Uchiha Madara and the strongest of the new generation of the Uchiha Clan fought each other on the floor with no sense of dignity, using every dirty trick they could think of. They looked no different from a pair of street thugs.
Who knew how long they fought? In any case, both had used up every last bit of strength. With two thuds, they collapsed onto the wooden floor, their faces bruised and swollen as they gasped for breath.
Uchiha Madara touched his nose. A sharp ache mixed with an indescribably strange sensation, and tears spilled out of his eyes despite himself.
"My nose is broken!" His voice sounded strange because of it.
Shinichi gave a smug little snort, convinced he'd won. At least his nose wasn't broken, even if his left eye had taken a solid punch and was now swollen shut.
"You deserved it!" Shinichi said.
Uchiha Madara didn't rise to the taunt. He sighed. "But seriously, you're ridiculously gifted. You keep pulling out ninjutsu I've never seen before. Like that technique that turns you into a crow, or that chakra ball. And especially that technique from yesterday, the one that let you jump back and forth through space. That was incredible. If I'd been in your place yesterday, I probably wouldn't have lasted three seconds. Oh, right—I nearly forgot. Father told me to call you to his room. There's going to be a Clan Meeting soon, and I have to attend too."
Uchiha Madara spoke calmly, but his words made Shinichi furrow his brow. There was a lot of meaning behind them.
Suddenly, Shinichi pieced everything together and began to understand why the clan had chosen to use him as bait. Given the Uchiha's strength, there were plenty of ways to surround the enemy without making a sound.
Perhaps this approach had simply been the most effective. But there was another reason, too: the clan was testing him. They didn't trust him—or, at least, they didn't trust him completely.
As for why they distrusted him, it was probably because of those ninjutsu. That made sense. Anyone who suddenly used techniques that had never even been recorded by the clan would draw suspicion. Even if he claimed he'd invented them himself, he was far too young. Did he think everyone was an idiot? Did he think he was the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths?
Shinichi sat up and rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought. "What about Hyuga Tamamo and the others? Did we finish them off yesterday? Was the Kage-level Expert who attacked us Hyuga Tenin?"
Madara sat up as well, confused. "Kage-level Expert?" After a brief pause, he realized Shinichi meant a clan-head-level expert. He shrugged. "No. It was another old monster from the Hyuga Clan. On the surface, the clan has only two clan-head-level experts: their leader, Hyuga Tenin, and their Great Elder, Hyuga Shinshu. As for Hyuga Tamamo, she was rescued. But one of the three Elite Jonin was killed, another lost an arm, and the last was seriously injured. Even that old monster Hyuga Shinshu was hit hard enough by Father to spit up blood. We just don't know how badly he was hurt."
Shinichi processed the information, analyzing it piece by piece. There was a lot to take in. Hyuga Shinshu definitely hadn't just arrived last night; he must have been lying in wait. And his uncle's quick response yesterday probably meant he hadn't been completely in the dark, either.
The great clans of the Ninja World really can't be underestimated. The thought lifted Shinichi's spirits, and a smile tugged at his lips. That was what made things interesting.
Uchiha Madara stood and used chakra to heal the wounds on his face. They had fought with fists and feet, so the injuries looked bad but were only superficial. Chakra could easily heal them, leaving not even a trace.
"You should hurry. Don't keep Father waiting. I have to go to the Clan Meeting soon, too."
Shinichi stood and used chakra to disperse the blood around his eye. "I know."
Then he left the room and headed for Uchiha Tajima's quarters, thinking all the way about how to explain the ninjutsu he knew.
To establish a foothold in the Warring States Period, a clan needed all kinds of resources: land, food, population, ninjas, wealth, and more. But none of those could compare to the two most important resources. Only with those could a clan become one of the great powers.
The next generation and knowledge. The importance of the next generation went without saying. Only with enough children could a clan prosper and pass down its legacy.
Knowledge was harder to define, but for a ninja clan, it meant ninjutsu.
That was why every clan valued ninjutsu so highly. They rarely passed it on to anyone outside their direct line, and the more advanced the technique, the stricter they were.
Yet Shinichi was only five, and during his last fight against a Hyuga Jonin, he had revealed the Crow Clone and Rasengan—techniques no one had ever seen before. No wonder the clan was suspicious.
He could insist that those two techniques were his own inventions, the result of his extraordinary talent. But how could he explain the Flying Thunder God he had shown yesterday?
Claim it was his own invention, too? Give me a break. Even Shinichi wouldn't believe that excuse.
Lost in thought, he arrived at Uchiha Tajima's door without realizing it.
He pushed those jumbled thoughts aside, opened the door, and stepped inside. Uchiha Tajima was kneeling at the table. Shinichi hurried over and performed the proper greeting for an elder. "Uncle!"
Uchiha Tajima always wore a stern expression. He gave a slight nod. "Sit."
Shinichi knelt down, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He didn't dare act too casually in front of Uchiha Tajima, the old-fashioned clan leader.
Uchiha Tajima took out a pouch and a long sword and placed them on the table. "You did well this time. This is your reward for the mission."
Shinichi opened the pouch and saw it was full of silver-white coins, the currency used during the Warring States Period. He didn't bother counting them, simply tucked the pouch into his robe, then picked up the sword.
He drew it slightly. A flash of cold light appeared, sharpening the gaze of anyone who saw it. The blade was three layers thick, fine and light—a rare, excellent sword.
"This sword is called Heaven Cloud. It's a replica of the legendary Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. Though it's only a copy, it's still a fine weapon. I've seen you using Kunai and thought you could use something better, so I'm giving it to you as a reward."
Shinichi put it away. "Thank you."
Uchiha Tajima poured two cups of tea and pushed one toward Shinichi. "I've heard about what you did last night. Having a genius like you in the Uchiha Clan is a blessing for all of us. But you'll have to explain where you learned those strange ninjutsu. As far as I know, you haven't left the clan grounds all these years, so there's no question of some chance encounter."
Here it comes! Shinichi gently lifted the teacup to hide his expression, searching for the right words.
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