Raijin didn't find out that his son, Uchiha Tatsu, had become Uchiha Madara's disciple until three days later.
"Tell me the truth. How did you end up like this?"
In the living room, Raijin stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, staring blankly at Uchiha Tatsu, who was covered in dirt and bruises.
He was a child with both Uchiha and Senju blood.
Even if he couldn't win a fight, couldn't he at least call for help?
There was a Hokage in the house.
A Hokage Guard Captain.
One was the leader of the organization known as Konohagakure's assassins.
The other was the twin-red-stick of the same organization.
There was no way anyone could just bully him, right?
"Hmph! It's a matter for a future Genin. Stay out of it."
Tatsu crossed his arms and turned his head to the side, snorting in disdain.
"Besides, even if I told you, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it."
After saying that, Uchiha Tatsu added another sentence.
Raijin blinked.
Something about the way Uchiha Tatsu looked right now felt oddly familiar.
"Don't make me ask a second time."
Just then, Tsunade's voice floated through the air.
The moment Uchiha Tatsu heard it, he shuddered almost instinctively.
That fear, deeply ingrained into his bones by Tsunade herself, surged up at once.
The answer was already on the tip of his tongue.
"Don't ask. I already know who it is."
Raijin stood up and walked toward the door.
"Oh, right..."
At the doorway, Raijin turned back to glance at Uchiha Tatsu, who was clearly relieved, then flashed a bright, cheerful smile at Tsunade.
"Go easy on him. Don't let it mess up his training tomorrow."
The moment he finished speaking, Raijin vanished, and at the same time, Tatsu's face twisted in horror.
"Got it..."
Tsunade chuckled lightly. But before her words even fully landed, Tatsu had already disappeared.
"Running?"
Tsunade smirked coldly, clapping her hands together. In an instant, countless vines burst from the ground. Within moments, Tatsu, who had been caught by the vines around his ankles, was hanging upside down right in front of Tsunade.
There he was… swaying… back and forth…
"Sigh..."
With a long sigh, Uchiha Tatsu closed his eyes in resignation.
It's fine.
Just endure it, and it'll be over soon…
---
"How's that guy Tatsu doing?"
In Madara's courtyard, Raijin asked Uchiha Madara.
"You're just now asking?"
Madara scoffed and shot a glance at Raijin, who had wandered into his yard.
"Doesn't this just show that I keep my promises?"
Raijin smirked and sat down in front of Madara.
"His talent is way better than mine when I was his age."
Madara chuckled and shook his head.
He wasn't lying. It was true. Compared to himself as a child, Uchiha Tatsu's physical strength was almost terrifying.
And with the Three Tomoe Sharingan boosting him, Tatsu's power was no joke.
In Madara's view, before the Second Ninja War began, as long as Tatsu didn't fight the Kage-level figures from other villages, he wouldn't have many worthy opponents.
Plus, with Uchiha Raijin and Tsunade as his parents, he had the best possible training environment.
But that raised a question in Madara's mind.
"Still... what did Tatsu go through to awaken the Three Tomoe Sharingan?"
Madara asked Raijin, puzzled. The Three Tomoe Sharingan wasn't a big deal to him, but the meaning behind it was different.
It reflected a person's state of mind and, more importantly, how Raijin and Tsunade were raising their child.
"Hmm... based on current research, Senjutsu can help the Uchiha clan's eyes evolve."
Raijin paused slightly, then answered Madara with a completely serious expression.
"Oh? Do these eyes actually work for you?"
Madara's interest was immediately piqued.
After so many battles, Uchiha Madara had already formed a rough understanding of Raijin's eyes.
They were stronger than an ordinary Rinnegan but weaker than the Nine-Tomoe Rinne Sharingan.
"Ah... I'm still getting used to them."
Raijin pursed his lips and said helplessly.
The golden Tenseigan, formed from countless Byakugan fused together, was almost the peak of the chakra system.
