Chapter 6 Plot

After going out for a walk with Izunai that day, Ling began to change his mindset. He no longer locked himself in the house to familiarize himself with his body, but started walking around the tribe with the blind stick given to him by his younger brothers.

As for Ling's behavior, the Uchiha clan had different opinions.

But this division is a bit strange. Most of those who criticize Ling are the older generation who have been on the battlefield for a long time and the young and children who have a generation gap with him. Those of his generation who have just been in the battlefield for a short time, including the young generation headed by Uchiha Akihiko, can almost be said to be defending him unconditionally.

To the outside world, every time Ling leaves home, there will be a peer with no mission by his side.

"I'm sorry to cause you trouble."

Uchiha Akihiko looked a little awkward, but looking at the scar across Ling's face, he still couldn't say anything too hurtful. "If you really think we are in trouble, cheer up quickly. The duel between us is not over yet."

"Akira, you really aren't the type to give up easily..." Ling laughed softly, "Then why don't you practice with me now?"

Uchiha Akihiko first glared at the kid who was pointing at Ling's wound and about to say something, and then showed a clear look of disdain on his face, "You want me to bully a blind man? I don't have any dignity?"

Ling was not annoyed, "It's just that the physical skills are still no problem. I have started practicing again recently."

Zhao Yan touched his chin when he heard this, "...Then let's go to the back mountain? There are fewer people there."

"Let's go to the training ground." Ling shook his head slightly, with a helpless smile on his face, "You don't have to protect me like this anymore. After all, after a few more days, when this war is over, things should be settled."

Hearing this, Uchiha Akihiko couldn't help but turn his head to look at Ling's attire, and finally his eyes fell on the scar on his face. He looked dazed, but couldn't help but shook his head, "You are such a dirty guy, no wonder you didn't cover your eyes."

Ling chuckled and raised a finger in front of him, "We have to leave some clues for what's going to happen next. We have to do the whole show, right?"

"Tsk, you're wasting my kindness..." Uchiha Akihiko raised his hand and hooked Ling's neck, "Let's go to the training ground. I can't get rid of the hatred in my heart if I don't beat you up today!"

"Then please go easy on me... Hey, slow down, I still have to count my steps."

Uchiha Akihiko slowed down his pace and just listened to the crisp sound of Ling's cane hitting the ground. He couldn't help but admire Ling again in his heart.

Since he could become one of the strong contenders for the succession, he naturally had his own plans in mind. After Ling's words came out, combined with the rumors in the clan and the developments on the battlefield in recent days, how could he not know what was going on?

——It can only be that Ling set up the situation himself and used the existing conditions to make a calculation.

First, rumors spread that he had failed in his mission and his eyes were gouged out, leading the clan to shrink the front line and avoid the rage of the Thousand Hands Clan. Then, he temporarily avoided the dispute under the pretext of recuperating from his injuries, allowing the clan members to vent their resentment against him while also starting to focus on selecting the next generation of heirs.

When the Senju clan began to be at a disadvantage on the battlefield, Ling went out again and did not hide his injuries. As the Uchiha clan is one of the most powerful ninja clans in the ninja world, how could the ninjas in the clan not tell how Ling's injuries were caused?

As long as they have doubts, most Uchiha people will investigate on their own, and when they dig out the hidden truth, they will certainly turn their attention to Ling and Madara out of guilt. This will undoubtedly have unspeakable benefits for Ling's restoration of reputation and Madara's participation in the selection of the next heir.

This move not only safeguarded the interests of the clan, but also enhanced the cohesion of the clan. In the end, Ling himself suffered no more losses except for a brief period of criticism...

But what people say is scary. Even if we know this, how many people can bear the pressure?

Thinking of this, Uchiha Akihiko couldn't help but shake his head secretly. He asked himself, if he also encountered the same misfortune as Ling, it would be impossible for him to exclude himself at the first moment, use his own pain to plan and pave the way for his brother and the clan - Uchiha Ling is a madman who can always stay calm.

Because they had competed together and he knew Ling's character, when the news spread in the clan that Ling's eyes had been gouged out for failing a mission, Uchiha Akihiko's first reaction was disbelief - unless one betrayed the clan, the punishment for mission failure in their clan would at most be to deduct the mission reward to compensate for the clan's losses, or at worst to send the person to the place where the clan files were stored to copy ninjutsu and history.

As an Uchiha family famous for their eye techniques, eyes are undoubtedly the foundation of their existence, so unless it is an unforgivable sin, the clan will never dig out anyone's eyes.

Therefore, Uchiha Akihiko determined that there was something behind this, and he became even more certain after a brief exchange with several of his former competitors. This was also why he said those words to Madara after meeting him that day. He wanted to use Madara's mouth to convey some of the clan's developments to Ling.

When he saw the scars on Ling's face, Uchiha Akihiko was even more sure that the trend in the clan was deliberately brought up this time. After comparing their feelings, he and a few people summoned his contemporaries to follow him when they were not on missions. Being by Ling's side, I wanted to block the rumors for him...

But in reality, it turned out that everything had been arranged long ago, and he was just meddling in other people's business!

Hearing the snort coming from the side, Ling couldn't help but defend himself, "This is not entirely my fault. After all, you have seen my current situation. I can only achieve the current results thanks to the operation of the elders and my father."

"You must have been the one who brought it up first, right?" Uchiha Akihiko said with a click of the tongue. "You are indeed a lunatic, even though you are injured like this and still have the mind to plot."

"Hehe... I will probably not be able to make any contribution to the family in my crippled state, so I need to do something for my family and clan while I still have influence. Also... as the previous heir, since I have survived this time, I cannot become a burden to the family, right? Otherwise, the clan members will question the vision of my father and the elders."

Hearing this, Uchiha Akihiko couldn't help but sigh in his heart, but he couldn't help but mutter aloud, "No, does Madara know that you are so cruel?"

Ling did not answer this question, but just smiled, "Ban is very talented and works very hard. He will only do better than me in the future."

"That brat?" Uchiha Akihiko sneered and waved his hand. "That's only because you're alive. If you were dead, not to mention the clan's reaction, even in our generation, there wouldn't be many people who would recognize that brat as the clan leader. Although Madara is responsible and talented, the clan leader doesn't need a stubborn idealist like him."

"Stubborn idealist..." Ling laughed softly, "But if one day someone can really convince Madara, then the two of them must have the same grand dream, right?

A single tree cannot make a forest, and a single flower cannot make spring. If we can meet someone who shares the same ideals as us and work hard for them, and the two tribes move forward together, it will be a good future... Well, there are indeed reasons not to slack off. "

"...Can your brother complex be cured?"

"You speak as if you are not the same, I remember last time -"

Uchiha Akihiko immediately opened his eyes wide and reached out to cover Ling's mouth, "Stop it! Just talk, don't talk about the dark history, or don't blame me for using ninjutsu to sneak attack you later!"

Listening to the increasingly noisy fighting sounds, Ling smiled and pulled Zhao Yan's hand away, "Then you must remember to clear the area. I can't see now, and there will be no distinction between friend and foe in a fight."