Compromise

Seeing this fatal blow about to land, a look of surprised delight couldn't help but surface on the face of Hozuki Gengetsu. Clearly, even he found it hard to believe, especially with the sensation of the hit feeling so incredibly real...

Yet at this very moment, an abrupt voice shattered the tense atmosphere: "Clan Leader... what are you doing?"

In an instant, Hozuki Gengetsu's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly turned his head to look.

He saw Yueshi standing not far away, staring at him with a face full of astonishment, as if he had seen a ghost.

As Yueshi's shout rang out, the surrounding scene began to crack and disintegrate rapidly, like a shattered mirror.

"Genjutsu? Since when! How could this be!" Hozuki Gengetsu's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief as he muttered to himself incessantly.

Just then, he witnessed with his own eyes that Uchiha Madara, who should have been shot through the head by him, gradually dissipated like smoke, and in his place appeared Zhengyi!

Looking at Zhengyi, who had already collapsed on the ground, Hozuki Gengetsu was shocked and took two steps back in disbelief, "Zhengyi!?"

On the other side, Yueshi also immediately bent down to check on Zhengyi's condition.

Fortunately, thanks to the secret technique of liquefaction, Zhengyi had managed to save his life. Of course, this had also completely exhausted Zhengyi's chakra, leaving him without even the strength to stand. His face was as pale as paper, devoid of any blood, and he looked extremely weak; clearly, the thunderous blow Hozuki Gengetsu had just dealt was quite formidable.

Only at this moment did Hozuki Gengetsu wake up as if from a dream, casting his gaze back toward Uchiha Madara, who was still standing steadily in place, completely unmoved.

The moment he locked eyes with the eerie red glow in Madara's eyes, an unprecedented sense of terror surged into his heart like a tide, as if he had suddenly become a weak and helpless lamb, while standing before him was a fierce, brutal beast waiting to devour him.

This primal fear, originating from the depths of his soul, spread rapidly to every cell in his body, leaving Hozuki Gengetsu frozen in place, making it incredibly difficult even to move a step.

"You are indeed clever enough to have never looked directly into my eyes from start to finish, but who told you that you could escape genjutsu just by not looking at the eyes of the Uchiha?" Madara's disdainful words drifted into the ears of the three like a cold breeze.

At this moment, Madara's tone was icy: "One last chance."

As he spoke, his chilling Sharingan slowly rotated, like the gaze of a demon, sweeping across the three people before him one by one. Wherever his gaze fell, it felt as if even the air were about to freeze.

If Hozuki Gengetsu still chose to refuse after this warning, then Madara would not hesitate to strike, obliterating these three with thunderous force.

For to Madara, he had to ensure that his meticulously crafted plan would not have a single detail leaked before it had even begun.

At this point, Hozuki Gengetsu, standing opposite Madara, understood clearly in his heart—if he refused to submit now, the only outcome awaiting them was... death!

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but turn his head slightly, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Yueshi and Zhengyi, who were standing quietly behind him, before letting out a long sigh.

Finally, after a fierce internal struggle, Hozuki Gengetsu spoke as if resigning himself to fate: "I wonder, Lord Madara, what exactly are you plotting by going to such great lengths?"

With this, he had ultimately chosen to bow his head to the cruel reality.

Madara, who had been exuding a terrifying aura, slowly allowed his chilling Sharingan to fade away.

Then, he spoke in an unusually flat and calm tone: "In some time, I will send a child. At that time, I expect your Hozuki Clan to protect him well. Other than this, I ask for nothing else."

Hearing these words, Hozuki Gengetsu, standing to the side, couldn't help but raise his head in confusion, his gaze fixed directly on Uchiha Madara.

He truly could not understand how the other party had gone to such great lengths, using all sorts of methods to threaten and intimidate them, only for everything to be for the sake of having the Hozuki Clan look after a child?

Such an action was truly mind-boggling to him.

However, facing Hozuki Gengetsu's suspicious gaze, Uchiha Madara did not show the slightest hesitation or avoidance.

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

Yet, when these words reached Hozuki Gengetsu's ears, he only gave a helpless, bitter smile, shaking his head as he muttered to himself: "Shine brilliantly in the future Ninja World? Heh... I dare not harbor such extravagant hopes for something so far out of reach! Nowadays, I only hope to preserve some bloodline for our Hozuki Clan in this turbulent world."

In truth, Hozuki Gengetsu was a man deeply passionate about combat; he had spent his life longing to prove his strength and value in fierce battles.

But standing before this Uchiha Madara, who was as powerful as a demon god, he suddenly felt as small as an ant, unable to even muster a single thought of resistance. This immense sense of disparity struck his heart like a heavy hammer, leaving him feeling deeply frustrated and defeated.

Seeing Hozuki Gengetsu nod in agreement, Uchiha Madara's face revealed no extra emotion.

For him, time was still abundant, 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 that child comes to Kirigakure in the future, should he be brought into our Hozuki Clan?"

Uchiha Madara shook his head slightly at the question and replied in a calm tone: "No, he will enter Kirigakure under a different identity. As for the specifics, I will naturally inform you when the time is ripe."

As his voice fell, Uchiha Madara's gaze swept over the three again, and then he said softly: "That will be all for now! If there is a need in the future, I will send someone to contact you."

With that, his figure flickered, instantly turning into a black shadow, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished without a trace, as if he had never appeared at all.

After Madara left, Yueshi supported the weak Zhengyi and immediately asked: "Clan... Clan Leader! What... what should we do now?"

No matter how naive he was, he understood by now that the Hozuki Clan had been threatened...

Most importantly, they couldn't refuse...

However, Hozuki Gengetsu did not immediately respond to his question, but instead frowned, falling into a brief moment of deep thought.

After a short while, Hozuki Gengetsu slowly lifted his head, his expression exceptionally grave.

Then, he instructed the two in front of him in a low and serious voice: "From this moment on, you two must remember this firmly: you must not reveal even half a word to the outside! If anyone dares to disobey this order, I will personally take action... and also... forget it, never mind."

"Yueshi, hurry and take Zhengyi to Elder Ao, and ask Elder Ao to help treat his injuries. As for tonight, I will personally take charge of the guard duty."

Having said this, Hozuki Gengetsu couldn't help but reach out to support his forehead, while waving his hand at Yueshi and Zhengyi, signaling them to leave as soon as possible.