Chapter 20

"Could you explain it a little more simply?"

Mingye felt awkward. Though it wasn't easy to understand, he could at least grasp a little of the other party's analogy. But the White Snake Sage was raising her successor according to the principle of survival of the fittest, nothing like the frogs of Mount Myoboku in the manga, who had trained Jiraiya and Naruto.

At that moment, Mingye truly regretted running his mouth. If only he'd asked his father to find him a Mount Myoboku inheritance. The inheritance of Ryūchi Cave was simply too much for anyone to handle!

He had entered that state twice in a row, but Mingye still couldn't draw the violent qi into his body. It was like boiling water; even touching it felt scalding. Finally, on his third attempt, Mingye realized that if he put himself on the same level as the qi and stopped treating it as something to absorb, it would pass through his body. It wouldn't linger, but it wouldn't hurt him either.

"Kid, you'll be food for the snakes in a little while. Stop training!"

Two black serpents and one white serpent coiled atop the dragon's head, looking down at Mingye and laughing at him. Mingye paid them no mind and kept trying to make contact with the faint traces of qi. Time trickled by. Just as Mingye was nearly ready to give up in despair, wisps of black matter began to leave his body. It was visible to the naked eye. The moment he saw it, a tremendous force struck him, sending him straight into the Dragon Transformation Pool.

The black threads of blood were quickly purified as they touched the spring water in the pool. Then the White Snake Sage slowly swam over, a large pipe in her mouth, and spoke to Mingye.

"Kid, become my disciple! Don't get out of the pool. Bow right there!"

"Why?"

Mingye couldn't withstand the White Snake Sage's blow. He lay limp in the spring, blood continually spilling from the corner of his mouth, his face full of confusion. He hadn't seen the substance that had given off those black wisps, and he hadn't absorbed any qi into his body. He had no idea why the White Snake Sage had suddenly taken him on as her disciple.

"Do you know where the power of the Uchiha Clan comes from?"

"Their eyes?"

"Wrong! Their hearts. From birth, your inner selves are different from everyone else's. Ordinary people have only two blood vessels running through their nerves and into their brains, where their essence, qi, and spirit are fused into one. But the Uchiha Clan has an extra blood vessel. It runs directly from the heart to the eyes, which is why the eyes of the Uchiha Clan are so different."

"What about the Byakugan?"

"Hahahaha! The Byakugan is, simply put, a power that sharpens the eyes and lets them see through everything. Trained to its limits, it can see anyone within a million miles. But its power comes from the brain, not the heart. Its strength comes from acquired effort, while the Uchiha Clan's strength comes from innate talent. Their paths of effort are fundamentally different. I can't say exactly how, but I can tell you that the Byakugan definitely isn't part of your Sharingan. Yet it's even harder to train than your Sharingan, because that effort has the same effect as your heart!"

The heart! Right. Mingye suddenly remembered how Tobirama Senju had explained to Sasuke in the manga how the Sharingan came into being and changed. If the Three Tomoe only needed enough chakra to break through a barrier, then the Mangekyō Sharingan required more than just a sufficient foundation of chakra. It also needed a stimulus strong enough to plunge someone into despair. Only when that despair caused the body to be enveloped in cold chakra could the eyes truly awaken. If Mingye's eyes had awakened as Mangekyō Sharingan back then, then he really had experienced that despair: despair over the world he'd left behind, despair over his own survival, and the despair and guilt in his heart over the child who had died because of him. On top of that, as an adult who had come to this world in a child's body, he'd formed deep bonds with his family. He had watched his beloved younger brother die with his own eyes. The despair of that moment was something Madara and Izuna could never understand or experience. Yet Mingye hadn't been qualified to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. That was why the cold chakra had pierced through his body and entered his eyes, but his body couldn't withstand the changes it brought. His eyes had gone blind in less than a minute, and being sealed was inevitable.

"Kid, you're lucky. That chakra blocked the joints throughout your body and destroyed your eyes, but for some reason, you sensed it and forced it out of your body. You're on your own from here. This old lady will forge a being the whole world fears!"

Mingye hastily clenched his fists, knelt, and kowtowed to her. But deep down, he knew there was a way to heal his eyes—one he knew of, but would never use.

"Ha!"

"Hmph!"

At the edge of a cliff, Madara and Hashirama were having yet another duel. Hashirama suddenly surged forward and attacked Madara. Madara lost his footing and crumpled to the ground, while Hashirama backed away three steps as if wary of something. Madara seemed to have anticipated what Hashirama would do, a faint smile on his lips. Just as Hashirama was about to taunt him, a rock suddenly fell from above and struck him on the head, knocking him down.

"Either way, you hit the ground first this time!"

Hashirama glared at Madara in displeasure. Madara always waited until the last moment, planning everything perfectly before acting. So whenever Hashirama thought he'd beaten Madara, Madara would counterattack. It frustrated Hashirama, but no matter how many times it happened, even when he was on guard, he still fell for Madara's tricks.

"I know! So I lost. I'll admit it this time!"

Madara didn't keep arguing with Hashirama. He had indeed lost by a little this time. He'd been worried about his younger brother, who'd been missing for three days, and had inevitably been distracted during the fight. So he magnanimously admitted defeat without holding a grudge.

"Teach me that ninjutsu!"

When Hashirama heard Madara concede, he jumped up excitedly and asked him to teach him the ninjutsu. Madara looked at him with contempt, as though the techniques he knew were nothing but grass, growing everywhere.

"It's just a Rasengan. Why are you making such a fuss?" "It's amazing! Your younger brother is definitely even more of a genius than you!"

