Two Kunai

A few days later, Madara returned from outside, drenched in sweat once again. By now, he had long grown used to the dull routine of cultivating Chakra morning and night, earning money to help support the household after breakfast, and practicing taijutsu in the afternoon.

One hundred push-ups and three hundred frog jumps a day were this body's current limit.

As for the Chakra he had been steadily refining, it was still inferior even to that of a genin, as though he had reached a bottleneck.

He had returned so early because he had heard some news from that group of little brats.

"Just wait! In three days, when I undergo Spirit Awakening, I'll definitely beat you! Waaaah!"

Other than the mention of Spirit Awakening, Madara let the rest of it go in one ear and out the other. It was nothing more than the wailing of a beaten dog.

Spirit Awakening? Madara raised a hand and touched the corner of his eye. Could it be that?

The Sharingan, also known as the Eye That Reflects the Heart, drew its power from the soul and bloodline.

If this body also possessed Uchiha blood, then the chance of awakening it was over ninety percent. But if he relied solely on being the reincarnation of Indra's Chakra, the odds were basically fifty-fifty.

Madara guessed that perhaps his Chakra could only continue breaking through after he officially became a Soul Master.

Madara hurried home, intending to tell Tang San the news as well, but he found Village Chief Old Jack inside the Blacksmith Shop.

"Little Madara, you're back! Been bullying those little fellows again?" Jack said with a beaming smile as he watched Madara return home.

Old Jack was the Village Chief of Sacred Soul Village, as well as the oldest and most respected elder in the entire village. When Tang Hao had brought Madara and Tang San here to settle down, they had relied greatly on his help.

"Village Chief, you came to my home to notify my younger brother and me about our Spirit Awakening, right?" Though Madara was proud and unruly, he remained very polite toward elders who had helped him.

"Yes, yes, yes! So you already know. Remember, I'll come get you two in three days!" Jack said solemnly.

Madara nodded with a serious expression. "Don't worry, Village Chief. We'll be on time! After all, this concerns our fate!"

Old Jack stroked his beard and smiled. "Then I can rest easy!"

"Grandpa Village Chief, what is an awakening ceremony?" Tang San asked curiously.

Madara felt utterly helpless about this younger brother of his. Sure enough, he was just as naturally clueless as Izuna.

Living in a world of Soul Masters without knowing about Spirits or Soul Masters was like a child in the Shinobi World not knowing what shinobi were.

Still, Old Jack carefully explained to Tang San, "Every one of us has our own Spirit. When we reach around six years old..."

After that, Tang San asked several more questions about the awakening ceremony and Soul Masters like an inquisitive child, while Madara listened attentively from the side.

Though he had already gained a rough understanding from snippets of conversation among the villagers over the past few years, a ninja's caution made him want to learn about it in greater detail. After all, there was no harm in being careful.

The whole exchange was quite pleasant, except when their father, Tang Hao, scoffed at the legend of the Soul Saint, making Old Jack blow his beard and glare as he threatened to teach Tang Hao a proper lesson with his Carrot Spirit.

Time passed quickly, and night fell in the blink of an eye. Tang San, who had spent the entire day hammering iron, rolled his aching shoulders and began preparing dinner.

After dinner, Tang Hao went out to drink himself into a stupor again. It looked like he would not return until very late. As Madara and Tang San cleaned up the dishes together, Madara hesitated before saying, "Xiao San, I want to ask you for a favor."

"What is it, Brother? Just say it if you have something to say!" Tang San asked curiously, turning his head as he washed the dishes.

Tang San knew that his older brother was extremely proud and strong-willed. If there was something he could handle himself, he would grit his teeth and see it through alone.

"I want you to make a few things for me." Madara took out a blueprint and laid it on the table.

"A dagger? Brother, what do you need this for?" Tang San asked as he looked at the blueprint for the Kunai before him.

"Self-defense," Madara said quietly.

Though Tang San retained memories of concealed weapons from his previous life, he instinctively regarded the Kunai as a close-combat dagger. It was a little short, but it happened to suit Madara's current build perfectly. He never considered using it as a throwing weapon.

"All right. I'll forge them as soon as I can over the next few days."

