Turns Out I Was an Ancestor

Massive tree roots several meters thick surged endlessly from beneath the ground. Seeing this, the ninja of the two clans who had been fighting had no choice but to forcibly disengage and retreat to avoid them.

The forest created by Hashirama Senju seemed to have come alive. Its outstretched branches could distinguish friend from foe, and they could absorb Chakra as well. The Uchiha Clan ninja endured the discomfort and withdrew from the sea of trees, while the Senju ninja also recognized the strength of the individual Uchiha and stopped within the forest, not daring to venture out carelessly.

For a time, the ninja of both clans stood in confrontation, each harboring an indescribable sense of strangeness. It felt as though today's situation was not the first time it had happened.

Yet a few clansmen still feared neither the forest nor the sea of trees. As though their blood rage had been awakened, they continued fighting within it, but before long, they collapsed to the ground.

A few Senju ninja also rushed out of the forest, only to be swiftly slaughtered by the Uchiha clansmen who rushed over.

In the blink of an eye, the battlefield fell silent—apart from the two enormous figures still fighting.

"Madara, what do you say?"

"Of course, we settle this with real blades!"

"Good!"

Seeing his friend so determined, Hashirama Senju gradually immersed himself in the joy of battle as well. His blood boiled, and one large-scale ninjutsu after another erupted from him.

Madara relied on Susanoo's immense power, yet he could not break through Wood Release's defenses no matter what he did. He frantically poured Chakra into his Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Ghh..."

An explosive pain arose in both their eyes, and burning blood mixed with tears streamed down their faces.

"Madara! How are you?"

"Cough! I... I'm fine! Let's go again!"

"You!"

Seeing the two trails of bloody tears on Madara's face, Hashirama could not bear to keep watching. Yet that expression only angered Madara further, and he controlled Susanoo to launch an even fiercer assault.

Unlike the earth-shaking battle here, another unnoticed fight was taking place on the far side of the battlefield.

Izuna had begun searching for Tobirama's whereabouts the moment the battle started. This had long become a habit for him. Once he found Tobirama, he immediately charged toward him, his objective crystal clear.

After Hashirama cleared the battlefield with his large-scale attack, only the two of them remained fighting amid the sea of trees.

"Damn you, Tobirama! Die!!"

Izuna's Mangekyō Sharingan spun, and scorching white light covered everything around them. Facing this strange ocular technique, Tobirama did not dare underestimate it. He had long prepared a countermeasure and immediately used a ninjutsu developed specifically for it.

"Bringer of Darkness Technique!"

The black and white realms collided, neither able to overpower the other. In the end, it was another draw.

"Damn you, Tobirama, all you can do is plagiarize my little brother's techniques! You despicable bastard!"

"..."

Tobirama was furious, but he could find no grounds to refute him. When he had first seen the new techniques used by the Uchiha clansmen, they had felt strangely familiar. He had tried deriving and practicing them himself, quickly mastering them. It was as if those techniques had been meant to be his from birth.

"You innately evil Uchiha, I refuse to believe that little brother of yours could have so many genius ideas. He's just a coward who doesn't even dare step onto the battlefield!"

"Tch! He's still far better than a plagiarist like you!"

"When have you Uchiha not plagiarized others?"

"Talking is pointless. Take this! Uchiha Flame Slash!"

"Lightning God Slash!"

The Blazing Fire Sword and Thunder God Sword were both forged from rare Chakra-conducting metals and mixed with various rare ores from the Shinobi World. Whether in sharpness, hardness, or durability, they ranked among the finest weapons in the Shinobi World.

Their fight quickly caught the attention of Madara and Hashirama, who stood at higher ground. However, neither paid it much mind. After all, these two younger brothers had fought each other more than once or twice.

While the older brothers scraped at each other and held back, the younger brothers fought like rabid dogs. It seemed this battle would end in a draw yet again.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bite Explosion!"

Tobirama stared intently at Izuna, seized an opening, and unleashed several Water Dragon Bullets at him.

