Chapter Seven: The True Warring States Period ()
By the time Uchiha Tajima, Uchiha Shin, Madara, Izuna, and Uchiha Shiro arrived at the cemetery in the Uchiha Clan's compound, dozens of braziers were already burning around the open grounds.
The flames swayed in the wind, casting the Uchiha Clan members' shadows long across the ground.
The atmosphere was solemn.
Illuminated by the light of dozens of braziers, Uchiha Shin, Madara, and Izuna saw rows upon rows of neatly arranged oval mounds of earth.
In an empty patch, seven identical rectangular pits had been dug, each one fathom deep.
Uchiha Shin knew these seven identical rectangular pits had been prepared for Uchiha Kawasuke and the six others who had fallen in battle.
"Lord Tajima!"
The Uchiha Clan shinobi present bowed their heads to greet Uchiha Tajima.
"Mm."
Uchiha Tajima nodded, his expression grim. Then he led Uchiha Shin, Madara, and Izuna over to where the seven bodies lay and crouched beside them.
"Gulp..." ×
Following close behind Uchiha Tajima, Uchiha Shin, Madara, and Izuna swallowed nervously.
Madara and Izuna were young, so it was only natural that they felt frightened and unsettled by such a scene.
As for Uchiha Shin, despite having the soul of a thirty-year-old adult, his reaction was hardly surprising either.
After all, in his previous life, Uchiha Shin had been a thirty-year-old adult, fortunate enough to have been born in a peaceful, powerful, and prosperous country.
He had never faced a scene like this, where members of his clan had lost their lives in war.
Although Uchiha Shin had already resolved to become an independent shinobi, this was the first time he had encountered a scene on such a scale.
So it was understandable that he felt a little nervous.
"Gulp!" ×
The seven who had died in battle lay on their backs, covered by white cloths.
As Uchiha Tajima began uncovering the bodies, the pupils of Uchiha Shin, Madara, and Izuna contracted again.
"Uchiha Kawasuke, seventeen years old, Chunin."
"Uchiha Hideki, eighteen years old, Chunin."
"Uchiha Hiroshi, ten years old, Genin."
"Uchiha Toshio, seven years old, Genin."
"Uchiha Shin, seven years old, Genin."
"Uchiha Ryuichi, six years old, Genin."
Each time Uchiha Tajima uncovered a body, he accurately stated the person's name and rank in life.
When Uchiha Tajima uncovered the final body, even his face, so accustomed to death, could not help but change.
"Uchiha Toru, five years old. Uchiha Hiroshi's younger brother. He had a real talent for being a shinobi..."
Uchiha Tajima stood and looked down at the body, of which only half remained. He could not help sighing.
"Toru fought bravely before he died."
"He could have escaped with the five others who were badly wounded. But Toru stayed behind without hesitation to help his brother, Hiroshi, and hold off the enemy with Kawasuke and the others."
Uchiha Shiro gave Uchiha Tajima a detailed report of everything he knew about Uchiha Toru.
Apart from his young face, which was still just barely recognizable, the rest of his body had been horribly mangled.
Uchiha Shin's eyes widened in disbelief.
Is this the cruel truth behind this era?
Is this the final fate that awaits me on the path of a shinobi?
Uchiha Shin murmured in a low voice, his heart aching. His stomach churned, and his throat itched, but he managed to endure it.
He did not want to embarrass himself, or lose standing in Uchiha Tajima's eyes by making a scene.
Otherwise, he might lose his chance to become the Uchiha Clan's future leader.
So Uchiha Shin gritted his teeth and kept his mouth shut, forcing down the sour bile that had risen to his throat.
Madara and Izuna, on the other hand, fared terribly.
Perhaps they had never witnessed such a cruel scene before.
Both boys clapped a hand over their mouths and hurried to a nearby tree. Bracing themselves against its thick trunk, they threw up violently.
Uchiha Tajima watched Madara and Izuna's poor reaction with a stern face. He shook his head slightly, disappointment flickering in his eyes.
But when he saw that Uchiha Shin had remained calm and composed despite witnessing such a brutal scene for the first time, Uchiha Tajima nodded with approval.
It seemed he had made the right choice after all.
Uchiha Tajima looked down at Uchiha Shin standing beside him, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"What about the five who were badly wounded?"
After inspecting all the bodies, Uchiha Tajima straightened and folded his arms. Turning to Uchiha Shiro, he asked the question.
"Lord Tajima, the clan's medical ninja examined the five who were badly wounded. They determined that three of them would never be able to serve as shinobi again."
"The other two will need about half a year to make a full recovery."
Uchiha Shiro bowed his head and reported to Uchiha Tajima.
"Mm."
After hearing the details about the five wounded shinobi, Uchiha Tajima nodded, having taken their situation into account.
"Now, tell me: why did such a serious mistake happen when a battle plan had been made before the mission?"
Uchiha Tajima asked Uchiha Shiro, his expression grim.
"Kawasuke and the others had followed the plan made before they set out and completed the mission perfectly."
"But on their way back, they were ambushed by a joint force of shinobi from the Senju Clan and the Inuzuka Clan..."
"Kawasuke and the other six held them off to the death, giving the five badly wounded survivors a chance to make it back to the clan."
Uchiha Shiro once again reported every detail to Uchiha Tajima.
"The Senju Clan!"
"And the Inuzuka Clan, who fight alongside Ninja Dogs!"
"I'll never forgive them!"
Anger flashed in Uchiha Tajima's eyes. His hands, clasped behind his back, clenched into fists, then slowly relaxed.
"All right. Give them a proper burial."
"All seven of them were heroes of the Uchiha Clan!"
Uchiha Tajima looked straight at all the shinobi present and delivered his final judgment on the deaths of Kawasuke and the others.
At Uchiha Shiro's direction, the seven who had fallen in battle were placed in the seven wooden coffins prepared for them.
Two people at a time used ropes to carry each coffin over to the rectangular pits. One by one, they slowly lowered them into the ground.
With the final shovelful of earth, seven new graves were added to the cemetery in the Uchiha Clan's compound.
Once it was all over, everyone began heading home.
Walking behind Uchiha Tajima, Uchiha Shin looked up at the star-filled night sky. He could not help recalling a few words Uchiha Itachi had once said in the original Naruto...
Life was born, life struggled, and life died.
Haha, so this was what being a shinobi was all about...
A mocking look flashed in Uchiha Shin's eyes. He felt like swearing just to let out some of his anger.
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Sigh, I was still half an hour late. I didn't finish before midnight.
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