《Uchiha: The Epic of the Warring States Period》


 Chapter 1: Uchiha Ling

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªHere comes the main story¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Since he could remember, Uchiha Ling rarely felt confused about anything.


    Because he clearly knew what he was burdened with and understood what he should do as his status demanded.


    As the heir of the Uchiha clan, he had to be the most outstanding among his peers. Only then could he be qualified to inherit his father''s position. Only in this way could he make the clan members follow him willingly and lead the clan towards a future in this turbulent era.


    Or rather, he was not allowed to be confused, so he always demanded highly of himself.


    But sometimes God liked to play cruel jokes on people like him, watching them lose their goals.


    Feeling the pain from his eyes, Uchiha Ling raised his hand and gently touched the bandage covering his eyes. He clearly knew what a terrifying wound was under this bandage.


    The wound ran across both eyes, completely destroying the eyeballs. It was even just a little short of destroying the brain as well.


    And Korega wound was caused by none other than himself, who had been forced into a desperate situation by the enemy a few days ago.


    Because the Fang Daimy¨­ of various countries are constantly at odds with each other, the ninjas, as the top military force, are always hired to serve the nobles.


    Assassination, poisoning, framing...


    As long as there is enough profit, ninjas can do anything. And the Uchiha clan, as the leader among ninja families, is even more used to these things.


    However, no matter who or what force it is, it is destined to meet a tough opponent during its growth.


    The Uchiha clan also has such a persistent archenemy - the Senju clan.


    To what extent are the two clans entangled?


    When one side hires the Uchiha clan, the other side will definitely hire the Senju clan to counterbalance them.


    After decades and hundreds of years of such feuds, while the Uchiha clan has established a foothold here, they have also developed an irreconcilable feud with the Senju clan.


    Just like his current mission where his side was only hired to go around the back to prevent the enemy from obtaining information, but unexpectedly, they ran into the Senju clan''s material escort team on its way back.


    At that time, the tasks of the two sides did not intersect. But because the two families were at war, the leader of the other side immediately issued an order to kill him as soon as he noticed his trace - well, it was also his own fault. After confirming that they were the Senju clan, he got too close in order to sabotage their mission.


    Once he was discovered, things got out of control. He managed to mess up the other side''s mission completely. And he was forced into a desperate situation, so he had no choice but to choose a suicidal fight at the end.


    "Ah... an Uchiha who has completely lost his eyes..."


    Listening to the argument outside the house, Ling stopped his train of thought, endured the pain in his body and sat up. But just this simple movement made his forehead covered in cold sweat. However, he still let out a soft laugh. "If the Senju guys knew that the final explosion didn''t kill me, they''d be furious, right?


    Hey, if I ever get a chance to bounce back, I must use Korega to tease them... But now I have to go out and see what''s going on. It''d be a bummer if Dad gets into a pointless argument with the elders because of me..."


    Because he was deprived of his vision, Ling could clearly sense that his body was amplifying his other senses in order to obtain more information. The most obvious one was the sense of touch.


    [Hmmm... Is the tatami supposed to have such a rough texture?]


    [Is this... the wall? If I walk along the wall, there should be no problem - Ouch! Was there something here originally?]


    Ling''s hands groped downwards and finally touched a cold - textured wooden table at about half the height of his Sukune.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    [Is it a low - cabinet for storing ninja tools?]


    ¡¾Surprisingly, it''s right here... Be careful and go around it...¡¿


    But this time, before Uchiha Ling could encounter the next trouble, the unique wooden friction sound of the paper sliding door rubbing against the hinge rang out, along with some messy footsteps and a worried male voice.


    "Ling, you''re seriously injured. Just call us if there''s anything. Why did you get up by yourself?"


    "Father..."


    Uchiha Ling stopped groping forward and faced the direction from which the sound came. However, he couldn''t help but fall into silence because he didn''t know what to say.


    After all, this accident was caused by his unauthorized actions outside the mission, which led to his whereabouts being discovered. He managed to accomplish both the original mission and the extra goal successfully. Despite being seriously injured, he survived. However, he lost the most important thing for the Uchiha - his own eyes, which he destroyed with his own hands.


    In this confusion and uneasiness, Ling clearly heard the footsteps approaching. Then, a pair of broad and warm hands rested on his shoulders, and his father''s voice rang out again. "Don''t think too much. Now you need to rest. Whether it''s for me or the Uchiha clan, the most important thing is that you''re back alive."


    "That''s right, Ling. The most important thing for you to do now is to recuperate," another majestic voice said. "Although you acted without permission this time, you didn''t disgrace the Uchiha clan. You successfully destroyed the enemy''s supplies in transit, which gave us an advantage on the front line. Moreover, you didn''t fail your own mission and returned to the Uchiha clan alive. Even those experienced veterans couldn''t have done better."


    Ling tried to identify the voice. "Is it the Grand Elder?"


    "Yes, it''s me. Anyway, you just need to rest well. First, get your injuries healed. We''ll think of a way about your eyes. After all, as the heir - "


    "No..." Ling raised his head, his fist in his sleeve clenching slightly. Facing the direction from which the sound came, he said, "Please find someone else for the position of heir, Father and Elders."


    "Ling, don''t say that. You - "


    "Father, I know my injuries better than anyone else. I was in a desperate situation and intended to commit suicide when I did it. I wanted to destroy my brain along with my eyes. It''s just a fluke that I''m still alive. Or rather, it was because of my cowardice at the moment of death. With the medical skills of the Uchiha clan, there''s no way these injuries can be healed. Father and Elders, don''t waste any more effort on my eyes..."


    Ling shook his head slightly and involuntarily frowned because of the pain from his wounds. "The most urgent thing now is to stabilize the clan members'' emotions and prevent them from rashly seeking revenge from the Senju clan.


    Although emotions can give us more powerful strength, there''s no doubt that they can also make us be dominated by momentary impulses and make wrong decisions. I hope everyone can calm down.


    Even if we want to retaliate against the Senju clan, it shouldn''t be now. We should choose a more appropriate time. Right now, we need to be vigilant against the Senju clan''s revenge instead.


    If necessary, I even hope that you two won''t have any concerns about my feelings. Guide the clansmen to direct their contradictions at me. With a target to vent their anger, the clansmen will naturally calm down soon and face the Senju clan more cautiously... Please don''t worry too much about my feelings.¡±


    ¡°Ling, you''re really a qualified heir. If it weren''t for this time...¡± The Grand Elder let out a soft sigh. ¡°Anyway, I''ll discuss and handle the follow - up matters with Tajima Uchiha. You don''t need to worry about this anymore. Besides, the situation of your injury can''t be determined yet. You should stay at home to recover from your injury. As for your eyes... let''s discuss it after you''ve recovered.¡±


    Hearing the elder''s words, Ling couldn''t help but show a bitter smile. ¡°If I were really a qualified heir, I shouldn''t have been so self - confident as to think that I could avoid the Senju clan''s sensing ninjas and escape smoothly after the operation with just the three - tomoe Sharingan... It''s a pity that it''s a bit too late to realize it now.¡±


    ¡°It''s never too late to realize your own mistakes. Ling, you''ve done very well. You''re only thirteen years old. Compared with us, you still have an infinite future. Don''t define your own future now.¡±


    Tajima Uchiha reached out his hand to ruffle his eldest son''s hair with a solemn face. His voice grew even softer and more gentle, but his expression was filled with indescribable sadness. ¡°If I have to say, it''s just that I, as a father, am too incompetent to protect my own child from the opponent... I should be the one to apologize, not you.¡±


    I just realized that I haven''t drawn an illustration of Papa Tajima all this time. Papa Tajima''s hairstyle is really so emo that it''s at the forefront of the Warring States era.


    Feeling the warmth from his father''s palm, Ling''s nose started to feel a bit sour. However, the wound on his face had destroyed his lacrimal glands along with his eyeball. Even if his injury recovered, the scar across his face would still prevent him from shedding tears again. So he just lowered his head and softly laughed. ¡°How could that be? Father has always protected us...¡±


    ¡°It''s me who failed to recognize my own abilities and made a wrong decision, which led to my current Gatai... But please rest assured. Just as you said, I still have an infinite future. Even if I can''t regain my eyesight, I''ll continue to sharpen myself and will never disgrace the name of the Uchiha clan.¡±


    Hearing this, Tajima Uchiha finally showed his first smile today. He reached out his hand to support Ling''s arm and helped him walk slowly towards the bed. ¡°Well said! You''re really my proudest son.¡±


    ¡°Ling, you must remember that no matter when, one can''t give up on themselves. If one gives up on themselves, then no matter how hard others try, they won''t be able to pull you out of the abyss.¡±


    Ling was slightly stunned, but soon he laughed. ¡°Yes, I''ll keep it in mind.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you rest well to recover from your injury. I''ll go outside and talk with the elder. Just call us if you need anything before you get used to it.¡±


    Ling respectfully replied again. After seeing off the elder and his father and being left alone in the room, he couldn''t help but feel confused.


    [Although I''ve promised Father, what future can an Uchiha who has lost his eyes have?]

 Chapter 2: Madara Uchiha

    Since he started going to the battlefield, Ling felt that the days of recuperating from his injuries were so hard to endure for the first time.


    Eating, changing bandages, and getting dressed...


    Things that could have been easily accomplished were now difficult to do on his own even after making all kinds of mistakes. He might even aggravate his injuries because of some minor mistakes or omissions.


    Just by losing his vision, Ling felt as if the world had abandoned him and was showing its Malice towards him without hesitation.


    Ling slowly propped himself up against the wall, constantly recalling what had happened that day. All kinds of negative emotions welled up from the bottom of his heart.


    [Not to mention fighting, after losing my eyes, just living a normal life is a huge challenge for me...]


    [Although I told Father that I would pull myself together, can I really do it?]


    [Moreover, can an Uchiha who has lost his Sharingan really be considered an Uchiha?]


    But no matter how confused his thoughts were, at the moment he heard the paper door sliding, the unwillingness and resentment on Ling''s face all faded away, leaving only a gentle smile. "Korega time... Is it Madara?"


    Young Madara


    After his voice fell, a childish voice pretending to be calm sounded. "Yes, it''s me. Is your body feeling a little better, Brother?"


    Listening to the footsteps getting closer and closer to him, Ling smiled. "Of course. I''m recovering well. There isn''t much pain in my body now. I should be able to move normally in a few days."


    Madara knelt down beside Ling with a medicine box in his hand. "Father talked to me yesterday and said that he wanted me to participate in the new heir selection..."


    "Really? That''s great. After all, Madara is so talented. I believe Madara can do better than I did back then."


    "But don''t you think the elders are being too much, Brother?" Madara pursed his lips and frowned tightly. "They didn''t even wait for you, Brother, to recover from your injuries and attend the meeting before trying to deprive you of the heir position through that so - called vote..."


    Ling was stunned for a moment and reached out in the direction where the voice came from. Soon he could feel his younger brother holding his hand. He held his younger brother''s hand back and lowered his voice a little. "Madara, you can''t just look at the surface of some things."


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Hearing this, Madara got angry. "Then, at least they should wait until your injuries have recovered and you can attend the meeting before making a decision. It''s just too much that they won''t even let you participate and have deprived you of all your original rights. Not to mention the baseless rumors they''re spreading within the clan!"


    Right now, everyone in the clan is talking about you, big brother. They''re saying you abandoned your mission and barely escaped from the Senju clan. They claim you were removed from the position of heir because of your improper conduct and that you had your eyes gouged out as punishment! But that''s not the truth at all!¡±


    Feeling the strength in the palm on his hand, Ling gave a somewhat helpless smile. ¡°That''s not it, Madara. The Grand Elder has already spoken to me about this. It was the result of our discussion, or rather, my own decision... There are many complex factors involved in this matter.¡±


    ¡°What''s so complicated? They''re just twisting the truth! Big brother, you completed the mission brilliantly and successfully disrupted the Senju''s supply line, giving us an edge in this battle. The rumors in the clan about you are nothing but slander!¡±


    Although Ling was touched by Madara''s defending him, he still softened his tone to explain. ¡°My actions this time, while giving our Uchiha clan an advantage, undoubtedly enraged the Senju clan.


    When comparing the situations of the two clans, the emotions of our Uchiha clan members will surely change. Our Uchiha clan will undoubtedly want to press on with the attack, but the Senju clan won''t show weakness. When the conflict breaks out, more Uchiha clan members will die.


    But if we change the nature of this matter and spread the covered-up side, then the Uchiha clan members will focus on my mistakes and be more vigilant about the actions of the Senju clan. After we get through the period when the Senju are most furious, their momentum will decline, and we Uchiha can win at the lowest cost.


