Uchiha Tajima steadied himself in time and looked at Indra in astonishment. He hadn't expected him to have already awakened a three-tomoe Sharingan, a discovery that made him overlook the fact that a surprise palm strike had sent him flying several meters.
Indra kept his hands tucked away and looked at Uchiha Tajima with contempt. "Don't bother me unless you have something important."
"Why does Father seem more like the grand-son?" Izuna poked his little head out, blinking his bright eyes in utter confusion.
Though his other brothers said nothing, they felt the same way. All of them looked at Uchiha Tajima, hoping he could clear things up.
The burning stares of his sons made Uchiha Tajima deeply uncomfortable. Ignoring Izuna's question, he instructed them, "I have other matters to attend to. Go to your eldest brother for training from now on."
With that, he vanished from the courtyard using the Body Flicker Technique.
As a proud Uchiha, he felt rather uncomfortable embarrassing himself in front of his sons.
He had barely reappeared when a ninja blocked his path and bowed respectfully. "Clan head, several elders wish to see you."
Uchiha Tajima nodded. He already knew why his old friends had come to see him. Most likely, it concerned that unfilial son of his.
Four people sat in the meeting hall, waiting for his arrival.
"Tajima, what arrangements do you intend to make for Xia? He may be your son, but his Uchiha blood isn't pure."
The first to speak was the Uchiha's first elder, Uchiha Guangdao. He and Tajima were brothers.
"You should have killed him and that woman back then, rather than letting them become a stain on your name."
The second elder spoke next. Madara Uchiha alone already consumed a great deal of the clan's resources. The more he received, the less others got. Adding another person meant dividing their limited resources yet again.
"He isn't a pure-blooded Uchiha, after all. How do you intend to allocate resources?"
The Uchiha Third Elder raised the issue that concerned him as well. Only the Uchiha Fourth Elder remained silent, lifting his teacup and concentrating on his tea.
"That child has awakened his Sharingan. Three tomoe," Uchiha Tajima said expressionlessly, choking off everything they had been about to say. "In all these years, he hasn't used any of the Uchiha's resources."
"Three tomoe? That child is only fourteen, isn't he?"
The Uchiha First Elder was the most astonished. That talent surpassed even Madara's.
By all rights, such talent shouldn't have appeared in someone of mixed blood. Could Uchiha Tajima's genes have been so strong that the boy hadn't inherited anything from the Kaguya Clan?
"That's right. Three tomoe at fourteen. Not only has our clan never seen the like, but he also has extensive combat experience."
Though Uchiha Tajima didn't want to admit it, this child had already surpassed most of his peers.
"Over the years, all the Uchiha who remained in the Land of Fire have come under his control."
The Uchiha elders exchanged glances before the Uchiha First Elder spoke. "Tajima, I'd like to meet this child."
With such a genius appearing among the Uchiha, they were willing to set aside some of their own resources to support him.
But merely hearing that they wanted to meet that unfilial son nearly made Tajima lose his icy composure.
He had a feeling that bringing that unfilial son here would leave him, the clan head, utterly disgraced.
"Clan head, is there some reason the child can't meet us? Or have you exaggerated his abilities?" the Uchiha Third Elder challenged.
"No." Uchiha Tajima closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Hoping these old fellows would get a taste of the humiliation he had suffered, he told the Shadow Guard, "Go fetch that unfil—fetch Xia."
"Wait. Have Madara bring him."
He couldn't guarantee that the Shadow Guard wouldn't get cut down if he suddenly appeared before that unfilial son. At least Madara was his younger brother, related to him by blood. Surely he wouldn't slash Madara?
There were far too many Uchiha obsessed with their older or younger brothers. Uchiha Tajima instinctively assumed his unfilial son would be the same.
Indra was organizing his belongings in his room. Several casual outfits and sets of combat clothes hung in the wardrobe, a Ninja Sword stood in the corner, and a ninja tool pouch hung at his waist. He had something of a compulsive streak.
Sensing someone outside, he walked over and abruptly opened the door.
Madara Uchiha stood on the doorstep. The two stared at each other until Madara finally buckled under the pressure and spoke first. "The Shadow Guard just said Father wants you to go to the clan's meeting hall."
Indra was speechless. These unfilial descendants have no strength, but plenty of bullshit.
Madara Uchiha felt a little awkward. They were brothers, but they barely knew each other.
Going from eldest brother to second brother still took some getting used to.
Thinking that his older brother might not know his way around the clan grounds after only just returning, he said awkwardly, "Um... I can show you the way."
"Mm." Indra acknowledged him and unhurriedly returned to his room to continue tidying up. Seeing Madara Uchiha still standing at the door, he explained, "Let him wait."
Madara Uchiha folded his arms and leaned against the doorway. He saw nothing wrong with his suddenly acquired older brother's dismissive attitude toward their father. His own main reason for obeying was fear of getting beaten.
Noticing the sword casually propped in the corner, he asked, "Are you... good with a sword?"
"Average. Ninjutsu is my specialty." Indra dawdled for half an hour, obsessively arranging everything in his room before finally heading out.
"Fire Release Ninjutsu?" Madara Uchiha led Indra down the street at a pace fit for an old man's leisurely stroll. Though they had exchanged only a few words, he had already all but forgotten Uchiha Tajima's instructions.
"All kinds." Indra considered the many ninjutsu he was good at. After all, he had created them himself. Now he needed to figure out how to get along with this lump of his own chakra.
Madara Uchiha asked a question, and Indra answered.
Neither was much of a talker, and their personalities were similar. Being together felt strange in a way neither could describe, as though they were talking to themselves.
During this fairly harmonious conversation, both forgot that Uchiha Tajima was waiting for them.
"Did you awaken your Sharingan during a mission?" Madara Uchiha was intensely curious. Most clan members with three tomoe were adults, after all.
"No. I saw a wild boar ram my pet dog to death."
Indra recalled what had prompted him to use the Sharingan. A wild boar had injured Asura and rammed his pet dog to death. In his fury, he had awakened his Sharingan and slaughtered the boar.
Afterward, he had casually looked into what his eyes could do.
He had killed two companions and evolved them into the Mangekyo Sharingan.
It had been pretty easy.
As for Asura, heh, it certainly wasn't to protect him. Little brothers were the worst.
For the first time, Madara Uchiha questioned his own talent. His older brother had awakened his eyes over a dog, while he couldn't find even the slightest sign that his own were about to awaken.
The two ambled toward the meeting hall.
But a group of hotheaded young Uchiha blocked their path.
At the meeting hall.
The elders all stared at Uchiha Tajima, demanding an explanation.
"Clan head, it's been two hours. Where is Uchiha Natsu?" the fourth elder asked. He was only interested in the child's strength.
"Perhaps... he got lost." Uchiha Tajima found himself a respectable excuse, though he knew perfectly well that his unfilial son had treated his command like a fart and let it pass.
"Ahem. Fourth Elder, we've already waited two hours. A little longer won't hurt. The child only just arrived among the Uchiha, after all." The first elder offered an excuse for his brother. "Where's the Shadow Guard? Go bring the child here. Don't let him take any detours."
A figure in black appeared before them and answered respectfully, "The eldest young master and Young Master Madara are fighting several dozen clan members at the training grounds."
Uchiha Tajima was speechless.
Before you continue