Hashirama wasn't offended. He knew who Madara was, after all. The Uchiha Clan's most famous skill was copying every kind of Five Elements Ninjutsu that began with chakra; there were none they couldn't copy. Any Uchiha Clan ninja could copy a ninjutsu, then record it when they returned to the clan. Hashirama remembered his father once making an analogy: if all the ninja in the Ninja World were gathered into one country, the Uchiha Clan could stand alone against the entire world. They possessed what everyone in the Ninja World desperately wanted: an endless supply of ninjutsu. Their collection included every ninjutsu outside of Kekkei Genkai, covering yin, yang, wind, fire, lightning, water, and earth. Whether it was a newly created technique or one that had been lost, as long as an Uchiha saw it once, the clan could claim it as its own.

"Heh. Maybe, if things were still the way they used to be."

Hearing Hashirama's praise, Madara spaced out for a moment and couldn't help sighing. Just as Hashirama said, while he was still working hard to master the techniques passed down by his clan, his younger brother had already begun creating techniques of his own. Why shouldn't he create a ninjutsu too? No—he would create a whole series of ninjutsu! Yes, that was it. At that moment, Madara set himself a grand goal.

"I heard your younger brother created two techniques. What was the other one?"

Hashirama didn't think as much as Madara. As a boy who acted first and thought later, Hashirama believed that without hostility, there would be no conflict. As long as he didn't show malice, no one would draw their blade against him. With no hidden motives at all, he simply asked Madara again, curious.

"I haven't seen it either. He only described it to me. He separated two different chakra transformations and made them into two ninjutsu. There are advantages to reading a lot. I have to admit that."

Madara was still a child, after all, and had no notion of keeping ninjutsu secret from others. He shook his head. He remembered Mingye mentioning another technique, but had forgotten what it was. Madara had only one nature transformation and had never cared to use any ninjutsu besides Fire Release. He believed that if he could master Fire Release to its utmost, no one in the world would be able to compete with him. Then he could fulfill the dream he and his younger brother shared.

"If that nature transformation is the Rasengan you were showing off last time, then what would a shape transformation be? The Rasengan is already so powerful. How powerful would a ninjutsu based on shape transformation be?"

Hashirama was envious. As the eldest son of the Forest Senju Clan, he had access to plenty of resources, but nowhere near as many as the Uchiha Clan. The Senju Clan didn't have many ninjutsu. They focused instead on their abundant chakra and their supposedly robust bodies. When it came to ninjutsu, they used whatever they had, as long as it suited them. They didn't care how powerful it was, because Senju Clan ninja often preferred to fight their enemies at close range.

"Who knows!"

Madara finished speaking and lay flat on the ground, gazing up at the blue sky. His thoughts had already drifted away as he remembered his dead younger brother's smile and his mother's gentle smile. Hashirama walked over to Madara and saw the sadness on his face. He couldn't help thinking of his own two dead younger brothers, then lay down beside Madara and looked up at the sky too.

"Hey! If the souls of our loved ones still exist somewhere, do you think they miss us as much as we miss them?"

"I don't know. But I really miss them."

Madara's voice was a little hoarse. Hashirama deeply understood what he meant.

"I really want to have a good cry!"

"Haha, what a joke! You cry all the time! Crying won't solve anything. Once I've mastered my ninjutsu, I'll fulfill that so-called dream! I'll make sure this world never has even the slightest sorrow, and no one will ever shed another tear over the death of a loved one! I swear it!"

Madara stared intently at the sky, as if a devil or a god were standing there. In his heart, he added his name to the vow: I, Madara Uchiha, swear it here and now.

Hashirama was excited by the determination in Madara's eyes. Their shared ideals made him feel close to Madara. His heartfelt respect for Madara, and his sense that Madara was a kindred spirit, led him to make a decision as well. When the day came that peace reigned throughout the world, if someone had to take the top position, he would give it up and help Madara rise to the top. That would be one way to show his gratitude: gratitude that Madara accepted him, and gratitude that Madara made him feel he wasn't alone in this world with a dream everyone else thought was ridiculous.

"Father!"

After Madara and Hashirama finished training, Madara instinctively returned to the clan study, intending to take the first step toward creating his own ninjutsu: learning more Fire Release Ninjutsu to fill in the gaps in his knowledge. He had just opened the door when he saw Tajima sitting in the seat of honor and froze.

"Big Brother!"

Mingye was sitting to the side. Hearing the familiar voice, he looked toward the study entrance and waved.

"Oh, Mingye, you're finally back!"

When Madara saw Mingye, he happily ran over, but Tajima stopped him with a look.

"You brat!"

Turning his head, Madara saw Tamaza Ryojin of the Wind-Thunder Clan sitting on the other side. He nodded to him out of courtesy.

"I'm sorry, Father. It's good to see you, Mr. Tamaza Ryojin!"

"Madara, there's no need to be so formal. Well, Lord Tajima, I have nothing more to do here, so I'll go back and wait for your good news."

Tamaza Ryojin was perceptive enough to know that it was time for him to leave. He stood up, bowed to Tajima, said goodbye to Madara, and turned to leave the study.

"I'll do what I promised. You can rest assured!"

As Tamaza Ryojin was about to leave the study, Tajima made him a promise. Tamaza Ryojin paused, turned around, and bowed to Tajima again. Then he left the room and closed the door behind him.

"You said there's a sage in Ryūchi Cave!" Madara sat properly beside Mingye. Tajima looked at Mingye, feeling that there was some inexplicable change about him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He then remembered Mingye's mention of a sage to him and Tamaza Ryojin just now, and asked, "Is that true?"

"Yes! She calls herself the White Snake Sage. She's incredibly powerful—possibly even stronger than you, Father."

