Preparations × Stage Play

Madara unrolled the scroll a little further and pointed to a diagram made up of intricate lines and Chakra nodes.

"I found one. Five Senses Labyrinth: Mirage. It requires five Uchiha to take specific positions and perform the technique at the same time."

His finger traced the formation lines on the diagram. "It primarily creates a large, persistent illusion space with an adjustable range. It can simulate environments, change light and shadow, distort sound, and even affect subtle sensations like temperature and smell to a certain extent for those caught in it. But..."

Madara paused and looked up at Izuna. "The technique itself is 'static.' The scroll records several fixed illusions, but none of them are suitable.

"If you want to switch between different illusory scenes in real time to match your music and content, the users will have to control it manually, making each switch in precise coordination with every beat and section.

"That demands a great deal of concentration from the users, as well as a strong understanding between them and a thorough knowledge of your music."

Izuna's eyes lit up as he listened. "It can switch illusions in real time with the music? Perfect! Madara, can we find people to help with this technique?"

"I'll find the candidates." Madara closed the scroll, his tone confident. "I'll keep an eye out at tonight's Clan Meeting."

Seeing how excited Izuna looked, he added a reminder. "Don't get happy too soon. Even if we find everyone, you'll still need a lot of time to practice together. Synchronizing music and Genjutsu isn't easy."

"I know, I know!" Izuna nodded vigorously, then a hint of hesitation appeared on his face. His fingers picked absently at the edge of a nail. "Madara, actually... I have another... bolder idea for the Spring Banquet performance."

"Hmm?" Madara raised an eyebrow, motioning for him to continue.

Izuna took a deep breath and explained as clearly as he could what had struck him while listening to Heikyoku that afternoon, as well as his idea of "retelling The Tale of the Heike from a ninja's perspective."

"...So I don't just want to play the Biwa.

"I want to recreate it through a performance, using Genjutsu to help present a story onstage.

"A different story of the Taira, seen from our perspective as ninja. I want to bring the shadows the music deliberately blurred into the foreground."

Madara listened quietly to the end. A flicker of understanding crossed his red eyes, but there was more puzzlement than anything else.

"You want to act?" Madara's tone was a little strange as he looked Izuna up and down. "Just for that?"

As he saw it, the disguises, infiltration, and information gathering ninja used on missions were no different from acting. To "act" for others to watch, specifically on a stage?

Madara couldn't understand why that was necessary.

"If you want to do it, then do it." Though Madara didn't understand, he didn't object. "Go straight to Hashirama and have him issue a long-term D-rank or C-rank cooperative mission in his name as Hokage to recruit ninja willing to take part in the performance.

"That way, you'll get what you need, and the village's ninja with time on their hands can earn some extra money. They'd get to have fun and get paid, so I expect plenty of people would take it."

Izuna said, "...Huh?"

He froze for a moment, then realized it really was a very "ninja" solution. Issue a mission and hire people. Perfectly reasonable.

"But..." Izuna scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "Madara, hiring that many people... would cost a lot, wouldn't it? I don't have much saved up..."

He had arrived in this world without a penny to his name and had been relying on his family for food and lodging ever since. Where would he get the money to issue a mission?

Madara gave Izuna a look that said, "You're actually worried about that?" His tone was flat. "It's just a D-rank or low-level C-rank cooperative mission. How much could it cost? The mission fee can come out of my mission pay, or we can use some of the clan's public funds. Either is fine. How many people do you need?"

Izuna was touched. Madara really was... rich and protective of his own. He quickly began calculating in his head.

How many people did a complete stage play of a certain scale need?

Leads, supporting actors, extras...

Backstage staff to handle scene changes and props...

If there were large battle scenes, they would need even more people to create the right spectacle...

Considering that ninja could use the Transformation Technique and Clone Technique to play multiple roles or serve as background figures, the number could be reduced somewhat. But for the sake of the production and to lighten the burden on each individual ninja...

Izuna cautiously gave him a number. "...About sixty people?"

Madara said, "..."

The calm expression on Madara's face froze instantly.

He slowly turned his head and stared at Izuna, repeating each word distinctly. "Sixty. People?"

"Yeah..." Izuna grew a little uneasy under his stare, but pressed on with his explanation. "It's mainly for the stage effects. I want to show more than just the stories of a few characters. There's also the atmosphere of that era, and the scenes of war."

