446-450

Chapter 446: The Second Choice of the Uchiha!   

If you ask whether the Uchiha clan provided any real support to Shinji during his brief few months of growth, the answer is yes.   

Whether it was before the Battle of Hell Valley, when a large number of clan members mobilized to avenge the assassination of their young clan leader by bloodily raiding the bounty exchange offices across the ninja world, or after the battle, when they collectively executed a meticulously planned operation—the initiator of these efforts was none other than the Uchiha elder who first recognized Shinji’s potential and stood by him through life and death: Uchiha Setsuna.   

At this moment,   

Facing Fugaku’s sharp questioning, the Uchiha clan members desperately needed Setsuna to step forward—to affirm the legitimacy of their actions, to prove that they had not stood idly by, and to show that their actions were not merely driven by the tangible benefits of Shinji becoming clan leader.   

In truth, there had been significant divisions within the clan when Shinji was first appointed as the young clan leader and when Fugaku was removed as the heir by Setsuna. However, over time, Shinji’s remarkable achievements won them over:   

- The devastating bombardment of the Senju clan’s land with the Void Cannon.   

- Confronting and subduing the Nine-Tails head-on.   

- Defeating the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails.   

- Facing and holding his own against the Third Raikage, one of the strongest ninjas in history.   

These were feats that even countless previous clan leaders had failed to accomplish, yet Shinji had achieved them all in rapid succession!   

During the chaotic Third Great Ninja War, where every battlefield was a bloodbath, the Uchiha clan members had willingly risked their lives on deep-cover missions, all in the hope that their actions would aid Shinji upon his return to Yunming City.   

Back then, they had no fear.   

Yet now, when confronted by Fugaku’s questions—at this crucial moment of dividing the spoils—they found themselves speechless, even ashamed.   

It was a situation eerily reminiscent of their betrayal of Uchiha Madara all those years ago—a wound that had festered in both Madara’s heart and the hearts of the entire Uchiha clan.   

Now, as Shinji was set to officially become the new clan leader, many among the Uchiha were uneasy.   

On one hand, they genuinely had high hopes for Shinji, believing he could lead the clan to unprecedented strength.   

On the other hand,   

They couldn’t deny the truth in Fugaku’s words: they had done far too little in the grand scheme of things. In fact, they had barely had time to act. Who could have predicted that in just under four months, Shinji, that brat, would become practically invincible?   

Now, standing before this fully grown powerhouse, the clan members couldn’t shake the surreal feeling that they had stumbled upon an impossibly lucky windfall.   

It was simply too unreal!   

They had only invested a few billion ryo into him, and he had already conquered the ninja world!   

But... but they hadn’t even spent all the money yet!   

They had plans—private donations, selling ancestral assets, even a clan-wide self-sacrifice—all left unused!   

And so, Fugaku’s words struck a nerve, making his accusations resonate powerfully. The entire room fell silent, and many looked toward Uchiha Setsuna with a mixture of shame and expectation.   

Meanwhile,   

Even on the rooftop, watching the events unfold within the Naka Shrine,   

The very person Fugaku referred to—the old man betrayed by the Uchiha clan—   

Uchiha Madara, now aged, withered, and frail, found himself unusually silent.   

The betrayal he had suffered all those years ago—though he often spoke of it with indifference—was something only he truly understood the depths of.   

That event had been filled with helplessness on all sides.   

Not only had he suffered, but even the Uchiha clan at the time had struggled with their decision.   

After enduring the entire Warring States period, even a thousand-year-old clan like the Uchiha had started to suffer from a decline in fresh talent.   

With the arrival of peace and the founding of the Hidden Villages, the world had changed. The old ways of territorial dominance were over, and the words Madara had deciphered from the Uchiha’s ancestral stone tablet—readable only with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan—were not enough to convince the clan to follow him.   

There had been voices in support of following Madara, though.   

In fact, the very same old man sitting in the highest seat of the Naka Shrine’s main hall—the now-blind Uchiha Setsuna—had been one of Madara’s most devoted followers forty years ago.   

Back then, Setsuna had even tried to leave with Madara.   

