Blocking the east gate

At the east gate of the Uchiha Clan Compound, Kagami held Xiao An's hand and watched Setsuna with a worried expression.

Their group had failed to find Toshihi inside the compound, and Xiao An cried whenever separated from Kagami, so they had followed Setsuna here to wait.

Choosing his words carefully, Kagami asked, "How can you be sure the Clan Head will come this way?"

Setsuna folded his arms and laid out his reasoning as though it were obvious. "Izuna said Madara kept Hashirama Senju occupied, stopping him from intervening directly in the war between the Senju and Hagoromo. Add that to Madara and Izuna swapping posts four days ago, and it means Madara wasn't just holding him back by force. He also had Hashirama Senju pinned down at the negotiating table, so he couldn't break away to deal with the fighting on Tobirama Senju's side."

Kagami blinked, not understanding. "So..."

Setsuna snorted, then patiently explained, "So, since Madara Uchiha has returned to the compound, the negotiations between the Senju and Uchiha must be over. I don't know what Hashirama Senju used to convince Madara, but it means both Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha are ready to intervene on the Hagoromo front."

Kagami tried hard to digest this, his little curls bobbing as he tilted his head. "But... what does that have to do with the Clan Head using the east gate?"

"The Hagoromo are southeast of the Uchiha Clan Compound. The east gate offers the shortest route. If Madara's going to intervene in their war, he won't take a detour through the west or north gate."

Rather than easing, Kagami's worry only deepened. He said hesitantly, "But blocking the Clan Head's way like this... isn't that a bad idea?"

He was worried Setsuna would mouth off to the Clan Head again and earn himself another beating from the Disciplinary Hall.

Setsuna waved his little hand. "If I don't block their way, will they take me to the Hagoromo?"

Before Kagami could answer, Setsuna answered himself. "No. They'll say I'm dead weight and flick me aside like a booger, completely ignoring what I have to offer."

Looking at Setsuna's stubborn little face, Kagami sighed softly.

"But Setsuna, you're only five and a half. You're a little kid."

Setsuna said, "That doesn't mean I have nothing to offer. Am I supposed to watch Madara Uchiha take MVP while I sit around getting carried?"

Kagami didn't understand. "M... MVP?"

"Never mind. It means the highest damage dealer." Setsuna changed tack. "Besides, Madara Uchiha is stupid as hell. Hashirama Senju, that scheming bitch with his innocent face and rotten heart, plays him like a fiddle, and he still helps count the money after being sold out. I need to keep an eye on him. I can't let him lead the Uchiha into a pit."

Kagami's eyes widened. He looked around, desperate to clap a hand over Setsuna's mouth. "Setsuna, if anyone hears that, they'll send you back to the Disciplinary Hall!"

Setsuna ducked his head, then immediately puffed up with righteous confidence again.

Just thinking about everything Madara Uchiha had done in the original story was painful.

Hashirama said founding a village was good, so you decided it was good, too. Not a single thought of your own. Later, Hashirama Senju practically led you around by the nose.

He said you'd take turns being Hokage, and you just believed him?

How were you, the defeated loser, supposed to compete with Hashirama Senju's own little brother?

The Uchiha got excluded and pushed to the margins, didn't they? And you blundered around in the dark, thinking only of taking the whole clan out of the village, completely blind to the situation.

Every powerful shinobi clan on the Land of Fire's mainland was in Konoha. Leaving meant making enemies of them all.

Leave? Wasn't that just asking them to swarm in and wipe you out?

Stay in the village, and you'd be ostracized. Leave, and there was only one outcome-death.

However strong you were, Madara Uchiha, could you protect the Uchiha Clan against the ninja villages of the Five Great Nations?

And that later Eye of the Moon Plan looked like a scam no matter how you examined it.

Yet Madara Uchiha believed it his entire life, letting that bastard Black Zetsu play him like a fiddle.

The more Setsuna thought, the angrier he became. He lifted his chin. "What did I say that was wrong? Madara Uchiha's just a lovesick idiot. Whatever Hashirama Senju says goes. He's been sweet-talked into a fucking placenta-"

Ding! Rebellion points +5!

The system's voice sent a jolt through Setsuna, making every hair on his body stand on end.

He whipped his head around.

Not far away, Madara Uchiha was watching him with an unreadable expression. Turning Setsuna's words over, he narrowed his eyes. "A lovesick idiot? Sweet-talked into a placenta...?"

Behind Madara Uchiha, Toshihi closed his eyes and covered his face.

There was no saving him. Let it all burn.

Kagami's face went white, and he pulled Xiao An behind him.

Madara Uchiha's gaze settled on Setsuna. There was no discernible killing intent in those fathomless eyes, but the pressure he exuded seemed to weigh down the air around them.

"You certainly have some nerve."

Setsuna suppressed the urge to retreat, stiffened his neck, and straightened his back. To look more imposing, he folded his arms in Madara Uchiha's usual pose, completely unaware of how ridiculous his little bald-headed self looked.

Forcing himself to hold his ground, he said, "Take me to the Hagoromo."

Madara Uchiha looked down at him. "And if I say no?"

Setsuna felt himself choke on his words. He glared at Madara Uchiha, the whites showing around his eyes, and puffed out his cheeks for a moment. Then he stepped forward to prove himself and kept going.

"You and Izuna both specialize in overpowering enemies head-on. The Uchiha can match the Senju on the battlefield because of their strength. You've never been at a disadvantage in war."

Madara Uchiha raised an eyebrow. That was a new one.

