Hokage: I Am an Uchiha with the Power to Extract Entries

Uchiha Yuma took a deep breath and pushed open the door of the shrine.

As he stepped inside, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Thanks to his purple-tier abilities, 'Natural Energy Affinity' and 'Senju of the Forest,' Yuma had begun exploring Sage Mode during this time.

Although the entry ensured he could safely come into contact with natural energy and exhaustively train without fear of backlash, the time spent was too short—Sage Mode had yet to fully develop.

Still, his perception ability had improved tremendously.

The moment he opened the shrine door, Yuma sensed the chakra fluctuations from the gathered Uchiha elites.

The cold, murderous intent and tense emotions emanating from them were like open books to his heightened perception. Every detail was laid bare.

Huh?

Interesting...

Yuma sneered inwardly but outwardly acted as if he hadn't noticed anything.

He entered the shrine with calm steps, his peripheral vision scanning the faces of the assembled Uchiha one by one.

As expected...

Most of the individuals present belonged to Setsuna Uchiha's faction.

It couldn't be helped. Clan head Uchiha Fugaku had taken his loyalists and the majority of the dove faction's elites to the front lines of the war.

Now, the dominant force left behind in the village naturally consisted of Setsuna's people.

Yuma, having already figured this out, wasn't surprised. Instead, he grew curious.

Let's see what kind of drama Setsuna is planning, Yuma thought to himself.

When Yuma and his companion, Inohuo, sat down, Setsuna Uchiha rose from the first seat and scanned the room with a cold expression.

After a pause, Setsuna spoke slowly:

"With clan leader Fugaku fighting on the front lines, I will preside over this meeting."

He glanced around before his gaze landed on Yuma. Smiling faintly, Setsuna continued:

"Today, we welcome a new elite among us. The long-awaited Uchiha Yuma."

As Setsuna's words fell, a round of applause echoed through the shrine.

Amidst the clapping, Yuma's expression remained indifferent as he casually glanced at the crowd.

Inohuo, seated beside him, leaned closer and whispered with pride, "Yuma-sama, you're quite popular."

Yuma chuckled softly and replied, "Popular? Heh. Inohuo-kun, just watch my actions later."

Hearing this, Inohuo—known as a prodigious ninja—straightened up. His composed demeanor masked the rising tension he felt. He wasn't a fool; he understood the meaning behind Yuma's words.

Before Inohuo could dwell on it further, Setsuna spoke again from his seat at the head of the shrine.

"Yuma-kun, with all due respect... most of the people at this clan meeting are loyal to me. You've likely already noticed this."

Setsuna's smile grew wider as he continued, "I have a proposal for you. Would you like to hear it?"

Yuma's lips curled into a faint smile. "I'm all ears."

"Join my side," Setsuna said, his voice growing passionate, "and together, we can take control of the Uchiha clan. With Uchiha's power in hand, we'll take the next step to ruling Konoha!"

As Setsuna's words echoed through the room, silence fell.

Most of the Uchiha present turned their attention to Yuma. Those not aligned with Setsuna's faction sensed danger but held their tongues, choosing to observe instead.

Yuma, unfazed, let out a soft chuckle.

"My answer to this proposal is..." he said, his voice laced with mockery, "rejection."

The room grew tense as Setsuna's smile faltered.

"Uchiha Yuma," Setsuna said, his tone sharp, "do you realize what you're saying?"

"What a pity..." Yuma replied nonchalantly. "I'm simply not walking the same path as you, Lord Setsuna."

The tension in the room boiled over as Setsuna's loyalists glared at Yuma, their Sharingan blazing with scarlet light.

Under the ominous gaze of a dozen Sharingan, the shrine's atmosphere turned oppressive.

"How disappointing," Setsuna said, feigning regret. "It seems I have no choice but to kill you... with tears in my eyes, of course."

The Sharingan in Setsuna's eyes spun violently, and his tone grew cruel as he sneered:

"I know you rely on the Flying Thunder God Technique and think we can't take you down. But as Uchiha—the eternal enemies of the Senju—do you really think we haven't developed countermeasures?"

As he spoke, a malicious grin spread across his face.

"Begin!" Setsuna commanded. "Let him see the barriers we've developed to neutralize the Flying Thunder God Technique over the past decades."

"Yes, Lord Setsuna!" came the response from outside the shrine.

Suddenly, a strange hum filled the air, and a purple-red barrier enveloped the shrine.

Yuma's sharp eyes scanned the space as he muttered, "What is this?"

Setsuna rose to his feet, his grin widening.

"This," he explained, "is the Uchiha Fire Formation combined with a contract seal—a barrier specifically designed to counter summoning techniques and space-time jutsu like the Flying Thunder God Technique."

Yuma tested the barrier's limits and realized that he could no longer sense the Flying Thunder God seals outside.

"I see," he said, his tone tinged with admiration. "The contract seal can indeed negate the effects of space-time coordinates. Combined with the strength of the flame array, it's an effective countermeasure. Impressive."

Setsuna smirked. "You understand now, don't you? There's no escape for you, Yuma."

Yuma, however, remained unfazed. A calm smile played on his lips as his Sharingan patterns spun, and his chakra surged.

"Escape?" he said, his voice filled with confidence. "Who said I needed to escape?"

The intricate patterns in his eyes morphed into the Mangekyō Sharingan as he activated his full power.

"Or perhaps..." Yuma added, his tone mocking, "you simply lack information about what my Mangekyō can do."

Setsuna's expression darkened. "Mangekyō? Hmph. That power is strong, but it's not enough to overcome the combined might of a dozen elites."

In his mind, Setsuna recalled Uchiha Izuna's Mangekyō powers. While impressive, they were not invincible. He refused to believe Yuma was an anomaly like Madara.

Yuma sighed, shaking his head. "How pitiful..." he muttered. "A frog in a well can never comprehend the vastness of the sea."

With that, Yuma's left eye activated, unleashing [Dokujutsu: Ichimokuren!], while his right eye emitted a platinum-gold light, forming [Dokujutsu: Ame-no-Kume!].

The overwhelming power of his eyes enveloped the shrine as Yuma gripped his ninja sword tightly, a faint smile on his lips.

The battle was about to begin.