Uchiha Setsuna was no longer young.
Already past fifty, he had been a middle-aged man during the rule of the Tobirama Senju. Now, he had long since fallen from his prime.
Back then, he had been arrested by the ANBU under Tobirama's command for inciting rebellion and imprisoned for a full twenty years. His release came not from forgiveness, but because his body had deteriorated to the point where the Hiruzen Sarutobi no longer wanted him to die in prison.
As a result, while Setsuna's ocular power appeared vast, it was merely the accumulation of years. Without sufficient chakra to support it, it was hollow—fragile.
And yet, it was still the power of a three-tomoe Sharingan.
For it to be shattered by a single roar from Miwa Masayo—
That stunned everyone present.
The tabby cat's gaze sharpened, killing intent surging as she locked onto Uchiha Setsuna.
"You dare attack my contractor in front of me… do you want to die, meow?"
The cat was small. Cute, even.
But the killing intent—
Was anything but.
It erupted without warning.
Setsuna, caught completely off guard, felt his heart seize. His chakra froze, refusing to circulate. His body stiffened, his mouth opening soundlessly, reduced to meaningless gasps.
More than twenty years in confinement, without discipline or training—
The will of a former strongman had long since withered.
Faced with Miwa Masayo's killing intent, his body simply… shut down.
Fortunately, he managed to retain some dignity.
Otherwise—
He might not have survived the next moment.
Uchiha Fugaku stepped forward quietly, positioning himself in front of the elder and intercepting the pressure.
At that instant, Uchiha Yoru—linked to Miwa Masayo through their shared flow of energy—immediately sensed it.
The young clan head's presence, restrained yet poised—
Like a mountain hidden beneath the abyss.
[Could it be… he's awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?]
[Meow? Yoru? Are you speaking inside my head, meow?]
[…Masayo?]
[It's me, meow.]
[…]
Yoru's mind went blank.
He didn't mind sharing certain secrets with her.
But this—
Direct mental communication with a cat—
That was a bit too much.
What if she saw the things he imagined—
Cat gi—
Stop.
Right there.
[Cat… what was that?]
[You saw nothing!!]
[Meow? Forget it. Give me more chakra and natural energy, meow. Your clan head is strong.]
[Got it.]
Miwa Masayo had only been using senjutsu for less than fifteen days.
How much senjutsu chakra could she possibly store on her own?
But as long as she maintained contact with her contractor—
She could directly draw from his chakra and natural energy, combining them into her own senjutsu chakra.
And Uchiha Yoru—
Having completed the Hundred Days of Tempering—
Though only at the very foundation of the path, insignificant in the broader world of cultivation—
Within the shinobi world, his base had already reached an absurd level.
Senjutsu chakra itself far surpassed ordinary chakra or natural energy.
That was why—
Miwa Masayo could appear so overwhelmingly strong.
[Being able to communicate like this… isn't so bad.]
[Of course, meow. Much faster than talking. Speaking is hard for ninja cats, meow.]
[Masayo, the clan head is about to counterattack. Get ready.]
[Got it, meow.]
[3… 2… 1… 0.]
The moment Yoru finished counting—
Uchiha Fugaku let out a sharp shout.
"Ha!"
A surge of ocular power, several times beyond the limit of a three-tomoe Sharingan, burst forth—
Aimed at crushing the senjutsu chakra of the tabby.
At the same instant—
Miwa Masayo released her own power.
"Meow!!"
The two forces collided.
Yet both were restrained.
Instead of erupting into a violent clash, they canceled each other out.
Yoru and Fugaku both understood—
Neither side intended to escalate.
So they withdrew.
The confrontation ended as quietly as it began.
Fugaku's expression shifted, a trace of excitement surfacing.
"You are a ninja cat from the Cat Castle… no—"
"A Cat Sage?"
[Yoru, Yoru meow, what do I say?]
[Don't panic. Follow my words.]
Miwa Masayo leapt gracefully onto Yoru's head, elevating herself as she looked down at Fugaku with unmistakable arrogance.
"I am a sage of the Cat Castle. Head of the Uchiha—you may address me as Sage Miwa Masayo."
Fugaku's eyes lit up.
"Excellent… the Cat Castle finally has a true sage."
"Honored Sage, can you form contracts with more members of the Uchiha clan?"
"No."
"I have only just become a sage this year. My power and techniques both require time. I do not yet have the capacity to form a second contract."
"You need not be disappointed, head of the Uchiha."
"The friendship between the Cat Castle and the Uchiha clan has lasted for centuries. Once I have refined my senjutsu and passed it on to other ninja cats, new contracts will naturally follow."
"You only need to wait a few years."
At this point, Fugaku's thoughts were already racing.
A sage lineage in the Cat Castle—
That meant the Uchiha would gain access to senjutsu.
The final gap between them and the Senju—
Finally filled.
And then—
Another surprise followed.
"Mm…"
Miwa Masayo seemed to think for a moment, then raised a paw and pointed toward the child in Mikoto Uchiha's arms.
"When that child turns four, come to the Cat Castle to find me."
The impact was immediate.
Too sudden.
Too overwhelming.
Fugaku and Mikoto both felt lightheaded.
Mikoto tightened her hold on the child and bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your generosity."
Fugaku forced his expression into composure, suppressing his excitement as he bowed as well.
The summoning crows prepared for his son—
Useless now.
His eldest son must form a contract with the Cat Castle.
With its first sage.
That future—
Would undoubtedly lead to mastery of senjutsu.
Lowering his gaze, Fugaku glanced at Uchiha Yoru, who stood there as if nothing had happened.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"I came to observe your training results."
"…You've done well."
"You will receive additional rewards upon completing your mission."
"Thank you, Clan Head."
"Continue."
"Yes."
He turned back to Miwa Masayo and bowed once more.
"My matters here are concluded. Please allow us to take our leave."
Miwa Masayo gave a slight nod, her tone lofty and composed.
"As you wish, head of the Uchiha."
By now, Setsuna had recovered.
But he said nothing.
He had originally intended for Fugaku to witness Yoru's violations—failing to display the clan emblem, prioritizing outsiders in training—
But now—
With the appearance of a Cat Sage—
Everything he had said was meaningless.
Fugaku ignored it entirely.
Praised Yoru.
And left.
Setsuna followed, bowing to Miwa Masayo along with the others before departing.
After all—
When the first true Cat Sage stood atop Uchiha Yoru's head—
What was there left to say?
The shame of the Uchiha?
Ridiculous.
The Cat Castle had been the Uchiha's contracted summoning realm for generations. Their relationship ran so deep that even clan inheritance and wealth could be entrusted to the Cat Granny.
Now that the Cat Castle possessed a sage lineage—
It might soon become the fourth sacred land.
Who would be foolish enough to offend a Cat Sage?
Besides—
Setsuna wasn't the only elder in the Uchiha clan.
There were six others.
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