News that Uchiha Sou's squad had encountered a "special test subject" and successfully restrained it was soon submitted as crucial intelligence. The report emphasized the effectiveness of "genjutsu interference" against the subject's abnormal state, offering a glimmer of hope to the Uchiha leadership, who were struggling to counter Tobirama's Forbidden Jutsu—though the hope was faint and came at a heavy cost.
Izuna Uchiha summoned the squad leader and Sou in person. In the candlelight, his face looked even paler, but his Mangekyō Sharingan remained sharp as a blade, as though it could see straight through a person. He questioned them closely about every detail, especially the "fanatics'" condition and how they had reacted when the interference finally took effect.
Sou carefully repeated what he had said before, crediting that one instance of "Inner Harmony interference" entirely to the chance effectiveness of Sharingan Genjutsu and his keen perception of Chakra fluctuations. Izuna's gaze lingered on him for a moment, a glimmer of scrutiny seeming to flash in his deep-set eyes, but in the end, he didn't press the matter. Perhaps it was because Sou had a history of being "mediocre," or perhaps because all of Izuna's attention was occupied with finding a way to counter Tobirama's jutsu.
"Genjutsu interference... points where Chakra becomes unstable..." Izuna murmured, tapping his fingers absently on the table. "Pass down the order. Any squad that encounters enemies like these must try concentrating their genjutsu attacks on them. Prioritize their Chakra cores! Even if it only makes them falter for a moment, that's an opportunity!"
The order was quickly passed along. During the next few clashes, the Uchiha began deliberately using genjutsu against the "test subjects" and did achieve some results, temporarily containing the panic caused by the Senju tactic. The clan even became blindly optimistic, believing they had found a way to counter Tobirama's Forbidden Jutsu.
Only Uchiha Sou knew that ordinary Sharingan Genjutsu was nowhere near as effective as the interference imbued with his "Inner Harmony" intent. The clan's "successes" came mostly from better coordination and a higher price in casualties. Meanwhile, Tobirama's jutsu continued to evolve, and the "test subjects'" weaknesses were being rapidly patched.
The war's meat grinder kept turning. As Uchiha Madara's injuries gradually healed and he began appearing in command again, the clashes between the two clans grew in scale, nearly returning to the level they had been before Madara's grievous injury. Everyone could feel that a decisive battle was brewing.
At the heart of that battle would undoubtedly be another clash between Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju. And... a collision between the two sides' sharpest fangs—Izuna Uchiha and Tobirama Senju.
Uchiha Sou's heart sank a little more with each passing day. He knew that fateful moment was drawing near. He had tried to do something, even if it was only a warning, but he couldn't speak up. Any warning beyond what seemed reasonable might arouse needless suspicion, or even hasten the disaster. All he could do was work harder to hone his sense of "Internal Seeking." Through countless moments of introspection and real battles, his Double Tomoe Sharingan had grown ever more profound. He seemed to be only a thin veil away from breaking through, yet he still couldn't pierce it.
At last, the great battle erupted on an overcast morning. Deep within the Uchiha Clan Compound, the oppressive atmosphere had nearly become tangible. The constant stream of bad news from the front lines, especially reports of Tobirama Senju's strange "test subjects," weighed on everyone like heavy stones.
Several times the usual number of guards stood outside Uchiha Madara's residence. Inside, the bitter smell of medicinal herbs hung in the air.
Madara sat cross-legged on the bedding, his upper body bare. Thick bandages still wrapped around his chest and arms, with traces of blood seeping through them. The wounds Hashirama Senju had inflicted were no ordinary injuries. Even with Madara's formidable physique and vitality, he still needed time to recover completely. Loss of blood and pain had left him somewhat pale, but his deep black eyes burned with unyielding resolve and restrained fury.
Several of the clan's finest medical ninja were carefully tending to his injuries one last time, tightening and reinforcing his bandages.
"Clan head, your injuries..." An elderly medical ninja couldn't help speaking up, his voice full of worry. "If you force Chakra through your body, the wounds may tear open again, or even—"
"Enough." Madara's voice was low and hoarse, yet carried unquestionable authority. "Hashirama has appeared at the front. Tobirama's little tricks are harming my people. How could I sit here and do nothing?"
He slowly rose to his feet. His movements still betrayed a hint of barely perceptible stiffness and restraint. Powerful Chakra began to surge through his body, pressing so heavily on the medical ninja that they could barely breathe—and leaving them unable to offer any further objections.
The paper door slid open, and Izuna strode in. His complexion was even worse than Madara's, and blood vessels crowded the whites of his eyes. His vision had clearly deteriorated further, but he walked with determination and went straight to Madara.
"Brother, everything is ready." Izuna's voice was steady, as if he couldn't see his brother's terrible injuries. "The squad has assembled. We're waiting for your order."
Madara's gaze fell on his younger brother. His sharp eyes softened for an instant, but the softness was soon replaced by even deeper resolve. He reached out and pressed a firm hand onto Izuna's shoulder.
"Izuna, I'm still entrusting my back to you."
Izuna looked up sharply and met Madara's gaze. Though his vision had grown blurry, he could still feel the trust his brother placed in him without reservation. He nodded firmly. "Yes, brother! I'll clear every obstacle in your way! Especially... Tobirama Senju!"
The brothers had nothing more to say. Everything was understood without words. Madara took the armor his attendant handed him and slowly put it on, concealing the many scars beneath. When he stepped outside and stood before the assembled Uchiha elite, the "Asura of the Battlefield," who had once looked down upon the battlefield and struck fear into all who heard his name, seemed to have returned. Yet the pallor of his face and the faint weariness buried deep in his eyes revealed the strain behind that strength.
Uchiha Sou stood among the ranks, watching Madara and Izuna. He could clearly sense the immense Chakra within Madara, like a volcano forcibly held in check—roiling, yet quivering unstably. Izuna's life force, meanwhile, was burning at an extraordinary rate, like a candle flickering in the wind, yet flaring with its brightest light at the very end.
A powerful sense of foreboding seized Sou's heart.
He knew Madara's decision to force himself into battle was like sounding the charge for the final showdown. And Izuna's resolute stance was pushing him toward the executioner's block of fate.
The squad set off, silent and grim. Madara walked at the very front, his figure like a wounded lion, every step driven by heavy resolve and the flames of vengeance. Seeing their clan head's back, the Uchiha's morale surged, but beneath that renewed spirit lay even deeper unease and fear.
Sou followed with the squad, his Double Tomoe Sharingan turning faintly as he pushed his sense of Internal Seeking to its limit. He sensed Madara's unstable yet immense power, Izuna's rapidly burning life force, and the increasingly intense feeling of "Dissonance" filling the air around them—the mingled breath of war, hatred, and death.
He knew the wheels of history were bearing down, unstoppable, on that fated point of tragedy.
And he, a transmigrator who knew the future but had little power, could seemingly do nothing now but follow the flood—and try, within it, to seize whatever tiny variable might still exist.
Shadows of scars, a return to the battlefield. The Uchiha were walking toward the edge of a cliff.
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