Uchiha Tajima

When Gen dragged the injured Madara into Uchiha Tajima's presence, the former senior clan leader was startled and hurriedly approached to ask what had happened.

Gen gave a brief explanation, saying little. Uchiha Tajima quickly called for medical ninjas to treat Madara's injuries. As for Gen, he was only somewhat drained, his chakra severely depleted. Throughout the mission, he had relied on Flying Thunder God and had not been injured, except for the final use of Izanagi to block an attack.

They stayed for a few days at Uchiha Tajima's residence. Once Madara's condition began to improve, they declined Tajima's offer to stay longer and returned to the clan compound.

"Don't ever drag me into another mission with you again. It's just bad luck," Gen muttered, heading straight to his quarters.

The maid was overjoyed to see him back and, with her attentive service, Gen indulged himself once more, enjoying the luxury of being treated like a nobleman. As her gentle hands massaged his shoulders, he drank sake in the hot springs in the backyard, sighing contentedly, "This is the life."

Unfortunately, the next day, he was summoned. He was told that Uchiha Tajima wanted to see him.

Rubbing his head in annoyance, Gen muttered, "Can't I just get some peace? That old man..."

Grumbling a few more complaints, he got up and headed toward the central courtyard of the clan. Entering the large hall, he followed a lower-ranked ninja to the back, passing two corners and stopping in front of a door. The ninja knocked gently.

"Head of the clan, young master Gen has arrived."

"Let him in," came Uchiha Tajima's voice from within.

The ninja opened the door gently, gestured for Gen to enter, and then stepped back. Gen walked inside, and the door closed quietly behind him.

The room wasn't large. A bookshelf was nearby, with a few potted plants. There was a window at the back, letting in a good amount of light. In front of the window was a desk, cluttered with papers. Uchiha Tajima was seated behind the desk, his expression stern as he kneeled.

Inside the room, Uchiha Madara had already arrived and was kneeling in front of Tajima, looking somewhat stiff.

"Gen, you're here. Sit down," Uchiha Tajima gestured to a cushion. Gen, with a grimace, obediently sat next to Madara. It was only in front of Uchiha Tajima that he didn't dare sit cross-legged as he usually did.

Once seated, Gen noticed that Uchiha Tajima was holding a black piece of paper. Tajima glanced at Madara, who gave a slight nod in confirmation, indicating that the mission had indeed gone as planned.

Uchiha Tajima cut straight to the point: "When I assigned this mission, I didn't think you, Madara, would be able to complete it. I didn't expect that you'd turn to Gen for help. That's good. Knowing how to rely on your companions is an essential lesson for a ninja. No matter how strong an individual ninja is, they can't go far alone. You two did well on this mission."

Gen and Madara lowered their heads simultaneously and humbly replied, saying they still had much to learn and needed to improve.

Uchiha Tajima nodded with satisfaction and lightly tapped the desk with his fingers. "I heard from Madara that you encountered a Hyūga Elite Jonin?"

Gen nodded. "Yes."

"I also heard that you two together managed to kill that elite Jonin. I'm curious to hear how that happened." Uchiha Tajima said calmly.

At this, Gen frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing. This seemed like a normal question, but since Tajima had already mentioned that Madara had told him the story, albeit briefly, Gen didn't believe that Madara had left out the details of how they killed the Jonin. Why was Tajima asking him about it now?

"Father, I told you already, that Hyūga elite Jonin made a mistake. I injured him badly with the Five Flames Divine Gates, and then Gen used his space-time ninjutsu and that weird Rasengan, suddenly appearing in front of the Jonin and killing him," Madara suddenly interjected, looking at Gen with subtle signals.

Gen was left speechless. It seemed that Madara had realized that Tajima didn't trust him because of his use of ninjutsu, so he had intentionally concealed his Kamui and was now trying to cover for him. Gen couldn't help but smile wryly. But after thinking about it, he found it somewhat endearing.

"Hmph, I didn't ask you." Uchiha Tajima snorted coldly and scolded Madara a few times. Madara lowered his head in silence.

Once Tajima finished scolding him, his interest seemed to fade, and he said, "Alright. Since this was your mission, the clan won't treat you poorly. The rewards for the mission will be delivered to you tomorrow. You two can go now."

Gen and Madara both performed a bow and left. They exited the meeting hall together, and Gen chuckled lightly. "Thanks." Regardless of Madara's motives, covering for him had been a kind gesture, so it was only right to express his gratitude.

Madara raised his head arrogantly. "It's nothing. Just remember to come help me next time we have a mission."

"That's not happening," Gen replied, chuckling.

The two exchanged some idle chatter before parting ways. Gen started heading home. Once out of sight, his face darkened, and he muttered under his breath, "That damn old man. His suspicions are getting worse. Just wait, in a few years, I'll show you what's what."

Meanwhile, inside Uchiha Tajima's room, after Gen and Madara left, he reviewed the mission report again. Then, he spoke aloud, "What do you think of this matter?"

He glanced toward the shadow beneath the bookshelf. Despite the room's good lighting, shadows still lingered in the corners.

A figure emerged from the shadow, walking with ease. It was unclear whether this person had been there all along or had entered through some special means. Dressed in black, with his face hidden, the figure was a secret ninja from Uchiha Tajima's side.

The figure gave a slight bow and said, "Clan leader, young master Madara lied. I was the one assigned to secretly protect him during the mission, and I witnessed everything. This is what actually happened…"

Uchiha Tajima listened quietly, then nodded. "Aside from the lies Madara told at the end, everything else is true. The jutsu capable of twisting space and the fact that Madara was unharmed despite taking a full hit from the elite Jonin… Hmm…"

Uchiha Tajima rubbed his forehead and asked solemnly, "Are you sure his eye, after using Izanagi, was still intact?"

The secret ninja hesitated, then replied, "I can't be sure about that. Izanagi is a forbidden technique of our clan, and its use inevitably leads to blindness. There's no way to avoid that. I prefer to believe young master Gen's explanation—that it was due to his space-time ninjutsu's unique effect."

"I see…" Uchiha Tajima muttered to himself before waving his hand. "Alright, that'll be all. You can leave now."

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