Taking on a Disciple

"The goal is simple."

Uchiha Kei pointed at Madara behind him.

"I am here to take him on as a student."

Uchiha Tajima furrowed his brows and glanced back at Madara.

"My Lord, I am honored that you would take Madara as a student."

"However, our Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan are enemies. You have already taken Senju Hashirama as a student; I cannot agree to you taking Madara as well."

"Whether you agree or not is of little consequence."

Uchiha Kei replied with a smile.

"Are you not looking down on our Uchiha Clan a bit too much? I admit your strength is formidable, but we Uchiha are not afraid either!"

Uchiha Tajima spoke righteously, his Kage-level chakra erupting in an instant.

"I mean no disrespect to the Uchiha. It is simply that if I wish to leave, you cannot stop me."

Uchiha Kei did not want to make things too tense with the Uchiha.

On one hand, it was because of Madara.

On the other hand, he had a bold hypothesis.

What exactly was a Space-Time Mission? Did it mean completing tasks by traveling to past timelines?

If so, would the things he changed in this era affect the future?

If they did, then even the slightest influence he caused could potentially result in his future self being unable to descend into this world!

The butterfly effect was something to consider.

Therefore, he intended to take Madara away directly.

Uchiha Kei pulled Hashirama along and walked slowly toward Madara.

Along the way, various attacks from the Uchiha bombarded him, yet they only caused ripples to splash against his body.

The more Uchiha Tajima fought, the more alarmed he became. Where on earth did this monster come from? He ignored physical damage, ignored ninjutsu damage, and even ignored mental damage!

He was practically a walking bug!

Soon, Uchiha Kei arrived in front of Madara.

"Madara, come with me."

He extended his hand, issuing an invitation.

Madara was clearly wavering.

Having a powerful teacher was crucial for a ninja's progress, especially one who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Father, stop."

After a long silence, Madara finally made up his mind.

Uchiha Tajima was stunned, instinctively stopping the hand seals he was forming.

"I want to learn from him; this is my chance."

There was a look of determination in Madara's eyes.

Uchiha Tajima looked at Madara, then shifted his gaze to the inscrutable Uchiha Kei.

How could he not know that this was an opportunity for Madara?

But if he let him go so easily, the Uchiha Clan would lose all face.

To be crushed in a landslide victory and then have their young clan leader taken away—did the Uchiha not care about their reputation?

"Next, I will be heading to the Senju Clan."

Uchiha Kei seemed to see through everything.

I see, then that seems acceptable...

Uchiha Tajima felt relieved.

Following the Uchiha clan rules, a grand apprenticeship ceremony was held.

"Father, I want to be his student too!"

Just as the ceremony was about to conclude, a little brat on the side could no longer contain himself.

"Nonsense!"

Uchiha Tajima was somewhat angry.

"If big brother can be his student, why can't I? I want to become strong too!"

The little brat argued righteously.

"It is no matter, let him tag along, though taking him as a student is out of the question."

Seeing Uchiha Izuna's youthful face, Uchiha Kei reached out and ruffled his hair.

It seemed Izuna was pursuing the path of swordsmanship, and coincidentally, Kei had once drawn "Mastery of Swordsmanship," giving him an understanding of blade techniques that far surpassed the average person.

Thus, under the eager gazes of the Uchiha clansmen, Uchiha Kei departed the Uchiha compound, taking Madara, Hashirama, and Izuna with him.

Upon arriving at the Senju compound, the events that transpired were largely similar to those at the Uchiha, with the only difference being that Senju Butsuma was the type to respond to force rather than persuasion, leading Uchiha Kei to give him a thorough thrashing.

By this time, Uchiha Kei had already gathered the most magnificent lineup the future would ever know.

The God of the Shinobi World—Senju Hashirama!

The Dance King of the Shinobi World—Uchiha Madara!

The Forbidden Jutsu Machine—Senju Tobirama!

The Flawless Enemy—Uchiha Izuna!

