Compromise

As the fatal blow was about to land, a delighted smile crept across Hozuki Gengetsu's face. Even he could hardly believe it, especially with how real the impact had felt...

But just then, an abrupt voice shattered the tense atmosphere. "Clan head... what are you doing?"

Hozuki Gengetsu's heart lurched. He hurriedly turned around.

Yueshi stood not far away, staring at him in shock as if he'd seen a ghost.

As Yueshi's shout rang out, the surrounding scenery began to crack and crumble like a shattered mirror.

"An illusion? When? How could this be?" Hozuki Gengetsu's eyes widened in disbelief as he muttered to himself.

Just then, he watched with his own eyes as Madara Uchiha, who should have had his head blown off by Gengetsu's spear, slowly vanished like smoke. In his place stood Zhengyi!

Seeing Zhengyi lying on the ground, Hozuki Gengetsu took two disbelieving steps back. "Zhengyi?!"

Meanwhile, Yueshi immediately bent down to check on Zhengyi.

Fortunately, Zhengyi's liquefaction technique had saved his life. However, it had also drained his chakra completely, leaving him without even the strength to stand. His face was as pale as paper, without a trace of color. He looked utterly weak. Clearly, Hozuki Gengetsu's devastating attack had been incredibly powerful.

Only now did Hozuki Gengetsu seem to snap out of a dream and turn his gaze back to Madara Uchiha, who was still standing exactly where he had been, without moving an inch.

The moment his eyes met Madara's, filled with an eerie red glow, an unprecedented fear surged through him like a tide. It was as if he had suddenly become a helpless lamb, while a savage, man-eating beast stood before him.

This primal fear from the depths of his heart spread through every cell in his body with terrifying speed. Hozuki Gengetsu froze in place, unable even to take a single step.

"You're certainly clever. You avoided looking me in the eyes from beginning to end. But who told you that you could escape an Uchiha's genjutsu just by not looking directly at their eyes?" Madara's contemptuous words drifted coldly into the ears of all three.

Madara's voice was utterly indifferent. "This is your last chance."

As he spoke, his terrifying Sharingan slowly turned, fixing its demonic gaze on each of the three before him. Wherever his eyes fell, even the air seemed to freeze.

If Hozuki Gengetsu still refused after this warning, Madara would strike without hesitation, wiping all three of them out in an instant.

Madara had to ensure that not a single word of his carefully laid plans got out before they were set in motion.

Standing opposite Madara, Hozuki Gengetsu understood all too well: if he refused to yield now, the only fate awaiting them was... death!

At that thought, he turned his head slightly and glanced from the corner of his eye at Yueshi and Zhengyi, standing quietly behind him. Then he let out a long sigh.

At last, after a fierce inner struggle, Hozuki Gengetsu spoke as if resigned to his fate. "May I ask what you're scheming, Lord Madara, after going to all this trouble?"

In the end, he had chosen to bow to the harsh reality.

Madara, who had been radiating a terrifying aura, slowly let his fearsome Sharingan fade away.

Then, in an exceptionally calm tone, he said, "In a little while, I'll send a child here. I want the Hozuki Clan to keep him safe. That's all I ask."

Hozuki Gengetsu, standing nearby, raised his head in confusion and looked straight at Madara.

He couldn't understand it. Madara had gone to great lengths to lead them around in circles, then used every means at his disposal to threaten and intimidate them. And in the end, all he wanted was for the Hozuki Clan to look after a child?

It was utterly baffling.

Yet Madara didn't hesitate or avert his gaze in response to Hozuki Gengetsu's questioning look.

"If you can ensure that the child grows up safely, your Hozuki Clan will surely shine brightly in the future!"

But when those words reached Hozuki Gengetsu's ears, he could only let out a wry laugh and shake his head, speaking as if to himself. "Shine brightly in the Ninja World in the future? Heh... I wouldn't dare place too much hope in something so far beyond our reach. Right now, I only hope to preserve a few of my clan's bloodlines in these turbulent times. That would be enough."

Hozuki Gengetsu had always been passionate about battle. All his life, he had longed to prove his strength and worth through fierce combat.

But standing before Madara, who was as powerful as a demon god, he suddenly felt as insignificant as an ant. He couldn't even summon the slightest thought of resistance. The vast gulf between them struck his heart like a hammer, leaving him defeated and dejected.

When Hozuki Gengetsu nodded in agreement, Madara showed little emotion.

He still had plenty of time, and besides, this was not the best time to leave Konoha.

Just then, Hozuki Gengetsu seemed to think of something and asked, "Then, Lord Madara, when the child comes to Kirigakure in the future, will he become part of the Hozuki Clan?"

Madara shook his head slightly and replied calmly, "No. He'll enter Kirigakure under a different identity. I'll tell you the details when the time is right."

After speaking, Madara looked over the three of them once more, then said softly, "That's all for now. If I need anything in the future, I'll send someone to contact you."

With that, his figure blurred and turned into a streak of shadow. In the blink of an eye, he vanished without a trace, as if he had never been there at all.

After Madara left, Yueshi supported the weakened Zhengyi and immediately asked, "C-Clan head! W-What should we do?"

No matter how naive he was, he understood now: someone had the Hozuki Clan under their thumb...

And, most importantly, they couldn't refuse...

Hozuki Gengetsu didn't answer him right away. Instead, he furrowed his brow and fell into brief thought.

After a little while, Hozuki Gengetsu slowly lifted his head. His expression was exceptionally grave.

Then, in a low, stern voice, he instructed the two before him, "From this moment on, you must remember this and never breathe a word of it to anyone! If either of you dares disobey, I'll deal with you personally... And as for the rest... forget it."

"Yueshi, take Zhengyi to Elder Ao right away and ask him to treat Zhengyi's injuries. I'll stand guard myself tonight."

After saying this, Hozuki Gengetsu instinctively raised a hand to his forehead and waved Yueshi and Zhengyi away, signaling for them to leave as quickly as possible.