Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Uchiha Taiga did not walk fast. His pace was steady, and his expression remained placid, as if he were merely passing through an ordinary intersection and happened to bump into someone.

Yugito Nii followed behind him, her right hand resting on the hilt of the ninja blade at her waist, her gaze sweeping over every corner of the forest's edge.

Her posture looked relaxed, but upon closer inspection, one would notice her footsteps maintained the exact same rhythm as Uchiha Taiga's, neither pulling ahead nor falling behind. It was a distance from which she could strike and engage in battle at any moment.

At the edge of the forest, the man wearing a Sunagakure flak jacket watched them approach, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

"They're out."

He muttered in a low voice. It wasn't loud, but everyone in the woods heard it clearly.

As soon as he spoke, rustling sounds echoed from the forest.

Sunagakure shinobi emerged from the woods one after another.

One, two, three...

Before long, over thirty Sunagakure ninjas stepped out from the shadows of the trees and stood just outside the forest.

They stood scattered, not forming ranks or deliberately setting up any formation, but everyone's position was just right. It didn't look too crowded, nor did it leave any large openings for the enemy.

The man leading them looked to be in his early twenties. His face was rough, his skin darkened by the wind and sand.

Two bright red markings were painted on either side of his face, extending from beneath his eyelids down to his cheekbones like dried bloodstains, making his already stern face look even more fierce.

Uchiha Taiga recognized this person at a glance.

Maki.

The future Sunagakure executive, the ninja who would one day kill Hayate Gekko. But that was all in the future.

At this moment, Maki was still very young, but his gaze and aura possessed a composure unsuited for his age. His expression was extremely serious, and if one looked closely, they could see his eyelids twitching slightly.

It was hard to tell if it was fear, tension, or just a natural reaction under high alert.

The rest of the Sunagakure ninjas who had stepped out also wore solemn expressions, their eyes locked dead onto Uchiha Taiga.

No one spoke, and no one made any unnecessary noise.

The air became very quiet, unnaturally so.

Uchiha Taiga did not stop. He continued walking forward, his pace still neither fast nor slow, as if he hadn't seen these Sunagakure ninjas at all, or as if he had seen them but simply didn't care.

Ahead was the only path leading to the Land of Wind. There was only this one road, flanked by rice paddies and ditches. If they wanted to detour, they would have to trudge through the muddy fields or climb over the distant hills.

Uchiha Taiga clearly had no intention of taking a detour. He chose to walk straight through.

As he drew closer, the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.

Thirty meters.

On the Sunagakure side, the few people standing at the very front exchanged glances. No one retreated, but no one stepped forward either.

Twenty meters.

Someone unconsciously held their breath, feeling as if a heavy weight was pressing down on their chest, making it hard to breathe.

Fifteen meters.

Uchiha Taiga was already very close to Maki.

Right then, a slight commotion rippled through the Sunagakure crowd.

A young Sunagakure ninja, looking like a Chunin, was breathing noticeably heavier. His chest heaved violently, and his nostrils flared slightly as if he were struggling to pull in more air.

The person standing next to him had sweat seeping from his forehead.

The sweat trickled down his temples, but he didn't raise a hand to wipe it away. He just stared fixedly at Uchiha Taiga without blinking.

Another person slowly reached for his ninja tool pouch.

His movements were slow, almost imperceptible, but his fingers had already touched the edge of the pouch. If he reached in just an inch further, he would grasp the kunai inside.

Maki didn't turn his head, but as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he suddenly ordered, "Put your hand back."

The man's movements instantly froze.

His hand hovered at the edge of the pouch. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly withdrew it, letting it hang by his side, his fingertips trembling slightly.

No one thought he was embarrassing himself.

Because everyone knew that the young man in front of them was not someone they could afford to provoke.

Uchiha Taiga's reputation was simply too massive right now.

As time passed, the news of Uchiha Madara's reappearance had spread, reaching all the Five Great Nations and every named ninja village.

That legendary Uchiha Madara, the man who once stood as an equal to the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, an existence that nearly altered the history of the ninja world... he had returned.

And then, he was defeated again.

And the one who defeated him was the young man standing right before them, Uchiha Taiga.

The Sunagakure shinobi present did not for a second believe they could be a match for Uchiha Taiga.

This wasn't them underestimating themselves; it was simply a fact.

They were just ordinary Sunagakure ninjas. They had executed all sorts of missions and fought to the death with all kinds of vicious figures, but that was the extent of it.

Meanwhile, the person they were facing was an existence who had defeated Uchiha Madara.

This kind of gap could not be bridged by sheer numbers.

Thirty people, fifty people, a hundred people. In front of an opponent of this caliber, numbers were just numbers. They were meaningless.

