When the clan members saw him walking over, they were first stunned, clearly not expecting their conversation to attract the young clan head’s attention.
Madara’s gaze was sharp, and he asked in a low voice, “What were you talking about just now?”
The clan members looked at one another, and for a while, no one dared speak.
Silence spread through the air, and the tense atmosphere seemed to freeze even time.
Finally, a slightly older clan member took a deep breath and answered despite the pressure.
“Young clan head, we won a great victory in the war against the Senju.
This should have been something worth celebrating.”
“But last night…
last night, Elder Nagi questioned the clan members in the council hall about why they had attacked children, and became very angry.
Thanks to Lord Clan Head sending Elder Yasumichi to stop her, otherwise…”
When he reached this point, his voice stopped abruptly, as if what came afterward was too serious to say easily.
Hearing these words, complicated emotions surged in Uchiha Madara’s heart.
His impression of you had always been cold and distant.
He had not expected you to be so firm on such a matter.
Madara could not help feeling somewhat moved by you.
He waved his hand, signaling the clan members to withdraw.
The clan members, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly left.
Madara stood alone where he was, sinking into thought.
He wondered what exactly had given you such a bottom line.
Was it your past experiences, or a tenderness deep in your heart that no one had ever noticed?
“Onii-chan, what are you thinking about?” A clear voice rang out, interrupting Madara’s thoughts.
He turned back and saw his little brother Izuna looking at him curiously with wide eyes.
Madara was slightly startled, then revealed a gentle smile.
“Nothing.
Just some matters in the clan.”
Izuna did not believe him.
He knew his brother too well.
“Is it related to Elder Nagi?
I heard about what happened last night.”
Madara was silent for a moment, then sighed softly.
“Izuna, why do you think Elder Nagi did that?”
Izuna tilted his head and thought for a while.
“Maybe she has her own principles.”
Madara nodded thoughtfully.
Uchiha Izuna tugged on Madara’s hand and said, “Onii-chan, let’s go over there to practice ninjutsu!
I recently learned a new jutsu and want to show you.”
Madara looked at Izuna’s expectant eyes, and the gloom in his heart gradually dispersed.
He nodded and let Izuna pull him toward another area of the training field.
The afterglow of sunset dyed the sky orange-red as you strolled alone through the courtyard.
“Elder Nagi.” Madara’s voice broke the quiet.
You stopped and turned your head.
Uchiha Madara’s gaze fell on your face.
“About what happened in the council hall last night, I want to hear your thoughts.”
Your eyes instantly turned cold.
“Clan head family’s little brat, this matter seems to have nothing to do with you.” After saying that, you were about to turn and leave.
“But I think it is very important.
Perhaps we share the same thoughts,” Uchiha Madara continued from where he stood.
You stopped and were silent for a while.
“The same thoughts?
With that fanciful dream of yours?”
“Speaking of which, we do need a spar,” Madara said, not answering that question directly.
“I will not go easy on you just because you are a child.” You looked back at him, your words extremely disdainful.
“I do not need you to go easy on me.
I only want a real battle!” Madara did not retreat at all.
You chuckled softly.
“Very well, then.
I’ll let you see what true power is.”
Madara attacked first.
His figure was like lightning as he charged toward you.
You dodged each of Madara’s attacks easily, as though taking a leisurely stroll through a garden.
“Is this all you can do?
Clan head family’s little brat, hm?” you said provocatively while dodging.
Madara was furious, but he knew well the gap between you and him, and did not let your provoking words disturb his mind.
He continued attacking while carefully observing your movements, trying to find an opening.
Finally, during one sidestep, Madara discovered that your footwork seemed to pause for an instant.
Though it was extremely subtle, Madara still caught it.
Just as Madara planned to change moves and feint an attack, you leaned close to his ear and said softly, “You’ve improved a little, but it is far from enough.”
The bitter medicinal scent enveloped him.
For a moment, Madara actually forgot to attack.
Madara’s heart jolted, and he realized he had fallen into a trap.
Before he could react, the scene before his eyes suddenly blurred, and he discovered he was still standing in place.
Only then did Madara understand that he had long since been controlled by your genjutsu, and that the spar just now had been a genjutsu from the very beginning.
“Why?” Madara’s heart was filled with confusion and unwillingness.
“Sometimes, an opening might be a trap deliberately left by the enemy.
Don’t you think so, little brat?”
The genjutsu was released, and Madara returned to the real world.