    After the war ends, we can reveal the truth, clear my name, and enhance my reputation at the same time. All I need to do is endure the gossip for a while. This is already a pretty good outcome.¡±


    Looking at the gentle smile on Ling''s face, Madara felt like he had nowhere to vent his anger. ¡°But aren''t you even a little angry about being slandered by them, big brother?!¡±


    ¡°As the heir, the most important thing is to think about the big picture as much as possible... Madara, you''ll have to learn to think about these things in the future.¡±


    Madara wanted to retort, but seeing the gentle smile on his elder brother''s lips, he suddenly stopped. He pursed his lips and lowered his head. ¡°But I can never compare to you, big brother. You had already awakened your Sharingan and entered the battlefield at my age, but I still haven''t obtained the Sharingan...


    If it weren''t for those damned Senju, big brother would have been the most talented person in the Uchiha clan. You should have had a bright future. Once I''m on the battlefield, I''ll never let those hateful Senju off!!¡±


    Ling felt even more helpless. ¡°Madara, maybe you won''t believe it, but although we Uchiha and the Senju are old enemies, and I won''t show mercy when facing the Senju, I don''t actually hate the Senju clan. In the current situation, the only thing I hate is my own lack of strength.¡±


    ¡°What about Brother Shun and mother? They were killed by the Senju clan! How can you not hate the Senju, big brother?!¡±

 Chapter 3: Izuna Uchiha

    ¡°Then what I hate are just those few who laid hands on my relatives, not the Senju clan as a whole. What forced us into hostility was not each other. It was the so - called situation created by the nobles and our own actions of making enemies when we first settled in the Land of Fire to establish a foothold.¡±


    Ling smiled faintly and raised his hand to grope upwards. Finally, he touched his younger brother''s soft hair and gently ruffled it. ¡°Besides, my eyes are doomed not to recover. Think about it. If the future clan head of the Uchiha clan can''t even read documents, won''t he be easily deceived?


    How could such a clan head gain the trust of the clan members? So, for the stability of the Uchiha clan, we must inform the clan members about this in advance and select a new heir in a timely manner. Now we''re just advancing what was supposed to be done a little.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Ling withdrew his hand, still wearing a gentle smile on his lips. ¡°Does Madara think losing my eyes will have any impact on me? For me, it''s just the beginning of an endless spiritual practice. I''ll adapt soon.¡±


    Madara''s attitude finally began to soften. His tense shoulders slowly relaxed. ¡°...Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. Have I ever lied to you, Madara?¡± Ling smiled. ¡°So, Madara, can you be patient for a while and give me some time? I promise you, I''ll regain my strength soon and make all those people shut up.¡±


    Madara pursed his lips and nodded rather reluctantly. ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good lad~¡± Ling couldn''t help but reach out and ruffle his younger brother''s hair again. ¡°How about I take you to eat fried tofu sushi after I recover?¡±


    Madara puffed out his cheeks but didn''t dodge, allowing Ling to mess up his hair. ¡°Really! Onii - san! I''m not a child anymore!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes~¡± Ling smiled and withdrew his hand. ¡°After all, even though you''re only seven now, with your growth rate, you''ll soon be a qualified heir of the Uchiha clan. I have to be more careful about my actions¡ª¡±


    ¡°Onii - san!¡± Madara fluffed up his hair again. ¡°Really, you''ve been chatting with me like this. I forgot I came here to change your dressing! Stop laughing! Lie down quickly!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡ª¡± Ling laughed out loud, but gasped in pain as he tugged at his wound. Still, he didn''t forget to tease his younger brother. ¡°Sure enough, Madara''s personality is so cute¡ª¡±


    ¡°Onii - san!!!¡±


    Although Ling said something cool during the conversation with his younger brother¡ªlike it''s just the beginning of an endless spiritual practice¡ªhe still lacked confidence in himself.


    What he said was essentially to relieve his family members'' uneasiness, even though he was equally uneasy himself.


    [It''s so inconvenient even if most of my physical injuries have healed if I can''t see.]


    Ling walked barefoot in the room, feeling his way along the wall. At the same time, he kept memorizing the route he had taken in his mind. *Relying solely on physical senses makes it difficult to clearly perceive everything around... Maybe I should consider using sensory ninjutsu¡ªOuch!*


    Ling squatted down and hugged his knee, massaging the bruised area to relieve the pain. *It seems that I can''t be distracted when walking until I''m completely used to the darkness... I need to train my chakra and sensory ninjutsu well.*


    After the pain subsided, Ling took another step forward. This time, he didn''t let his mind wander but focused all his attention on his senses. After walking around the room a few times and feeling that he had memorized the furnishings inside, he finally stopped holding onto the wall and strode around the room.


    But things weren''t as simple as he thought. After experiencing a series of accidents such as falling, stubbing his toe, and hitting his forehead, Ling reached out again to feel the wall and sat down. He rubbed his forehead. *Sure enough, it was too naive to rely on memory alone without expending chakra... Maybe I should consider finding a summoned beast?*


    However, it seems that in the clan, one has to pass the other party''s test alone to find a summoned beast... So, should I first overcome the hindrance of not having vision? After all, the fluctuations of sensory ninjutsu are too obvious, and it''s difficult to maintain the chakra for a long time. What if I''m in a battle...


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Ling was still pondering how to overcome the vision problem in the room, but in another room of a mansion, Madara Uchiha was also lost in thought.


    However, Madara''s thoughts were different from Ling''s. He was thinking about what had happened to him at the clan school yesterday.


    After yesterday''s clan school class, when he was about to practice on his own, he heard some of his peers gathering to slander Ling, and the more they talked, the worse it got.


    Just then, Madara just couldn''t help it and beat the rumor - monger to tears. That guy tried to get revenge and brought his older brother, who was two or three years older than them, to fight back.


    Madara was not the least bit afraid. He bravely fought against the two of them alone. At the cost of a black eye on his left eye, he beat the two of them back again - and he was even more ruthless than the first time.


    Then, these two brothers who failed to get revenge found someone else to help them. They blocked Madara outside the clan school this morning. Just when Madara thought he was going to fight against three people, the person brought by the two brothers didn''t attack immediately. Instead, he seriously asked Madara about the cause of the incident.


    Madara knew this person. He was the son of a pro - war Uchiha elder, named Uchiha Akihiko. He was one of the strong contenders for the position of heir who had competed with Ling back then. Incidentally, the Uchiha clan chiefs are elected from the same generation according to the age of the chief''s son; if the chief''s son cannot outperform his peers, the heir position will go to the strongest person in the same generation.


    Originally, after Ling''s incident, Uchiha Akihiko should have directly become the heir. However, all of their peers chose to give up. Coupled with Ling''s successful destruction of the Senju''s supply line, the heir selection started again, and Madara was also able to participate.


    Although he felt that the visitors were ill-intentioned, Madara still told the whole story without concealment. Then he saw the originally smiling young man, about the same age as Ling, backhandedly give each of the two guys who had been smugly making faces at him from behind a whack on the head.


    ¡¾You bad - mouthed someone and got beaten by the guy''s little brother, and you still have the gall to ask me to get even for you?! How shameless! Aren''t you ashamed of yourselves?! And you''re still glaring at me! If you two weren''t my own brothers, this wouldn''t be settled with just two slaps, you know? Apologize to him right now!¡¿


    You know, even Madara himself couldn''t deny that the Uchiha clan sometimes engaged in almost mindless acts of protecting their own. So when he saw that Uchiha Akihiko actually had the patience to listen to him and then turned around to scold his own brothers, Madara was utterly shocked.


    But that wasn''t all. After forcing his two brothers to apologize, Uchiha Akihiko secretly pulled Madara aside and, looking a bit awkward, started speaking.


    ¡¾Ahem... Madara, you know, your elder brother has encountered a lot of things recently. My Father is a hawkish person. Suddenly receiving an order to hold the position, he can''t help but complain a bit when he gets home. My younger brother is just a mimic. In fact, he doesn''t know what''s going on at all. So don''t blame him too much...¡¿


    Madara just looked up at him, looking utterly confused.


    ¡¾Ahem... Anyway, tell Brother Ling that no matter what the clan members say, we peers are still on his side. Tell him to recuperate well. We''re all waiting for him to come back - but don''t mention the thing about my brother slandering him. I''ll definitely teach him a lesson when I get home. Please, consider it a favor I owe you.¡¿


    Madara: ¡­ Why?


    But Uchiha Akihiko didn''t intend to explain further to Madara. He grabbed one brother with each hand and walked away quickly while scolding. It seemed that he would definitely teach his brothers a lesson when he got home.


    After hearing all this, Madara looked extremely confused. He always felt that he might have discovered some side of his elder brother that he had never shown in front of his family.


    Just when Madara was thinking about what Ling had been hiding, the crisp "tapping" sound from outside the door interrupted his train of thought.


    Madara opened the door with a puzzled look. What he saw was a Dang¨­ staggering in while hugging a branch that was twice as long as his own body and had been hacked up badly. That crisp "tapping" sound was the sound of the branch hitting the wall.


    Madara quickly stepped forward to hold the stick that was hitting everywhere as the Dang¨­ walked. "Izuna, what are you doing? Do you have something you want to do? Big brother can help you."


    The Dang¨­ looked up, showing a gap - toothed smile. "I want to go find big brother and give Korega to him!"


    "Going to find big brother?" Madara tilted his head and smiled as he took his younger brother''s hand. "Let''s go together. It''s almost time to change big brother''s dressing anyway. But... why do you want to give a branch to big brother?"


    "I heard Father and the elders talking today. They said Aniki''s eyes won''t recover... But don''t stories always mention blind swordsmen and such? They all have walking sticks to find their way, so I wanted to make one for Aniki too! I searched the forest for a long time!"


    Madara was slightly stunned, then showed a helpless smile and pulled Izuna outside. "Our Izuna is so considerate. But this branch can''t be used as a blind stick right now. Let''s process it and then give it to our big brother, okay?"


    "Yeah! I''ll listen to you, brother!" Izuna smiled. "Once Aniki has the blind stick, he''ll surely be as powerful as the blind swordsmen in the storybooks in no time! Then we can train and go on missions with Aniki!"


    Madara''s hand holding the branch tightened suddenly. The smile on his lips faded a lot, and a hint of worry flashed in his eyes. But his voice remained gentle. "Yes, Izuna is right. Big brother will surely cheer up soon."


    Izuna Uchiha, in the original work, didn''t have many appearances. He wasn''t as young as I''ve written here. At this time, he had already started going to the battlefield.

 Chapter 4: The Blind Stick

    Madara and Izuna trimmed the branch to a proper length. In fact, Madara only let Izuna make a couple of symbolic cuts and did the rest himself. After smoothing it and confirming it could barely pass as a usable blind stick, Madara picked up the newly - made blind stick in one hand and led a very happy Izuna to Ling''s room with the other.


    But just as they reached the door, they heard running sounds inside. Madara was taken aback and gently knocked on the door. "......Big brother?"


    The running sound stopped immediately, but there were sounds of heavy objects falling and things scattered messily. Madara was worried and reached out to open the door. What he saw was Ling sitting in a pile of clutter, silently groaning as he covered the back of his head. There was also a toppled storage cabinet beside him.


    "Big brother, what happened...?"


    Hearing Madara''s voice, Ling stood up while rubbing his head. "It''s nothing, nothing. I just couldn''t help but exercise now that my injury is better. I was running on the roof at first. Then when I heard the knock on the door, I got a bit anxious. When I came down, I forgot about the distance and accidentally stepped on the cabinet. Not being able to see is really a big Mondai, haha!"


    Madara:......


    Letting out a long sigh, Madara handed the blind stick he was holding to Izuna, motioning for him to wait at the door. Then he walked into the room. "Big brother, there''s no need to rush to adapt... I''ll clean up here. You take Izuna for a walk in the yard. The weather is nice today. Your injury is almost healed. It''ll be good for you to go out and change your mood after so long."


    "Sorry, Madara. I''m troubling you again."


    "It''s okay. I''ve finished today''s lessons and training," Madara supported Ling''s arm and guided him around the mess on the ground. "We can do the extra practice later. It doesn''t matter. And cleaning the room won''t take much time."


    On one side, Izuna couldn''t help but run over, holding a blind stick. "Big brother! Korega for you!"


    Ling took the object Izuna had stuffed into his hand. After feeling it carefully, he was a bit confused. "¡­What is this? A branch? No, it seems to have been polished¡­ A wooden stick?"


    "It''s a blind stick! I just made it with big brother Madara, and I helped too!"


    Ling paused slightly, then held one end of the blind stick and reached out his other hand to gently ruffle Izuna''s hair, smiling as he spoke. "Really? Our Izuna is so sweet! Big brother really needs it right now. Thank you guys for giving me Korega¡­ Let''s go try it out now! After all, big brother''s never used one before."


    "Yeah! Then let''s go to the yard together¡ª" Izuna grinned and hugged Ling''s arm from the other side. "Also, I''ve started learning to refine chakra. Big brother, help me check if there''s any Mondai!"


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Sure. Our Izuna is so smart. There''s definitely no Mondai."


