In the world of shinobi, ninjutsu was the foundation of power.
Every ninja village depended on its collection of techniques to maintain strength, defend its borders, and assert dominance over rival nations. The greater the number and variety of ninjutsu a village possessed, the stronger its influence became.
This was one of the primary reasons why Konoha had risen to become the most powerful of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Konoha's strength did not come only from its people, but from the immense knowledge it had accumulated.
When the village was first established nearly two decades ago, the various ninja clans made an extraordinary decision. With the exception of their most closely guarded secret techniques, the clans willingly contributed almost all of their ninjutsu to the village's collective archive.
These techniques were recorded, preserved, and studied by generations of shinobi.
This shared pool of knowledge became the backbone of Konoha's military strength and was a major factor behind the village's rapid rise.
For any clan, however, the loss of such techniques was not a small matter.
Ninjutsu represented power, identity, and heritage.
And now, the Uchiha clan was preparing to abandon the very village that held most of that shared knowledge.
Inside the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Su sat quietly in his room.
Across from him stood Uchiha Setsuna, one of the most loyal supporters of Uchiha Madara.
Su looked up from the sword he was cleaning.
"Will the Nekomata clan migrate with us?" he asked calmly.
The Nekomata clan, a mysterious group of intelligent ninja cats who had long maintained a cooperative relationship with the Uchiha, played an important role in transporting goods and intelligence.
If the Uchiha were leaving Konoha, their relationship with the Nekomata clan would also inevitably be affected.
Setsuna paused for a moment, thinking carefully before answering.
"At most, only half of them will follow us," he said finally.
"The Nekomata clan has lived near Konoha for many years. Not all of them are willing to abandon their territory."
Uchiha Su nodded slowly.
"I see."
His expression remained calm, but his mind was already considering the implications.
Half of the Nekomata clan leaving with the Uchiha meant that their new settlement would still have access to the clan's intelligence network.
But it also meant that Konoha would retain part of that relationship as well.
Setsuna hesitated slightly.
"Young Clan Head…"
Su glanced at him.
"What is it? Just say it."
Setsuna took a breath before speaking.
"If we leave… what will happen to the clansmen who choose to stay in Konoha?"
His voice carried a trace of worry.
Uchiha Su lowered his gaze slightly as he continued wiping the blade of his Kusanagi sword with a cloth.
After a moment, he replied.
"Until the First Hokage passes away, the Uchiha who remain in Konoha will likely live quite comfortably."
He paused before continuing.
"In fact, the Second Hokage may even grant them certain benefits."
A faint mocking smile appeared on his lips.
"Those who stay might even feel fortunate."
Setsuna frowned slightly.
"Fortunate?"
Su nodded.
"They may believe they made the correct decision by remaining loyal to the village."
He leaned back slightly.
"Konoha might even create a prestigious position for them… perhaps something like a Hokage assistant, reserved specifically for the Uchiha."
Setsuna's eyes widened slightly.
"That sounds like a good thing."
Su slowly shook his head.
"No."
His voice was calm but firm.
"It is not a good thing at all."
Setsuna looked confused.
After all, he was still very young—barely twenty years old.
Compared to Madara or Su, he had far less experience dealing with the complicated politics of the shinobi world.
Su closed his eyes briefly, silently analyzing the future.
Once the Uchiha clan left Konoha tonight, many possibilities would unfold.
The most obvious outcome would be a battle between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
But Su believed that Madara had other plans.
Madara had always possessed extraordinary ambition.
Before confronting Hashirama again, Madara would likely attempt something even greater.
He would try to seize control of the Hidden Mist Village.
The Land of Water was geographically isolated and politically unstable. If the Uchiha could dominate that region, they could establish a new center of power without immediate interference from Konoha.
If Madara succeeded in controlling the Hidden Mist and securing the Uchiha's dominance there, only then would he likely return to challenge Hashirama in a decisive battle.
That was the ideal scenario.
But the shinobi world was rarely so simple.
The other great nations were watching closely.
After nearly twenty years of recovery since the founding of the villages, the major powers were restless.
Each nation desired more territory, more resources, and more influence.
If the Uchiha successfully took over the Hidden Mist, the balance of power would shift dramatically.
The other villages would never allow such a situation to remain stable.
They would almost certainly attempt to provoke conflict between Konoha and the Hidden Mist.
In fact, provocation might not even be necessary.
Once the Uchiha established themselves in the Land of Water, Konoha's leadership would inevitably view them as a direct threat.
War would become unavoidable.
At that point, Su stopped thinking further.
Another issue troubled him.
After Hashirama eventually passed away, the political situation inside Konoha would change dramatically.
Without Hashirama's authority and goodwill, the Uchiha who remained in the village would lose their strongest protector.
