"Clan Head, according to reports, Uchiha Aoba went to the Medical Unit at the same time and requested to join. She successfully became a civilian Medical Ninja within the clan."
At that moment, Uchiha Izuna, the head of the Medical Unit, watched the Clan Head sink into thought. After hesitating briefly, he decided to bring up Aoba's situation.
"Medical Ninja?" Tajima's pupils refocused and settled on Uchiha Izuna. "Has Aoba's eye been examined?"
"During her employment, the Medical Unit reexamined her. We found that her right eye was indeed on the verge of blindness, and it would not last much longer."
"Not much longer, huh... I understand. Let her remain a civilian Medical Ninja within the clan, then."
The reason no rumors or investigations had arisen when the couple accepted a long-term undercover mission from the clan and returned with a young child after completing it—
Was entirely because all of Uchiha's upper ranks knew Aoba's identity and had chosen to overlook it.
"Go make your preparations. War will break out in the near future. I hope this war will end quickly."
Soon, the six elders left the Council Hall, leaving Tajima seated there alone in silence.
"Older brother, why don't we train at Mina's house instead? I'm sick of looking at these three little brats, and there's a training ground behind her house too."
Sick of Fan, Feng, Yan, and Qing? More like you wanted to see your Mina, didn't you?
Were they really that annoying?
The three little ones exchanged puzzled looks.
"Did you forget what happened last week? Mad Dog Kosuke chased you down three streets with a blade in hand. Did you think that made you look impressive?"
At the mention of Kosuke's family, Madara's expression suddenly turned awkward.
He was the eldest son of the Uchiha Clan Head, one of the best among his peers, yet he had been chased for three streets by some little brat wielding a blade!!
Three streets!!
If Izuna hadn't held onto his hand, would Uchiha Madara have been so miserable?!
"Uh, then we won't go. Why bring up getting chased and hacked at in front of my younger brother? Look at those three little brats—they're laughing themselves silly."
"As Little Kosuke would say, they're laughing like wriggling maggots!"
Watching the three children convulse on the ground with laughter, Madara genuinely feared they would burrow a massive hole into the floor.
"Enough. Get up, all of you. If you don't throw fifty Senbon, you don't get to eat!!"
Laugh all you want! Let's see if you can still laugh later.
"What are you staring at? You have Chakra now—do you think you can act like them? See that pile of Senbon? Go. If you don't throw them all, you'll be just like them. No food!!"
Izuna turned and saw the piled-up Senbon. There were at least several hundred of them.
He subconsciously swallowed and looked back at his older brother, who stood with his arms crossed.
Was this really something someone his age could endure?
"Why aren't you moving already? Are you waiting for me to do it for you?"
Seeing the four children dawdling, Madara's tone rose several notches.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, Kosuke reached his fifth year.
During those two years,
Aoba first followed Kosuke's request and, one year and eleven months earlier, submitted a request through the Medical Unit to replace her eyes.
Aoba's request soon reached Tajima, who had the Medical Unit's ninja deliver the Three-Tomoe Sharingan left behind by the former Clan Head to her.
Gazing at the two Three-Tomoe Sharingan that had been delivered, Aoba briefly fell into memories.
Father...
"Mommy~"
Kosuke's affectionate call instantly pulled Aoba from her recollections.
Aoba's gentle smile returned as she pretended nothing had happened and looked at Kosuke and Mina.
"Mommy's fine, Little Kosuke. The clan has sent over these two Sharingan. Should Mommy transplant them now?"
"Mom, how well have you mastered Medical Ninjutsu? The nerves around the eyes are incredibly complex. Can you perform an eye transplant by yourself?"
Seeing the concern on Kosuke's face, warmth welled up in Aoba's heart.
Then, confidence curled her lips upward. "Don't forget, I was once the clan's finest intelligence ninja."
Seeing how composed his mother was, Kosuke still had his concerns, but he said no more.
He solemnly nodded, indicating that she could proceed with the transplant, then reminded her, "Afterward, use Mangekyo Dojutsu as much as possible to nourish these new Sharingan."
A year later, war with the Senju broke out once more.
Only this time, the Uzumaki Clan had joined as Senju's reinforcements, attacking the Uchiha Clan together.
With an additional Uzumaki force involved, Uchiha's upper ranks discussed and adopted a wartime policy in order to win quickly.
All children in the clan aged eight and above had to answer the call and head to the battlefield after mastering two C-rank offensive ninjutsu and one C-rank escape ninjutsu.
Even Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Tajima's eldest son, joined the war with his younger brother Uchiha Izuna.
Uchiha Mina was no exception. Her figure stood among those setting out as well.
Wearing crimson wooden plate armor, Madara acted cool every moment of every day.
Ever since he had accidentally heard Kosuke say that his usual behavior seemed suspiciously like showing off during that year, he had completely fallen in love with the phrase.
He had not even understood what it meant.
Yet he had fallen for it just like that.
Showing off!
Wasn't that a phrase tailor-made for him?
Kosuke had been utterly speechless at the time.
Was the King of Showing Off going to be born because of me?!
Then, on the night before the expedition, Kosuke sought out Madara, who was packing supplies.
He returned the scroll he had borrowed for two years.
"I need to conduct experiments on that matter and determine the unknown effects of altering the route. When you go to the battlefield this time, capture a few people if you get the chance. I need them to verify this method."
As for reminding Madara to be careful on the battlefield?
Yeah, right!
That fool, one of the protagonists, would charge at Hashirama the moment his blood got hot, and you wanted Kosuke to tell him to be careful?
He might as well tell him that while pulling Izuna's ears.
"Remember, the same rule applies: you are not allowed to cultivate it on your own! If anything goes wrong, I won't be able to handle it."
"In short, even if you go to my mom, it won't work. A man's word is his bond!"
Seeing Kosuke act like this, Madara put away the two Scrolls and turned to leave.
Madara's cold voice still lingered in the air. "Got it."
Only after Madara's figure vanished completely from Kosuke's sight did he spread his hands and turn toward home.
However, this war did not end quickly as Tajima and the other upper ranks had expected.
Instead, it grew increasingly intense, racing straight toward endless darkness.
One night, Tajima hurried back to the Clan grounds from the front lines and suddenly came to Kosuke's home, where he spoke privately with Aoba in the living room for a long time.
The next day, Tajima led nearly all of the clan's able-bodied forces to the front lines.
Before you continue