Chapter 22

"What does Big Brother mean by this!?"

Mingye was somewhat stunned, failing to grasp the implication behind Madara's words. Izuna immediately stepped in to explain, "Father did not anticipate that the interception of the Hagoromo clan would result in such heavy losses. You should know that the Hagoromo clan is a family of Sage heritage, no less formidable than our Uchiha clan. Flowing through their bloodline is the same blood of the Sage of Six Paths that we possess. While their unique ninjutsu are complicated to explain, they did indeed inflict fatal wounds upon Father. Originally, Father had planned to spend three years building up strength for an all-out assault, but we never expected him to pass away after only a single year!"

"Though I possess great martial might, I lack the corresponding deterrent power. At this critical juncture, I must accomplish something significant to make the clan trust me, so that they will continue to blindly follow my orders. Only then will the clan remain free of fractures!"

After Izuna finished speaking, Madara added his own words with a sigh of helplessness. Mingye suddenly recalled the manga from his past life; it seemed the reason for the Uchiha clan's eventual collapse was that the clansmen began to fall into chaos, even going so far as to surrender to their mortal enemies, the Senju clan. This was entirely a state of lost confidence in Madara. Upon reflection, it made sense: when Madara was no longer invincible, the Uchiha clan's greatest pride would vanish. When self-belief is entirely gone, collapse occurs in the blink of an eye.

"Big Brother, there are many advantages to doing this, but there is also one fatal disadvantage!"

"...!"

Madara's silence only made Mingye more certain of the instability of this method of governance. He spoke up to offer a warning: "Your silence means you know where the weakness in your current governing style lies. When you are invincible in this world, the clan will treat you with the utmost respect. But conversely, if you encounter a rival, the clan's confidence will be slowly eroded, perhaps even leading to rebellion! Big Brother, I believe it is good for the clan to have confidence in you, but to make the clan truly united, blind obedience is not an emotion we should be cultivating!"

Facing Mingye's persuasion, Madara merely chuckled before answering him earnestly: "I know what you want to say, and I know what I am doing. Mingye, you must trust me—I will not lose. No matter who it is in this world, it is impossible for them to defeat me. You might not know this yet, but in our Uchiha clan's ancestral lands, there is a Sage Stone left behind by the Sage. Inscribed upon it are extremely peculiar characters, and within those characters lies the inheritance of the ninjutsu that can only be used by the Mangekyo Sharingan. Each one is of immense power; I have only mastered one or two of them so far. Once I have mastered them all, I will be invincible under the heavens, looking down upon all!"

"Big Brother!"

"Say no more. Mingye, I am the Clan Head now, and you must listen to me! All you need to do is help me stabilize the situation in Okayama so that I may do as I please!"

"As you command!"

Mingye wanted to continue his persuasion, but Madara refused to listen. He issued a mandatory order to Mingye, stood up, and walked straight out of the study. Seeing Madara leave, Izuna spoke to Mingye once more: "Big Brother is, after all, striving to become a more powerful existence. And Mingye, do not underestimate Big Brother; there is absolutely no one in the current ninja world who can be mentioned in the same breath as him!"

"That is only your opinion. The world is vast and full of wonders. If I told you that there is indeed someone who can stand on equal footing with Big Brother, or even surpass him, would you believe me?"

Mingye shook his head slightly as he voiced his thoughts. Izuna snorted and laughed: "I know who you are talking about. Senju Hashirama. Their clan has been keeping a very low profile lately. Ever since the Hagoromo clan was wiped out by our Uchiha, they have begun to avoid us. Enough, enough, let's not talk about this anymore. Mingye, you have another purpose for this trip to Okayama—a private matter I am asking you to handle!"

Watching Izuna, whose tone had turned serious, Mingye asked, "What is it?"

With a face full of killing intent, Izuna placed a kunai into Mingye's hand and said in a low voice: "If possible, conduct a thorough investigation of the Fuma Clan. Since they dared to set their sights on our Uchiha clan, they must pay the price!"

Sitting in the open-air study, Izuna and Mingye chatted and laughed about the past. When the sunset light hit their cheeks, Mingye's expression suddenly turned heavy.

"Big Brother's current state is very bad!"

Izuna did not argue with Mingye. In truth, Izuna also saw Madara's current state. Too much confidence is arrogance; though they appear similar, they represent two completely different realms. Madara had stepped onto a path called "extremism." Even Izuna could not see or foresee what lay ahead, so he shook his head, feeling somewhat distressed.

"Persuasion is meaningless. Mingye, what we should do is ensure Big Brother has no worries, right?"

Mingye knew what Izuna meant. Aside from Senju Hashirama, he was likely the person who understood Madara's goals best. The firm dream had already taken its first, very steady step. What Madara wanted now was to seize power to change the world.