He gestured as he spoke. "For a large-scale scene like the Battle of Dan-no-ura, for example, we'd need lots of 'soldiers' fighting and falling amid waves and warships created by Genjutsu. That's how we can make it tragic and stirring.

"And on the Taira's road into exile, we'd also need crowds of commoners and routed soldiers... If we relied on just a few people using the Clone Technique to manage all that, the effect would suffer, and it would consume far too much Chakra."

He paused, lowering his voice. "And... in my vision, there are a lot of scenes of bleeding, injury, and death.

"I don't want to gloss over them. I want the audience to see that war isn't just a hymn to heroes, but a brutality built on the flesh and blood of countless individuals. We need enough 'characters' to show those sacrifices."

Madara fell silent.

He hadn't expected Izuna's ideas to be so deep, so... vast.

Even if all sixty ninja were paid only D-rank mission rates, the total would still be no small sum.

More importantly, mobilizing that many people just to help Izuna put on a "stage performance"?

It sounded utterly fantastical.

But seeing the earnest, determined light in his younger brother's eyes, Madara swallowed the doubts on the tip of his tongue.

Izuna wasn't a child fooling around.

Madara Uchiha had also heard Heikyoku, and the Biwa hōshi who performed it were generally either disabled or sickly.

They traveled from place to place to make a living and pass on stories and events in song, getting by through begging and relying on others for food and drink.

To ninja, such people were essentially just background passersby, petty traders who made money from information available on the surface. Aside from a pervert, no one would want to torture or kill a disabled person.

The stories they sang did contain some intense descriptions of war, but most were little songs about romance and sorrow.

And there were no ninja.

Yet Madara had never noticed. He didn't care about music or songs, nor could he appreciate them, and he had never given it any thought until now.

He suddenly realized that there were no ninja in the songs.

Although Madara had a vague sense that this was important, he still couldn't figure out why he felt that way.

But since Izuna had brought it up, he must have his own reasons. All Madara needed to do was support him.

"Sixty people..." Madara repeated. This time, there was no surprise in his voice, only deliberation and resolve. "Time is tight. We can't have everyone rehearse from the beginning."

"I know." Izuna nodded. "For now, let's recruit the leads first and think about the others afterward."

"How many leads are there in your script?"

Izuna touched the ends of his hair and said awkwardly, "Uh, I haven't decided yet. Anyway, I'll write the outline as quickly as I can tomorrow."

"All right." Madara analyzed the situation quickly and methodically. "I can coordinate with Hashirama on candidates and issuing the mission. We can recruit suitable people from the Uchiha, the Senju, and the other clans. Besides cash, payment and contributions can also be converted into mission points or priority access to resources in the future."

He paused and looked at Izuna. "Izuna, you need to come up with a more detailed plan as soon as possible.

"What roles are needed, roughly what each role has to do, how the scenes change, and how the music and Genjutsu work together. We don't understand acting or music, so the more detail you give us, the more smoothly we can carry it out."

"Right! I'll write out a detailed script outline and division of work as soon as I can!" Izuna nodded vigorously, his eyes shining. "I'll hurry with adapting and practicing the music, and I'll work out a plan for coordinating the Genjutsu as soon as possible too!"

Madara rested his hand against his chin and continued thinking. "You can't stop learning Heikyoku from Matsuda Hōshi. You need to learn it, and he's also your window into noble tastes and what they'll accept.

"You don't need to visit the third elder for now. She said your etiquette is already up to standard; all that remains is to maintain it in daily life."

"As for the basics of Sealing Jutsu with Mito..." Madara thought it over and realized that, given the current situation, there was no way to postpone them. "You'll have to make time for those too. The threat of Black Zetsu hasn't been eliminated. A little more strength is always good."

"I know..." After hearing it all, Izuna felt like he was about to die.

So... much to do... It's like I'm back preparing for the college entrance exam.

I'm going to be worked to death! Help!

Looking at his younger brother's dejected face, Madara couldn't help holding back a laugh as he reached out and ruffled his hair. "Go on, eat dinner first. Then get started on your plan. After the Clan Meeting, I'll give you a preliminary list of Genjutsu candidates so you can start practicing together as soon as possible."

"I know..."

Night fell, and the lights in the study of the Uchiha Residence burned late.

Izuna hunched over the desk, writing. At times he frowned in thought; at others, he wrote furiously, turning his vision for the stage play into words and simple sketches bit by bit.