"Woof, woof, woof..."
Uchiha Izuna heard the sounds of his pursuers.
The Hagoromo Clan had actually hired Ninja Dogs from some unknown shinobi clan...
This was an absolute disaster.
The guards who had accompanied Uchiha Izuna had been poisoned earlier, leaving them in poor condition. They fought as they retreated, while the Hagoromo Clan had numbers on their side.
Only through his guards' desperate protection had Uchiha Izuna managed to escape the fighting.
Uchiha Izuna discovered that the clothing the silver-haired girl had given him provided excellent camouflage in the forest, allowing him to evade several fatal attacks.
The barking of the Ninja Dogs was already close.
Uchiha Izuna made a snap decision and jumped into the Naka River.
Escaping by water was the only way to leave no scent behind.
"That Uchiha brat must have escaped underwater." The Hagoromo Clan shinobi reached the riverbank in an instant, but found no sign of Uchiha Izuna. "A child who awakened the Sharingan at such a young age must be someone important. We've earned ourselves a great achievement this time. Send word to the Clan Leader!"
A signal flare shot into the sky, blooming into beautiful fireworks against the night.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Izuna drifted farther away with the current, only to feel the water rushing faster and faster.
Damn it! There's a waterfall ahead-
By the time Uchiha Izuna realized something was wrong, it was too late.
Driven by the raging current, Uchiha Izuna plunged over the waterfall. Gritting his teeth, he activated his Sharingan, avoided the rocks below, and fell into the center of the pool.
The thunder of the waterfall swallowed the sound of his impact.
Uchiha Izuna barely managed to swim to the surface for air before he suffocated, narrowly saving his own life.
But beneath the waterfall, the currents churned, water surging toward him from every direction. Uchiha Izuna fought with all his strength, struggling not to lose consciousness.
Just as Uchiha Izuna thought he could no longer hold on.
A rope suddenly flew through the air, wrapped around his waist, and effortlessly hauled him out of the river.
In the darkness, Uchiha Izuna lay sprawled on the ground like a drowning fish, desperately gasping for breath. At last, he had escaped death by drowning.
"Izuna!" Madara Uchiha's voice drew closer.
Only then did Uchiha Izuna realize that the one who had rescued him was his older brother, Madara.
"Brother, thank goodness you were here. Even if I hadn't drowned, the Hagoromo Clan would have caught up with me." Uchiha Izuna closed his eyes in distress.
"Izuna, can you still walk? I'll get you out of here right away." Madara Uchiha had already sensed that their pursuers were almost upon them.
Madara Uchiha was still young, not yet the battle-hardened Asura of the Ninja World he would become at the end of the shinobi world's Warring States Period.
Seeing Izuna on the verge of exhaustion, Madara Uchiha would not be foolish enough to clash head-on with the enemy.
Whatever happened, his younger brother's safety came first.
"Stop right there-"
Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the cliff, piercing the sky and deafening them.
Both Uchiha Izuna and Madara grimaced in discomfort.
A long cry drew closer. The newcomer moved at astonishing speed, leaping straight down from the waterfall Uchiha Izuna had just fallen over.
Horror appeared on both brothers' faces.
Like a celestial being descending from the heavens, the figure appeared in the air not far ahead of them, as though he ruled over these waters.
The wind blew fierce and heavy, and powerful chakra pressed down on them, almost tangible.
The temperature plummeted along with the killing intent, as though a bitter winter had descended.
The murderous currents seeped into every inch of the surrounding air.
The newcomer wore the Hagoromo Clan's combat uniform.
Judging by his immense chakra, he was probably a powerful shinobi with considerable standing in the Hagoromo Clan.
"Surrender, and I'll spare your lives!"
The man shouted sternly, but the Shuriken he casually hurled were ruthless.
Loathing welled up in Madara Uchiha, and he resolved to face him head-on.
"Izuna, cut down a few trees and make something we can float on. We need to be ready to leave quickly." Madara Uchiha drew his long sword.
