During the Warring States Period, when Izuna Uchiha crushed rebellion within the clan, he did so with measured intensity, fighting and speaking in unison, subduing each defiant member not just through strength, but through sheer force of will. He was firm, resolute, and yet he earned his clan's submission not through fear alone, but through the conviction in his ideals. It was this steel-like composure that helped lead the Uchiha to unity and strength.
And now, in this moment, Sentaro saw both Madara and Izuna Uchiha reflected in Kadoya.
It gave him complicated feelings. The boy standing before him was no older than eight or nine, yet his presence, his aura, was that of a seasoned shinobi, heavy, unrelenting, commanding.
Just earlier, before stepping into this place, Sentaro still regarded Kadoya as a child. Gifted, yes, but childish nonetheless.
That illusion shattered the moment Kadoya began to move.
He approached without a single wasted motion, expression blank, eyes unreadable.
Sentaro's heart began to race uncontrollably.
The moment Kadoya's silhouette overlapped with the ghostly images of Madara and Izuna, something primal in him shifted. This wasn't just a reprimand. This was judgment.
And he felt like a child who'd been caught misbehaving by a father figure. A child with nowhere to hide. No defense. No pride left.
Even if he were to be punished, even if he were to be humiliated, all he could do was lower his head.
Because, in the end, this was still family.
Kadoya stopped a few steps in front of him, his gaze like frost.
"Sentaro Uchiha," he spoke, his voice sharp and cold. "I'm disappointed in you."
His words cut deeper than any blade.
"As someone who's held the three-tomoe Sharingan and earned respect in this clan for years… this was your performance?"
Each step Kadoya took had weight, not in sound, but in presence. Deliberate. Inevitable.
Sentaro, still kneeling, clenched his fists tightly. Sweat dripped down his brow, shame coiling in his chest like a snake. He couldn't meet Kadoya's eyes.
And worse, he didn't dare to.
"Sentaro Uchiha," Kadoya said coldly, his eyes gleaming crimson with his Sharingan.
"You, who've betrayed the honor of the Uchiha... tell me... what should I do with you?"
He didn't shout. He didn't need to. The weight of his voice was heavier than steel.
A sharp whoosh echoed through the field as a large Water Shuriken formed in Kadoya's hand. He slowly pressed it to Sentaro's throat, the cool edge biting into the older man's skin.
Sentaro swallowed hard, staring at the boy, no, the force of nature, standing before him. "I... I don't know. I don't know..."
Kadoya's expression didn't change.
"If you want to live, you'll answer everything I ask you."
The water shuriken morphed into a thin, gleaming Water Blade, sharper, more dangerous. It hovered dangerously at Sentaro's neck. The chill wasn't just physical, it pierced into his soul.
He looked up, helpless, into the cold, indifferent gaze of the young Uchiha's Sharingan.
He believed it now; if Kadoya didn't like his answer, he would die right here.
"Who sent you? What was the goal? Why did you agree?"
Sentaro took a shaky breath. "The elder... Setsuna Uchiha. He forced me. He said your actions and your mere existence were corrupting the clan's image. He told me to confront you. He wanted me to stand up for the Uchiha-"
"And you agreed?"
"I agreed because... because I think Konoha's gone too far. The restrictions, the discrimination against us, it's more blatant than ever. We aren't even allowed to dream of becoming Hokage anymore. The clan's future... it looks bleak. So I... I chose to support the hawks."
Kadoya nodded slowly, thoughtfully.
"Hawks, huh? Let me ask you something." His tone remained calm, dangerously so.
"Who's stronger, you or me?"
Sentaro lowered his head, ashamed.
Kadoya stepped closer. "Alright then. Who's stronger, me, or Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
With the blade's tip, Kadoya lifted Sentaro's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze.
Sentaro hesitated, then said carefully, "Don't underestimate the Third Hokage. He trained under the First and Second Hokage... He's not weak."