That was why they were tense. Their various twitches and movements were nothing more than subconscious acts of self-preservation in the face of immense danger.

Yet no one stepped back; they ultimately upheld their duties as ninjas.

The atmosphere grew heavier and heavier, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.

Finally, Maki moved.

He took a deep breath, his chest rising noticeably, as if trying to suppress all his tension and unease.

Then, he took a step forward.

"Uchiha Taiga!"

His voice was loud and clear, echoing briefly across the open main road.

It carried a strong momentum, and paired with his extremely solemn face, it looked entirely like he was about to launch an attack on Uchiha Taiga.

Hearing this, the Sunagakure ninjas behind him braced themselves, their expressions sharpening as they couldn't help but look at Maki.

Some clenched their fists, some gritted their teeth, and some had already mentally prepared themselves to strike.

The air seemed to freeze in that moment.

Everyone stared at Maki's back, waiting for his next words.

Uchiha Taiga's footsteps finally came to a halt.

He stood in front of Maki, less than ten meters away, face to face.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at Maki's solemn face. His expression didn't change as he asked in a very casual tone.

"What is it?"

Maki's expression didn't waver in the slightest, remaining as stern as a stone.

He declared, "By the order of the Fourth Kazekage, I have come to negotiate with you."

As he spoke, his back was ramrod straight, and his hands hung by his sides. His stance was textbook perfect, making him look highly formal.

Uchiha Taiga glanced at him, then nodded. "Alright, speak. I'm listening. What does Rasa want to say?"

His tone remained casual, as if he were chatting with an ordinary passerby.

Maki took a deep breath, seemingly doing some final mental preparation, and then he spoke.

"Please do not proceed any further!"

Uchiha Taiga looked at him, not answering immediately.

Behind him, Yugito Nii also watched Maki. Her hand resting on the hilt of her blade didn't loosen, but it didn't tighten either.

The air remained quiet for another two seconds before Uchiha Taiga spoke.

"I refuse."

Just two words, crisp and decisive, as if stating a matter of course.

A minor commotion instantly broke out again in the crowd behind Maki, but Maki didn't move.

He stood rooted to the spot, looking at Uchiha Taiga, his expression still that same stern face.

Then, he smiled. It was incredibly sudden.

The smile was warm and natural, even carrying a perfectly measured hint of humility.

"Then may I ask, is there anything I or Sunagakure can do to assist you?"

His tone had changed as well. From his imposing demeanor just moments ago, he suddenly transformed into a hospitable and welcoming host.

The ninjas behind him: ...?

Everyone was stunned.

They stared at Maki's back, momentarily at a loss for words.

*'No, sir... do you hear what you're saying?'*

*'Who was it that said on the way here that we must remain calm and courageous, and absolutely not let that guy look down on Sunagakure?'*

The atmosphere suddenly became rather delicate.

Uchiha Taiga was also thrown off by this remark.

He had been fully prepared to face Sunagakure's obstruction and was even ready to fight, but Maki's sudden pivot caught him off guard.

He gave Maki an odd look, then turned his head to glance at Yugito Nii.

Yugito Nii stood half a step behind him, her hand still resting on her ninja blade, but the corners of her lips were already pursed slightly.

She met Uchiha Taiga's gaze and gave a light shrug.

The meaning was clear: *'I have no idea what's going on either, you figure it out.'*

Uchiha Taiga turned back around and scratched his head.

Looking at Maki's face, now plastered with a smile, he found himself momentarily speechless.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"So, you guys didn't come here to stop me?"

Maki hurriedly smiled. "Of course not. Sunagakure would be more than happy to befriend you."

His smile was sincere, his tone enthusiastic, and his attitude humble. It was absolutely flawless.

In his heart, however, he was thinking: *'As expected of Lord Kazekage. He actually predicted that if I used this attitude, the other party wouldn't attack. Truly amazing.'*

He recalled the words the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had spoken to him before they set out.

"Maki, you don't need to stop him. You wouldn't be able to anyway."

"You just need to meet him, ask him what he wants to do, and then tell him that Sunagakure is willing to help."

"If he takes a hardline stance, take a step back. Do not clash with him head-on."

"Showing weakness is sometimes more effective than acting tough."

At this moment, standing in front of Uchiha Taiga, Maki's back was already drenched in cold sweat, but his smile remained firmly plastered on his face.

He had gambled right.

Or rather, Lord Kazekage had gambled right.

Uchiha Taiga indeed hadn't attacked.

He looked at Maki's smiling face, his expression shifting from odd to something indescribable.

Then he asked, "Rasa sent you?"

Maki smiled and nodded. "Exactly."

Uchiha Taiga fell silent for a moment, then said something that surprised Maki a little.

"This Rasa guy... is smarter than I thought."