Chapter 37: The Feasibility of an Alliance (Two chapters combined...)

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Yan Sheng's mind went blank; all logic and common sense collapsed in the face of this absurd scene before him. He could even clearly see that the woman was wearing the same plain-colored clothes she had been buried in, and even her hair was neatly styled.

"...Mother?" Yan Sheng's throat tightened, his hand holding the knife was as steady as a rock, but his fingertips were icy cold.

Is it an illusion? Or some kind of eerie genjutsu targeting the Uchiha clan? Or...?

hell.

Yoriichi was bound by heavy shackles to a red-hot copper pillar, the scorching flames relentlessly burning his soul and bringing eternal pain that could break any will.

His head was bowed, his disheveled black hair obscuring most of his face, only his deep red eyes occasionally revealing an unchanging compassion and tranquility in the firelight.

Suddenly, at a certain moment, that gaze, which had always been calm and unwavering, stirred. Something pierced through the barriers of hell and reached him.

It's... my brother's feelings.

An extremely rare and intensely suppressed grief.

Because they are twins connected by blood, even if they are separated by life and death, even if they are in hell, this bond from the depths of their souls still allows him to sense his brother's strong emotions.

This was also true during his lifetime.

Whenever his brother experienced strong emotional fluctuations, he could always vaguely sense it. However, he was too clumsy at the time and didn't know how to express himself. He could only stand there helplessly, which only exacerbated his brother's agitation.

But now he knows.

If you ask directly, your brother will never tell you. If you want help, your brother will never accept it. The only way is to do it yourself.

It's best to do it quietly, discreetly, and without being noticed. Even if it's discovered later, pretend it had nothing to do with you.

Why is my elder brother so sad?

Yoriichi's brow, which remained unchanged even after being scorched by karmic fire, furrowed slightly. He focused his perception, which had become broader and sharper after death, and traced the source of that sorrow.

No longer can he only vaguely sense emotions as he did in life, he can now "see" more clearly.

It was a funeral for the human world.

The ceremony was solemn and the atmosphere somber. At the very center of the ceremony, a coffin was placed quietly, and lying peacefully inside was a woman.

Yoriichi's consciousness slightly gathered, and the "bloodline" that reappeared before him had already told him the other party's identity: it was his brother's mother in this life.

The root cause of his brother's sorrow has been found.

Yoriichi remained silent. The karmic fire continued to burn, but his consciousness seemed to transcend the agony of the karmic torment.

He "looked" in a certain direction.

There, black threads representing karmic debts entangled every soul. He found one representing that woman, its "weight" laid bare—good and evil deeds, after offsetting each other, still requiring ten years of punishment in hell before reincarnation.

Ten years... is not a long time in hell, but for the brother who is suffering the pain of losing his mother, every moment of waiting for her release is probably torture.

This little bit of karma...

Yoriichi's hands, which were tightly bound by chains, twitched slightly.

Then, he clenched his fist and tried to pull his right hand out of the chain. The rough, heavy chain rubbed against his soul, which had been repeatedly scorched by karmic fire, bringing excruciating pain and leaving behind terrifying, deep wounds that revealed the bone.

But he didn't care at all.

Finally, his right hand broke free from the chains.

Then, without the slightest pause, Yoriichi raised his scarred hand, grabbed at the thread of karma connecting him to Uchiha Kaori in mid-air, and pulled hard.

The black line snapped instantly.

Immediately afterwards, he pressed the severed thread against his chest, which was engulfed in karmic fire.

The karmic debt that originally belonged to Uchiha Kaori seemed to have found a new host, quickly entwining itself around Yoriichi's soul and merging into that endless, vast karmic debt.

Having done all this, Yoriichi put his freed right hand back into the chains, as if nothing had happened. He lowered his head again, silently enduring the scorching heat of hellfire.

That will do.

Brother... you should feel a little better now.

Time flows eternally amidst the burning flames of karma, its duration immeasurable. Only the agonizing screams and the grinding of chains remain the constant background noise.

A steady footstep suddenly came from afar, eventually stopping in front of Yoriichi, who was bound to the bronze pillar.

Yoriichi lowered his head and closed his eyes, seemingly completely immersed in the punishment, oblivious to the approaching figure.

A deep, magnetic male voice, tinged with obvious displeasure, rang out: "Yoriichi Tsugikuni, you really do... know how to give me trouble."

The owner of the voice—Hozuki, an assistant to Hell—stood there expressionlessly, dressed in a black jailer's uniform. He exuded an extremely powerful aura, causing the raging flames and wailing souls around him to instinctively keep their distance—even the most ferocious ghosts would give him a wide berth.