    Madara watched the two walk away along the corridor. Without realizing it, he clenched his fists tightly. Maybe Izuna was too young to notice, but Madara clearly saw Ling''s unnatural pause just now.


    [Sure enough, big brother still minds it a lot¡­ It''s all those hateful Senju. Otherwise, big brother wouldn''t have¡ª]


    Madara was shocked. He shook his head hard to shake off those Malice thoughts in his mind. He kept clenching and opening his hands. After a long while, he couldn''t help but let out a sigh looking at the mess all over the ground. "Big brother doesn''t transfer his hatred because of personal grievances, nor does he complain about himself due to his own losses¡­ Instead, I''ve been dwelling on this.


    Can I really, like big brother before, win over my peers and become the heir? I¡ª"


    Madara shook his head forcefully again, forcing himself not to think anymore. He just stared at the mess on the ground, and his expression slowly became firm. "Although compared to big brother, I''m still far from enough, but as big brother said, all hardships are just the cultivation of a new beginning¡­


    Big brother has done his best for me. So, I have to do my best too. In fact, I must take on my corresponding responsibilities. I can''t let big brother down. At least, I need to be as good as big brother and win over all my peers!"


    After saying this, Madara clenched his fists again. After strengthening his conviction repeatedly in his heart, he began to clean up the house. Just looking at his vigorous and eager-to-go momentum all over his body, it seemed that he was over - exerting himself.


    On the other side, Ling also came to the corridor of the front yard with Izuna''s company.


    This was the first time he had left home after his injury. The various sounds in his ears made him feel extremely curious.


    Among them, the most obvious was the rhythm brought by the wind.


    The low wail when it blew across the eaves, the sparse chirping when it swept over the leaves, and then the fresh smell of the earth came over with it. Finally, it gently brushed over your hair, taking away the annoyance in people''s hearts quietly.


    Before losing his eyesight, Ling had never experienced such a feeling. This was also the first time he felt that the completely dark world showed him a side free of any Malice.


    After a brief moment of stupefaction, Ling let out a soft laugh. "It doesn''t seem that bad... People should really go out more often."


    Izuna looked up at his big brother beside him, confused. He couldn''t quite understand why his big brother would smile so gently just because of a gentle breeze.


    But he liked his big brother''s current smile. During this period of recuperating at home after the mission was over, although his big brother also smiled, it always made him feel that there was something between them. Those smiles weren''t as heart - warming as this one here.


    [Sure enough! Big brother just lacks a blind stick like the blind swordsman in the story. After I become stronger, I must give big brother a better blind stick!]


    Ling didn''t know that his little brother had secretly labeled him, but he was really in a good mood at the moment. He tilted his head slightly. "Didn''t Izuna say he wanted to show me what he learned newly? What do you want to show me?"


    "Yeah! It''s about chakra refinement! The clan school teacher said I''m the fastest in progress!"


    "Really? Our Izuna is so amazing~" Ling reached out and ruffled Izuna''s hair. "Big brother will feel it attentively. Try to refine chakra, Izuna?"


    Izuna nodded vigorously and pulled Ling to sit down on the corridor edge, closed his eyes, and concentrated on condensing chakra as the teacher had taught him a few days ago.


    Ling placed his hand on Izuna''s shoulder, carefully feeling the flow of energy in Izuna''s body. After a moment, he retracted his hand with a soft smile and said gently, "It seems there''s a little genius in our family too."

 Chapter 5: Teaching

    "Really!" Izuna immediately stopped the action of condensing chakra and looked extremely excited. "Then teach me some more, big brother! The Lightning Release you used before was so awesome! Teach me Korega!"


    Ling shook his head slightly. "That''s not possible."


    "Eh - Please teach me, big brother - I tested my attributes before. I also have the lightning attribute. I can learn it!"


    Ling could almost imagine his younger brother''s disappointed expression. While finding it funny, he also felt a bit of regret, but he didn''t change his words. He just softened his voice. "It''s different, young Izuna. It''s not that big brother doesn''t want to teach you, but you can''t learn it yet, young Izuna."


    Izuna tilted his head in confusion. "What''s different? Why can''t I learn it?"


    "Well, Izuna also knows that chakra is classified into five attributes: wind, fire, water, earth, and lightning. If there isn''t the corresponding attribute of chakra in the body, one can''t learn the corresponding attribute of ninjutsu."


    Ling reached out and gently tapped Izuna''s forehead, speaking gently. "But besides that, there''s also another extremely important point, which is one''s own chakra amount. When the power of ninjutsu remains constant, Lightning Release ninjutsu consumes more chakra and has higher requirements for the body.


    Moreover, Izuna doesn''t have enough chakra at present to release that ninjutsu."


    Izuna wasn''t the kind of person who would keep making a fuss just because he couldn''t get what he wanted. After getting an explanation, he was just a little disappointed and didn''t keep bugging. Instead, he turned his attention to another question. "Then how much more chakra do I need to learn that super cool ninjutsu?"


    "Well¡ªfor safety reasons, you need to at least increase your current chakra by twenty times. Moreover, Izuna, you also need to learn nature transformation and fast hand - seals..."


    "You also have to continue improving your physical fitness. You won''t be able to use it smoothly with your current constitution. After all, that ninjutsu was second - developed by me, so it suits me better. The requirements will be a bit harsher for others to practice."


    Izuna opened his cat - like eyes wide. "Eh¡ª? Twenty times?"


    "Yeah, Lightning Release also has high requirements for the body. You see, big brother recovers quickly after each mission, right? That''s all thanks to big brother''s continuous hard training. You need a strong body to use cool fighting methods."


    Izuna, who had just started learning about chakra, was completely confused. He lowered his head and started counting on his fingers. His voice even sounded as if he was questioning the meaning of life. "Twenty times more chakra, more physical training, learning nature transformation and fast hand - seals... Is it really that hard to fight coolly?"


    "Well¡ªIzuna, you don''t need to be in a rush. When you get a little older, your body will be able to condense chakra more easily. For now, it''s better to focus on improving your physical fitness and practicing hand - seals."


    Ling softly laughed and reached out to ruffle his little brother''s hair. "But there are also things you can learn now. If you work hard at it, you''ll be far ahead of your peers in the future."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Izuna immediately perked up and grabbed Ling''s arm. "What is it? Is it also cool?"


    Ling tilted his head back, his voice a bit hesitant. "Well¡ªshould be. After all, this is a skill that is supposed to be learned after hand - seals."


    "Then I want to learn!"


    "Haha... Okay, but remember to be careful when you practice, all right?" Ling stood up, leaned on his blind stick, and felt his way to a wall. "Watch closely."


    After Izuna responded, he fixed his eyes on Ling. He saw Ling take off his shoes and step on the wall, then slowly walked up along the wall. Finally, he stood firmly on the wall.


    Izuna had seen other clan members run up the wall in a few steps and then dash along the rooftops, but he rarely saw someone stand on the wall parallel to the ground in such a leisurely manner. His eyes immediately lit up. "Is this also done by using chakra?"


    "Yeah, but it requires high - level chakra control. Izuna, you can put a cushion under you and practice on the big tree in the yard."


    Ling turned around, slowly walked down, and sat down beside Izuna again. "During missions, we always encounter all sorts of bad environments. The ground beneath our feet isn''t always solid. There are muddy swamps, slippery moss, and water surfaces with no footholds..."


    "When we encounter such situations, we must condense our own chakra under our feet to provide ourselves with a place to stand, so as to better unleash our combat power."


    Izuna tilted his head. "Why can we use chakra to move steadily in those places against the normal rules? Is it because we use chakra to form a plane to stand on?"


    "No, a more accurate way of putting it is that we use chakra to attach ourselves to those objects, tricking them into thinking that we are the same kind of substance as them. Chakra also evenly distributes the weight of our bodies. That''s how we achieve the goal of stability and supporting our bodies."


    "And different places require different amounts of chakra. The more unstable the ground beneath our feet is, the more chakra we''ll consume. We have to make timely adjustments to move freely. However, the chakra consumed in this kind of movement is negligible compared to that used in releasing ninjutsu, so there''s no need to worry too much about running out of chakra because of this."


    "So, at your age when you have relatively less chakra, it''s better to do this kind of practice than to learn ninjutsu. It can give you better training. I''ll tell you some key points next. If you don''t understand anything, ask me at any time. Don''t hide it, okay?"


    "Yeah! I''ll definitely listen carefully and ask when I don''t understand!"


    When Madara came out after tidying up the house, he saw his big brother barefoot in the yard, raising his hand to guide his younger brother up the tree step by step.


    A smile involuntarily appeared on his lips, and he slightly raised his voice. "Big brother, are you teaching Izuna the skills of climbing trees and walking on water?"


    "Yeah," Ling maintained a semi-squatting position and always held his arms loosely about a palm''s distance from Izuna. "Our Izuna is very talented. He can already walk steadily for seven or eight steps now."


    "Eh - so Izuna is really great?" Madara also walked into the yard with a smile. "I could only take three or four steps at this age."


    Just as Madara was speaking, Izuna slipped and fell again. Ling caught him and hugged him up smoothly. "Not bad. Our Izuna walked ten steps this time."


    "How on earth can I channel chakra under my feet?" Izuna''s little face looked puffy with anger. "If I use too little chakra, I can''t stand on it. If I use too much, my foot gets stuck and I can''t lift it, and I might even get bounced off. And there''s also a feeling of losing my balance when standing on it... Korega is so difficult!"


    "Haha, this is normal. It took me a whole day to learn it back then." Madara laughed. "But there''s a trick to it. At first, you can try to sense it with your hands. After you roughly figure out how much chakra to release, then switch to using your feet. In this way, even if you don''t walk steadily, you''re less likely to fall."


    Izuna''s eyes sparkled with excitement. Just as he was about to say something, Ling interrupted him with a smile and said, "Wasn''t it because Madara fell from a tree into the water, couldn''t swim, and the adults were nowhere around that he accidentally learned Korega?"


    Madara blushed. "Big brother! You don''t need to mention that!"


    "Hahaha, it doesn''t matter! I learned Korega because I was being naughty and climbed too high, and then I couldn''t get down. I had to learn it to get home on time." Ling burst out laughing, holding Izuna in his arms. "I was so clumsy when I first used this technique, flailing my hands and feet everywhere. What you guys did is nothing compared to that."

 Chapter 6: Scheming

    After that day''s walk with Izuna, Ling started to change his mindset. Instead of staying in his room getting used to his body, he took the blind stick given by his younger brothers and started to wander around the Uchiha clan.


    As for Ling''s actions, the Uchiha clan had different opinions.


    However, the division was a bit strange. Those who criticized Ling were mostly the older generation who had seen many battles, as well as the young and child generations who had a generation gap with him. The young generation, led by Uchiha Akihiko, who had just started on the battlefield, almost unconditionally defended him.


    In public, it meant that every time Ling left his house, there would be an extra peer who was off - duty accompanying him.


    "Sorry, I''m putting you in a difficult Mondai."


    Uchiha Akihiko looked a bit embarrassed. But when he saw the scar on Ling''s face, he couldn''t bring himself to say anything too harsh. "If you really think we''re in a tough Mondai, cheer up quickly. Our duel isn''t over yet."


    "You really don''t like to admit defeat, Akihiko..." Ling smiled softly. "How about practicing with me right now?"


    Uchiha Akihiko first glared at a kid who was pointing at Ling''s wound and about to say something. Then he showed obvious disgust on his face. "You want me to pick on a blind guy? Do I have no self - respect?"


    Ling wasn''t annoyed. "It''s okay to just practice Gitai. I''ve recently started practicing it again."


    Hearing this, Akihiko stroked his chin. "¡­Then let''s go to the back mountain. There are fewer people there."


    "Let''s go to the training ground." Ling shook his head slightly, with a somewhat helpless smile on his lips. "You don''t need to protect me like this anymore. After all, in a few days, when this war is over, everything will settle down."


    Hearing this, Uchiha Akihiko couldn''t help sizing Ling up and down. Finally, his gaze landed on the scar on Ling''s face. He seemed to understand, but he couldn''t help shaking his head and tut - tutting. "You''re so devious. No wonder you don''t cover your eyes."


    Ling chuckled and held up a finger in front of him. "We always have to leave some clues for what''s going to happen next. We have to make the act believable, right?"


    "Tsk, you''re wasting my good intentions..." Uchiha Akihiko put his arm around Ling''s neck. "Come on, let''s go to the training ground. I won''t be satisfied unless I beat the hell out of you today!"


    "


    "Then, please go easy on me first... Hey, slow down, slow down. I still need to count the steps."


    Uchiha Akihiko slowed down his pace. Just listening to the crisp sound of Ling''s blind stick hitting the ground, he couldn''t help but admire Ling once again.


    Since he was one of the strong contenders for the heir, he naturally had his own calculations in mind. Once Ling said this, uniting the recent rumors in the Uchiha clan and the situation on the battlefield, how could he not know what was going on?