To his surprise, Kadoya actually nodded.
Then, with sharp clarity, Kadoya continued:
"Then how about this, who's stronger? Me, or Danzo Shimura? Jiraiya? Orochimaru? Tsunade? Sakumo Hatake? Mito Uzumaki?"
Sentaro fell into silence.
Each of the names Kadoya listed were powerhouses of Konoha. And even one name, the last, was someone even the most radical Uchiha wouldn't dare disrespect.
Was Kadoya strong? Yes. Incredibly so.
But was it enough...?
So Kadoya asked again, his voice now tinged with disdain:
"Tell me, within the Uchiha, who is stronger than them?"
"You say you support the hawks, but support them with what? Your three-tomoe Sharingan?"
He sighed deeply, the blade slowly retreating.
"You talk of rebellion with no power, no plan, just empty pride. It's pathetic."
Sentaro didn't respond. His mind was spiraling, his spirit sinking like a stone dropped in an icy lake.
And in that cold, dead silence... something snapped.
Tears began to fall.
It wasn't the pain. It wasn't even the shame. It was the sheer, crushing realization.
The Uchiha clan... in all its history... had never felt so powerless.
Right now, there wasn't a single Mangekyou wielder in their ranks. They had three-tomoe, yes, but that was no longer enough. Not in this world. Not against them.
How could they possibly stand up to Konoha? With what?
With passion?
The tears kept flowing. Sentaro didn't even try to wipe them away.
Kadoya blinked, surprised, then scoffed lightly.
"Sentaro Uchiha... you're a grown man. Why the hell are you crying?"
Sentaro choked out, "The Uchiha... we're done for. I... I've shamed my ancestors... my father..."
The frustration, the beating, the weight of the clan's fall from grace, it all came crashing down.
And now, this once-proud shinobi cried like a child.
Kadoya looked at him for a moment, his face unreadable.
Then he spoke again.
"Foolish."
"Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, could he take on all the people I mentioned at once? You still don't understand how Konoha works."
"If you want to change the Uchiha's position in this village, it's simple."
He slowly spread his arms out, and the image of Madara appeared behind him.
"You either gain power like Madara Uchiha, and crush everyone who stands in your way."
Then he folded his arms back, and the image behind him shifted into Izuna.
"Or you play the game. You abide by Konoha's rules. Do you understand?"
Sentaro lay sprawled on the ground, limbs splayed like a broken doll, eyes staring up at the sky in a daze. His voice came out in a hoarse whisper, as if every word scraped against his throat.
"How can I not understand? Of course I understand..."
He coughed, eyes dim.
"If you want to be Hokage in Konoha... you have to be part of their unspoken legacy. The so-called master-disciple inheritance. That's the rule no one says out loud, but everyone knows."
He let out a dry, bitter laugh.
"Even someone as famous as Sakumo Hatake, no one truly believed he'd become Hokage. Not because he wasn't strong enough... but because he wasn't part of them. This is Konoha. So what chance do we, the Uchiha, have?"
He turned his head, staring into the dirt.
"Hokage? We don't even get to be advisors. Assistants. Not even consultants. Are we not part of this village's core?"
His voice cracked now, and when he continued, it was as if he were speaking not just for himself, but for all of them.
"We've served this village for generations. We've bled for it. And yet, we're kept at arm's length. Always."
His words struck like stone, raw and desperate.
The truth was cruel.
Even among the Uchiha, most had quietly accepted that the dream of becoming Hokage was impossible. But to not even qualify for a seat at the table? To be locked out of every decision that shaped the future?
That was the kind of despair that made men turn radical.
And so, they stopped looking at power.
They stopped caring about odds.
And they clung instead to ideology.
Even when it was hopeless.
Even when it was suicidal.
Sentaro Uchiha was one such man, blinded by despair, and now laid bare in its aftermath.
Kadoya watched him cry, his face empty, his eyes distant.
