Chapter 22

"What do you mean, Big Brother!?"

Mingye was a little taken aback. He didn't know what Madara meant, so Izuna jumped in and explained.

"Father hadn't expected us to suffer such heavy losses while blocking the Hagoromo Clan. You should know that the Hagoromo Clan is an immortal-heritage clan no weaker than the Uchiha Clan. Their bloodline carries the same blood of the Sage of Six Paths as ours. Their clan's unique jutsu are complicated to explain, but they did inflict a fatal wound on Father. Our original plan was to build up our strength for three years before launching an all-out attack. Who could have imagined that he would pass away after only one year!"

"Although I possess great strength, I don't command the authority to match it. At this critical moment, I have to accomplish something major so the clan will trust me and continue blindly following my orders. Only then can we keep the clan from splintering!"

After Izuna finished speaking, Madara added more, sounding both rueful and helpless. Mingye suddenly remembered the manga from his previous life. As he recalled, the Uchiha Clan's eventual downfall stemmed from its members growing restless and even surrendering to their sworn enemies, the Senju Clan. It showed that they had lost faith in Madara. Thinking it over, it made sense. Once Madara was no longer invincible, the Uchiha Clan's greatest source of pride would disappear. When their confidence was gone, collapse could come in an instant.

"Big Brother, there are many advantages to doing this, but there's one fatal drawback!"

"...!"

Madara's silence only confirmed to Mingye that this method of keeping his subordinates in line was unstable. He spoke up to warn him.

"Big Brother, your silence means you know where the weakness in your leadership lies. As long as you're invincible, the clan will respect you. But if you ever face an opponent, their confidence will gradually erode, and they may even rebel! Big Brother, I agree that it's good for the clan to have faith in you, but if we want the clan to truly unite, blind obedience isn't the kind of feeling we should encourage!"

Faced with Mingye's advice, Madara only gave a faint smile, then answered seriously.

"I know what you want to say, and I know what I'm doing. Mingye, you have to trust me. I won't lose. No one in this world can defeat me. You may not know this, but our Uchiha Clan's ancestral grounds hold a Sage Stone left behind by the Sage. Strange, unusual writing is carved into it, and those inscriptions contain jutsu that supposedly can only be used by someone with the Mangekyō Sharingan. Every one of them is immensely powerful. So far, I've only mastered one or two. Once I've mastered them all, I'll be invincible and able to look down on the whole world!"

"Big Brother!"

"Enough, Mingye. I'm the clan head now, so you have to obey me! Your job is to stabilize the situation in Okayama and its surrounding regions so I can do whatever I want!"

"Understood!"

Mingye wanted to keep trying to persuade him, but Madara wouldn't listen. He issued an order, stood up, and walked straight out of the study. Only after Madara had left did Izuna speak to Mingye again.

"Big Brother is trying to become stronger, after all. And Mingye, don't underestimate him. There's absolutely no one in the Ninja World who can compare to Big Brother!"

"That's just your opinion. The world is vast and full of wonders. What if I told you there was someone who could match Big Brother, or even surpass him? Would you believe me?"

Mingye shook his head slightly as he voiced his thoughts. Izuna gave a snort and a laugh.

"I know who you mean. The Senju Clan has kept a pretty low profile lately. Ever since the Uchiha Clan wiped out the Hagoromo Clan, they've started avoiding us. Enough, enough. Let's stop talking about this. Mingye, you have another purpose on this trip to Okayama. It's a personal favor I'm asking you to do."

Seeing Izuna grow serious, Mingye asked, "What is it?"

Izuna placed a kunai in Mingye's hand, his face full of murderous intent.

"If possible, investigate the Fuma Clan thoroughly. They dared to target the Uchiha Clan, so they must pay for it!"

Sitting in the open-air study, Izuna and Mingye chatted and reminisced. As the setting sun lit their faces, Mingye's expression suddenly grew heavy.

"Big Brother is in a very bad state."

Izuna didn't argue with Mingye. He had noticed Madara's current state too. Too much confidence turned into arrogance. The two states seemed alike, but represented entirely different mindsets. Madara had already embarked on an extreme path. Even Izuna couldn't see or foresee what lay ahead. He shook his head, looking troubled.

"Trying to talk him out of it is pointless. Mingye, shouldn't we just make sure Big Brother has nothing holding him back?"

