Chapter 26

Since we are going to further study natural energy, the laboratory must be set up more formally.

"The matters here cannot be known by outsiders, and the procurement of research equipment must also be carried out secretly."

Ruri's expression was very serious.

The matter of ninjutsu is too significant; not to mention outsiders, even the members of the Uchiha clan, Ruri does not intend to reveal anything.

"But without the help of those maids, it will be very difficult for just the two of us..."

As Bai Shi was about to express his difficulty, Ruri bit her thumb and began to form seals, finally slapping her palm on the ground.

"Summoning Technique!"

A puff of white smoke appeared.

A black, sleek cat appeared in front of Bai Shi and Ruri.

It was about half the size of a person, wagging its tail at Ruri.

Ruri took out a list of various research equipment names.

"Buy everything on the list, and I will inspect it in a day."

The black cat nodded decisively and disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

Bai Shi looked at where the black cat had disappeared: "That is..."

"Our Uchiha clan has always been on good terms with the Shinobi Cat clan. Before school, I had already signed a summoning contract with some of the Shinobi Cats. Letting them handle things is sufficiently safe and discreet, avoiding the village's attention."

The Shinobi Cat clan is active in the unnoticeable corners of the ninja world, and there are always traces of the Shinobi Cat clan wherever you go. Whether it's gathering information or purchasing goods, their mobility is top-notch.

For Ruri, the Shinobi Cats that have signed a summoning contract with her are undoubtedly her most capable assistants.

Bai Shi marveled at Ruri's connections; this is the difference between a noble and a commoner.

Not only do they have their own complete cultivation system, but they also have various reference books and a much broader network of contacts than commoners.

◎

Living in Ruri's house did not cause any trouble. For the entire village, this was a trivial matter.

Now, Bai Shi lives in a room comparable to a high-end hotel, sleeps in a luxurious and soft large bed, eats a nutritious breakfast prepared by the maids in the morning, and can take a walk in the yard or fish in the pond when tired. Although he is called a servant in Ruri's house, he is actually treated like a young master.

Life in the mansion of the noble lady is monotonous and ordinary.

Although he occasionally receives strange looks of disdain from the maids in Ruri's house, Bai Shi remains indifferent.

He is working hard and advancing, eating soft meals by his true abilities. What do these maids know?

Now, Bai Shi can only occasionally accompany Ruri in her cultivation. As soon as school is over, he rushes back to the new underground laboratory Ruri has purchased for him to study and guide natural energy.

Only by successfully and stably guiding natural energy can the next step of merging it with the sage chakra be carried out.

For this, the underground of the Ruri family often explodes, although the fluctuations are small. To ensure complete secrecy, Ruri made the surroundings of the laboratory more stable until no vibrations from the explosions could be felt above.

These precision instruments and the reinforcement of the laboratory environment use defensive plates transported from the Land of Iron.

According to Ruri, these cost a total of 45 million ryō, which is one-tenth of her allowance in her bank account.

Bai Shi just wants to know what kind of small business Ruri's parents are doing outside to allow Ruri to live such an ordinary life.

◎

On the day the first month of living in Ruri's house ended.

Bai Shi returned to the laboratory after school in the afternoon to continue his research on natural energy, while Ruri went to the Uchiha clan's Naka Shrine to attend the monthly clan meeting.

The Uchiha members attending the clan meeting are not ordinary Uchiha clan members. Activating the Sharingan is just one of the necessary conditions; they must also be special jōnin or higher-level ninja, or be a genius like Ruri who is a key member of the clan with a high probability of inheriting the position of clan leader in the future.

Ruri is not only a genius of the Uchiha clan but is also being cultivated as one of the candidates for the next clan leader.

Therefore, she has the qualifications to attend the monthly small clan meeting.

Naka Shrine.

Uchiha ninjas gather here, the sky is dark, and torches on both sides of the road light up, making the path to the shrine visible.

Upon reaching the top of the Naka Shrine, entering the shrine building, and using a technique to open the sealed stone slab, the Uchiha ninjas descend one after another.

In the empty basement, an ancient stone monument stands, with flames burning on both sides, illuminating the dark basement brightly.

There are more than twenty people gathered here, all of whom are currently special jōnin or jōnin guarding the clan territory, and some jōnin who are absent because they are on missions outside.

