Taking on a Student

"This is simple."

Uchiha Kei pointed at Madara behind him.

"I came to take him on as my student."

Uchiha Tajima furrowed his brow and glanced back at Madara.

"Sir, I'm honored that you'd take Madara on as your student."

"But the Uchiha and Senju Clans are enemies. You've already taken Senju Hashirama as your student, and now you want to take Madara too. I can't agree to that."

"Whether you agree or not doesn't really matter."

Uchiha Kei replied with a smile.

"Are you looking down on the Uchiha Clan? I admit you're powerful, but the Uchiha aren't afraid of you either!"

Uchiha Tajima declared righteously, and his Kage Level chakra erupted in an instant.

"I'm not looking down on the Uchiha. I just want to leave, and you can't stop me."

Uchiha Kei didn't want to make things too awkward with the Uchiha.

One reason was Madara.

The other was that he had a bold theory.

What exactly did the Space-Time Mission mean? Was it a mission that required him to travel to the past and complete something there?

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

If they did, then even the slightest change he caused could prevent his future self from arriving in this world!

Ever heard of the butterfly effect?

So he planned to take Madara away directly.

Uchiha Kei took Hashirama by the hand and slowly walked toward Madara.

Along the way, the Uchiha's attacks rained down on him, only to create ripples around his body.

The more Uchiha Tajima attacked, the more shaken he became. What kind of monster was this? He was immune to physical attacks, ninjutsu, and even mental attacks!

He was practically a walking bug!

Before long, Uchiha Kei stood in front of Madara.

"Madara, come with me."

He held out his hand in invitation.

Madara was clearly wavering.

Having a powerful teacher was crucial to a ninja's growth, especially when that teacher possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Father, stop."

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

Uchiha Tajima froze, instinctively stopping the Hand Seals he was forming.

"I want to learn from him. This is my chance."

Resolve filled Madara's eyes.

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

Of course he knew this was an opportunity for Madara.

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

They'd been crushed, then their young clan head had been taken away.

Did the Uchiha have no pride?

"Next, I'll be heading to the Senju Clan."

Uchiha Kei seemed to see right through him.

Well, in that case, maybe it wasn't entirely unacceptable...

Uchiha Tajima came around.

Then, according to Uchiha clan rules, they held an exceptionally grand apprenticeship ceremony.

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

Just as the ceremony was about to conclude, the little boy beside them couldn't hold back any longer.

"Don't be ridiculous!"

Uchiha Tajima was a little angry.

"Why can my brother be his student, but I can't? I want to become strong too!"

The little boy declared with conviction.

"No problem. He can come along, but I won't take him on as a student."

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

Izuna seemed to specialize in swordsmanship. As luck would have it, Kei had also drawn Swordsmanship Mastery, and his understanding of the art far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Amid the Uchiha's eager gazes, Uchiha Kei left the Uchiha Clan Compound with Madara, Hashirama, and Izuna.

What happened when they reached the Senju Clan Compound was more or less the same as what had happened with the Uchiha. The difference was that Senju Butsuma responded to force, not reason, so Uchiha Kei had to give him a thorough beating.

By now, Uchiha Kei had gathered the most dazzling lineup of the future Shinobi World.

The God of Shinobi—Senju Hashirama!

The Dance King of the Shinobi World—Uchiha Madara!

The Forbidden Jutsu Machine—Senju Tobirama!

The Flawless Enemy—Uchiha Izuna!

Once these four grew up, no faction would be able to stand against them if they joined forces.

Not even the Akatsuki Organization!

"Help!"

When the five of them reached a remote mountain valley, a desperate cry caught their attention.

"Teacher, this is the White Bone Clan's territory."

Madara frowned and looked toward the depths of the valley.

The White Bone Clan?

Another clan that had never appeared in the anime.

"Let's take a look."

After a moment's thought, Uchiha Kei led the four of them toward the depths of the valley.

"Bone Peach, are you still refusing to hand over your clan's secret technique? Look at your people. They're about to be wiped out!"

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

Blood, severed limbs, and screams mingled into a scene straight out of hell.

"Spit! Tanaka Ichiro, even if the White Bone Clan is wiped out, we'll never give our secret technique to the Tanaka Clan!"

In front of a towering wooden house, a beautiful, white-haired young woman glared viciously at the man before her.

He wore dark red armor, splattered with fresh blood, and his face was twisted into a terrifying grimace.

"Stubborn, aren't you? Look at your people. They hate you for being so rigid. Your stubbornness is what got them killed."

Tanaka Ichiro smiled cruelly and grabbed a girl of seven or eight.

He stuck out his tongue and licked the girl's face. As she stared at him in terror, he looked as though he still wanted more.

"Look at this child. She's so young, and now she's going to wither away before her time. Can you really bear it?"

A look of pity crossed Bone Peach's face, but she quickly hardened her resolve.

"No member of the White Bone Clan is a coward. Even our children are prepared to give their lives for the clan!"

"That's a shame."

Tanaka Ichiro drew the Ninja Blade from behind his back, shook his head, and slashed at the little girl.

"Clang!"

A crisp collision rang out.

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

"Who's there?!"

Tanaka Ichiro was startled. He quickly backed away, holding his blade in a defensive stance.

"Your father."

Uchiha Kei said cheerfully, flourishing the Ninja Blade in his hand.

"Baka!"

"I'll teach you to say baka! I'll teach you to say baka!"

Uchiha Kei swung his blade again and again, each strike heavier than the last.

Tanaka Ichiro could only struggle to hold his ground, barely managing to fend off the incoming blows.

Swordsmanship came down to two things once you stripped away all the flashy moves.

Either you struck with the weight of a mountain, leaving your enemy unable to withstand your blade.

Or you moved like the wind, making your attacks impossible to predict.

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

That was why Tanaka Ichiro, despite being a swordsman himself, could only struggle to keep up.

"Kid, watch closely. This is what swordsmanship really means."

Uchiha Izuna's eyes lit up as he fought nearby. He broke away from his opponent and ran over to stand not far from Uchiha Kei.

"The sword is the king of weapons. It can slash and cleave, and every strike proclaims its majesty!"

Uchiha Kei gripped his blade in one hand and swung. Tanaka Ichiro hastily raised his own blade to block, only to be sent flying by the tremendous force.

"A sword can rule through strength, but it can rule through speed too!"

With a flash, Uchiha Kei appeared in front of Tanaka Ichiro.

His Ninja Blade came down, leaving layers of afterimages in its wake.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

A rapid succession of metallic clashes rang out.

Tanaka Ichiro was beginning to despair.

He swore he wasn't moving.

His blade kept shifting with Uchiha Kei's attacks. Even when he couldn't control it, he was forced to change its position again and again.

If Uchiha Kei wanted, Tanaka Ichiro would be dead the next second.

Unfortunately for him, Uchiha Kei was teaching his student.

This was torture...

I want to die...