"Questioning the Uchiha clan's pride?"
At those words, the look in Madara Uchiha's eyes changed. What had once been a guarded vigilance turned into something far more dangerous. His cold gaze radiated an overwhelming aura of killing intent.
The shift in atmosphere was so sudden and intense that even the nearby onlookers could feel the suffocating pressure spreading outward.
Most couldn't withstand that sheer force of bloodlust—they screamed and fled in panic, scattering in every direction.
Yet the one person who stood before him—a woman who looked every bit the noble princess—remained completely unfazed, as though she hadn't noticed his killing intent at all.
"Brother, calm down!"
Izuna tugged lightly at Madara's sleeve, sighing softly. "We didn't come here to make enemies."
Madara snorted coldly, the crimson glow in his eyes fading as his Sharingan returned to normal. Without another word, he turned away, though he glanced back at Satsuki with a sharp look before walking off.
"If your courage just now was nothing but bravado, I suggest you leave before I lose my patience. But if you truly aren't afraid to die… you can follow me."
Naturally, Satsuki paid no mind to his provocation. Without asking where he intended to lead her, she simply followed as the brothers guided her through the winding paths of the Uchiha settlement.
Even within the Uchiha territory, she noticed that there weren't many clan members around. After a while, they arrived before a large, prominent stone building. On its front was engraved the name Uchiha Guard Post.
In the center of the structure's facade was a large clan emblem—the distinctive fan crest of the Uchiha. A continuation of tradition, one might say.
Two guards stood at the entrance, each with a short sword at their waist and dressed in dark blue uniforms that were nearly black. Both appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old.
However, within the Uchiha clan, even these young men were seasoned warriors who had survived multiple life-and-death battles. Any Uchiha who had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan generally possessed the combat strength of a jōnin.
Still, due to the lack of formalized institutions for knowledge transmission, most of them specialized purely in combat prowess.
The Sharingan granted them exceptional observational, replication, and hypnotic abilities. Its users possessed perception far beyond ordinary humans—they could see the flow of chakra, dispel or detect genjutsu, and copy taijutsu or non–bloodline ninjutsu.
Because of this, the Uchiha clan relied heavily on the Sharingan in nearly every aspect of their lives.
For example, even their method of identity verification relied on the Sharingan—scanning chakra flow and patterns, then cross-referencing them with recorded data. If the chakra matched, the identity was confirmed.
After a brief glance, the two Uchiha guards saluted the brothers respectfully.
"Lord Madara, Lord Izuna."
"Daike, Ushisuke," Izuna greeted them with a nod. "Thank you for your hard work. Maintaining order in the clan may seem tedious, but it's a crucial duty. It feels wasteful to have you two stuck with it."
"Please don't say that, Lord Izuna," one of them replied quickly. "It's only thanks to you and Lord Madara that our clan has become stronger these past few years."
Madara gave a small, almost dismissive chuckle. "That's mostly Izuna's doing. I merely help him clear the occasional obstacle."
"You're too modest, my lord."
After a few polite exchanges, the two guards finally turned their attention toward Satsuki.
As expected, upon seeing her, both froze completely—just like the townsfolk earlier.
"Ahem…" Izuna cleared his throat pointedly.
The two guards snapped back to their senses, faces flushing red with embarrassment at their lapse in composure.
To break the awkward silence, one of them—Daike—asked, "My lords, this lady is…?"
"She's here on official business," Izuna explained with a slightly awkward smile. "An important client. We're taking her inside to show her the Uchiha clan's history and strength."
Realization dawned on the two guards immediately—they had a potential benefactor before them.
"Of course, of course," one said quickly, bowing. The other activated his Sharingan briefly to perform a chakra scan, but all he saw was the illusion Satsuki had deliberately allowed him to perceive—her true form completely hidden behind the Dead Line Boundary.
With Satsuki's current level of ability, concealing herself from the insight of a three-tomoe Sharingan was hardly a challenge.
"There's no sign of chakra flow within her meridians at all."
—That was the result of their observation.
Once inside the Guard Post, the layout resembled that of an administrative building, consisting of three floors.
The first floor displayed the Uchiha clan's recorded history—major battles, notable victories, and the legendary figures who had emerged during those times. Of course, the information was highly restricted, with only brief codename summaries and superficial evaluations available to the public.
