𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘉𝘌𝘋𝘌𝘝𝘐𝘓𝘌𝘋 𝘓𝘌𝘎𝘈𝘊𝘠 | ⁿᵃʳᵘᵗᵒ

A Common Goal

A COMMON GOAL

✧

"This is unacceptable!" Osamu exclaimed as he slammed his fist down on the table. Anger radiated from the old man as he stared Madara down from the other side of the table, jaw set.

Madara was unfazed by the old man's display of anger. His gaze was cool, the single black eye not hidden underneath his mop of spiky black hair staring back at Osamu without fear. "I told you how things will proceed from here, Osamu-sama."

Asami sat beside Madara, her hands placed neatly in her lap and her chin held high. Her face was expressionless as she maintained the gaze of Ryuta from across the table, who had been silent since the meeting began with the four of them.

After the revelation about his Sharingan, Madara concluded that there was no need to sit idly and wait before attacking the Senju. His blindness was no longer a hindrance, and with Izuna's eyes, he felt even stronger than before. They had nothing holding them back; it was time to strike while the iron was hot.

Asami agreed. She wanted to sink her teeth into the Senju and bite hard.

The elders, however, did not share their enthusiasm.

Madara had called the meeting primarily to discuss Izuna's passing and the way forward. However, similar to previous meetings, the elders were insistent on Madara and Asami producing heirs immediately. It seemed Izuna's death had made them more perturbed than ever. They were consumed by the looming fear of the Uchiha clan's future leadership should both Madara and Asami fall.

Osamu was vocal the moment Madara spoke of his intentions to attack the Senju within the next few days. Meanwhile, Ryuta remained silent, but his sharp, beady black eyes remained fixed on Asami, unsettling her further. He was losing any possible bonus points he could have earned the longer he stared at her with such an intense expression.

She really despised both of the Uchiha elders.

"Our clan is in a fragile place right now," Osamu said, his voice carrying an edge that almost sounded like a warning to Madara not to oppose him. "Now is not the time to attack in the name of revenge. Izuna was a formidable shinobi, however, I do not think revenge is the course of action. We must move forward."

Asami clenched her jaw, her shoulders tensing at the casual mention of Izuna.

He had only passed the day before, and yet they spoke so easily of his death. It disgusted her. They truly didn't care about anything other than the talents of a shinobi, their jutsu, the power of their Sharingan, and their proficiency with weapons—nothing else mattered to them. Never mind that Izuna was a person with people who loved him. That didn't matter to them. To them, he was to be used like a tool and tossed aside.

They spoke the same way of Hana after her death too. All they cared about was the possible heirs she could produce to further benefit the clan. To them, she was nothing more than a means to strengthen their forces, to add more child soldiers to their ranks.

The callousness and disregard for the lives and emotions of their own clan members appalled her. Asami knew that the elders' focus on producing heirs and raising child soldiers was driven solely by their ambition for power and control. It sickened her to witness such a lack of empathy and humanity among those who were supposed to lead and protect the Uchiha clan.

"We will be attacking the Senju within a few days, " Madara reiterated. "While I appreciate your advice to repopulate instead of striking against the Senju, I disagree. It would seem weaker to hide behind the compound's walls after the death of someone in the main family. To prove our strength we need to strike hard, and fast."