Yoriichi still did not react.

Hozuki's still, lifeless eyes swept over the obviously new lacerations on Yoriichi's body, so different from the other "old wounds," as well as the subtle, barely perceptible energy fluctuations left over from the forced transfer of his sins.

He snorted coldly, his tone even more sarcastic:

"Do you feel your sentence isn't long enough? Or do you think it's already almost eternal, so adding a little more... wouldn't matter?"

Still, silence.

Hozuki narrowed his eyes dangerously and let out an extremely impatient "tsk" from his throat.

He did indeed have a certain degree of admiration for Yoriichi Tsugikuni—admiration for his strength and the willpower that had not been extinguished even when he was in hell and endured extreme pain.

Moreover, this guy accomplished a "feat" as soon as he went to hell.

—At that time, Yoriichi, by his own strength, forcibly broke through the layers of Hell's blockade, almost turning the entire order of Hell upside down.

His only goal was to kidnap people.

Send a deeply sinful soul into the reincarnation pool.

This is not only a blatant trampling on hell, but also a contempt for the rules of the bottom level of hell, giving the entire hell management system a resounding slap in the face.

In fact, in principle, some actions are not entirely without room for maneuver (of course, the punishment will not be less severe).

But you have to do it privately and quietly. As long as you don't get caught, everyone will basically pretend not to know.

However, Jikuni chose the most direct, violent, and "open" way—to directly disrupt the event.

This crosses a line that we absolutely cannot back down from.

Hozuki stared at the man who continued to feign death, a vein throbbing on his forehead. He gave Yoriichi one last cold glance, his tone returning to its usual icy indifference: "If you're going to do it, then suffer the consequences."

After saying that, he turned and left, his footsteps gradually disappearing into the endless karmic fire and wails.

Only after Hozuki's aura had completely faded away did Yoriichi's tightly closed eyelashes tremble almost imperceptibly.

Yoriichi remained unmoved and indifferent to Hozuki's words. At that moment, his entire mind was preoccupied with only one thing—his brother was still grieving.

Even though he had severed the karmic ties of that mother and paved the way for her reincarnation, the elder brother's sorrow still remained.

Should he... go and comfort his brother?

The moment this thought arose, it began to entwine around me like vines.

Come to think of it, the last time he sensed such intense emotional fluctuations in his brother was because of him.

To be precise, it was because some despicable fellow used his illusions to provoke his brother.

The thought of someone using his image to hurt his brother caused unusual ripples to stir in Yoriichi's heart, which was as deep as an ancient well.

However, despite his anger, he did not lose his temper.

Even if he were incredibly audacious enough to venture into hell, it was driven more by an unwavering belief that he "had to do it." He would never touch any truly fundamental issues that crossed the line and could trigger unpredictable chaos.

For example, taking action against the culprit.

This exceeded the boundaries of his status as a "wandering spirit" and interfered with the operating rules of the living world.

So he could only suppress his anger and try to appease his brother... He didn't know if it had any effect at all.

Unfortunately, the shock to his elder brother was too great, and he fainted. His dry words of comfort, which he had painstakingly come up with, were completely useless.

But now that he thinks about it, he actually felt relieved that his brother had fainted.

He was too clumsy with words, far less eloquent than his sword. He couldn't find a better way to get along with his brother than to remain silent.

As for the consequences of "acting without authorization," upon his return, his sentence was undoubtedly increased, and several more chains bound his soul were added, making the sealing power stronger.

But these things made no real difference to him.

No matter how many chains he wears or how fierce the flames of karma are, he can still break free if he wants to.

But... there's no need.

Punishment and shackles were the price he chose, and he accepted them with equanimity.

As Yoriichi silently endured the karmic fire, his deep red eyes revealed an emotion called "trouble" amidst the flickering flames.

Comforting someone is much harder than wielding a sword.

***

The cold blade almost touched her nose, and Kaori was startled by the sudden attack.

However, when her terrified gaze met her young son's eyes, all her fear was instantly replaced by even greater shock.

Yan Sheng's dark eyes were covered with a blood-red background, with a magnificent and complex pattern swirling in the center.

"Yan Sheng!" Kaori exclaimed in shock, momentarily forgetting the sharp blade before her, her voice filled with disbelief and excitement, "You...you've awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

Yan Sheng: "...?"

He paused slightly, the beautiful patterns in his eyes shifting subtly with the fluctuations of his emotions, radiating an eerie glow.

Kaleidoscope Sharingan?