The second floor contained accessible records of mission evaluations and completed assignments. Potential clients could browse through and select specific Uchiha shinobi with expertise suited to their mission needs.
There were even quite a few foreign shinobi who had joined under the Uchiha's banner. Though they couldn't match the Uchiha in battle prowess, they each possessed unique specialties.
The key advantage was cost—these non-Uchiha ninja charged significantly lower commission fees. When used wisely, they offered excellent value.
The third floor, meanwhile, was reserved for major clients.
Madara and Izuna led Satsuki straight to a reception chamber at the center of the third floor.
The interior resembled a compact office, with shelves of scrolls on either side and two desks at the center. A single chair was placed across from them—clearly meant for the client.
Taking a seat, Satsuki looked at the two brothers and said calmly, "Judging by how the two of you are personally escorting me, I take it your positions in the Uchiha clan aren't exactly low. Should I be honored that you've taken the time to entertain an unimportant guest like me?"
"Miss Satsuki, there's no need for such tests anymore," Izuna replied with a small sigh as he leaned back against his desk, massaging his temples. "Though our clan still holds some renown in the shinobi world, it can no longer be called 'the strongest.'"
"Is that so?"
Satsuki turned her gaze toward Madara. The man who would one day become a legend rivaling the First Hokage now stood silently by the window, staring outside as though weighed down by invisible burdens, showing no intention of responding.
It seemed these brothers were more self-aware than most Uchiha—at least, they clearly understood the reality of their clan's situation.
Satsuki found that straightforwardness refreshing. She didn't mind this kind of honest talk.
After all, she was more than aware of the current state of the Uchiha clan, having long since held dominion over the upper echelons of the shinobi world herself.
"Still," Izuna continued, "though we may not be the strongest, the Uchiha clan remains a force not to be underestimated amid this chaotic era. Whatever mission you wish to commission, I am confident our clan can accomplish it."
"Then I'll be direct," Satsuki said evenly. "I've heard that the Uchiha's Sharingan possesses the ability to control tailed beasts. I wonder—are those rumors true?"
The moment those words left her lips, the atmosphere in the room shifted subtly but unmistakably.
"If you mean controlling tailed beasts with the Sharingan, that much we can indeed do," Izuna Uchiha replied cautiously, choosing his words with care. "However, given how often we've been engaged in battle with other clans recently, we currently lack the manpower to engage a tailed beast directly."
The ability of the Sharingan to control tailed beasts was no longer much of a secret in the shinobi world.
Ever since the battle five years ago—when the previous Uchiha clan head, Tajima Uchiha, had summoned a clone of the Nine-Tails during the struggle for the Eight-Tails—every faction that had paid attention to that war took notice.
That had not been a mere summoning of a contracted beast, but the manipulation of a tailed beast—a distinction far from trivial.
Though the ultimate victor of that conflict had been the Tachibana clan, anyone who had witnessed the battle firsthand knew that the true standouts on the battlefield were without question the Senju and the Uchiha.
The Senju had displayed incredible medical ninjutsu, regenerative ability, and the dazzling power of the [Eight Gates Technique], leaving all spectators deeply impressed.
But in terms of sheer strength, it was the Uchiha who had shone brightest.
At that time, the Uchiha had fought simultaneously against four major powers—the Senju, the Uzumaki, the Tachibana, and the Kaguya clans. Even so, they had endured for more than three days before retreating—an honorable defeat by any standard.
Thus, though the battle had cost them dearly, it also brought the Uchiha increased renown and numerous new commissions.
Among those commissions were requests to help seal or subdue tailed beasts.
However, after internal turmoil within the clan, the Uchiha's attitude toward external cooperation had become notably cautious.
Once bitten, twice shy—as the saying went. Missions that required many Uchiha to risk their lives were now approached with reluctance.
Observers had even noted signs of a recent internal conflict within the clan's leadership. Only in the past few years had they gradually resumed communication with outsiders.
Of course, for Satsuki—who had orchestrated the "Hagoromo Clan" facade herself—the Uchiha's internal state was no secret at all.
"I see. So what you mean to say… is that you're declining my commission?"
