The night was as dark as ink, and the cold wind stirred fallen leaves with a rustling sound.
"Madara-sama, this is the mansion of the wealthy merchant from the intel."
Renya and Uchiha Madara were hidden in the trees not far from the estate. The dense foliage perfectly concealed their figures.
Their mission this time was to kill the wealthy merchant. According to intelligence, the merchant maintained close ties with Iwagakure.
This merchant's businesses spread throughout the Land of Earth, and few could rival his wealth.
Renya speculated that the merchant was secretly providing financial support to Iwagakure, which had prompted Kirigakure to issue an assassination order.
After all, such actions were bound to anger Kirigakure.
Wars were essentially contests of resources and ninja attrition. What harm could an Earth Country merchant doing this possibly cause?
Both sides were constantly depleting their resources, and yet the merchant was giving Iwagakure substantial financial aid.
Wasn't that putting Kirigakure at a disadvantage?
Renya's Sharingan glowed faintly red in the darkness as he scanned the brightly lit mansion ahead.
Iwagakure ninjas patrolled back and forth, their expressions alert—clearly not ordinary guards.
"Twelve patrolling ninjas, four per squad, constantly monitoring the perimeter," Renya whispered. "It's uncertain if there are other ninjas stationed inside the mansion."
Each patrol team outside was led by a jonin.
Deploying so many ninjas for protection suggested Iwagakure placed great importance on the merchant's safety, confirming Renya's earlier suspicions.
"Madara-sama, you should be careful," Renya said softly.
It was obvious that there were more ninjas inside the mansion.
Twelve ninjas outside meant even more within.
With so many guards, a normal ninja team would struggle to carry out an assassination.
They might even be stopped before they could infiltrate.
He didn't even need help; he could handle these Iwa ninjas on his own.
Renya wondered if Madara could still activate Susanoo like he did during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
It was worth noting that Madara had lost one of his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Although his eye appeared intact, one of his Sharingan was just an ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan.
Could a single Mangekyō activate Susanoo?
This question had puzzled Renya for a long time. Without a Mangekyō of his own, he had no way of knowing.
He would have to wait and see if Madara used Susanoo.
If he did, it would prove that a single Mangekyō was sufficient.
Whether it was due to the Eternal Mangekyō or a normal Mangekyō, it remained uncertain.
After all, Madara couldn't be treated like an ordinary Uchiha. He could even use Susanoo without one eye.
There was also the possibility that the Rinnegan played a role…
"Ants."
A cold smile curved Madara's lips.
The Iwa ninjas before him were nothing more than insects!
For enemies like these, he just needed to attack and kill them.
No need for strategies—just overpower them with strength!
He wanted to quickly deal with the guards, enter the mansion, and kill the merchant to complete the mission.
After traveling all day to the Land of Earth, returning would take more time.
Renya had already mentioned along the way that they couldn't rely on him to cook for them all the time.
So they might as well make the most of these days.
And Madara-sama, as Uchiha Madara, couldn't stay holed up in a cave forever.
Compared to fine cuisine, he preferred achieving his ideals.
He also needed to find suitable hiding places across the ninja world to prepare for future plans.
As for Renya, that could wait.
One day, this boy would willingly follow him to realize the grand vision of peace in the ninja world.
Some things are only understood once they are lost…
When Renya awakens the Mangekyō in the future, he will understand why Madara is pursuing the "Eye of the Moon" plan.
Only the Infinite Tsukuyomi can create a perfect world without war or suffering!
In a world of genjutsu, lost people and things can return, and there is no need to fear war.
For now, the urgent matter wasn't convincing this boy but completing the mission and returning to the Land of Fire to find Hashirama.
He wondered if his body had recovered at all after a day.
Thinking of this, Uchiha Madara activated his Sharingan.
"Kid, watch closely. This is true power."
Before the words even fell, his figure vanished from the spot, reappearing in an instant at the mansion's front gate.
As expected of Uchiha Madara—he dared to charge straight at dozens of guards!
Perhaps no one else in the ninja world could do such a thing.
Renya held his breath, eyes fixed on Madara.
He wanted to see just how far the gap between himself and a ninja world Asura really was.
The night wind rose, and shadows swayed.
Dozens of patrolling ninjas immediately became alert, all staring at the suddenly appearing man.
He wore a long black robe, his hair falling to his waist. Arms crossed, his eyes gleamed with crimson light.
"Who goes there?!" the lead Iwa jonin shouted, hand already on his kunai.
Appearing here in the middle of the night, this guy was clearly no ordinary man.
Uchiha Madara didn't answer, merely scanning the group coldly before saying,
"A bunch of ants."
The next moment, his figure vanished and reappeared, gripping the lead jonin's throat.
The speed was so fast that no one reacted in time.
The lead jonin only saw a blur before he was lifted off the ground by the man in front of him.
The suffocating pressure and fear made him struggle desperately, but he could not escape.
"You want to dance too?" Madara's cold voice sounded.
Before the jonin could react, Madara drew a kunai from the man's ninja tool pouch and stabbed it decisively into his chest.
Blood spurted out, and his eyes dimmed—he was dead.
The Iwagakure jonin was eliminated in the blink of an eye.
The remaining Iwa ninjas froze in place.
Madara casually tossed the corpse aside as if discarding garbage.
Renya's pupils constricted sharply, shock written across his face.
This was Uchiha Madara?
The Iwa jonin hadn't even had a chance to resist before being killed.
Renya could have killed the jonin too, but never with such ease…
No wonder no country dared challenge him when he and Hashirama founded Konoha.
With such strength, anyone who came would die!
And Madara hadn't even used the Mangekyō yet.
The difference between a three-tomoe Sharingan and a Mangekyō was like heaven and earth.
Renya knew he stood no chance against Madara.
He'd have to stay cautious in the future.
This was terrifying.
Renya just wanted to go home as quickly as possible.
Compared to spending time with Madara, he preferred being with Senju Tobirama.
If it weren't for Hashirama, he would never have met Madara.
He hoped that for having once cooked for him, Madara would spare him in the future…
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo