Third Brother, Get on the Battlefield with Me!

As luck would have it, a large patch had grown behind the Uchiha Ancestral Hall. At present, no one outside the main Uchiha family knew about it.

The next day, tactical mobilization began.

Everyone hurried about, and Uchiha Gen sensed the faintly tense atmosphere as well.

"Could it be war? Who are we fighting this time?"

They had only just fought the Senju a week ago, so it was unlikely they would fight them again so soon. That meant they could only be targeting one of the smaller clans.

There was too little information for Uchiha Gen to figure it out. He simply stopped thinking about it. In any case, he was an "injured patient," so it had nothing to do with him.

"Third Brother! Third Brother!"

"Come to the battlefield and kill enemies with me!"

Uchiha Gen: ??

Watching Izuna burst through the door, Uchiha Gen's mouth hung slightly open as he stared in stunned silence.

"What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and come to the battlefield with me."

Hiss!

Uchiha Gen could not understand this bargain-bin second brother's train of thought. What did he mean, come to the battlefield with him?

He pointed at Izuna, then at his own bandaged head, and the two simply stared wide-eyed at each other.

"Your injury should be mostly healed by now, right?"

"No, it isn't. It hurts terribly. They say it takes a hundred days to recover from damaged muscles and bones, not to mention the most important part—the head. I think I'll need at least half a year to recover."

"..."

Izuna was speechless. If he had not seen Gen refining Chakra earlier, he might actually have believed him!

"That excuse is far too flimsy. Weren't you the one fighting to get onto the battlefield before? Why did you suddenly..."

Izuna might have been carefree, but that did not mean he was stupid. On the contrary, he was quite clever, and he quickly understood.

"You still haven't recovered from the blow?"

A blow? What blow? Uchiha Gen had no idea what this bargain-bin second brother had imagined this time, but since Izuna had conveniently found an excuse for him, that made things easier.

So he put on the appearance of someone who had suffered a blow, lowered his face dejectedly, and let out a sigh.

"Ah..."

Th-this was different from what Big Brother had said! Hadn't he said Gen had already moved on? But he did not look like he was pretending.

Izuna was anxious. Psychological wounds were far more serious than physical ones. It would be terrible if Gen developed some extreme thoughts.

"Third Brother! Don't be like this! It was only one defeat, wasn't it? Next time, your second brother will personally teach that damned Tobirama a lesson and take his head—"

Don't! Uchiha Gen hurriedly stopped him from raising a death flag. This bargain-bin second brother seemed to have been killed by Tobirama in Hokage history.

"It's fine, Second Brother. I just need some time to recover. I'll also improve my strength within the clan. Then, I'll defeat him with my own hands."

"Phew, that's more like it. Get some good rest, then. I need to hurry over, or the troops will have gone too far ahead."

The Uchiha were a clan skilled in battle. They never dragged their feet when it came to fighting. The plan had been made yesterday, and today they had already organized and set out.

Uchiha Gen watched Izuna race away in a flurry, lost in thought.

"There shouldn't be much danger. They assembled and departed in such a short time, so there can't be many people going out, and this target can't be too far away."

Which ninja clan was close to the Uchiha? The Kaguya? Ino–Shika–Cho? Shiranui? Or some other clan?

"Whatever. As long as it isn't the Senju. Besides, there weren't many formidable figures in the Warring States period of Hokage history."

During this time, Uchiha Gen had come to accept reality. Since he was now an Uchiha, he had to think for the Uchiha. For no other reason than the debt he owed them for protecting him as he grew up safely.

After the campaign against the Kaguya.

For a time, the number of people in the clan visibly decreased.

Uchiha Gen gradually settled into a routine of going back and forth between two places: the Training Ground and the infirmary.

Through relentless effort, the Breathing Technique finally began to take shape.

All told, it had taken only three to five days, and that was thanks to the strength of his soul.

He had not expected his control over his body to be so strong. His memory and mental arithmetic abilities were absurd as well.

"Could this be my cheat? Double soul power? But... isn't that a benefit every transmigrator gets?"

Studying the soul was still too distant a prospect. Fortunately, for now, it had brought him nothing but benefits.

He could now divide his attention between two tasks, and was gradually approaching three. He also felt that there was plenty of room for improvement.

Uchiha Gen named the Breathing Technique the Yuan Breathing Method. It could use Chakra to subtly strengthen cells and enhance the physical body.

And because he had experience controlling the body's meridians, he planned to begin training in releasing ninjutsu without hand seals.

"The ninjutsu that best matches the natural flow of Chakra through the body should be the easiest to cast without seals, but I know too few ninjutsu."

Even counting generously, Uchiha Gen knew fewer than ten techniques. The Three-Body Technique did not count; it was so common that every ninja knew it.

Uchiha Gen's wandering gaze slowly settled on the Uchiha Scroll Archive.

But that place was heavily guarded. Four Jōnin watched from the shadows, while two Chunin clansmen stood guard outside.

As for whether there were any other arrangements, Uchiha Gen did not know. Ninjutsu was the lifeblood of a clan; no amount of caution was excessive.

There was no chance of forcing his way in. He did not even know whether he had the authority to enter.

Uchiha Gen did not conceal himself. He simply strode openly to the entrance of the Scroll Archive.

"Ahem, um, I want to go in and learn a few ninjutsu."

The two guards exchanged glances.

"Lord Yuan, it isn't that we won't let you learn. It's just that entry and exit require an order from the clan head. Otherwise, even the young clan head cannot enter at will."

"...I see."

Uchiha Gen scratched his head and did not press the matter. He left decisively, though somewhat sheepishly.

The two guards exchanged another glance. After Uchiha Gen had walked far enough away, they quietly said:

"Looks like his head injury was serious. He even forgot the clan rules."

"Exactly. And I think he might have gotten a little dumber too. He clearly forgot who we are."

Uchiha Gen: ...

He could not learn any ninjutsu, so he would have to wait for his bargain-bin father to return from fighting alongside the clan.

Besides, Uchiha Gen remembered that Izuna seemed to have said he would teach him the Fire Dragon Bullet.

"Time waits for no one. I wonder when they'll return. Logically, fighting a small clan shouldn't take this long, right?"

He had just returned to his infirmary room and was about to study his Sharingan when lively voices came from outside.

"Hahaha, that little Kaguya clan? Taking them down was easy."

"Izuna, you must never let down your guard against any enemy."

"I know, I know. You always lecture me. I'm already grown up."

The voices were not concealed. Uchiha Gen recognized Izuna and Madara at once. His heart immediately began racing, and he did not know how to face them.

Phew.

I'm the third brother! I'm the third brother! I'm an Uchiha! I'm an Uchiha!

After quickly planting those intense psychological suggestions in his mind, he finally felt less nervous. At that moment, the door was pushed open.