Chaos

Qile had drawn everyone's attention like a focal point. A wave of overwhelming embarrassment surged through him, and at that moment, he really wanted to die...

He'd acted on impulse...

Damn!

The main thing was, he'd watched Madara lower his proud guard and patiently reason with his clan members.

Considering the image and attitude Madara had shown in the anime, there had never been anyone he'd patiently tried to persuade like this.

The Uchiha Clan was feared by everyone for only two reasons, when you got down to it.

First was the Uchiha Clan's own formidable fighting strength.

Second, without a doubt, was Madara himself!

But once the Uchiha Clan lost Madara, the clan leader capable of standing against the First, the entire clan became like a blade stripped of its protective sheath. The blade remained incredibly sharp, able to cut through any obstacle with ease, but as it slew enemy after enemy and years wore it down, it would inevitably grow dull. Given enough time, it was bound to break completely, losing the edge it had once possessed.

"Qile?" Madara murmured, furrowing his brow slightly.

He naturally remembered Qile. After his younger brother Izuna's untimely death, Qile's branch of the family was one of the few lines of blood related to him.

Though the Sharingan awakening rate among Qile's branch was truly disappointing.

Even so, Madara, known for his strict impartiality and merciless nature, had still granted Qile's branch certain privileges.

Otherwise, their bloodline might have been wiped out like cannon fodder before Qile was even born. There wouldn't have been a single survivor like Qile left behind...

Just moments ago, he'd already sensed Qile and Kagami's presence.

But to him, they were merely two ignorant children who'd come to watch the commotion.

Although he was always stern and rarely smiled, that didn't mean he didn't care for his clan and its members.

That was why he hadn't paid much attention when Qile and Kagami eavesdropped on their conversation. He'd simply planned to talk to them after the clan meeting and warn them not to repeat what he'd said to anyone else.

After all, what he'd just said would reach certain people before tomorrow, if not sooner. So it didn't matter much if two more children heard it.

In stark contrast to Madara's calm composure, the Uchiha gathered at the clan meeting seemed to have suddenly found an outlet for all their pent-up emotions. They assailed Qile with questions one after another, as if they wanted to pour every grievance and doubt onto him.

"This is the clan's highest-level meeting. It's no place for two snot-nosed kids like you."

"Where are the guards? How did they let them in?"

"Get out!"

"You're too young to sneak into a clan meeting!"

Listening to the clan members' uproar, Qile furrowed his brow. Oddly enough, he wasn't very nervous anymore. He just scratched his head helplessly. He could understand how they felt.

When someone felt they'd wronged another person, they usually reacted in one of two completely different ways.

The first was to fawn over them endlessly, trying desperately to make up for what they'd done and earn their forgiveness, as if they could show the full extent of their remorse that way.

The second was the exact opposite: unbridled anger. It was as if the guilt buried deep inside turned into rage, and they used that anger to cover up their guilt!

The clan members knew perfectly well that failing to stand up for Madara, their current clan leader, was practically a tacit act of betrayal.

Their guilt and unease naturally made them feel they'd wronged Madara terribly.

But simply fawning over him wouldn't accomplish anything. Madara was so imposing and proud—why would he care for their flattery?

Yet they didn't dare show anger toward him, either!

In that tense, delicate atmosphere, Qile's sudden appearance had given them an outlet for all their pent-up emotions...

"Silence!" Madara's voice rang out softly. It wasn't loud at all—in fact, "soft" was an understatement.

And yet, as soon as those seemingly mild words fell, the clan meeting, which had been as noisy as a marketplace, fell utterly silent.

"Pfft..." Seeing the sudden change, Qile could no longer hold it in. He burst out laughing, completely forgetting to keep up appearances. His laughter sounded especially out of place in the silent room.

Hearing Qile's poorly stifled laughter, the clan members' eyes blazed with fury.

Of course, they didn't want to kill Qile. They weren't that deranged.

All they wanted was to pull down Qile's pants and give his little bottom a good spanking.

Then he'd learn just how terrifying an Uchiha elder's wrath could be...

"All right, leave. Remember, you heard nothing about what happened here today." Madara looked sternly at Qile, who was still trying to stifle his laughter, then turned to Kagami, standing nearby with a bewildered expression.

He hadn't taken Qile's sudden outburst seriously. As far as he was concerned, Qile was just a mischievous child who probably hadn't even understood what he'd meant.

"Clan leader, I said I want to leave with you." Qile immediately repeated, his resolve clear. His little face was full of earnest hope.

He'd already stepped forward, so he might as well openly take Madara's side.

Judging by Madara's behavior just now, he hadn't yet fully transformed into the cold, merciless version of himself who'd eventually turn against everyone.

So Qile could tell almost instantly: as long as he firmly sided with Madara, even if Madara ultimately couldn't take him along for some reason, his life wouldn't be in danger. At worst, he'd face a little exclusion from the others.

But if he successfully sided with Madara, he'd reap enormous rewards. Even basic ninjutsu scrolls or Madara's old training notes were things that every ninja dreamed of getting but rarely could.

After all, even Obito, that hopeless fool, had been trained into a prodigy by Madara. Sure, a large part of that was because he'd benefited from his own Sharingan, but there was no denying Madara had trained him exceptionally well.

And if he got on Madara's good side, he might even get to meet the somewhat dim-witted First someday. When that time came, he could just casually say a few words and talk him into something...

Heh...