Light rain had fallen these past few days, and the weather was beginning to enter summer.
Because the Uchiha Clan was skilled in Fire Release, their body temperatures were generally high, making them extremely prone to heatstroke in summer.
The Uchiha Clan’s indoor classes lasted throughout the entire summer.
The lessons were nothing more than Warring States history and the customs and cultures of other families; sometimes, the instructor would also share combat techniques.
For several days in a row, Mami went to inquire about Uchiha Nagi’s whereabouts, only to be told his authority was insufficient.
Not completing the matter Lord Clan Head had assigned—that was truly worrying.
“This time, I order the two of you to set out three days from now and protect the noble prince safely all the way to the Land of Wind,” Tajima’s voice was steady and powerful.
You gave a soft “Mm” and raised no objection.
After all, you had other plans for this mission.
Kakunetsu lowered his head, making it impossible to see his emotions.
In truth, his heart was screaming madly.
He did not want to travel with Elder Nagi on this mission at all.
Uchiha Kakunetsu returned to the clan grounds’ schoolhouse with a dejected face.
Seeing Uchiha Kakunetsu’s sorrowful expression, Uchiha Mami could not help the corners of his mouth twitching.
“Come in.”
The moment he entered, a cool breeze blew through the room.
The Uchiha youths sitting indoors looked at Uchiha Kakunetsu’s melancholy image and all fell into a strange silence.
Only one cushion was left inside, and Kakunetsu walked over.
After he sat cross-legged, he discovered that everyone around him was someone he knew.
“Kakunetsu!
What shocked you so badly?” the boy beside him asked in a low voice.
Before Uchiha Kakunetsu could speak, a roar came from the front.
“Uchiha Koichi!
You still dare talk in my class!”
And so the boy beside him was punished to stand at the back.
The Uchiha Clan’s willpower and self-control were not things other families could compare with.
That was why the Uchiha were famous as a powerful ninja clan in this era.
But Kakunetsu truly grew drowsy in class.
This sort of thing really was too difficult for him.
Everyone was listening seriously, and Uchiha Mami was lecturing with enthusiasm when Uchiha Koichi, standing at the back, suddenly raised his right hand high.
Uchiha Mami thought he wanted to express his own opinion.
Uchiha Koichi shouted, “Teacher Mami, Uchiha Kakunetsu is sleeping in class!”
The scene instantly became awkward, and everyone turned around to look back.
Sure enough, Kakunetsu’s head was lowered, and he did not move at all.
Thus, Kakunetsu was called up to stand as punishment together with his “good” deskmate.
Uchiha Kakunetsu really wanted to punch him, but because it was class time, he endured it and let it go.
After indoor class ended, Uchiha Mami looked at the two people in the back, automatically ignored Kakunetsu, and said, “Uchiha Koichi, come out with me!”
Uchiha Koichi left with his head held high, while Kakunetsu’s first reaction was to flop down on the desk.
Very soon, a group of people gathered around him.
“Kakunetsu!
Are you all right?
It’s all Koichi’s fault.
Usually, being mischievous is one thing, but he even dragged you down and actually tattled to the teacher.
I hate that kind of person the most!” Uchiha Kawarashi said with a face full of indignation.
Uchiha Kusuri also echoed, “Koichi really wasn’t loyal in this matter!”
Kakunetsu did not speak, only continued remaining silent.
Seeing him like this, Uchiha Izuna asked, “Kakunetsu, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Only then did everyone discover something was wrong with him.
Kakunetsu shook his head.
“My heart feels cold!”
Izuna was full of question marks.
What was Kakunetsu talking about?
“Looks like he took the wrong medicine again!” Ryoei directly diagnosed.
“Wuwuwu, I don’t want to go on a mission with Elder Nagi!” Uchiha Kakunetsu hugged his head and cried bitterly.
Madara had originally not been interested in these trivial matters, but when he heard Kakunetsu’s tearful words, his steps paused, and he turned to walk toward him.
Seeing Madara approach, the youths around them moved aside one after another.
Kakunetsu abruptly raised his head.
Seeing Madara’s dark face, his crying instantly stuck in his throat.
His eyes went round, and tear tracks still hung on his face.
“What did you say?” Madara’s voice was low, carrying an unquestionable pressure.
Kakunetsu swallowed, his voice trembling.
“Young clan head, I really am afraid of Elder Nagi.”
Madara’s brows twisted tightly into a deep frown, and an inexplicable unwillingness surged in his heart.
“Why is it you?”
“This is Lord Clan Head’s intention.
I don’t want it either.” Kakunetsu lowered his head slightly, his voice even smaller.
Uchiha Nagi had once been the clan’s top death warrior.
She had carried out countless dangerous missions, her hands stained with blood.
