"How exactly are they testing us?"
Uchiha Gen'yō's voice reached Ōnoki's mind through the mental link, level and betraying neither pleasure nor anger. Yet the calmer he sounded, the more uneasy Ōnoki became. He could almost see the terrifying sight of this capricious demon god overturning all of Iwagakure in the very next instant.
"They've sent out the village's elite Explosion Corps and set an ambush in One-Line Sky Canyon, which you'll soon reach."
Ōnoki's voice was filled with shame and anger. "Leading them are my good-for-nothing son, Kitsuchi, and his partner, Akatsuchi. Those old fools on the Council of Elders are dressing it up as a 'welcoming ceremony,' but they actually want to put you and the Uchiha Clan in your place! Lord Gen'yō, please don't be angry! This was absolutely not my intention! I'll go right now..."
"There's no need, Lord Tsuchikage."
Uchiha Gen'yō interrupted him calmly. "Put us in our place? Interesting. I was just worrying that we'd be strangers in unfamiliar territory when we arrived, without a guide. By coming to us themselves, they've saved me quite a bit of trouble."
"Huh?"
Gen'yō's utterly unexpected reaction left Ōnoki completely bewildered.
He isn't angry? He even thinks it's a good thing? This lord's thinking really is beyond the understanding of a mere mortal like me.
"Just tell me their exact location. As for the rest, sit back and watch."
With that, Uchiha Gen'yō unilaterally severed the mental link. Hovering in midair, he swept his gaze over the unfamiliar land. Soon, he found the One-Line Sky Canyon Ōnoki had mentioned.
It was an extremely long, narrow canyon, flanked by sheer cliffs hundreds of meters high. Its treacherous terrain made it a natural ambush site. With his Sharingan's perception, he could clearly see the Iwagakure Ninja already densely covering the cliffs on either side. Every one of them had a steady presence and radiated the heavy aura of earth-nature chakra. Clearly, a vast net of explosions and stone had quietly spread open.
"A welcoming ceremony?"
Gen'yō's lips curved into a cold smile. "I hope your 'ceremony' is grand enough. Don't disappoint me."
With a thought.
Hum!
The space before him rippled like water. The next instant, hundreds of elite Uchiha ninja, led by Uchiha Fugaku and Shisui Uchiha, appeared in perfect formation on the barren land. Having just won a great victory, their morale was at its peak and their fighting spirit burned at its fiercest! Every one of them stood tall, radiating the fierceness and confidence found only in battle-hardened elites!
"So this is the Land of Earth?"
"The air smells awful. Our sacred land is much better."
"Hmph, who cares where we are? As long as Lord Gen'yō is here, anywhere is our home ground!"
The clan members looked around curiously, discussing their surroundings in low voices.
"Silence!"
Uchiha Fugaku barked in a deep voice. Every clan member immediately fell silent, their gazes converging on Uchiha Gen'yō.
"My brethren."
Gen'yō's voice reached every ear clearly. "Welcome to the Land of Earth. Our future allies seem very 'excited' about our arrival. They couldn't wait to prepare a grand 'fireworks show' for us in the canyon ahead."
Every Uchiha clan member froze at his words. Then the quick-witted among them immediately understood what he meant.
"Ha! A fireworks show? More like they're trying to put us in our place!"
"Have those Iwagakure bumpkins been hit in the head with rocks? They actually dare provoke us?"
"Perfect! I hadn't had my fill fighting those Konoha losers earlier! We can get some practice on them!"
Far from showing any nervousness, the Uchiha clan members wore bloodthirsty, excited smiles! They were no longer the stifled clan that had needed to endure everything in Konoha! Under the leadership of their god-Uchiha Gen'yō-they feared nothing!
"Very good."
Seeing his clan's soaring fighting spirit, Gen'yō nodded in satisfaction. "However, not everyone needs to attend this 'show.'"
His gaze swept across the gathering before settling on several young, vibrant faces. "Itachi, Izumi. And you, Hikaru."
Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Izumi, and Uchiha Hikari, hailed as the greatest genius of the new generation, all trembled when their names were called. Then immense excitement appeared on their faces! They stepped forward and dropped to one knee.
"Here, Lord Gen'yō!"