It was an attempt by the clan to find a middle ground—at least one person by Madara’s side would keep communication open. That way, if Madara ever needed the Uchiha, negotiations could still be made.   

But Madara, ever proud, rejected this gesture, seeing it as mere charity.   

At the same time, he also recognized that Setsuna lacked the talent to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan. To him, Setsuna was nothing more than a foolish boy asking naïve questions while desperately craving power. Bringing him along would have been a waste of time.   

Yet, Madara had never imagined that,   

Forty years later,   

Even though he had never truly witnessed the power of Setsuna’s eyes,   

The man had still, through sheer tragedy, obtained a power that transcended humanity itself.   

And now, in front of the very same Madara who once rejected him,   

Setsuna had finally proven himself.   

At this moment,   

As the Uchiha clan stood at yet another crossroads—reflecting on their past betrayal, wrestling with their remorse, and making their choice—   

Even though Madara still firmly believed in the "Moon’s Eye Plan" as the only way to end the ninja world’s cycle of despair,   

This scene before him still stirred something deep within the old man’s heart.   

The past was a mirror.   

He had spent his life thinking about the future of the clan, the village, the nation, humanity, and the entire world.   

And now, after all their struggles, the Uchiha clan was thinking, too.   

The only difference was that,   

Madara had looked at the entire ninja world, arrogantly contemplating the fate of all mankind.   

While the Uchiha clan had always considered things from their own perspective—focusing on what was best for their clan, their people, and their leader.   

The Uchiha had never wanted to be indebted to anyone!   

So then...   

Had he been too harsh on them?   

In this moment, as he prepared to take ruthless action to force Shinji to awaken his eyes,   

Madara’s expression darkened slightly. He lowered his gaze to the Reaper’s Scythe in his hand and pondered deeply.   

"...Forget it."   

The old man let out an almost imperceptible sigh before shifting his gaze toward the Naka Shrine.   

He looked at the silent, unmoving old man seated in the hall’s highest position—Uchiha Setsuna.   

With his withered white hair flowing wildly in the wind,   

Madara tightened his grip on his scythe and slowly stood up.   

His gaze sharpened, turning cold and imposing.   

"Very well," he declared.   

"Then let this old man hear it—"   

"Forty years later, what is the Uchiha clan’s second choice?"   

"Will it be Uchiha Madara... or Shinji?"   

"What will your answer be?"   

Chapter 447: Fugaku’s Maniacal Laughter! We Are Betrayers Once Again!   

At this moment—   

Faced with Fugaku’s merciless questioning, the clan members’ resentful, teeth-gritted stares, and an eerie sensation—one heightened by the loss of sight, allowing other senses to perceive the unseen—   

Uchiha Setsuna could feel it.   

A cold and indifferent gaze was scrutinizing him.   

Yet, his face remained emotionless, as calm as still water. He merely tilted his head slightly, turning toward where Uchiha Fugaku stood.   

His pale, lifeless eyes stared blankly at the man before him as he spoke in a quiet, measured tone:   

"Very well."   

"Uchiha Fugaku, since you now possess those eyes, you should understand the power they hold."   

"And you should also understand the transformation that will occur once Shinji gains such eyes!"   

"Like a worm breaking free of its cocoon, like an eagle spreading its wings!"   

"Every action we have taken has been for this purpose."   

"Every sacrifice we have made has been for this day."   

"The plan we are executing was set long ago—back when I was still stationed at Hell Valley. You were even informed and agreed to it."   

"Then, you should understand—"   

At this point, Uchiha Setsuna’s voice suddenly surged with intensity.   

A fire seemed to ignite within his lifeless, pale eyes, twisting the skin on his face into a contorted snarl.   

With those empty, sacrificed eyes, he fixated on Uchiha Fugaku—his gaze numb yet vicious.   

Like a gambler standing at the edge of a cliff, with one foot already in the abyss, having no retreat and no escape, he suppressed his rage and roared:   

"What does it mean—"   

"To hesitate at the crucial moment, only to invite disaster upon oneself?!"   

"You say we are unworthy, but what have you done? It was precisely because of your reckless actions that we are now forced to pay an even greater price to fill this void of hatred!"   

