Uchiha Tajima

The Uchiha Clan Compound was more of a village than a compound.

The houses were all low wooden structures. They weren't fancy, but they were laid out reasonably well and had a charm of their own.

Madara led Uchiha Kei and Hashirama to the largest wooden house, then turned and said, "This is the Uchiha Clan's Council Hall. Wait here for a moment while I speak with my father."

Uchiha Kei waved a hand casually, but Hashirama looked increasingly nervous.

This was the Uchiha Clan Compound!

As the young heir of the Senju Clan, he'd come alone to the compound of the Uchiha, their sworn enemies. The more he thought about it, the crazier it seemed!

I hope I don't leave here in a body bag...

Seeing Hashirama's worry, Uchiha Kei patted his head. "Don't worry. With me here, you can go anywhere in the world."

It was an extremely arrogant thing to say, but, strangely enough, Hashirama felt safer than he ever had before.

Even his father had never made him feel this way.

"Who are you? Why have you come to the Uchiha?"

A stern-faced little brat walked up to them, raised his head, and spoke in a threatening tone.

Uchiha Kei turned and saw the little brat pretending to be stern. A name came to mind.

"Uchiha Izuna?"

"You know me?"

The little Uchiha Izuna froze.

"So it really is you."

A smile spread across Uchiha Kei's face as he reached out to pat Izuna's head.

The little brat really had been serious since childhood.

Uchiha Izuna barely appeared in the anime, and he always had a stern expression. In that regard, he was a lot like Senju Tobirama.

Though Uchiha Izuna barely appeared, he was a key figure who changed the course of the Hokage world.

After Uchiha Tajima died, given the friendship between Madara and Hashirama, the two clans should have joined forces long ago.

It was because of the little brat standing before him that the war between the clans didn't end.

Not until Izuna died through carelessness at Senju Tobirama's hands.

Only then did the two clans become truly locked in a fight to the death.

Uchiha Izuna was largely responsible for Madara's twisted, conflicted nature in later years.

"I asked you a question. How do you know me?"

The little brat grew irritated when the man in front of him didn't answer.

In the entire Uchiha Clan, who besides his father and older brother dared to ignore him like this?

And he even dared to pat his head!

The nerve!

"I'm your brother's teacher."

Uchiha Kei smiled, not at all bothered by the little fellow's tone.

"Teacher?"

Uchiha Izuna was startled.

There were only two people in the entire Uchiha Clan he feared.

One was his father, Uchiha Tajima, and the other was his older brother, Uchiha Madara.

This guy was his brother's teacher?

How had he never heard of him?

"That's impossible! If you were my brother's teacher, how could I not know about you?"

Uchiha Kei was about to say something when footsteps sounded from inside the Council Hall.

"Izuna, don't be rude."

A tall figure emerged from the Council Hall, with Madara following beside him.

"I am Uchiha Tajima, head of the Uchiha Clan. Thank you for saving my son."

Uchiha Tajima looked at Uchiha Kei, his gaze deep and unreadable.

"It was nothing. I like Madara. It was the least I could do."

Uchiha Kei waved a hand casually.

"Ha ha. Please wait a moment, sir. The Uchiha have some matters to attend to."

Uchiha Tajima spoke with a smile, but his tone allowed no refusal. His gaze was fixed on Hashirama.

Hashirama took a frightened step back, his face pale.

The Uchiha gathered inside the Council Hall filed out, grinning as they headed toward Hashirama.

They'd wanted to deal with the Senju Clan for a long time. Now the young heir of the Senju Clan had walked right into their compound alone. To them, it was a gift from heaven.

In the next instant, several figures lunged at Hashirama.

Every one of them was an elite jōnin with Three Tomoe Sharingan!

When they were only a hand's breadth away from Hashirama, they suddenly stopped in midair.

"Don't!"

When Madara saw Uchiha Kei raise his hand, the terrible scene from before flashed through his mind, and he grew anxious.

"May I ask what you intend to do to my student, Chief Tajima?"

Uchiha Kei paused mid-gesture and raised an eyebrow at Uchiha Tajima.

"Y-you're also a member of the Uchiha Clan?"

Uchiha Tajima furrowed his brow. The moment Uchiha Kei raised his hand, he'd seen the Sharingan.

A Mangekyo Sharingan!

"Sort of. But not entirely."

"That boy is our enemy. If we capture him, the Senju Clan will be forced to hold back! As a member of the Uchiha Clan, don't you understand that?"

Uchiha Tajima assumed he was a clansman who'd been left behind elsewhere, and his tone grew harsher.

"I said not entirely. You can spare me the authority act, Chief."

Uchiha Kei rolled his eyes.

This old man has no idea what's going on.

He couldn't believe Madara hadn't told Tajima about his strength. Yet the old man had still decided to attack.

Is he confident he'll win, or just too sure of his own strength?

"Hmph!"

Uchiha Tajima snorted and activated his polygonal Mangekyo Sharingan as well.

"You're not the only one in the Uchiha Clan with a Mangekyo!"

As soon as he spoke, two more people stepped out behind him, each with a Mangekyo Sharingan.

Damn, the Warring States Period really was a clash of gods. They actually had three Mangekyo users.

Uchiha Kei marveled at the strength of the Uchiha Clan.

But what difference could three Mangekyo make?

Amaterasu!

Three flames, black as ink, shot toward him from three directions.

Uchiha Kei stood perfectly still, calmly waiting for Amaterasu to reach him.

Thud.

With a dull thump, the three flames struck something just before reaching him.

Then they vanished without a sound.

Ding. Attack detected. Defense activated automatically.

Uchiha Kei grinned. The system's pretty reliable.

"How is this possible?!"

Uchiha Tajima and the two Mangekyo users froze.

Amaterasu might have been the most basic attack available to a Mangekyo user, but they were all at Kage Level. Even their most basic attacks couldn't be dismissed.

And yet it had been blocked so easily?

Most importantly, the man in front of them hadn't done a thing!

"What a cheap trick!"

The Mangekyo user on the left snorted and unleashed the full power of his eyes.

Illusion World!

In an instant, an imperceptible wave surged toward Uchiha Kei.

Ding. Mental attack detected. Reflect it tenfold?

Uchiha Kei beamed and silently tapped yes.

Pfft!

The Mangekyo user on the left spat out a mouthful of blood. His body flew high into the air before crashing heavily to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

"Qiaomu!"

Uchiha Tajima's heart sank. He hurried over to check on him.

The moment he examined him, he was even more shocked.

His chakra...

It was gone!

"Don't worry, he won't die. Let him rest, and his chakra will recover."

Uchiha Kei knew exactly how serious Qiaomu's injuries were.

"Who exactly are you, and what do you want with the Uchiha?"

Uchiha Tajima's expression darkened.

The young man before him was unfathomable!

Since when had the Shinobi World had someone like him?