The black flames quickly raced across the mountaintop, turning every living thing they touched to ash. One agonized scream after another was swallowed by the flames. The horrifying scene, like something from hell, left everyone shaken.
Amaterasu was a devastating ninjutsu unleashed through the Mangekyō Sharingan. By looking directly at a target with the Sharingan, the user could engulf it in black flames. Those flames burned for seven days and seven nights, and could only be extinguished within that time by using Sealing Jutsu. The technique consumed an enormous amount of chakra. Uchiha Zhi soon ran out of strength and forcibly ended his awakened state, while Madara's Mangekyo kept spinning at high speed without the slightest sign of discomfort.
That was the difference! What a difference! Uchiha Zhi's eyes sparkled as he couldn't help but worship his clan leader all over again.
In the face of an overwhelming advantage in quality, quantity was just a number. Amaterasu swept across the rolling slopes like an autumn wind scattering fallen leaves. Only after the entire area had been reduced to barren ground did Madara form a hand seal, ending the inferno. In the meantime, the Uchiha had not forgotten to take out the scattered enemy soldiers who had made it through.
After they'd killed everyone, Uchiha Zhi smacked his forehead in frustration. "Damn it! I forgot to leave someone alive to interrogate!"
"Don't worry about it," Madara said calmly, seeing what was on Uchiha Zhi's mind. They were all dead soldiers, and had covered their tracks thoroughly. Even if they'd captured one alive, he would have killed himself.
After glancing at the carriage, which had been wrecked beyond recognition, Madara turned and signaled for Uchiha Zhi to gather the men so they could leave. The carriage's destruction didn't matter; they had stored anything important in the Space Eater. Besides, shinobi were used to traveling light. Everyone hastily tended to their wounds, and those with minor injuries helped carry the seriously wounded as they continued on their way.
Their water and food had been destroyed, leaving them with only a few Military Ration Pills. They had to reach the nearest Uchiha outpost in the Land of Lightning before nightfall to rest and regroup.
Although he knew they were now on their own territory and unlikely to be attacked again, Uchiha Zhi kept a tight grip on his shuriken and remained on high alert. Awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan hadn't made him the least bit complacent. That was what made Uchiha Zhi truly formidable, and what Madara valued most about him. As the elder responsible for the clan's treasury and security, he hid unwavering loyalty and caution beneath his carefree exterior.
"Lord Zhi, the report has already been sent to Lord Izuna," Uchiha Amano reported. Uchiha Zhi looked at Madara.
Madara nodded slightly. "Explain everything clearly. Don't let him worry."
"Could something happen to Etsu...?" Uchiha Zhi asked worriedly. Uchiha Etsu didn't have many guards with him, and the clan leader wasn't there to protect him. If anything happened, he'd be in greater danger.
Madara shook his head. "No." Connecting the events before and after, he'd guessed some of the truth, and wasn't worried about Uchiha Etsu's situation. "Yan is with him."
Hearing Yan's name reassured Uchiha Zhi. Uchiha Yan was strong, and his instincts were even sharper—he could sense danger in advance. With him there, Uchiha Etsu couldn't get himself killed even if he tried.
Madara gave Uchiha Amano another order. "Send another message back. Tell them not to investigate recklessly."
Uchiha Zhi looked at him, confused. Madara closed his eyes for a moment and sneered. "Even if we uncover who's behind this, there's nothing we can do." Setting the subject aside, he turned to Zhi. "Now that you've awakened the Mangekyō, there are some things you should know. When we get back to the clan lands, go see Masahiko. He'll tell you."
Uchiha Zhi suppressed his excitement. "Understood!"
Elsewhere, Uchiha Izuna looked down at the letter, his hand trembling as he clutched the paper. "Who did this?!"
Fierce killing intent filled the room, and every elder present looked grim. Uchiha Tai steadied himself. "May I ask what instructions the clan leader gave?"
"Brother said not to investigate who was behind it... How can that be!" Izuna's eyes widened, disbelief written across his handsome face. His brother was the one boundary he would never let anyone cross! Rage surged beyond his control, and he ground out, "I'll never let them get away with—"
"Lord Izuna!" Uchiha Tai interjected in warning, and Izuna came to his senses. While his brother was away, he was temporarily in charge of making decisions for the clan. Though naturally gentle and straightforward, the younger brother Madara had personally taught was no less capable than anyone else. But his brother's orders always came first. He suppressed his emotions and apologized. "...I overstepped."