    ¡ª¡ªIt could only be that Ling set up a trap with himself and took advantage of the existing conditions to scheme.


    First, he spread the rumor that he had his eyes gouged out due to a failed mission, guiding the Uchiha clan to contract their front line and avoid the edge of the Senju clan''s Fury. Then, he temporarily avoided disputes under the pretext of recuperating, allowing the clansmen to vent their grievances on him while also starting to focus on the selection of the next - generation heir.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    When the Senju clan began to turn to a disadvantage on the battlefield, Ling started to move around again and didn''t hide his injuries. As one of the powerful ninja clans in the ninja world, how could the ninjas in the Uchiha clan not tell how Ling''s injuries were actually caused?


    As long as they had doubts, most Uchiha, with their temperaments, would surely investigate on their own. Once they dug out the hidden truth, out of guilt and entanglement, they would surely turn their attention to Ling and Madara. This would undoubtedly bring inestimable benefits to Ling''s restoration of his reputation and Madara''s participation in the next heir selection.


    This move not only safeguarded the interests of the Uchiha clan but also enhanced the clan''s cohesion. In the end, Ling himself suffered no loss other than briefly enduring the criticism...


    But people''s words are terrifying. Even if they knew this, how many people could bear such pressure?


    Thinking of this, Uchiha Akihiko couldn''t help but shake his head secretly. He asked himself, if he had encountered the same±ä¹Ê as Ling, he definitely wouldn''t have been able to put aside his own feelings right at the beginning, use his own pain to set up a plan, and at the same time pave the way for his younger brother and the Uchiha clan. Uchiha Ling was a madman who could always stay calm.


    Because they had competed with each other, and he knew what kind of person Ling was, when the rumor spread in the Uchiha clan that Ling had his eyes gouged out due to a failed mission, Uchiha Akihiko''s first reaction was disbelief. Unless someone defected from the Uchiha clan, the most severe punishment for a failed mission in their clan was at most to withhold the mission reward to make up for the clan''s losses. In the worst - case situation, they would send the person to the place where the clan scrolls were stored to copy ninjutsu and history.


    As a family renowned for its eye techniques, the eyes were undoubtedly the foundation of the Uchiha clan. So, unless it was an unforgivable sin, the Uchiha clan would never gouge out someone''s eyes.


    Therefore, Uchiha Akihiko was certain that there was something fishy going on. After a brief exchange with some of his former competitors, he was even more convinced. This was also why he said those words to Madara when he met him that day. He just wanted to use Madara''s mouth to convey some news from the Uchiha clan to Ling.


    When Uchiha Akihiko saw the scar on Ling''s countenance, he became even more certain that the recent trend within the Uchiha clan was deliberately incited. Putting himself in Ling''s place, he and several of his contemporaries gathered to accompany Ling in their spare time, hoping to shield him from the gossip...


    However, reality proved that everything had already been pre - arranged. He was just meddling in other people''s business!


    Upon hearing the snort beside him, Ling couldn''t help but defend himself, "This matter isn''t entirely my doing alone. After all, you''ve seen my current situation. The current outcome is thanks to the efforts of the elders and my Father."


    "Then you must have been the one to bring it up first, right?" Uchiha Akihiko clicked his tongue. "You still have a mind for scheming even in such a seriously injured state. You''re really a lunatic."


    "Hehe... I''m afraid this battered body of mine won''t be able to make much contribution to the Uchiha clan from now on. So, I need to do something for my family and the Uchiha clan while I still have some influence. Moreover... as the former heir, since I''ve managed to survive, at the very least, I can''t become a burden to the family. Otherwise, the clan members will start to question my Father and the elders'' judgment."


    Hearing this, Uchiha Akihiko couldn''t help but sigh inwardly, but he also couldn''t resist muttering, "Say, does Madara know you''re this sly?"


    Ling didn''t answer this question, just smiling and saying, "Madara is very talented and hard - working. He''ll definitely do better than me in the future."


    "That lad?" Uchiha Akihiko scoffed and waved his hand. "It''s only because you''re still alive. If you were dead, aside from the Uchiha clan''s reaction, not many of us in this generation would recognize that lad as the clan leader. Although Madara is responsible and talented enough, the head of the clan doesn''t need a stubborn idealist like him."


    "A stubborn idealist..." Ling laughed softly. "But if one day, someone can really convince Madara, then they must share a grand dream, right?


    One single tree cannot form a forest, and one solitary flower cannot bring spring. One tree does not make a forest; one flower does not make a spring (i.e., unity is strength). If you can meet someone with the same ideals and work together for it, it would be a good future to lead the two clans forward together... Well, it seems there are still reasons not to slack off."


    "...Can you be cured of your brother - complex?"


    "Come on, it''s like you don''t have one. I remember last time¡ª"


    Uchiha Akihiko immediately widened his eyes, reached out, and covered Ling''s mouth. "Stop right there! Just talk and don''t dig up old embarrassing stuff. Otherwise, don''t blame me for using ninjutsu to attack you later!"


    Hearing the gradually louder sounds of fighting in the distance, Ling smiled and pulled Akihiko''s hand away. "Then you have to clear the area. I can''t see now, and I won''t be able to tell friend from foe in a fight."

 Chapter 7: Summoned Beasts

    Uchiha Akihiko lay on the slightly uneven ground of the training ground, utterly confused about how he had lost.


    Obviously, he had the upper hand in their fight. But at the last moment, he slapped Ling on the back with his palm, trying to subdue him. At that time, Ling actually grabbed his wrist precisely. At the same time, Ling threw himself into his arms and rammed his elbow viciously into his lower ribs. Then, before he could catch his breath, Ling flipped his elbow up and hit him on the chin.


    In a pure Gitai exchange where the use of illusions and ninjutsu is prohibited... the result of the battle was self - evident.


    Uchiha Akihiko propped himself up and sat up, looking rather depressed. "Hey, are you really blind?"


    Ling was still groping around for the blind stick he had put aside before the fight. Hearing this, he couldn''t help but smile bitterly and pointed at the scar on his face. "I''m in such a state that I can''t even have the eyeballs left by my clansmen transplanted. What do you think?"


    "How did you grab me so accurately then?" Uchiha Akihiko did a backflip and stood up. He picked up Ling''s blind stick and put it back into his hand. "I thought the angle I attacked at was pretty tricky, though."


    "Ah, thanks..." Ling took the blind stick and faced Uchiha Akihiko. "If you had stabbed at me with your palm upright, I probably wouldn''t have been able to do anything. But when you slapped, I could roughly tell from the sound of the wind. I just got lucky and grabbed you."


    "The sound of the wind, huh..." Uchiha Akihiko patted the dust off his body. "Are you training your hearing?"


    "Yeah, well, I used to do some training to locate things by sound. It''s a quicker way to improve this way." Ling nodded slightly, with a faint smile on his lips. "And how should I put it? After losing my vision, the world seems so strange. A lot of things I didn''t notice before have been magnified infinitely."


    "Should I also do some anti - darkness training?" Uchiha Akihiko looked rather depressed. "Why do I feel like there''s a bigger gap between us since you went blind?"


    "Hahaha, be more confident. At least I''ll never catch up with you in illusions."


    "Your illusion skills were never as good as mine. You wouldn''t have caught up even if you weren''t blind!" Uchiha Akihiko snorted. "On the contrary, you''d better watch out. I''ll surpass you in ninjutsu."


    Ling stood there for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Makes sense. After all, it already takes a lot of energy for me to use chakra to sense the outside world during a battle. I really shouldn''t waste my energy on ninjutsu."


    Uchiha Akihiko: ¡­ Keep being so competitive. [Cursing emoji]


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    But he just thought about it in his mind and didn''t really say it out. Instead, when he saw Ling struggling for a long time and finally choosing the wrong direction, he reached out and pulled him back. "You''re going the wrong way. Seriously, you should apply for a summoned beast.


    You might be talented in fighting and eventually overcome your difficulties and catch up with the team. But in your current situation, you can''t always rely on yourself to find the right way, right? After all, even in group missions, there are times when you have to split up."


    Hearing this, Ling fell into silence again.


    Uchiha Akihiko is right. Even if I can keep fighting and carrying out tasks, the top priority is to overcome the obstacle of my vision as soon as possible. It''s just that there''s a problem...


    Ling forced a helpless smile. "Let''s wait a bit longer. If I want to fight now, I don''t even have enough chakra to maintain my combat strength... Moreover, our clan has only established diplomatic relations with the Ninja Cat clan for a little over a decade. The friendship isn''t deep. I''m afraid it''ll be difficult for me to pass the tests of the Ninja Cat clan."


    "Then you must have some money, right? When I went there last time, I met a money - grubbing cat. It accepts all summoning requests, and it goes to the highest bidder. The basic hourly rate is a thousand."


    "No, it''s just too unethical for it to accept all summoning requests and choose the highest bidder."


    "Better than nothing... Oh, by the way, Yugu is allergic to cat fur, so he''s been raising crows lately. You can ask him about this later."


    "Crows? They are indeed smart birds. They can even talk after learning chakra... Thanks, I''ll go to Yugu later." Ling nodded slightly in Uchiha Akihiko''s direction. "By the way, does your Father have any news from the battlefield?"


    "Yeah, I''ll tell you slowly..."


    As Ling listened to the intelligence conveyed by Uchiha Akihiko, she couldn''t help but frown. "The elders have assigned a task of attacking from the rear?"


    "Yeah, they said to take the opportunity to attack their camp and kill the sensory and medical ninjas of the Senju clan."


    "Is the intelligence accurate?"


    Uchiha Akihiko nodded slightly upon hearing this, but quickly realized something and said, "Uncle Kenji risked his life to bring back this intelligence, and we killed all the chasing Senju squads. It should be authentic.


    However, to ensure that the intelligence doesn''t become outdated or inaccurate, several planned assault squads will set off from the clan tonight. Why do you ask?"


    After a brief silence, Ling stopped walking. "You should also sign up. It''d be best if you can become the captain of one of the assault squads."


    Uchiha Akihiko raised his eyebrows but didn''t respond, only letting out a grunt to signal Ling to continue.


    "Based on past assault experiences, the Senju should have another stronghold within ten to thirty miles of their main base. It usually houses sensory ninjas and young trainees. You''ll be in charge of the search team for this [Korega] stronghold."


    "What? You want me to take the credit?"


    "No, it''s to guard against possible [Booby Trap]s," Ling shook her head slightly, her voice cold. "Although you said that Uncle Kenji risked his life to get this intelligence, the Senju and the Uchiha have been at odds for decades. Both sides are bound to know some of each other''s habits. It''s not the first time they''ve set up ambushes based on this.


    Unlike us, the Senju clan is a clan of [universal benevolence]. If someone informs the base personnel in advance, what you''ll face won''t be a poorly - defended base, but a group of fanatics willing to sacrifice themselves for the [Uchiha clan] and that so - called [just cause]."


    I don''t care what the Senju clan members think or how they act. But as for us Uchiha, even if we were to die in a head - on battle, we shouldn''t die because of a momentary oversight due to the schemes of our old rivals (the Senju clan). If you''re willing, I''ll explain everything in detail and let you take the lead in handling it. If not, I''ll go find the elders myself and ask someone else.


    "¡­I understand," Uchiha Akihiko finally said seriously, "Let''s talk somewhere else."

 Chapter 8: Preparations Before the Mission

    After talking with Ling, Uchiha Akihiko still followed his advice and applied to join the search team. However, the atmosphere within this team was not very harmonious during the mission.


    For the task of exploration and sensing, it definitely had to be carried out by experienced clan members. The problem (Mondai) with this team was that the relationship between Uchiha Akihiko and the clan member in charge of exploration wasn''t very good.


    "Yo, what''s up? Didn''t you say you wouldn''t come before? Did a fight with Ling at the training ground change your mind?"


    Uchiha Akihiko glanced at the speaker without changing his expression, "Hiro, I''ll accompany you as many times as you want to settle our personal grudges when we''re back at the clan grounds. But if you delay the mission¡­"


    "Tsk¡ªI''m not that short - sighted." Uchiha Hiro sneered with a mocking smile on his lips, "At most, I won''t relieve your pain when treating you."


    "That''s for the best." Uchiha Akihiko''s mouth twitched subtly. He retracted his gaze and looked at the others, "If anyone has any objections, it''s best to raise them now. I''m not Ling. I don''t have his good temper to take care of your thoughts one by one."


    The other Uchiha members all shook their heads and didn''t say a word.


    The feud between Uchiha Akihiko and Uchiha Hiro was no secret in the clan. As illusion (illusions) geniuses of the same generation, the clan members naturally compared the two.


    Naturally, such a comparison would reveal a difference in level. Unfortunately, Uchiha Hiro was always coming in second place. And it wasn''t just second in terms of illusions. He was second in every aspect among his peers.