That sharpness and ruthlessness made even people within the Uchiha Clan fear her.
It was perfectly normal for him to be afraid of her.
“You don’t need to go on this mission.
I’ll solve it for you.” After throwing down these words, Madara turned and strode toward the council hall.
Seeing the young clan head step forward, Kakunetsu’s sadness from just now vanished completely.
He looked at the surrounding youths and shouted, “On the way here, I saw a shaved-ice stall.
Everyone, come take a look with me!”
Ryoei looked at Kakunetsu, who was full of energy again, and sighed helplessly.
Uchiha Tajima was still explaining to you matters related to controlling the old faction within the clan, his expression grave and his tone steady.
“The old faction members in the clan have complicated thoughts.
You must handle them carefully and absolutely cannot let them ruin important matters.”
You nodded slightly, your gaze focused, listening seriously to every key point.
Just then, the council hall doors were suddenly shoved open.
Yasumichi hurried in, and behind him followed Uchiha Madara.
“Madara?” Tajima was somewhat surprised.
He had not expected his eldest son to suddenly appear here.
You were also somewhat surprised, but your face remained calm, without the slightest ripple.
“Father, I have something to say.” Madara knew well that this mission was a rare opportunity.
Though he tried hard to maintain surface calm, the burning emotion in his eyes when he looked at you was difficult to hide.
You keenly caught Madara’s scorching gaze, and your heart could not help trembling slightly.
You deliberately avoided it, leaving behind only the words, “Lord Clan Head, I withdraw.”
Tajima looked at Madara’s absent-minded appearance and could not help lightly clearing his throat.
“Madara, she has already gone far.”
Madara returned to himself, folded his arms, and said expressionlessly, “Kakunetsu is not suitable for this mission.
I’ll go in his place.”
After saying this, he also turned and left the council hall.
Tajima watched Madara’s departing back, and his thoughts drifted involuntarily to the past.
He thought of his wife, Uchiha Aki, who had died in childbirth, that woman who always wore a gentle and kind smile.
Now, Aki was no longer here, but their children were slowly growing up.
“Aki, do you see?
Our eldest son has reached the age of first awakening love.” Tajima looked at the Uchiha clan crest and murmured to himself, his eyes full of memories and a soft light of comfort.
As clan head, he had the responsibility to lead the Uchiha Clan toward an even more glorious future, and Madara was undoubtedly the heir in whom he placed the greatest hopes.
“I hope your spirit in heaven can bless him, and let him find his own happiness.”
As one of Senju Tobirama’s most capable subordinates, Kashiwagi knew well the importance of this mission.
Along the way, he did not dare slack off in the slightest, repeatedly organizing the intelligence he had obtained in his mind to ensure there were no omissions.
Before long, Senju Kashiwagi returned to the Senju clan grounds.
When the guards at the gate saw Kashiwagi return, they immediately saluted respectfully.
Kashiwagi nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then walked straight toward Tobirama’s residence.
Entering the room, coolness rushed toward him, dispersing some of the summer heat on Kashiwagi’s body.
Senju Tobirama was sitting on the tatami inside the room.
The low table before him was piled with various scrolls and documents.
He seemed to be thinking about some important matter, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes deep and focused.
Seeing this, Kashiwagi immediately stopped, straightened his clothes, then knelt on one knee, clasped his fists with both hands, and saluted Tobirama respectfully.
In a deep voice, he said, “Lord Tobirama, I have already found information.”
Tobirama raised his head.
A trace of expectation and sharpness flashed through his eyes.
He gently put down the scroll in his hand and sat up straight.
“Rise.
Tell me in detail.”
Kashiwagi slowly stood, cleared his throat, and began reporting.
“Lord Tobirama, five years ago, the Uchiha Clan indeed had one surviving death warrior.
But after her younger brother died, she betrayed the Uchiha.”
“Yet only a few months ago, this death warrior not only returned to the Uchiha, but also became an internal-politics elder.
From the current situation, she should belong to the hawk faction.”
Senju Tobirama’s eyes instantly became grave.
“The name of this death warrior, and the situation regarding her Sharingan ability?”
Kashiwagi continued, “This death warrior is named Uchiha Nagi.
According to reliable intelligence, she awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan as early as five years ago, but her specific ability has never been displayed to the outside.”
“She is skilled in Lightning Release and Fire Release.
Among the Uchiha Clan, perhaps this is not rare, but the intelligence clearly records that she once awakened a special Gold Release.”
“And she has exceptional talent in developing ninjutsu.
In samurai swordsmanship, she is also a unique existence.
Aside from these, she also studies music theory and talisman techniques, and seems quite accomplished in those fields as well.”
“Every assassination mission she once took on never failed.