After all, the Uchiha suffered plenty of losses whenever they fought the Senju, yet this five-and-a-half-year-old runt claimed they had "never been at a disadvantage."

"So?" Madara Uchiha asked.

Setsuna continued:

"So, never being the weaker side on the battlefield means the Uchiha have plenty of room to maneuver at the negotiating table. The other side has no leverage to demand unreasonable terms. That's why you've never felt how underhanded they can be."

Setsuna silently added, Once Konoha is founded after your first defeat at Hashirama Senju's hands, you'll feel it. And you'll never forget it.

Madara Uchiha frowned.

He clearly disliked the veiled disparagement of Hashirama Senju in Setsuna's words. In his eyes, Hashirama Senju had always been an upright, honorable idealist.

Setsuna saw what he was thinking. "Hashirama Senju has his own self-contained narrative about peace, and he supports that theory with stubborn conviction. All he'll do is drag you into his framework, then use his wealth of experience to beat you from the moral high ground."

Before Madara Uchiha could finish digesting that, Setsuna continued:

"Everyone can see how underhanded Tobirama Senju is. He keeps developing new ninjutsu aimed at the Uchiha. The only reason Izuna can fight him to a draw head-on, despite Tobirama Senju countering his fire nature, is Izuna's own exceptional abilities."

Madara Uchiha found the praise for Izuna rather pleasing.

"To overcome Tobirama Senju's Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, Izuna has drilled his swordsmanship into conditioned reflexes, so he no longer relies on sight. But that doesn't change the fact that he's overpowering his opponent, not winning through strategy."

Setsuna didn't use Madara and Hashirama as examples.

After all, Madara and Hashirama hadn't reached the point of fighting to the death yet. Both were holding back.

Madara Uchiha hadn't even used Susanoo on the battlefield, while Hashirama's widely known ninjutsu still amounted to Deep Forest Emergence.

Madara Uchiha recalled Izuna's past clashes with Tobirama Senju, letting nothing show on his face.

It was true. Every time Izuna faced Tobirama, he met him head-on in a dogged clash, never gaining a strategic advantage.

That this child could piece together such an accurate assessment from scraps of battlefield intelligence genuinely surprised him.

But all he did was chuckle softly. "That's no reason for me to take you to the Hagoromo."

Setsuna didn't grow anxious. Instead, he was unusually calm.

He tilted his little bald head up and looked Madara Uchiha straight in the eyes. "You're planning to appear on the battlefield, break the stalemate, and make both sides sign a ceasefire agreement at the negotiating table. Right?"

Madara Uchiha's eyes darkened slightly.

Setsuna delivered his verdict. "That won't work. This isn't a war between the Uchiha and Senju. It's a war between the Hagoromo and Senju. Where does your approach leave the Hagoromo?"

Madara Uchiha's voice deepened as well. "It's the fastest way to end the war. The Hagoromo are no match for the Senju. If the fighting continues, their only fate is annihilation."

"That only addresses the surface problem." Setsuna refused to yield. "Neither side will have fully exchanged views or secured the terms they consider nonnegotiable. They'll both end up resenting you. You'll stop them from fighting, but you'll become the biggest villain in the process. The Hagoromo will only think you've usurped their authority, and the other small shinobi clans will only see the Uchiha throwing their weight around."

Madara Uchiha fell silent for a moment.

Setsuna could tell exactly what the man was thinking-as long as the war ended quickly, there was nothing wrong with playing the villain.

Rolling his eyes inwardly, Setsuna took a deep breath. "The one who said the Senju and Hagoromo couldn't keep fighting, that you had to intervene and stop all this-that was Hashirama Senju, wasn't it?"

Madara Uchiha said nothing. His silence was an answer in itself.

Setsuna softened his voice a little. "You could simply wait for Hashirama Senju to act first, then back the Hagoromo from behind the scenes. That would balance the two sides' strength, and it would be the Hagoromo negotiating with the Senju, instead of the Uchiha outright stealing the Hagoromo's say in the matter."

After those words, silence hung over the east gate for a long while.

Madara Uchiha looked down at the little bald boy who only came up to his waist.

The morning light struck that smooth head, reflecting a comical halo.

After a moment of silence, he held up five fingers.

"I'll give you five minutes. Prove your strength, and I'll take you with me."

Ding-Rebellion points +15!

Setsuna blew out the frustration pent up in his chest.

His shiny little bald head gleamed in the sunlight as he declared confidently, "I don't need five minutes. Give me fifty-nine seconds, and I'll beat the shit right out of you."

A round in the game lasted fifty-nine seconds.

He spent fifteen rebellion points to raise his stamina to level three, then another twenty-five to raise his recovery to level four.

Eleven points remained.

The only reason he didn't invest in focus was that his Shadow Technique had already taken shape. He needed to slowly adjust to the chilling effects of yin release chakra circulating through his meridians.

Setsuna rolled his wrists, feeling the increase in strength brought by level-three stamina.

As far as he was concerned, his only nerf now was his height, while Madara Uchiha had been nerfed hard.

Just what kind of monsters had he faced in the Arena before? Even the weakest, Founding of Konoha Madara, had the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and could use Susanoo whenever he liked. He was who knew how many times stronger than this version.

Besides, he had even fought Rinnegan Madara. The Madara before him only had an ordinary Mangekyō.

With the Shadow Technique now added to his skill set, beating Madara Uchiha shouldn't be a problem.

Watching his overflowing confidence, Madara Uchiha let out a short laugh. For the first time, he wore the expression of someone looking at a rare species he had never seen before.

Meanwhile, Toshihi was already looking at Setsuna as though he were a corpse.