"A final gamble, then?"

Izuna stood up and looked at Mingye with confidence: "I firmly believe Big Brother is invincible, and I, too, will follow in his footsteps into that so-called Mangekyo realm. Before long, our Uchiha clan will become the most powerful clan in the entire world. Mingye, we must work hard—work hard to help our elder brother sweep away all obstacles!"

Mingye lowered his head slightly, but it was not in contemplation or reminiscence. A smile curled at the corners of his mouth. Beneath his confident expression, Mingye suddenly hardened his heart. Regardless of how tempting the manga of his past life was, or how tragic the ending, since he was born into this so-called Uchiha clan, he would shoulder this responsibility. The mission of the clan, to prove everything to the heavens, to the earth, to the Sage of Six Paths, and to those who once disdained the Ninshu—to prove that the elder brother and the younger brother were right, and that their choices were ultimately correct.

"Heh! Second Brother, we are brothers! Brothers forever!"

Izuna also felt the aura radiating from Mingye, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground. He clenched his fists, feeling immense pride. "That's right! You are absolutely correct—we are brothers! Brothers who are invincible under the heavens!"

The next day, Mingye and Shimizu set off on a forced march toward Okayama, the capital of the Land of Fire. Along the way, Shimizu did not engage in much conversation with Mingye, for he always felt that Mingye's thoughts were more profound than his own. Shimizu, who had watched Mingye grow up, even believed that Mingye was the most gifted of the three Uchiha brothers. If not for that sudden, fatal blow, perhaps Madara would not have been the first man to awaken his eyes.

"Third Uncle, is that Okayama up ahead?"

Just as Shimizu was lost in thought while watching Mingye's back, Mingye suddenly stopped and looked at the massive city beneath the cliff in the distance. Shimizu nodded, but before he could react, Mingye pressed one hand to the ground.

"Summoning: Wu!"

BOOM!

HISSS!

"What have you summoned me for, Mingye, boy?"

A pure white giant python appeared beneath Mingye's feet, flicking its tongue as it scanned the surroundings before questioning him.

"Aside from my Uncle Shimizu, everyone else here is your prey. How about it?"

"Hahahaha! It is a pity you are unwilling to boil human meat soup for me, but very well, I shall treat this as a light snack!"

Mingye's answer satisfied the giant python greatly. After all, it was not easy to be summoned, so the white python cherished the time. Its massive body, over fifty meters long, swept through the surrounding trees, forcing more than thirty ninjas to retreat from the forest in a panic.

Shimizu instantly jumped to Mingye's side, activating his Sharingan. He looked at the emblems on the ninjas with shock and said to Mingye, "They are ninjas from the Fuma Clan! Mingye, it is fortunate you discovered them early!"

"Qi is everywhere. Wu, start enjoying your meal!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Mingye patted the head of the white python with one hand and leaped off. Shimizu followed him down. As the two moved toward the cliff, the python known as "Wu" laughed maniacally. Its speed completely exceeded the expectations of the ambushing ninjas; it did not move like a creature of such massive size. It transformed into a white blur of light, opening its blood-red maw to swallow all the struggling ninjas into its belly.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

"I have long heard that the ninjas of the Uchiha clan are all formidable. Hearing is one thing, but seeing is believing—today, I see that the rumors are well-deserved!"

A round of applause rang out the moment Uchiha Mingye and Shimizu landed after leaping down the cliff. Then, an aged voice reached their ears. Following the sound, Shimizu looked over to see an old man with a white beard, dressed in a black kimono, walking out from the shadows of the woods with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Fujiwara Muneyoshi! Are you looking to die?"

"I am a man with one foot in the grave; kill me if you wish! However, this young lad is truly a sight to behold!"

The white-bearded old man did not mind Shimizu's threat in the slightest. He walked up to Uchiha Mingye with a faint smile, gazing at him in admiration. Uchiha Mingye, however, remained expressionless, as if he had heard neither the screams from atop the cliff nor the old man's praise.

"Your heartbeat is remarkably calm! Standing here all alone, you are truly extraordinary."

"Fujiwara Muneyoshi, the top strategist under General Sato, and also the most renowned master of strategy in the Land of Fire!"

Following Shimizu's explanation, a group of ninjas emerged from the woods, kneeling on the ground and watching Uchiha Mingye and Shimizu with cold, indifferent eyes.

"A master of strategy?!"

Uchiha Mingye knew that Sato was the so-called handle of power his brother was searching for. Ignoring the dozens of ninjas kneeling on the ground, he curiously sensed Fujiwara Muneyoshi's body. There was not a trace of chakra; it was clear the old man was not a ninja.