Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Before Uchiha Madara could speak, the four members of the Uchiha squad spoke up first. The leader stared intently at Uchiha Itachi.

"Itachi, leaving the village without permission has put the clan in a very difficult position."

His voice was loud, carrying an uncontrollable anger.

"Just what exactly are you trying to do?"

Uchiha Itachi followed the voice and let his gaze fall upon the man, his eyes lowered slightly.

His expression remained unchanged. He simply looked at the man and stayed silent for a moment.

"Tekka, I have my own matters to attend to."

His voice was calm—so calm it sounded as if he were discussing something entirely mundane.

The leader of the Uchiha squad was named Uchiha Tekka, a veteran member of the Police Force. He was significantly older than Itachi and held a certain level of prestige within the clan.

He already had grievances against Uchiha Itachi, feeling that Itachi had become a squad captain at too young an age, that his methods were too dictatorial, and that his lone-wolf tendencies showed a lack of respect for the clan. Hearing Itachi's response now only fueled his anger. His facial muscles twitched slightly, and the veins on his temples throbbed.

"What matter could possibly be more important than the clan?"

Uchiha Itachi did not get angry. His face remained calm, and his voice was completely unruffled.

"My actions are naturally for the sake of the clan. There are some things you simply cannot understand right now."

Uchiha Tekka opened his mouth, his face somewhat twisted. "You bastard..."

But before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a light chuckle.

"Hehehe."

The laughter wasn't loud, but it was clear, drifting over from Uchiha Madara's direction. The corners of his mouth were turned up as he watched the scene, his smile carrying a profound meaning.

"As expected of an Uchiha. You haven't changed at all after all these years."

He looked at Uchiha Tekka, then at Uchiha Itachi, before his gaze finally landed on Uchiha Sasuke.

"That kind of clan... it truly brings back memories."

Uchiha Tekka dared to lose his temper at Uchiha Itachi, but he didn't dare do the same to Uchiha Madara. Hearing the voice, he instinctively shut his mouth. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the words that had reached the tip of his tongue, his heartbeat quickening.

Uchiha Itachi stepped forward, placing himself right in front of Uchiha Sasuke, standing between his brother and Uchiha Madara. Shielding Sasuke, he looked directly at Uchiha Madara. The three tomoe in his eyes spun before morphing into a new pattern.

Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Ancestor Madara, you shouldn't be scheming against Sasuke."

Uchiha Madara raised an eyebrow, the curve of his lips unchanging.

"What do you know?"

Uchiha Itachi simply stared at him. "You once had a younger brother named Uchiha Izuna."

He paused.

"Your own eyes—the ones known as the Eternal Mangekyo—seem to have originated from your brother."

He looked at Uchiha Madara, his gaze unwavering.

"Am I right?"

Hearing the name Izuna, the expression on Uchiha Madara's face went blank for a brief moment, as if he had fallen into a trance of memories.

"Izuna..."

His voice was very soft, almost like a sigh.

Uchiha Madara lowered his head, looking at his own hands. A moment later, he looked back up, his eyes resting on Uchiha Itachi once more.

"You are very smart."

Uchiha Itachi didn't smile, nor did he look smug. His expression didn't change at all.

"These matters aren't difficult to investigate. After all, I am the son of the clan head, and very few things within the clan can be hidden from me. As long as one looks carefully, they can always find some clues."

Itachi's expression turned serious. "You were once the head of the Uchiha clan. You led the Uchiha clan in battle against the Senju clan, and eventually joined hands with them to found Konoha, only to betray Konoha in the end. I don't know exactly what happened back then, but I've always believed that you must have had a compelling reason to do so."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Others say that our Uchiha clan is the most cold-blooded of all, but they don't know that we are actually a clan of love. Understanding this makes it easy to guess your motives. Ancestor Madara, what you want to achieve concerns the peace of the entire ninja world, doesn't it?"

When he said this, there was no hint of showing off in his tone; he sounded as if he were merely stating a fact.

Uchiha Madara looked at him for two seconds. Then, the corners of his mouth curled up, a smile surfaced, and it quickly grew wider.

"Hahaha... I never expected that after all these years, a junior who could actually understand me would appear in the clan. This is... truly wonderful."

