The Hagoromo Clan and the Senju Clan, as well as the Uchiha Clan, had always been mortal enemies.
The hostility between them needed no further explanation.
However, in recent years, the Hagoromo Clan had gone through many upheavals, becoming significantly weaker. They had gradually stopped appearing before the Uchiha.
But unexpectedly, today, these people had shown up here.
It was truly surprising.
After the initial shock, Madara became alert.
With over a dozen Hagoromo clan members appearing here, it was hard to believe they weren't targeting him. Judging by their strength, they were all elites of their clan.
This was bad.
Although Madara's skills were good, handling all of them alone would still be problematic.
"Oh? You could tell who we are at a glance. Truly worthy of being an Uchiha.
We were originally after a big fish, but instead, a little shrimp like you wandered into our net. If we let you go, it'd be a waste. So don't blame us—blame yourself for making such a suicidal choice by coming here today."
The Hagoromo clansmen laughed loudly.
They were certain that this Uchiha boy would die today.
"If you've got the guts, come at me!"
Madara's eyes became firm.
He might not be able to take them all down, but the Uchiha had their pride. Even if he died, he would drag one of them with him.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
He formed hand seals quickly, and a massive fireball erupted from his mouth.
"Hmph, brat, such a fire style has no effect on us. But you are brave indeed, daring to attack us first. In that case, let us show you our power.
Water Style: Ice Formation Wall!"
A wall of water rose from the ground, blocking the fireball's flames.
The rest of the Hagoromo members appeared as well, launching a coordinated assault on Madara.
Countless shuriken and kunai flew toward him.
The clash of flame and water produced thick smoke, which obscured Madara's figure.
Bang!
The weapons struck Madara's body—only for a puff of white smoke to burst forth.
The weapons had lodged themselves in a log.
"Substitution Technique… Damn, he's not where we attacked! Watch your backs!"
The warning came too late.
From behind them, a giant fire dragon roared forward, swallowing several of them in an instant.
Huff…
Madara stood atop a tall tree, looking down at the ground below.
His lips parted as he caught his breath, his arm badly injured.
His chakra reserves had also been heavily depleted.
If not for that earlier trick, he wouldn't have been able to use the Substitution Technique to escape here.
He also knew that the Dragon Fire Technique might hold them off for a moment, but it couldn't kill them.
If he tried to flee, they would certainly chase him, putting him in an even worse position.
Without pause, he tore a strip of cloth to bandage his wound.
"Fire Style—"
"Kid, you're not bad, but you're far too inexperienced. Did you really think we have no brains?"
As the flames cleared, Madara saw the water wall had transformed into a barrier, leaving those inside completely unharmed.
"Not good!"
Before he could react, his body was suddenly bound.
"Cloud Binding Secret Technique!"
A Hagoromo ninja had immobilized him with their secret art, while another began forming seals.
"Water Style: Kirin Destruction!"
From the ninja's mouth, a high-pressure torrent blasted forth, sharp as blades, aimed straight for Madara.
If it struck, his body would be sliced to pieces like wood.
The threat of death loomed closer, and Madara clenched his eyes shut in unwillingness.
Was he really going to die here today?
But the next instant—
A chorus of screams tore through the air, followed by the scent of blood.
After that, the forest went utterly silent.
Even the sound of birds was gone.
Madara didn't feel the pain he had braced for.
Opening his eyes, he saw the dozen Hagoromo elites who, only minutes ago, had been full of arrogance—
—now lying dead on the ground.
"This… what happened?"
Madara was stunned.
These people had been their clan's top fighters.
Even the Uchiha would need warriors of equal strength to face them.
Yet in mere minutes, they had been wiped out.
Still reeling from shock, Madara raised his head—
—and saw, at the edge of the clearing, a man wearing a black hooded cloak: Kaede.
"You… you are…"
Madara hesitated, realizing these deaths must be his doing.
Strangely, instead of guarding himself fully, he felt a faint sense of familiarity toward this man.
But that feeling was quickly pushed aside.
In this era, trusting outsiders would only get you killed faster.
"Uchiha Madara."
Kaede looked at the teenage boy across from him, slightly surprised.
When he'd come here, he'd planned to find a town to confirm exactly where—and when—he'd arrived in the past.
He hadn't gone far before hearing sounds of battle behind him.
Instead of wasting time searching for information, capturing the fighters and questioning them was the faster option.
Unfortunately, they'd all died in a single move.
Still, at least one boy remained alive—
—and by coincidence, that boy was none other than Uchiha Madara.
Only, this was before he'd grown into the feared Shura of the ninja world.
Madara heard his name from the man's mouth, and his wariness spiked.
He took a step back, ready to flee at any moment.
The man's power was unfathomable—able to kill so many elites in an instant.
Compared to him, even Madara's father, Tajima, was nothing.
(End of Chapter)
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