Facing the Enemy Head-On

Clatter!

The teacup in Uchiha Madara's hand fell to the floor and shattered into pieces. Thick green tea pooled across the ground, but he paid it no mind, asking subconsciously, "How could this happen?"

Watching the slightly bewildered expression on Madara's face, Shin observed him calmly. No matter how great his future achievements would be, he was only eight years old right now; encountering such a sudden crisis, it was inevitable that he would lack a backbone.

Shin, on the other hand, had already composed his expression. After all, he was a transmigrator, and his mental age was far beyond that of a child under ten like Madara.

After weighing the various situations, Shin said, "We shouldn't meet them head-on. I suggest we gather all the clansmen of our generation, take advantage of the current situation to hide in the deep mountains, and preserve our strength. At the same time, we should send two groups: one to chase after the Third Elder and ask him to return for reinforcements, and the other to the battlefield to inform Uncle of this matter. What do you think?"

Shin voiced his thoughts. The clan was currently left with only a few guard ninjas; everyone else, aside from the children of their generation, consisted almost entirely of women and newborns. Therefore, as the two strongest of the new generation, if Madara and he reached a consensus, there was a high probability that they could settle the course of action.

Uchiha Madara gripped his hands tightly, head bowed, his long hair obscuring his face. It was impossible to see his expression, but through the slight trembling of his body, Shin could still discern the internal struggle he was facing.

Shin did not urge him. At this moment, if he could overcome himself and grow strong, his entire being would undergo a transformation, and his future achievements would surely reach even greater heights.

Madara hesitated for a full ten minutes. As if he had finally thought it through, he let out a long breath and lifted his head. This time, there was no more bewilderment on his face; his eyes were filled with determination.

"I disagree with your suggestion." This was the first sentence Madara spoke after looking up.

Shin raised an eyebrow. "The reason?" He truly couldn't think of a reason for Madara to refuse, as his proposal should have been the method that minimized all losses.

Uchiha Madara stood up and said, "We cannot leave. If our generation hides in the mountains, we might survive this time, but what about the women in the clan? And their newborn children? They are the foundation of the next generation of our clan. Even without them, there are various supplies and food in the clan grounds. If these are lost, the damage would be incalculable."

Shin listened quietly without refuting him, instead asking, "What is your plan? Based on the strength comparison, the enemy has at least one Jonin, two Special Jonins, and ten Chunins. How many guard ninjas are left in the clan? Even if we stay, it's useless; it's just throwing our lives away for nothing."

Uchiha Madara shook his head very seriously. "No, there is a chance of victory. We still have one Special Jonin and three Chunins left in the clan. When the time comes, I will hold off that Jonin, and our clan's Special Jonin will hold off one of their other Special Jonins. You only need to take down one of their Special Jonins in a direct confrontation. Once you do that, join forces with me to drive back their Jonin, and we will gain the overall advantage. Although most of the clansmen of Izuna's generation are only Shinins, I believe they can manage to block the enemy's Chunins for a while, given that they have the numerical advantage."

Listening to Uchiha Madara's earnest nonsense, Shin's eyelids twitched. Big brother, this head-on collision plan of yours looks fine on the surface, but the actual problems are huge.

First, how can you be sure I can take down a Special Jonin head-on? Fine, even if I can, how can you be sure you can hold off a Jonin? That is a Jonin, a completely different level from a Special Jonin. If you die, the entire Uchiha clan grounds will be finished.

And you want our generation's bunch to block Chunins? It might be fine for a short time, but if it drags on, there will definitely be heavy casualties.

Shin asked these questions directly. Unless Uchiha Madara could provide an answer that convinced him, he would never agree to accompany him to his death.

This time, Madara said with supreme confidence, "In the end, you don't believe I can hold off that Jonin, right? Then... what about this..."

As Madara's words fell, his eyes transformed into a blood-red hue, and the single tomoe within them was clearly visible.

Shin's gaze sharpened, though he wasn't surprised. According to the plot he knew, Madara should have awakened the Sharingan after meeting Senju Hashirama and being stimulated by their mutual opposition due to their clans.

But things were slightly different here. Perhaps because of Shin's transmigration, Madara had felt pressure from his peers and progressed faster than in the original work, awakening the Sharingan during a solo outing at the age of five.

At the time, the people in the clan had been excited for a long time, calling Madara a once-in-a-millennium genius and the hope for the rise of the Uchiha clan. Almost every Uchiha clansman knew about this.

"It won't work. You've seen the strength of the clan's Jonins; we are no match for them right now. Even counting your Sharingan, it's impossible to hold them off."

Uchiha Madara looked at him with a smile. "Judging by your words, you only say I can't hold off the enemy's Jonin, but you don't mention whether you can kill their Special Jonin. You really did let me guess it—you hid your strength when we sparred. Your true strength has long surpassed that of an average Special Jonin, hasn't it?"

Shin raised an eyebrow, muttering to himself that Uchiha Madara had suddenly become clever. But he still nodded. There was no harm in admitting to hiding one's strength; in any case, Madara didn't know exactly how much he had hidden.

Seeing this, Madara became even more pleased. "That settles it. To tell you the truth, I also hid some strength during our spars—I'm probably a bit stronger than I let on. Facing a Jonin, I'm not entirely without the power to fight back. By my estimation, I can hold off the enemy's Jonin for about ten minutes. Therefore, you must finish off that Special Jonin within ten minutes. Otherwise, not only me, but all the clansmen currently in the clan grounds will likely die. This time, the lives of all of us are entrusted to you."

"Ten minutes, huh! You really do trust me." Looking at Madara's expression, Shin sighed helplessly, but ultimately nodded. Taking down a Special Jonin within ten minutes, combined with his newly integrated genjutsu, he figured the chances were quite high.

Uchiha Madara laughed heartily. "Good! A few ninjas from the Hyuga Clan dare to come here to die? Let us use their corpses to tell this world just how foolish it is to harbor designs on my Uchiha clan."

He stood up and pulled open the door. Under the sunset, a vast expanse of golden light spilled in. Shin stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, suddenly feeling that this guy beside him truly possessed a bit of the dominance that would one day see him standing at the pinnacle of the ninja world.