To Kaede, there was nothing unusual about the scene before him—after all, Madara had always been a brother-obsessed type.
Opening his Sharingan to two tomoe in a fit of anger? That was hardly anything difficult for him.
"Brother, I'm fine. Right now, the most important thing is that we failed to complete the mission of escorting the daimyo, and many of our clansmen were injured. This time, not only did we fail to earn the payment for the task, but we'll also have to bear a hefty compensation fee. What's worse, those clans even captured some of our people. If the Uchiha's kekkei genkai is leaked, it will be disastrous for us—we must deal with this quickly."
Izuna casually bandaged his wound and then looked around at the others as he spoke.
"This is indeed a serious matter."
Hearing this, Tajima frowned in thought.
If the bloodline limit of the Sharingan were to leak, the consequences for the Uchiha Clan would be dire. This needed to be resolved at once.
"I'll lead a team to rescue our captured clansmen. Hokaku, Shizuru, Shimizu—you come with me. The rest will stay here to guard. If anyone dares to approach, kill them without hesitation."
Without another word, Tajima selected two Mangekyō Sharingan users and several of the clan's top fighters, preparing to set out to reclaim the stolen eyes.
"Father—!"
Madara wanted to go as well, but Tajima stopped him.
"No. You can't come. I will handle the situation there myself. Stay here, and, Kaede-dono, I entrust the clan's safety to you."
After giving this order, Tajima led his group out.
Soon, about a third of the Uchiha's combat forces had left the settlement, leaving the rest behind with uneasy expressions.
"We must act as well. Quickly get the elderly, weak, sick, and injured to safety. Organize patrols outside—don't let any suspicious person get close."
Kaede issued his commands, and the others moved swiftly to carry them out.
Madara, however, was restless, pacing in place, his mind on his father.
"Stop pacing, you're making my head spin. Sit down."
Kaede glanced at him.
"Sensei, I'm just worried about Father. Ever since our shinobi clans began fighting each other, I've never seen such a situation before. The Sarutobi, the Nara, and the Hagoromo—they've always had conflicts with us. But every time it's been isolated fights. They even hold grudges against each other. For them to unite now against the Uchiha… If the Senju are also persuaded to join them, our situation will be extremely dangerous."
Madara bit his lip as he spoke.
The Senju were the Uchiha's mortal enemies. If they entered the war, they could tie down most of the Uchiha's forces, leaving openings for the other clans to strike. That would be a dire situation indeed.
"I know. That's why you must change. You have to decide—will you be the sheep, or the hunter?"
Kaede smiled faintly.
"Hunter… or sheep…" Madara muttered to himself, then suddenly looked at Kaede.
"Sensei, you mean…"
He already understood Kaede's implication—one that clashed completely with his own ideals.
"That's right. If you don't want to be prey in their hands, you must become the hunter. Instead of waiting to be attacked, start the hunt. These clans have already united against us? Fine. Then we will strike first—destroy them one by one. When all the other clans are gone, the Uchiha will be the only ones left. And then, there will be no more war, and peace will be ours."
Kaede smiled.
After all, this was exactly how he had done it before.
In the world he had once ruled, the villages of the Five Great Nations had long been unified under him. No matter the shinobi village, all had become his forces.
In that world, no one dared resist him. No one dared grow a force under his nose. If such a thing was discovered, the person and their entire family would be wiped out without hesitation.
Kaede was not merciful.
When it came to hidden threats, he believed in rooting them out completely, destroying them before they could sprout. And then, using the influence of the God Tree, he made everyone loyal to him.
"Sensei!!!"
Madara froze at Kaede's words.
He didn't know what to say.
His dream was to create a utopia—a village where he alone would bear the storms, shielding everyone else.
It sounded similar to what Kaede described, but in reality, one was a passive defense, and the other was an active offense. The difference between the two was vast.
"You can't be soft-hearted, or everything you do will be for nothing," Kaede continued.
Of course, he didn't expect Madara to understand right away. In the original timeline, Madara only came to this realization after Konoha was founded, under the combined suppression of the Senju, Sarutobi, and other major and minor clans.
Now, Madara was still just a youth.
But Kaede's words, while failing to sway Madara, struck a chord with Izuna.
"Yes. If possible, I hope you will lead the Uchiha to defeat the other clans. As long as they submit to us, peace can be achieved!" Izuna declared firmly.
He was of the pro-war faction within the clan.
Though his talent and strength were slightly inferior to Madara's, as the son of the clan leader, if he grew into his potential, his influence in the clan and its leadership would be no less than his brother's.
And in truth, one of the biggest reasons the Uchiha eventually agreed to peace talks and co-founded Konoha with the Senju was Izuna's death…
(End of Chapter)
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