Chapter 10

"Speak!"

Tajima stared at the ninja, who kept his head lowered and avoided his gaze. A sense of foreboding welled up inside him.

"The Third Young Master's eyes aren't a complete Three-Tomoe Sharingan. He never even went through the process of awakening them. So when such a powerful energy suddenly floods both eyes, they simply can't withstand the so-called torrent of energy. He might be able to use it for an instant, or perhaps a few breaths, but afterward, the price could be..."

"Enough. Keep this to yourself. Remember, you must never mention it to anyone. Place a restriction in Lianhuo's mind so he can't bring it up again!"

The ninja hadn't finished speaking when Tajima cut him off. Then he sat down in the seat of honor and coldly gave the order.

"My lord! Perhaps the Third Young Master—!"

"It's over!"

"Yes! I understand!"

The ninja clearly still wanted to argue, but the killing intent in Tajima's eyes made him shut his mouth. After acknowledging the order, he turned and left the study.

Mingye sat cross-legged inside the medicine furnace. Two children who looked no older than seven or eight were beside him, helping him sort through various medicinal ingredients. Lianhuo entered the furnace room and sighed when he saw Mingye still cultivating chakra.

"What's wrong? Has something happened outside again, Lianhuo?"

After losing his sight, Mingye's hearing had become exceptionally sharp. He sensed Lianhuo enter the room and heard him sigh, so he asked curiously.

"It's been three months! Young Master Mingye, you know what condition you're in now..." Lianhuo didn't know how to put it. Perhaps because of the side effects of losing his sight, Mingye could still refine chakra, but that was all. To use the Five Elements Ninjutsu, chakra had to be refined into one or more of the required elemental natures. But Mingye could only convert his chakra into Yin Release Chakra; he couldn't use any of the others.

Mingye knew what Lianhuo wanted to say. He also knew Lianhuo couldn't bear to see him training so obsessively when it seemed to be pointless. So he imagined himself making something like a smile and joked, "I know what you're trying to say. I can still refine chakra. In fact, I'm even more proficient at using Yin Release Chakra than you are!"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Little brother! Little brother! Haha, we're here to see you again!"

Madara and Izuna, both dressed in full armor, seemed to have recovered from their grief. They rushed into the medicine furnace room, and Lianhuo tactfully led the two children out first.

"Could you stop shouting? Those two kids are easily frightened!" Mingye was helpless. Madara thought he was trapped in despair, unaware that this was a trial of his own. At least after this grief, Mingye had managed to release all the guilt and psychological pressure he'd carried over from his previous life. Perhaps when people were in utter despair, even the smallest moments of happiness could help them see real hope. That was where Mingye was now: calmly sensing everything in the world and becoming one with nature. Of course, perhaps it was the only thing he could do now.

"Listen, just today, Shimizu took about eight clan members to hunt down some ninja from the Hagoromo Clan. They ended up finding them fighting ninjas from the Senju Clan, and Uncle Shimizu wiped them all out! How about that? I avenged you! And I came straight here as soon as I heard the news. Aren't you going to thank your big brother?" Madara rubbed his nose and sat cross-legged beside Mingye, looking delighted, as if he himself had killed those Hagoromo Clan ninjas.

"The Senju ninjas died too?" Mingye suddenly remembered that Madara hadn't yet visited the woods where he'd once met Hashirama Senju. Mingye also recalled that one of Hashirama Senju's brothers was killed by Uchiha Clan ninjas around this time.

"Yeah! Uncle Shimizu said one of the kids might've been a son of Senju Butsuma. I don't know if that's true, though." Madara scratched his head at Mingye's question. He only cared about the things he wanted to know and hadn't listened to the rest of the report about the Senju ninja's death. Izuna smiled at Madara's awkward silence and answered for him.

"You're this excited over something like that? Hatred can't be undone. Even if every member of the Hagoromo Clan died, would that bring Xiao Si back to life and put him in front of us again?" If nothing could be changed, all they could do was look on coldly. Mingye felt sorry for Hashirama Senju's younger brother, but it had nothing to do with him. He couldn't stop the tragedy from happening, so he set the thought aside. Facing the direction of Madara's voice, he spoke without emotion.

"Mingye!"

Madara was displeased. Mingye's emotionless words made him feel foolish for acting so cheerful. Mingye smiled faintly and explained, "I know what you want to say. I'm not being pessimistic. I just want to tell you to cherish everything you have now, my brothers. Stop talking about hatred. It means nothing to us anymore! Maybe living in the present is what we should be doing."

Izuna held back Madara, who still wanted to speak. Looking at Mingye, he said with relief, "I'm glad you can think that way, Mingye. In that case, we won't bother you any longer. I have high hopes for what you'll achieve once you've learned medicine!"

"There'll be a chance."

Mingye nodded, then resumed training and refining his chakra. He stopped talking to them. Seeing him like this, Madara felt a pang of sadness. Izuna sighed and shook his head at Madara, signaling him not to say anything more. The two of them left the medicine furnace room.

"Mingye isn't doing well at all." Only after they'd gone some distance from the medicine furnace did Madara slap his thigh in frustration. Mingye's condition clearly pained him.

Izuna nodded silently.

"I know."

Glancing back at the medicine furnace, Madara clenched his teeth and cursed bitterly. "Izuna, we have to think of something. Mingye has been in that furnace for over three months without stepping outside even once. Father hasn't said he's given up on his little brother, but that's exactly what he's doing!"

Mingye shook his head. He knew Madara was so angry that he was talking nonsense, so he tried to comfort him. "You can't blame Father. And I don't think he's given up on Mingye. Maybe Mingye just doesn't want to show himself to everyone anymore. Don't forget, he's no different from a cripple now!"

"Forget it. I'll go outside and clear my head. The clan's been so oppressive lately that it's breaking my heart!" Madara glanced at Izuna, sighed again, then waved to him and turned toward the edge of the clan's territory.

"Take care, big brother!" Izuna had things of his own to do. To find peace of mind, you had to reach understanding on your own. But Mingye seemed to have lost all emotion, while Madara was drowning in guilt. Izuna didn't know how to comfort either his older brother or his younger one. He was only fifteen or sixteen himself. He didn't have Madara's sense of responsibility, the belief that an older brother should shield his younger sibling from every storm. Nor did he have Mingye's experience of living through two lifetimes, spanning more than forty years. Even a genius was still a child and had much to learn about human relationships.

"I know! I know!"

Madara took off his armor, leaving himself in a black training outfit, and headed out of the village. As he walked, he suddenly thought of the boy he'd briefly met a few months earlier—the one named Hashirama. Madara smiled wryly and shook his head, making fun of himself.

"I can't believe I care this much about a boy I've only met once! I guess I'm more exhausted than I thought."

"Hey! Long time no see! You're called..."

When he reached the river, Madara spotted the familiar Bowl Cut and felt a hint of amusement. With one hand on his hip, he walked up behind Hashirama.

"Hashirama!"

Madara felt awkward. The boy had only told him his name once, and although he recognized his face, he'd forgotten the name amid all his worries over the past few months. Fortunately, Hashirama, sitting by the riverbank, was quick to pick up the cue and gave his name.