Uchiha Madara held a grudge, especially since he believed the attack on their clan grounds had been the spark that started this tragedy.
If that hadn't happened, perhaps his father wouldn't have made such a reckless move.
That night, Uchiha Madara visited Uchiha Yang's courtyard. As soon as he entered, he saw his cousin stretched out on a rocking chair, the entire courtyard brightly lit.
"Revenge—"
"Come over here. No business talk for now."
"Go prepare dinner. Tonight I'm going to have a proper drink with our newly appointed clan leader."
Uchiha Yang cut him off and sent the maid beside him to prepare the food.
Uchiha Madara seemed used to his hospitality by now and immediately settled into the rocking chair beside him.
No matter how many times he came, this rocking chair always helped him relax.
It wasn't long before several maids brought out the dinner they'd prepared for the evening.
There was a grill, all kinds of meat skewers, and sauces. When it came to enjoying himself, he never skimped.
Just then, a voice of complaint sounded in Uchiha Yang's mind.
[Brain: It's over, it's over. I need to use my brain.]
[You're my brain. How can you not figure out something this simple?]
Uchiha Yang thought even he could work it out. There was no reason his brain couldn't.
[Sharingan: Brain, aren't you always saying you're smarter than us? How come you still haven't come up with a simple revenge plan after all this time?]
[Ears: Exactly, exactly.]
[Legs: Good thing I'm not the brain. Hahaha.]
Seeing the others gloat over its predicament, the brain gritted its teeth and racked its own for a revenge plan.
The plan had to be meticulous and safe. It also had to exact a harsh revenge on the Uzumaki Clan, so that every enemy of the Uchiha could witness the wrath of the Uchiha and see that no one could withstand it.
They didn't understand anything.
This was an important task entrusted to it by its master. It had to be perfect and not let down the trust its master had placed in it.
While the brain was still working overtime, its master, Uchiha Yang, had already started digging into the skewers.
The aroma of grilled food gradually filled the courtyard. Uchiha Madara was just as unreserved, eating skewers and washing them down with alcohol.
Seeing Uchiha Madara silently drinking away his worries, Uchiha Yang, slightly tipsy, felt a stirring in his heart. He took a big gulp and said,
"Madara, something's on your mind."
"No, it isn't."
Uchiha Madara couldn't possibly admit it. He simply shook his head.
Uchiha Yang figured he should feed Uchiha Madara a little motivational wisdom. A young man striving for success ought to act like one.
He couldn't let himself get dispirited. His own stable life in the future depended on it.
"Don't lose your way. Don't think there's no future in sight. Every bit of effort you make will find its way into my life. The stronger you become, the happier clan members living like me will be."
"Maybe you can't see where the road ahead ends. Maybe there are countless forks that leave you unsure where to step."
"There's no guide to show you the way ahead. Madara, keep moving forward. Whether you find an abyss or a road leading straight to peace, Izuna and I will be right behind you."
Uchiha Madara looked up at his cousin, who had always been an ordinary clan member.
He hadn't expected him to say something that would dispel the confusion in his heart and strengthen his resolve.
Uchiha Madara had only just taken on the burden of leading the clan. He hadn't yet become the far-sighted schemer he would be in the future.
For now, he was still a young man brimming with passion.
If his cousin were a ninja, would he be even stronger than himself?
The thought flashed through Uchiha Madara's mind.
But if he couldn't become a ninja, then he simply couldn't. It was an obstacle he could never overcome.
What a shame.
A trace of disappointment welled up in Uchiha Madara's heart.
"Thank you, Yang. Your words have strengthened my resolve. I'll become stronger and make sure you can live a stable, peaceful life."
"Come on, drink."
Seeing Uchiha Madara perk up again, Uchiha Yang smiled once more.
No wonder his boss in his previous life loved feeding him motivational speeches. It felt way too good.
"Sure. Cheers. Tonight, we drink till we drop."
Uchiha Yang laughed heartily too. After clinking glasses, he downed his drink in one go, letting the alcohol spill from the corner of his mouth.
While Uchiha Yang and Uchiha Madara were drinking to their hearts' content, Uchiha Izuna was hunched over at the clan's offices, dealing with a mountain of tedious matters.
"Strange. Big Brother said he'd be back soon. How come he hasn't shown up all this time?"
Uchiha Izuna looked out the window, his brows furrowed.
The battle had just ended, and the clan had too much to deal with. They couldn't keep up with it all, and there wasn't even time to eat.
Many of these tasks could have been delegated to the elders, but their father had centralized power and stripped many elders of their authority, concentrating it all in the clan leader's hands.
There were pros and cons. Uchiha Izuna wasn't foolish enough to hand over that authority.
Uchiha Madara had considered doing so, but Izuna had talked him out of it.
After all, this concerned his big brother's future. Centralizing power would bring all the clan members' strength together and let them work toward the same goal.
Uchiha Izuna knew that Big Brother had always been unable to let go of what happened back then. Senju Hashirama had always been a knot in his heart.
If the clan went to war with the Senju Clan again and lost, it would deal Big Brother a devastating blow.
So no matter when the next war came, he had to make every possible preparation for Big Brother.
Poor Uchiha Izuna had no idea that his big brother had already forgotten all about him.
Night had fallen. Uchiha Madara used chakra to evaporate the alcohol from his body, instantly clearing his head.
"Yang, give me the Revenge Plan. It's time to make the Uzumaki Clan understand the price of offending the Uchiha Clan."
At the mention of the Uzumaki Clan, a frightening killing intent flickered in Uchiha Madara's calm eyes.
Uchiha Yang could have evaporated the alcohol too, but Uchiha Madara would have noticed, so he was genuinely drunk.
There was no way the inebriated Uchiha Yang could hear him. He promptly collapsed onto the rocking chair and fell fast asleep.
"I almost forgot you weren't a ninja."
Seeing this, Uchiha Madara could only tell the maids to take good care of him. He would have to come back for the plan tomorrow.
Uchiha Yang slept soundly until dawn. After drinking some hangover soup, he glanced at the table.
Oh!
The brain had finally finished the Revenge Plan after working overtime all night!
[Brain: Master, I've fulfilled my mission and finally completed the plan. I stayed up all night.]
[Ears: I can confirm it. It really did stay up all night.]
Satisfied, Uchiha Yang picked up the Revenge Plan and handed it to Xia Lian, the maid waiting outside.
"Take this to Uchiha Madara and tell him to follow the plan."
"As you command, Master."
Xia Lian respectfully took the plan and quickly left the courtyard.
When Uchiha Madara saw what was in the Revenge Plan, he had a feeling—a feeling that it would definitely succeed.
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