Izuna gripped his sword as his Mangekyō Sharingan spun. In less than a second, he formed more than a dozen hand seals.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song!"

Sizzle—

Water and fire intertwined, and steam spread across the battlefield. Within the mist, Izuna smiled disdainfully.

"Before these eyes of mine, everything you do is futile!"

Speaking naturally revealed his location. It was not that Izuna looked down on Tobirama; he simply believed that protected by Susanoo, Tobirama could not hurt him at all.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

More than a dozen kunai shot toward him from afar. Izuna tilted his head slightly, catching sight of the markings on the kunai from the corner of his eye, and immediately understood.

"Substitution Clone Technique? Just as expected of you! You plagiarize everything!"

However, as the kunai flew past, a piercing pain suddenly shot through him.

"Flying Thunder God Slash!"

"Puh! How do you know this too...?!"

"Hmph! Arrogant and foolish Uchiha!"

The Flying Thunder God was notoriously difficult and demanding. Within the Uchiha Clan, it was universally acknowledged that no one besides Uchiha Yuan had learned it.

Yet Tobirama had developed it himself without even knowing its principles. It truly caught Izuna off guard.

"Izuna!"

"Tobirama, stop!"

Tobirama, who was about to finish him off, was shouted down by Hashirama, who had been watching this side all along. Yet after pausing for only a second, he turned back and swung his blade again. How could he let such an opportunity pass?

"Get lost!"

A massive Chakra-forged Susanoo hand suddenly appeared and slapped Tobirama away. Madara had arrived at some point without anyone noticing.

After his previous battle with Izuna, Tobirama was already exhausted. Even so, he gritted his teeth and forced himself back to his feet.

"Enough!"

Hashirama hurried over as well, grabbing the hand holding Tobirama's sword before turning to Madara.

"Madara, this..."

"No need to say anything. This ends here."

Madara only saw the wound on Izuna's chest, but this was not the place to inspect his injuries. He picked Izuna up and left without looking back.

Watching Madara leave with his younger brother in a somewhat bedraggled state, Hashirama felt deeply disappointed. Originally, after today's battle, they could have announced that the two clans would unite and create a new era together. Now, he could only hope Madara's younger brother would be all right. Otherwise, with old grievances added to new ones...

"Big Brother! Why did you stop me?!"

"Tobirama! Enough people have already died!"

"What do you mean by that?! The Uchiha are innately evil! If we don't wipe them out completely, are we supposed to leave them alive to slaughter us?"

"Tobirama... Madara already agreed to it."

"Wha... How is that possible... He..."

It was not that Tobirama did not believe him. How could he not know what his foolish older brother was like? Madara had actually been persuaded by such an absurd plan!

After the battle ended, the two clans tacitly left behind some people to collect their own dead. As usual, neither side stepped forward to declare itself the victor. This seemed to have become an unspoken understanding between the two clans.

The ninja clans observing from the Land of Fire could only wait anxiously, keeping a close eye on the Uchiha Clan's next move.

Within the Uchiha Clan Grounds, Uchiha Yuan sat bored in the courtyard, watching the Uchiha children train. Surprisingly, it put him in a very good mood.

"They're so cute~"

"Aren't all young creatures the same, meow?"

"Not really. Paramecium, for example, are disgusting."

"What are those, meow?"

"A kind of disgusting organism, something like... slugs?"

"...That really is disgusting, meow."

One man and one cat began commenting on the Uchiha children playing in the courtyard, judging which of them had greater potential.

Uchiha Yuan chose Uchiha Kagami, while Little Kuro chose Uchiha Seventh Generation. When Uchiha Yuan heard Little Kuro mention that name, he frowned. Shouldn't it have been Eighth Generation? Where had Seventh Generation come from? Looking back at Uchiha Kagami, he wondered uncertainly, Could my son be the traitor instead?

Just as Uchiha Yuan was pondering the family tree, a clansman suddenly rushed into the courtyard in a panic.

"Acting Clan Head! The Young Clan Head has been injured!"