Uchiha Heritage

Over the years, the Uchiha have had to move their main base several times when it has been discovered by enemy clans. However, the location of the Naka shrine has always been a well-guarded secret of the Uchiha. As the birthplace of the Uchiha clan, it is considered a sacred site. Tajima gave them a map of its location and Natsume was surprised to see how deep into the Land of Fire the shrine really was.

Although the snow was bothersome, it only required some chakra expenditure to travel in. Natsume and Sahiro traveled at an even pace, making sure not to accidentally encounter any enemy shinobi along the way. Due to the existence of the Kyuubi and many other dangerous beasts deep in the Land of Fire, most did not venture out that far. The shrine's location was just on the edge of the marked danger zone.

However, since the Kyuubi was recently manipulated, this may not matter anymore. It is known that over the centuries, the Kyuubi has been a weapon of powerful shinobi several times. Natsume understood why Kurama was so angry with mankind. If she were treated as a mindless beast for all of her existence, she would start to behave as such out of spite.

In order to save time, the two traveled through the night and didn't stop to rest. After the first full day of travel, Sahiro was the first to break the silence. They had stopped at a river, and after a quick Fire jutsu, refilled their water supplies. While Natsume was crouched by the water side, he began to speak.

"Natsume… I am sorry for sending you out of the camp." He still believed that his act of self-sacrifice in order to save her had triggered her Mangekyou. Although apologizing was meaningless, the guilt was eating away at him. Since he too had the Mangekyou, he understood what kind of terrible power it was. The pain of using its abilities paled to the pain it took to awaken the eyes.

"You did what you felt was right." Natsume didn't think anything of it and just felt that Sahiro got bored of the quiet. In the moment, she was hurt and frustrated, but thinking back, it was the most logical decision. Natsume was still young and had a lot more room for growth. The future of the Uchiha clan would be better secured by protecting the younger generation. If she couldn't understand that logic, her plans would be pointless.

Rather than being consoled, Sahiro instead felt worse. Being pragmatic and cynical was also a defense mechanism that he employed. He did not want his daughter to live an emotionless life like he would be fated to. She was still so young and had not even had a chance to experience life beyond war. And now that she was a powerhouse of the Uchiha, it would be even harder to find time for love.

"Natsume… As a father, I have failed you in many ways. However, I hope to one day see you smiling while I hold my grandchildren. The curse of our clan is systemic, but it is also something that we ourselves allow. Hate is something that is easy to experience, but love requires courage… courage that I didn't have as a youth. This is the true strength of our Uchiha clan, finding love and happiness in the darkness."

Since she behaved so maturely and even had the strength to support herself as an adult, many forgot that she was still a child. Although the concept of children was a bit more blurred in the warring period, the kind of things that Sahiro was discussing with Natsume at this time were very awkward. She closed her eyes tightly and pinched the area between her brows.

"Father… I'm only 10 years old…" Hearing this response, Sahiro couldn't help but start coughing. He nearly fell over. After a while he started laughing. It was a genuine and hardy laugh.

"Yes, that's right. I forgot because you are so mature. Whatever decision you make, I will support." Sahiro realized that his concerns were for naught. He could feel that the turmoil within him was not something that Natsume had. Perhaps her youth was an advantage for her. She did not have years of accumulated experience and could still grow past the pain and sadness. After a while, Natsume took the initiative to speak.

"Father, what if we discover something… terrible at the shrine?" While Sahiro was worried about her love life, Natsume was thinking about something else the whole journey. He frowned and didn't understand her meaning.

"What could be so terrible at the sacred site?" Sahiro didn't understand her question.

Natsume bit her lip and continued. "What if the records at the shrine ask us to do something like… sacrifice Uchiha in order to prevent the blindness?" She wasn't very good at being subtle and directly asked the question she had on her mind. It wasn't a conjecture, since she knew the answer already.

"Impossible. Our ancestors would not have kept the sacred records if it had that kind of text…" Seeing her anxious look, he sighed and thought about it. "If that is so, then I would willingly sacrifice myself rather than being able to see once more."

Natsume had a suspicion that he would answer like that. She frowned and began to weigh to herself whether she could continue living if that happened. Madara had turned into a monster because of what happened to his brother. She believed she was stronger emotionally, but this was perhaps overconfidence due to her inherited memories. Natsume could not claim to know how she would be if that situation would arise in the future.

Although he would likely reject the knowledge, there would be moments in battle where Sahiro may choose to give her his eyes as a last resort. In the heat of battle, she would not be able to stop him. She could already picture the scene in her mind. She is exhausted and on the verge of losing or death, and the same is true for her father. Then, he turns to her and in an instant of surprise, he has already passed her his light.

It was cliché.

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