On the Uchiha training ground, swords whistled, fists and feet clashed, and the clang of metal never ceased.
Uchiha Shin'getsu, holding a long blade similar to her height, intently gazed at Uchiha Madara standing before her, trying to find any weakness in him.
Unfortunately, although Madara merely clasped his hands, not assuming any defensive or offensive stance, his simple presence naturally exuded an oppressive aura.
His dark eyes reflected a cold, playful glint, and a chilling Chakra permeated the empty training ground; even without making a move, his presence alone was enough to inspire fear and retreat.
The world often referred to this terrifying man as the Shinobi World Asura, and their fear was not unfounded.
Shin'getsu took a deep breath, forcing herself to ignore those cold eyes, and gathered Chakra beneath her feet.
As the dark clouds gathered overhead, obscuring the sunlight and creating a play of light and shadow, Shin'getsu pushed off with her feet, instantly rushing forward.
The gleaming blade aimed at Madara's vital points, launching a sudden thrust.
"Hmph."
Uchiha Madara snorted disdainfully.
Just as the blade was about to pierce his body, he exerted force, his right hand shooting out from a tricky angle beneath the blade, firmly grasping Shin'getsu's wrist.
The heavy, steel-like force compelled Shin'getsu to halt, the blade tip mere inches from Madara's vital spot, yet unable to close the distance.
Facing such an unfavorable situation, Shin'getsu did not retreat; instead, she abruptly turned and kicked towards his head.
However, Madara merely tilted his head slightly, dodging her attack.
Madara dragged Shin'getsu's immobilized right fist, swinging her up into the air.
Her small body flew through the air, completely losing balance, then crashed heavily to the ground!
From beginning to end, Uchiha Madara stood in place without moving.
Not to mention the Sharingan, he didn't even use his full Taijutsu strength; he only used his right hand the entire time, completely suppressing Shin'getsu.
The Shinobi World Asura, truly deserving of the name; only when facing him in person could one truly feel how astonishing this overwhelming power was!
"Are my disciples, Uchiha Madara's disciples, only at this level?"
A flicker of displeasure crossed Madara's face.
He swiftly threw a punch, a heavy blow mercilessly striking Shin'getsu's stomach, sending her flying.
With a "boom," the girl's body was replaced by a wooden stake, which slowly descended to the ground.
Shin'getsu's figure suddenly appeared behind Madara.
This time, the sword in her hand was aimed at Madara's heart, thrusting forward at extreme speed!
Madara suddenly turned, delivering another sharp punch that mercilessly struck Shin'getsu's face.
However, after he struck, Shin'getsu's figure turned into smoke and vanished.
Immediately after, dozens of identical Shin'getsu suddenly appeared around Madara.
They swarmed him; some directly climbed onto Madara, attempting to control his movements, some took advantage of the chaos to sneak attack, and others directly stabbed him with swords.
The scene became incredibly chaotic, with chirping voices mixing together, and the previously quiet Uchiha training ground now resembled a bustling marketplace.
Having inherited the Senju bloodline from Touka, Shin'getsu's Chakra reserves were remarkably, remarkably, remarkably vast.
The Chakra of the Uchiha Clan already far surpassed that of commoners and some ordinary Ninja clans, but it was still far inferior to the legendary Senju Clan, who inherited the Sage Body.
For instance, Shin'getsu's feat of instantly creating dozens of clones left Uchiha Madara speechless.
When he was a 5-year-old child, he certainly didn't have that much Chakra.
Not bad, this is more like my disciple.
Madara smiled slightly, feeling quite pleased.
But soon, anger began to ignite within him again.
Countless Shin'getsu clones simultaneously shrieked and clamored in his ears; the sound was like flocks of sparrows descending on drying rice, a truly maddening cacophony that grated on his nerves.
Madara could not tolerate such a commotion.
Veins immediately bulged on his forehead, and he casually slammed a punch, full of anger and force, into one of the Shin'getsu clones, instantly turning her into smoke.