Mingye thought it over and decided there was no harm in telling him. Tajima heard Mingye claim that a beast was even stronger than him and immediately scoffed.

"Stronger than me? Have you ever seen how strong I am?"

"Ever since I lost my sight, I've been extremely sensitive to chakra. In my perception, Father's chakra is like a blazing fire, but the White Snake Sage is like a volcano ready to erupt."

Mingye shook his head and explained again. Tajima's expression grew serious. He trusted that Mingye wouldn't lie to him, and suddenly realized that summoning beasts might not be the mere support people thought they were. It was entirely possible that a powerful summon could turn the tide in a real battle.

"I've heard that the three great inheritances are all very special. If Ryūchi Cave has such a powerful summon, then Shikkotsu Forest and Mount Myoboku can't be far behind. It seems I've underestimated the inheritors of these summoning traditions."

After hearing Mingye's explanation, Madara grew curious too. In his view, external forces could never compare with one's own cultivated strength. Summoning beasts were external forces, so no matter how strong they were, they could never be on the same level as people.

"Father, if they're really so powerful, why have we never seen those summoning inheritors use the so-called sages?"

"If a summon is so powerful that nothing can compare to it, then it has the right to refuse when someone tries to summon it. And summoning a beast is based on fifty percent of the summoner's chakra. How much chakra you offer determines the level of the beast you summon. As far as I know, Tamaza Ryojin hasn't even summoned Manda, the current Snake King. They haven't been fully recognized by Ryūchi Cave."

Mingye understood Madara's confusion and explained again. Then he pressed one hand to the ground. A cloud of smoke rose from beneath his hand, and a huge scroll appeared beside him. The scroll was about a meter long and nearly thirty centimeters tall, with three large characters written vertically along its spine:

"Ryūchi Cave"

Seeing the enormous scroll beside Mingye, Tajima was finally moved. He stared at Mingye with a solemn expression.

"You've obtained the true inheritance!"

"Whether it's Ryūchi Cave or Mount Myoboku, among these so-called Three Great Summoning Grounds, their chosen inheritors haven't appeared for nearly three hundred years. You could even say they haven't chosen anyone for a very long time! Ryūchi Cave's inheritance was never passed on to the Wind-Thunder Clan. Those people were just being used by Ryūchi Cave!"

As Mingye explained, he didn't tell them that Ryūchi Cave called humans and the Wind-Thunder Clan's people food. He had his reasons. Just as the White Snake Sage had told him in Ryūchi Cave, this world was governed by survival of the fittest. If you couldn't become strong enough in a world where the weak were prey and the strong were predators, then you had to be prepared to be killed by the strong.

Mingye didn't know what Senjutsu the people of Mount Myoboku believed in, or what beliefs Shikkotsu Forest passed down. But he was certain that Ryūchi Cave's inheritance was based on survival of the fittest: the strong lived and had everything, while the weak died and lost everything. Even if you received the so-called inheritance and gained the right to summon snakes, you might still lack the talent to practice Senjutsu. The weak weren't worthy of it.

Tajima walked over to Mingye and opened the scroll. There were only a few names—just seven—and Mingye was the seventh. In a thousand years of summoning, only seven people had truly received Ryūchi Cave's inheritance. Such severe requirements and such a harsh tradition were practically a mockery of the Wind-Thunder Clan. Thinking of the hundreds or thousands of names on the scroll Tamaza Ryojin had, Tajima gave Mingye a solemn warning.

"Under no circumstances can you let Tamaza Ryojin see this scroll!"

"I understand, Father."

"Tonight, we'll have a meal in the clan with Izuna. The four of us will eat together. Tomorrow, you'll head to Ryūchi Cave to train."

"What! Mingye, you won't live with the clan anymore?"

"Yes. The way I train comes from Ryūchi Cave, so I have to be there to complete the full training."

"Damn it! But where exactly is Ryūchi Cave? I'll go find you sometime!"

"It's overseas, in an unknown place. The vast world is all one, but the unknowable places are sealed off by barriers, so we can't make them out with our eyes."

"Ah!"

"Your younger brother's doing this to get stronger. Madara, I'm warning you: if you're weaker than Mingye when he comes back, you can expect a beating!"

"Ah! No way!"

"Heh, you'd better watch out, Big Brother!"

When Mingye returned to Ryūchi Cave using the reverse summoning technique, he could clearly sense countless chakra signatures watching him from all around. He remembered the three enormous snakes who hadn't appeared since he became the White Snake Sage's disciple. He understood that this was Ryūchi Cave's idea of kindness: not killing someone it had acknowledged.

"Mingye, you'll be staying in the Dragon Transformation Pool from now on. Your food will be the water in the pool. Spend an hour a day cultivating qi. For the rest of the time, practice the Perception Technique and train your Taijutsu!"

"Train my Taijutsu?!"

Facing the direction of the voice, Mingye looked confused. He was blind, yet they still expected him to fight at close range. What was that supposed to mean?

"Qi doesn't circulate endlessly. It has to be stored. Your body is like a container: the more qi it can hold, the longer you can fight when you attack. Senjutsu isn't something you need to learn right now. What you need to do is use the Dragon Transformation Pool to drive the chakra passed down in your bloodline for generations out of your body. Only then can you practice the true Art of Qi!"

Ara wasn't sure why the White Snake Sage was taking things so seriously. For thousands of years, she had only explained how to draw in the qi needed for Senjutsu to her inheritors, then left them to get as far as they could. But with Mingye, Ara felt that the White Snake Sage was genuinely treating him like a disciple and raising him as one.

