Under cover of night, the Hyuga ninja who had infiltrated the Uchiha Clan Compound leaped from rooftop to rooftop. From a distance, they could see a large crowd gathered in front of the Conference Hall at the center.
"What's going on? Could our plans have leaked? Are these people waiting to ambush us?" The speaker was Hyuga Kokuten, one of the two Special Jonin who had come on this mission.
At his words, the other Hyuga ninja faltered, their confidence wavering. If the Uchiha Clan had learned of their plan, then given the Uchiha's strength, they might not make it out alive.
"Stay calm. We're ninja. We have to keep our heads at all times. Look closely at that group. Most of them are Uchiha children. They couldn't possibly be lying in wait for us—unless the Uchiha have gone mad." The team's leader, who was also their only Jonin, spoke calmly.
The Hyuga ninja looked more closely. Sure enough, the people standing in front of the hall were all children, and they immediately felt reassured.
Hyuga Kokuten still furrowed his brow slightly. "Something about this still feels strange. Could the Uchiha be using those children as bait, luring us in so they can surround us?"
The other Hyuga Special Jonin sneered. He and Hyuga Kokuten had never gotten along. "Don't be ridiculous. We saw their Third Elder leave with a large group of guards today. Apart from the children left in their compound, they don't have enough people to ambush us. If you're scared, just say so. I'll let you tremble behind me. It wouldn't be the first time."
"Both of you, shut up!"
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, the Hyuga Jonin immediately rebuked them. He couldn't let his subordinates turn on each other now.
"Whatever the situation, we've come this far, so let's go take a look. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we succeed, we'll have rendered a great service to the clan."
"Yes!"
Now that their leader had spoken, they had no choice but to obey. They picked up speed and headed for the Conference Hall.
"They're here. They're fast!"
Shin took a deep breath and gripped a Kunai in each hand. Uchiha Madara had wanted to give him a Tachi too, but Shin said he wasn't used to using one, so he had turned it down.
Thirteen Hyuga ninja landed on the roof of the hall. The Jonin at the front looked down coldly at the crowd below. "What are you doing here?"
Uchiha Madara gave a chilling smile, excitement rising in him. "Waiting for you, of course!"
The Hyuga Jonin's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you know about our plans for tonight?"
Uchiha Madara had grown impatient with the man's questions. He drew his Tachi and pointed it at the Jonin's face. "You ask too many questions. All you need to know is that you'll die here tonight—and become the stepping stone to my fame, Uchiha Madara."
"I really hate to say this, but this exchange, with all its adolescent bravado, is making me cringe." Shin glanced from one to the other, looking at them as if they were a pair of monkeys. Neither of them noticed; they were enjoying themselves too much.
"Die here? By your hand?" The Hyuga Jonin seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world and couldn't help laughing derisively. An eight-year-old Uchiha child was saying he'd kill him. It was absurd.
"Enough talk. Shin, I'm going in. The rest are yours." Uchiha Madara crouched slightly and shot forward like a Black Shadow. In an instant, he was in front of the Jonin, bringing his gleaming Tachi down over the man's head.
"So fast!"
The same thought flashed through the minds of both the Hyuga Jonin and Uchiha Shin.
But the Hyuga Jonin was a Jonin, after all. He simply stepped aside, dodging the slash with ease, then drew the long sword from his back and swung it at Uchiha Madara in a swift counterattack.
Uchiha Madara's gaze sharpened. Midair, he forced his body into an almost impossible twist and raised his sword to block the strike.
Clang...
The clash of blades rang out into the distance. Madara grunted and was sent flying backward. He had blocked the blow, but the Jonin had still managed to kick him.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" As he flew backward, Madara rapidly formed hand seals and spewed out a huge fireball, stopping the Jonin from pursuing him.
The exchange had taken place in the blink of an eye. Watching from below, Shin silently calculated, His speed is twice what it was when we sparred, and his hand seals take a third less time. He might not even be going all out yet. He wasn't lying—he really was holding back when we sparred.
Uchiha Madara's clash with the Jonin had set the conflict in motion. The fight had started so quickly that neither side had reacted in time. Only now did they come to their senses, shout, and charge at each other.
Uchiha Hayate, the only remaining Uchiha Special Jonin, had gone straight for one of the opposing Special Jonin. The two were locked in combat, blades flashing and jutsu flying. Few dared to go near them.
Hyuga Kokuten chuckled. He had confirmed that no Uchiha experts were lying in wait nearby—only a bunch of children. That meant he could slaughter them at will. Feeling rather pleased with himself, he was already imagining the reward his clan would give him for completing the mission. Maybe they'd let him learn a more powerful jutsu, allowing him to advance to Jonin.
As he fantasized, a Uchiha child suddenly appeared in front of him, staring at him coolly, with an unmistakably haughty look.
"How about we talk this over?" Uchiha Shin said to Hyuga Kokuten.
Has this kid gone insane? That was the most honest thought in Hyuga Kokuten's mind.
"Kill yourself. That way, you won't suffer much, and I'll save time. It's a win-win." Shin spoke with a perfectly serious expression.
"Brat, you're asking for it!"
Hyuga Kokuten flew into a rage, feeling mocked by the boy in front of him. He drew the long sword from his back and thrust it at Shin's chest.
He put all his anger into that thrust. It was as swift as Thunderbolt, and Hyuga Kokuten felt it was the best strike of his life. At such close range, even a Jonin would have trouble dodging it.
Sure enough, the blade slid into the other boy's chest without resistance. He could even see the look of shock on the boy's face. It was immensely satisfying.
Uchiha Shin dropped his shocked expression and gave him a mocking smile. "I tricked you!"
"What?"
Before Hyuga Kokuten could understand what was happening, Shin's body suddenly rippled. "Caw, caw, caw..." A chorus of crows rang out as Shin's body turned into a flock of crows that flew in every direction. The flock landed a short distance from Hyuga Kokuten, then gathered together and re-formed into Shin.
"What kind of jutsu is this?"
In the Warring States Period, most jutsu focused on direct attacks—straightforward ways of killing. This was the first time Hyuga Kokuten had seen a jutsu that shouldn't have appeared until a hundred years later. He was left bewildered and uneasy.
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