"Clan Leader Madara, Vice Leader Izuna, both our leader and the Senju leader have perished in battle. We don't have time to mourn. We must first find a way to withdraw our forces and return to the clan."

In the Land of Fire, a middle-aged man in his late forties spoke from the main tent of a temporary battlefield camp.

This man was Uchiha Ishiki, the strongest fighter in the Uchiha clan aside from their leader, Uchiha Tajima, and he served as Tajima's deputy. He was advocating for an immediate retreat to bring their forces back to the clan and regroup.

The battle between the Uchiha and the Senju two days prior had led to a devastating loss: both Uchiha Tajima and Senju Butsuma had died, taking each other down in the clash. Now, the two clans were camped just miles apart, and a renewed conflict could break out at any moment.

Uchiha Ishiki was keen to avoid this.

"I'm afraid the Senju won't just let us walk away," said Uchiha Madara, who was only in his early twenties at the time. His voice was cold, reflecting the grim reality of their situation.

His words were echoed by others in the tent:

"Madara-sama is right."

"Even though both leaders are dead, we Uchiha are at a disadvantage."

"I agree. The Senju won't pass up this opportunity."

"If we retreat now, they'll likely pursue us with their entire army."

While both clans had lost their leaders, the Senju were still in a better position overall. The Uchiha's greatest concern now was that, if they began a retreat, the entire Senju army might chase them down and attack their rear, leading to disastrous losses.

Madara turned to his younger brother, Izuna, who was sitting to his left, silent throughout the discussion. "Izuna, do you have any thoughts?"

Izuna, who had just recently arrived in this war-torn world, was trying to process it all. He had somehow been transported into the world of Naruto—not only that, but into the violent Warring States Period.

"If I had to end up in this world," Izuna thought, "I would have preferred the era of Naruto or Boruto, where life was much more peaceful. I could have at least enjoyed video games and a more relaxed life."

But he had no choice but to accept his current reality. Rubbing his temples, he said, "It's late now. Let's rest for the night and continue the discussion in the morning."

The senior Uchiha present in the tent looked surprised. They hadn't expected such a suggestion from Izuna.

"But... we don't have time for that, do we?" asked one of the Uchiha elite Jōnin. "The Senju are probably preparing to strike. We should make a decision quickly."

At this moment, Madara spoke up, "No, Izuna makes a good point."

He continued, "I know Senju Hashirama well. Now that Butsuma is dead, although Senju Kawaragi remains, Hashirama holds immense influence in the clan."

Madara explained further, "Both sides are exhausted from the battle two days ago. If we were to fight again now, the casualties would be far higher than usual. Knowing Hashirama's character, he wouldn't opt for a surprise attack in this state."

"Tonight, we'll rest, as Izuna suggested. We'll discuss our next move in the morning."

The other Uchiha in the tent considered Madara's words, and after a moment of thought, they found merit in his reasoning. Without further discussion, they left the main tent to rest.

When only Madara and Izuna remained, Madara asked, "Izuna, is there something you want to discuss with me privately?"

Izuna felt a sweat drop form in his mind. I just wanted some time to think! Why does he think I have something specific to say?

Since Madara was waiting for a response, Izuna decided to go with the flow and said, "Brother, have you awakened it too? That power?"

Earlier, Izuna had sensed a significant change within himself during the meeting. He realized he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, the most powerful ability of the Uchiha clan.

In the original Naruto story, Uchiha Obito had falsely told Sasuke that Madara and Izuna gained their Mangekyō by killing their best friends. But the truth seemed more likely that witnessing the death of their father, Uchiha Tajima, had triggered their evolution—just as Obito and Kakashi awakened their Mangekyō after seeing Rin's death.

Madara's eyes widened. "Izuna, do you mean... you've awakened it too?"

Izuna closed his eyes and opened them again, revealing the newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan. The three tomoe in his eyes had transformed into a unique pattern resembling a "human" shape.

Madara did the same. He too had awakened the Mangekyō, and his tomoe had formed into a long arc.

Both brothers had achieved the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan.

"What is this new Sharingan...?" Madara muttered, covering his eyes, still confused by the transformation.

"I think it's caused by witnessing the death of a close family member," Izuna explained. "It forced our Sharingan to evolve into the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Mangekyō Sharingan? Hm, that name seems fitting," Madara remarked, nodding.

"Tonight, let's focus on understanding these new powers. We'll decide how to handle the Senju tomorrow," Izuna suggested.

Madara thought for a moment and agreed. The two brothers left the tent to rest for the night.

---

[Player: Uchiha Izuna

Power Level: Kage-level

Chakra Attributes: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Yin

Kekkei Genkai: Mangekyō Sharingan]

(End of chapter).