Her style is decisive, and she has considerable political methods.
At present, she seems to have no flaws at all.”
Senju Tobirama quietly listened to Kashiwagi’s report, and the expression on his face grew increasingly serious.
He thought to himself that the Mangekyo Sharingan was already rare, and adding the never-before-heard-of Gold Release, either ability alone would be enough to make him wary.
“Mm, I understand.
You completed this mission very well.
Go rest first,” Tobirama said to Kashiwagi after a moment of silence, waving his hand.
“Yes, Lord Tobirama.” Then he turned and left the room, leaving Tobirama sitting alone inside, sinking into deep thought.
At nightfall, Uchiha Madara heard a melodious flute sound.
Following the source, he happened to see you sitting on the roof of the Uchiha archives, playing the flute.
Uchiha Madara soon climbed onto the roof as well and sat beside you.
You looked at him doubtfully.
Seeing that Madara did not intend to disturb you, you continued playing.
Only after the piece ended did you lower the flute and look at Uchiha Madara beside you.
“Can you play?”
“I haven’t tried.
I probably can,” Uchiha Madara answered.
“What do you mean, probably?” Meeting your suspicious gaze, Madara felt challenged.
Madara reached his hand toward you.
“Give me the flute.”
You felt something was not quite right, until Madara had already snatched the flute from your hand and started playing.
“No!” You were full of horror and wanted to snatch your flute back.
Uchiha Madara thought you were so stingy that you would not even lend him the flute, and immediately dodged away.
The demonic sound was piercing.
You felt that Madara had definitely come tonight to counter you.
Yet Uchiha Madara did not seem to think his playing sounded bad.
And so Uchiha Madara ran in front, while you chased behind.
To make Uchiha Madara stop, you threw a potted plant at him without thinking.
Uchiha Madara immediately dodged, and the potted plant smashed directly through the window of a house.
Only the sound of ceramic shattering could be heard, followed by cursing from inside.
“Who is this immoral!
Not only is the flute playing awful!
You even dare sneak-attack me!” Uchiha Kakunetsu, hair messy, walked out from inside.
And in the next instant, Kakunetsu met Uchiha Madara’s dark, gloomy gaze.
Hearing Uchiha Kakunetsu say his flute playing sounded awful, Uchiha Madara opened his Sharingan.
“What did you say!”
Uchiha Kakunetsu felt at this moment that death was not far away.
Inspiration flashed through him.
“Young clan head!
I must not have woken up!”
And so, in front of Madara, Kakunetsu slammed himself hard into the door and fainted on the ground.
Seeing this, you hurriedly dragged Uchiha Madara away from the scene.
“Heh.” Standing on the loft, Uchiha Reikei watched this dramatic scene and could not hold back a laugh.
In the end, Uchiha Reikei still shook his head and dragged Kakunetsu back to his room.
You reached a quiet place.
“What are you doing!” You looked at Madara with a headache.
Uchiha Madara gritted his teeth.
“Is my flute playing awful?”
Hearing Madara’s counterquestion, you completely failed to hold back.
“Whether it is awful or not, don’t you know in your own heart?”
Seeing your normally stable emotions become irritable, Uchiha Madara also fell silent.
After quite a while, you continued explaining, “That flute is one I’ve played.
You took it and played it without even thinking.”
Only then did Uchiha Madara react, finally understanding why you had opposed it so strongly.
Madara instantly felt that the flute in his hand was burning hot.
Looking at your thin lips, other images could not help appearing in his mind.
“Why didn’t you remind me sooner!” Uchiha Madara’s ears were bright red when he said this.
“I wanted to say something, but you ran off directly.
What could I do!”
Thinking back over what happened, it did seem to be his own problem, and Uchiha Madara could not help losing some confidence.
“This flute…” Uchiha Madara looked at you.
You thought he wanted to return the flute, and had just reached out to take it back when Madara dodged away.
Uchiha Madara subconsciously tightened his grip on the flute.
“I’ll give you a new one!”
As he spoke, Madara was about to leave, and you hurriedly grabbed him.
“What about my flute?” The development of events seemed to have become somewhat different, and you were even a little confused.
Looking at the flute in his hand, Uchiha Madara only felt his heartbeat was very fast.
“Cough, cough.
I’ll find a new flute modeled after this one.”
Hearing Madara explain this way, you hesitantly loosened your hand.
“Is that so?”
Uchiha Madara did not dare stay long, and soon left.
Late at night, Madara lay on his tatami, tossing and turning.
For some reason, Uchiha Nagi’s thin lips, collarbone, and slender waist kept appearing in his mind…
The moment he thought of that flute, he became somewhat embarrassed.
Madara sat up and looked at the bright moon outside the window.