Chapter 42

Early in the morning, Uchiha Madara's eyelids twitched violently.

There was no saying in this world that the left eye jumping meant wealth and the right eye jumping meant disaster. Uchiha Madara rubbed his eyes, naturally attributing the cause to recent overuse.

To control the situation in the Land of Lightning and alleviate the pressure from various countries on the Land of Fire and Konoha, he had frequently dealt with those scumbags. Even killing ants would tire one out. Moreover, at the beginning of the month, he had a big fight with another "Uchiha Madara," and both of them had fought very... ruthlessly!

--There were many visible injuries and even more hidden ones. They hit wherever it was fatal. How to put it, he was indeed another world's "self"!

On the surface, he seemed unharmed, but afterward, he rested for a full week. What comforted him slightly was that the other party still couldn't leave his room today.

He mentally noted down the restless elements in the Land of Lightning and the Madara from the other world, and the morning breeze, mixed with the scent of grass and trees, blew away the annoyance in his heart. He paused at a fork in the road before turning in another direction. He decided not to take any missions today.

He walked past the branch family's residences, and beyond a tree-lined path was the clan's training ground. Cherry blossoms were planted along the path. It was already early summer, and the short-lived cherry blossoms had not even left any fallen petals.

"If it were peach blossoms, at least there would be some peaches left," a regretful voice came from not far away. Uchiha Madara subconsciously looked at the bare branches of the cherry blossom tree upon hearing this. It was indeed not good-looking—wait! Such a familiar voice...

He quickened his pace through the tree-lined path and met someone in a white robe with purple patterns at the corner.

The other person slightly turned sideways, meeting Uchiha Madara's eyes. He slowly smoothed out the tiny wrinkles on the cuffs of his ornate robe. The precious glass bead inlaid on his hair crown reflected the sunlight, brilliant and clear, flashing and dazzling him for a moment. Then, he curved his lips into a smile, "Good morning."

Unfortunately, his charming gaze was wasted on a blind man. No matter how beautiful the smile, in Uchiha Madara's eyes, it was full of ill intentions!

"It's you?!" Uchiha Madara's expression immediately turned grim. "Who let you in? This is not your Uchiha clan!" He spoke to Madara, but his sharp gaze was directed at Uchiha Koichi beside him.

As if his throat were being choked by the killing intent in that gaze, Uchiha Koichi couldn't resist the pressure from the clan head. Cold sweat broke out on his back, and his legs went weak, almost unable to stand. Madara subtly stepped forward, shielding him from most of the pressure. "It was the Hokage's arrangement."

"Senju Hashirama!" Uchiha Madara snorted coldly but didn't object further. He sized up the person who wasn't dressed like a ninja at all, a cold smile creeping onto his lips. He ordered Uchiha Koichi, "Take him to the guest quarters."

The guest quarters were places for outsiders to stay. During the war, they had served as a temporary medical station, but they had been left unused for a long time after the war. The conditions were originally not as good as those of the clan members' residences, and the current environment was even more imaginable. Although there were still empty rooms in the main residences... he just didn't want to benefit him!

Madara smiled slightly, "There are still empty rooms next to your residence. The First's intention is for me to live close to you for convenience."

Uchiha Madara's aura suddenly dropped a level!

Madara smiled without speaking.

Uchiha Koichi no longer dared to look directly at his clan head. Caught between the two clan heads, he felt like he was in darkness—he didn't want to be a sacrifice in their power struggle! After a moment, he felt a gust of wind pass by him. Uchiha Madara threw a sentence over his shoulder without looking back, "Take him there!"

Madara watched him leave, his lips curling into an almost imperceptible smile. He then turned to Uchiha Koichi and said, "Let's go."

"Yes, Madara... Lord Madara."

The First arranging him next to Uchiha Madara was undoubtedly to have Uchiha Madara keep him in check. Despite how similar they looked, an outsider from another world was not the true "self." While they could trust Hashirama, who was benevolent, by eighty percent, himself, whose personality was completely different from the Uchiha Madara here... even forty percent trust would be good. The political methods of this Uchiha Madara might not be smooth, but he was also a master of understanding people's hearts, so he naturally understood the First's intentions.

That's right, after all, he was a powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of genjutsu in this world. How could he be as simple as he appeared on the surface?

After half a month of probing, the First could get information about himself from Hashirama. Having power was not scary; what was scary was having both wisdom and power. For such a person, even if Hashirama said all good things, it wouldn't stop others' suspicions.

Madara thought as he idly spun the jade ring on his thumb. Soon, he heard Uchiha Koichi say, "Lord Madara, we've arrived."

Madara nodded slightly and pushed the door open.

This was part of the Clan Head Residence, naturally one of the best rooms. Madara hadn't held out much hope at first, and in reality, it was as expected. Japanese culture inherently revered simplicity and purity, and ninja families focused on martial prowess, rarely caring about other things. Inside the entire house, apart from complete living necessities, there was nothing else. To put it nicely, it was clean and refreshing; to put it bluntly, it was monotonous and boring.

He walked to the window, which faced a cherry blossom tree. Gently stroking the exquisite carvings on the window frame, Madara sighed in his heart: this arrangement had completely wasted the carpenter's enthusiasm and professional dedication.

