No way… What are the chances?
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock as he slowly turned to look at the person behind him.
A red suit of armor.
The iconic Uchiha fan in hand.
Madara had chosen to appear exactly as he had when he left the Uchiha clan all those years ago.
Now, Uchiha Madara stood there, smiling at Jiraiya.
In that instant, Jiraiya instinctively entered Sage Mode.
He knew very well that he wasn't a match for Uchiha Madara.
But right now, that didn't matter. He was going to fight with everything he had.
After all, even if he didn't want to, facing Uchiha Madara left him no choice.
If Madara wanted him dead, then that was it.
At this moment, Jiraiya could only hope that his student, Namikaze Minato, would use the Flying Thunder God to escape as soon as possible.
At least that way, Konoha would still have a future.
"…Why are you here?"
Jiraiya's body was tense, his full attention locked onto Uchiha Madara's smiling face.
Then suddenly—
A hand patted his shoulder.
A voice he knew better than any other rang in his ears.
At that moment, the tension in Jiraiya's body melted away.
It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.
"Am I not allowed to be here?"
Madara crossed his arms and looked toward Uchiha Raijin with a smirk.
"No… you can actually sleep here tonight," Raijin replied, raising an eyebrow as he stepped aside, revealing the wide-open gates of Konoha behind him.
No one knew why Uchiha Madara had come to Konoha.
But that didn't matter.
With time, his true intentions would become clear.
And Raijin understood one thing—
The moment Uchiha Madara stepped through that gate, an invisible battle had already begun.
A battle for control.
Either Konoha would change Madara.
Or Madara would change Konoha.
Not that it really mattered.
What mattered was that, at least on the surface, Uchiha Madara and Konoha had reached some sort of agreement.
"What's there to lose sleep over?" Madara chuckled.
"Unless, of course, you plans to strike while I'm resting?"
With his hands behind his back, Uchiha Madara strolled casually toward Konoha.
"The people in the village don't know you're here yet, so they didn't come out to greet you."
Raijin naturally walked ahead of Uchiha Madara, speaking to him as they moved forward.
"No need for all that."
Madara's expression dimmed slightly at those words.
He didn't care about the other clans.
But the Uchiha clan…
Madara had never felt guilty toward anyone in his life.
If there was anyone he owed, it was his clan.
"Come with me to the clan first. I think the old patriarch would really like to see you."
Hands behind his back and head lowered, Raijin didn't look at Madara—he simply spoke on his own.
"Alright."
Madara nodded silently. Back when he fought his final battle against Hashirama, he had already accepted the idea of losing everything.
But now, as he prepared to return to his clan, he couldn't help but feel complicated emotions.
Yes, this time coming back to Konohagakure, Madara had his own plans.
The best outcome would be to regain control over the Uchiha clan, including Uchiha Raijin.
Of course, he knew that if he wanted the Uchiha to follow him without hesitation, pure strength alone wouldn't be enough.
The most important thing was offering them something in return.
Madara had already decided on his bargaining chip: once the Infinite Tsukuyomi was activated, the Uchiha clan would assist him in maintaining the illusion.
At the same time, he had to consider the threat posed by Jigen.
He needed the Uchiha Clan by his side.
Whether this would actually work, Madara wasn't sure. After all, the Uchiha had a strong standing in Konohagakure now.
Their relationship with the Senju clan was also very good.
After years of intermarriage, the Uchiha and Senju were on the verge of becoming one family.
For the Uchiha, there was no reason to follow a former clan leader who had abandoned them, especially for a plan that would turn them against the entire shinobi world.
He didn't have an overwhelming advantage on his side.
…
At the Uchiha clan's land, in front of Naka Shrine.
The clan members, having been informed in advance by Raijin's shadow clone, had already gathered there.
Uchiha Ikusa, Uchiha Tatsumi, Uchiha Motohide, Uchiha Setsuna, and others stood at the shrine's entrance.
Behind them, a dense crowd of Uchiha clansmen filled the area.