Mingye didn't think about it any further. Driving all the chakra in his blood out of his body would leave him unable to use chakra altogether. He didn't know whether that was good or bad, but since he was already here, he had to be determined to succeed. Mingye didn't want the scenes from the manga to happen again, and even less did he want one of his older brothers to die and the other to fall into despair and madness.

"If the manga is going to follow its original course, then I'd rather die in front of my brothers than feel that piercing sorrow again!"

The deaths of his mother and two younger brothers had plunged Mingye into despair and pain. The only things still giving him the strength to live were his two older brothers and his determination to change the clan. Loss had taught him to cherish what remained. So much had already been taken from him that, with the mind of an adult, all he wanted was to protect the things he still treasured.

"Mingye, hurry up and get in! What are you standing there daydreaming for?"

As she spoke, tremendous force struck him from behind and sent him straight into the Dragon Transformation Pool. The White Snake Sage appeared beside the pool, a pipe in her mouth, and declared haughtily, "Enough pointless talk. I told you to bring him to the pool, not explain everything to him! Listen carefully, kid. I'll only say this once. Whether you live or die depends on your own fate! Chakra circulates throughout your whole body from top to bottom, starting from the crown and passing through the Brow Chakra, Throat Chakra, Heart Chakra, Navel Chakra, Sacral Chakra, and Root Chakra in turn. The energy refined from it is chakra. A thousand years ago, for reasons unknown, chakra appeared and spread throughout the human world. From then on, Senjutsu was difficult to understand and even harder to practice, so its teachings were cut off. Now only we three unknowable places still preserve the method. What you have to do now is reverse the process. Absorb the qi of all things, from the bottom upward, and circulate it throughout your body to drive the chakra out. But I warn you: the Dragon Transformation Pool isn't meant for human training. You only have two hours to draw qi from the pool and open all the chakra points in your body. If you go over two hours, your body will start changing into a snake. And if you can't control the qi, you might turn into a snake right there in the pool!"

"Turn into a snake? Is that all?" Mingye climbed out of the Dragon Transformation Pool and listened carefully to the White Snake Sage. Once she finished speaking, he understood how to cultivate qi. The side effect was much like that of practicing Senjutsu: if you failed, you turned into an animal. He nodded at her.

"Exactly! The qi of heaven and earth is extremely dangerous to cultivate. If everything could cultivate it, what would be so special about being an immortal? Cultivation is an act of defying heaven itself. Whether you're practicing chakra or Senjutsu, neither is tolerated by heaven and earth. So remember: if you don't control your qi carefully, you'll no longer be human!"

The White Snake Sage nodded at Mingye approvingly, then reminded him again. Mingye clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he answered with determination.

"I understand. I won't turn into a snake! I'll definitely succeed!"

"Hahaha! Good! I like people like you. Ara, watch him here so the kid doesn't accidentally turn into a snake. When he's refining his qi, he'll lose track of time around him. So when the two hours are up, you have to make him leave the Dragon Transformation Pool. You can train his Taijutsu too. There are so many snake brats around; it's time they got some exercise!" The White Snake Sage laughed. The more she looked at Mingye, the more she liked him. After giving Ara her instructions, she turned and swam away.

"Understood, Grandma!"

"Big Brother, I heard you still go to that forest to train a lot these days?"

Madara had been throwing kunai when Izuna suddenly called out to him. He looked confused and asked,

"What is it?"

Izuna pursed his lips and said,

"Father noticed. I'm not the one who told him. You've been going too often!"

Madara was startled. He hadn't thought he was being obvious, yet someone had still noticed—and it was his father. His mind in a whirl, Madara quickly asked,

"What? What did Father say?"

"I don't know. Father just told me to come get you and take you to the study."

Madara and Izuna arrived at the study. Tajima, who was reviewing documents, looked up at Madara and casually asked, "You've been training in the forest a lot lately, haven't you?"

"Yes, Father." Madara sat rigidly on the cushion, not daring to say anything he shouldn't.

"Is there also a boy who trains with you?" Tajima set down his brush and looked at Madara as he asked again.

Madara glanced at Izuna in surprise. Izuna shook his head slightly. Madara composed himself and replied, "Yes, there is a boy who trains with me."

"Do you know who he is?"

"Father, we only train together. I don't know who he is, and I have no interest in finding out. All I care about is training."

Tajima's questions made Madara think of several possibilities. If Izuna hadn't told him, then Father had probably discovered something suspicious from a few clues. So Madara played dumb as he answered.

"Madara, I know what you're thinking. You still hate me for what I did to that shameless clan. Yes, I admit it was my mistake that let them ambush our clan and cost your younger brother his life. But all the more reason we need to be more careful about our movements and keep ourselves hidden! Kill him!"

But Tajima had already seen through Madara's thoughts, and bluntly ordered him to do it.

"No!"

Madara's firm refusal left Tajima stunned. Then he flew into a rage.

"What did you say?"

"Father, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Madara ignored Tajima's anger, stood up, and bowed as if to leave.

"Stop right there!"

Seeing this, Tajima flew into another rage. He casually threw a kunai, which struck the ground in front of Madara's feet.

"Father, have you never considered that they betrayed us because they discovered you intended to kill them, and they had no other way out?" Madara turned to look at Tajima, his face expressionless. It was as if all the emotions he'd kept hidden were finally bursting free as he shouted.

Tajima stared at Madara in shock as he suddenly erupted. He realized that his son was so rebellious—or, no, perhaps simply too clever. Clever enough that Tajima could no longer deceive him at will.

"Rebellious son! What do you mean by that?"

"The Hagoromo Clan couldn't possibly be stronger than the Uchiha Clan. So why did the Takigawa Clan, who had originally taken shelter under our protection and wanted nothing more than a peaceful life, betray us? Father, I'm not a child anymore. You don't have to hide everything from me, because I know far more than you think!"