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

Even though this Lord Madara had always appeared relatively gentle, Uchiha Koichi had not relaxed for a moment. Inheriting his grandfather Uchiha Tai's cautious nature, he always reminded himself: this was a powerhouse who had fought his clan head to a draw.

--Others didn't know how much "draw" there was, as being tricked wasn't an honorable thing. Uchiha Madara disdained to explain, and Madara wouldn't explain.

Madara turned around, and his charming smile sent shivers down Uchiha Koichi's spine, "Yes~"

In the countless days and nights that followed, Uchiha Koichi repeatedly reflected on why he had been so glib at that moment!

"Dig up the cherry blossom tree and replace it with a peach tree... no, don't plant it in the original spot, move it a bit to the right. This way, when looking out from the window, it will be at the most comfortable viewing angle."

"Change the pot for that potted plant. How can white match pure black? Am I living in a mourning hall?"

"Who bought this flower? Why is it light yellow? I want bright yellow—go change it!"

"Don't hang the curtains all the way down, just a quarter of the way."

"Don't put this standing orchid on the windowsill, put it in the corner!"

Madara sat in the center of the room, a faint smile on his lips, holding a teacup and slowly sipping tea. He took the time to order the Uchiha clan members around, making them run in circles. Seeing his own clan members, who always looked like startled rabbits, he couldn't help but secretly bully them a little. This mischievous streak had even followed him to another world.

"Lord Madara, the painting has been bought."

He looked up and saw another "acquaintance." Madara narrowed his eyes, "Uchiha Yan?"

Uchiha Yan's expression was calm, and he exuded the killing aura of an elite ninja, "Yes, Uchiha Yan. But not the Uchiha Yan from your side."

The blunt and unyielding reply was not unexpected by Madara. Apart from the person they were loyal to, everyone else was just a passing cloud; this was Uchiha Yan's personality. Madara smiled silently, "Your intuition is very strong?"

"Yes, sir."

After a moment of silence, Madara lowered his gaze and gently blew on the water in the teacup, creating fine ripples. He didn't say anything more, just faintly instructed, "Go and hang the painting."

Uchiha Yan took the painting and turned to leave without hesitation. Madara's half-lowered eyes showed no emotion.

...Really, he missed those troublesome rabbits a little.

Uchiha Madara returned to the main residence from the training ground and almost thought he had taken a wrong turn. He stopped a clan member and asked, "What happened?"

The clan member said with a bitter face, "Lord Madara—no, no, no, it's that Lord Madara—is decorating the room."

Uchiha Madara felt his eyelid twitch again. He strode into the room in two or three steps, and the busy clansmen fell silent instantly, gazing wordlessly at the person sitting composedly in the center of the room.

Madara remained calm, showing not a shred of guilt at being caught red-handed. "What are you staring at? Continue."

Uchiha Madara scanned his surroundings. Beyond the leisurely individual and the harried clansmen, the room itself had undergone a massive transformation—in fairness, the space, once tidied by Madara, was elegant, refined, and grand, making it a feast for the eyes—but that did not mean he forgave the other's audacity!

"You really don't consider yourself an outsider, do you!" Uchiha Madara sneered. His icy tone made the surrounding clansmen shiver.

Madara looked up with a faint smile, meeting all changes with constancy. "Would you like some tea?"

Facing another version of himself who was infuriating enough to kill, Uchiha Madara had finally learned how to maintain his composure instead of slashing out with his fan. He said coldly, "Since you don't consider yourself an outsider, you must follow the Uchiha rules. Behave yourself!"

Madara smiled and shook his index finger. "You're wrong; I am not a member of the Uchiha clan." Neither version of the Uchiha was a shackle to him. The only reason he had acknowledged this clan in the beginning was for the sake of a promise...

"It should be said that the Uchiha clan are all my people."

They absolutely carried out his will and lived by his commands; wherever his blade pointed, there lay destiny. This was his Uchiha clan.

Similar, but ultimately not the same.

"And so?" Fingers resting on the handle of his fan, Uchiha Madara's eyes grew increasingly deep and frigid.

The people in the room were terrified by the atmosphere, which felt like a battle on the verge of breaking out, and they held their breath as they slowly retreated from the room. The two men locked in a confrontation of presence did not spare them a single glance.

After a long while, Madara suddenly smiled slightly. "The tea has gone cold. Won't you drink it?"

Unexpectedly, Uchiha Madara sat down on the other side of the tea table on the tatami, the sharp, murderous aura from moments ago settling down.

Madara lowered his head and began to pour another cup of tea, his movements fluid and elegant. The luster of the glass beads on his hair crown flashed against the pale yellow walls of the room. The two sat in silence for half a quarter of an hour.

Madara slowly packed away the tea set and said, as if casually, "Tea leaves from the Land of Fire are better suited for spring, especially for tasting in early spring. For midsummer, the best tea comes from the eastern part of the Land of Water. Help me bring some back next time you go on a mission to the Land of Water."

Uchiha Madara, who already had one foot out of the room, paused. "I know."

"Many thanks."

A smile bloomed at the corners of Madara's lips, the illusory gentleness slowly diffusing into a distinct flavor.