Mingye knew what Izuna meant. Aside from Senju Hashirama, he was probably the person who understood Madara's ambitions best. His steadfast dream had already taken its first, firm step. Madara now wanted power so he could change the world.

"So we let him go all out?"

Izuna stood up and looked at Mingye with confidence.

"I firmly believe Big Brother is invincible. And I'll follow in his footsteps and reach that so-called Mangekyō realm too. It won't be long before the Uchiha Clan becomes the most powerful clan in the world. Mingye, we have to work hard and help our brother clear away every obstacle!"

Mingye lowered his head slightly, not in thought or reminiscence. A smile curled his lips. Beneath his confident expression, he suddenly felt certain of his resolve. No matter how tempting the manga from his previous life had been or how tragic its ending, since he had been born into the Uchiha Clan, he would shoulder the responsibility and the clan's mission. He would prove to heaven, earth, the Sage of Six Paths, and all those who had once looked down on Ninshu that the older brother had taken everything from the younger brother, and that their choices had ultimately been wrong.

"Heh! Second Brother, we're brothers! Brothers forever!"

Izuna could feel the strength radiating from Mingye as he sat on the ground. He clenched his fists, proud of him. "That's right! You're absolutely right. We're brothers—the invincible brothers!"

The next day, Mingye and Shimizu hurried toward Okayama, the capital of the Land of Fire. Shimizu didn't talk much with Mingye along the way, because he always felt that Mingye's thoughts ran deeper than his own. Having watched Mingye grow up, Shimizu had always believed he was the most gifted of the three Uchiha brothers. If not for that sudden, devastating blow, perhaps Madara wouldn't have been the first man to awaken his eyes.

"Third Uncle, that's Okayama up ahead, right?"

As Shimizu watched Mingye's back and fell into thought, Mingye suddenly stopped and looked toward a huge city below a cliff in the distance. Shimizu nodded, but before he could say anything, Mingye pressed one hand to the ground.

"Summoning: Wu!"

Boom!

Rip!

"Why'd you summon me, Mingye?"

A pure-white giant serpent appeared beneath Mingye. It flicked its forked tongue and glanced around before demanding an explanation.

"Everyone here except my Uncle Shimizu is your prey. How about it?"

"Hahahaha! It's a shame you won't make me human-meat soup, but I suppose I can settle for a snack!"

Mingye's answer pleased the giant serpent. It wasn't easy for it to get out, so the white serpent was eager to make the most of its time. Its massive body, over fifty meters long, swept through the trees around them. More than thirty shinobi scrambled out of the woods.

Shimizu instantly jumped to Mingye's side. He activated his Sharingan and stared at the marks on the shinobi's clothes in shock.

"They're Fuma Clan shinobi! Mingye, good thing you spotted them early!"

"Energy is everywhere. Wu, enjoy your meal."

"Hahahahaha!"

Mingye patted the white serpent on the head with one hand, then leaped off. Shimizu followed, jumping down from its body. As the two headed away from the cliff, the serpent known as Wu burst into wild laughter. It moved far faster than the ambushers could have imagined, at a speed impossible for such a huge body. Blurring into a streak of white, it opened its enormous jaws and swallowed every shinobi who tried to resist.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

"I've heard that every Uchiha shinobi is powerful, but seeing is believing. Today, I've seen for myself that the rumors are true!"

Applause rang out as Mingye and Shimizu landed at the foot of the cliff. An old voice followed, and Shimizu turned toward it. A white-bearded old man in a black kimono emerged from the shadows of the woods, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Fujiwara Muneyoshi! Are you looking to die?"

"I'm already on my last legs. Go ahead and kill me if you want. But this young man is quite impressive!"

The white-bearded old man didn't care about Shimizu's threat. He walked up to Mingye with a faint smile and praised him. Mingye remained expressionless, as though he hadn't heard the screams from above or the old man's compliment.

"Your heartbeat is steady. Standing here all alone, you're remarkably calm."

"Fujiwara Muneyoshi is General Sato's chief strategist, and the most renowned statesman in the Land of Fire."

As Shimizu explained, a group of shinobi emerged from the woods. They knelt on the ground and stared coldly at Mingye and Shimizu.

"A statesman?!"

Mingye knew that Sato was the source of the power his brother was seeking. He ignored the dozens of shinobi kneeling on the ground and curiously sensed Fujiwara Muneyoshi's body. There was not the slightest trace of chakra. The old man clearly wasn't a shinobi.