"You saw all this," Kadoya said softly, shaking his head, "and you still did something so stupid."
Sentaro sobbed, trembling.
"It's because I saw it that I did it…" he choked. "What else was left for us?"
Kadoya's voice lowered, his tone almost pitying.
"You still don't get it. The reason the Uchiha are shut out isn't just because of politics. It's because we've never been part of the Hokage's inner circle."
He paused.
"But if I hadn't appeared... You might've been right to believe nothing would change."
Sentaro's weeping halted.
"...Eh?"
And then it hit him.
An Uchiha, but different from the rest.
Kadoya Uchiha, somewhat polished, trained, respected by many. Close to Mito Uzumaki, the First Hokage's wife. A student under Tsunade, granddaughter of the First Hokage.
The son of Kagami Uchiha, the bridge between the Uchiha and the founding generation.
Kadoya wasn't just strong.
He belonged.
And suddenly, everything he'd ever done, the way he spoke, the way he acted, who he surrounded himself with, all of it made sense. His entire existence had been paving a path the Uchiha had long believed was forever closed.
Kadoya crouch down in front of Sentaro, his voice low, steady.
"I haven't abandoned the Uchiha. But I won't let the Uchiha become a burden I have to carry, either."
"Whether it's strength, lineage, or intelligence... I am the one who can save the clan. The hope of the clan."
"That's why I've told you all this, because I don't want to lose another capable Uchiha to pride and stupidity. You're not like Setsuna, who tide the clan future with his own. He's beyond saving. But you... I still see hope in you."
He looked away, weary.
"Yet... I'm tired, Sentaro. And very disappointed, if or clan continue to move in the current direction it probably won't take long for the clan to be wipe out."
The words stabbed more than any blade could have.
Sentaro's breath caught. Panic bloomed in his chest as he scrambled upright despite the pain, half-kneeling.
"No, no... Kadoya-sama, please you can't! Please, don't give up on us! Don't give up on the clan!"
He looked up at the boy, no, the man before him, and the overwhelming guilt crushed him like a vice. His voice cracked from desperation.
"It wasn't your fault. It was me. It was Setsuna! That bastard poisoned us! But please... please don't turn your back on the clan!"
Kadoya stood still, expression unreadable.
And then-
Sentaro's gaze landed on the Water Blade, still hovering nearby. And in a burst of mad resolve, he lunged for it.
"Let me atone with my life! Just please, don't give up on us!"
But before he could reach it, Kadoya dispersed the blade with a flick of his wrist, and kicked Sentaro to the ground.
His voice remained calm.
"I don't need clan members who throw away their lives like cowards."
He stepped forward.
"If you really believe what I said, prove it..."
Sentaro froze, and he nearly cry again, for a moment he didn't know how to react, how to show to Kadoya that the Uchiha is still worthy of him.
So he just lay there, motionless.
Then he felt it.
A current of yellow electricity began crackling across his body.
The energy surged through him, his wounds quickly heal, knitting his broken bones. But it burned. The pain was excruciating.
Sentaro bit down hard, refusing to cry out. He felt like his very soul was being scorched clean.
Above him, Kadoya murmured with a sigh.
"It seem that I still have a heart of glass... So, show me that this Clan still have people worth fighting for."
And as his injuries healed, as the agony lanced through his nerves, Sentaro could no longer hold back.
His fingers clawed into the dirt. Tears and blood mixed on his face.
His expression was a storm of guilt, shame, and unfiltered regret.
Right now, he felt like the biggest fool in the entire Uchiha clan.
...
"Kadoya-sama… will this really be alright for you?"
Sentaro looked at him with hesitation etched into his expression. Respect shimmered in his gaze, but behind it, there was concern. Even heartache.
Kadoya didn't answer immediately. He simply handed over a bundle of old, inconspicuous clothes, simple, dull male attire. His hand rested briefly on Sentaro's shoulder.
