Yūshin certainly had no intention of monitoring Shichimi Uchiha. In fact, although the organization's membership had become more complex after absorbing the Fūma Clan, Yūshin had no plans to increase internal surveillance for the time being.
Currently, everyone was just small fry, and there was no valuable intelligence within the organization. Who would he monitor? Who was worth monitoring?
However, after sensing other White Zetsu, Yūshin had no choice but to leave the camp and move toward their location.
Since he had detected another group of White Zetsu, it meant they had also sensed him as an individual. Rather than actively meeting up, should he wait for them to come looking?
Just as Yūshin began moving, he happened to encounter the sneaky Shichimi Uchiha. To his surprise, they were heading in the same direction, so Yūshin quietly followed behind her.
He was somewhat curious—could the arrival of the White Zetsu be related to Shichimi Uchiha?
Although Yūshin had always utilized White Zetsu abilities and understood how much the White Zetsu transformation had helped him, he remained extremely wary of the White Zetsu group—so wary that even if he sensed them while sleeping, he would immediately leap from his bed.
Well, it was pure wariness, having nothing to do with whether he had a guilty conscience or not.
Yūshin and Shichimi Uchiha left Kikyō Castle one after the other, then traveled eastward. Soon they stopped at an abandoned village overgrown with trees, about ten kilometers from the city.
Yūshin concealed himself at a distance, sensing that the other four White Zetsu around were also maintaining this safe distance like him.
The "kindred" had no intention of greeting each other for now.
Shichimi Uchiha looked left and right among the broken walls and ruins, finally looking up at a wall top.
In the deep cosmos dotted with the Milky Way, the bright moon hung in the clear, cold sky, and the cold-toned moonlight revealed the silhouette of a black-clothed, long-haired young man.
"Madara, I didn't expect it would be you," Shichimi Uchiha said to the young ninja.
The ninja appearing here was from the Uchiha Clan, named Uchiha Madara.
Due to the distance, Yūshin couldn't see this young Uchiha Madara's face clearly, but from his casual yet somehow wanton and arrogant sitting posture, he felt this person must be the leader of the "Four Laughing Kings."
When it came to aura, Uchiha Madara had it completely under control.
"Shichimi, finding you really wasn't easy. Ever since you disappeared, the clan has been very worried," Uchiha Madara said.
Shichimi Uchiha couldn't be bothered to ask how Uchiha Madara had found her. She said:
"How did you personally come here? Aren't you considering the Senju Clan's counterattack?"
Theoretically speaking, an important fighting force like Uchiha Madara couldn't leave the front lines casually, or it would easily give the enemy an opportunity.
"I can handle things temporarily. I came here to execute a mission... the mission to bring you back to the clan."
"Sorry, I refuse."
Uchiha Madara hadn't expected Shichimi Uchiha to refuse so decisively, so his tone carried a hint of helplessness:
"Shichimi, your Sharingan is incredibly precious. Once related intelligence leaks, it could easily attract other ninja's covetousness. Only the Uchiha Clan can provide security for your safety."
Eh? Yūshin listened to the conversation between the two and suddenly felt something was wrong... Uchiha Madara was actually someone who could reason?
"It's precisely the clan's practice of judging a ninja's value by the Sharingan's worth that makes me feel deeply ashamed," Shichimi Uchiha shook her head, clearly not accepting Uchiha Madara's statement.
Some things are like this—rationally unassailable, but emotionally difficult to accept. The more realistic the approach, the more it calculates gains and losses, the colder it appears.
"We belong to the Uchiha Clan and should give everything for the Uchiha's survival. Ninja inevitably face death, but dying for clansmen, for the clan's survival and glory, is better than dying for worthless strangers.
"A ninja's life is very brief, so we must better realize our life's value."
This sounded very reasonable, yet Shichimi Uchiha shook her head even more firmly.
"Conversely, if strangers ordered me to die, that would be more acceptable—after all, ninja are tools. But if blood relatives ordered me to die, what kind of reason would that be? What kind of feelings should I return?"
"It seems you've also reached the age of preaching. When it comes to Uchiha, it's all about thousand-year heritage, reputation and glory. Yet covered in blood, indifferent to clansmen's lives, treating promising clan members as test subjects, specially setting up death missions to increase awakening rates... Where exactly do you see the word 'glory'?"
Could it be that after perceiving too much of the clan's sordid dealings and unsightly matters, Shichimi Uchiha had delayed returning?
Uchiha Madara couldn't deny what Shichimi Uchiha said, so he was left somewhat speechless by her rebuke.
However, his predicament was self-inflicted—if you don't use Talk no Jutsu alongside Fire Release, how can you become a grandmaster?
"Uchiha Madara, I've always regarded you as someone who could bring change to the clan, but now it seems you've somewhat disappointed my expectations... Besides fighting and killing, can't you have some other thoughts in your head?"
Shichimi Uchiha actually began showing disappointment.
Honestly, Uchiha Madara had quite a few thoughts—about the clan's future, the fate of clansmen, and such—but during this scolding, he couldn't explain himself.
Hmm? At this point, Yūshin, who had been observing, also noticed something amiss. In this family-style conversation, the relationship between these two Uchiha ninja seemed... reversed?
"Come down. Don't you even understand basic courtesy when talking to people?"
Shichimi Uchiha actually began scolding Uchiha Madara. Even more surprising, Uchiha Madara's body visibly stiffened, and his originally rebellious posture suddenly became incredibly awkward.
Then, he actually obediently jumped down from the wall and walked to stand before Shichimi Uchiha.
Seeing this scene, Yūshin felt he was beginning to understand something.
"I won't return to the Uchiha Clan for now. How about it? This goes against your mission's original intent—will you use overwhelming force to coerce me into returning?"
Shichimi Uchiha made her intentions clear. The current Uchiha Clan was so oppressive she couldn't breathe, and she wouldn't return for now.
Uchiha Madara fell somewhat silent, no longer showing his initially domineering manner. He opened his mouth, but various words ultimately became a sigh.
"How could I? You taught me all my Fire Release. Shichimi, you're like a mother to me... But when will you return to the clan?"
"When the time is right."
Shichimi Uchiha rolled her eyes and said again: "Aren't you leaving yet? What are you standing here for?"
"...I'll go now."
The only rival who could match the God of Shinobi, after being scolded for no reason, actually slunk away with his tail between his legs.
Seeing this, Yūshin wanted to call out to Uchiha Madara from behind and remind him to properly recall his domineering persona.
One could only say that for all "great" figures, you can't view them within family ethics, or you'll create huge contrasts.
Even if he's a god, when placed in a family context, if he should be a son, he must be a son; if he should be a grandson, he must honestly play the grandson.
Dominance can never overcome parental authority.
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