When the woman wasn't around, he could still tease Nii-san about her. But seeing her made him unhappy. A sister-in-law just meant another person competing with him for Nii-san.
"Hmph!" Madara Uchiha lifted his chin and slowly walked past Indra. When his eldest brother didn't react, he circled around in front of him again.
Seeing his expression, Indra reached out and patted his head. "You won't miss today's training."
"Then Izuna and I will wait for you in your room." Madara Uchiha took Izuna back to his own room, moved the bedding from his cupboard into his eldest brother's room, then boiled water in the kitchen and set it on the low table while waiting for Indra to return.
Izuna watched his brother Madara's antics in bewilderment. Tilting his head, he asked, "Madara, why are you moving your bedding into our eldest brother's room? Are you going to sleep between him and Chiri?"
"What did you say? She's sleeping in our eldest brother's room?"
Izuna's offhand remark nearly made Madara Uchiha explode. Before, he had only cursed Uchiha Tajima in his head, but in his fury, those thoughts came spilling out.
"Did the Senju beat Father stupid, or has his brain stopped working in his old age? Why would he let a stranger sleep in our eldest brother's room?"
"Our eldest brother hasn't even agreed to marry! What right does he have to arrange this?"
It was the first time Izuna had seen his gentle brother Madara so angry. Although he didn't understand why, he felt Madara was right.
"I don't know. Father said she was here to serve our eldest brother, then had Chiri stay in his room. He said our brother could make his own arrangements when he came back."
"Madara, are you planning to give Chiri your room? She could use mine, too."
Hearing Izuna's sweet voice, Madara stroked his head and gently explained, "I need to train with our eldest brother every night."
"Oh, I see!" Izuna was even more confused. What kind of training required them to sleep in the same room at night? Could they take him along?
Meanwhile, Indra extended his senses and located Uchiha Tajima. Chakra erupted beneath his feet, and he hauled Tajima from the Meeting Hall to the Clan Training Ground in the most brutal way possible, putting on quite the spectacle of fatherly love and filial devotion.
Since the Uchiha in the clan compound spent most of their time at the training ground, the commotion Indra and Uchiha Tajima made soon drew everyone's attention.
The Uchiha who had been training found good spots to watch the fight between their Clan Head and the eldest young master who had appeared out of nowhere.
At first, they thought the Clan Head was personally teaching his son. After watching for a while, they realized something was off.
Some who lacked social tact began whispering to their friends, "Why does it look like the eldest young master is disciplining the Clan Head like he's his grandson? My grandpa kicks me in the ass like that at home. Even the stance is the same."
"My dad beats me like that, too."
His friend clearly lacked social tact as well and made no particular effort to lower his voice.
The others heard them and began discussing it, too.
Uchiha Hachishaku had just finished compiling the recent intelligence and reporting it to the elder in charge. Passing the training ground on his way out, he happened to catch their conversation, and his feet carried him into the crowd almost of their own accord.
"What were you talking about just now?"
"Oh, Hachishaku. We're watching the eldest young master beat up the Clan Head. He's really something. The Clan Head doesn't even have a chance to fight back."
The clansmen watched with delight. They were usually quite well behaved, after all, and rarely got to enjoy a spectacle like this.
Though the Heir was also formidable, he would never drag the Clan Head to the training ground and beat him up.
"Hey, Hachishaku, I remember the eldest young master beat you up last time and left you bedridden for days. Look on the bright side. Even the Clan Head gets beaten, so that puts you on equal footing with him."
One Uchiha began trying to comfort him, but every word was a knife to the heart.
"Ahem, actually, the eldest young master is pretty decent. He's strong and treats his younger brothers kindly. Besides, it's the Clan Head he's beating... Pretty decent..."
Uchiha Hachishaku watched the dazzling lightning flashing across the training ground, a lingering tingle still running through his soul.
"Hachishaku, I remember you took part in that battle between the clans. I heard the eldest young master killed his own clansmen. Is that true?"
One Uchiha quietly asked what had really happened. Although that information had spread, most of them didn't believe it. They suspected the despicable Senju had suffered a loss and were slandering the Uchiha.
Compared with the Uchiha of Konoha's era, the Uchiha of this time were far more spirited. Their sense of belonging to the clan couldn't be shaken by a few words.
The question made Uchiha Hachishaku's scalp prickle. Recalling Uchiha Naoto's twisted reasoning, he cleared his throat and began spouting nonsense with a perfectly straight face. "They weren't Uchiha. They were spies from other clans who had infiltrated us."
"I knew it! Those damned Senju must have been slandering us."
"Exactly! What sane person cuts down his own clansmen on the battlefield?"
"Those despicable Senju deserve to die!"
Listening to his clansmen's comments, Uchiha Hachishaku felt even less sure of himself. Although that was how Uchiha Naoto had explained it, he didn't believe a single word.
The only possibility was that they had no Uchiha blood, and the eldest young master, who was denied recognition despite being half Uchiha, had discovered that and killed them to vent his anger.
But he didn't dare say it.
The eldest young master really is ruthless!
As long as no one provoked him, he wouldn't deliberately cause trouble.
Actually... compared with young master Madara, who's being put through the wringer, my life is pretty easy.
Indra beat Uchiha Tajima half to death. He didn't have many visible injuries, but the blows to his pressure points hurt excruciatingly.
Looking down at Uchiha Tajima sprawled on the ground, he kicked him again and ordered, "Have the Gunbai brought to me."
They had hung a perfectly good Gunbai on the wall as a decoration. Though he didn't use it much himself, he could give it to Madara.
During his time wandering the Shinobi World, he had seen that Madara seemed very fond of that fan. Even after dying, he had found someone to keep it for him.
In the end, Uchiha Tajima was carried away, leaving the Uchiha present exchanging disdainful looks.
As far as they could see, the Clan Head hadn't suffered many injuries, yet his expression made him look as though he were about to die.
Indra and Uchiha Tajima returned one after the other, except one walked back while the other was carried.
Uchiha Chiri was extremely respectful when she saw Indra, but he merely glanced at her, his brows drawing together slightly as he considered what to do with her. "Come to my room," he said coldly.
"Yes, my lord."
Uchiha Chiri kept her head bowed obediently the entire time. But as soon as she opened the door, she saw Madara Uchiha and Izuna sitting on the tatami, with a pile of bedding beside them.
Indra: ...
"You're back, big brother." Izuna looked at his eldest brother, then at Chiri, then at Madara's sour face. The atmosphere felt strange. Chiri isn't going to compete with Madara and me for our eldest brother, is she?
"Go wait for me at the training ground." Indra tactfully sent them out, intending to speak with Uchiha Chiri alone. Some things weren't suitable for them to hear, lest they make her life difficult later.
"Hmph!"
Madara Uchiha's expression grew even darker. To his ears, those words meant Nii-san was no longer his alone. With an icy expression, he pulled Izuna out through the window.
Once the two had left, Indra motioned for Uchiha Chiri to sit down and asked, "What do you want?"
Before you continue