Tsunade was also present.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the figure in red armor, slowly approaching—Uchiha Madara.
"You… have returned."
As Madara drew closer, Uchiha Ikusa stepped forward. His lips moved slightly as if he wanted to say more, but in the end, he simply spoke these words.
"You've worked hard all these years."
Uchiha Madara looked at Uchiha Ikusa in front of him, reached out, and patted his shoulder.
He still remembered how he had once saved this guy's life on the battlefield.
But unfortunately, Ikusa was still the same ninja who fought desperately for the Uchiha.
As for himself, he was no longer the clan leader who led his family forward with bravery.
Because he bore the Uchiha name, he understood better than anyone how much the Uchiha despised betrayal.
"You must be joking."
Uchiha Ikusa's eyes flickered slightly as he spoke to Madara.
"Now that you're back, are you leaving again?"
At that moment, Uchiha Setsuna suddenly asked Madara.
"That... depends on what Raijin thinks."
Madara glanced at Setsuna. A familiar face. Great talent, but a terrible temper.
When he lost his temper, he acted without thinking.
Back in the day, Madara had beaten him up countless times.
Seeing him again now felt different.
Permanent Senjutsu was really something. Otherwise, these people would already be dead, wouldn't they?
"Raijin, you wouldn't kick Uchiha clansmen out of the Uchiha, would you?"
Setsuna immediately turned to look at Uchiha Raijin.
Even though he knew he was no match for Raijin now,
he still lifted his chin slightly and spoke with a mocking tone.
"How could I? And besides, don't look at me. If Madara wants to settle in Konoha, does my opinion even matter?"
Raijin glanced sideways at Uchiha Madara.
This old fox was as cunning as ever—just one sentence, and he had shifted all the tension onto Raijin.
If not for the difference in strength, Raijin would have really liked to take him out.
Speaking of which… since when were Setsuna and Madara so close?
"This one must be Senju Hashirama's granddaughter, right?"
Madara smiled faintly and looked over at Tsunade.
"Madara-senpai."
Tsunade gave him a small nod and spoke softly.
Right now, she just wanted to keep a low profile.
After all, she wasn't an Uchiha.
That was what she thought when she was calm.
But if her temper flared up, even she didn't know what she might do.
"By the way, Madara-senpai, I have something I'd like to ask you."
Just as Madara was about to say something else, Raijin suddenly spoke.
"Oh? Go ahead."
Madara turned to look at him.
"Before the Second Shinobi War broke out, was the destruction of the Uchiha Trading Company in the Land of Moon related to you?"
Raijin asked as he looked straight at Madara.
The pace of the situation couldn't always be controlled by Uchiha Madara.
"It does matter."
Madara's expression shifted slightly when he heard that, but he didn't try to hide anything. He simply answered truthfully.
~~
"I was the one who gave the order to start the war early…"
"But I was the one who hired the ninja to wipe out the Uchiha Trading Company."
At that moment, Black Zetsu's voice suddenly echoed. Raijin's eyes narrowed as he immediately looked over at him.
He held back his urge to act, resisting the impulse to strike Black Zetsu right then and there.
It wasn't the right time yet.
If he made a move now, Uchiha Madara definitely wouldn't just stand by and watch.
And if that happened, not only would he fail to kill Black Zetsu, but the cooperation he had just established with Madara would also fall apart completely.
If the battlefield ended up being set in Konoha…
Raijin didn't want that.
But his question had already served its purpose.
Inside the Naka Shrine, every Uchiha was now looking at Madara differently.
Some were conflicted.
Some were frustrated.
Some were just confused.
The hatred burned into the hearts of the Uchiha had never faded.
Everyone wanted to find out who the culprit was, to avenge their fallen clan members.
But in the end, they discovered that the one responsible was their former clan leader.
It was painful.
And this was exactly the effect Raijin wanted.
With Madara back, the first thing Raijin needed to do was weaken his influence within the Uchiha clan.
