Chapter 44

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. As the end of the month approached, the sweltering heat of midsummer began to rise, and shops along the streets of Konoha started to put up sunshades one after another. Ordinary people had already changed into light, single-layered clothing.

At this time, it was easy to distinguish between ninjas and ordinary people at a glance—only ninjas were indifferent to the heat and cold, strictly wearing their thick ninja gear. Of course, there were exceptions to every rule, and Madara was a glaring one.

Usually, he would squat in the Uchiha compound, teasing the "rabbit-eyed" clansmen from time to time, or occasionally go out to chat with villagers at various shops. Madara knew how to restrain his presence according to the situation; after all, in this world, he was not the Uchiha Clan Head who could flip the clouds and rain with a wave of his hand. Thus, a handsome, elegant, and polite young man won the favor of many.

The single men of Konoha felt a complex mix of emotions that were hard to put into words... Why! Why did such a guy have to bear the terrifying name of "Uchiha Madara"!

As a person walked from afar, the patrolling ninja felt his heart tremble upon seeing that familiar face. He quickly scanned the man from head to toe: standard-issue ninja gear, the Flame Fan, and long hair flowing freely without being tied up by some stomach-churningly expensive hair crown. His expression was cold and stern, his gaze sharp—excellent! It was our authentic Lord Madara of Konoha!

Although Uchiha Madara was so arrogant that he wouldn't even spare a glance for these "waste" who, in his eyes, didn't even amount to 0.5 combat power, the ninjas present still watched his retreating back with reverence—Lord Madara! Are you finally preparing to make a move against that fake? For the sake of the beautiful young girls in the village who have been deceived, we will fully support you!

The interior of the Hokage Building was as simple as ever. Uchiha Madara caught sight of the First working hard at his desk, and then thought of the white-loading guest in his own compound who lived in luxury, causing him to snort coldly.

The First looked up at the sound, nodded slightly, and smiled: "Madara."

Uchiha Madara raised an eyebrow: "What do you want with me?"

"Sit for a moment. I'll explain in detail once I finish processing this."

Uchiha Madara pressed his right hand onto the document the First was signing, blocking the exact spot where he was writing: "Speak your mind!"

The First simply put down his pen and looked up. The two stared at each other for a moment, one looking down and the other looking up. The First finally sighed and said helplessly: "Fine, I can never win against you."

Uchiha Madara raised his eyebrows at this, the corners of his lips curling up slightly—a rare sight. "Is it a mission?"

The First straightened up, his expression turning much more serious. "The specific situation is very complex. This isn't a simple mission; you will likely need to adapt to changing circumstances. The details are reported in file 109, located in Intelligence Vault 271. I haven't had anyone retrieve it yet; you're a bit early." He had notified Madara for the afternoon, not expecting him to arrive so soon.

"There's nothing to do in the compound anyway, and I've rested long enough." In fact, he had only rested for less than five days, during which he had even performed some "small" missions around Konoha. Both the First and Konoha were in a difficult spot, and the so-called five-day vacation was something the First had meticulously arranged to help him recover. As one of Konoha's two top combatants, he could not afford to slack off at this moment. "Give me a rough overview of the situation."

Now that Konoha was established, it had gradually stabilized through the cooperation of several major ninja families. Although there was much resistance from various countries, the trend toward establishing ninja villages was not complex; what was complex were the struggles between the countries and families involved. The two strongest families in the Ninja World had formed an alliance and settled in the Land of Fire, establishing a ninja village with the support of the Land of Fire's Daimyo. The Land of Fire thus leaped to become the country with the strongest military force.

The location of the Land of Fire was very delicate; the main thoroughfares of all countries intersected here, and it possessed fertile land and a pleasant climate. If the Land of Fire were weak, it would become a target for all countries to besiege; if it were strong, it would be seen as a thorn in the side by its neighbors. Thus, the countries joined forces to pressure the Land of Fire. To resolve the current predicament, besides using force, they also had to break the alliances between the countries.

The Land of Wind had few resources, a scattered population, and a political environment that wasn't very complex. After the Senju clan moved away, the other side quickly weakened their influence on the country. It could be said that, aside from playing the emotional card, the Senju's control over the Land of Wind was already very limited. The Land of Lightning was a different story; domestic forces were intertwined, and the Uchiha had acted in a high-profile and domineering manner. Over the years, they had accumulated significant influence within the country, and since their move to Konoha was recent, their power in the Land of Lightning could not be underestimated.

To dismantle the alliance of the Four Great Nations, one had to start with the Land of Lightning.

However, the Uchiha clan had already moved away, and the weakening of their influence was only a matter of time. Other domestic forces were eyeing their vacated positions, standing in the same camp as the Daimyo who wanted to clear away the remaining shadows of the Uchiha to oppose them. This was also the reason why Uchiha Madara had taken action against the Land of Lightning some time ago.

Seeming to recall that bloody turmoil, Uchiha Madara's smile was contemptuous and mocking. "Another group of clowns... I understand. Tell me the mission location."