The rest of the time was basically spent on Jiazhi's one-sided explanation and emotional narration.

She explained the Mangekyou Sharingan to Yan Sheng, and what this eye meant to the Uchiha clan.

Yan Sheng listened in silence, and combining Kaori's words with his own situation, he quickly came to a conclusion: it seems that his Mangekyou Sharingan ability is to see the dead, which is why he was able to see his mother who should have died.

So, when did he turn it on?

In Yan Sheng's mind, his kaleidoscope had been activated at this very moment by the intense emotional impact of seeing his deceased mother. Therefore, this was the same answer he gave when his mother asked.

Kaori was stunned upon hearing this. Immediately, she was overwhelmed by a wave of emotion and sadness.

So that's how important she was to the young child. Her passing had caused him such immense shock and harm that it propelled him beyond the single-tomoe, double-tomoe, and triple-tomoe stages, directly to the Kaleidoscope.

She felt both heartache and pride.

On the other side, Yan Sheng suddenly thought of a crucial question and asked, "Mother, is it the same for other people after they die...?"

Kaori was taken aback by the question, her excited expression gradually replaced by confusion. She tried to recall, then shook her head: "No, it doesn't seem like that. After I died... my consciousness was hazy, and I went to a very dark, oppressive place. There were many sounds around me, very scary, like... like some kind of judgment..."

She tried to describe it: "But then, I don't know what happened, I suddenly felt a lot lighter. That feeling of being restrained disappeared all at once. And then, when I was fully awake, I was already standing in your room."

In the end, she herself found it all very strange and confusing.

After listening, Yan Sheng fell into deep thought.

It seems that the mother's situation is special.

Not all souls can remain in the mortal world. The mother seemed to be supposed to undergo some kind of "judgment" or "process," but it was interrupted by some unknown interference and she was directly "sent" back to the mortal world, right in front of him.

......

Wait a minute. Really?

—Yoriichi?

Yan Sheng felt a chill run down his spine.

If the "special circumstances" that allowed the mother to remain in this world and escape judgment were truly Yoriichi's doing... what price did that bastard pay? His sins are already piled up like a mountain, isn't that enough? Does he have to nail himself to hell for eternity before he'll be satisfied?

A complex mix of rage, powerlessness, and suffocation gripped Yan Sheng's heart.

If Yoriichi dared to appear in front of him right now, he would definitely punch him without hesitation.

Speaking of which, since his dual Mangekyou Sharingan allows him to see the souls of the dead, then his encounter with Yoriichi last time was not an illusion.

—And, so it seems that his kaleidoscope wasn't activated now, but rather the one he activated last time.

Yoriichi...

Are you really going to drag your shackles and punishments across the realms of life and death just to come before me?

Yan Sheng's emotions surged again, and a bittersweet feeling spread uncontrollably.

As expected of you.

He could almost picture the scene: engulfed in flames, bound by chains, Yoriichi, with absolute power, disregarding all rules and punishments, forcefully achieving his goal.

Yan Sheng closed his eyes, his teeth unconsciously pressing together.

It's truly... infuriating.

***

In the days that followed, a rumor began to circulate in the Uchiha clan area.

People often see Yen Sheng speaking softly to himself when he's alone, his expression sometimes focused, sometimes furrowed, as if he's talking to someone. Sometimes he's even seen nodding slightly to the empty seat next to him, or making a gesture of listening intently.

This unusual behavior was quickly reported to Madara and Izuna.

Upon learning the news, the two were deeply saddened. They exchanged a glance, both seeing the same worry and heartache in each other's eyes.

"As expected. The blow of his mother's death was still too great for Yan Sheng..." Izuna sighed. "He is usually so calm, but now... he is experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations."

Ban remained silent, recalling his brother's overly calm demeanor at their mother's funeral. Now, it seemed that it was merely a prelude to a forced breakdown. Now, the pressure had erupted, naturally leading to severe mental symptoms.

Both were filled with love and concern for their younger brother, but they knew that directly pointing out that "you have mental problems" would only make things worse. Therefore, they both chose a more indirect way to express their care:

Ban would occasionally call Yan Sheng to his side under the pretext of discussing clan affairs or cultivation, even if it was just to have him sit quietly and listen.

Izuna would find various excuses to run to Kokushiro's courtyard, bringing him food, supplies, or simply chatting aimlessly with him to distract him.

Kaori, who always stayed by Yan Sheng's side and could only be seen by Yan Sheng, saw the clumsy yet sincere care of her two eldest sons.