Madara lowered his head. One by one, memories flashed through his mind of the four brothers sneaking out together to hunt for food, laughing and joking. His voice tinged with sorrow as he pointed out the mistake Tajima had made.

"Rebellious son! You're asking for death!"

Enraged, Tajima drew his sword and stabbed at Madara. Izuna quickly stood up and stepped in front of Madara.

"Father!"

"Hmph! You'll never know what outsiders are thinking, or where their loyalties lie. The clan is the only thing in this world you can rely on. All those outsiders must die. Only then can the Uchiha Clan survive forever. Put away those ridiculous ideas of yours. Madara, listen to me. Even if I did make the wrong decision back then, it wasn't because I wanted the Takigawa Clan dead. I just didn't expect them to strike back so quickly! Get out! Don't let me see you again!"

Tajima was only angry in the heat of the moment; he hadn't truly intended to kill his genius son. He ordered the two of them out, and as they left, Shimizu emerged from behind the folding screen and smiled at Tajima.

"Madara's grown up!"

"Hmph! Rebellious brat!"

Still furious, Tajima cursed loudly. Shimizu shook his head and sighed.

"Big Brother, you really were wrong about this."

Tajima looked coldly at Shimizu, a murderous glint in his eyes, and replied,

"That doesn't give him the right to question me! If I was wrong, then I was still right!"

Shimizu understood that Tajima was defending his authority as clan head, so he didn't press the issue. Instead, he tried to calm Tajima down.

"Explain it however you like. You've already ruined three children and your sister-in-law. I hope you'll calm down, Big Brother."

"You don't need to concern yourself with this. I'll go kill that boy myself!"

Tajima was only angry, of course. Killing his own child would be like ending his own life. He recalled the Senju Clan boy mentioned in the report from his spies and made up his mind.

"But!"

"I'm going to kill him in front of Madara. I'll show him just how cruel this world is!"

Shimizu was about to say more, but Tajima cut him off. He then sheathed his long sword at his waist, stood up, and walked out of the room.

"Was it you who secretly told Father? Are you still holding a grudge because I wouldn't let you go last time?"

At the training ground, Madara glared at Izuna and demanded an answer. Izuna could only explain helplessly, "Why would I say something like that? Big brother, do you really think I'm that kind of person? You warned me, so of course I helped cover your tracks. But Father still found out. It really wasn't me!"

Madara was frustrated. After hearing Izuna's words, he trusted that Izuna wouldn't betray him. That meant he must have given himself away somehow. But what should he do now? Then he suddenly remembered something and blurted out, "Damn it! There's no way Father will give up just because I refuse. That means... Oh no, Hashirama's still waiting for me!"

Izuna froze, then thought of the way Tajima operated. "Ah! Right now? Big brother, what if Father's already on his way there?"

"I have to warn Hashirama. Keep an eye on Father. If you have to, make a little commotion to distract him!"

"Okay!"

Madara calmly glanced up at the sun to estimate the time, then gave Izuna his instructions. Izuna nodded. Madara quickly turned and ran out of the clan's compound. Unfortunately, he didn't see Shimizu appear in front of Izuna just as Izuna watched him leave the training ground.

"You're all far too naïve!"

The moment Izuna saw Shimizu, he knew something had gone wrong. Another possibility occurred to him. "Oh no! Big brother shouldn't have gone!"

"Heh, heh, heh!"

Shimizu could only smile bitterly. If Madara hadn't gone, Tajima would never have learned where the meeting place was. But Madara was still a child. His first thought had been to warn the other boy, not to consider what Tajima might do next.

The same scene was unfolding at the Senju of the Forest Clan compound. Hashirama sat on a tree stump, glaring at Tobirama, who seemed completely unconcerned. Tobirama eventually couldn't stand it any longer and explained with a stern expression, "I didn't say anything. Father knows this has absolutely nothing to do with me. He did ask me about it, but I didn't tell him a thing! You know me. I hate lying. I've already broken that rule once for a meal!"

" T obirama, I know you hate them because of Itama, but this is how cruel the world is. We can't keep holding on to hatred just because our family members died. You should understand that."

Hashirama was helpless. Tobirama had repeated the same thing three times, and Hashirama knew he wouldn't lie to him. So he tried to reason with him.

"I know what you're going to say, and I know what I'm doing. I didn't tell Father where you were. I don't want to repeat myself. And I don't hate them because Itama died. I've never hated people for making mistakes!"

Tobirama tilted his head back to look at the sky. Though he didn't want to admit it, he truly hated the Uchiha Clan. But his self-control was no weaker than an adult's—in fact, it was even stronger. Tobirama was extremely disciplined and confident he could gradually erase that hatred from his heart. With that in mind, he explained to Hashirama proudly, "Honestly! You're so stubborn. I don't know what to do with you. Father already knows about me, and with his personality, he won't just sit still. That means... Oh no! Father's going back to the forest!" Looking at Tobirama's proud expression, Hashirama knew what he was like, so he didn't keep arguing about it. He glanced at the sky, suddenly remembered the time he'd arranged to meet Madara, jumped off the stump, and blurted out his realization.

"Father's going to kill Madara!"

Hearing Hashirama, Tobirama immediately replied, "I have to warn Madara! Tobirama, keep Father occupied!"

Hashirama didn't think twice. Worried for Madara's life, he told Tobirama what to do and turned to leave. Tobirama suddenly blocked his way and said, "Wouldn't it be better if he died?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Keep Father occupied!"

Hashirama shoved Tobirama aside and ordered him again before racing toward the meeting place. What Hashirama also failed to notice was an elder standing in front of Tobirama. The moment Tobirama saw him, he laughed bitterly, shook his head, and sighed up at the sky.