It might not compare to Madara's Nine-Tomoe Rinne Sharingan, which only a proper Ten-Tails Jinchuriki could possess.
But it wasn't something that could be matched by just a decade or so of Senjutsu training either.
Right now, Raijin's Reincarnation Sharingan had become a representation of chakra, existing independently on his head.
Natural energy, on the other hand, was gathered in his dantian, representing Senjutsu.
As for the power of the Goro Goro no Mi…
It simply allowed Raijin to switch his body from a physical state to a lightning-elemental state.
The source of energy for this ability could be chakra, stamina, or even natural energy.
It was an instinct, and all of its so-called abilities were just extensions of that instinct.
Merging these three different power systems was Raijin's goal for the future.
The only thing he couldn't fully control yet was the Reincarnation Sharingan, which represented the chakra system.
Simply put, his body wasn't fully compatible with these eyes yet.
It was similar to how Ao had transplanted a Byakugan or how Kakashi had transplanted a Sharingan in the original timeline.
"When you forcefully obtain something that was never meant to be yours, you always have to pay a price."
Madara shook his head and said in a calm voice.
"Relying only on Senjutsu to enhance your body makes it hard to completely master these eyes, doesn't it?"
After a brief pause, Madara continued speaking to Raijin.
Otsutsuki Kaguya was still out there, and there was also Jigen, whose fate was still unknown.
Madara was certain that the enemies they would face in the future wouldn't be few.
And they would be powerful.
So raising the strength of his allies was something necessary.
Especially someone like Raijin—who had potential and a solid foundation but lacked the right resources.
And fortunately, Madara had the ability to provide him with those resources.
"Yeah, it wasn't easy for you to get Hashirama's power back then, was it?"
Raijin asked Madara with a slight smile.
"So, have you ever thought about evolving your Sharingan into a Rinnegan?"
Madara smiled faintly at Raijin's words but didn't say much. Instead, he asked,
"What, are you hoping I'll help you?"
Raijin chuckled and casually asked Uchiha Madara.
You need both Senju Hashirama's cells and Uchiha Madara's cells to turn the Sharingan Tenseigan into the Rinnegan Tenseigan.
The first one is easy to get, but it doesn't help Raijin much.
The second one… makes a huge difference, but it's much harder to obtain.
"What's the point of telling you all this if I'm not going to help you?"
Madara chuckled and shook his head. Then, he pulled out a small porcelain bottle from his robe and, right in front of Raijin, sliced open a deep wound on his own wrist.
Blood gushed out instantly as the artery was cut.
At the same time, the wound on Madara's wrist healed rapidly, visible to the naked eye.
As for the blood...
It didn't drip into the bottle. Instead, it floated in midair and, under Madara's control, slowly gathered before flowing into the bottle drop by drop.
This ability might seem unimpressive, just basic control over gravity, but in reality, pulling it off was incredibly difficult.
Even Tendo Pain from the original timeline couldn't do something like this.
He could use Chibaku Tensei, but he definitely didn't have Madara's level of precision in manipulating gravity.
"Can I give this to Tsunade?"
Raijin looked at Madara as he asked.
The blood was already enough. All he had to do was extract the genes he was missing, and he would be able to awaken the Rinnegan.
Since he was getting this chance, he figured he might as well ask for Tsunade too.
Madara glanced at Raijin, who had already taken the bottle.
This guy… seriously...
"Tsunade is fine, Ryuri is fine, Tatsu is fine. But no one else."
After hesitating for a moment, Madara sighed helplessly. Since he had already given it away, it wasn't unreasonable for Raijin to want to make his family stronger.
That much, Madara could accept.
But Senju Tobirama? No way. And no one else, either.
Not that Madara was worried Raijin would try anything sneaky.
Just like how Madara wouldn't destroy Konohagakure because of Raijin's existence, he was sure Raijin wouldn't want another rogue ninja as powerful as Uchiha Madara wandering the world.
