"Young Master Izuna, Young Master Madara left early this morning again."
The next day, Izuna went to Madara's residence and received the same answer as before. His expression turned thoughtful. He nodded and left.
***
Dozens of miles from the Uchiha clan compound, on a cliff on Mount Congyun which marked the border between Uchiha and Senju territory, the view was breathtaking. From this vantage point, one could see the entire dense forest below.
Uchiha Madara stood at the cliff's edge. This was where he had first met Senju Hashirama ten years ago. It was here that Hashirama had proposed his dream of building a village where all ninja clans could live together in peace, starting from this very spot.
"I knew I'd find you here."
A familiar voice came from behind him. Without turning, Madara said, "Izuna..."
"The clan elders are busy trying to win support, and you have time to be here reminiscing about the past?" Izuna walked over to Madara's side and sat down, letting his feet dangle over the edge of the cliff.
"Hah?" Madara's brow furrowed.
Izuna shook his head, exasperated. *This foolish big brother of mine is all muscle and no brains.*
Uchiha Tajima and many of the clan's top experts were dead. The Uchiha leadership was in turmoil, especially the elite jonin and above, who were all secretly vying for the vacant positions—including that of clan head. He himself was part of it; he had spent precious Skill Points on Lightning Release jutsu he wasn't even skilled in just for this purpose.
And what was Uchiha Madara doing? Running off here every day to reminisce about his past with Senju Hashirama, completely ignoring the clan's affairs. No wonder that when he defected from Konoha in the future, despite his reputation, no one was willing to follow him.
Come to think of it, the situation on the Senju side was probably similar. Senju Hashirama was a political idiot in his own right, relying entirely on Senju Tobirama to play the bad cop.
Izuna, however, stopped short of saying, "My foolish big brother," like some angsty teenager. Instead, he said, "The clan's high council is about to convene. You know what the most pressing issue for the clan is right now, don't you, brother?"
"The position of clan head," Madara replied immediately, not so clueless as to miss that. "It'll most likely be Uchiha Gakugyo who succeeds."
"On the Senju side, it'll surely be Senju Yuma. Then you and Hashirama, as the sons of the previous clan heads, will be appointed as the new vice-chiefs. After some time passes, you'll become the official leaders of your respective clans..." Izuna shrugged with a smile. "The situations are strikingly similar."
The uncanny bond between Indra and Asura, a rivalry and friendship that spanned a thousand years, was perfectly reincarnated in Madara and Hashirama. It was a startlingly consistent pattern.
"But things are different now. Brother, you should be the one to take the seat."
A flicker of interest crossed Madara's face. He didn't object; clearly, the idea appealed to him. After a long silence, he asked, "On the strength of... the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Indeed, the Mangekyo Sharingan was currently his only real asset in contending with Uchiha Gakugyo for the leadership.
"And me," Izuna said, getting to his feet and brushing the dust off his pants. He smiled. "Did you think I was doing nothing for the past half-month while you were reliving old memories?"
Madara looked at Izuna with surprise. After a moment, he said, "Izuna, why do I feel like you're becoming more and more like that Tobirama fellow? A bit... cunning..."
To be honest, as a devoted brother, he preferred his younger sibling to be more "pure."
Izuna rolled his eyes, not bothering to answer.
***
About twenty days after the funeral for Uchiha Tajima and the others, the post-war minutiae were finally settled. The Uchiha clan slowly began to settle into a rare period of peace.
At the same time, the clan assembly was officially convened.
Early in the morning, Izuna received the summons and made his way to the main hall at the center of the Uchiha compound. Only jonin-level ninja and above were qualified to attend.
Dozens of jonin sat in the lower seats, while in the front, on either side, were the members of the high council. This included Uchiha Gakugyo, the current vice-chief. There was also Uchiha Sen, the Kage-level expert of Tajima's generation who had nearly been defeated by Senju Tobirama's Flying Thunder God at Taihang Mountain Road before Izuna saved him. Uchiha Kong, another Kage-level master of Tajima's generation who had been defending the northwestern border and hadn't participated in the Mount Congyun battle. And finally, there were a few elites from Izuna and Madara's generation, including their cousin, Uchiha Zuoxiu, who was at the peak of the jonin level.
***
With the clan head dead, the highest authority now rested with the three elders. Besides the Third Elder, Uchiha Kai, who served as the academy's headmaster, there was the Second Elder, Uchiha Tianzang, who managed the clan's security—an equivalent to the future Uchiha Guard Corps of Konoha. The First Elder was Uchiha Gakugyo's father, Uchiha Xingzhi, who was in charge of war logistics, allocation of supplies and weapons, and handling various post-war affairs.
***
When Izuna arrived, Madara was already there. He nodded to Izuna, and the two took their seats on the cushions designated for the high council.
Uchiha Zuoxiu, seated next to Izuna, whispered, "Izuna, if big brother Madara competes for the clan head position, what are his chances?"
Compared to Uchiha Gakugyo, who was twice his age, the younger Uchiha Zuoxiu was more inclined to support Madara, whom he had known since childhood. Of course, there was another reason. A few days ago, his four-year-old son, Uchiha Wu'an, who was still learning ninjutsu, had been constantly praising the incredible techniques Izuna had demonstrated at the academy. It's often said that children are influenced by their parents, but sometimes, parents' decisions are also influenced by their children.
Izuna smiled calmly. "Just wait and see."
Once everyone was present, the First Elder, Uchiha Xingzhi, cleared his throat and stroked his beard. "Everyone is here. I now declare the first high council meeting since the passing of Clan Head Tajima to be in session."
Izuna exchanged a glance with Uchiha Sen, who was seated opposite him. Uchiha Sen narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke up. "First Elder, the most urgent matter at hand is to select a new clan head. I believe everyone present understands this."
Uchiha Xingzhi nodded in satisfaction. Since Uchiha Gakugyo was his son, he would naturally be pleased if his son became the new leader.
However, to the surprise of Uchiha Xingzhi and most others in the hall, Uchiha Sen continued, "I've heard of Madara's valor on the Mount Congyun battlefield, and Izuna has won our Uchiha clan a great deal of time to rest and recuperate."
"Therefore, I propose that Uchiha Madara, the eldest son of Clan Head Tajima, succeed him as clan head, and Izuna be promoted to vice-chief."
Uchiha Sen's words stunned many of the middle-aged and older Uchiha experts. As a high-ranking commander defending the Taihang Mountain Road fortress, Uchiha Sen had never declared a political stance. But based on seniority, he should have sided with Uchiha Gakugyo, a man of his own generation.
The Second Elder, Uchiha Tianzang, whispered to Uchiha Xingzhi, "In the last battle, Uchiha Sen nearly died fighting Senju Tobirama. It was Izuna who saved him."
The First Elder nodded in understanding. Uchiha Sen was a warrior, not a politician. Since Izuna had saved his life, it was only natural for him to lean that way.
With the clan head gone, the vice-chief also needed to be re-elected, as the role was essentially an aide to the leader. Their actions and authority were almost entirely dictated by the clan head. So if Madara became the leader, Izuna was undoubtedly the most suitable person to assist him. Uchiha Gakugyo would naturally be assigned to another important post.
"Well... I still believe it would be best for Gakugyo to lead. Young Master Madara is certainly qualified to be the next clan head after him."