"We're all still too young!"

The lush green forest was like an ocean of its own, different from the deep blue sea. Madara and Hashirama hurried toward their meeting place. When they reached the familiar river and stood on opposite banks, they both smiled with relief and tossed a stone toward each other at the same time.

"You're early today!"

"So are you!"

"I've got something to do today. Looks like we can't train together."

"Same here! I came to tell you I'm busy today. We might have to wait a few days before we can hang out again!"

"Is that so? Then I'll be going."

"Sorry, Hashirama! Let's call it a day."

The two boys said nothing more. They quickly turned and ran into the forest, moving in a zigzag pattern as they searched for cover.

The moment they turned away, a kunai shot from the trees on either side of the river and collided over its center. Tajima and Butsuma leaped out of the woods at the same time, their sickle and sword clashing in midair. Then they separated and landed on opposite sides of the river.

"Looks like we had the same idea, Senju Butsuma!"

"Seems so, Uchiha Tajima!"

The heads of the Senju and Uchiha Clans had finally clashed again. As soon as they finished speaking, they leaped at each other once more, their sickle and sword slashing back and forth. At the same time, they each drew a short blade with their free hand and thrust it toward the other. The blades met with another shower of sparks. Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a voice suddenly rang out behind them.

"Rasengan!"

Madara and Hashirama appeared, each holding a blue chakra sphere in one hand. They collided between the four men.

Boom!

The impact of the two Rasengan created a powerful shock wave, sending Hashirama and Madara flying backward. Tajima and Butsuma were also forced apart and driven back to opposite banks. They struggled to their feet. Madara's heart was breaking. Their sincere friendship could no longer survive this moment, and the naïve dream they had shared shattered and vanished. Looking at Hashirama, who had also gotten up across the river, Madara smiled bitterly and said, "We really were foolish, weren't we? And it looks like the dreams we thought were foolish can't be pursued together anymore!"

"Madara!"

Madara didn't give Hashirama a chance to say anything more. He drew the kunai he always kept tucked in his sleeve and took a defensive stance before speaking again.

"We were always so naïve, forgetting how cruel this world is. We haven't known each other long, but I really was happy during that time. Hashirama, let me introduce myself properly. My name is Madara Uchiha!"

Looking at Madara, Hashirama knew their friendship had been cut off in that instant. He didn't say anything more. Instead, he drew the short blade from his leg sheath and took a defensive stance, his expression grim as he faced Madara Uchiha.

"Heh! You're right. Hashirama Senju of the Forest Senju Clan, reporting for duty!"

Atop a towering mountain peak in the forest, Madara sat leaning back against his hands at the edge of a cliff. Looking out over the unbroken forest and the ranges of mountains stretching into the distance, he couldn't help laughing.

"Haha! I won again!"

"Of course you did—you got a head start!"

Panting, Madara and Hashirama sat on opposite sides of the cliff. Hashirama proudly shouted about his victory, while Madara scoffed and teased him. Hashirama didn't mind losing. A winner ought to be magnanimous. Once he caught his breath, he stood up, looked at the beautiful forest, and called out to Madara again.

"Let's build a village of our own here! A place without sadness or death, where children never have to kill each other again—where everyone can live out their lives with a smile!"

Madara didn't reply. He simply watched Hashirama's excitement. But Hashirama had opened the floodgates and couldn't seem to stop himself. He poured out every idea that had been on his mind.

"We'll build a school where children can train, grow, and become stronger. They'll be given missions suited to their abilities, and we'll create a system of ranks and rewards, with those above them assigning the missions. That way, the benefits will be shared fairly by everyone. I believe that in a village like that, children will never have to go to a cruel battlefield again. No child like us will ever die on the battlefield again!"

"You're as naïve as ever! Still, you're the only one who could come up with something like that!"

After hearing Hashirama's words, Madara couldn't help but comment. In an era of conflict between clans and nations, uniting every clan in a single village was simply unrealistic. No one could do such a thing—or even wanted to consider it.

"What do you think?" Hashirama eagerly asked Madara for his opinion. Madara actually gave it some thought, then nodded and replied, "Yeah! If we built a village like that in this place, I could protect my younger brothers. I might even be able to protect everyone in the village from every enemy!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Hahaha!"

Madara and Hashirama looked at each other again and saw the same unwavering conviction in each other's eyes. Then they burst into laughter.

"You're sitting here again, big brother!"

Izuna appeared behind Madara, who was lost in thought. Madara turned and smiled at him. "Izuna. What is it?"

"A clan ninja sent word that a village ten miles to the north has found some surviving members of the Hagoromo Clan. We've been ordered to wipe them out!"

"Then let's go!"

Izuna pointed north as he explained. Madara nodded and stood up. Izuna looked around curiously, wondering why Madara always liked to come to this desolate mountaintop.

"Big brother, why do you always come here to think? There's nothing to see in these barren mountains!"

"This is where my dream began!"

Madara smiled faintly but didn't explain further. As he spoke, he leaned over the cliff edge, then quickly plunged down toward the forest. Izuna followed, leaping off the cliff after him.

"Young man, can you really not see?"

On a mountain road, a boy carried an old man on his back. The old man's ankle was wrapped in a roughly made bandage and splint, and he stared at the boy in bewilderment.

"That's right, Grandpa."

The boy smiled faintly and nodded.

"You really are an extraordinary child. You can't see the road, yet you walk so steadily. Thank you so much." The old man praised him again, silently wishing that such a kind person would surely be rewarded. They continued along the road for another ten minutes or so before finally reaching a village. Suddenly, a huge fireball shot out from the village gate. A battered ninja dodged it and shouted toward the village, "Are the Uchiha Clan's ninjas really going to wipe us out?"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to!"