Soon, punch after punch, his hammer-like fists obliterated Shin'getsu's clones one by one, until the training ground, once crowded with Shin'getsu, was suddenly left with only ten, then five, until only one remained!
"Shin'getsu, as punishment for your slackness, tomorrow—no, this entire week's training will be doubled!"
Madara steadily suppressed the last Shin'getsu.
Looking at his disciple, who was already on the verge of defeat but still refused to give up, struggling with all her might, and recalling her despicable tactic that had almost deafened him, he pleasantly curved his lips, a faint smile gracing his brow, and immediately decided to give this mischievous brat a lesson she would never forget.
Isn't it normal for a Ninja to stay up all night doing missions?
For the next week, you will experience the cruelty of the Ninja World.
"You won't succeed!"
Shin'getsu's eyes widened in horror.
She cried out unwillingly, then abruptly headbutted Uchiha Madara.
Madara deftly twisted his body to avoid the headbutt, while simultaneously exerting force with both arms, firmly locking the attempting-to-escape Shin'getsu in his embrace, completely depriving her of the ability to move.
But at that moment, Shin'getsu, who should have been troubled and indignant, secretly revealed a triumphant smile.
The dark clouds dispersed, and a gentle breeze blew.
A leaf fell from the large shade tree on the training ground, swirling lightly in the air before landing behind Uchiha Madara.
Not good!
A strong sense of crisis surged from the depths of Madara's heart.
He abruptly twisted around, only to see the falling leaf in mid-air instantly transform into Shin'getsu.
She held a long sword, simultaneously imbuing the blade with Fire Release, and her incredibly swift figure dashed past, the sword's gleam and the dazzling Fire Release Chakra intertwined, tracing a brilliant, fireworks-like arc in the air.
This was the sword art passed down through generations of the Uchiha Clan—Uchiha Style: Sword Flame Leap!
At the same time, the clone in Madara's embrace suddenly exerted force, wrapping around him like an octopus, suppressing the strength in his waist, while the main body seized the opportunity to maximize her speed.
Uchiha Style swordsmanship was already renowned for its swiftness, and with Shin'getsu concentrating all her Chakra on her feet and blade, at such high speed, her figure was even imperceptible to the naked eye.
At this moment, she held the advantage!
Victory or defeat would be decided in an instant!
Boom—
After a huge explosion, a deep crater appeared on the Uchiha training ground.
The long sword in Shin'getsu's hand was kicked away by Uchiha Madara, and she herself was pinned to the ground by his arm.
As expected, Shin'getsu lost to Madara, but in fact, she didn't completely lose.
"Master, you moved."
Shin'getsu looked at the ground; Uchiha Madara was no longer in his original position.
According to their wager, if Uchiha Madara moved from his spot or used any limb other than his right hand, it would count as Shin'getsu's win.
In the match just now, Madara had violated both conditions, so this time, Shin'getsu had won a complete victory.
"Indeed, you won."
Madara nodded, then released Shin'getsu and helped her up from the ground.
The Uchiha Clan Head, who appeared as cold as an iceberg to outsiders, now displayed a comforting and gentle smile, clearly pleased.
"Hehe!"
Shin'getsu couldn't stop smiling.
Although she had only defeated one right hand of Uchiha Madara, who hadn't used Ninjutsu and had suppressed his Taijutsu to her level, who was Uchiha Madara?
He was the strongest in the world, on par with Senju Hashirama; this was something she could boast about for a lifetime!
Look at Kakuzu; he could boast for so many years about throwing a kunai at Hashirama.
She, Uchiha Shin'getsu, had even defeated one of Madara's hands; shouldn't she boast about this until she died of old age?
But soon, she recovered from her ecstasy, shaking her head to dismiss her hard-won victory.
"If Master had used his Sharingan, he would have seen through my little trick.
Such a victory is not worth boasting about."
