Not Going...

"Was your brain kicked by a donkey?" That was what Shin thought, and that was exactly what he said.

Uchiha Madara's temper flared up instantly. He realized that ever since he had tricked Shin that one day, they hadn't had a single normal conversation; every time he tried to discuss something, Shin would provoke his anger within two sentences.

"Your brain is the one that was kicked by a donkey!" Uchiha Madara gritted his teeth.

"Then it must have been caught in a door." Shin took a sip of the clear tea in his cup, his tone indifferent.

Madara clenched his fists, thought for a moment, then sat cross-legged with a huff and said angrily, "I came here to talk about serious business, not to fight."

I didn't want to fight you either, Shin muttered to himself, abandoning the urge to continue provoking Madara. He found that annoying this future big boss of the Naruto world with just two sentences was actually quite a pleasant pastime.

"What made you suddenly think of going to the battlefield?"

Shin asked, glancing at the little maid. She obediently went to close the door, poured a cup of tea for Uchiha Madara, then bowed and retreated into the inner room.

"You're quite comfortable being served by others," Madara said indignantly, picking up the tea cup for a sip. "There's no special reason. Don't you feel like we're progressing too slowly? The battlefield is a great place for tempering oneself. I think we can definitely become Jonin there."

"Did the clan head agree to let you go to the battlefield?" Shin asked calmly. Ever since his conversation with Uchiha Tajima that day, he had consciously stopped calling the man 'Uncle'.

As if hit in a sore spot, Madara's head drooped, and he sighed, "No. No matter how I beg my father, he won't let me go to the battlefield. The higher-ups don't agree either; they're obstructing me in every way."

If it were me, I wouldn't let you go either, Shin thought to himself. Although children were sent to the battlefield during the Warring States period, it was only out of absolute necessity. As long as the clan still had resources, no one would throw the next generation into the bottomless pit of war.

In this regard, all clans were the same. Because of this, unless the Uchiha clan reached a point of total, irreconcilable conflict with the Senju, they rarely allowed children under ten to appear on the battlefield. This was especially true for a genius like Uchiha Madara, who needed to be properly protected until he had fully grown.

Of course, when a war reached a fever pitch and the clan lacked sufficient ninja, they would have the next generation help with missions.

"I'm not going," Shin replied with absolute finality.

"Eh? Why?" Madara scratched his head, asking in confusion. He had assumed Shin would be just as excited as he was at the mention of the battlefield.

Do you think everyone is a battle-maniac like you? Shin complained internally, then said aloud, "It's too dangerous."

Two sentences, five words—concise and to the point, leaving his stance perfectly clear.

However, this clearly didn't satisfy Madara. He thought Shin was brushing him off. What did he mean by 'too dangerous'? Wasn't it dangerous to risk his life against a Hyuga Jonin that day? Wasn't it dangerous to be surrounded by three elite Jonin of the Hyuga clan? Wasn't that Blood Ninja mission you took dangerous? To say the battlefield was too dangerous and refuse to go—what a joke.

"Coward!" He began to use reverse psychology.

"Mm," Shin remained completely unmoved.

"Come to the battlefield with me."

"How do you plan to go?"

"Obviously, we'll sneak out together!"

"Nonsense."

"I'll beat you up."

"Bring it on."

"If you don't go, I'm not leaving your house."

"Suit yourself. Chiyo Hotaru, bring out a futon and make a floor bed for Young Master Madara."

Faced with such an impenetrable character, a faint sadness welled up in Madara's heart; he felt like a dog trying to bite a turtle with no place to sink his teeth in.

In the end, Madara tried every trick in the book, but Shin remained as immovable as a mountain. No matter what he said, the answer was always the same two words: "Not going."

And so, the future mighty and domineering Madara, who would one day take on the Five Kage alone, left with his head hung low like a defeated rooster. His plan for his first battlefield experience had vanished into thin air.

Watching Madara leave, Shin stood by the window and reached out to catch a falling cherry blossom, rubbing it in his palm. The end of March was undoubtedly a pleasant season, and equally suitable for starting a war.

His reason for refusing to go to the battlefield with Madara was actually based on his own considerations. While 'too dangerous' was a factor, it wasn't the primary one.

Even if his Flying Thunder God was only at the first stage, he had no problem protecting himself on the battlefield. Even if the enemy had terrain-altering ninjutsu, as long as he scattered a few Kunai within a ten-mile radius, he could ensure his safety.

The biggest reason he wouldn't go was that he didn't believe he could break through to become a Jonin just by going to the battlefield. Why do something that offered no benefits?

Madara and he were both Special Jonin, but there was one difference: age. Madara was three years older than him, and because of that, Madara felt he still had room for improvement and wanted more life-and-death duels to temper himself and increase his strength.

But Shin was different. Shin was only five years old this year, yet he had already mastered Flying Thunder God, Rasengan, Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, Fire Style: Flame Slash, Fox Decapitation Shinjutsu, Crow Clone, and so on—oh, and the Mangekyo pupil technique he was about to redeem.

For a five-year-old child, mastering these ninjutsu was already the limit. Among them, the Flying Thunder God and Rasengan still had plenty of room for development. It could be said that at this age, Shin's strength had already reached its peak. The constraint on his power wasn't any other issue, but his age. As long as he grew older, his strength would naturally rise.

Because of this, Shin had no interest in the battlefield. His top priority was to integrate all the ninjutsu he had mastered and wait quietly for the meeting between Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.

"Ah, come to think of it, I don't seem to have much to do after the Uchiha clan goes to war. I don't want to take on any missions for a while either. What should I do?"

Shin stroked his chin in thought. As the little maid walked past him while washing tea cups, his eyes suddenly lit up. He had wanted to build his own faction, hadn't he? Perhaps he should start with the people around him.

But there was no rush. After all, Chiyo Hotaru had been sent to him by Uchiha Tajima. Although she seemed quite loyal after spending time together, he still needed to observe her carefully before making a move.