Chapter 45

"Lord Madara!" Uchiha Gen and Uchiha Yuta exchanged glances, knelt before Madara, and respectfully bowed.

"What are you doing?" Madara frowned.

"Lord Madara, for the Uchiha clan, you have given everything, and we admire you greatly. Your kindness is something we can never repay. We only ask that you don't go alone next time. The Uchiha clan cannot afford to lose you," Uchiha Gen pleaded.

He recalled the scene from three years ago, when Madara was willing to sacrifice his life for three ordinary ninja. Now, for the Uchiha clan, Madara had gone alone to confront the Sarutobi clan.

"Ah!" Madara sighed, stepped forward to help them up, and smiled. "You underestimate me. You've seen my strength. The mere ninja of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans would find it hard to even hurt a hair on my head."

"..." Uchiha Gen and Uchiha Yuta exchanged glances, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes. Uchiha Madara was perfect in every way, but he was simply too proud.

Thinking that Madara was only ten years old and had already accomplished what many could not in a lifetime, the two understood that Madara might not be so arrogant when he grew up. Unfortunately, they were forever wrong.

"Gen, Yuta, I've finished explaining the situation. What do you think about the alliance with the Sarutobi clan?" Madara sat back on the tatami and smiled.

"Lord Madara, I believe the Sarutobi clan is afraid of your reputation, so I think this is genuine," Uchiha Gen said loudly.

Madara ignored Uchiha Gen's opinion and turned to Uchiha Yuta, who was frowning in thought. "Yuta, what do you think?"

"Lord Madara, I've heard of Sarutobi Sasuke. He seems to be the strongest in the Sarutobi clan and is quite famous even in the Land of Fire. Although he is not yet the leader of the Sarutobi clan, everyone knows he will be the next leader. His father, Sarutobi Rousuke, is almost retired, and the clan's affairs are managed by him. If he really wants an alliance, it's possible. However, as Lord Madara said, this person is very patient," Uchiha Yuta analyzed, glancing at Madara at the end, feeling speechless. Lord Madara had so humiliated the Sarutobi clan, yet Sarutobi Sasuke could still endure and seek an alliance with the Uchiha clan. Yuta couldn't fathom what Sarutobi Sasuke was thinking.

"Shisui, what do you think about allying with the Sarutobi clan?" Madara suddenly asked Shisui, who was listening on the side.

"Ah! Whatever my brother thinks, I agree," Shisui, caught off guard, hastily replied.

"Never mind, I'll think about it myself," Madara sighed helplessly.

"Lord Madara, why don't we call the elders? They are experienced and knowledgeable," Uchiha Gen stammered.

"Fine, go and bring those three old men here," Madara nodded.

Just as Uchiha Gen was about to get up, footsteps were heard outside, and three elders entered.

"Looks like I don't need to go," Uchiha Gen thought it was funny that the elders had come on their own and sat back down.

The three elders took their seats, filling the small room.

"Madara, we heard you returned and immediately came over. As the leader of the Uchiha clan, how can you leave the clan without permission?" the third elder said sternly.

"Are you overstepping your bounds? Do I need to report to you every time I go to the bathroom?" Although Madara knew the elders had a point, he was very impatient with their nagging.

"You!" The three elders glared at Madara, almost losing their composure.

"Please calm down, Elders. Leader Madara went to the Sarutobi clan alone," Uchiha Gen, fearing a fight, hastily revealed the shocking news.

"What?" The three elders were greatly surprised.

Uchiha Gen recounted what Madara had said, embellishing the story. In his telling, Uchiha Madara was a lone hero and the greatest leader of the Uchiha clan, facing hundreds of Sarutobi clan ninja alone, risking his life to protect the Uchiha clan.

The three elders looked at each other, unsure whether to believe this incredible story.

"Madara, did you really end the war between the Sarutobi and Shimura clans alone?" the fifth elder asked, disbelieving.

"What's so surprising about that?" Madara said calmly.

"Madara, as the leader of the Uchiha clan, you cannot take such risks. I hope this doesn't happen again," the third elder sighed.

"Indeed! The Uchiha clan is not so degraded that it needs one person to protect it," the fourth elder agreed.

"Better than sending five-year-old children to war. I'd rather face a thousand enemies alone than do something so inhumane," Madara sneered.

"..." The three elders were momentarily speechless.

"Lord Elders, the Sarutobi clan wants to form an alliance with Lord Madara," Uchiha Gen, seeing the silence, quickly recounted what Sarutobi Sasuke and Madara had discussed.

"Oh?" The fourth and fifth elders exchanged glances, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

"Sarutobi Sasuke, I've heard of him. He is not an ordinary person. We must be cautious about this," the third elder said seriously.

"I disagree with the alliance. Madara has so humiliated the Sarutobi clan, yet Sarutobi Sasuke not only endured it but also wants to ally with us. This seems impossible and must be a plot," the fifth elder said sternly.

"But what if they are sincere? Should we agree?" the fourth elder countered.

"If we ally with other clans, we may become a target. If other clans attack us together, our situation will be dire," the third elder sighed, opposing the alliance even if it was sincere.

It wasn't that he didn't want to ally with other clans. Alliances between small clans might be fine, but for a top clan like the Uchiha, every move was watched.

If the Uchiha allied with another clan, it would upset the balance. Other clans would think the Uchiha wanted to expand the war, and the Uchiha clan would be at the forefront, facing enemies on all sides.

"Alright, I agree to the alliance," Madara, seeing the elders' unanimous opposition, decided to agree.

"Madara, we all said no," the fifth elder glared at Madara.

"I was waiting for you to say no. If you agreed, I would have disagreed," Madara smiled.

"Ha!" Seeing the three elders turn red with anger, Cat Xiao Xian couldn't hold back and laughed uncontrollably on the soft couch.

Shisui, head down, fists clenched, and body trembling, struggled to keep from laughing.

"Lord Madara is truly..." Uchiha Gen and Uchiha Yuta smiled helplessly.

"Uchiha Madara!" The fifth elder roared, shaking the roof. Fortunately, he didn't have a heart condition, or he would have been angered to death.

"Alright, it was a joke. You're all so old, don't get angry so easily," Madara waved his hand dismissively and sighed. "I understand what you're saying. Now, listen to my opinion."

Madara explained his vision for the ninja village. The three elders, who had never heard of it, were speechless. Uchiha Yuta was so excited he could hardly control himself, and Uchiha Gen looked at Madara as if he were the Sage of the Six Paths.

"Did you come up with this on your own?" After a while, the fifth elder, regaining his composure, asked incredulously.

"We need to have goals. If the Uchiha clan continues like this, it will disappear from the ninja world in the near future," Madara said coldly.

"So you want to ally with the Senju clan. The two strongest clans in the ninja world, working together, can easily conquer the Land of Fire and establish a ninja village," the third elder's eyes gleamed, already approving of Madara's idea.

If this succeeds, it will be a great achievement for generations to come.

"More or less," Madara nodded.

"The Senju clan won't agree," the fourth elder sighed.

"Not now, but they might in the future. We need to take it step by step. As long as we choose the right path and stick to it, we will eventually succeed," Madara said meaningfully.

"Madara, you will surely be remembered in history as the brightest star in the Uchiha clan's history," the third elder sighed in admiration.