Laying the groundwork, unseen

"I'll tell you beforehand: the ninjutsu I'm going to use is Fire Release: Great Fireball."

Madara Uchiha watched Uchiha Moku settle into his stance and even told his opponent which ninjutsu he would use. The moment Moku heard that Madara would use Fire Release, he turned his gaze toward the pond in the training grounds.

Not caring that it was a little underhanded, Moku immediately stepped onto the water and began rapidly forming hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

A water dragon rose from beneath Moku's feet and appeared at the spot Madara Uchiha had designated. Moku had copied this Water Release technique from a Kirigakure ninja during a mission. Water countered fire, and this was the strongest ninjutsu he could muster against Fire Release.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The instant Moku completed his Water Dragon Bullet, Madara's Great Fireball came hurtling toward it. Off to the side, Uchiha Itsuki and Uchiha Nobuo exchanged horrified glances. Neither of them had seen when Madara had finished his hand seals.

Just how fast can this guy form hand seals?

While the two were still reeling at the speed with which Madara unleashed his ninjutsu, his Great Fireball had already collided with Moku's Water Dragon Bullet.

Clouds of steam filled the air. Normally, the water dragon should have swallowed the fireball, but Madara's Great Fireball was like a sea of flames, engulfing the dragon outright. The water dragon barely struggled before the flames consumed it completely. Had Moku been standing behind it, he would surely have died as well.

"I lost."

His opponent had destroyed his Water Dragon Bullet, a technique that countered Fire Release, with the Uchiha Clan's most commonly used Fire Release ninjutsu. There was no point in continuing.

Judging by the power of Madara's Great Fireball alone, even if all three of them used the same technique together, they probably could not match him. Madara could take on all three at once not only in taijutsu and shuriken combat, but in ninjutsu as well. Once Moku recognized that fact, he conceded Madara's superiority from the bottom of his heart. They were clearly on entirely different levels.

"Itachi, you're stronger than all of us. I accept that. But we should still compete where we can. My greatest strength is Sharingan Genjutsu. Since you haven't awakened your Sharingan yet, I won't challenge you for now. Once you awaken it, we can have our match. With your talent, I imagine you'll be much stronger than me even if you never practice Genjutsu."

After witnessing Madara's extraordinary performance, Nobuo was utterly convinced as well. His specialty was Sharingan Genjutsu. He had originally thought that even if Madara defeated Itsuki and Moku, Madara, who had no Sharingan, could never match him in Genjutsu. But after seeing Madara's performance, Nobuo would have been too ashamed to boast even if Madara really was worse at Genjutsu. He therefore decided to abandon the contest.

"How narrow-minded. Who told you that the Uchiha Clan can only use Genjutsu through the Sharingan? Let's compete now. Show me just how good your Genjutsu is."

As far as the Sharingan was concerned, Madara could not only awaken it already, but also had enough power to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. He had tested this body's eyes when no one was around. Compared with his own straight-tomoe Sharingan, this body's Sharingan happened to excel most at Genjutsu. But dealing with a brat like this hardly warranted using it.

Since Madara claimed he could challenge Sharingan Genjutsu without activating his own eyes, Nobuo said nothing more. He channeled chakra into his Sharingan and unleashed his Genjutsu on Madara.

"W-what's going on?!"

Nobuo's Sharingan met Madara's black eyes. The next second, an enormous wave came crashing toward him. Yet this was the very Genjutsu he was supposed to have cast on Madara.

The Genjutsu contest was the last to begin, but also the quickest to end. The moment Nobuo looked into Madara's eyes, the match was over.

"Now, do the three of you concede?"

Prestige had to be built little by little. If someone crushed a group of people consistently over time, they would naturally come to regard him as their leader from the bottom of their hearts. Madara had competed with these three brats precisely so that, through their words, he could establish his authority within the Uchiha Clan.

"We concede."

At seven years old, Madara was still physically much smaller than Nobuo and the others. But how could these teenagers withstand his overwhelming victories and domineering presence? As Madara defeated them, the three boys, who took pride in the Uchiha Clan's strength, also acknowledged his power.

"If you grow stronger in the future, I'll accept your challenges at any time. If anyone in the clan thinks they can compete with me, they're welcome too. But remember: bringing glory to the clan takes action, not words. Saying a hundred times that you're stronger than someone is worth less than actually defeating them once."

"Yes, we understand!"

After listening to Madara's advice, the trio already regarded him as their leader. Later, while teaching Sasuke, Madara gave them a few pointers as well, which left them feeling as though everything had suddenly clicked into place. After that day, the three immediately began spreading word of Madara's strength among their peers. Through their praise, Madara, under the identity of Uchiha Itachi, successfully left a legendary impression on the clan's younger generation.

"Why, Master Hizashi? I want to learn the Hyuga Clan's advanced Secret Techniques to protect the clan too! When the enemy comes, I'm willing to die for the Main Family. The Caged Bird Seal has already been branded onto my forehead. Whether I live or die is theirs to decide with a single thought. Why won't they even let me grow stronger?! What exactly are they guarding against?!"

In Hizashi's Training Hall within the Hyuga Clan, his proudest student, Hayato Hyuga, was venting his frustration to the teacher he had always revered, his face full of resentment. Ever since that C-rank mission, Hayato had felt an urgent need to grow stronger. When he had confidently approached Hizashi to learn advanced ninjutsu so he could defeat Madara Uchiha, all Hizashi could offer was a helpless refusal.

"Members of the branch family may not practice the Main Family's Secret Techniques. That tradition has been passed down in the Hyuga Clan for hundreds of years. No matter how talented you are, the Main Family won't break that rule for you. As a member of the branch family, I'm not allowed to learn those techniques either. Even if I knew them, I couldn't teach them to you unless you gained the approval of the current clan head."

Hizashi looked at his student with deep regret. Hayato was so talented that, had he been born into the Main Family, he might one day have surpassed Hizashi's Older Brother. But as a member of the branch family, Hayato's potential in certain areas had already been capped by the Hyuga Clan's rules.