Sitting on a chair beside the training ground, Shin'getsu touched her black eyes, which were no different from an ordinary person's, then thought about the cool and dramatic Sharingan, and an immense longing immediately arose in her heart.
Since her surname was Uchiha, wouldn't it be a disservice to the name if she didn't awaken her eyes?
Thinking of the supreme power and dramatic appearance of the Sharingan, Shin'getsu wished she could awaken one tomoe today, two tomoe tomorrow, and directly awaken Susanoo the day after.
Awakening Susanoo was a woman's dream, and it was a Susanoo, who wouldn't want to awaken it?
Thinking of this, Shin'getsu looked eagerly at Madara, who was sitting beside her.
"Master, when can I awaken my eyes?"
"No rush, I also awakened mine in my teens."
Uchiha Madara was not in a hurry at all; he himself was among those in the clan who awakened their eyes late, but that didn't prevent him from dominating everyone who awakened theirs earlier.
Rather, he hoped Shin'getsu would awaken her eyes a bit later.
The Sharingan was indeed a blessing of the bloodline, but it was also a cursed power.
The day Madara obtained it was when he broke ties with Hashirama in his youth, and that heartbreaking, suffocating pain seemed to still stir in his heart to this day.
First, we must understand the conditions for awakening the Sharingan: one, possessing the Uchiha Clan bloodline; two, experiencing extreme emotional fluctuations, specifically manifested as gaining love and then losing it, with the general process being the death of comrades, family, or loved ones.
Then, let's look at Uchiha Shin'getsu's current life situation: both parents are alive, her family is wealthy, no siblings have died in battle, she hasn't broken ties with close friends, and she has a Master with overwhelming combat power protecting her.
Her only worry in life is getting beaten by Madara if she doesn't complete her training.
See, what a happy life, it hardly seems like an Uchiha.
Under such conditions, if she could still awaken the Sharingan, would there be any justice or law left?
Happiness, such a precious treasure, everyone pursues it, yet so few obtain it.
Madara quietly looked at Shin'getsu.
If she knew that the moment she gained the Sharingan would be the moment she completely lost happiness, would she still crave this power so much?
Anyway, my disciple, Uchiha Madara's disciple, can become a top-tier expert even without awakening the Sharingan.
So, that moment, let it come a little later.
Madara extended his large hand and stroked Shin'getsu's head.
The child's soft, fine hair felt as delicate as tender grass in spring; the sensation was simply wonderful.
"As a reward for your victory, is there anything you want?"
"Master, I want to go play in the Village!"
Shin'getsu blurted out.
From birth until now, her range of activity had been restricted to the Uchiha Clan Land; she had never roamed within the Konoha Village.
Her foolish father, Kakka, never dared to let her run outside the Uchiha Clan Land.
There was no helping it; even if Shin'getsu stayed obediently in the Clan Land, Touka would still come to steal the child.
If Shin'getsu accidentally ran into Senju territory, Touka probably wouldn't just steal her, but openly and directly snatch her!
"Alright, let's go."
Madara agreed without a second thought, taking Shin'getsu directly out of the Clan Land.
He wasn't Uchiha Kakka; he wasn't afraid of Senju Touka coming to steal people.
Whoever came, he would swat them away; it was that simple.
However, before he had taken two steps, something soft bumped into his calf.
Madara raised an eyebrow, looked down, and saw Shin'getsu hugging his leg.
When she saw him looking down at her, she stretched out her arms, asking to be carried, her beautiful eyes blinking, smiling sweetly as if pouting.
"Master, a hug!"
This voice, sweet like melted maltose, once again stunned Madara.
Aside from his younger brother, no other child dared to be so bold in approaching him.
However, if the person was Shin'getsu, it didn't seem strange at all.
Madara crouched down, skillfully picking up Shin'getsu.
The girl clung tightly to him like a koala, happily wrapping her arms around his neck, and the two strode out of the Uchiha Clan Land.