    He couldn''t match Uchiha Akihiko in illusions, Uchiha Masaki in ninjutsu, and was even outperformed by their former young clan leader, Uchiha Ling, in Gitai and sensing. The only area where he could outshine his peers was in Mystical Palm Technique¡ªand that was only because the most talented people of his generation didn''t have Water or Earth attribute chakra and couldn''t learn the Mystical Palm Technique.


    This led to him being dissatisfied with these three people. However, all he did was keep challenging them and losing, and occasionally making some sarcastic remarks. He never disobeyed commands.


    Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Uchiha Akihiko spoke up again, "Our mission this time is very simple: to find the hidden strongholds of the Senju clan and remove the hidden threats for the main force. Hiro is a sensory ninja and also the only medical ninja in our team. Everyone should pay attention to his position during the mission and don''t let the Senju clan succeed."


    Hearing this, Uchiha Hiro clicked his tongue in annoyance but didn''t refuse. Instead, he said he''d cooperate and stay within the protection perimeter. After all, it was a common practice on the battlefield to target sensory and medical ninjas first. He wasn''t crazy enough to take on a Senju squad alone.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "After we find them, what then? Kill them all?" Uchiha Masaki put his hands behind his head, looking rather relaxed. "Well, whatever. Just hurry up! I promised Maki I''d go to the town fair with her the day after tomorrow. I wanna wrap this up soon."


    "Heartbreaker scumbag."


    "How could you say that? I''m serious about every relationship! I only date one girl at a time!" Uchiha Masaki immediately dropped his hands, turned around, and glared at Uchiha Hiro. "And when we''re together, I do whatever she wants. We always part on good terms. What gives you the right to call me a scumbag!


    If you really want to talk about it, Ling''s the real scumbag! So many cute girls have chased after him, but he''s rejected them all, and so bluntly. I think that training maniac deserves to be single forever!"


    Uchiha Hiro curled his lips and scoffed.


    "What''s that for? You, the perennial second-place finisher, have no right to laugh at me!"


    "Heh."


    "One-on-one! We have to have a one-on-one when we get back! Uchiha Hiro, you''re in big trouble today!"


    "Come on! I''ll beat the crap out of you!"


    Uchiha Akihiko: These two pain-in-the-ass guys... He said he didn''t wanna come.


    After all, since there''s already an offensive team, the actions of this scouting team won''t have a significant impact on the battle. At most, they''ll just irritate the enemy.


    Letting out a long sigh, Uchiha Akihiko clapped his hands to gather everyone''s attention again. "You two sort this out privately later. Stop arguing in front of me. Listen, there''s one requirement for this mission. After finding the enemy base, we only wound, not kill. Also, Masaki, Hiro, you need to be ready to use sealing techniques at all times."


    When it came to business, the two stopped making noise. But after Uchiha Akihiko finished speaking, Uchiha Hiro frowned. "Only wound, not kill? Since when have you been so nice to the Senju?"


    "Stupid. Akihiko obviously wants to use this to put pressure on the Senju in the main battle¡ª" Uchiha Masaki laughed. "Hey, such a cautious approach isn''t like you. Is it that training maniac Ling again?"


    Uchiha Akihiko nodded, looking disgusted. "If it weren''t for Ling asking, do you think I''d want to go on a mission with you two troublesome guys?"


    "If Ling asked, then let''s do it. Though it''ll be a hassle." Uchiha Hiro frowned. "Only wound, not kill... It''s okay to torture them to the brink of death, right?"


    "Or we could just break their limbs. That''ll stop them from pulling any tricks¡ªHey, Akihiko, what did Ling say?"


    "Just make sure the operation is fast and make the Senju look miserable enough. But never kill them. It''d be best if they still have the strength to run back to the main battle area on their own, but are too weak to fight back."


    "This is easy. Then let me take command after Uchiha Hiro finds the stronghold?" Uchiha Masaki licked his lips, clasped his hands together, his eyes full of interest. "I''m the best at the game of cat and mouse."


    "Yeah, I''ll leave it to you then. But watch your distance and don''t push too hard." Uchiha Akihiko took out a map. "Ling told me a few suspicious areas before. I''ve marked them out. Uchiha Hiro, take a look and tell me which direction we should start from..."


    "Hmm... Let''s start from this place in the east," Uchiha Hiro reached out and pointed at the map. "I''ve also been quite suspicious of this area."


    "Okay. You''re better at this than me. I''ll follow your lead. Everyone, remember the route. Take turns using the Sharingan to scout the surroundings as we move forward," Uchiha Akihiko marked the route Uchiha Hiro pointed out on the map with a pen and handed it to the clan members beside him. "Everyone, check your supplies again. We''ll set off in ten minutes."

 Chapter 9: Booby Traps

    After setting off, the people in the squad fell silent. There was no noise except for the occasional hushed conversations between Uchiha Akihiko and Uchiha Hiro.


    Two hours after they started the search, the squad finally found something. Uchiha Akihiko stopped when he saw the entrance hidden in the darkness not far away.


    Without looking back, Uchiha Akihiko made a few hand signs. After seeing his signs, a slow smile spread across Uchiha Masaki''s face, and he disappeared using Body Flicker Technique.


    The other Uchihas also scattered in all directions, starting to set up Booby Traps and prepare for battle. They subtly surrounded Uchiha Hiro in the center as they moved.


    They didn''t have to wait long. A dazzling fire erupted from the stronghold in front of them, and several strange ninja instantly rushed out and fled in all directions.


    But what awaited them were sharp steel wires and Explosive Tags that were starting to burn. Those who weren''t stopped by the Explosive Tags were subdued by the Uchiha ninja waiting nearby.


    "Hey - we got them just like that?" Uchiha Masaki emerged from somewhere. "Less than half of the Booby Traps I set off were triggered. Ling was really being overly cautious, wasn''t he?"


    Uchiha Hiro also walked over. "I''ve checked them. They don''t have any Explosive Tags on them. They seem to be just here for training. Let''s use illusions to interrogate them."


    Uchiha Akihiko nodded, grabbed the collar of the leader and pulled him aside. The scarlet three - tomoe Sharingan in his eye sockets slowly rotated as he stared into the eyes of the man in front of him. But the next moment, he suddenly threw the man in his hand away and stepped back. "Fall back!"


    Almost immediately, all the Uchiha ninja dropped what they were doing and retreated. Just as they moved, the ninja who had been held by Uchiha Akihiko burst apart with his skin splitting open and exploded on the spot.


    The flesh and blood shattered by the explosion, along with the surging shockwaves, sent Uchiha Akihiko flying more than ten meters away and crashed him into a tree. It took him quite a while to regain his senses.


    "Hey, are you still alive!"


    Uchiha Akihiko got up with Uchiha Hiro''s help and, covering his forehead, cursed under his breath, "What a bunch of lunatics!"


    "What''s going on?" Uchiha Masaki watched the green light shining on Uchiha Hiro''s hand, and the smile on his face vanished. The scarlet [three - tomoe Sharingan] in his eyes slowly rotated as he vigilant around. At the same time, he commanded the clan members to disperse and search the surroundings. "There are [sealing techniques] in that guy''s head?"


    "Yes, it''s a [sealing technique] triggered by [illusions]." Uchiha Akihiko frowned tightly. "As long as the [sealing technique] in the brain is triggered by [illusions], the [Explosive Tag] inside the body will explode immediately... Those crazy Senju who only care about information and don''t care about their own lives! Ugh!"


    "It''s nothing serious. It''s just that the forced interruption of the [illusion] caused the [chakra] to flow back," Uchiha Hiro withdrew his hand. "Don''t use your [eye techniques]. You''ll be okay after a break... Considering that you still knew to pull the person away for interrogation, I won''t scold you."


    "We can''t rule out the possibility that these Senju here are all expendable pawns. Let''s just wipe them all out!" Uchiha Masaki''s scarlet [three - tomoe Sharingan] in his eyes spun faster and faster as he said, "We''re just going to support the troops on the main battlefield. We''re no pushovers either."


    "We can off them, but we gotta retreat and steer clear of the main battlefield," Uchiha Akihiko lowered his voice. "I have a very strong premonition of something terrible.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Hiro, I remember your brother is on the main battlefield. You have [summoned beast]. Tell them to evacuate immediately. If there are any subsequent responsibilities, let them come to me. I''ll take it all on myself."


    Uchiha Hiro was stunned, and his expression turned ugly. "...Then what am I supposed to say? That my team leader was so terrified by a human bomb that he panicked and demanded a full retreat?"


    "We''ll talk about the retreat later," Uchiha Masaki glanced at a young Senju ninja who was quietly getting up and trying to wake up his companions to escape. He drew out the [Tant¨­] from his waist. "Let''s kill them all first."


    Before his words faded, he had already instantly appeared above those Senju ninjas. With a wave of the [Tant¨­] in his hand, he neatly beheaded two defenseless Senju ninjas. But just then, two voices rang out simultaneously -


    "Wait! Masaki!"


    "Stop right now!"


    Uchiha Masaki stopped the tip of his blade at the man''s throat, tilted his head slightly, waiting for the two of them to give him an answer.


    Unlike Uchiha Akihiko, who looked extremely frightened, Uchiha Hiro seriously placed his hands on the ground. "There''s movement underground. Don''t kill those people for now."


    Uchiha Masaki glanced at those young Senju ninjas who were even younger than him. He turned the blade and precisely cut the tendons of several people''s hands without making them bleed too much.


    After doing all this, he looked at the clan members who were on scattered guard. "Tie them all up and then prepare to trigger the [Booby Trap].


    Those who brought the [Scroll of Seals] come with me to search the interior of the stronghold, while the rest of you set up the traps and then spread out for guard.


    Watching Uchiha Masaki lead the others to start the search, Uchiha Akihiko pressed his throbbing temple. "Hiro, what''s down there?"


    "¡­It''s an Explosive Tag array," Uchiha Hiro withdrew his hand, his expression cold. "But not all of them are activated yet. It should be linked to the lives of those Senju. Once they''re all dead, it''ll detonate immediately.


    Moreover, the design of the Explosive Tag array underground is very ingenious. Many sealing techniques are also used to conceal the fluctuations. If there''s a battle going on above, you simply won''t be able to sense it¡­ What a sneaky move."


    "It should be the work of the Uzumaki clan, right? Those two clans have always been in cahoots." Uchiha Akihiko pinched his temple, his head still throbbing painfully. "Notify the main battlefield as soon as possible and then retreat."


    Uchiha Hiro also knew the seriousness of the Mondai. He immediately formed hand seals and used the Summoning Technique.


    As the white smoke dissipated, a pure - white short - haired kitten yawned and appeared beside Uchiha Hiro''s hand. Its voice was still sleepy. "Didn''t we agree not to work at night, meow¡­"


    Such an adorable little kitten!


    "Sorry, Yukimaru. I''ll bring you dried shrimp later," Uchiha Hiro''s expression softened as he held the little kitten in his palm. "We''ve run into some Mondai here. Could you please notify my brother?"


    Yukimaru stretched and licked its pink paw pad, its voice lazy. "Speak, meow¡ªBut the overtime dried shrimp can''t be less, meow."


    Uchiha Hiro then carefully and concisely told Yukimaru what had happened here. Yukimaru also knew the urgency of the Mondai. After double - checking with Uchiha Hiro that nothing was left out, it turned into a pale puff of smoke and disappeared.


    "Ask Yukimaru to report to the clan too," Uchiha Akihiko shook his head vigorously, trying to suppress the sense of unease. "There are such setups in this unimportant place. Those Senju guys haven''t given up at all."


    Uchiha Hiro nodded slightly and looked at Uchiha Masaki, who was leading the clan members out of the stronghold. "How about your side?"


    "It''s so clean that a mouse would leave in tears, feeling it has to leave something behind," Uchiha Masaki spread his hands. "It seems they made preparations to evacuate a long time ago¡ªor rather, this isn''t the real stronghold at all. It''s just a decoy to deceive us."


    "I speculate that the Explosive Tag array underground is linked to these people''s lives. However, no one can guarantee that we won''t trigger something else. Let''s evacuate here as soon as possible," Uchiha Hiro frowned tightly. "But just to be safe, we''ll follow the route Ling gave us and search again. Akihiko, are you okay?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine. Let Masaki take command later," Uchiha Akihiko shook his head vigorously. "But Ling is really overly perceptive¡­"


    "Agreed¡ª" Uchiha Masaki made a gesture to signal the clan members to clean up the traces of the battlefield. "Although most of the time his caution is unnecessary, he''s really a reliable teammate¡ªHey, Akihiko, didn''t you fight him? How''s Ling doing after the recovery?"


    ¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Go back and ask him yourself.¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to. That guy used to only know about training, training, and more training... Now that he''s blind, he''ll definitely go even more overboard. I don''t want to spend all my time on training.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    ¡°Uchiha Hiro! Let''s have a duel! A duel!¡±


    ¡°Heh, weakling.¡±


    Uchiha Akihiko listened to the two whispering and arguing, and his head ached terribly. ...These two are such a pain.