"The eastern continent of the Land of Water." The alliance between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water had a long history. Wanting to shake off the Uchiha's control, the Land of Lightning naturally turned to the Land of Water. There was a piece of land in the east of the Land of Water that bordered the Land of Lightning, which had always been a place of trouble. Uchiha Madara's mission was to... divide the alliance and stir up the situation!

A nerve in Uchiha Madara's brain twitched, and some not-so-distant memories seemed to surface. "When?"

"Four days until next month; the mission is set for the beginning of the month. The previous arrangements have already begun." The First pondered. "At that time, the Land of Water will be at the hottest point of midsummer. As for your mission funds... just come to me to collect them." Mission fund subsidies were usually collected from the Finance Department, but the First's implication was to add private funds for Uchiha Madara.

[...The best tea in midsummer is found in the eastern part of the Land of Water. Bring me some next time you go there on a mission.]

That person's words flashed through his mind, and Uchiha Madara's gaze turned cold. Land of Water, east, midsummer... deliberate or unintentional?

"Has this mission been leaked before?"

"Impossible." The First shook his head. "The situation is changing rapidly, and every step must be carefully considered. This operation depends on the results of that mission in the Land of Earth... It was done perfectly; worthy of being the 'Senju Hashirama' of another world."

"Very well, I'll go tomorrow." Uchiha Madara stood up.

"Wait a moment."

"What is it... hm?" Uchiha Madara turned to the side, and caught off guard, the other's warm hand brushed against his cheek. An inexplicable heat seemed to spread from that hand across his cheek...

The First withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened. "There."

Uchiha Madara touched the spot, feeling bewildered. "Was there something dirty?"

"It's gone... By the way, don't forget to return before the Summer Festival." After saying this, the First lowered his head and continued processing documents.

Are you really not changing the subject? Giving the First a suspicious glance, he found the other's expression perfectly natural, without a hint of awkwardness. Uchiha Madara felt he was overthinking it.

"Let Tobirama follow you; don't go on missions yourself. Just leave it to that Senju Hashirama; he needs your help anyway." Uchiha Madara suggested unkindly. "If necessary, you can chat with that freeloader. He... is not simple."

The First watched Uchiha Madara, who was about to leave through the door. "Can he be trusted?"

"What talk of trust?" Uchiha Madara said coldly. "It's just an exchange of interests."

Uchiha Madara walked all the way back to the main residence. There were half as many people in the compound as usual, many of them hot-blooded youths stimulated by someone's blatant display of wealth, who had gone off to perform missions to save money.

In the lush greenery in front of the main residence, the peach tree with its scattered crimson blossoms in front of that person's room was particularly eye-catching. Glancing coldly to the side, he saw the person leaning against a pillar, teasing a child. His head was slightly lowered, long hair falling down, the ribbon at his waist tied loosely, and the patterns embroidered on his cuffs inlaid with unknown, fine, shimmering objects. As he moved, they caught the light, revealing a low-key luxury.

At a time when the national economy was poor, this outfit was simply a weapon for attracting hatred.

He's doing this on purpose, isn't he! Especially when he keeps saying in front of me that 'Izuna helped prepare everything'! Uchiha Madara's eyes turned cold.

It's all trouble sent over by the First! For the sake of Konoha, I'll endure it... but before I leave, I will definitely give this annoying guy an unforgettable lesson!

"Don't forget my tea. Remember, it's 'Jingxi Milk Bud'; don't buy the wrong one." Rubbing the kid's head, Madara spoke.

Uchiha Madara withdrew his gaze and walked into his room without looking back. Madara wasn't worried at all; Uchiha Madara was a man of his word, and as long as his goal was achieved, the attitude didn't matter. Not to mention that he would return sooner or later, he didn't like the look of him... and did he like the look of him? If he could annoy him, he would.

Setting these things aside, he pinched the cheek of the kid who dared to be angry but didn't dare to speak, and continued the previous topic: "Who is your father?"

The kid puffed out his cheeks. "I don't have a father!"

Madara ignored him and said: "Let me guess. A lineage and talent not inferior to the main family, such distinctive spiked hair, and those upturned corners of the eyes... Uchiha Zhi, right?"

The little boy pursed his lips and remained silent, his face showing both sadness and grievance.

"After he sacrificed himself, who has been taking care of you?"

"What sacrifice! What kind of sacrifice is that!" The boy suddenly shouted, "He was just doing it for that—" He cut himself off mid-sentence, suddenly realizing who stood before him, and cold sweat broke out across his skin in an instant.

Seeing that the child had no intention of continuing, Madara smiled with amusement and straightened up.

The boy immediately tensed his entire body.

"No need to be so nervous; I'm not going to kill you." Madara said this with a smile... but were you really trying to comfort this poor child?

Sure enough, another layer of cold sweat broke out on the boy.

Madara rested his chin on a single finger, smiling faintly: "Forget it, there's plenty of time. We've talked for so long, yet I haven't asked your name?"

"...Uchiha Kagami."

Even the name is the same. Marveling at the wonders of fate in his heart, Madara nodded at him: "You may go."

The boy left with a stiff body; the shadow Madara had cast over him would likely take quite some time to fade.

Watching the little one scramble away, Madara shook his head with a soft chuckle: Uchiha Zhi, it seems your son's courage is far inferior to yours.