"Here? Where is here? Old man, who are you...?"
Their eyes met. Uchiha Obito looked bewildered. The moment his Sharingan met the other's, his eyes quietly changed. The intricate, elaborate Mangekyō Sharingan turned illusion into reality.
Tailed Beast Chakra, mixed and compressed at a Yin-to-Yang ratio of 2:8, condensed into a miniature Tailed Beast Bomb in an instant and shot toward Uchiha Madara.
"What is this?!"
A flash of red light, and in the blink of an eye, a huge, round hole was blasted through his chest.
Smoke and dust billowed everywhere. After the ground shook like a quake, only the utterly bewildered Obito remained, frozen in place.
"What happened? What happened? Was I the one who launched that attack just now? What on earth is going on?"
As Obito stood there in a daze, an achingly familiar voice echoed through the secret chamber.
"This is a parting gift. Spying on others is impolite, you know. Senior who possesses the Sharingan, experience a little care from your junior. Farewell."
The voice lingered. The blood-red eyes in Uchiha Madara's sockets shifted slightly, then lost all color.
"Nothing but grains of sand. Not even worth a fraction of my strength. Cough, cough, cough..."
The severed pipes behind him reconnected to Uchiha Madara's back. Forcing himself to use Izanagi made Madara's already faltering body feel even worse.
"That voice... Hua Yue? Is that really Hua Yue? Did you come to save me?"
"Kid, stop shouting. That was a Transcription Seal from the Uchiha Clan. It seals a visual jutsu into someone else who has the Sharingan, then automatically activates once its conditions are met."
"Though he's just a brat, his ocular power is incredible. That power just now... was it the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
A trace of surprise surfaced in Madara's lifeless eyes. He hadn't expected the descendants of those traitorous kinsmen who had turned their backs on him to produce someone with the Mangekyō.
"Lord Madara, that's the brat! Uchiha Hanazuki is the one who cut off my arm!"
White Zetsu wailed beside them. Obito was still bewildered. Lord Madara? Was this old man also a member of the Uchiha Clan? Was Madara his name?
Before Obito could speak, White Zetsu's eyes suddenly went blank for a moment. Black ink spilled from his mouth and abruptly spread outward.
"Damn it, Reverse Four-Symbols Sealing!"
The Sharingan that remained flashed. The black ink swallowed White Zetsu along with it. Only after the Reverse Four-Symbols Sealing disappeared did Madara and White Zetsu reappear.
"Not bad, kid! A Tailed Beast Bomb, Reverse Four-Symbols Sealing—and you didn't even use Hand Seals. That was pure ocular power. Are those unique jutsu of the Mangekyō?"
As Madara lowered his head in thought, Obito, who had been bewildered for some time, slowly raised his hand and asked awkwardly,
"Um, old man, are you also a member of the Uchiha Clan? Who exactly are you... That strange creature just called you Madara. Is it just a coincidence that you have the same name?"
"No, I am Uchiha Madara. It seems someone you know is an exceptional kid who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and can even use a Transcription Seal. Impressive."
"Looks like someone doesn't want you getting too close to him, Uchiha Hanazuki. Is he your friend?"
Konoha, the Uchiha Clan, Konoha Military Police Force office.
"Achoo! Who's talking about me? It's nothing, Lord Fugaku. Please, go on. I might've caught a chill."
Across from Uchiha Hanazuki sat Uchiha Fugaku, the Uchiha Clan leader and captain of the Konoha Military Police Force. Stern and capable, he had always worked to maintain relations between the village and the Uchiha.
"Uchiha Hanazuki, no matter how dissatisfied you are with the Third Hokage, don't behave so rudely in front of Lord Hokage again."
"Also, you must attend tomorrow's clan meeting. Or are you dissatisfied not only with Lord Hokage, but with your fellow clansmen as well?"
A pair of red eyes after another glared at him. Hanazuki brushed them off with a casual reply, completely unbothered.
"Yes, yes. If there's nothing particularly important, I'll be off."
"Wait. Come over to my house later for a simple meal. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this war."
Hanazuki paused, then agreed after a moment's silence. The absence of ocular power in his eyes reminded him that even if he rushed over now, it would already be too late.
After Hanazuki left, Uchiha Inabi turned around, puzzled.
"Why did you invite that arrogant brat, Captain? From the time he graduated from the Ninja Academy until he became Orochimaru's apprentice, he hasn't attended a single clan meeting."
"Even if he's made quite a few contributions in this war, even if he's been tasked with holding off the Third Tsuchikage, that brat is still far too arrogant!"
Uchiha Yae and Uchiha Tekka both nodded. Fugaku said nothing, sighing inwardly.
What do you mean, arrogant? He's clearly making us court him. Ever since he became Orochimaru's apprentice, there have been few people in the village who can afford to provoke him. And then there's his defeat of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen...
The name Flash Illusion Moon has already begun circulating across the battlefield. If we don't win people over soon, this kid's goodwill toward the clan will soon be next to nothing.
Fugaku cleared his throat twice, signaling for everyone to quiet down.
"Calm down. Uchiha Hanazuki is still one of our clansmen. You've all seen his strength and reputation for yourselves. Our clan's strength comes from unity."
"Uchiha Hanazuki is still young. Once he experiences the warmth of the clan and feels the bond of our shared blood, he'll surely become a pillar of the Uchiha Clan in the future."
Meanwhile, Hanazuki hurried home, unaware of Fugaku's opinion of him. He was busy judging Uchiha Madara's condition by the ocular power he had expended.
"Neither of my two attempts worked. So Izanagi really is an absurdly overpowered visual jutsu."
"But I should've given him a little Uchiha shock. Most importantly, I haven't revealed anything I need to keep hidden. Infiltration successful."
A hint of anticipation flickered in Hanazuki's eyes.
I even managed to sign in and get a Sage-related trait at Ryūchi Cave. If I head to the Graveyard Mountains, surely I'll get the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, right?
As his imagination ran wild, the sun slowly sank westward. In the blink of an eye, it gilded the clouds on the horizon with layer upon layer of gold.
In the heart of the Uchiha Clan's territory, Hanazuki arrived at a spacious, brightly lit courtyard and couldn't help but marvel at the disparity between the classes.
"Excuse me. Lord Fugaku asked me to come see him."
"You must be Uchiha Hanazuki. Welcome."
The long-haired woman with a straight fringe gave him a gentle smile. Her gracious manner and warm demeanor made Hanazuki return the greeting with a nod. He handed over the gift he had brought.
Uchiha Mikoto. A jōnin, kind to others and always giving without asking for anything in return. She really is a good woman. Too bad she raised such an ungrateful son.
When he entered the living room, Uchiha Fugaku had already been waiting for some time. Steam curled up from the green tea. Hanazuki was just about to take a sip when Fugaku's next words made him spit it out.
"Have you awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Before you continue