If these four were to grow to their full potential and join forces, he believed no power could possibly stand against them.

Not even the Akatsuki Organization!

"Help me!"

When the group of five reached a remote valley, a miserable cry for help caught their attention.

"Teacher, this is the territory of the White Bone Clan."

Madara frowned as he looked toward the depths of the valley.

The White Bone Clan?

Yet another clan that had never appeared in the anime.

"Let's go take a look."

Uchiha Kei pondered for a moment before leading the four of them into the depths of the valley.

"Bone Peach, are you still refusing to hand over your clan's secret technique? Look at your clansmen; they are about to be wiped out!"

Deep in the valley, dozens of ninjas clad in red armor were wantonly slaughtering.

Blood, severed limbs, and roars were all mixed together, forming a scene of purgatory.

"Bah! Tanaka Ichiro, even if our White Bone Clan is exterminated, we will never give our secret technique to your Tanaka Clan!"

In front of a tall wooden house, a beautiful young girl with white hair glared viciously at the man before her.

The man was wearing dark red armor, and the blood splattered across it made his face appear incredibly hideous.

"Stubborn to the end. Look at your clansmen; they resent you. They resent your rigidity for causing them to lose their lives."

Tanaka Ichiro revealed a cruel smile and casually grabbed a seven or eight-year-old girl.

He stuck out his tongue and licked the girl's face, showing an expression of lingering desire under the girl's terrified gaze.

"Look at this child. She is so young, yet she is about to wither away early. Can you bear it?"

Bone Peach showed a look of unbearable pain, but her expression soon returned to one of firm resolve.

"The White Bone Clan has no cowards. Even the children are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the clan!"

"That is truly a pity."

Tanaka Ichiro drew the ninja blade from his back, shook his head, and slashed toward the little girl.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound of collision rang out.

At the same time, four figures appeared on the battlefield.

"Who goes there!"

Tanaka Ichiro was startled; he hurriedly retreated and held his blade in a defensive stance.

"Your father."

Uchiha Kei said with a chuckle, spinning his ninja blade in a flourish.

"Baka!"

"I'll show you 'baka,' I'll show you 'baka'."

Uchiha Kei swung his blade one strike after another, each blow heavier than the last.

Tanaka Ichiro could only struggle to hold on, barely parrying the incoming blade strikes.

When it came to swordsmanship, setting aside flashy moves, the essence boiled down to two points.

Either the force was as heavy as a mountain, making it impossible for the enemy to parry, or the agility was like the wind, making the blade's trajectory impossible to predict.

Having drawn "Mastery of Swordsmanship," Uchiha Kei possessed both, and he could switch between them at will.

This was exactly why Tanaka Ichiro, who also practiced the blade, could only struggle to survive.

"Little brat, watch closely. This is what a blade truly is."

Uchiha Izuna, who was fighting nearby, saw this and his eyes lit up. After shaking off his opponent, he ran to a spot not far from Uchiha Kei.

"The blade is the king of weapons; it can hack and slash, with every strike manifesting the aura of a king!"

Uchiha Kei gripped his blade with one hand and swung it out. Tanaka Ichiro hurriedly retracted his own blade to block, but was sent flying back by the immense force.

"A blade can be king through power, but it can just as easily be king through speed!"

With a flash of movement, Uchiha Kei's figure appeared right in front of Tanaka Ichiro.

The ninja blade in his hand swung down, whipping up layers of afterimages.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

A continuous, unbroken series of clashing sounds rang out one after another.

Tanaka Ichiro felt a sense of despair.

He swore he hadn't moved.

His blade was being forced to change position entirely by the momentum of Uchiha Kei's blade; without him being able to control his own weapon, he was compelled to shift his guard again and again.

If Uchiha Kei wanted to, his head would be rolling on the ground the very next second.

Unfortunately, Uchiha Kei was currently teaching a student.

This is so agonizing...

I want to die...