Originally, Madara had wanted to forge the War Fan and scythe he had used to dominate the Shinobi World in the past. But first, his body was still too small to wield them, and second, Tang San was busy refining Iron Essence. He was simply incapable of making such large ninja tools.

The next morning, Madara got up early to wash up. Seeing Tang San constantly yawning and the two Kunai on the table that still retained a trace of warmth, his heart warmed.

If you like forging, then be a blacksmith! At the very least, no god can touch the family protected by me, Uchiha Madara!

Tang San, who had been somewhat sleepy, felt the aura emanating from his brother and was utterly baffled.

"Let's go! The sun will be rising soon!"

"Not bad!" Madara grabbed the two Kunai from the table. Feeling their familiar weight and grip, he nodded in satisfaction.

It had to be said that Tang San truly had the talent to become a Divine Blacksmith. Even the Kunai he had forged for the first time felt so natural in Madara's hand.

Madara did not know that although Tang San had never forged anything in this life, he had made countless concealed weapons as a Tang Sect disciple in his previous life. Practice naturally made perfect.

For some reason, Madara had felt restless since that morning, as if something bad were about to happen.

"I should be more careful today." Madara knew this was a sudden intuition, a powerful instinct forged by the narrow line between life and death that strong warriors had endured. He cautiously tucked the freshly forged Kunai into his belt.

In the blink of an eye, the sun had risen from the east. On the way home, Tang San watched Madara's expression grow increasingly grave and thought to himself, Something's wrong. Brother has never been this tense in all these years!

"Brother, are you hiding something from me?" Tang San was asking, but his tone carried undeniable suspicion.

"No. I'm just feeling uneasy." Madara rubbed Tang San's hair again, as if it had become a habit.

Tang San had resisted at first, but over time, he had grown used to it as well. After all, he had been alone and friendless in his previous life. Though he had a father after being reborn, the dispirited Tang Hao was clearly nowhere near as close as a brother.

"Brother, if something is wrong, don't always keep it bottled up. I..." Before Tang San could finish, he stopped. His expression turned guarded as well, and he and Madara both faced the rustling grass beside them.

"I'll take a look!" Tang San said, catching one of the Kunai Madara tossed to him.

"No! If anyone goes, it should be me!" Madara stretched out an arm to block Tang San and raised an eyebrow.

"Brother! You're not as agile as I am. I should go!" Tang San said firmly. Having practiced the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track since childhood, Tang San was naturally more agile than Madara, who had yet to finish climbing trees and treading water.

"Be careful!" Madara could only nod. He knew his younger brother was very steady and would not do anything unless he was certain.

Tang San said nothing more, merely stepping cautiously toward the patch of grass not far away.

Roar! In an instant, a snow-white Lynx shot toward Tang San like a streak of silver light.

Tang San was alarmed and hurriedly leaped back. He unleashed the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track without holding anything back, revealing a hint of ghostly grace as he narrowly evaded the beast's fangs and claws.

Seeing Tang San escape danger, Madara's tightly held heart finally settled. At the same time, he felt relieved. So this fellow was the reason for his sudden intuition.

"Are you all right, Xiao San?" Madara stared without blinking at the Lynx pacing back and forth ahead of them, only then opening his mouth to ask.

In battle, one must never take their eyes off their enemy. That was a lesson written in blood.

"I'm fine, Brother. Get ready!" Tang San gripped the Kunai in his hand. He knew that with the White Lynx's speed, if either of them exposed their back to it, they would never make it back to the village alive.

"Xiao San, you're faster. Go back and get help!" Madara stepped in front of Tang San again.

"Brother, you go back. I'll keep it occupied!" This time, even when Tang San circulated the inner power of the Mysterious Heaven Movement, he only managed to make Madara's arm sway slightly.

They were less than a few hundred meters from the village. As long as one of them went for help, the villagers could arrive within five minutes. If it were not so early that everyone was still asleep, that roar from earlier would have been enough to draw attention!

"Remember, I'm the older brother, and you're the younger brother!" Tang San saw his older brother smile for the first time in his life, and it made him instinctively trust him.

Tang San gritted his teeth and sprinted toward Sacred Soul Village without looking back, his eyes filled with worry. Brother, you have to hold on!

What Tang San did not see was that the instant he left, Madara's smile turned incomparably cold.

"Little crawler, let's have some fun!"