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Crash! The teacup in Uchiha Madara's hand slipped and shattered on the floor, spilling thick green tea everywhere. He ignored it completely, subconsciously muttering, "How could this happen?"
Looking at Madara's slightly lost expression, Xuan observed him quietly. No matter how high his future achievements would be, the kid was still only eight years old right now. Faced with such a sudden and desperate crisis, it was inevitable for him to lose his center.
Xuan, on the other hand, had already completely calmed down. As a transmigrator, his mental fortitude was far beyond that of a child under ten.
After weighing the various scenarios, Xuan said, "We shouldn't clash head-on. I suggest we immediately gather all the clansmen of our generation and retreat into the deep mountains to preserve our living strength. At the same time, we send out two groups: one to chase down the Third Elder and beg him to return, and another to the frontlines to inform Uncle Tajima. What do you think?"
Xuan laid out his plan. Right now, besides a handful of garrison ninjas and the children of their generation, the compound was mostly filled with women and newborns. Since he and Madara were recognized as the two strongest of the new generation, if they agreed on a course of action, there was a high probability the rest of the clan would follow.
Uchiha Madara's hands were clenched tight. His head hung low, his long hair shadowing his face and obscuring his expression. However, from the slight tremors wracking his body, Xuan could plainly see the intense internal struggle tearing at him.
Xuan didn't rush him. If Madara could conquer his own fear right now and stand strong, he would undergo a metamorphosis that would only push his future achievements even higher.
Madara hesitated for a full ten minutes before finally letting out a long, heavy exhale. He raised his head. This time, the confusion had vanished from his face, replaced by absolute, unyielding resolve.
"I disagree with your plan." That was Madara's first sentence.
Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Your reason?" He honestly couldn't think of a valid reason for Madara to refuse. His proposal was the most logical way to minimize their losses.
Uchiha Madara stood up. "We cannot leave. If our generation hides in the mountains, we will survive this raid, sure. But what about the women of the clan? What about their newborn babies? They are the absolute foundation of our clan's next generation. Even setting them aside, the compound is filled with our resources and rations. If we lose all of that, the damage will be incalculable."
Xuan listened quietly without interrupting, then asked, "And your idea? Based on the strength comparison, the enemy has at least one Jōnin, two Special Jōnin, and ten Chūnin. How many garrison ninjas do we even have left? Even if we stay, it's useless. We'd just be throwing our lives away."
Uchiha Madara shook his head with utmost seriousness. "No, we have a chance. Our clan still has one Special Jōnin and three Chūnin left in the compound. When the time comes, I will stall their Jōnin. Our clan's Special Jōnin will hold off one of theirs. All you have to do is defeat their remaining Special Jōnin in a head-on duel. Once you do, we join forces, repel their Jōnin, and seize total control of the battle. As for Izuna and the rest of our generation, while most of them are only Genin, I believe they can hold off the enemy Chūnin for a short time since they have the advantage in numbers."
Listening to Uchiha Madara's deadpan bullshit, Xuan's eyelid twitched violently. Bro, your head-on collision plan sounds fine on paper, but the reality is a massive problem!
First of all, how are you so sure I can kill a Special Jōnin head-on? Okay, even if I can, how the hell are you so sure you can hold off a Jōnin? That's a Jōnin! They are on a completely different level than a Special Jōnin. If you die, the entire Uchiha compound falls with you! And you want the deadweights of our generation to stall Chūnin? Short-term, maybe. But if the fight drags on, it'll be a bloodbath. Xuan voiced these doubts directly. If Uchiha Madara couldn't give him a convincing answer, there was no way he was going to stay and commit suicide with him.
Madara spoke with absolute confidence this time. "When it comes down to it, you just don't believe I can hold off that Jōnin. Then... what about this?"
As Madara's words fell, his eyes bled into a deep crimson. A single tomoe was clearly visible, slowly rotating within them.
Xuan's gaze narrowed, though he wasn't surprised. According to the canon plot he knew, Madara was supposed to awaken the Sharingan much later, triggered by the pain of breaking his friendship with Senju Hashirama due to their clans' rivalry.
But things were slightly different here. Perhaps due to the butterfly effect of Xuan's transmigration, Madara had felt an immense pressure from his peer and pushed himself even harder. During a solo outing at the age of five, he had awakened his Sharingan.
The clan had been thrilled for months, hailing Madara as a once-in-a-millennium genius and the ultimate hope for the Uchiha's rise. Almost everyone in the clan knew about it.
"No," Xuan said flatly. "You've seen the strength of the Jōnin in our clan. We cannot match them right now. Even with your Sharingan, it's impossible to hold one off."
Uchiha Madara looked at him with a knowing smile. "Listen to what you're saying. You only mentioned that I can't hold off the enemy Jōnin, but you didn't say a word about whether you could kill their Special Jōnin.
I knew it. You held back when we sparred. Your true strength has already surpassed that of an ordinary Special Jōnin, hasn't it?"
Xuan raised an eyebrow, muttering internally. When did Uchiha Madara suddenly get so smart? But he still nodded. Admitting he hid his strength was fine; it wasn't like Madara knew exactly how much he was hiding.
Seeing this, Madara grew even more excited. "Then that settles it! To tell you the truth, I also held back a bit during our spars.
I'm stronger than what I've shown. Against a Jōnin, I'm not entirely powerless.
I estimate I can hold them off for exactly ten minutes. So, within ten minutes, you absolutely must finish off that Special Jōnin.
Otherwise, not just me, but everyone in this compound will die. This time, all of our lives are in your hands."
"Ten minutes, huh? You really have a lot of faith in me." Looking at Madara's expression, Xuan sighed helplessly but ultimately nodded. Taking down a Special Jōnin in ten minutes... combined with his newly fused Genjutsu, the chances were actually pretty good.
Uchiha Madara burst into laughter. "Good! A few measly Hyuga ninjas actually dare to come seeking death. Let's use their corpses to show the world just how foolish it is to target our Uchiha clan!"
He stood up and pulled the door open. The golden light of the setting sun spilled into the room.
As Xuan stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, he suddenly felt that the kid beside him truly possessed the domineering aura of the man who would one day stand at the pinnacle of the ninja world.