Given that Uchiha Madara is still a young man at this point, he hasn't yet become the extremist zealot of later years. In fact, to some extent, his views on the clan and his understanding of the shinobi world align considerably with those of Senju Hashirama.
Otherwise, two people from rival clans steeped in mutual enmity could never have become friends, let alone enact a shinobi world version of "Loli Madara and Hashirama's Leaf."
But don't let Madara's current musings on peace in the shinobi world cloud your judgment. Ideals are ideals, and reality is reality. A ninja like him would never hesitate to kill.
If Uchiha Nanami refuses to return to her clan of her own accord, then it's a matter of creating a reason she can't refuse.
If a bird refuses to return to its nest, it's because it has found a more appealing perch elsewhere. Destroy that perch, and it will spread its wings and ride the winds back home.
Hane Genma wasn't sure if this was exactly what Uchiha Madara was thinking, but he couldn't rule out the possibility.
After all, to him, Uchiha Madara was far too dangerous right now.
"Are you the clan leader here?"
Madara's piercing gaze locked onto Genma before softening slightly, though it remained laced with danger. He wasn't surprised by Genma's youth—seeing someone so young, even a child, take on the role of clan leader was nothing new to him.
Genma shook his head. "No, they just call me the alliance leader."
As he spoke, he resumed walking. Only then did he realize he'd stopped in his tracks because of a single glance from Madara.
His words caused a few nearby Fuma clan ninjas to exchange puzzled looks. What? Why are you revealing that to a stranger?
"An alliance of ninja clans?" Madara's brow furrowed slightly. So, it wasn't just the Fuma clan here? It seemed his intelligence wasn't entirely accurate.
He shook his head. "It's a nice idea, but uniting different clans requires both mutual trust and the strength to lead. You won't last long."
His condescending tone was like issuing a death sentence to Genma's organization.
Under normal circumstances, Madara's judgment wouldn't be wrong. Small and medium-sized clans banding together often breed discord over time because absolute fairness is impossible.
Once conflicts arise, the leader of such a coalition struggles to suppress the cacophony of voices. The reasoning is simple: truly powerful ninjas don't bother with such childish games.
Madara's assessment was spot-on, but he'd be wise not to make such judgments next time.
Genma ignored Madara's barbed words, instead adopting a businesslike demeanor. "Big shot, what do you need? I don't need to tell you about the quality of the ninja tools produced by the Fuma clan."
Indeed, in terms of presence, Madara was undeniably a big shot.
But even setting aside his knowledge from the original story, Genma's first impression of Madara was poor. If you broke down the phrase "bullying the weak," whether Madara actually "bullied" was debatable, but he certainly "relied on his strength."
Without any bias, only an oddball could befriend Uchiha Madara. After just a brief encounter, Genma knew they were not cut from the same cloth.
Madara was difficult to deal with now, and future interactions would likely be even worse… if there was a future at all.
"A thousand kunai, five thousand shuriken, and five hundred explosive tags," Madara said, glancing at Genma again before rattling off his shopping list.
"We only have kunai and shuriken. We haven't resumed production of explosive tags," a Fuma ninja nearby replied.
Exactly—business is business. Why make it so tense? Clearly, the surrounding ninjas felt the uneasy atmosphere.
Even the finest kunai and shuriken were mere consumables on the battlefield. Crafting such weapons was second nature to the Fuma clan, so fulfilling Madara's order was a simple task.
As for explosive tags, their production process was more complex. Even though the Fuma clan had started making them in small quantities, those were reserved for internal use within the organization and weren't available for external sale, so that deal was off the table.
Someone handed Madara a few sample kunai and shuriken. He weighed them briefly in his hand before nodding in satisfaction.
"Then skip the explosive tags. Just the kunai and shuriken."
In truth, standard kunai and shuriken didn't fully showcase the Fuma clan's expertise. Large shuriken and mechanical ninja tools were their true specialty, but Genma had no intention of pitching those.
The Fuma ninjas opened the warehouse, loading the requested quantities of kunai and shuriken into storage scrolls.
But when they presented the scrolls to Madara, he suddenly spoke up. "By the way, I didn't bring any money. Payment for the ninja tools will have to come later."
No money? Then why the hell are you buying ninja tools? Feeling mocked, the Fuma ninja stepped forward to argue.
Genma raised a hand to stop them. Looking at Madara, he said, "No problem. The Uchiha name carries enough credit."
Genma didn't care if Madara reneged on payment. In fact, he almost hoped he would, as it would cement the Uchiha clan's reputation as "deadbeats." If he had to deal with this clan again, Genma could slap that label on them.
Besides, the organization wouldn't lose much. The materials for the ninja tools were provided by Kikyo Castle, and the Fuma clan's only cost was some labor.
Is it because of Nanami? Madara couldn't quite pinpoint how his identity had been exposed. He paused briefly before reaching out to take the storage scrolls.
"Very well. The funds will be sent later."
Madara had intended to stir up trouble to test Genma's reaction, but Genma's unconventional response—agreeing to the credit—threw him off.
Madara knew the so-called "alliance leader" was wary of him, which might explain why he'd agreed so readily. For now, Madara could only hold back.
After Genma made a "please" gesture, Madara turned and headed toward the city's exit.
As he tucked the storage scrolls into his ninja pouch, Madara grew even more convinced that this so-called ninja alliance wouldn't last. Faced with external pressure, the young alliance leader had shown weakness.
Weakness is a ninja's original sin.
By now, Madara had left the ninja tool workshop and reached the main road of Kikyo Castle. As he once again dismissed the Firefly Organization's future and scorned Genma's softness, he instinctively glanced back…
And there, about ten meters behind him, was Genma, smiling faintly as he watched Madara's retreating figure.
Madara's mind went blank for a moment.
In an unfamiliar environment, he was instinctively vigilant, yet he hadn't sensed Genma following him at all.
Genma had moved silently, without triggering even a hint of Madara's awareness.
Like a ghost.
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