Despite his confident words to his family, Uchiha Kiyoshi felt anything but sure of himself. The determination he'd shown was a mask to ease their concerns, even though his own worries lingered heavily.
In his room, Kiyoshi carefully walked along the wall, barefoot, mapping out the space with his steps. His mind churned.
"Without my sight, even with most of my injuries healed, so many things are still difficult..." He clenched his fists. "Maybe I can use perception ninjutsu to compensate—"
A sharp pain interrupted him as his shin collided with the edge of a table. He squatted down, clutching his knee, hissing softly. "Damn it... If I get distracted, I can't even walk properly."
He shook his head and rose slowly. This time, he focused, walking with deliberate care. After pacing the room several times, memorizing every piece of furniture, he tried striding confidently without holding the wall.
It didn't last long. He tripped, stubbed his toes, and hit his forehead against a shelf. Frustrated, Kiyoshi pressed himself against the wall, rubbing his forehead. "It's not enough. I can't rely on memory alone without wasting chakra. Should I consider finding a summoning partner?"
But that idea had its own challenges. Summoning beasts required a bond and a test of strength. He exhaled, slumping against the wall. "First, I need to move freely before I can attempt anything else."
---
Meanwhile, in another room of the Uchiha compound, Madara sat deep in thought. His mind replayed the events at the clan school the previous day.
After class, he'd overheard some of his peers mocking Kiyoshi. Their words grew more venomous with every exchange. Madara couldn't hold back and attacked the loudest among them, leaving the boy crying.
That boy retaliated by bringing his older brother—a couple of years Madara's senior—for revenge.
But Madara was not one to back down. He fought them both, earning a bruised eye socket but still emerging victorious. The older brother left humiliated.
The next day, however, the defeated brothers came back with reinforcements, waiting for Madara outside the school.
Madara thought he'd have to fight three this time. Yet, something unexpected happened. The leader of the group, Uchiha Akihiko, stepped in and asked what had happened.
Akihiko was the son of a pro-war elder and one of Kiyoshi's rivals for the position of clan heir. With Kiyoshi sidelined, Akihiko was now the frontrunner. Yet, instead of siding with his brothers, Akihiko struck both of them on the head.
"You spread rumors, got beaten, and had the nerve to ask me for help?" Akihiko snapped at them. "You embarrassed yourselves. Apologize!"
Akihiko forced them to apologize, then pulled Madara aside.
"Listen," he began, looking uncomfortable. "Your brother's in a tough spot right now. My father doesn't agree with holding back against the Senju, and that's caused a lot of tension. These two idiots just parrot what they hear. Don't hold it against them."
Madara frowned, unsure of how to respond.
Akihiko continued, "Just tell Kiyoshi we're rooting for him. The rumors don't matter—he's still respected. And don't mention my brothers' stupidity. I'll handle them."
Then, without waiting for Madara's reply, Akihiko grabbed his brothers and walked off, muttering about teaching them a lesson.
---
Back in the present, Madara was interrupted by a faint "da-da" sound from outside.
Opening the door, he saw his younger brother, Izuna, struggling to carry a long, uneven branch. The stick was too big for his small frame and clattered against the walls as he walked.
Madara hurried forward, grabbing the branch before it knocked something over. "Izuna, what are you doing? Do you need help?"
Izuna looked up with a bright smile. "I'm making something for big brother Kiyoshi!"
"For Kiyoshi?" Madara tilted his head, intrigued. "Why a branch?"
Izuna beamed. "I heard from Father that big brother's eyes won't recover. But in stories, blind swordsmen always have walking sticks! So I found one for him!"
Madara stared at his little brother in surprise. Then, a soft smile crossed his face. "You're very thoughtful, Izuna. But this branch won't work as it is. Let's shape it before we give it to Kiyoshi."
"Okay!" Izuna chirped. "Once big brother has a cane, he'll be just like the swordsmen in the stories—strong and fearless! Then he can train with us again!"
Madara's grip on the branch tightened as a flicker of sadness passed through his eyes. He forced a smile. "You're right, Izuna. Kiyoshi will recover soon."
Izuna nodded, unaware of the shadow in Madara's expression. Together, they headed off to prepare the branch, Izuna chatting excitedly about how their brother would soon be unstoppable again.
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Also guys, I tried making a 3d typography AMV and had uploaded it on my YouTube channel, so be sure to check it out and... Maybe if you like it, do subbing and liking?
Link: https://youtu.be/I_FgKeLYlrQ?si=wCspY5OHQ8zYmbES