He panted heavily, looking at you with complicated eyes.
Uchiha Izuna ran over from the side.
He had noticed since morning that Madara was distracted, and because he could not rest easy, he followed him over.
He had not expected to see such a scene.
Izuna immediately stood in front of Madara and shouted at you, “What skill is it for an adult to attack a child!”
In the Warring States ninja world, sixteen was considered adulthood, and you had only just become an adult a little over a month ago.
You put one hand on your waist, and with the other, lightly tapped Izuna on the head.
“How terrible.
On the battlefield, enemies will not choose not to attack you just because you are a child.”
In the Uchiha family, head pats and taps on the head were both very intimate actions.
Izuna had not expected you to do such a thing to him, and instantly blushed, covering the place you had touched as he said, “You…
what are you doing!”
Looking at Izuna’s reaction, you could not help commenting, “You brothers really are exactly the same.”
Seeing this, Madara pulled Izuna behind him, very dissatisfied with your action.
Yesterday, you had ruffled his hair, and today you had tapped Izuna on the head.
This made Madara feel somewhat jealous.
Just what kind of existence was he in your heart?
“You, don’t always do those strange things to other people!” Madara said loudly.
“Exactly!
You already betrayed the Uchiha, so why did you come back?
What secret do you have?” Uchiha Izuna questioned you from behind Madara.
“Because I love the Uchiha very much.
Is that reason not acceptable?” You said your true thoughts very casually.
Probably because your answer was too casual and direct, Madara and Izuna did not believe it at all.
“Love the Uchiha?
Then what was your five years of betrayal?” Izuna had never heard such a ridiculous reason before, and asked angrily.
“Probably love turning into hate.” You left behind an even more nonsensical answer, then vanished instantly, leaving only Madara and Izuna standing there, puzzled over the deeper meaning of your words.
You walked home along a quiet path.
Moonlight stretched your shadow long, and the surroundings were so still that only footsteps could be heard.
Suddenly, in the direction of the Uchiha Shrine, a black shadow flashed by, so fast there was no time to catch it.
Your eyes sharpened, and without thinking, you used the Body Flicker Technique to chase after it.
Inside the shrine, everything was quiet and gloomy.
The ancient building cast large shadows under the moonlight.
You advanced cautiously, but that black shadow vanished without a trace.
However, the doubts in your heart grew even stronger, and you continued deeper.
Before you knew it, you had actually entered the shrine’s secret chamber.
The secret chamber was filled with an old, stale aura.
Ancient tools and scrolls were placed around it, and the most eye-catching thing was the legendary Uchiha Stone Tablet.
The stone tablet was tall and mysterious, covered in dense writing and symbols.
You only glanced at it indifferently, without much curiosity about its contents.
In your view, although these ancient relics carried the family’s history, they also hid many disputes and disasters, and you had no intention of being drawn into them.
But after searching around, you found nothing.
Your brows furrowed slightly.
Your heart was full of doubt and vigilance.
Standing in the center of the secret chamber, you looked around again, trying to find details you might have missed, but still found nothing.
In the end, full of suspicion, you still chose to leave the secret chamber.
The moment you left the secret chamber, Black Zetsu quietly emerged from underground, its pitch-black figure appearing especially sinister and terrifying under the faint candlelight.
It knew very well Uchiha Nagi’s strength and sharp senses.
If she discovered its plan, all the arrangements from before might be ruined.
Black Zetsu looked in the direction you had left with lingering fear, secretly glad you had not discovered its existence.
“Why is this Uchiha Nagi just like Showa back then?
She really is hard to deal with.
It seems if I want to realize the plan, I’ll have to scheme carefully.”
A sinister glint flashed through its eyes, and it began calculating in its mind how to deal with Uchiha Nagi, this variable.
After leaving the shrine, you quickly returned home.
You sat by the window, recalling all the abnormalities from tonight, and an uneasy feeling lingered in your heart.
To be cautious, it seemed you would have to go to the shrine again tomorrow and check things over.
At the first light of dawn, you rose early.
Your mind still lingered on the black shadow near the Uchiha Shrine last night, so you decided to go investigate once more.
Dressed in a black cloak, you moved with a vigorous figure through the streets and alleys of the Uchiha clan grounds, a trace of cold indifference on your clear, cold face.
When you reached a market, noisy voices instantly poured into your ears.