"Our future allies seem to have a few small misconceptions about our Uchiha's strength."
Uchiha Gen'yō looked at them and said calmly, "I need the three of you to act as our Uchiha's envoys and correct that mistaken understanding. Go tell them what true 'art' is. Can you do that?"
"We'll complete the mission without fail!"
Itachi, Izumi, and Hikaru answered in unison, their voices brimming with powerful confidence!
The surrounding Uchiha clan members looked at the three chosen young geniuses with envy and anticipation in their eyes. They knew Lord Gen'yō was giving the younger generation an opportunity! He was declaring to everyone that the Uchiha had successors to carry their future forward!
Just then.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Dozens of figures in Iwagakure Anbu uniforms flashed out from behind distant rocks and landed in front of the Uchiha group. Their leader was tall and powerfully built, with a resolute face. He was none other than Ōnoki's son, the man hailed as Iwagakure's most dependable-Kitsuchi! Beside him stood the equally burly Akatsuchi, forever chewing gum.
Kitsuchi swept his gaze over the Uchiha's imposing force, a barely perceptible trace of gravity flashing through his eyes. They truly deserve Father's endless praise! Their presence alone already far surpasses any so-called illustrious clan in the Shinobi World!
He composed himself, stepped forward, and bowed to Uchiha Gen'yō without servility or arrogance. "You must be Lord Uchiha Gen'yō, head of the Uchiha Clan. I am Kitsuchi, a Jonin of Iwagakure. By order of Lord Tsuchikage and the Council of Elders, I'm here to welcome you all."
"Welcome us?"
Uchiha Gen'yō looked at him with a faint, ambiguous smile. "Why do I get the feeling you're here for a fight instead?"
A hint of embarrassment appeared on Kitsuchi's face. "You jest, Lord Gen'yō. It's simply that several village elders still have some reservations about our alliance with you. They hope to witness our future allies' strength firsthand. So our colleagues in the Explosion Corps have prepared a small 'performance' in One-Line Sky Canyon ahead."
As he spoke, he turned sideways and pointed toward the distant canyon. "They said that only those who can emerge unscathed from their 'art'..."
Before he could finish, a clear voice with a hint of childishness interrupted him.
"Only those people are qualified to stand as Iwagakure's equals, correct?"
The speaker was Uchiha Itachi, only seven years old. He walked slowly out of the group, his pitch-black eyes regarding Kitsuchi calmly. His gaze was nothing like a child's, but rather that of a sage who understood the ways of the world.
Kitsuchi stared at the little boy, momentarily taken aback.
"Brat, this isn't your place to speak."
Akatsuchi frowned as he spoke from beside him.
Yet Uchiha Gen'yō smiled.
"No, what he said is exactly what I wanted to say."
Looking at Kitsuchi, he pointed at Itachi, Izumi, and Hikaru. "We Uchiha accept your 'test.' These three will represent us."
"What?!"
At those words, not only Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi but even the Uchiha clan members cried out in surprise! Send three kids into the Explosion Corps' ambush? That was the trump-card unit Iwagakure took the greatest pride in!
"Lord Gen'yō! This..." Even Fugaku couldn't help speaking up.
"What? You have no confidence in them?" Gen'yō asked in return.
Fugaku looked at his son, who was young but had an utterly resolute gaze, and finally swallowed his words.
Kitsuchi's face showed even greater incredulity. "Lord Gen'yō! Are you joking?! Send those three children? Isn't that sending them to their deaths?! Our Iwagakure may wish to test our allies' strength, but certainly not through such despicable means!"
"To their deaths?"
Uchiha Gen'yō looked as though he had heard some enormous joke. He stepped forward and patted his son Itachi's shoulder. "Go. Let these people living among rocks see just how fragile their so-called 'art' is before true talent and absolute ocular power."
Uchiha Itachi nodded firmly. He turned and exchanged glances with Izumi and Hikaru, blazing flames kindling in all three pairs of eyes!
Looking at the disbelieving Kitsuchi, Itachi's lips curved into a confident smile that belied his age.
"Senior Kitsuchi, please lead the way. We're already getting rather eager to admire your Explosion Corps' 'fireworks.' I just wonder whether you've prepared enough explosives."