By the time the five participants had finished their experience, it was already nearing noon.
What followed was a clan-only banquet within the Uchiha.
Naturally, it wasn't a grand affair—only those with some status within the clan could attend. After all, Uchiha Kei's illusion game was too valuable. If word got out, it could draw unwanted attention from the Hidden Leaf's upper echelon.
Though not everyone knew, the Uchiha leadership understood well: despite being one of the founding clans of the Hidden Leaf Village, the Uchiha had always been viewed with suspicion and guarded against by the village leadership.
Especially after the death of Uchiha Kagami, a disciple of the Second Hokage, the Uchiha clan had been strictly confined to the police force, locked out of other departments completely.
With no avenues for promotion and almost no chances to leave the village, the only time the Uchiha were truly relied upon was during the Great Ninja Wars. Even then, it wasn't out of trust—during those times, even academy graduates were thrown into the battlefield. The village leadership had no choice but to use the Uchiha.
And so, every Ninja War became a time of great casualties for the Uchiha. Yet with every war, their strength surged. For a clan rooted in emotion, the losses of war naturally triggered the evolution of the Sharingan.
Given this history, the Uchiha elders remained wary of the village leadership. While relations weren't as tense as they would become after the Nine-Tails incident, there was no way they'd share important clan secrets.
But this attitude clearly clashed with Uchiha Kei's intentions—especially since the system had just issued a new mission.
\\[Main Mission: The First Step in Building a Game Empire.]
\\[Mission Description: Every game must generate profit. Only games that generate revenue can provide the host with a steady source of funding, enabling the development of more games. Thus, creating a platform for selling games is essential.]
\\[Mission Objective: Construct a platform or channel for selling games, and successfully sell at least two games. Pricing will be determined by market conditions. Total sales must exceed 100,000 yuan, with at least 500 players. Each player's purchase of each game will only be counted once. Repeated purchases will not count. Prices will adjust based on exchange rates and local markets.]
\\[Time Limit: 1 month. Final rewards will be determined based on total sales at the deadline.]
\\[Special Note: Completing this mission will fully unlock the system's functions.]
That was the mission the system had just issued. Like the previous one, it would've been easy to complete—if this were Earth. By system standards, it was a very friendly mission.
But in the Shinobi World? Not so much.
This world was abstract and backward. While the system's requirements weren't outrageous, they weren't trivial either.
Even if the conditions were generous, the Uchiha alone didn't have enough people to meet the 500-player minimum.
The clan was large, sure. But even counting outsiders who married in, they didn't hit 500. They were still short.
So, to complete the mission, Uchiha Kei would have to make the game available to outsiders.
He also couldn't rely on individual Sharingan matches. That would drain too much chakra and ocular power. He had asked the system: to be eligible for sales, a game had to be a full version. And the mission required two. That meant he had to make at least one more, which would be even more taxing.
His current method wouldn't be enough. There simply wasn't time.
He had to move forward with the plan he had discussed yesterday with Minato Namikaze: mass-producing the illusion game.
Most importantly, the final reward was tied to sales volume. The more he sold, the more he'd benefit. And this mission would fully unlock the system's functions. He didn't yet know what those functions were—but judging from what he had already received, they were no small matter.
With all these factors in play, how could he possibly keep the "secret technique" confined to just the Uchiha?
The illusion game had to be spread.
To do that, he'd need to convince the clan elders. Sure, he could force it through, but that would sour his relationship with the Uchiha—why throw away a golden opportunity he had just secured?
With that in mind, after the meal, Uchiha Kei approached Uchiha Fugaku and asked him to summon the most important clan leaders for a high-level meeting.
Fugaku didn't know what Kei had planned, but Kei now had the right to convene such meetings. After all, his status was equal to the elders and the clan head.
So, Fugaku, Uchiha Masanobu, and Uchiha Setsuna—among a few others—gathered once again in the clan's meeting hall. Compared to earlier that morning, only a third remained.
Looking at the true decision-makers of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Kei spoke:
"Everyone, you've all experienced the illusion game I created. But there's something you must know: my secret technique cannot be taught to others."
Everyone was stunned. They looked at each other in confusion.
Then, Uchiha Setsuna asked calmly, "Kei-kun, could you explain why?"
There was no accusation, no anger, no pressure—just a request for understanding.
Uchiha Kei activated his single-tomoe Sharingan.
"Because the core element of this secret technique is my Sharingan—or more precisely, the unique ability of my own Sharingan. It's a power exclusive to my dōjutsu, and I cannot teach it to others." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
The others were stunned, their confusion deepening.
Just a single tomoe? What special power could that possibly have? It wasn't even Mangekyō Sharingan.
Even Uchiha Fugaku frowned. This explanation felt like a convenient excuse to avoid sharing the technique.
Sure, he could accept Kei keeping the technique to himself—it was his creation, after all. But this kind of excuse felt like an insult to their intelligence.
But then, to everyone's surprise, Uchiha Setsuna nodded thoughtfully.
"I see. If that's the case, it makes sense. Kei-kun, it seems your single-tomoe Sharingan has gained an ability normally only found in the Mangekyō."
"That would explain why the illusion world your game creates feels so real. It's an ability tied to the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"But because you only have one tomoe, your dōjutsu isn't powerful enough to overwhelm resistance. That's why your targets must completely drop their mental defenses for it to work."
All eyes turned to Uchiha Setsuna—everyone was stunned. Even Uchiha Kei looked visibly shocked.
What he had said was true: the illusion game was created using system-granted skills combined with the Sharingan. Without the system's support, it was impossible to teach the technique to others.
Kei had prepared a detailed explanation and even proof.
But Uchiha Setsuna had done it for him—and even tied it to the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan. Completely unexpected.
Had something happened before in Uchiha history?