Chapter 14 Five Years Old
After returning to his clan's territory, Ban was "unable to find anyone" for several days in a row. He stayed in the archives room, repeatedly looking through the clan's war damage records from the past few years, his fingertips lingering on the words "Hagoromo" for longer and longer periods of time.
Izuna saw everything but dared not speak rashly. After all, although he knew the truth, Madara didn't know he knew the truth. Therefore, he absolutely could not reveal that he was following Madara, yet he couldn't help but care.
After enduring for several days, finally, on a rainy night, before Izuna could figure out what to do, Madara called him to the training ground.
“Izuna,” Madara said in a low voice, “I recently discovered something strange while organizing the clan’s mission files.”
Izuna knew what it was about, but outwardly remained calm as he asked, "What is it?"
Madara unfolded the paper he had been holding, which was densely covered with records of all the Uchiha's battle losses over the past ten years.
“Look here.” He pointed to several marked areas. “Before each conflict between us and the Thousand Hands escalates, there are almost always sightings of the Feathered Puppet at the border.”
Izuna stared at the data, knowing what Madara was implying: it was nothing more than the conclusion that Senju was innocent. But he would never admit it, even if it meant his death.
After a long silence, Izuna finally spoke up: "Madara-kun, are you saying that Hagoromo is spying on us?"
Madara paused for a moment. In his memory, his younger brother was quite smart, so why hadn't he realized something so obvious this time? After muttering a few doubts to himself, Madara had no choice but to explain the situation clearly: "I mean, Hagoromo might be pulling strings behind the scenes, trying to sow discord between us and... the Senju."
Izuna feigned sudden realization, "I see, I never expected that. Madara-nii is amazing!"
The man with the freckles blushed and coughed.
—Awkward.
Since Madara had made it so clear, Izuna naturally couldn't pretend to be ignorant any longer. Reluctantly, he offered two solutions:
"First, during the next border patrol, deliberately release false information, pretending that the Uchiha want to negotiate with the Senju. If Hagoromo really has ulterior motives, they will definitely not sit still."
"Second, collect the poison and puppet remains of the Feather Robe, disguise them as evidence of the Thousand Hands attacking us, and then let Father discover them 'accidentally'."
Ban nodded thoughtfully.
Taking advantage of Madara's absent-mindedness, Izuna turned his face away and made a toothy grin from an angle where Madara couldn't see him.
That wretched Thousand-Handed Watermelon Head! If I encounter him on the battlefield next time, I'll definitely find a way to kill him!
On the other side.
Hashirama's situation was slightly better than Madara's. From his perspective, Tobirama was the one who communicated with Madara, so he could speak frankly about many things.
But--
Tobirama remained silent!
For the xxth time, Hashirama stared at his younger brother with a resentful gaze, as if haunted by a ghost.
"What exactly do you want?" Tobirama stopped in his tracks, unable to bear it any longer, and turned around to glare at his troublesome older brother.
Hashirama scratched his head, then clasped his hands together and pleaded, "Tobirama, please, just help me figure out how to get Father to notice that there's something wrong with Hagoromo! Please, this is my lifelong request!"
Tobirama twitched his lips, and veins bulged on his forehead.
"You said the same thing last time, and the time before that, and the time before that. How many requests have you made in your life?"
Hashirama: QAQ
Tobirama: "......"
Taking a deep breath, Tobirama finally succumbed to his older brother's pitiful puppy-dog eyes.
"First, whether it's you or anyone else, pretend to be injured by the Feather Robe Poison Technique. Remember, the wound should mimic the characteristics of Uchiha flame burns. Father is extremely knowledgeable about medical ninjutsu and will definitely be able to see through it."
"Second, they publicly declared that the Senju would join forces with the Uchiha to wipe out Hagoromo, forcing Hagoromo into disarray."
Hashirama's eyes grew brighter as he listened. After Tobirama finished speaking, he suddenly pounced on his younger brother and hugged him tightly, exclaiming joyfully, "Waaaaah, Tobirama, it's so good to have you!"
Tobirama: = =#
***
Following Izuna's suggestion, Madara began his operation.
He deliberately left a few kunai bearing the Hagoromo clan crest at the edge of the training ground his father passed by every day. These kunai were half-buried in the soil, with only the tips of their blades showing, as if they had been hastily discarded.
