Hane Genma had no intention of spying on Uchiha Nanami. In fact, even after the organization absorbed the Fuma Clan, complicating its personnel structure, Genma had no plans to tighten internal surveillance.
As far as he was concerned, everyone in the organization was just a bunch of small fry, with no valuable intelligence to speak of. Who would he even monitor? Who was worth monitoring?
But when he sensed the presence of other White Zetsu, Genma had no choice but to leave the camp and head toward their location.
Since he could sense this group of White Zetsu, it meant they could sense him too. Was he supposed to just wait for them to come to him, or should he take the initiative and meet them?
As Genma set out, he unexpectedly ran into Uchiha Nanami, who was sneaking around. To his surprise, they were heading in the same direction. Without a word, Genma trailed behind her.
He couldn't help but wonder: could the arrival of the White Zetsu have something to do with Uchiha Nanami?
Though Genma had been using the White Zetsu's abilities, fully aware of how much their transformation powers aided him, he remained deeply wary of the group. His caution was so extreme that even the slightest hint of their presence in his sleep would jolt him awake, springing him out of bed.
No, it was purely caution—nothing to do with a guilty conscience.
Genma and Uchiha Nanami left Kikyo Castle, one following the other, heading east. Soon, they stopped in a desolate, overgrown village about ten kilometers from the city, surrounded by dense woods.
Genma concealed himself at a distance, sensing that the other four White Zetsu nearby were maintaining a similar safe distance, just like him.
There was no intention among these "kin" to exchange greetings for now.
Uchiha Nanami wandered through the ruins, glancing left and right, until she tilted her head upward to a broken wall.
In the vast, starry cosmos, a pristine moon hung in the clear, frigid sky, its cold light illuminating the silhouette of a young man with long black hair, dressed in dark clothing.
"Madara, I didn't expect it to be you," Uchiha Nanami said to the ninja.
The figure standing there was from the Uchiha Clan, none other than Uchiha Madara.
From a distance, Genma couldn't make out Madara's face, but the man's casual yet inexplicably wild and arrogant posture left no doubt in his mind. This had to be the leader of the Four Laughing Heroes.
When it came to presence, Uchiha Madara had it down to an art.
"Nanami, you're not an easy one to track down. Ever since you disappeared, the clan's been worried sick," Uchiha Madara said.
Uchiha Nanami didn't bother asking how Madara had found her. Instead, she replied, "What's with you coming here in person? Aren't you worried about the Senju Clan's counterattack?"
In theory, a key asset like Uchiha Madara shouldn't be leaving the front lines so casually. It could easily give the enemy an opening.
"It's manageable for now. I came here on a mission… to bring you back to the clan."
"Sorry, I refuse."
Madara hadn't expected Nanami to reject him so decisively. A hint of exasperation crept into his tone. "Nanami, your Sharingan is invaluable. If word of it gets out, other ninja will come after you. Only the Uchiha Clan can guarantee your safety."
Huh? Listening to their conversation, Genma suddenly sensed something off. Uchiha Madara, trying to reason with someone?
"It's exactly the clan's obsession with judging a ninja's worth by their Sharingan that disgusts me," Nanami said, shaking her head, clearly unimpressed by Madara's argument.
Some things were like that—flawless in logic but utterly repulsive emotionally. The more pragmatic and calculated the approach, the colder it felt.
"We belong to the Uchiha Clan. It's our duty to give everything for the clan's survival," Madara said. "A ninja's life is bound to end in death, but dying for the clan, for its survival and honor, is far better than dying for some meaningless stranger."
"A ninja's life is short, so we must make it count."
His words sounded reasonable, but Nanami shook her head even more firmly.
"On the flip side, if a stranger told me to die, I could accept that—ninja are tools, after all. But if my own blood, my clan, ordered me to die, what's their reasoning? And how am I supposed to feel about that?"
"It's all 'millennia of legacy,' 'honor,' and 'glory' when you talk about the Uchiha. But what about the blood on our hands? The disregard for our clansmen's lives? Using promising young ninja as test subjects, setting up death missions just to increase the odds of awakening the Sharingan… Where's the 'glory' in that?"
Could it be that Nanami's refusal to return stemmed from seeing too much of the clan's sordid dealings and shameful secrets?
Madara couldn't refute her words, leaving him momentarily speechless.
But his awkwardness was his own fault. Why resort to words when he could've used Fire Release? How was he supposed to become a legendary master like this?
"Madara, I always thought you'd be the one to bring change to the clan. But now, it seems you've let me down… Can't you think about anything beyond fighting and killing?"
Nanami's tone carried a hint of disappointment, as if she were scolding a child who hadn't lived up to her expectations.
To be fair, Madara did think about plenty—the clan's future, the fate of its people. But in the face of her verbal onslaught, he found himself unable to explain.
Wait a second. Genma, who'd been quietly observing this drama, started to pick up on something odd. In this domestic squabble, it almost seemed like the dynamic between these two Uchiha ninja was… reversed?
"Get down here. Don't you know basic manners when speaking to someone?" Nanami scolded.
To everyone's shock, Madara's body visibly stiffened. His previously defiant posture turned painfully awkward.
And then, unbelievably, he obediently jumped down from the wall and walked over to stand in front of Nanami.
At this moment, Genma felt like he'd just had an epiphany.
"I'm not going back to the Uchiha Clan for now. So, what? Does that go against your mission? Are you going to force me back with your overwhelming strength?" Nanami declared, her tone resolute. The Uchiha Clan's oppressive atmosphere was suffocating, and she wasn't ready to return.
Madara fell silent, his earlier bravado gone. He opened his mouth, but all his words dissolved into a single sigh.
"How could I? You taught me Fire Release, Nanami. You're like a mother to me… But tell me, when will you come back to the clan?"
"When the time is right."
Nanami rolled her eyes and added, "Well? What are you standing around for? Get going!"
"…Fine, I'm leaving."
The ninja god's only equal, after being inexplicably chewed out, slunk away with his tail between his legs.
Watching this, Genma was tempted to call after Madara, reminding him to revisit that larger-than-life persona he was supposed to embody.
All he could say was that no matter how "great" someone was, you couldn't judge them through the lens of family dynamics. The contrast was just too stark.
Even a god, in the context of family, still had to play the son—or the grandson, if that's what was required.
No amount of bravado could ever outshine parental authority.
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