"Not at all," Izuna replied, pulling out a stack of blank scrolls. "While our clan no longer takes on such missions directly, we can serve as an intermediary. We'll post the commission publicly—if other shinobi are interested, they may accept it."
"You can write your mission details and rank here," he continued. "State your requirements and the reward amount clearly. Once the task is posted, we'll handle the release. Our commission fee is ten percent."
A mission brokerage service?
Not bad—clever, even.
In the Warring States era, inter-clan conflict was the norm.
But still, this was the real world, and not everyone was a battle-crazed fool.
Many clans, after assessing their own capabilities, realized that their shinobi simply weren't suited for direct combat—or lacked the necessary strength altogether.
Engaging in warfare against other clans would amount to little more than throwing away lives.
Thus, many chose instead to align themselves with stronger families capable of providing protection—becoming subordinate houses in exchange for security and stability.
The structure of the old Kōga and Iga ninja groups had followed a similar principle. The key difference was that the Uchiha had once suffered betrayal from such alliances, while the Senju enjoyed unwavering support from their allies in the Uzumaki clan.
This disparity had been highlighted repeatedly in the Uchiha's internal discussions and became one of the driving forces behind their later reforms.
The concept of shared mission platforms was one such reform measure.
Accepting the scroll, Satsuki didn't write immediately. She hadn't come here with a specific purpose—merely to look around.
As she idly scanned the room, her eyes drifted toward Madara.
Then, a line from the future flashed in her mind—one of Madara Uchiha's most famous taunts:
"Do you also wish to dance?"
The thought made her smile faintly.
At that moment, an ingenious idea struck her.
For Satsuki, an S-rank mission fee was nothing worth mentioning. Besides, she had never said her commission involved hunting a tailed beast.
So when Izuna Uchiha received the written request, his face twitched uncontrollably.
"…Miss Satsuki, surely you're not serious?"
"If I'm paying according to your rules," Satsuki replied casually, "then does it really matter to you whether I'm serious or not?"
With an unbothered air, she reached into her sleeve and pulled out several gleaming gold bars, setting them neatly upon the desk—a gesture so rich it could blind a man.
"Consider these a deposit."
The dazzling glint of gold, paired with Izuna's collapsing composure, finally caught even Madara's attention—who until now had been silently gazing out the window.
"Izuna," he said, turning his head slightly, "what kind of mission did she write?"
At that question, Izuna's expression grew even more strained. He wasn't sure whether handing this mission scroll to his brother would be an act of courage—or suicide.
Meanwhile, Satsuki calmly dropped another verbal bomb. "Since this is a designated commission, according to your rules, I've doubled the base fee. The reward is two million ryō."
That single line froze both brothers completely.
Two million ryō!
In the current Warring States era, such an amount was astronomical—an unthinkable fortune. Even the treasuries of smaller nations couldn't boast such abundance.
To offer that much money for a single commission was sheer extravagance.
For a brief moment, even Madara—normally stoic and composed—wavered. If this woman truly wanted his help capturing a tailed beast, such a price might actually be worth considering.
"Izuna," he said, his curiosity piqued, "let me see that scroll. If it's to hunt a weaker tailed beast, I wouldn't mind taking the mission myself."
"Ah… yes, brother, you should read it yourself," Izuna mumbled, burying his face in his arm like a man mourning his own fate. "It does require your personal involvement."
Madara raised a brow, confused but composed. Aside from a brief flash of shock earlier, he maintained his usual cold, imposing demeanor—the very image of an ice-cold warlord.
"Designated Commission: Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna," he read aloud. That much seemed normal. The woman had mentioned it was a personal commission, after all, and if it truly involved a tailed beast, it made sense to request the Uchiha's best.
But as his eyes moved to the next line, his expression faltered.
The words hung in the air, and a dangerous silence filled the room.
He began to read it out loud, slowly, each word edged with disbelief—and rising fury.
"Mission objective: At any time within the Uchiha compound, perform a dance of the employer's choosing—accompanied by the line: 'Do… you… also… wish… to dance?'"
When the final word left his lips, the temperature in the room plummeted.
Madara's eyes flared—not with the simple three-tomoe Sharingan, but with the ominous, swirling pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
...