Balance is always a two-way street.
"Got it."
Raijin nodded, then stood up and headed toward the exit.
"Hey!"
Madara called out as he watched Raijin's back.
"What? Changed your mind?"
Raijin turned to look at him.
"No one else can be involved in this."
Madara looked at Uchiha Raijin and spoke.
"Got it."
Raijin nodded and disappeared in an instant.
"Hmph..."
Watching Raijin leave, Madara let out a faint snort of disdain.
Was it a loss?
Not at all. He had only given up a little bit of blood.
But in return, he gained permanent Senjutsu.
Even though it wasn't explicitly stated, Madara was sure that the moment Raijin took that porcelain bottle, he understood what it meant.
And since he accepted it, that meant he agreed.
There was no formal contract or serious promise.
But between them, an understanding had already been reached.
And their strength was the best guarantee of that understanding.
…
"Yo, your mom still hasn't healed you?"
At home, Raijin glanced at Uchiha Tatsu, who was hanging from the ceiling beam, and spoke casually.
"Aren't you supposed to let me down first?"
Tatsu swayed back and forth, looking at Raijin in silence.
"Stay up there a bit longer. It'll help you remember."
Raijin raised an eyebrow, then lazily walked toward the bedroom.
"Next time you do something with big consequences like this, give me a heads-up first. Don't catch me off guard."
At the doorway, Raijin turned his head to look at Tatsu, who was still hanging there.
"But isn't the outcome good?"
Tatsu was confused as he looked at Raijin.
Becoming Uchiha Madara's disciple not only helped improve the relationship between Madara and Raijin but also gave him a chance to learn techniques that even Raijin hadn't mastered.
Wasn't that a good thing?
"Ah... there are some things you still don't understand. Though, to be fair, I never explained them to you either."
Raijin paused for a moment, then turned around to face Tatsu.
"The chakra system... some techniques simply can't be learned. Many of the factors that allowed Uchiha Madara to reach his level are one of a kind."
"One of a kind?"
Tatsu was stunned. No one had ever told him that before.
In his mind, as long as he worked hard enough, he could reach the level of Uchiha Madara or Uchiha Raijin.
"Yeah, as things stand, becoming a ninja like Uchiha Madara is basically impossible.
And… becoming a ninja like me is pretty much impossible too."
Raijin nodded and said to Tatsu.
"Don't talk big! Whatever you guys can do, I can do too!"
Uchiha Tatsu snapped at Raijin, clearly irritated.
To him, Raijin's words sounded like pure bragging.
"No, you can't. And that's not to say you're not trying hard enough—it's just that no matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to."
Raijin chuckled, clasped his hands behind his back, and spoke to Tatsu.
"In the world of chakra, reaching the top isn't about effort—it's about taking from others."
He looked at Tatsu and continued.
Actually, Raijin had never shared this knowledge with him before.
Mainly because he thought it was still too early, and there was no need to.
"These eyes… they were originally just ordinary Mangekyou Sharingan. But now, I call them the Rebirth Sharingan."
As he spoke, he looked directly at Tatsu.
"Do you know what it takes to obtain these eyes?"
He asked, his voice calm.
"What does it take?"
Tatsu was caught off guard and asked in surprise.
"It takes an entire generation of the Otsutsuki clan who guarded the moon… all of them sacrificing their Byakugan, fusing them into a massive golden Tenseigan, and then someone who has learned the Kinjutsu of the Ghost Bud Luo technique swallowing it whole."
Raijin said in a low voice.
"Sounds simple, right? But do you think you could do it? Do you think there's even a second golden Tenseigan left in this world?"
Raijin looked at Tatsu, who had fallen silent, and added,
"Do you know what this is?"
As he spoke, Raijin pulled out a small porcelain bottle from his robes.
"Where did you steal that from?"
Tatsu immediately questioned him.
"This? Oh, I didn't steal it. This… is thanks to you."
—
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