The Forty-Second Chapter

Early in the morning, Uchiha Madara's eyelid had been twitching badly.

There was no saying in this world that a twitching left eye meant good fortune and a twitching right eye meant disaster. Uchiha Madara rubbed his eyes and naturally blamed it on overusing them lately.

To control the situation in the Land of Lightning and ease the pressure on the Land of Fire and Konoha from the other nations, he'd been constantly taking out those pests. Even killing ants got tiring after a while. Besides, at the beginning of the month, he'd had a huge fight with another "Uchiha Madara." They'd both fought... brutally!

There were plenty of visible injuries, and even more hidden ones. They'd beaten each other wherever it could prove fatal. What could he say? The other "self," from another world, really was something!

He'd seemed fine on the surface, but afterward he'd rested for a full week. What made him feel slightly better was that the other man still hadn't been able to leave his room.

He mentally added the troublemakers in the Land of Lightning and the Madara from the other world to his list of grudges. The morning breeze, carrying the scent of grass and trees, swept away the irritation in his heart. He paused at a fork in the road, then turned in another direction. He decided not to take a mission today.

Beyond the branch family's residence, across a tree-lined path, lay the clan's training ground. Cherry trees lined the path. It was already early summer, and the cherry trees, whose blossoms had been brief and brilliant, hadn't even left behind a trace of fallen petals.

"If they were peach trees, at least they'd leave a few peaches behind." A regretful voice came from nearby. Hearing it, Uchiha Madara instinctively glanced at the bare branches of the cherry trees. They really weren't much to look at—wait! That familiar voice...

He hurried along the tree-lined path and came upon someone in a white robe adorned with purple patterns at the corner.

The other man turned slightly and met Uchiha Madara's eyes. He leisurely smoothed the tiny creases in his robe's sleeves. The precious glass bead set in his hair ornament caught the sunlight, gleaming with dazzling clarity for an instant and making one's eyes swim. Then he smiled. "Good morning."

Unfortunately, those flirtatious looks were wasted on a blind man. No matter how lovely the smile, in Uchiha Madara's eyes it was nothing but ill intent!

"You?!" Uchiha Madara's expression immediately darkened. "Who let you in? This isn't your Uchiha Clan!" He was speaking to Madara, but his sharp gaze shot toward Uchiha Koichi, standing beside him.

It was as if the killing intent in that look had seized his throat. Uchiha Koichi couldn't withstand his clan head's oppressive aura. Cold sweat poured down his back, and his legs nearly gave way. Madara subtly stepped forward, shielding him from most of the pressure. "It was the Hokage's arrangement."

"Senju Hashirama!" Uchiha Madara scoffed, but didn't object further. He gave the man, who was dressed in anything but a ninja's attire, a once-over, then curled his lip into a cold smile and ordered Uchiha Koichi, "Take him to the Guest Quarters."

The Guest Quarters were meant for outsiders. During the war, they'd served as a temporary medical station, but they'd been left unused for a long time since the war ended. They'd never been as nice as the residences of the clan members, and their current state was easy to imagine. Though there were empty rooms in the inner residences... he just didn't want to make things easy for him!

Madara smiled faintly. "There's an empty room beside your residence. The First's idea was that it'd be more convenient for me to live next to you."

Uchiha Madara's aura suddenly turned even more oppressive!

Madara only smiled and said nothing.

Uchiha Koichi no longer dared look his own clan head in the eye. Caught between the two clan heads, he felt as though he'd been plunged into darkness—he didn't want to be the sacrifice in their battle of wits! A moment later, a gust of wind swept past him. Without looking back, Uchiha Madara tossed over his shoulder, "Take him there!"

Madara watched him leave and imperceptibly curled the corner of his mouth. Then he turned to Uchiha Koichi. "Let's go."

"Yes, Lord... Lord Madara."

The First had arranged for him to stay beside Uchiha Madara for no other reason than to have Uchiha Madara keep him in check. No matter how similar an otherworldly visitor might seem, he wasn't truly "himself." They could trust the broad-minded Hashirama about eighty percent, but this self of his, whose personality was completely different from that of the Uchiha Madara here... even forty percent trust would be generous. Uchiha Madara's political methods might not be especially polished, but he was good at reading people and naturally understood the First's intentions.

That was only natural. He was a powerful man who stood at the pinnacle of genjutsu in this world. How could he be as simple as he seemed?

During the half month of testing him, the First could learn about him from Hashirama. Power wasn't frightening. What was frightening was having both intelligence and strength. When dealing with someone like that, even if Hashirama had nothing but praise for him, it wouldn't stop others from being suspicious.

As he thought, Madara absentmindedly turned the Jade Ring on his thumb. Before long, Uchiha Koichi said, "Lord Madara, we've arrived."

Madara nodded slightly and pushed open the door.

This was part of the Clan Head Residence, so it was naturally one of the best rooms. Madara hadn't expected much to begin with, and that was exactly how things turned out. Japanese culture valued simplicity and restraint, while ninja clans focused on martial prowess and rarely cared about anything else. Aside from the complete set of everyday necessities, there was nothing in the room. To put it kindly, it was neat and uncluttered. To put it less kindly, it was dull and monotonous.

He walked to the window, which faced a cherry tree. Gently running his hand over the delicate carvings on the window frame, Madara thought to himself, This arrangement is a waste of the carpenter's enthusiasm and skill.