Then one day, as his father was passing by as usual, he "accidentally" used fire-style magic to burn down a patch of grass, revealing kunai buried underneath. Tajima was indeed attracted and squatted down to pick them up and examine them.
At the clan meeting that evening, Madara, speaking as the heir, said, "Recently, the border patrol reported the discovery of puppet remains that resemble those of Hagoromo." He paused deliberately, "And... the method is very similar to the group that attacked us before."
The Uchiha elders exchanged glances. They clearly still remembered the ambush Hagoromo had launched against them six months ago.
***
When Madara was on his mission, Hashirama also adopted his brother's strategy and launched his own operation.
......
Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju's scheme quickly proved effective.
Under the skillful guidance of their two heirs, Uchiha Tajima and Senju Butsuma almost simultaneously set their sights on the Hagoromo clan.
But this wasn't enough for Madara and Hashirama. Their father hesitated, the elders hesitated, and the entire decision-making body hesitated. They had to give them a push.
Soon after, news spread that the Uchiha and Senju clans were going to join forces to deal with Hagoromo.
When the news reached the Feathered Robe Clan, the teacup in the Feathered Robe Clan Chief's hand shattered on the ground with a "crack".
"How could this be so sudden?!" His face turned deathly pale, and his voice trembled. "They discovered what we did?"
During the meeting, the arguments nearly lifted the roof off.
"I told you not to do this kind of thing! But you wouldn't listen!"
"Your family didn't die at their hands, so of course you don't care!"
"So you're going to drag all of us down with you?"
"Enough! What's the point of saying all this now? How are we supposed to stop the Uchiha and Senju?!"
"Run! If you don't run, you'll surely die!"
"Can we escape?"
"Leave some men to hold them off; for now... the only way to survive is to cut our losses!"
Yes, Yu Yi is not innocent.
Over the years, they have indeed been secretly sowing discord between the Uchiha and Senju clans, such as fabricating evidence of attacks and secretly assassinating envoys from both sides.
Although Black Zetsu stirred things up and fished in troubled waters, he was also taking advantage of the situation.
***
The tense atmosphere of impending storm in the clan's territory had no effect on Yan Sheng, who was still an infant. However, his dark, ink-black eyes took in all the undercurrents.
However, compared to these things, Yan Sheng was more concerned about that dark and evil existence.
He didn't want to die without knowing why.
The change is imminent.
But—no matter what, at the very least, this body needs to grow. This isn't something that can be achieved simply by his efforts; it takes time.
Yan Sheng raised his chubby little hand, his fingers spread and then clenched, his eyes surging with barely suppressed anxiety.
Too weak.
Let alone the fact that this body is not even a year old and struggles to crawl, even if it were a year old, given its fragility, it would be difficult. Fighting would be out of the question. Even if the enemy were to show mercy and give him a day and a night to escape, he would likely be like a helpless young animal awaiting slaughter, resigned to his fate.
Yan Sheng twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a cold smile that was almost ferocious.
—Is this karma?
The sins of slaughtering his own kind and betraying his closest relatives in his previous life have now manifested in this weak and useless body, imprisoning him in a small, feeble cage.
***
As Madara and Hashirama had predicted, the clans, who had been hesitant, finally took action after hearing about Hagoromo's unusual movements.
The two groups of troops just happened to run into each other on the mountain path leading to the Feather Robe Territory.
When they met on a narrow path, the atmosphere instantly became tense and hostile.
The Uchiha and Senju attacked simultaneously, and the clash of their chakra startled the birds in the forest.
Just then.
"stop!"
Madara and Hashirama simultaneously leaped out of the ranks, each blocking the way for their respective clan members.
The two exchanged a glance, both reading the same shock in each other's eyes—
you also......?
They never expected their plans to be so similar.
It can only be said that Izuna and Tobirama, who were plotting behind the scenes, are indeed future rivals, with strikingly similar thought processes.
Because of the presence of Yu Yi, both sides knew that the mission was more important, and with others intervening, they held back and did not fight.
They arrived at the territory of the Feathered Robe Clan.