She floated to the side, watching Madara seriously analyze the situation with Yan Sheng, while secretly keeping an eye on her younger brother's expression; she watched Izuna rack his brains to find topics, afraid that an awkward silence would cause her younger brother to fall into a state of "talking to himself" again.

Kaori couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her mouth, her eyes crinkling with a smile of immense relief and joy.

Although the children expressed themselves in different, and sometimes awkward, their deep bond and mutual care were genuine.

For a mother, what could be more gratifying than seeing her children support each other and have a deep bond?

Yan Sheng naturally sensed the "extra care" from his two elder brothers, which was not at all subtle, and guessed the reason. But he couldn't prove his "innocence".

He glanced at his mother, who was smiling contentedly beside him, and sighed silently with a stern face.

......

As usual, Kaori wandered aimlessly through the Uchiha clan's territory.

Anyway, no one could see her except Yan Sheng. Unknowingly, she drifted to the vicinity of the clan leader's study and vaguely heard arguing coming from inside.

It looks like Madara and Izuna?

Out of her mother's curiosity and concern, she went closer. As a result, she heard every word of a heated argument about forming an alliance with the Senju clan.

Izuna: "Madara! Wake up! Allying with the Senju? This is like asking a tiger for its skin! How did Father die? How did so many of your clansmen die? Have you forgotten all of that?"

Madara: "Izuna, it is precisely because I have not forgotten that I cannot bear to watch my clan continue to bleed needlessly. Hatred only breeds new hatred, and we need to break this cycle."

"Break the cycle? With what? With the future of our Uchiha clan? Hashirama Senju might be believable, but can he represent all the Senju? Especially Tobirama Senju!"

"It is precisely because the road ahead is difficult that we need to try even more."

......

Kaori couldn't hear much of the argument that followed. She drifted out of the wall in a daze, returning to Yan Sheng's room, her face filled with shock and melancholy.

“Yan Sheng.” She floated to her youngest son, who was wiping the blade of his sword, her tone filled with confusion and worry. “Your older brother… Ban, how could he have come up with the idea of ​​forming an alliance with the Senju?”

Before this, she had no idea that her eldest son had such a shocking idea.

Was she angry? A little, yes. Her husband, Madara's father, died at the hands of Senju clan leader Senju Butsuma (though the Senju clan leader also died, so it was a mutual destruction). So many of her clansmen also perished in the battles against the Senju; their faces still occasionally surface in Kaori's memories.

But... on the other hand, how many Senju died at the hands of the Uchiha?

Kaori actually saw through the nature of hatred—like a river stained with blood on both sides, it's hard to say which side is more stained.

Therefore, Kaori is not the kind of person who is blinded by hatred and vows to make the other party pay for their crimes in blood.

She felt it was more of a pipe dream.

"The hatred between the two clans has accumulated over so many years and is deeply rooted. To talk about an alliance now... Madara's idea is a bit too..." She shook her head and sighed, not finishing her sentence, but her meaning was clear. She felt that her eldest son's dream was too far-fetched and too difficult, and might even bring irreparable disaster to the Uchiha clan.

Yan Sheng continued wiping the blade. After listening to his mother's account and reflections, he simply responded with a faint "Hmm."

Because he wasn't surprised by it.

He already knew about Madara and Hashirama Senju's affair—Izuna had confided in him when he was still a baby.

Hmm...

Yan Sheng's hand, which was wiping the knife, suddenly paused.

Madara yearned for peace, and for this he was willing to ally with his sworn enemy, the Senju. Hashirama Senju seemed to share the same intention.

He himself needs to accumulate enormous "merit" to repay the huge karmic debt that Yoriichi bore for him. Ending the chaos and creating peace is undoubtedly the most direct and abundant way to acquire merit.

The goals are aligned to some extent.

So......

An idea gradually became clear in Yan Sheng's mind: Was it possible for him to pull Ban into his plan?

Even... going further, should we also take into consideration Hashirama Senju, who was regarded as a close friend by Madara and was also powerful enough?

Given the tacit understanding and entanglement between Madara and Hashirama, it might not be entirely impossible. If this could be facilitated, leveraging the power and influence of the two clan leaders, his efficiency in promoting peace and accumulating merit would undoubtedly be greatly enhanced, accelerating the achievement of his goals.

As for Izuna...

Yan Sheng's gaze narrowed slightly. Izuna's concerns were not entirely unfounded; the extreme distrust of the Senju was one of the biggest obstacles to forming an alliance.

So, perhaps we can take advantage of this distrust?

An idea came to mind: to make an extremely demanding request to Hashirama Senju, a request that most people would never agree to.