"Uchiha Fugaku!"   

Uchiha Setsuna's voice suddenly softened, tinged with exhaustion as he spoke:   

"Do you truly understand what you are doing right now?"   

"Are you certain you want to stand in opposition to this clan?"   

Silence fell over the room.   

The gathered Uchiha clansmen exchanged uncertain glances. They struggled to grasp the deeper meaning of Uchiha Setsuna’s words. Instead, they wondered if he was merely glorifying their actions.   

However—   

Among them, only Uchiha Fugaku, who understood what Uchiha Setsuna was truly aiming for, could grasp the hidden implications behind his words.   

In that brief moment, the old and cunning Uchiha Setsuna had already pieced everything together—why Fugaku had come, that he was trying to stop the clan assembly, and even what disaster was about to unfold!   

Yet, the old man still chose to proceed!   

Staring at the blank, pale eyes on Uchiha Setsuna’s aged face, Fugaku fell into silence.   

This old man had lost one eye to forbidden jutsu while saving Shinji on the border of the Land of Hot Water.   

And he had sacrificed the other in Hell Valley, once again to save Shinji.   

His words applied not only to Uchiha Jin, to the gathered clan members, or even to himself, Uchiha Fugaku—   

But they held no power over this old man before him.   

Shinji must become the clan leader.   

If only for this elder’s sake.   

And even if he had lost his memories, Uchiha Setsuna’s actions were always for the clan’s future!   

This was a man who had abandoned his own life and well-being for the survival of the Uchiha.   

Such unwavering resolve—one that sacrificed everything for the clan—could never be swayed by mere words.   

The only difference between the past and the present was that the old Setsuna was more forgiving, while the current one was utterly ruthless.   

And as the beneficiary of it all—   

Fugaku, who had seen the future and knew how to avoid the clan’s destruction,   

Could have easily survived this crisis.   

All he had to do was stand still in front of his house, just like in the Mirror Revolving Future: Boundary Tsukuyomi.   

Shinji would protect the surviving clansmen.   

Given the situation, logically, Fugaku should have done the same.   

By sacrificing just a portion of the clan, they could have gained an Uchiha with two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan.   

His own Mangekyō Sharingan should not be wasted on such a futile battle!   

There was no need to throw his life away, dancing like a fool before an unbeatable enemy like Uchiha Madara.   

Nor did he have to die in vain, foolishly sacrificing himself for an old man who had already embraced death and a group of weak, clueless clansmen.   

That should have been the right choice.   

And yet—   

The moment he considered this path—   

A memory thundered into his mind.   

The scene at the Heretical God Cult in the Land of Hot Water—   

Qing Ichirō, holding a dying Shinji, his bloodshot eyes burning with fury, roaring at him:   

"Are you really going to just stand there and watch your clansmen die before your eyes?"   

"Are you really going to do nothing?!"   

"What is your power for?!"   

"Tell me! Answer me, our honorable next clan leader—Uchiha Fugaku!"   

And so—   

Forgive me, Grand Elder.   

Fugaku’s eyes suddenly flashed with a chilling light.   

He locked his gaze onto Uchiha Setsuna, then threw back his head and, in the depths of Naka Shrine, before the gathered clansmen, under the astonished gaze of Uchiha Madara—   

"Huhuhu… Ha… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"   

He clutched his face, laughing maniacally—   

His hair and beard bristling, his features twisting with madness, the veins on his forehead bulging.   

"You’re wrong!"   

Then, his face darkened, and his eyes widened with a sharp glint as he growled viciously:   

"You old bastard—"   

"Your actions stem from nothing but your own selfish desires! The plan you forced the clan to execute was merely a product of your sick need for control!"   

Next, Fugaku turned his glare upon the assembled clansmen—   

"You fools!"   

"You blindly carried out these so-called 'missions for that brat’s sake,' but those very actions were what created the rift between Shinji and our clan!"   

"Don’t you get it yet? Why do you think he’d rather wander the ninja world than return to us?"   

"Why would Shinji rather follow Orochimaru around the world than spare us a glance?!"   