Uchiha Koichi asked cautiously, "Lord Madara, is there anything else you need?"

Even though this Lord Madara had always seemed fairly gentle, Uchiha Koichi hadn't let his guard down for a moment. Having inherited his grandfather Uchiha Tai's cautious nature, he constantly reminded himself: this was a powerful man who had fought his clan head to a draw.

Others didn't know how much that "draw" had been skewed in his favor. Being outmaneuvered wasn't exactly something to brag about. Uchiha Madara had no interest in explaining, and Madara wasn't going to explain either.

Madara turned around, his warm smile sending a chill down Uchiha Koichi's spine. "I do~"

In the countless days and nights that followed, Uchiha Koichi would repeatedly wonder why he'd been so thoughtless back then!

"Take out the cherry tree and replace it with a peach tree... No, don't plant it in the same spot. Move it a little to the right. That way, it'll be in the perfect spot to look at from the window."

"Change the pot on that flower. How can white go with pure black? I'm not living in a memorial hall."

"Who bought this flower? Why is it pale yellow? I asked for bright yellow—take it back and exchange it!"

"Don't hang all the bamboo blinds down. A quarter is enough."

"Don't put this pot of Standing Orchid on the windowsill. Put it in the corner!"

Madara sat in the middle of the room, a faint smile playing on his lips as he cradled his teacup and slowly sipped his tea, occasionally ordering the Uchiha clan members around until they were in a frenzy. Whenever he saw that pack of rabbits of all ages from his own world, he couldn't help teasing them a little. He'd brought that mischievous streak with him to another world.

"Lord Madara, the painting has been bought."

Madara looked up and saw another "familiar face." He narrowed his eyes. "Uchiha Yan?"

Uchiha Yan's expression was calm, but he radiated the killing intent of an elite ninja. "Yes, Uchiha Yan. But not the Uchiha Yan from your side."

His blunt answer, which made no effort to spare Madara's feelings, didn't surprise him. Everyone but the person he served was nothing to Uchiha Yan. That was just his nature. Madara smiled silently. "You have good instincts?"

"Yes, my lord."

After a moment of silence, Madara lowered his eyes and gently blew on the tea in his cup. Fine ripples stirred the clear, pale green liquid. He said nothing more, only instructed him, "Go hang up the painting."

Uchiha Yan took the painting and turned to leave without hesitation. Madara's half-lowered eyes revealed nothing of what he was feeling.

...He was starting to miss that troublesome pack of rabbits.

When Uchiha Madara returned from the training ground to the main residence, he nearly thought he'd gone to the wrong place. He stopped one of the clan members. "What happened?"

The clan member grimaced. "Lord Madara—no, the other Lord Madara—is decorating his room."

Uchiha Madara felt his eyelid start twitching again. He crossed the room in three strides. The busy clan members fell silent at once, all looking wordlessly toward the man sitting in the middle of the room.

Madara was perfectly calm, showing not the slightest embarrassment at being caught in the act. "What are you standing around for? Keep going."

Uchiha Madara looked around. Aside from the relaxed man and the clan members he'd put to work, the room had also undergone a complete transformation. In all fairness, after Madara had finished with it, the room looked elegant and refined without being ostentatious. It was a real pleasure to look at—but that didn't mean he'd forgive him for acting so outrageously!

"You really don't consider yourself an outsider, do you?" Uchiha Madara sneered. His icy tone made the clan members around them shiver.

Madara looked up and smiled faintly, meeting force with calm. "Would you like some tea?"

After dealing with the infuriating other version of himself, Uchiha Madara had finally learned how to remain composed instead of slashing at him with his fan. He said coldly, "Since you don't consider yourself an outsider, then you'll have to follow the Uchiha rules. Behave yourself!"

Madara smiled and wagged his index finger. "You're wrong. I'm not a member of the Uchiha Clan." Neither Uchiha Clan could bind him. He'd first acknowledged that clan for the sake of a promise...

"Rather, the Uchiha Clan belongs to me."

They carried out his will without question and obeyed his commands. Wherever his sword pointed, their fate followed. That was what his Uchiha Clan was.

Something similar was never the same.

"So what?" Uchiha Madara's fingers settled on the handle of his fan, and his eyes grew even darker and colder.

The others in the room were alarmed by the atmosphere, which suggested a battle was about to break out at any moment. Holding their breaths, they slowly filed out. Neither of the two men, locked in a clash of wills, spared them so much as a glance.

After a long while, Madara suddenly smiled faintly. "The tea's gone cold. Aren't you going to drink it?"

To everyone's surprise, Uchiha Madara sat down on the other side of the tea table. The fierce, murderous aura he'd shown moments ago settled.

Madara lowered his head and began brewing another cup of tea. His movements were smooth and graceful, and the light from the glass bead in his hair ornament flickered against the pale yellow walls of the Japanese-style room. The two of them sat in silence for half a quarter of an hour.

Madara slowly put away the tea set, then said to him as if in passing, "Tea from the Land of Fire is better suited to spring, especially the early spring. For midsummer tea, the best comes from the eastern part of the Land of Water. Bring me some next time you go on a mission there."

Uchiha Madara, already halfway out the door, paused. "Understood."

"Thank you."

A smile lingered at the corner of Madara's lips, and his illusory warmth slowly took on a different quality.