The monthly clan meeting actually doesn't announce anything important. The relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village's Hokage is still harmonious.

Except for some individual high-ranking officials who may be dissatisfied or hostile towards the Uchiha clan.

But the Uchiha clan doesn't care about those wary and hateful gazes.

As the first ninja clan of Konoha, they have the confidence to do so.

Even the Hokage must show respect to them, let alone those high-ranking officials who are weaker than the Hokage.

The clan meeting deals with trivial matters, such as which training grounds are damaged, whether the complaints from Konoha villagers about the security team have increased recently, whether there are any new promising talents in the clan worth cultivating, how the monthly expenses compare to the previous month, and whether the clan's business income has increased...

An hour later, the clan meeting ended in a tedious and boring rhythm.

"Ruri, Fugaku, stay behind."

A gray-haired old man spoke, over sixty years old, with wrinkles all over his face.

Uchiha Shisō.

He is the most respected elder of the Uchiha clan, who has retired from the ninja career due to his advanced age and is now responsible for cultivating the Uchiha clan's genius ninjas.

Along with Ruri, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old Uchiha ninja, Uchiha Fugaku, was also called to stay.

He is handsome, with no trace of childishness on his face, exuding a mature and steady demeanor.

Fugaku, like Ruri, is a genius ninja of the Uchiha clan. He passed the jōnin examination last year and became an excellent and young jōnin.

With his Sharingan at the three-tomoe level, he has a clear advantage over other jōnin of the same level.

Ruri and Fugaku knelt before Elder Shisō, waiting quietly for him to speak.

"If there are no unexpected events, the next clan leader will be chosen between the two of you."

"Yes."

Upon hearing Elder Shisō say this, Ruri and Fugaku remained unperturbed.

"You two are undoubtedly the rare geniuses of the Uchiha clan since ancient times, with the potential to activate the Mangekyō Sharingan."

Upon hearing Elder Shisō mention the Mangekyō Sharingan, Ruri and Fugaku showed a slight change in expression.

The Mangekyō Sharingan is the ultimate eye that surpasses the three-tomoe Sharingan.

The most recent Uchiha ninja to activate the Mangekyō Sharingan was Uchiha Madara, who founded Konoha with the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

It is a legendary eye that only the Uchiha can activate, possessing supreme dōjutsu.

Elder Shisō, as the most senior elder of the Uchiha clan, was already a jōnin in the village during the early days of Konoha. While he may not know everything about the Uchiha clan's secrets, he certainly knows more than most Uchiha clan members.

This includes the secret of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Shisō Elder, what are the conditions for activating the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Fugaku asked this question.

His Sharingan has already reached the three-tomoe level, the highest state of a regular Sharingan. He is more eager to know the method of advancing to the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Only by doing so can he become the Uchiha clan leader without fail, leading the Uchiha to new heights.

He believes he now has the strength to touch the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Fugaku, your three-tomoe Sharingan still needs more training. In a few days, I will recommend you to the Third Hokage to form a team with other Konoha ninjas for missions. You will benefit greatly from it."

"Yes."

Fugaku complied. His strength was all taught by Elder Shisō, and he has absolute faith in Elder Shisō's arrangements.

He must have his reasons for making this arrangement.

"Shisō Elder, what should I do?"

Ruri asked.

"Your luck is better than Fugaku's; you have already found the conditions for activating the Mangekyō Sharingan. Next, you just need to train your regular Sharingan to its limit. When the time is right, I will tell you the method to activate the Mangekyō Sharingan."

Elder Shisō looked at Ruri with a deep meaning.

He values Ruri more than Fugaku.

Her deep bonds with the village's ninjas, her dedication to power, and her unparalleled talent in using the Sharingan...

At that time, to obtain the greatest power, she will not be able to resist the temptation of the legendary dōjutsu and will make the right choice.

At that time, the Uchiha clan will once again flourish, surpassing the Senju clan completely.

"Yes."

Ruri was puzzled why Elder Shisō said her conditions for activating the Mangekyō Sharingan were more sufficient than Fugaku's, requiring only the training of her regular Sharingan to its limit. However, she did not think deeply about it and just nodded, indicating that she understood.

Compared to the position of clan leader, she is more interested in the method of activating the Mangekyō Sharingan.