"It's nothing," he said softly. "Just change and go. This is for the good of the Uchiha clan."
His tone was calm, almost too calm.
"There are snakes among us. Clan members who've clawed their way into high positions, but not for the good of our people. They seek only power, not unity. That kind of ambition... It's poison."
He exhaled, his voice growing quieter.
"My strength alone can't extinguish the fires they're lighting. Not yet. That's why I need you to shield me. For now."
"Let them think I'm nothing special. Let them underestimate me."
Kadoya looked toward the full moon, as if seeing something far beyond the walls of Konoha.
"Reputation means nothing to me. A small sacrifice now will allow the plan to take root. But if you find someone in the clan worth protecting, do so quietly. No need for grand gestures."
"And don't bear guilt on your shoulders, Sentaro. I believe in your capabilities... but if I must carry this clan into the future, as long as the clan still have something worth fighting for, then I would do it."
He offered a weary smile. It was tired. But it was also full of unwavering confidence.
Sentaro stared at him, eyes wide. His throat tightened, and for a brief moment, he couldn't speak. Tears threatened again.
He bit his lip and nodded firmly.
"Yes… Kadoya-sama. I will carry out your order exactly as you said."
The instructions were simple, but heavy with implication.
When Sentaro returned to Setsuna Uchiha, he would downplay Kadoya's power. Say it was a stable fight, maybe a bit tricky, but nothing noteworthy. The goal was to redirect Setsuna's attention, make him think Kadoya wasn't a threat worth prioritizing.
Setsuna, an extremist among hawks, had influence. Provoking him would lead to future harassment, needless sparring challenges, political sabotage… and potentially forcing Kadoya to reveal cards he wasn't ready to play.
Sentaro knew all this, and yet what hit him harder was Kadoya's sacrifice.
For someone from the Uchiha, reputation wasn't just pride. It was everything. Almost like its lifeblood, but Kadoya had unhesitatingly given up the chance to gain fame and had trusted the one who had been provoking him just a moment before.
Strong, patient, selfless. Willing to endure humiliation for the greater good.
This was the man Kadoya had become in Sentaro's heart.
Now clean and dressed in fresh clothes, Sentaro looked at his mended body. The wounds Kadoya had healed were gone, but something deeper within him had shifted.
He knelt on one knee, slowly and solemnly.
"Kadoya-sama, whatever your orders may be, I am willing to carry them out no matter the risk."
His voice was firm, sincere.
"I know I can't match your talent or insight. But if I can take even a fraction of your burden, I will."
He bowed his head.
"Someone like you shouldn't have to walk this path alone. You don't owe the clan anything… but the clan, especially the ones led astray, they owe you everything."
Kadoya silently reached out, lifting Sentaro up with one hand. His expression was faintly warm, his eyes calm.
"It's because there are still clansmen like you, Sentaro... that I'm willing to become the Uchiha's hope."
Sentaro's chest tightened. He turned quickly, so his emotions wouldn't spill over again.
"Please take care of yourself, Kadoya-sama. Don't push too hard!"
Kadoya watched him disappear down the corridor, a quiet smile forming.
'This is just how the Uchiha is... Sow them strength. Give them respect. Offer them a way out and they'll give you everything in return.'
Sentaro was still just a three-tomoe. But he was no longer useless. In the right hands, even a pawn could be a weapon. Among the radicals, he'd become a planted eye, one that could feed information straight back to Kadoya.
And more than that, he had potential.
Kadoya's awakening hadn't come from nowhere. It wasn't just power, it was the knowledge, instinct, and leadership inherited from his other soul. A soul that once sat where a clan leader would sit.
He didn't just understand how to fight.
He understood how to command, how to influence, and how to move hearts.
And now, that understanding wasn't just experience, it was part of who he was.
Congratulations! Hidden Quest Complete: "My Clan Won't Fall: Act 2"
Reward: + 1 Sharingan Level + 1 All Attribute Level