Facing the Enemy Head-On
Crash!
The teacup slipped from Madara Uchiha's hand, shattering on the ground, green tea spilling everywhere. Yet he didn't care in the slightest, asking instinctively, "How could this happen?"
Gen observed Madara's somewhat dazed expression. Despite his destined achievements, Madara was still just an eight-year-old child, and in the face of such sudden news, it was natural for him to be shaken.
On the other hand, Gen had already calmed down. As a time-traveler, his mind was not as easily shaken as that of a child under ten. Thinking through their options, he suggested, "We shouldn't confront them head-on. My suggestion is to gather our entire generation and hide in the mountains, preserving our forces. At the same time, we send two teams: one to catch up with the Third Elder and ask him to return for support, and another to inform the clan leader on the battlefield. What do you think?"
Now, with only a few guard ninja left in the clan, most of the remaining people were either children of their generation or women with infants. Gen and Madara, as the strongest among their peers, had a good chance of influencing the decision if they agreed.
Madara clenched his fists tightly, his head lowered, and his long hair covered his face, hiding his expression. However, Gen noticed the slight tremble in his shoulders, sensing the internal struggle he was experiencing.
Gen did not rush him. If Madara could overcome this and find strength within himself, it would push him one step closer to greatness.
After a full ten minutes of hesitation, Madara finally seemed to make up his mind, letting out a long breath. When he looked up again, his face showed no trace of doubt, and his eyes were filled with determination.
"I disagree with your plan," he stated firmly.
Gen raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?" He couldn't imagine a reason Madara would reject his proposal, which seemed like the best way to minimize losses.
Madara stood up. "We can't just leave. If we, this generation, hide in the mountains, yes, we might escape this threat. But what about the women in the clan? What about their newborns? They are the foundation of our clan's future. And even without them, the clan grounds contain resources and supplies—losing those would be a massive blow."
Gen listened quietly without interrupting, then asked, "So what's your plan? Based on our strength compared to theirs, they'll likely have one Jonin, two Special Jonin, and ten Chunins. How many ninja do we have left as guards? Even if we stay, it would be pointless, just throwing our lives away."
Madara shook his head earnestly. "No, we have a chance. Our clan still has one Special Jonin and three Chunins. I will take on their Jonin, while our Special Jonin engages one of their Special Jonin. All you have to do is defeat the other Special Jonin in direct combat. Then, once we regroup, we can join forces to drive back their Jonin, tipping the battle in our favor. As for the rest of our generation, even though they are mostly lower-level ninja, I believe they can hold off the enemy Chunins for a short time. They do have the numbers advantage."
Listening to Madara's strategy, Gen's eye twitched. Brother, your head-on approach looks fine on paper, but it's riddled with practical issues.
First of all, how could he be sure that Gen could defeat a Special Jonin one-on-one? Even if Gen succeeded, what made him think he could hold off a Jonin, a rank that was on a whole different level from Special Jonin? If he died, the entire Uchiha compound would be doomed.
And having their generation hold off enemy Chunins would result in severe casualties over time.
Gen voiced all these doubts openly. If Madara didn't provide a convincing answer, he wasn't about to agree to a suicide mission.
Madara spoke confidently, "So, you don't believe I can hold off a Jonin. Well, in that case…"
As Madara finished speaking, his eyes turned a deep crimson, with a single tomoe spinning visibly in each eye.
Gen's gaze sharpened, though he wasn't surprised. According to the story he knew, Madara's Sharingan had awakened after he became rivals with Hashirama, driven by the conflict between their clans. But things seemed a bit different here. Perhaps due to Gen's presence, Madara had felt pressure from his peers and progressed faster, awakening his Sharingan during a solo mission when he was five.
The clan had been thrilled, calling Madara a once-in-a-millennium genius and the hope of the Uchiha's resurgence. Practically everyone in the clan knew about it.
"No, it won't work. You've seen the strength of our Jonin. They're still beyond our current capabilities. Even with your Sharingan, you can't stop one."
Madara chuckled, giving Gen a sidelong glance. "I noticed that you keep doubting my ability to hold off a Jonin, but haven't said anything about whether you can kill a Special Jonin. Looks like I was right—you've been hiding your real strength when we sparred, haven't you? Your actual power is far beyond that of a typical Special Jonin, isn't it?"
Gen's eyebrow twitched as he wondered how Madara had suddenly grown so perceptive. But he nodded, admitting it wasn't a big deal to hide some of his true power.
Seeing this, Madara grew even more excited. "Perfect. Truthfully, I was holding back in our sparring as well. I'm a bit stronger than I let on, so I might have a fighting chance against a Jonin. I estimate I could hold them off for about ten minutes. So in that ten minutes, you must eliminate that Special Jonin. Otherwise, not only me, but everyone left in the clan will likely die. This time, the lives of all our people rest in your hands."
"Ten minutes, huh? You've got some faith in me." Gen sighed, looking at Madara's resolute expression. Finally, he nodded. Taking down a Special Jonin in ten minutes seemed feasible, especially with his new genjutsu abilities, so his chances were decent.
Madara laughed heartily. "Good! If a few Hyuga clan ninja want to throw their lives away, we'll oblige them. Let's show the world how foolish it is to think of taking on the Uchiha clan."
He stood, pulling the door open. Bathed in the light of the setting sun, the golden glow illuminated him as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Gen. For a moment, Gen felt as if he were standing beside someone destined to one day rule the shinobi world.
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