Chapter 656: 617. Madara Shinden: The Uchiha Branch Family Part-1
Two days later,
The group arrives at the border of the Land of Earth and the Land of Flower. During these past two days, the group didn't encounter any trouble, making their journey extremely smooth.
Madara and the group glance at a large field of flowers in a valley at the foothill of the mountain from a distance.
"We are finally here, the Land of Flowers."
Madara and the rest walk through the rugged terrain of the last mountain of the Ishiyama mountain range, Iwanohashi Mountain. The Iwanohashi mountain is also commonly known as the 'Edge of the Stone' among the natives.
The fertile land of the Land of the Flower is a stark contrast to the rocky and barren land of the Land of Earth. The Land of Flowers is a small country bordering the Land of Earth, the Land of Fruit, and the Land of Trees. This country's soil has special qualities that make it incredibly fertile, and perfect for growing crops and other plants. But flowers are the country's major export item, hence its name. The neighboring Land of Earth, whose terrain does not allow much agriculture, relies on the Land of Flowers in order to feed its people, trading most of its rich mineral reserve for the Land of Flowers's crops.
The Land of Flowers doesn't possess any powerful military might and relies on its alliance with the Land of Fruit, and the Land of the Tree to repel enemies.
So, when a branch of the powerful Uchiha clan proposed to take shelter in the Land of Flowers, the Daimyo of the Land of Flowers readily agreed to accommodate them.
The Uchiha group arrives in the first valley, the Valley of Sunflowers. Land of Flowers' terrain is divided into several valleys. Among them, the Valley of Sunflowers, the Valley of Sakura Blossom, the Valley of Water lilies, the Valley of Roses, and the Valley of Orchids are the major ones.
The current residence of the Uchiha branch family is located in the Valley of Sunflowers.
While traveling, Madara glances at the several farmers, tending to the various Sunflower. The scene of peace and harmony reminds Madara of his childhood dream.
'A place with no chaos and conflict!' The image of Konohagakure appears in his mind.
The group walks through the large sunflower fields and arrives outside the small village.
"Himawari Village?!" Madara glances at the name on the arc-shaped entrance of the village.
"A fitting name indeed!"
"Halt!"
A group of villages with spears blocks their path at the entrance.
"Identify yourself!" The village guards point a spear at them.
The Uchiha group stops. Madara takes out a scroll from his storage and hands it to the guard.
Unlike the villages in other nations with Shinobis, the Land of Flowers doesn't have any military force of its own. It's part of the reason, the Land of Flower has such strict policies to avoid invasion.
The guards unfurl the scroll and glance at its content. He passes the scroll to his deputy, who also confirms the authenticity.
After inspection, the guard returns the scroll to Madara and signals to his team. The guards open the path, allowing Madara and his team to pass.
Madara and the group enter the village and notice the harmonious atmosphere of the village, an entirely unfamiliar sight from the previous warn-torn Land of Fire.
"Let's hurry up!"
After appreciating the lively atmosphere for a minute, Madara reminds his people of their goal.
"Yes, Madara-sama!"
The group nods and quickly follows Madara. Makato, another of Madara's close aides asks directions from the passerby and walks towards their destination.
According to the letter, after arriving in the Himawari village, an escort team will lead them to the secret settlement of the Uchiha clan in the Land of Flower.
Ten minutes later,
The group arrives in front of a shrine in the Himawari village.
"This shrine?!"
The group glances at each other.
"This shrine looks similar to the Nakano Shrine of our clan."
The group enters the shrine and inspects it. There is not a single soul in the shrine, not even the person who will lead them to the Uchiha settlement.
However, Madara and the rest aren't discouraged. They explore the shrine for a few minutes. After around five minutes, the group regroups in the main hall.
"The layout is the same as the Nakano Shrine of the Uchiha clan!" Ekizo mutters.
"In that case…"
The group looks around. After confirming the absence of any outside, they walk towards the seventh tatami mat from the far right of the entrance.
Swish… Swish… Swish…
Madara makes a series of rapid hand signs and taps his palm on the floor.
"Release!"
Shua…
A bright light lit up on the floor, revealing a secret Fuinjutsu seal.
Snap…
Madara bites his thumb and drops a drop of blood into the center of the seal. The seal glows brightly after receiving the blood.
Rumble… Rumble…
The ground trembles and the seal fluctuates rapidly. It slowly disappears and the stone slab slides away to reveal a passage.
"As expected!"
The group enters the secret passage, and the entrance closes on its own, sealing the passage.
Shoom… shoom… shoom…
Suddenly, several light torches lit up in the passage, dispelling the darkness within.
