Chapter 99: A Temporary End
After Uchiha Ryo and his team members had been hunted by the Hyuga clan within the Land of Lightning for a month for killing members of the Hyuga clan, the Hyuga clan finally couldn't withstand the pressure from the nobles of the Land of Lightning. They recalled all their clan members and stopped hunting them.
At this time, the appearance of the members in Ryo's team was far from good. They were all travel - worn and in a sorry state. The edges of their robes were stained a deep, hard - to - wash - off brown by the coagulated blood.
Among them, the most changed one was Madara. This young boy had grown a bit taller in this month. The childishness in his eyes had completely disappeared, replaced by a chilling coldness.
If Madara before was just a roughly forged weapon that looked like one but couldn't really harm others, then this month of escape and being hunted was like grinding this weapon to a sharp edge. It now shone with a more intense cold light and could kill with a single strike, which made people tremble with fear just by looking at it.
Uchiha Masaki still looked as idle as ever. Only when he occasionally looked up and met someone's eyes would a glint of cold light flash, making people shiver.
Compared with the two of them, Ryo seemed a bit out of place. Although he stood upright, he didn't have a powerful aura. There was still a gentle smile on his lips. At first glance, he looked more like an innocent traveler hijacked by Madara and Uchiha Masaki.
"Finally, it's over, huh!" Uchiha Masaki stretched his muscles and bones, looking a bit listless. "If I keep working like this, I think I'll die of overwork before I'm twenty... By the way, Ryo, can't you tell me what you're up to yet?"
"Well... How should I put it? I haven't found the right opportunity." Ryo tilted his head slightly, looking a bit helpless. "Masaki, you're really too vigilant towards me. You know I won't harm you."
"You won't harm me, but you..." Uchiha Masaki rubbed his nose and twitched the corner of his mouth. "Life is already tough enough. I don't want to have one more nightmare material."
Ryo shook his head slightly and turned to Madara. "How do you feel, Madara?"
"Yes, I feel great," Madara looked down at his own palm and then slowly clenched it, with a slight curve on his lips. "No, it couldn't be better."
"Really? Then I'm relieved." Ryo laughed softly and reached out to ruffle his younger brother's hair. "At least it shows that Madara's choice to become a ninja isn't a wrong path."
Hearing this, Madara was stunned. "Aren't we a ninja clan?"
"Yes, but having the aptitude for being a ninja doesn't mean you can become a good one." Ryo retracted his hand. "If you can't grow from battles and enjoy them, being a ninja will be a very hard job."
"Ah, your brother is right on this point," Uchiha Masaki sighed. "Have you heard about Ryo's missions?"
Madara didn't understand why Uchiha Masaki suddenly mentioned this, but he just nodded. "Yes, I heard from the clan uncle that big brother has always had a 100% mission completion rate, and no one in his team has ever died."
"
"Well, that's true. But in fact, more than half of our peers have died," Uchiha Masaki said without any fluctuation in his eyes. "You're more familiar with us. We're just a small part of the survivors, and we can even say we're not the most talented ones."
"You should know Uchiha Akihiko, right? That guy's [genjutsu] was already quite good among the [ninjas] in the [clan] even before he awakened his [Mangekyo]. He was even on par with the adults. But even he didn't start out as the number one [genjutsu] user among his peers. Yet, there was another guy with even greater talent who ended up dead and mutilated because he was too overconfident in his abilities... You get what I mean, right?"
"... Yeah, I got it." Madara let out a long breath, suppressing the excitement about his power growth. "I'll work harder to get stronger."
"Madara, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Since you can enjoy the thrill of battle, getting stronger will just come naturally."
"Besides, your big brother's here. It's okay for Madara to rely on his big brother a bit until your body fully develops -" Uchiha Ryo let out a low laugh and tapped his temple. "Well, but don't learn some of your big brother's bad habits."
Madara immediately frowned. "Big brother! Please don't joke about this!"
"It's not a joke. I'm just stating a fact," Uchiha Ryo's smile became even gentler. "Life's full of surprises."
After saying that, without waiting for Madara to retort, Uchiha Ryo turned to Uchiha Masaki. "After we go back to rest and replenish [supply lines], I plan to go to the northern part of the [Land of Lightning] to scout for a few days. Will you follow the [clan] to the [Land of Iron] to replenish [supply lines] like Madara, or come with me?"
"Huh? Can I choose now? Then I'll go back -" Uchiha Masaki paused, becoming cautious. "Can I go back... right?"
"Yeah, after all, with you being so on guard against me, there's nothing I can do to you." Uchiha Ryo's smile turned helpless. "If you want to know, you can ask Akihiko, but he probably won't tell you everything."
"Ah, then I'll go back - and I'm not interested in your plans. Please don't tell me about it. I really don't want to be your errand boy."
"Moreover, compared to me..." Uchiha Masaki let out a long sigh, but his gaze fell on the [staff - sword] in Uchiha Ryo's hand. "Isn't your sword the real [Mondai]? Is it still gonna hold up?"
"Yeah, you're right," Uchiha Ryo sighed and showed a troubled expression. "Although the conduction of [chakra] through the sword is still good, the blade is already chipping. It's not suitable for high - intensity battles anymore... At least, the [Hyuga clan] can't be underestimated in terms of combat power."
"Do you want me to order a new one for you? Although [chakra steel] is expensive, you haven't spent much of your rewards except on drinking and buying gifts for your family, right?"
"
"Yeah, please," Uchiha Ryo nodded slightly. "Just forge it according to the current staff - sword, but the outer shell can be a bit longer..."
Although Madara was a bit annoyed that Uchiha Ryo didn't plan to take him along for his next action, he also knew how much of a hindrance he had been to Uchiha Ryo in the past month. So at this moment, he just listened attentively to Uchiha Ryo's requirements for the weapon and secretly calculated whether his little private savings could afford to forge a customized weapon. That way, if Uchiha Ryo's weapon wore out later, he could help replace it in time.
Although his elder brother was stronger than him, more cautious in his actions, and his peers unconditionally obeyed his orders and were willing to help him... But still, he needs to be taken care of, doesn't he?