There could be no neglecting protocol during official business. Even Madara's younger brother had to abide by it strictly.
Uchiha Tai bowed slightly. "Since the clan leader says there's no need, we can simply carry out his orders. The most important thing now is to welcome him back."
"Welcome him?" Izuna looked at him. "What do you mean?"
Uchiha Tai narrowed his eyes and drawled, "Welcoming him... naturally means imposing security measures inside and out to ensure his safety."
After a moment's thought, Izuna immediately understood. Tai meant to make the incident public, put the country's troublemakers on notice, and gauge the other nations' reactions. If handled well, it might even become the perfect pretext for war.
Brother... You really are someone who doesn't hesitate to use even himself, Izuna thought with a bitter smile.
"But—throughout the whole country?" Uchiha Zaitian frowned. "Forty percent of our people are away on missions. We don't have enough hands. This is going to be a hassle."
Uchiha Tai smiled meaningfully. "Don't forget, we still have the Fujiwara Clan." They didn't need results; they needed to make a show of it. The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, who held the reins of power, was the Uchiha Clan's most respectable weapon!
At the Merchant Alliance's headquarters in the Land of Fire.
In just three days since arriving in the Land of Fire, Uchiha Etsu had stirred up a storm of bloodshed. He'd used the shinobi's interrogation methods—blunt and brutal, but simple and effective.
"Lord, don't you think your methods are a little too harsh?" Uchiha Miae, his assistant on the trip, cautiously asked. The Merchant Alliance's share of the market in the Land of Fire wasn't as large as in the Land of Lightning or Land of Water, but it was still a major enterprise. Such heavy-handed methods might work, but they could also cause the whole operation to collapse.
Uchiha Etsu waved a hand. "I know what I'm doing." The Uchiha intelligence office in the Land of Fire wasn't for show. He was acting with a purpose, and hadn't touched any of the key figures. "Miae, call in the next batch of people on the list."
"We're still too slow..." Uchiha Etsu rubbed his temples. He was so busy every day he barely had time to catch his breath, and he got less than an hour of rest. "If only I had the Mangekyō Sharingan! I could use Tsukuyomi and take out one person every second!"
Uchiha Yan said flatly, "Elder, the next batch will arrive in five minutes. Please get ready." In other words, stop daydreaming for now. There was work to do.
Who could understand how miserable it was to be in charge of the clan's intelligence-gathering and economic departments, stuck in the clan's administrative hall every day? He had hardly any time to train, let alone go on missions. The whole clan thought it was a miracle he'd awakened the Three-Tomoe. Uchiha Etsu's expression grew ever more aggrieved. "Yan, do you have to wear that dead-serious face whenever you're working?"
Uchiha Yan remained expressionless. "Elder, you are working. Also, please maintain the Uchiha's dignity in front of outsiders."
Uchiha Etsu's mouth twitched. He was completely helpless against the type who took everything so seriously. "Forget I said anything." He looked at the towering stack of files on the desk and sighed deeply. When would he ever finish reviewing three years' worth of reports and ledgers from every industry across the Land of Fire?
Suddenly, Uchiha Yan's body stiffened, and a clearly stunned expression appeared on his face. Uchiha Etsu had never seen him look so much like he was worried. He quickly asked, "What happened?"
"Something's wrong with the clan leader..."
"What happened to the clan leader?" Uchiha Etsu asked, bewildered.
Uchiha Yan pressed his lips together. "I have a bad feeling."
Uchiha Etsu's expression turned serious. "What's going on?" There were two things the Uchiha Clan could always trust: Uchiha Madara's judgment and Uchiha Yan's instincts.
"It's a gut feeling, not a prophecy." Uchiha Yan glanced at him.
"Did the Senju make a move?" Uchiha Etsu asked casually, changing the question. He figured only the Senju Clan had the nerve to do something like this.
Uchiha Yan shook his head.
"Did someone from the Land of Fire do it?"
"Not entirely. But it definitely has something to do with the Land of Fire." As long as he had a general direction to work with, his instincts could tell him a lot. "Don't worry too much. It's not that bad." Everyone knew about the elder's talent for wild speculation. If he didn't spell it out, he'd probably come up with a theory that reached all the way to the moon.
"Ah, of course. How could those ants possibly harm the clan leader?" The gloom vanished from Uchiha Etsu's face. His eyes flashed red, then were clear again in an instant. His smile looked downright bloodthirsty. "In any case, I'll make sure to give them a very warm welcome!"
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