The group follows the path, and after a minute of walking; they arrive at the bright light at the end of the exit.
"We are here!"
The group raises their guard and exits the passage. A ray of bright sunlight envelops their vision. However, the group's expression turns sharp as they sense a few presences around them.
They swiftly wield their weapon and call.
"Come out! We know you are hiding there!"
Madara glances towards a bush.
Shiing…
He and the rest of the group activate their Sharingan to intercept the hiding figures.
"It's us!"
Just as Madara and the rest prepare to take action, another group of people with Sharingan walks from the surrounding meadows.
"The branch family?"
Makoto mutters as he recognizes the people as the Uchiha clansman.
"Madara-sama!"
The group walks in front of Madara and greets him with a proper salute.
The Konoha group's expression relaxes as they recognize their compatriots.
"How's the situation with the clan?" Madara ignores their greeting and jumps straight to the point.
The group's expression also turns serious.
"Madara-sama, please follow us. We will explain the situation while on our way to the clan base."
"Alright!" Madara nods and signals the group to move.
The group moves forward with the Land of Flower group in the lead. The Konoha group curiously stares at their surroundings and praises the beautiful scenery of the Land of Flowers from time to time.
"It's really beautiful!" Makoto glances at a distant field of colorful flowers and praises.
"Of course! This place is like a paradise on earth." The branch family member nods proudly.
"The Daimyo of the Land of Flower took good care of us and provided us with one of the best locations to settle down." He adds.
"So, the branch family has ties with the Feudal lord of the Land of Flower?" Ekizo asks in surprise.
Just like other clans, the Uchiha clan's previous status was that of a mercenary clan. They worked quite many times with several Feudal lords but never had any close ties with them. It was more of a client and server relationship.
Now, from this group's words, it seems like the branch family is being sponsored directly by a Feudal lord.
"It seems like the branch family is doing a great job after leaving the main family. Then why would you people beg for our help?" Sekiro, another member of the Konoha group with a strong radical personality, mocks the branch family members.
"Well…"
Slight hesitation appears on the branch family member's faces.
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Chapter 657: 618. Madara Shinden: Situation in Land of Flower
"The Land of the Flower has its own difficulties." The branch family members speak after some hesitation.
"The Land looks prosperous on the surface, but the undercurrents are anything but peaceful. The Land of Flowers doesn't have any military might of its own but possesses a vast trove of wealth. This wealth inspires greed in several nearby nations, and the Land of Earth is no exception." The branch family member, Tatsuzo, adds.
"Three years ago, the winter in the Land of Earth was especially harsh. So much so that the entire food reserve of the Land of Earth was depleted, and many people died of cold and starvation." He narrates a moment from the past.
"Because of the Ishiyama Mountain range's protection, the Land of Flowers didn't suffer from the harsh cold. Having suffered a tragedy, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth couldn't hold back himself and declared war on the Land of Flower to annex its fertile land."
"Hmm… I do seem to remember such an incident!" Makoto nods.
"The Uchiha clan was busy building the Konohagakure with the Senju clan. So, we paid less attention to the international affairs."
Tatsuzo's expression turns ugly as Makoto mentions the Senju clan. The hatred for the Senju clan is still present in him, carved deep into the bone.
His father, brother, and friends all died in the war against the Senju clan. Even his lover fell at the hands of a Senju. It's because of these reasons, that he rebelled when the Uchiha clan joined hands with the Senju clan and left with the rest of the conservative faction.
Makoto also notices Tatsuzo's expression and shifts into the conversation.
"Then how was the situation resolved?" Makato asks.
"Facing the shinobis of the Land of Earth, we lent a part of our strength. However, it wasn't enough. The Land of the Flower was gradually losing to the Land of Earth. However, the situation took a drastic turn when the Kaminari clan of the Land of Lightning launched a siege on the Land of Earth with other shinobis clans. Facing a two-prong attack, the Land of Earth had no choice but to compromise." Tatsuzo sighs.
"Still, the Land of the Flower lost the Lavender Valley to the Land of Earth. The peace treaty between the two countries fell apart, and the trade was heavily affected. Now, the Land of Flowers has found an ally in the form of the Kaminari clan." Tatsuzo explains the situation of the Land of Flowers to the Konoha group.
Soon, the group arrives outside the mouth of a small valley.
"We are here!"
Tatsuzo turns towards the Konoha group with a smile.
"This is the rendezvous point set to meet with the rest of the team. From here, we will move towards the clan headquarters."
Tatsuzo takes out a strange whistle and blows it towards the entrance of the valley.
Whistle…
Suddenly, Madara's expression changes.