 Chapter 10: Uchiha Hiro Wants to Seek Advice

    ¡°Anyway, that''s the situation, meow.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for coming to tell me so late.¡± Ling smiled softly and gently hooked the little furball''s chin with his finger, ¡°Your name is... Yukimaru, right? You''re Hiro''s summoned beast.¡±


    ¡°That''s this meow...,¡± Yukimaru clearly enjoyed Ling''s stroking, wriggling his body and showing his belly, then hugging his hand with his front paws, ¡°This meow has never seen you in the Cat Village. Otherwise, this meow would definitely have made a contract with you, meow~¡±


    ¡°Hahaha... Making a contract with me is very hard work. Do you want something to eat?¡±


    ¡°This meow will ask Hiro for food during the day,¡± Yukimaru looked up at the scar on Ling''s face and let out a purring sound in his throat, ¡°Then this meow will go to rest. If you have anything to ask, just ask Hiro tomorrow, meow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As the words fell, Yukimaru turned into a puff of white smoke and disappeared. Ling gently rubbed the fingers that had just stroked the soft fur and let out a sigh of helplessness, ¡°If I had known things would be like this, I should have gone to the Cat Village earlier to make a contract with a summoned beast... I hope I can get some results when I go to Yugu tomorrow.¡±


    But before Ling could go to Yugu to see if he could find a crow as a summoned beast, Uchiha Akihiko and the others who had completed their mission came to him.


    ¡°It seems that last night''s mission went smoothly,¡± Ling waved to Madara who had seen him off all the way, ¡°Madara, go for your training too. Akihiko and the others will take me to Yugu next.¡±


    Madara looked up at the three with bandages on their bodies and couldn''t help showing a skeptical expression, but finally nodded very reluctantly, ¡°Okay, big brother, take care on your way.¡±


    ¡°Sure enough, little Madara only becomes docile and cute in front of you, Ling~,¡± Uchiha Masaki ignored Madara''s murderous look, ¡°You don''t know how scared my younger brother, who was in the same batch as little Madara, was by him¡ª¡±


    ¡°Madara''s a reasonable and well - behaved kid. If he fights with someone, it''s probably because the other person provoked him,¡± Ling laughed softly, ¡°Didn''t you also cause me trouble because of some things, Masaki?¡±


    Uchiha Masaki froze instantly. He coughed into his fist as if to cover it up and then said, ¡°I was just young and reckless when I was after Chiho.¡±


    ¡°What''s there to hide? Isn''t it because Chiho likes Ling and you like Chiho, so you foolishly and recklessly challenged him and got beaten so badly that you couldn''t get out of bed for three days?¡± Uchiha Hiro sneered, ¡°I think you''ll end up dead because of women sooner or later.


    "


    Uchiha Masaki: "¡­ Uchiha Hiro! I''m going to fight you to the death!"


    Listening to the fight sounds beside him, Ling smiled slightly. "These two are still the same as ever. They start fighting at the slightest provocation. Did they cause any trouble during the mission?"


    "Well, I was just about to tell you¡­" Uchiha Akihiko didn''t even bother to look at the two guys who only gave him a headache. "The intelligence we got this time, was indeed a ruse by the Senju¡­"


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    It turned out that last night, after Yukimaru left to spread the news everywhere, Uchiha Akihiko and the others had searched another stronghold and engaged in a fierce battle there. As a result, every member of the squad got slightly injured.


    Because the squad transmitted the news in time, the main force avoided the [Explosive Tag array] buried underground. Even so, they were still affected by the explosion''s aftermath and lost some clan members. Moreover, the Senju left at the stronghold were determined to die, and the stronghold was completely destroyed by the explosion.


    It could be said that in this confrontation between the two clans, the Uchiha only had a slight edge. Compared with their usual performance on the frontal battlefield, they only managed to kill a few more Senju [ninja]. They didn''t gain any advantages in other aspects.


    "Well, it''s only natural that the [Senju clan] has managed to hold its own against us Uchiha for decades. They must have some tricks up their sleeves," Ling said with a smile. "It seems that our clan still needs to train more [sensory ninja]. Have you mentioned this to the elders?"


    "Yeah, I mentioned it when we got back early this morning. But don''t get your hopes up too high. Becoming a [sensory ninja] is even more difficult than becoming a [medical ninja]. Among our generation, the number of people with the aptitude for it, even counting you and Hiro, can be counted on one hand."


    Uchiha Akihiko sighed. "At this point, we really have to admire the [Senju clan]. Among every ten [ninja], there are at least two sensory types, and about 80% of them know the Mystical Palm Technique. They really can mass - produce in this aspect."


    "After all, they are the [Forest Senju]. Each and every one of them is a physical powerhouse," Uchiha Masaki limped over, covering his swollen face. "We Uchiha are better at [illusions] and [ninjutsu]."


    Uchiha Hiro also walked over, holding his lower back in a strange posture, grimacing in pain. "Agreed. After encountering the Senju in the forest, it wasn''t a battle at all. It was torture."


    Ling laughed. "Really? I think it''s okay."


    "We''re not freaks like you¡­" Uchiha Akihiko folded his arms. "By the way, you really gave me all the credit for this mission? Since the news was transmitted in time, there''s quite a lot of credit this time."


    "Yeah, after all, you were the one in charge of the mission. And I don''t have any use for the credit right now¡­" Uchiha Ling shook his head with a smile. "So why did you three come to see me so early in the morning? Don''t tell me you''re here to spar with me."


    "No, I just came to tell you the details of the mission. I have no interest in getting beaten up twice in such a short period of time." Uchiha Akihiko showed a hint of disgust. "I have a splitting headache right now. I just want to rest."


    "You asked for it! I''ve told you not to use your eye power over and over again. A wound that would have healed in one night now will take at least seven days."


    Uchiha Hiro frowned and let out a sigh. His voice lowered as he said, "My matter isn''t urgent. Wait until they''re done speaking, and then I''ll tell you. I''ll lead you to Yugu."


    Ling nodded slightly. "Then what does Uchiha Masaki want from me?"


    "Huh? I just came to see how well you''ve recovered," Uchiha Masaki said, hooking his arm around Uchiha Akihiko''s shoulder. "When do you plan to come back?"


    "Well... I suppose it''ll take some more time. At least I have to make sure I won''t get lost, right?" Ling''s smile remained on his lips. "Although I can use chakra to survey the surroundings, doing so would only increase the danger as there would be too little left for reacting and fighting."


    "That''s true..." Uchiha Masaki stroked his chin. "But you''d better hurry up. Otherwise, I won''t be polite about taking your title as the number one among our generation."


    "I can''t just ignore those words," Uchiha Akihiko retorted, elbowing Uchiha Masaki. "Even if Ling isn''t the number one among our generation, it definitely won''t be you. Let''s go. Really, it''s so vexing."


    Uchiha Masaki didn''t waste any more time. He waved goodbye while holding his stomach and then left.


    "Now, Uchiha Hiro, you can tell me. What do you want from me?"


    Uchiha Hiro clicked his tongue and turned his head away. His voice was barely audible. "It''s not a big deal. It''s just... just can you..."


    "Huh?"


    "Can you teach me how to..."


    Uchiha Ling gave a helpless smile. "Uchiha Hiro, I''m different now. I can''t read lips, and your voice is so soft... Can you speak louder and tell me what you want me to teach you this time?"


    Uchiha Hiro''s face flushed red, and he was about to storm off. But when his eyes met Uchiha Ling''s helpless smile, his anger deflated. After stammering and struggling for a long time, his voice finally became just loud enough for Uchiha Ling to hear. "It''s... Can you teach me how to pet a cat?"

 Chapter 11: Uchiha Yugu

    Chapter 11: Uchiha Yugu


    "Can you teach me how to pet a cat?"


    "Eh? Eh?!" Uchiha Ling was so shocked that he almost dropped his blind stick. "W-Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"


    Now that he had spoken out, Uchiha Hiro decided to just press on. His voice returned to normal. "Yukimaru said your technique is great, so I wanted to come and ask. If you''re not willing, just forget I said anything."


    "To pet a cat, you just need to pay attention to the pressure and direction, right?" Uchiha Ling didn''t know how to answer for a moment. "But I usually curl my fingers and use my knuckles to smooth the fur of small animals... Maybe a little cat like Yukimaru prefers this gentle kind of stroking?"


    Uchiha Hiro''s voice dropped again. "Then what about more specific details?"


    "More specific... How about you turn into a cat and let me try?" Uchiha Ling let out a chuckle. "I really don''t know how to teach this."


    Actually, Uchiha Hiro also thought he was asking a very stupid Mondai. He gave a dry cough and changed the topic. "I''ll take you to Yugu first. I''ll go ask Yukimaru later... If asking Yukimaru still doesn''t work, I''ll turn into a cat and come to you again."


    "No... I was just joking. With my perception ability, I really couldn''t do it in that situation." Ling couldn''t help but take a step back. "How about you bring Yukimaru next time and learn in person?"


    "...Let''s go. I''ll take you to Yugu."


    Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief and followed behind Uchiha Hiro, tapping his blind stick. "Actually, it''s quite normal for people to be behind others in some aspects. You don''t have to compare yourself with others in everything, Hiro."


    "Look, your illusions are way stronger than mine. People ought to focus more on their own strengths."


    "Tsk! The so - called ''Number One of the Generation'' sure talks like it''s easy."


    Ling looked even more helpless. "Wasn''t that spread by you guys? In terms of illusions, you guys are all stronger than me. What kind of number one am I?"


    "You''re as annoying as that bastard Yakuki... No, you''re even more of a pain in the ass than that guy." Uchiha Hiro curled his lips. "That guy at least admits his talent. You''re just into ''involution''. Every time we meet, you can''t stop talking about cultivation. Aren''t you tired?"


    "After all, you guys are chasing so closely. I have to work hard." Ling smiled. "But I shouldn''t be so busy in the future...


    But Hiro, as I said, you should focus more on your own advantages.


    You have great talent and almost no weak points. But people have limited energy. It''s impossible to make everything perfect."


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Uchiha Hiro looked back at Ling and gave a soft snort. His tone softened. "Do I need you to teach me what to do?"


    "Huh? Didn''t you come to ask me Mondai in private more than once?" Ling tilted his head in confusion. "I remember I invited you to practice on the back mountain with me. You refused at first and then came to spy on me. Later, when I caught you, you..."


    "...That''s enough. Shut up."


    "I''m just giving you advice. Whether you do it or not depends on your own will, Hiro." Ling couldn''t help but smile faintly at Uchiha Hiro''s depressed voice. "After all, in my opinion, Hiro, who can keep up with others in every aspect, should be the Number One of the Generation."


    Uchiha Hiro scratched the back of his head awkwardly and didn''t answer directly. "We''re at Yugu''s place. Do you need me to wait for you?"


    "No, thanks. I''ve already talked to Madara yesterday. He''ll come to me after his training at the clan school. Thanks for your trouble today."


    "It''s just showing the way..." Uchiha Hiro knocked on the door for Ling. "Let''s have another match when you can get back on the battlefield."


    "You guys have more confidence in me than I do..." Ling shook his head slightly but couldn''t help but laugh softly. "I''ll do it as soon as possible."


    "Humph... A guy who is overly modest."


    Uchiha Hiro also flashed a smile. Then he looked at the open door, yawned, and said, "Well, I''ll head back first. Yugu, I''m leaving Ling in your care."


    Uchiha Yugu, who had been named by Uchiha Hiro, simply nodded. Then he stepped aside and said, "Come in. What brings you here?"


    Ling waved in Uchiha Hiro''s direction and stepped forward to follow Uchiha Yugu. "I heard from Akihiko that you''re raising ninja crows. So I came to ask if I could sign a summoning contract with one of them."


    Uchiha Yugu turned his head to look at Ling and was silent for a moment. "The current ones won''t do. There aren''t any ninja crows that can follow you all day. You have to raise one on your own. I can give you a ninja crow egg and teach you how to nurture it."


    "What about the time?"


    Uchiha Yugu pondered for a bit. "A year should be enough."


    "Um... A year?"


    "Yeah. The current ninja crows are all ordinary crows I found a few years ago. They haven''t stably inherited chakra yet. If you want them to be able to use chakra, you have to gently guide the chakra when they''re still in the egg. It''s quite troublesome."


    Uchiha Yugu then led Ling into the house. "Moreover, your situation is quite complicated. What you need is a ninja beast that can stay by your side all day to help you see. But all these ninja crows have been nurtured by me. It''d be okay if they were just passing on messages for you. But I''m sure they wouldn''t be willing to stay with you all day long."


    "Well, Yugu is right," Ling sighed softly. "I was being a bit impatient."


