Chapter 21

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

A fan-shaped torrent of fire erupted from Madara's mouth, soaring toward the sky. The formless energy of the Dragon Roar collided with the surging flames in mid-air. The fire gained the upper hand, the shockwave scorching Mingye's skin until it turned a deep red. Unable to find purchase in mid-air, Mingye's body once again dissolved like paper, vanishing from the heart of the blast.

Madara leaped onto a rooftop, scanning his surroundings. Suddenly, a cold breeze brushed against his waist. He blocked with one hand just as Mingye materialized at his side, his hands already forming the same hand signs Madara had been unable to replicate.

"Dragon Roar."

A powerful sonic wave and shockwave hammered Madara, but he instantly transformed into a wooden log, which was pulverized into splinters by the pressure. Mingye didn't linger; he pushed off the ground and sprinted toward the outskirts of the housing complex. He knew that if this spar destroyed too many buildings, the clansmen would inevitably grow disgruntled.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Song Jutsu!"

Countless dragon heads spewed forth from Madara's mouth in rapid succession. Mingye felt like a small boat tossed in a storm, on the verge of being shattered by the fireballs behind him. Yet, by tapping into the natural energy around him, he used the wind in the air to dodge every single impact.

"Fire Style is different from the other four elements. Whether it's a B-rank or an A-rank jutsu, the power isn't fixed. The intensity of chakra release and the precision of its control are what determine the true strength of Fire Style. Even a C-rank technique in the hands of a master can unleash power surpassing an S-rank. That is the essence of fire. Just as earth is solid, wind is sharp, water is formless, and lightning is majestic, the essence of fire is raw power—unleashing chakra with maximum intensity to overwhelm the enemy. When a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses its full strength!"

Sensing the scorching heat waves radiating around him, Mingye knew he had to give it his all. Madara must have had a specific reason for testing him so rigorously. With that thought, the energy around him intensified. Mingye's body began to change; his skin bulged as if covered in interlocking scales, and he pressed his palms together before his chest.

"Sage Art: Dragon Prohibition Martial!"

White light erupted from the gaps between his fingers, shooting toward Madara. The light possessed no offensive properties, and Madara easily ducked beneath it. However, he didn't account for the faint sound vibrating near his ears. Suddenly, he realized the chakra within his body had begun to riot, spiraling out of control, and he ceased his assault on Mingye.

"What exactly did you just use!"

Mingye wasn't foolish; he maintained a defensive stance, a faint smile on his face as he explained.

"It is, of course, a secret technique passed down from Ryuchi Cave. How about that? Can't release your ninjutsu now, can you!"

"You certainly have some tricks up your sleeve, managing to cause a stutter in my internal chakra flow. But Mingye, you should know that for me, this is nothing more than a brief moment to catch my breath! Now, the real battle begins!"

Madara smiled faintly, his figure vanishing once more. Since they had reached the training grounds, Madara no longer held back. A war fan appeared in his hand, and he swung it at Mingye while simultaneously spitting out a mass of fire. The wind fueled the flames, transforming the fire into a ferocious tiger as it flew through the air.

"Fire Style: Fierce Tiger Emerging from the Mountain!"

White energy swirled continuously. As the scales on Mingye's skin grew more pronounced, the energy that should have been invisible to the naked eye became dense, condensing into countless liquid-like streams before him.

"Sage Art: Wild Dragon Manifestation!"

Awoo!

Roar!

The white dragon and red tiger collided between Madara and Mingye. A massive explosion followed the dragon's roar and the tiger's cry. Mingye was the first to lose his footing, sent flying by the impact until Izuna appeared behind him to catch him. As the shockwave dissipated, Madara stood proudly, fan in hand, looking toward Mingye. His eyes had undergone a transformation; a massive, chakra-clad skeletal warrior appeared within Mingye's vision, manifesting directly into his mind.

"I haven't even used my full strength yet, you brat!"

In Madara's eyes, killing and fighting were two different things. Enjoying the battle was his favorite pastime, and ever since awakening his eyes, he had never used that legendary ocular technique on anyone other than Izuna and Shimizu.

Under the deep blue glow, the white skeleton looked terrifyingly formidable; its presence was truly unparalleled. Madara watched with satisfaction as Mingye stood stunned, certain that the boy had sensed the new technique he had discovered, before retracting the Susanoo.

"About a year ago, while fighting, I pushed myself beyond my limits and unleashed a technique that drained my chakra completely. As I stood on the brink of death, I broke through once more. I call it the Mangekyo Sharingan. Those spinning three tomoe transformed into a beautiful, rotating flower pattern. Tell me, do you still think your abilities can affect me?"