And with another branch of the clan already having defected…
Would Senju Tobirama ever truly trust the remaining Uchiha?
The answer was obvious.
Su opened his eyes again.
Setsuna had been watching him carefully.
Seeing Su's expression, Setsuna suddenly understood the implications.
His face grew serious.
He bowed respectfully.
"I understand, Young Clan Head."
Then he quietly left the room.
That night, the air was cool and still.
A bright moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the land with pale silver light.
A cold breeze drifted through Konoha Village.
The settlement, which had been founded nearly twenty years earlier, lay peaceful and silent beneath the moonlight.
But in the darkness, shadows moved.
Figures slipped quietly through the night.
They were members of the Uchiha clan preparing to leave the village forever.
Behind Konoha's back mountain lay a vast canyon.
In the future, this place would become famous across the entire ninja world.
But at this moment, it had no name.
The legendary battle between Madara and Hashirama had not yet occurred.
The canyon was simply a remote valley.
Tonight, however, it was filled with people.
Hundreds of Uchiha clan members had gathered there.
Uchiha Su stood near the center of the valley, holding a registry scroll given to him by Madara.
The scroll recorded the names of every clan member who had chosen to leave Konoha.
Su carefully counted them.
Two hundred and thirty-two people.
Nearly half of the entire Uchiha population had chosen to follow Madara.
Among them were elderly clan members, young children, and many capable shinobi.
But the majority were young adults.
Every adult present—except for the infants—was a ninja.
There were more than thirty Jonin.
Over one hundred Chunin.
The rest were Genin.
Even by the standards of a great ninja village, this was an extremely powerful force.
Madara looked over the assembled clan members.
Then he turned to Setsuna.
"Setsuna," he said calmly.
"Take the clansmen and leave first."
"I will remain here and cover the rear."
"Yes, Clan Head."
Setsuna bowed deeply before leading the clan members away.
Their destination was the border of the Land of Fire, where they would travel toward the nearest island nation—the Land of Waves.
Madara then looked toward Su.
"Su."
"Aren't you leaving with them?"
Su held the Kusanagi sword across his arms.
Looking up at Madara, he replied seriously.
"Uncle, do you think your dear friend will come to see you off?"
Madara chuckled softly.
"Of course he will."
"Hashirama may not know every detail of our movements…"
"But Senju Tobirama certainly does."
Madara's voice carried clear disdain.
"There are probably some old fools in the clan who refused to leave and secretly reported everything to him."
Madara smirked.
"Tobirama alone cannot stop me."
"So Hashirama will definitely come."
Madara then studied Su carefully.
"And you?"
"Are you also planning to say farewell to your companions?"
Su smiled faintly.
"Of course."
"There is no reason you can say goodbye, Uncle, while I cannot."
He casually tossed the sword's scabbard onto the ground and gripped the hilt with both hands.
The moment he did so, his aura changed completely.
His presence became sharp and focused—like that of a seasoned swordsman.
Madara noticed it immediately.
"It seems you have considerable talent in kenjutsu," he said.
"It's unfortunate that the Uchiha clan has never excelled particularly in swordsmanship."
The Uchiha were most famous for their Fire Release techniques, followed by shurikenjutsu and taijutsu, all enhanced by the incredible visual perception of the Sharingan.
Su grinned confidently.
"That doesn't matter."
"If no ancestor has brought glory to kenjutsu…"
"Then I will begin that legacy myself."
Madara watched him silently.
An Uchiha wielding a sword while using the Sharingan's predictive vision would indeed possess a natural advantage.
After confirming that the departing clan members had completely left the valley, Madara activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Crimson light swirled within his eyes.
"Nine-Tails…"
"Release."
Madara formed a series of hand seals.
A moment later, the ground trembled violently.
A massive creature rose from the earth.
The Nine-Tailed Fox.
Its enormous body towered like a mountain.
Madara stood atop its head with his arms crossed, gazing toward Konoha with cold arrogance.
He had already sensed Hashirama approaching.
Watching this, Uchiha Su briefly wondered whether Madara had somehow become a jinchuriki.
But after carefully sensing Madara's chakra, he realized the truth.
Madara was using the Mangekyo Sharingan to temporarily suppress and control the Nine-Tails within his body.
At that moment, another terrifying presence appeared in the distance.
The chakra was immense.
Yet unlike the Nine-Tails' violent energy, this power felt vibrant and overflowing with life.
Plants began growing wildly as the chakra spread.
Trees sprouted rapidly across the valley floor.
In the distance, a gigantic wooden golem rose from the earth.
With every step it took, enormous trees collapsed around it.
Uchiha Madara's greatest rival…
His closest friend…
Senju Hashirama had arrived.