    "You''ve been very calm. Don''t be too hard on yourself." Uchiha Yugu stopped walking. His expression remained cold and solemn. "I''ve got the whole picture from Akihiko. I''m not good at fighting, and I don''t have as many plans as you guys. But if this happened to me, I''d definitely have given up on myself and wasted the rest of my life.


    Ling, I heard from my Father that the current clan leader was even more talented than the former clan leader''s son back then. But even though he finally became the clan leader, he still couldn''t convince all his peers. But you did it. Akihiko, Yakuki, Hiro... They all have outstanding talents, yet they''re willing to be under you. Do you know what that means?"


    "Haha... It''s kind of embarrassing for you to bring this up all of a sudden, Yugu." Ling reached up and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "But I appreciate your kind words. Thanks."


    "Yeah, and you should change that blind stick. You should continue to specialize in Gitai in the future. You can''t do without a handy weapon. Your merits should be enough to apply for chakra steel, right? You can apply for it. Coincidentally, I''m going to the Iron Country later to assist in purchasing supplies. I can help you find a reliable blacksmith then..."


    Watching Uchiha Yugu start to go off on a tangent, rambling on about all sorts of big and small things in the clan, Ling didn''t interrupt. He just chimed in occasionally to show that he was listening, and the smile on his lips never faded.


    [It seems I have to put in even more effort.]


    ¡¿

 Chapter 12: Conversation

    Chapter 12: Conversation


    Madara still couldn''t understand why Ling had gone out for most of the day and only come back with two oddly - colored eggs, and then asked him to help make two cloth bags to carry them around. Even when Ling told him that they were important summoned beasts, he still found it hard to comprehend.


    In Madara''s view, summoned beasts were merely a form of assistance; one could simply catch and use them when needed, and spending time and effort on raising them went completely against the original purpose.


    When Madara voiced this thought, Ling reached out and tousled his hair playfully. "That''s not correct, Madara.


    A summoned beast is both a source of power and a companion. Would you ever say to a fellow clansman, ''You''re nothing but a tool''?"


    "Um - well, I wouldn''t..." Madara still looked a bit confused. "But, isn''t the whole point of signing a summoning contract to borrow the power of the summoned beast?"


    "Rather than just gaining power, it''s about making up for one''s own deficiencies," Ling laughed softly. "Actually, I never thought about summoned beasts at first. After all, I could do everything they could do, and even do better than them.


    And once you sign a contract, you have to fulfill your duties. I was afraid it would delay my cultivation, so I kept postponing my plan to go to Cat Village. Now that something unexpected has happened to me, I''m really in a pickle.


    This shows that everything in the world has its irreplaceable role. If you look down on something, you''ll definitely pay the price. Take me as a negative example, Madara. You should learn from it."


    Madara frowned and didn''t reply. Only after Ling asked again did he reluctantly grunt an "um".


    It wasn''t that he was denying the truth in Ling''s words. He just didn''t like hearing Ling use himself as an example - even if Ling didn''t care about it at all.


    "Rather than that, big brother, tell me what I should pay attention to when doing missions. The clan school will be over soon, and I''ll soon be going on missions with my clan uncle."


    "Missions...," Ling stroked his chin. "The first mission usually doesn''t involve combat. Just be careful."


    "What was big brother''s first mission?"


    "My first mission..." Ling tilted his head back, his brows furrowed slightly. "If I remember correctly, it was to steal information from a casino. At that time, I used the Transformation Technique to provoke the target and then bet with him. When he got carried away, I swapped the real information for the fake one I''d prepared. In the end, I not only got the information but also made quite a bit of extra money.


    But gambling is no big deal for a ninja. You can win easily. If you''re short on funds during a mission in the future, it''s okay to go to a casino as an emergency measure. But don''t do it in normal times. After all, a casino isn''t exactly a good place.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Besides, there are also sake houses and pleasure quarters. These are good sources of information. You should pay more attention to them during missions..."


    Madara was taken aback. "Did big brother also go on missions in sake houses and pleasure quarters?"


    "


    "There are many samurai in the pleasure quarter, as well as noble guards, young masters, and young ladies who want to see the world. Sometimes the madams of the brothels also post missions for us to collect debts... Anyway, many small missions are posted from these places. As for the sake house..."


    Ling tilted his head slightly, looking a bit ill-at-ease. "Occasionally, after finishing a mission, I''d go there for a few drinks... Although sometimes the owner would kick me out because I''m too young."


    Madara showed a confused expression.


    "Big brother... Didn''t Father say that we''re not allowed to stay out before reporting to the Uchiha clan and confirming that the mission is completely finished?"


    Ling gave a light cough, his face turning slightly red. "It''s ''cause all the shop owners in the civilian area protected by the Uchiha clan know me. If I used the Transformation Technique to go there, things would get even more complicated... Well, anyway, Madara, just ask whatever [Mondai] you have."


    This time, Madara went blank for a while and didn''t ask right away. "So, big brother also does things outside the rules."


    "Of course, I''m also human." Ling smiled helplessly and reached out to ruffle Madara''s hair. "I originally wanted to take you on your first mission myself, but it''s a pity I can''t witness Madara''s growth with my own eyes now."


    "Don''t worry, big brother. I''ll definitely live up to our family''s expectations and return victorious." Madara smiled, but soon got up and fetched a [Scroll] of ninjutsu. "By the way, I have some [Mondai] about ninjutsu I''d like to ask..."


    "Sure, tell me, Madara."


    Their discussion lasted until Tajima Uchiha came back. After dinner, Tajima Uchiha also found Ling alone.


    "The conflict with the Senju has ended. Tomorrow, after sending Madara on his mission, I''ll announce the truth with the elders..." Tajima Uchiha looked apologetic. "You''ve had a hard time these days, Ling."


    Ling sat upright on his knees and shook his head slightly upon hearing this. "No, this is just what I should do. It''s not hard... But now that this matter is over, I can focus on adapting to my own situation."


    Tajima Uchiha looked even more worried, but he didn''t say anything to stop Ling. "I understand. Just tell me if you need anything."


    "There is indeed something I''d like to trouble Father with..." Ling placed his blind stick across his legs and subconsciously rubbed it with his fingers. "My current situation is no longer suitable for ninjutsu and illusions, so I must have a suitable weapon. Although this blind stick was a gift from Madara and Izuna, the fact that it''s not suitable for combat remains unchanged..."


    Tajima Uchiha nodded slightly. "Well, the team purchasing ninja tools will set off in a few days. I''ll have someone bring back a staff sword made of chakra steel for you... Can it be made in the length you used to prefer?"


    "No... Make it a bit longer, please."


    Ling seemed a bit hesitant. "After all, I''m still growing taller. And after these days of exploration, I find that a slightly longer blind stick is more convenient for pathfinding..."


    "And if conditions permit, I hope to place a small piece of chakra steel at the top of the blind stick, which is connected to the blade. Meanwhile, there should also be some protruding chakra steel on the handle. In this way, I can use chakra to detect my surroundings without physical contact. Even though I haven''t found a way to save chakra for detection yet, this is still the most practical method for now."


    "Well... I understand. I''ll let the clan members know about your requirements. However, the production period might be extended. You''ll probably get it the next time you replenish your ninja tools after this order."


    "Yeah. Besides, I have something else to say..." Ling was silent for a moment. After a while, as if making up his mind, he said, "I want to go to the back mountain for a period of isolated training. Can I ask Father to help me prepare the necessary items?"

 Chapter 13: Pinky Promise

    Chapter 13: Pinky Promise


    "Then I''m leaving," Madara said while organizing his gear. "Please rest assured. I''ll definitely complete the mission successfully and come back."


    "Yeah, it''s Madara after all," Ling said with a smile as he ruffled Madara''s hair. "Pay attention to safety."


    Father also nodded slightly. "If something unexpected happens, it''s okay to abandon the mission. The most important thing is to come back alive."


    Izuna clung to the hem of Father''s haori, looking so reluctant that his face was all scrunched up. "Big brother Madara, come back soon. You promised to teach me the throwing technique."


    Madara reached out and ruffled Izuna''s hair, just as Ling had done to him. His smile was extremely gentle. "Yeah, don''t worry. But Izuna, you can''t slack off on your own practice either, okay?"


    "Yeah!"


    After saying goodbye again, Madara didn''t stay any longer. He ran towards the team waiting at the door and left with them. When Madara''s back was no longer in sight, Father turned around and took out the prepared ninja tools bag from behind the door. "Ling, here''s yours."


    Izuna on the side immediately widened his eyes. His voice was so pitiful that he seemed about to cry. "Is big brother leaving too?"


    Ling first thanked him and took the ninja tools bag, then slung it on his back. He then turned towards Izuna''s direction and ruffled his little brother''s hair. "Yeah, after all, I''m fully recovered now. It''s time for me to start rehabilitation training."


    Izuna still clung to the hem of Father''s haori, but his cheeks slowly puffed up. "Big brother Madara is gone, and now big brother is leaving too... They''re both leaving me behind."


    Ling couldn''t help laughing. "Izuna, big brother will be at the back mountain. If you want to see me, you can always ask someone to take you there."


    But Izuna just puffed his cheeks and turned his head to the side. "¡­You''re still leaving me behind."


    Father also chuckled softly. He bent down and picked up his sulking youngest son. "Then shall we send Ling to the back mountain?"


    Izuna''s eyes instantly sparkled like stars. "Really?! Father is the absolute best!"


    Ling was a bit worried. "Father, it''s just after a battle. There are so many things to deal with. You..."


    "Don''t worry, Ling," Tajima Uchiha patted his eldest son''s shoulder with his free hand, smiling gently. "As a father, I have the time to send my son to the training place. Since I''ll know where you are, I can have Madara take Izuna to visit you. So don''t decline. Let''s go."


    Ling let out a soft sigh of resignation. But when he tapped his blind stick and followed Tajima Uchiha''s steps, a smile appeared on his lips unconsciously, and his originally tense shoulders relaxed. "Yes, I''m causing you trouble."


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Izuna clung to his father''s shoulder and looked at Ling. After a while, he said, "Big brother, haven''t you already adapted? Why do you still need to train?"


    "It''s just the most basic adaptation for now," Ling raised his face towards Izuna''s direction. "There''s still a long way to go before I can truly adapt...


    The most basic thing is to stay away from the crowd. Then, rely on my own strength to survive. Only by leaving the comfort zone provided by my family and friends can I really get familiar with my physical condition again."


    Izuna nodded as if he understood but not really. "Do I need this kind of training later?"


    "...No, neither you nor Madara need it." Ling''s smile faded a bit, but his voice was still gentle. "If possible, I hope you''ll never need this kind of adaptation training in your life."


    Izuna stared at the scar on Ling''s face and unconsciously reached out to touch his own eye socket. After a brief silence, tears welled up in his eyes and fell one by one. He buried his face in his father''s neck and sniffled quietly.


    "Izuna?" Ling got a bit panicky. "Are you crying? Big brother is okay. Look, not having eyes doesn''t affect my daily life much. This training is just for me to return to the battlefield. I didn''t mean to blame you when I said that. I just don''t want you and Madara to get hurt... Izuna? Stop crying, okay? Big brother is really worried about you."


    Tajima Uchiha let out a soft sigh and patted his youngest son''s back. "It''s okay, Ling. Izuna was probably just scared by his own imagination. I''ll comfort him later... Can I speed up on the mountain path next?"


    Ling looked worried listening to Izuna''s soft sobs. But when he heard Tajima''s words, he replied respectfully, "Yes, I have no Mondai."


    Tajima Uchiha reached out to protect his youngest son''s head and nodded slightly at Ling. "Okay, I''ll speed up slowly."


    As the group increased their walking speed, Tajima also noticed that Ling''s movements, which were initially relaxed, became increasingly strenuous. He always lost his balance when stepping on the rough mountain path.


    However, every time he lost his balance, Ling would quickly open his palm and lightly touch the ground. Then he would quickly adjust his stance and get up with his blind stick, never missing a beat. However, this way of moving forward, which required constant readiness to respond, clearly took a toll on Ling. A thin layer of sweat soon broke out on his forehead, and his breathing became rapid as the distance increased.


    All this was seen by Tajima Uchiha, but he didn''t offer help to Ling. He just maintained a pace that was exhausting for Ling to keep up with but still manageable. Finally, he stopped at an open space near a water source suitable for camping.


    But Ling failed to stop in time. He took a few more steps forward before coming to a halt and standing upright. Even though he tried to steady his breathing, it still sounded ragged and labored.


    Tajima Uchiha looked down at his eldest son, who remained upright even when extremely tired. He sighed softly and said, "Well, this is where I leave you... Can you find your way back?"


    "Yes..." Ling let out a long breath, suppressing the discomfort caused by uneven breathing, and smiled. "Please don''t worry."


    "Good. You''re really my son," Tajima Uchiha reached out and ruffled Ling''s sweaty hair. "Come on, Izuna, say goodbye to your big brother."