Madara smirked, rolled up his sleeves, and began walking toward Mingye. Mingye didn't hesitate; he crouched down and slammed one hand onto the ground, warning him with a cold sneer.

"If you take one more step, I'll use Reverse Summoning to return to Ryuchi Cave right now! I don't believe your Sharingan can break through the barrier of Ryuchi Cave!"

Madara was stunned. Reverse Summoning was indeed a way to escape completely without any side effects. The most annoying part was that it could be used from anywhere. Once the opponent vanished, finding them again would be impossible unless they chose to reveal themselves. Flustered, Madara's face flushed red as he pointed at Mingye, left speechless.

Just as the two were at a stalemate, Shimizu had already cleared the surrounding clansmen. Izuna stepped out, standing between them, and said awkwardly to Madara, "Big Brother, that's enough. At the very least, Mingye has the strength of a Jonin now, doesn't he?"

"Hmph!"

Hearing Izuna's words, Madara knew this was his brother giving him a way out. He snorted in annoyance but didn't continue the argument. After all, when Mingye was young, he couldn't hit him because he was a child; when he grew up a bit, he went blind. Now that he finally had the ability and could fight, this brat had no sense of ninja dignity and would just try to run away. Seeing Madara fall silent, Izuna turned to Mingye and explained, "The clan needs a voice in Okayama. Big Brother doesn't trust anyone else with this position. It was a duty Father entrusted to Uncle Shimizu before he passed, but as you can see, Uncle Shimizu has lost an arm, so this responsibility must be passed on."

"It was originally a trivial matter, but it has become entangled with another ninja clan: the Fuma Clan!"

Madara interjected to explain, and Shimizu continued with a detailed breakdown for Mingye.

"The Fuma Clan may not have many powerhouses, but they are extremely skilled in assassination. Even our Uchiha clan cannot fully evade their attacks. If I still had both arms, I could have held them off for a while, but alas, I can only lament my own lack of skill now."

"The Fuma Clan!?"

"Just another dog of the warlords. No need to say more. Once I finish reorganizing the clan's combat strength, I'll go wipe them out! I'll avenge you, Uncle Shimizu!"

Ever since Madara awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, his combat power had grown exponentially. He feared no one, and when facing so-called experts, he no longer aimed to kill them outright; he began to enjoy the war. This was why the Uchiha clan's reputation had become increasingly notorious over the past year—Madara would toy with these experts until they were exhausted before killing them.

Mingye stopped threatening Madara with Reverse Summoning, stood up, and asked, "You want me to go to Okayama?!"

Mingye was confused. He couldn't understand why they would send someone like him, who knew nothing about politics, to the center of a political whirlpool. Izuna sighed and shook his head helplessly. The Uchiha clan was currently tasting the fruits of wealth—something they never had during their father Tajima's era. "Comfort breeds desire"—this applied not just to ordinary people, but even more so to those with power. The Uchiha clan was exactly like that now. Whether Madara suppressed them or not, their ambition had expanded, primarily because Madara possessed eyes that surpassed the three tomoe. Thinking of this, Izuna spoke again.

"We are ninjas. No matter how strong we are, we cannot truly grasp power, especially in this chaotic era. Many clans are trying to cling to the so-called nobility, seeking a pretext—a pretext that allows them to walk fully in the light. Two years ago, after Big Brother argued his case, Father began to fully engage with and eventually found a warlord with some ambition, assisting him in becoming a power-holder in the Land of Fire. This has brought great benefits to our clan; at the very least, we no longer need to worry about food and clothing!"

Mingye weighed the situation for a few minutes, gaining a rough understanding of the current state of affairs. Among all the Uchiha heads, Madara might not be the strongest yet, but in the near future, he would be. He was the child of reincarnation, and the first generation of the Ninshu ancestor's legacy resided within his body, attached to his soul. He nodded to Izuna and Madara.

"If that is the case, then I will go. But am I going alone?"

Shimizu, standing to the side, smiled upon hearing Mingye's question and explained, "In Okayama, besides the two ninjas protecting the Daimyo, there are three other ninjas at your disposal. As you know, Mingye, the clan only has about sixty ninjas we can actually use. Under these circumstances, this is all the support we can provide you."

Mingye was taken aback, not expecting Shimizu to accompany him to Okayama as well.

"Uncle Shimizu is coming with me?"

Shimizu shrugged and joked, "Indeed! I have to guide you for a while. I can't just let you run into walls blindly, can I?"

When Shimizu left to handle the preparations, Madara, Mingye, and Izuna sat on the floor in the open-air study. Madara spoke with a serious expression: "The situation in the clan is a bit off. Since my eyes evolved last year, under Father's propaganda, the entire clan has become filled with blind confidence in me. While I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, there are still things we need to prepare for accordingly!"