If Hashirama Senju can agree and do it, then it proves that he has a genuine desire for peace that transcends family hatred. This may become the key bargaining chip to persuade Izuna, and even all the Uchiha clan members who are full of doubts.

Of course, the specifics of this "impossible request" need careful consideration. It must be difficult enough to test sincerity, yet not so absurd as to be completely unattainable.

Yan Sheng slowly put the cleaned knife back into its sheath, making a crisp "click" sound.

Unaware of the situation, Kaori looked at her young son, who was lost in thought, with worry. She had no idea what kind of astonishing, massive plan was brewing in her son's mind that would change the entire landscape of the ninja world.

If she had known, she wouldn't have been so shocked and distressed by the private relationship between her eldest son and the Thousand Hands Clan Chief.

After all, compared to the youngest son's crazy ambition, the eldest son's idea of ​​"merely" wanting to ally with the Senju and seek peaceful coexistence seemed mild and conservative.

***

Late at night, the lights were still on in the Uchiha clan chief's room.

Ban rubbed his temples, finished reviewing the last report, and was about to rest when there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Come in." Ban looked up at the doorway.

The door opened from the outside, and Yan Sheng appeared in the doorway.

He was wearing a dark nightgown with a haori casually draped over it, seemingly preparing to go to bed, but for some reason he had come here again.

"Yan Sheng?" Ban was a little surprised. It was rare for his younger brother to come to see him at this time. "It's so late. Is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" He subconsciously worried about his brother's health.

Yan Sheng closed the door behind him, then walked to Ban's desk and got straight to the point without beating around the bush: "Brother, I've come to discuss with you the matter of forming an alliance with the Senju."

Ban's movements froze instantly, all his weariness swept away by those words. His sharp gaze fell on Yan Sheng as if it were a physical object, filled with scrutiny and surprise.

He had argued with Izuna about the alliance and dealt with the clan elders, but he never expected to hear it from his younger brother, who was usually indifferent to clan affairs and somewhat reclusive, especially in such a calm and discussion-oriented manner.

"What...did you say?" Madara wondered if he was just too tired and was hallucinating.

“To form an alliance with the Senju.” Yan Sheng repeated, his tone unchanged, as if discussing something perfectly ordinary. “I believe this is feasible.”

Ban took a deep breath, leaned forward slightly, and placed his hands crossed on the desk, his gaze fixed on Yan Sheng: "Do you know what you're saying, Yan Sheng? The hatred between us and the Senju—"

“Hatred is a shackle of the past, not a guide to the future.” Yan Sheng interrupted him, his words coldly cruel. “An endless cycle of hatred, besides consuming each other’s life force and nourishing more hatred, I see no other meaning. If the peace you pursue, brother, is merely to stop the Uchiha and Senju from fighting each other, it is far too narrow and fragile.”

Ban's pupils contracted slightly.

Yan Sheng's words struck at the deepest part of his mind, even going a step further than he had imagined! What he was pursuing was not just a ceasefire, but a more stable and lasting order.

"Continue," Madara's voice deepened, his gaze fixed intently on the boy before him.

"Alliance is not the goal, but a means," Yan Sheng said casually. "A strong and stable alliance can become the cornerstone for pacifying the chaotic world and establishing a new order. It can minimize internal friction and concentrate forces to deal with real threats, such as... certain people."

The "certain people" that Yan Sheng mentioned referred to Daimyo. Ban, on the other hand, was thinking of the mastermind behind the attack on Yan Sheng and the one who instigated the conflict.

“There will be a lot of opposition within the tribe,” Ban pointed out the key issue.

“Therefore, we need to verify it.” Yan Sheng had already anticipated this. “Make a request to Senju Hashirama. A request that everyone considers too demanding to be fulfilled. If he can agree and do it, it will be enough to prove his sincerity and determination, and it will also become a powerful bargaining chip to persuade Izuna and his clan.”

"What are the requirements?" Ban asked subconsciously, realizing that he was starting to follow his younger brother's train of thought.

Yan Sheng remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering his words, before slowly speaking: "I demand that he... personally execute any Thousand Hands clan member who dares to break the alliance agreement and actively provoke conflict between the two clans, regardless of their identity, without any leniency. I also demand that the same ironclad rule be established within the Thousand Hands clan."

"Of course, we Uchiha are too. However, the Senju must do it first before we can."

-----------------------

Author's Note: Bro: Yoriichi, you can even do this?! As expected of you (sour as a lemon).

younger brother:......

True conservatives think that radicals are too conservative.