    Only then did Izuna raise his tear - streaked face, waved at Ling, and said with a thick nasal tone, "Goodbye, big brother... Please stay safe."


    "Sure, I will," Ling stepped forward a few steps following the sound and groped for Izuna''s hand. "When both I and Madara are away, Izuna will be the man of the family. A man doesn''t cry easily... Our Izuna is a strong boy, right?"


    "Yeah, I won''t cry anymore," Izuna said, but still pouted and couldn''t help wiping his tears. "When big brother comes back, I''ll multiply my current chakra amount many, many times. Then big brother can teach me ninjutsu, and I''ll fight as cool as big brother."


    Ling finally smiled. "Okay, big brother will definitely finish his training as soon as possible and come back... After all, I still want to take our Izuna on his first mission."


    Izuna stuck out his little finger aggrievedly. "Then let''s pinky - swear."


    "Sure," Ling''s smile widened as he also stuck out his finger. "Let''s pinky - swear."

 Chapter 14: The Training Begins

    Chapter 14: The Training Begins


    On the way back, Izuna just slumped dejectedly in his father''s arms. It wasn''t until he saw the small courtyard of their home again that Izuna looked up at his Father and asked, "Father, about big brother''s eyes..."


    "It seems Izuna has figured it out...," Tajima Uchiha looked sad and helpless but didn''t hide the truth from his youngest son. "Yes, Ling doesn''t choose to be blind; he can''t regain his sight... He''s doomed to spend the rest of his life in darkness."


    "...Did I do something wrong?"


    Izuna tightly grabbed the front of his Father''s haori. "Even though my big brother was so sad, I still uttered those words like ''Blind swordsmen are really awesome''..."


    "No, on the contrary, Ling might even be grateful to you, Izuna," Father slowed down his pace. "Ling is a child who is good at working hard and quite talented. However, he unconsciously sets overly strict requirements on himself. He values others'' expectations too much, even to the point of ignoring his own needs.


    Under normal circumstances, these expectations might just be an invisible pressure, and gradually push him to a dead end. But in the current situation, others'' expectations will only be the motivation for him to get back on track.


    Ling currently needs a reason to break free from the seemingly non - existent yet tightly Coiling Around knot in his heart. With one more expectation, he will cheer up faster. So, Izuna, there''s no need to blame yourself."


    Izuna didn''t quite understand his Father''s words and still looked dejected. "But..."


    "Don''t say ''but''," Father ruffled his youngest son''s hair. "If you really want to help Ling, then work hard to become stronger. After all, Ling''s current wish is just to protect you and Madara."


    "......Yes!" Izuna clenched his fists. "I will definitely become very, very strong, strong enough to fight side by side with my big brother! By then, I''ll guard my big brother''s back!"


    Father let out a soft laugh. "Good job! As expected of my son."


    ......


    As Father led Izuna away, there was no more human voice around Ling. All that remained were the sounds of Ry¨±sui and the gentle whispers of the passing breeze.


    However, even in this natural symphony that could easily wash away the complexity in one''s heart, the smile on Ling''s face gradually faded.


    After standing still in place for God knows how long, Ling squatted down, burying his fingers in his hair. His voice carried a sense of dejection he had never shown in front of others. "Has it become so difficult to even do this now..."


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    This dejection didn''t last long. Ling quickly slapped his cheeks and stood up with a smile. "Come on, Uchiha Ling. Don''t be so down because of this. You''re an Uchiha! It''s just blindness. Yeah, it''s just blindness...


    Really, it''s a good thing I destroyed my tear glands back then. Otherwise, it would be so embarrassing to be sitting here crying alone... Well, look on the bright side. At least there won''t be any more tears in my life from now on. That''s not so bad.


    Moreover, there are still many things to prepare for training. If you want to be dejected, save it for your free time after the next mission! There''s no time to slack off now!"


    After taking a few deep breaths, Ling calmed down, concentrated on distinguishing the various sounds around him. After confirming his position, he started tapping his blind stick to explore the nearby terrain. However, after roughly sketching out the environment in his mind, Ling couldn''t help but let out a sigh. "Sure enough... I''ve made Father worry."


    Realizing this, Ling couldn''t help but start denying himself on the spot, then quickly shake off his self - doubt and perk up. After repeating this process several times, Ling picked up the ninja tools bag, took out the Scroll of Seals prepared by Tajima Uchiha from it, carefully opened it, and then slowly felt across each spell with his finger.


    "Hmmm... A long sword, Military Rations Pill, a change of clothes, and emergency medicine? With these, it''s okay not to go on a Hunt for a short time... But if I want to return to the battlefield, I must be able to accurately distinguish the living beings around me. Hunting is an inevitable thing..."


    Ling took out the long sword from the Scroll and awkwardly tied it to his back. He then rolled up the Scroll again, frowned slightly, and walked in the direction where the sound of water was coming from. "The location chosen by Father should be near a tributary of the Minato River close to the clan land. There are fewer wild animals here. The place with the most living things should be this river near me..."


    "Well, I should also work hard for dinner while training. After all, the Military Rations Pill really tastes terrible - and my cooking skills aren''t much better... I hope I won''t poison myself by the end of the Training - Ugh, I''m already starting to miss the side dishes made by Madara."


    Here, Ling finally started his Training, but this training made him quite embarrassed.


    First, when trying to spear fish in the river, he stepped on a mossy rock. Before he could react, he fell into the river and got completely wet.


    Then, when he got out of the water, he got the direction wrong and almost got lost. He had to release a large amount of chakra to sense his surroundings before he found his way back, but the large consumption of chakra made him extremely exhausted.


    When he finally caught a fish and wanted to start a fire to cook and warm himself up and dry his clothes, he almost set the ninja tools bag on fire along with the firewood.


    By the time he had arranged everything in a hurry and in a mess, the sun had set for quite a while.


    Ling sat tiredly on a flat rock, feeling the warmth from the fire in front of him and finally let out a long sigh. "It''s so inconvenient not being able to see... After the Training is over, I must remind Madara and Izuna to protect their eyes well."


    Judging from today''s performance, what I need most is guidance on movement. Releasing chakra to sense the surroundings is indeed a way, but it consumes too much. If an accident really happens, I''ll lack ways to deal with it...


    But if I use too little chakra, I might as well just use the blind stick to knock and infer the surrounding environment... Instantly bursting out chakra and then containing it lacks concealment and can''t be applied in actual combat at all..."


    Ling kept putting forward guesses one by one and then denying them. Then he began to finalize tomorrow''s Training plan. It was not until the smell of burning filled his nostrils that he suddenly came to his senses. After a brief moment of stunnedness, he panicked again. "Oh no... My grilled fish!"

 Chapter 15: The Evaluation of Uchiha Keiyuki

    Chapter 15: The Evaluation of Uchiha Keiyuki


    As Ling said, the first mission assigned by the clan wouldn''t be too difficult. In just five or six days, under the leadership of his clan uncle, Uchiha Keiyuki, Madara successfully completed his first ninja mission.


    This was only because Uchiha Keiyuki had taken so long to explain the mission process in detail to the young clan - members. If he did it by himself, the mission, including the round - trip time, wouldn''t take more than a day.


    Madara also learned from Uchiha Keiyuki that the subsequent mission mode would be an approach where an experienced ninja leads two newbies, with at least three people forming a group to carry out missions, and only when one''s strength was continuously recognized by the team leader could the group disband and the ninja start performing solo missions.


    Naturally, Madara couldn''t help but ask about Ling.


    "Ling... That kid is a real genius," Uchiha Keiyuki stroked his chin with a smile on his face. "Not many people can get the qualification for solo missions within ten missions, and that kid is one of them. As far as I remember, among his peers, apart from him, only Hiro got the qualification for solo missions after seven group missions."


    "How many missions did the big brother need?"


    Uchiha Keiyuki held up three fingers. "Excluding the first newbie mission - three. I''m not just boasting. This achievement is rare among our clan members throughout the ages. Although Ling was just a newbie back then, his extremely cautious attitude towards missions was rare even among our generation. So, he easily passed the clan''s assessment.


    However, unlike Hiro, who is a bit of a loner, Ling still chose to lead teams for missions even after getting the qualification. Heh... That kid managed to win over quite a few people in the clan. Madara, you''re also vying for the position of young clan leader now. It won''t do you any harm to learn from Ling more."


    "Sure enough, the big brother is the strongest!"


    Madara clenched his fists and smiled. "Yeah, thanks for the advice. Then I''ll head home first. Thank you for taking care of me this time, Uncle Keiyuki!"


    "Alright, go home. Give my regards to Father."


    "Yes!"


    It was only when Madara bought a gift with the reward from his first mission and returned home that he found Izuna practicing throwing Shuriken in the small courtyard at home.


    Madara didn''t interrupt Izuna''s practice. He just quietly stood aside and watched. Only after Izuna had thrown all the Shuriken did he speak up, "Izuna!"


    "Brother Madara!" Izuna immediately dropped his practice and ran over, hugging Madara tightly. "Welcome home~"


    "Yeah, I''m back!" Madara also smiled and ruffled his younger brother''s hair. "Has our Izuna been a good boy?"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Yes! I''ve been very good!" Izuna raised his head, his eyes shining brightly. "Even when I was at home alone, I''ve been diligently doing my training!"


    Hearing this, Madara couldn''t help but be stunned for a moment. "Leaving aside Father... Isn''t the big brother at home either?"


    "Yeah, on the day you went on the mission, big brother also went to the back mountain for training..." Izuna''s mood visibly dropped. "Hey, Brother Madara?"


    Madara was thinking about going to the back mountain later. Hearing this, he couldn''t help but look down at his younger brother. "Huh? What''s up? Oh, right. I promised to teach you the throwing technique. Since you''re practicing throwing anyway, how about we start now?"


    "


    "Well, Madara..." Izuna grabbed the corner of Madara''s clothes, his cheeks puffing out slightly. "Can we go see our big brother Ling first...


    Well, I know you''re really tired from your mission, Madara. But there''s been no news from our big brother since he went for training. Father and Aniki Akihiko are also very busy... So, well..."


    Seeing Izuna lowering his head and stammering, Madara couldn''t help but laugh. "Izuna is right. After all, I''ve completed the mission. I should report my safety to my family first. It''s not good to disturb Father, but since our big brother is like a father to us, I should go and talk to him on my own initiative."


    "Yeah!" Izuna nodded vigorously, his eyes shining. "I can lead the way for you, Madara!"


    "Sure, then I''ll have to trouble you, Izuna."


    "Let''s go then!" Izuna pulled Madara''s hand. "Oh, by the way, how was Madara''s first mission? Was it difficult? Where did you go? Can you tell me?"


    "This mission of mine..."


    The two brothers took their time and strolled along the path towards the back mountain. During the walk, Madara also detailed the process of his mission to Izuna. Izuna''s eyes sparkled as he listened, wishing he could grow up right away and go on missions too.


    "Training should be done step by step," Madara said with a helpless smile. "Izuna is still young."


    Izuna immediately puffed up his cheeks. "I''ll grow up soon too."


    "Yes, I know," Madara ruffled his younger brother''s hair. "When the time comes, I''ll take you on missions with our big brother Ling."


    "Yeah!" Izuna became happy again and pulled Madara to walk a few steps faster. "Our big brother Ling''s training spot is just ahead. I wonder how he is now!"


    "Well... Our big brother Ling should be fine, right?"


    But Madara was too naive. When he followed Izuna to the training area full of joy and expectation, he saw Ling with the bottom of his clothes in tatters and looking rather disheveled. He was so shocked that his eyes widened like a startled cat. "Big brother Ling?! Big brother Ling?!"


    Ling, who was sitting by the fire drying his outer clothes, also turned around. After a brief perception, he laughed. "It''s Madara and Izuna. Haha, it''s still a bit chaotic here as I''m just getting used to it. You can just sit anywhere."


    Izuna didn''t care about that much and directly pounced on Ling and started talking about what he had practiced these days. On the other hand, Madara was extremely worried when he saw Ling''s disheveled appearance.


    This worry reached its peak when he saw that Ling was stepping on the ground bare - foot and there were many suspicious charred objects near the fire. "Big brother Ling, why don''t you go home with me first to tidy up? At least change into a new pair of shoes..."


    "There''s no need for that," Ling said with a smile as he picked up Izuna. "I took off my shoes because they were getting in the way of my training... Do I look too disheveled now?"


    "How could that be!"


    Big brother never looks flustered, no matter the situation. I just...¡± Madara lowered his head and his voice also dropped, ¡°I''m just a little worried...¡±


    Even just by listening, Ling could feel Madara''s concern. After a brief pause, the corner of his mouth curled up in a smile. ¡°Well, since Madara is so worried, how about having a long - missed sparring match with your big brother?¡±


    Continue to develop the character: Ling during [training] [Authors who can''t draw backgrounds are useless]