Uchiha Clan Land

Aside from the great contributions Kangetsu's brother—whom he never met before he died—had made to the Uchiha clan, there was also the matter of Uchiha Tajima's current strength.

In this Warring States period, the average lifespan of a ninja was less than thirty years, and every ninja lived in a constant state of life and death, so no one could guarantee they would be alive the next second. Consequently, no clan had established a formal political power structure or a fixed position for a clan leader; instead, whoever possessed the greatest strength held the most sway.

Kangetsu's father, Uchiha Tajima, had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan upon the death of his own elder brother. Awakening the Mangekyō earned one a place of standing within the Uchiha clan. However, the Mangekyō Sharingan was not exactly rare among the Uchiha during this Warring States period; in fact, one could even say it was common, as death was all too mundane an occurrence in this era.

Nevertheless, the ability attached to the Mangekyō Sharingan awakened by Kangetsu's father, Uchiha Tajima, was remarkably powerful. Thus, Tajima's current strength ranked within the top ten of the entire Uchiha clan.

Pushing open the door, he stepped directly into the house, but from behind him came the voice, "Wait for me, Kangetsu!" It was none other than Uchiha Madara.

Kangetsu ignored Uchiha Madara's unreasonable demand and walked quickly toward the training grounds behind the house.

Soon, Kangetsu arrived at the backyard, where three figures appeared in his sight: Uchiha Tajima, Uchiha Izuna, and his own twin brother, Uchiha Meigetsu.

Kangetsu placed his hands on his hips, curled his lip, and asked, "Father, why did you call for me?"

Uchiha Tajima looked at Kangetsu and sighed inwardly. He truly didn't know what to do about this son of his; at only three years old, his intelligence was enough to astonish even him. Logically, having a brilliant child should have made Uchiha Tajima proud, but there was a certain feeling of speechlessness that came with a child who was too clever.

At this moment, Kangetsu narrowed his eyes and said to Izuna and Meigetsu, who were standing nearby, "The two of you are here too? How strange. Though, it seems only Madara is missing."

No sooner had he mentioned Madara than Uchiha Madara walked over, saying, "Don't just call me 'Madara, Madara'! I am your older brother; call me brother! Do you hear me?"

Kangetsu, however, paused for a moment and put on a bewildered expression, saying, "Are you talking to me?"

Madara was instantly incensed, his hands clenching into fists as flames seemed to ignite within his eyes.

Just then, Uchiha Tajima spoke up. He gave a slight smile and took four swords from the table behind him. The blades were short and small, perfectly sized for Kangetsu and the others at their current age.

Kangetsu felt a bit puzzled; could it be that he had summoned all four brothers just for these four swords?

Uchiha Tajima then said, "Your bodies are now suited for training, and it is time for me to teach you how to fight. In a few years, you may all have to head to the battlefield."

As he said this, Uchiha Tajima's eyes dimmed involuntarily. It seemed that in this so-called Warring States period, no one truly desired the fighting.

Kangetsu shook his head slightly and took the sword from Uchiha Tajima's hand, scrutinizing it with his eyes.