A proud, long-haired young man stood at the entrance to the village, arms folded across his chest. He looked down at the other man and replied coldly. Another boy then charged out of the village and launched a surprise attack on the ninja. But the man seemed to have expected it. He pressed one hand to the ground, and a barrier appeared around the boy, then expanded to cover the entire village.

"Hahaha! Do you think I'd be standing here if I didn't have a reason? You mad dogs of the Uchiha Clan, just you wait! The Hagoromo Clan will never let this go!"

"Old man, could you rest here for a while? I need to take care of something."

"Of course, of course!"

"I'll be right back!"

"Summoning Technique: Manda!"

"What? Ah!"

The Hagoromo Clan ninja turned to leave, but he didn't notice the boy who had just emerged from the forest road. The boy pressed one hand to the ground. A summoning seal flashed, and a massive shadow swallowed the ninja whole.

"Kid! You actually summoned me for this!"

Manda flicked his forked tongue, glaring down at Mingye with his enormous head and an irritated expression.

"Heh. Thank you, Lord Manda!"

The boy smiled and looked up at Manda with his pupil-less eyes, apologizing.

"What I want is a thousand tons of blood sacrifice, not to be summoned to clean up your trash! Call me for something this trivial again, and I might eat you too!"

After saying that, Manda vanished in a cloud of smoke. The old man nearby had already fainted from fright. The boy smiled bitterly, hoisted him onto his back again, and headed toward the village.

"Mingye!"

The moment the giant snake disappeared, the barrier around Izuna vanished too. Izuna hurried over to the boy and asked, puzzled. Mingye nodded in greeting and replied, "Second brother! It's been a long time!"

"It really is you, Mingye! Hahaha! Big brother, come quickly! It's Mingye!"

"What? Mingye, is that really you?"

After bringing the old man to an inn to rest, the three brothers quickly left. They found a wild boar in the forest, killed it, and sat around a fire. As they waited for the meat to cook, they chatted and laughed.

Mingye had been away for three years. During that time, the Uchiha Clan had relentlessly pursued the Hagoromo Clan. And under Madara's determination and persistence, Tajima had finally begun reaching out to influential officials in the Land of Fire, seeking to gain political power.

After Izuna told Mingye about the changes of the past three years, Mingye smiled at Madara. "Looks like big brother has started getting involved in clan affairs too!"

"Father was injured in a surprise attack against the Hagoromo Clan a year ago. He may not have much time left. You came back just in time. If you'd been any later, you might not have seen Father again!" Izuna sighed and added.

Mingye was stunned. He hadn't expected that he'd return only to hear this. His heart heavy, he asked, "Is it really that serious?"

"To kill the Hagoromo Clan's leader, Father gave it everything he had. He finally cornered him with Uncle Shimizu, so he couldn't escape. And after a year of fighting, most of the Hagoromo Clan's ninjas are dead!"

Izuna nodded and confirmed it. Then he forced a smile, pointed to the cooked pork, and said to his brothers, "Let's go back once we've eaten! Looks like I really did come back at just the right time!"

"Who says otherwise? Now that the three of us are reunited, this world is bound to belong to us brothers!"

Madara abruptly stood up, clenched his fists, and shouted his resolve. Mingye and Izuna nodded, stood up as well, and raised their fists in support.

"Cough, cough! You're back. Looks like your training at Ryūchi Cave went well!"

Tajima lay in bed, his face pale, looking as if he were at death's door. Seeing Mingye return, he smiled wanly and tried to sit up. Mingye quickly sat beside him and helped him up, then nodded and replied, "Yes, Father. I can do much more for the clan now!"

"Everyone's strength has its limits. There's only so much I could do for you. Three years have passed. I wonder if you still hate me."

Mingye knew what Tajima was talking about. Madara and Izuna's stubborn determination to kill the Hagoromo Clan came from the Hagoromo Clan's alliance with the Takigawa Clan and their surprise attack on the Uchiha Clan. Mingye's mother and his unnamed fifth younger brother had died, and his fourth younger brother had died in his arms. Perhaps Tajima had given everything to kill the Hagoromo Clan's leader partly because he wanted to atone. Mingye's heart had long since grown calm. What had happened could not be changed, and Tajima was his father in this life. There was nothing he couldn't forgive. With that in mind, Mingye smiled faintly and said, "Father, you're joking. I've never hated you."

"Good. I'm glad you don't hate me." Hearing Mingye's reply, Tajima smiled and nodded, then closed his eyes with a kind expression.

Madara and Izuna appeared beside the bed as well. Tears welled in Madara's eyes. Looking at their father, who seemed so peaceful beneath his kind smile, he couldn't help smiling.

"Father, we never hated you!"

Uchiha Tajima passed away peacefully. The succession ceremony in the Uchiha Clan was even simpler, proceeding without the slightest obstruction. As Madara grew older, his combat strength continued to soar, changing almost by the day. With him so overwhelmingly powerful, no one in the clan dared object to his becoming its head.

One day, Mingye and Izuna once again entered the study where their father had once worked, now Madara's office. Shimizu was there too, having lost an arm while stopping the Hagoromo Clan's leader. Mingye asked curiously, "Why did big brother ask second brother and me to come?"

"Father has passed away. We need to report it to the people in Okayama Castle. You'll take care of that."

"Me?"

Mingye was taken aback and pointed to himself to make sure he'd heard right. Shimizu nodded and explained, "In these chaotic times, we have to make sure the shogun gives the clan his full support. Otherwise, we could suffer a setback. The clan isn't strong enough yet, so we have to rely on the shogun and build up our strength. Only then can we take the next step."