Suddenly, Uchiha Madara's smile faded, and he looked at Uchiha Itachi again.

"You guessed correctly, but understanding this means nothing."

The corners of his mouth turned up again, revealing a deeply meaningful smile.

"So, do you think your eyes, or that brat's eyes, can evolve into the Eternal Mangekyo?"

Uchiha Itachi looked at him, his brows furrowing slightly.

"I would never do such a thing."

His voice was resolute.

Uchiha Madara laughed. The laughter wasn't loud, but it carried an obvious sense of mockery.

"Why not ask your brother what he thinks?"

His gaze bypassed Itachi and landed on Sasuke.

Uchiha Itachi's voice remained calm.

"He wouldn't either..."

Before he could finish, Uchiha Sasuke interrupted him.

"Brother, what on earth are you two talking about?"

Uchiha Sasuke's voice was loud, laced with obvious urgency.

Uchiha Itachi remained silent, not answering Sasuke's question. His gaze stayed fixed on Madara, never wavering.

Uchiha Madara laughed, his voice louder than before.

"It seems you've hidden quite a lot from that brat."

Uchiha Itachi remained silent once more, neither denying nor admitting it.

Uchiha Sasuke looked anxious. He leaned forward, trying to step out from behind Uchiha Itachi to demand answers.

But just as he lifted his foot to step forward, a figure dashed past them.

With a single stride, Uzumaki Karin flashed right in front of Uchiha Madara.

Her speed was incredible—so fast that she was nothing more than a red blur cutting through the air. She slipped right past Sasuke and Itachi, coming to a halt directly in front of Uchiha Madara.

She raised her hands, her right hand forming a palm and her left hand forming a fist, assuming the starting stance of the Gentle Fist.

However, her Gentle Fist was different from the orthodox style. Her hands were coated in a layer of pale red chakra flames that flickered in the air, appearing almost tangible as they took the shape of dragon heads.

The dragon heads had their mouths open, baring their fangs like living beasts coiled around her palms and arms.

She struck.

She thrust her palm forward, the wind howling around it.

The dragon head flew from her palm, its massive jaws snapping toward Uchiha Madara's chest.

The speed of the palm strike was blinding, leaving only a streak of red light in the air.

Then she threw a punch, the force of it roaring like thunder.

Another dragon head shot out from her fist, charging straight for Uchiha Madara's face.

The speed of the punch was even faster, tearing through the air with a piercing screech.

The palm and the punch passed right through Uchiha Madara's body. The dragon heads phased through his chest as if passing through thin air and shadows.

But Uchiha Madara's expression shifted slightly. His body transitioned from that intangible state back to a solid form. Tapping his foot against the ground, he instantly retreated several meters.

After stepping back to steady himself, Uchiha Madara lowered his gaze to his own body.

His clothes were torn.

There was a gash across his chest, stretching from his left collarbone all the way to his right pectoral. The fabric was split open, revealing the skin underneath.

There were a few faint red marks on his skin—not deep, but clearly visible.

There was also a tear on his arm, running from his shoulder down to his elbow. The fabric was peeled back, exposing reddened skin.

At this, Uchiha Madara's expression finally changed.

His calmness gave way to surprise. With furrowed brows and narrowed eyes, he stared at the tears on his body for two seconds.

He looked up at Uzumaki Karin.

"How did you do that?"

Uzumaki Karin grinned.

"It's just Space-Time. Why did you think I couldn't master it?"

As she spoke, she lightly tapped her fists together in front of her.

*Smack!*

With a crisp sound, her fists collided.

The small patch of air in front of her instantly rippled with tiny folds, like a piece of paper being crumpled and then smoothed out again.

The distortion lasted for only a split second before vanishing, but everyone present saw it.

"My Gentle Fist is a Space-Time Taijutsu."

After saying this, Uzumaki Karin flashed a wide grin. "From the very beginning until now, you've been blabbering on and on. Conspiracies, love, the Eternal Mangekyo—it's so annoying. Come on, Uchiha Madara, let's fight the way ninjas are supposed to! My teacher once said that many things in this world are difficult to resolve, but as long as you resort to violence, even the hardest problems become simple."

Uchiha Madara was taken aback for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter. "I see! Have that brat's eyes already seen this far? Then bring it on!"

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