Chapter 65: Shifting Tides
Uchiha Raizen found a moment of relative privacy and sat beside the brooding Uchiha Madara. The firelight danced across the young heir's face, highlighting the tension in his jaw.
"Madara," Raizen began, his voice low. "You fought him, didn't you? Hashirama."
Madara didn't look at him, his gaze fixed on the flames. "I did."
"You lost."
A muscle in Madara's cheek twitched. "He's… become far stronger in these two years." His hands, resting on his knees, clenched into white-knuckled fists. The casual tone was a thin veil over a seething cauldron of pride and frustration.
"Yes, he has. As you are now, you are no match for him. Though, if you were to awaken the Mangekyō, that might level the field." Raizen paused, letting the implication hang in the air before shifting tactics. "Speaking of power, Madara, what do you know of the Tailed Beasts?"
Madara's head snapped around, his dark eyes sharp and penetrating. "The Tailed Beasts? How do you know about them? That knowledge is restricted, even within the clan. You shouldn't be aware of their existence."
Raizen maintained a calm facade. "Oh? I wasn't aware it was a secret. During my travels, I passed through a deep forest and saw a monstrous creature that resembled a giant fox. I researched it in the clan archives and learned it was one of the Tailed Beasts. From your reaction, it sounds like the clan is already making plans to hunt them?"
This was a critical deviation. In the history he knew, the hunt for the Tailed Beasts began after the founding of Konoha, a joint effort between Hashirama and a much older Madara. For the Uchiha to be considering it now, with Tajima and Butsuma still in power and Madara not yet at his peak, was alarming. Had his own presence accelerated events so drastically?
"That is not your concern," Madara said coldly, turning his face away, effectively ending the conversation. "I will speak with my father upon our return."
Raizen recognized the dismissal for what it was: a defense mechanism. Madara didn't want to discuss Hashirama's new power because he didn't want to walk the same path. He sought his own means to surpass his rival, and this tsundere act was his way of shutting down a painful subject. With a silent sigh, Raizen moved away, leaning against a tree to rest, his mind whirring.
His daily pickup yield had been meager—just orbs of basic stamina and chakra from the grueling travel. No ninjutsu had been used. He hoped that upon reaching the Uzushio, he would find orbs containing their legendary fuinjutsu. The sealing arts were a formidable force, a headache for any shinobi to face. The Uzumaki clan's survival, despite their lack of diverse offensive ninjutsu, was a testament to the sheer power of their seals. No one had dared a full-scale assault. Yet, he also knew they were notoriously protective of their techniques. Success was far from guaranteed.
Time flowed with the journey. After a night's rest, they set off at first light, pushing hard to reach their destination by evening.
As dusk began to paint the sky in hues of orange and purple, the distinctive coastline and architecture of the Land of Whirlpools came into view. The air itself seemed to hum with latent energy.
"Prepare yourselves! Begin the approach!" Uchiha Senna, the mission's co-leader, commanded.
At his order, four of the shinobi who had been carrying the bridal chests moved to the front of the group. They did not slow their pace. Instead, their hands flew into a synchronized set of hand seals.
Uchiha Raizen's eyes narrowed, a cold knot tightening in his stomach. These weren't seals for a simple signal or a defensive barrier. The chakra building around the four men was aggressive, sharp.
A terrible suspicion dawned on him. Had Uchiha Tajima's true intention never been marriage at all? Was this entire diplomatic mission a ruse for something far more sinister?