You saw a pretty-faced girl with an anxious expression, her face flushed red as she argued with the stall owner about something.
Kawarashi wore light blue ninja clothing, a short blade hanging at her waist.
Her hair was neatly tied behind her head, but now looked slightly messy because of her anxiety.
“I clearly put my money pouch here just now.
How did it disappear!
I’m not deliberately refusing to pay, uncle.
Please be kind and let me take the sushi first.
I’ll definitely bring the money to you later,” Kawarashi said anxiously, her eyes full of helplessness and grievance.
The stall owner crossed his arms, frowning, his face full of helplessness.
“Little girl, it’s not that I’m unreasonable.
This sushi has already been made.
If you don’t pay, how can I keep doing business?”
You had not intended to meddle, and walked straight ahead without stopping.
But after only a few steps, Kawarashi’s anxious appearance kept appearing in your mind.
In the end, you felt uneasy about ignoring it, so you turned back.
“I’ll buy it for her.”
Hearing the voice, Uchiha Kawarashi and the stall owner both turned their heads.
After the stall owner saw clearly that it was you, his face immediately filled with smiles, and he hurriedly waved his hands.
“No need, Lord Nagi.
This sushi will be my gift to you.
You usually do many things for the clan, so consider this a small token from me.”
You did not speak.
With a calm expression, you placed money on the small stall and prepared to leave.
“Hey!
Kawarashi!
Your money pouch!
Eh?
Elder Nagi is here too!” Kakunetsu’s voice suddenly rang out.
He was drenched in sweat, holding a money pouch high in his hand as he quickly ran over.
Just now, he had seen a suspicious person acting sneakily near Kawarashi and chased after them.
Fortunately, he finally recovered the money pouch.
The money pouch drew an arc through the air and landed steadily in Uchiha Kawarashi’s hand.
A delighted smile appeared on Kawarashi’s face.
“Thank you for your kindness, Elder Nagi.
My money pouch has already been found!” As she spoke, she put the money back into your hand.
“Kakunetsu!
Madara-nii told you to find the battle deployment map.
Where did you go?” Uchiha Izuna’s angry voice came from behind them.
Everyone turned to look, only to see Izuna standing there with a serious face, and beside him stood Uchiha Madara.
Madara’s figure was tall and straight, his eyes deep and sharp, and his unruly black hair gave off an innate powerful aura.
“Ah!
Young clan head!” Kakunetsu suddenly remembered that when he went to find Kawarashi’s money pouch, he seemed to have forgotten Madara’s instructions completely.
His heart instantly panicked, and his face turned deathly pale.
Izuna was just about to properly question Kakunetsu when, from the corner of his eye, he happened to see you.
Thinking that his big brother seemed to have something he wanted to say to you, inspiration immediately flashed through his mind.
“Kakunetsu, what else do you want to explain!
Come tell me properly.” As he spoke, Izuna dragged Kakunetsu away from the scene in a hurry.
Seeing Kakunetsu get implicated because of her matter, Kawarashi felt somewhat guilty and wanted to chase after them to explain for him.
She bowed to you and Madara.
“Young clan head!
Elder Nagi!
I’ll leave first!” After saying that, she chased in the direction of Izuna and Kakunetsu.
For a moment, only Madara and you were left where you stood.
Madara folded his arms, tilted his head slightly, and asked with some curiosity, “What are you going to do?”
You were too lazy to explain much, and answered directly, “I plan to go to the Uchiha Shrine and see whether there is anything abnormal.”
“Uchiha Shrine?” Madara frowned slightly.
Although he did not understand why you suddenly wanted to go to the shrine, he did not stop you.
He only thought briefly.
“In that case, I’ll go with you.”
You nodded lightly and did not refuse.
The two of you walked side by side toward the Uchiha Shrine.
Along the way, neither of you spoke, and the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.
Mottled sunlight fell through the gaps between leaves onto the ground, forming patches of light and shadow.
The surrounding air seemed to grow quiet, and only the sound of footsteps echoed in the silent alley.
“Last night, I saw a black shadow flash near the shrine.
I felt something was wrong, so I wanted to take a look.” In the end, you still broke the silence and spoke softly.
Madara’s expression grew serious.
“A black shadow?
Did you see who it was?”
You shook your head.
“It was too fast.
I didn’t see clearly.
But I have a feeling that something may happen.”
As you gradually approached the shrine, the atmosphere around you grew quieter and quieter, as if even the birdsong had disappeared.