"Which clan does big brother want to bring under our control?"

Mingye didn't know the current state of the ninja world. The only clans he'd encountered in this life were the Wind-Thunder Clan, the Hagoromo Clan, and the Senju of the Forest, along with the clans he knew about from his previous life—some of which might exist already, while others might not have been established yet. So he had no idea which clan Madara planned to target first. Madara thought for about ten minutes, weighing his options, then answered the three of them.

"The Hatake Clan has some distant blood ties to the Uchiha Clan. Besides, they have many enemies, so they'd be a suitable first target for absorption. Our people wouldn't be too opposed to it, either."

As Madara considered the matter carefully and displayed the Hatake Clan's crest, Izuna also thought about the Uchiha Clan's current circumstances and asked, "Big brother, I don't mean to spoil your enthusiasm, but shouldn't we put everything on hold after Father's death? We may need some time..."

"The most important thing if we want to grow stronger is to make our enemies submit through strength! Father has passed away, but that doesn't mean the Uchiha Clan should stop functioning. We have to work harder and remain more resolute in improving this world. Only then can we bring comfort to our father in the afterlife!"

Madara looked coldly at Izuna, the authority of a clan head radiating from him. Izuna couldn't help frowning, but since Madara had already made up his mind, he shouldn't oppose his brother. So he made another suggestion.

"Big brother, would it be unwise to use force? If we want to build a village, crushing everyone into submission won't make it stable."

Mingye, who had been deep in thought, nodded as well. But he wasn't agreeing with Izuna. Law could be cold and merciless, yet it allowed people to live in relative peace. Governing through personal feelings would only lead to greater disorder. Everyone had selfish desires, and no matter how selfless they seemed, some selfishness would always remain. Only absolute rule of law and a firm hand could turn the chaotic state of the world around.

"We need strict laws in chaotic times. First, we'll bring some weaker clans into our sphere of influence. Then we can govern them by law. It'll be fine. As long as we're alive, no one will rebel. And by the time we grow old, the law and the village will have become firmly established. By then, they won't be able to cause chaos even if they want to!"

Seeing that Mingye understood his thinking, Madara nodded slightly, rolled his wrist, and walked over to him.

"For now, this really is the only way. What can we do? We're the Uchiha Clan. They look at us with fear in their hearts, so it's better to subdue them by force than try to win them over. But that isn't the most important thing. There's something we need to confirm now, something even more important to us than conquering the world!"

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

"Wind Chaos Performance"

Mingye and Madara were less than three meters apart. The moment the enormous fireball appeared, it was already less than thirty centimeters from Mingye. Powerful wind blades churned in front of him in time with his movements, gently pushing the fireball aside and changing its direction.

Boom!

A massive explosion erupted from one side of the bookshelf. Mingye knew the shelves had caught fire and blown up, so he joked to Madara, "Isn't this a bit much? They're books, after all, and scrolls aren't exactly easy to come by these days, are they?"

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Spits Pearl!"

"I've already memorized everything in them! You're spitting fire at me? I'm going to teach you a lesson today. I'll buy new scrolls and copy all the jutsu in those scrolls myself!"

Madara unleashed another jutsu. The anger he'd carried for more than a decade finally erupted. As far as he was concerned, the only way to satisfy his grudge was to beat Mingye to a pulp. After he finished speaking, a fire dragon burst forth, but it didn't attack Mingye. Instead, it coiled around Madara. Its head looked lifelike, and its open jaws held a red ball of chakra.

"You're the clan head now!"

Though Mingye couldn't see Madara's expression, he knew Madara must be feeling pretty good about himself. He wanted revenge for all the times Mingye had ambushed him back then. Mingye had miscalculated: no matter how carefully he'd considered things, he'd never expected Madara to be so petty. Of course, Mingye didn't stop to consider that he'd provoked Madara so many times that Madara simply couldn't resist wanting to beat him up. He'd just never had the chance before.

"Even the clan head has to beat you up!"

Mingye didn't dare take on the Fire Dragon Spits Pearl. The scorching, spinning ball of chakra was dangerous enough, but the flames themselves were also far more intense than those produced by an ordinary person. That alone showed how hard Madara had worked to master Fire Style. Madara grabbed the dragon's head with one hand and hurled it at Mingye. Dragon Roar rang out as the fire dragon erupted. Behind Mingye, white winds burst forth with tremendous force, tearing the entire roof off. Then the gale lifted Mingye like a sheet of paper.

Boom!

"Big brother, this is the study!" Izuna looked up at the missing roof and reminded him, his face full of helplessness. Madara, annoyed that his fire dragon hadn't helped him vent his anger, snapped at Izuna, "Can't you see I drove him outside?"

Izuna pointed at the clear sky and shot back, "A skylight!?"

Madara had long since wanted to leave the thatched hut behind. Since Mingye had torn the roof off the study, he'd conveniently given Madara the perfect excuse.

"We'll just move somewhere else! We've lived here for more than a decade. It's time the Uchiha Clan moved somewhere new!"

"Dragon Roar!"

A powerful surge of energy descended from the sky, and Madara's expression instantly grew serious. His ordinary pupils spun rapidly, transforming into Three Tomoe as he looked up. Mingye was suspended in midair, holding his hands in front of his chest in a triangular shape. A stream of energy burst from between his hands, producing a sound like a dragon's roar.

"I can't copy it!"

Madara tried to use the Sharingan's ability to turn an opponent's techniques against him, but it didn't reveal the nature of Mingye's jutsu. Without wasting another moment, he quickly formed Hand Seals, then took a deep breath and concentrated all the chakra in his body in his throat.

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