The remaining ninja in feathered robes fought desperately, their poisonous mist and puppets weaving a deadly web in the night. But against the combined attack of the two clans' elite forces, their resistance was as fragile as withered autumn leaves.
The last one captured, a feathered elder, laughed wildly, "I'll be waiting for you in the underworld!" As soon as he finished speaking, black blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and he committed suicide.
With his death, the remaining surviving captives in feathered robes made the same choice.
Both teams returned to report.
Senju Butsuma and Uchiha Tajima were both old foxes; they immediately guessed that Hagoromo was cutting off his tail to survive, and that the main force had already fled.
Should we go after them?
It's not that it's impossible, but it's unnecessary; it would be too wasteful of manpower and resources.
And so the matter was put to rest.
Of course, as long as Yu Yi doesn't appear in front of them, they will be killed without mercy.
Black Zetsu, who was observing from the shadows, was somewhat surprised.
—Through the information transmitted by the spores, he discovered the actions of the Senju and Uchiha clans. Without thinking, he transformed into a shadow and followed them to spy on them.
In his eyes, the Uchiha and Senju were both idiots; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone from initially disliking each other simply because of disagreements between their respective clan leaders to now having a real blood feud.
But now, both sides have suddenly become smarter? That doesn't make sense.
It's not that I've become smarter, it's just that I'm willing to lower my standards and examine people I used to look down on.
After some thought, Black Zetsu decided to hold off on taking action for the time being. His useful shield was gone, and finding another wouldn't be easy. Plus, both races were currently in a period of heightened tension. Although he didn't think he'd be in trouble, the inefficiency was too low, and it wasn't worth it.
***
Spring cherry blossoms have all fallen, and winter snow has covered the land once more.
In the blink of an eye, Yan Sheng is already five years old.
During this period, Madara's Sharingan reached the three-tomoe level, while Izuna's awakened Sharingan still only has a single tomoe.
There is no doubt that Madara was very talented. You should know that many Uchiha never reach the three-tomoe Sharingan in their entire lives. As for the Mangekyou Sharingan, and the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, those are things from their ancestors many years ago.
Therefore, he had already awakened the three-tomoe demon at the age of fifteen, and was highly regarded by the clan. The clan members had high hopes that this young clan leader could lead them to defeat the Senju.
That's how it was supposed to be.
However, the young clan leader of the Senju clan, Hashirama Senju, recently awakened Wood Release. Yes, that's the legendary Wood Release. Even the Senju clan themselves have never seen it. The only recorded instance is by their very, very, very, very ancestor, who was also the only one.
This is a bloodline limit that has not appeared in the Senju clan since the era of the Sage of Six Paths.
Within the Uchiha clan, the elders stroked their beards and smiled: "The young clan leader with three tomoe will surely lead us to defeat the Senju!"
Among the Senju clan, a young ninja gazed at the wildly growing forest on the training ground, his eyes blazing with hope: "With the reappearance of Wood Release, our clan will surely prosper!"
—That's how it should be.
When spies from both clans simultaneously reported that "the other side has awakened a genius," the Uchiha and Senju clans nearly ground their teeth to powder.
What a coincidence!
But on second thought, a close contest is not bad either; it's better than having a mortal enemy overpower you.
***
On the banks of the Naka River, the tomoe in Madara's Sharingan slowly rotated: "Wood Release, huh?"
Hashirama scratched the back of his head and grinned foolishly: "Three tomoe, Madara is really amazing!"
The two looked at each other across the distance, both smiling. In this world, there is always someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
......
Uchiha clan territory, training ground.
A pale, thin boy sat quietly on the veranda. His ponytail hung loosely behind his head, the ends of his hair a sickly yellow. The loose tribal clothing wrapped around his frail body, as if a gust of wind could blow it away. The only vibrant thing about him was his pair of dark, inky eyes—unblinkingly fixed on his peers who were sweating profusely on the field.
The Uchiha kids, who were friends, exchanged glances and whispered among themselves.
"That sickly fellow is here again."
"Shh! You can call out his name, or anyone else, but don't say 'sickly guy,' what if his brother hears that..." The Uchiha kid who said this made a throat-slitting gesture.
The sickly child in front quickly covered his mouth.
A note from the author:
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[Sprinkling flowers]
The Power of Time —
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