." Uchiha Tetsuya said, and at that moment, the man's gaze fixed on Uchiha Setsuna. His pupils immediately constricted, he took a step back, and his expression became tense.
Now Uchiha Tetsuya truly felt the man was suspicious. As a member of the Uchiha Police Force, even during his time off, he couldn't ignore suspicious individuals. He walked over, and Uchiha Setsuna, holding Ken's hand, quickly followed.
The man's expression grew increasingly tense, and before they could fully approach, he turned and ran.
"Wait, we have something to ask you!" Uchiha Tetsuya saw this and immediately started running.
The man looked ordinary, but he ran incredibly fast, unlike a normal person. Uchiha Tetsuya's heart tightened. Could he be a ninja? If so, what was his purpose in disguising himself and coming here?
"Everyone else, move aside! You, stop!" Uchiha Tetsuya shouted, then started running. The surrounding civilians, seeing someone running, knew someone was being chased. To avoid trouble, they very cooperatively cleared a path, allowing Uchiha Tetsuya to quickly pursue.
Although the man ran fast, he still couldn't outrun Uchiha Tetsuya. He was quickly grabbed by the arm by Uchiha Tetsuya, then forcefully pinned to the ground. Uchiha Tetsuya coldly asked, "Who are you? What is your purpose here?"
"Someone, someone told me to come here," the man struggled, saying.
"Who was it, and what did he tell you to do?"
"I, I don't know..." The man paused here, then said in a very soft voice, "Of course, I came to find you."
"What?" Uchiha Tetsuya was slightly startled.
The man barely managed to turn his head, and Uchiha Tetsuya saw something familiar in the man's collar. His expression suddenly changed drastically. At this moment, he heard Setsuna's inquiry: "Tetsuya, how is that person?"
Without even having time to turn his head, Uchiha Tetsuya shouted, "Setsuna, don't bring Ken over!" He then kicked the man and simultaneously moved backward, but it was too late.
With a loud "boom," the man exploded, engulfing Uchiha Tetsuya in the blast. Uchiha Setsuna quickly crouched down, hugging Ken, and shouted, "Ken, don't look!"
However, Ken had personally witnessed his father being caught in the explosion. As a ninja, he had long known the consequences of being caught in an explosion at close range, especially since his father seemed completely unprepared. A surge of fear erupted from the depths of his heart. He screamed, "Father!"
"Tetsuya," Uchiha Setsuna turned his head, looking at the lingering thick smoke and flames, his voice filled with worry. However, in his heart, his thoughts were completely different.
"Just as planned," Uchiha Setsuna thought to himself. If there hadn't been other people present, he surely would have laughed.