The longer this dragged on, the worse things would become for the brothers. More and more Hagoromo Clan pursuers would arrive.
"Brother, I don't know how..." Uchiha Izuna looked at Madara Uchiha in terror.
But Madara Uchiha had already raised his sword to meet the enemy, leaving him with only one reply: "Then figure it out! Here he comes-"
Clang- metal scraped against metal.
The Hagoromo Clan shinobi attacked ferociously.
But Madara Uchiha's sword blocked him even faster.
As they fought, Madara Uchiha understood the real reason Yanbai had focused on chakra control and Taijutsu training.
Only a strong physique could keep his reactions and strength in peak condition.
Precise chakra control not only improved the effectiveness of Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, but also prevented waste.
Moreover, Ninjutsu should be used at the right moment. Until then, close-range Taijutsu was especially important.
Ninjutsu required time for Hand Seals and sufficient distance, but without adequate physical ability, he could not maintain that distance when an enemy closed in.
Close combat was even more dangerous. Victory or defeat could be decided in an instant.
Madara Uchiha knocked down every Shuriken the Hagoromo shinobi threw, then blocked his follow-up attack at close range.
The Hagoromo Clan shinobi's expression grew grave.
This Uchiha Clan brat actually blocked my attack?!
The terrifying Uchiha Clan must never be underestimated. A genius like this has to be snuffed out before he can grow!
In just a few breaths, Madara Uchiha had exchanged several rounds of blows with his opponent.
Overwhelmed by the killing intent, Uchiha Izuna felt so cold that he trembled. Even so, he gritted his teeth and followed Madara Uchiha's instructions, doing everything he could to prepare logs they could float on.
I have to do this. We're already struggling against just one member of the Hagoromo Clan. Once all their pursuers arrive, we'll be finished!
Recalling the diagram of the human body in the recipe book Yanbai had given him, Madara Uchiha switched from defense to offense as swiftly as lightning, driving his sword tip straight at his opponent's eyes.
The Hagoromo Clan shinobi reacted with remarkable speed. He twisted into an unusual position and hastily evaded, the shift bringing him closer to an opening in Madara Uchiha's defenses.
The Hagoromo shinobi instantly formed Hand Seals and unleashed Wind Release, sweeping it toward Madara Uchiha's abdomen.
Madara Uchiha hastily retreated, but the Wind Release still grazed his abdomen and tore through his clothing. Fortunately, he had instinctively covered his vital areas with chakra, sparing him a serious injury.
Madara Uchiha activated his Sharingan, and the diagram of the human body Yanbai had provided flashed through his mind again.
The Hagoromo shinobi pressed his advantage and continued forming Hand Seals, only to discover that Madara Uchiha's sword seemed to be moving faster.
With no time to unleash his Ninjutsu, the Hagoromo shinobi could only defend with Taijutsu.
He tried to put distance between himself and Madara Uchiha, but Madara quickly closed in again, sticking to him.
Madara Uchiha unleashed a rapid series of thrusts, directing his blade toward the weakest points of his enemy's body.
Recently, Madara Uchiha had been diligently practicing butchering and deboning in the Uchiha Clan's main kitchen.
Were it not for the instincts honed through years of combat, this Hagoromo Clan shinobi would already have been dismembered by Madara Uchiha's sword using Dismembering an Ox with Skill.
Madara Uchiha's attacks were so fierce that they nearly forced the Hagoromo shinobi into the Naka River.
"Uchiha brat, die-"
Realizing how difficult Madara Uchiha was to handle, the Hagoromo Clan shinobi turned his blade toward the visibly younger Uchiha Izuna.
Madara Uchiha immediately gave chase, but the Hagoromo Clan shinobi suddenly froze.
Madara Uchiha did not understand why, but his attack never stopped. His blade swept across the man's neck, and as the head flew free, Madara caught sight of his younger brother Izuna's eerie Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
A single instant of confusion was enough to send even a battle-hardened adult into the abyss.
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