Chapter 7: Facing the Enemy Head-On
Clang!
The teacup in Uchiha Madara's hand fell to the ground and shattered. Green tea flowed everywhere, but he didn't pay any attention. He asked instinctively, "How could this happen?"
Seeing the slightly dazed look on Madara's face, Kaito watched him carefully. No matter how high his future achievements might be, he was still only eight years old. When faced with a sudden situation, he inevitably lacked a leader.
Kaito, on the other hand, had already regained his composure. After all, he was a transmigrator. His mind was more mature than a child of eight.
After considering the various scenarios, Kaito said, "We shouldn't fight head-on. I suggest we gather all the clan members of our generation and hide in the mountains to preserve our strength. We can send two groups of people, one to chase after the Third Elder and ask him to return, and the other to the battlefield to tell our great-uncle about this. What do you think?"
Kaito shared his thoughts. The only people left in the clan were a few defense ninjas, the children of their generation, mostly women, and newborns. Therefore, if Madara and he, as the strongest of the new generation, could agree on a plan, they would have a better chance of resolving the situation.
Uchiha Madara clenched his fists and lowered his head, his long hair obscuring his face. It was impossible to see his expression, but Kaito could tell from his slight trembling that he was struggling.
Kaito didn't urge him. If he could overcome himself and become stronger, he would undergo a transformation, and his future achievements would be even greater.
Madara hesitated for a full ten minutes. Finally, he seemed to have made up his mind. He took a deep breath, raised his head, and this time his face wasn't confused. His eyes were filled with determination.
"I disagree with your plan," was the first thing he said after raising his head.
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Why?" He couldn't think of any reason why Madara would refuse. His suggestion should have been the best way to minimize losses.
Uchiha Madara stood up and said, "We can't leave. If we hide in the mountains, we can avoid this attack, but what about the women and the newborns? They are the foundation for the next generation of our clan. Even without them, the clan compound has supplies and food. If we lose all that, the damage would be immeasurable."
Kaito listened quietly, not arguing, and asked, "What's your plan? Based on the difference in strength, they have at least one Jonin, two Special Jonin, and ten Chunin. How many defense ninjas are left in the clan? Even if we stay, we can't do anything. We'll just be throwing our lives away."
Uchiha Madara shook his head seriously. "No, there's a chance to win. We still have one Special Jonin and three Chunin left in the clan. I'll hold off the Jonin, the Special Jonin can hold off one of their Special Jonin. If you can defeat their other Special Jonin, we can join forces and defeat their Jonin, and then we'll have the advantage. And although most of Izuna's generation are still Genin, I believe they can hold off their Chunin for a while. They have a numbers advantage, after all."
Listening to Uchiha Madara's serious nonsense, Kaito's eyelids twitched. Big Brother, that plan seems fine on the surface, but it's actually full of problems.
First, what made him so sure that Kaito could defeat a Special Jonin? And how could he be sure that he could hold off a Jonin? Jonin and Special Jonin were in completely different leagues. If he died, the entire Uchiha compound would be finished.
And he wanted their generation to hold off the Chunin? It would be fine for a short time, but if it lasted longer, they would suffer heavy losses.
Kaito voiced all these questions. Unless Madara gave him a convincing answer, there was no way he would agree to die with him.
Madara said confidently, "So, you don't believe I can hold off the Jonin? Then… how about this…"
As Madara spoke, his eyes turned blood red. A single tomoe was clearly visible within.
Kaito frowned but wasn't surprised. Based on what he knew, Madara awakened the Sharingan after meeting Hashirama and turning against each other due to clan issues.
But things were slightly different here. Perhaps because of Kaito's transmigration, Madara felt pressure from their generation and improved faster. He awakened the Sharingan during a solo outing at the age of five.
At that time, everyone in the clan was excited and called Madara a once-in-a-thousand-year genius and the hope for the rise of the Uchiha clan. Almost all the Uchiha clan members knew about it.
"No, you've seen the strength of our Jonin. We can't match them, even with your Sharingan. You can't hold him off."
Uchiha Madara smiled at him. "It sounds like you're only saying that I can't hold off their Jonin, but you're not saying whether you can kill their Special Jonin. So, I guessed right. You were hiding your strength when we sparred. Your true strength has already surpassed that of an average Special Jonin, right?"
Kaito raised his eyebrows and muttered inwardly. How did Madara suddenly become so smart? But he nodded anyway. There was no harm in admitting that he had been hiding his strength.
Madara was even happier. "That's good. To tell you the truth, I was also hiding some strength when we sparred. I'm a little stronger than I showed. Against a Jonin, I'm not completely without a chance. I estimate I can hold him off for about ten minutes. So, you have to defeat that Special Jonin within ten minutes. Otherwise, not just me, but everyone in the compound will die. This time, all our lives are entrusted to you."
"Ten minutes, huh? You really believe in me." Kaito said helplessly, looking at Madara's expression. In the end, he nodded. Taking down a Special Jonin in ten minutes, combined with his newly merged illusion, seemed possible.
Uchiha Madara laughed. "Good! A few Hyuga ninjas dare to seek death! Let's use their corpses to tell the world that it's foolish to mess with the Uchiha clan!"
He stood up, opened the door, and stood side by side with Kaito under the setting sun. Suddenly, Kaito felt that this guy beside him really did have the domineering air of someone who would stand at the peak of the ninja world in the future.