Whoosh…
He flickers in front of Tatsuzo and deflects a kunai with his own.
Swish… Swish… Swish…
Suddenly, several kunais with paper bombs attached to them appear around the group.
"Shimata!"
BOOM…
The several hundred paper bombs detonate, creating a powerful explosion that shakes the entire valley. Several birds and other animals quickly flee in the distance.
A cloud of dust, smoke, and debris covers the surroundings.
Rustle… Rustle… Rustle…
Suddenly, several figures flicker out of the valley and the surrounding bushes. The group quickly surrounds the Uchiha group. The hundreds of figures outnumber the small Uchiha group.
"They won't go down so easily. Get ready for the battle!"
A hoarse voice commands the group.
Swoosh…
The dust and debris settle down to reveal a thick rock wall. There are several craters and cracks on the rock wall, a sign of the paper bomb explosion.
Rumble… Rumble…
The rock wall shakes vigorously.
Swish… swish…
Suddenly, several rock bullets fly out of an opening and bombard the enemy group.
"Everyone, take cover!"
A tall, burly shinobi steps forward. He makes a series of hand signs and slams his palm on the ground
"Earth Release: Mud wall,"
A massive wall of mud rises from the ground and blocks the rock bullets.
"Above you!"
A shout warns the burly shinobi. The burly shinobi feels a burst of heat and raises his head.
A massive ball of fire enlarges in his vision, occupying his entire sight.
"Damn it!"
He curses and swiftly jumps back while making a series of hand signs.
"Earth Release: Mud Escape,"
His body slowly turns into mud and melds with the ground.
BOOM…
The massive fireball lands on the ground and explodes. A scorching burst of heat spreads through the entire battlefield, raising the surrounding temperature by several degrees.
The sight of the explosion turns into charred ground with remnants of raging fire.
Cough… Cough…
A charred figure jumps out of the ground while coughing. The left arm of the burly man from before hangs limply on the side with several festering blisters.
However, he grits his teeth and grabs his left arm with his right hand. A layer of mud slowly covers the burned wound and creates mud armor around the arm.
Ding… Ding…
He uses the solidified mud arm to deflect and block several kunais and shurikens.
Suddenly, a kunai with a paper bomb appears in his peripheral vision.
"Shimata!"
BOOM…
The paper bomb explodes, creating another cloud of dust.
Whoosh…
The figure of the Earth shinobi jumps out of the explosion.
Crack… crack…
Several cracks appear on his body.
"Earth Armor!"
The cracks expand and fall off as chunks of mud and rocks.
Whoosh…
Suddenly, the man raises his other hand and blocks a kick with his arm.
Bang…
The powerful impact of the kicks sends him sliding across the ground.
"So strong!"
The man shakes his numb arm and glances at the figure of his attacker.
Madara observes the Earth Shinobi with narrow eyes.
"Such strength! With skills like these, you aren't a nobody in the Land of Earth. Tell me, who are you?" He enquires.
However, a grin appears on the pale face of the burly man.
Shiing…
Suddenly, a pair of massive blue eyes appear behind Madara.
"What's this?"
Madara's body freezes in a spot. His surrounding turns dark and even his breathing becomes slow.
"My body!"
Madara attempts to move his body but to no avail.
"A powerful genjutsu!"
Shiing…
The tomoes in Madara's eye revolve rapidly.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan,"
Madara casts a genjutsu of his own to counter the enemy genjutsu. However, the darkness around him doesn't dispel. It gets thicker and even the Madara's heartbeat comes to a standstill.
"A genjutsu more powerful than the Sharingan?!"
Shiing…
The revolving tomoes merge to form Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan,"
Madara casts a more powerful genjutsu with his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Crack… crack… crack…
Several cracks appear in the surrounding space, and the darkness slowly recedes.
"It's working!"
However, the next second, the huge blue eyes appear again. This time, Madara observes them closely and notices two concentric circles in the eyes.
Shiing…
A pulse of chakra flashes across the massive eyes.
Suddenly, the receding darkness converges again and envelops Madara's body, his arms, legs, and chest, and slowly covers his face.
"i… I can't move!" Madara casts another Genjutsu Sharingan with his Mangekyo Sharingan, but it has no effect this time.
The darkness consumes Madara's body and slowly crawls across his face, moving towards his eyes.
Madara's heartbeat stops for a moment and even the flow of his chakra becomes stagnant. A silent whisper echoes in the darkness.
"Give up all resistance and let the darkness consume you!"
Madara's vision turns blurry and even the last thought of resistance in his mind seems to fade away.
Jingle…
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