Otherwise, if part of the clan decided to follow Madara—whether by leaving Konoha to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan or launching a coup from within—
It would be a huge problem.
Not only that, but Raijin also had to make sure no one secretly passed Senjutsu techniques to Madara.
"Who was the hired ninja?"
Raijin nodded in understanding and asked Black Zetsu.
"Kakuzu."
Black Zetsu answered without any hesitation.
He was just a bounty hunter, after all. Selling him out wasn't a big deal.
"I'll kill him tomorrow."
Suisei's voice rang out.
Raijin nodded.
"I was the one who did it."
Madara turned to look at Raijin.
"Yeah… but the problem is, I can't kill you right now, can I?"
Raijin pressed his lips together, looking slightly helpless, then spoke to Uchiha Madara.
"Then do your best."
Madara chuckled softly at those words and turned to leave Naka Shrine.
He knew there was no point in staying any longer.
Being the former leader of the Uchiha clan did give him some influence, but after abandoning his clan and even raising his blade against them…
Whatever respect he once had was long gone.
But this was something Madara had expected.
Raijin would never just stand by and let him rally the Uchiha under his command.
And the Uchiha, always wary, wouldn't so easily trust a leader who once abandoned them without a word.
As Madara's figure slowly disappeared, Raijin glanced at Suisei. Suisei gave a small nod, signaling that he understood.
Since Madara had no place to stay in Konohagakure, Suisei would have to arrange a place for him.
"There are many elders in the clan who once fought alongside Madara. I understand the respect and emotions you have for him."
Raijin spoke slowly, addressing the gathered Uchiha.
"But as of now, my relationship with Madara is unclear. So before making any decisions, I ask that you all think carefully."
"If, in the future, Madara and I find ourselves on opposing sides, and anyone stands against me, I won't hold back."
"Also, as one of the developers of Permanent Senjutsu, I do not want anyone in this clan secretly teaching it to Uchiha Madara."
"If anyone does, they will be treated as a spy."
"Consider yourselves warned."
After saying this, Raijin reached out his hand toward Tsunade. She chuckled lightly, took his hand, and the two walked away together.
This was not the time to be soft.
Everyone needed to understand how serious this was.
This was an announcement, not a discussion.
...
As Raijin's figure faded into the distance, Uchiha Setsuna's eyes were full of conflict.
In the end, he turned to Uchiha Ikusa.
"What do you think?"
As soon as Setsuna spoke, the other Uchiha clansmen all turned to look at Ikusa.
"How's your life right now?"
Ikusa was taken aback by the question and looked at Setsuna in surprise.
"It's good," Setsuna replied instinctively.
Being part of the Uchiha, one of Konohagakure's most powerful clans, and holding a high status, he had everything he could ask for. Every day, he trained in Permanent Senjutsu and could clearly feel himself growing stronger.
When he had free time, he could guide the younger members of the clan, helping them avoid unnecessary mistakes.
Watching himself and the clan grow stronger, little by little…
Uchiha Setsuna really enjoyed his current life.
"Oh? Do you think you can get involved in the battle between Raijin and Madara?"
Uchiha Ikusa nodded slightly and continued asking Setsuna.
"It's difficult. The only thing I can do is try to convince one of them to change their mind."
Setsuna paused for a moment before replying.
If possible, he hoped Madara and Raijin could reach a truce.
That way, the Uchiha clan would benefit the most.
"Oh? Do you think Uchiha Madara-sama's plan to use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to bring peace to the ninja world is the right approach?"
Ikusa nodded and asked another question.
"The goal is good, but the method is too extreme."
Setsuna blinked and answered honestly.
"Then do you think you can convince Uchiha Madara-sama to change his mind?"
Ikusa nodded and kept pressing.
"It's unlikely."
Setsuna frowned slightly, hesitating as he answered.
"Oh? So you're saying there's still a chance?"
Ikusa was briefly stunned. He blinked and looked at Setsuna.
(End of Chapter)
---
-----
Read +20 advanced chapters on my patreon
patreon.com/GustinaKamiya
---