"Because he knows—"   

"You used this old man’s 'death' to deceive him, manipulate him, betray him!"   

"He knows he lives in an illusion you deliberately crafted!"   

"He knows that returning to the clan would only bring more absurd and unrealistic expectations!"   

"He knows that such a clan is no longer worth inheriting or saving!"   

"You idiots have done exactly what you did when you betrayed Uchiha Madara all those years ago!"   

"And all of this—"   

Fugaku bared his teeth, his face contorted with rage, his breath ragged.   

He turned sharply toward Uchiha Setsuna, seated at the head of the hall.   

"It’s all because of you, you old bastard!"   

"You’ve forgotten everything, haven’t you? The side effects of your Mangekyō have made you forget all about Shinji, yet you still pretend to act in his best interest, blindly carrying out what you think is the 'right' plan!"   

"Your arrogance for the sake of the clan is what led to this betrayal of Shinji!"   

"So why are you still pretending?"   

"Why do you still feign righteousness?!"   

"Can’t you see it yet—"   

Fugaku’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice filled with sorrowful rage as he bellowed:   

"We are betrayers!"   

"We are betrayers once again!"   

Chapter 448: Don't Even Think About Expelling This Old Man from the Clan!  

"We… are traitors again?"  

"Whoa!"  

These words sent shockwaves through the hall. As soon as Uchiha Fugaku spoke, every Uchiha clan member present was visibly shaken, turning their stunned gazes toward Uchiha Setsuna, who was kneeling in the prominent seat at the head of the main hall.  

At this moment— 

The deepest secret in Uchiha Setsuna's heart had been exposed by Uchiha Fugaku!  

His expression changed drastically, as if a sharp needle had pierced his heart! 

Due to the effects of his Dojutsu, Ame-no-Tokotachi, he had lost all memories of the past four months after the Battle of Hell Valley. When he woke up there, he didn't even know why he was in Hell Valley, nor did he understand why both of his eyes were completely blind.  

Only Uchiha Hokage noticed this anomaly quickly and, using illness as an excuse, isolated him from the rest of the clan to prevent any information from leaking.  

From Uchiha Hokage’s explanation, Uchiha Setsuna pieced together the events of the past several months as if he were watching from an omniscient perspective.  

And now, without the bond he once shared with Shinji, Uchiha Setsuna had reverted to the man he was before the outbreak of the Third Great Ninja War—the iron-willed veteran who was willing to risk his life for the clan, leading a team on a dangerous mission to the Land of Hot Water.  

He didn’t remember who Shinji was. 

He only knew that Shinji was strong.  

Terrifyingly strong.  

From the perspective of the clan, Uchiha Setsuna quickly realized that Shinji, as the clan's ultimate force, could become even stronger.  

Despite losing the Zero-Tails and failing to evolve his Mangekyō Sharingan after being blinded by the Third Raikage due to Kakuzu’s deception, the circumstances described by witnesses confirmed one thing—Shinji had the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.  

All he lacked was the right trigger!  

Uchiha Setsuna couldn’t understand why his past self had overlooked this fact. 

He couldn’t understand why he had failed to implement a plan that would have undoubtedly made the clan stronger. 

And he certainly couldn’t understand why he had placed so much trust in Shinji!  

Yes—  

The current Uchiha Setsuna had lost faith in Shinji. 

He had abandoned the naïve notion that even without the Sharingan, that kid could still go far on his own.  

Thus—  

A plan was born.  

A plan that would sacrifice himself, Uchiha Hokage, and those old warriors who should have perished in Hell Valley but were instead saved by Shinji at the cost of his own life.  

A plan to burn himself to fuel the growth of Uchiha’s new generation!  

Uchiha Setsuna did not regret his actions. Even if given another chance, he would still make the same choice without hesitation.  

However—  

Uchiha Fugaku's actions were now threatening to completely negate everything he had done!  

To completely deny the notion that they were important to Shinji!  

The potential consequences of Fugaku's actions flashed through Setsuna's mind. If this caused Shinji to miss his final chance to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan—  

Uchiha Setsuna's eyes widened in shock and fury as he glared at Uchiha Fugaku.  

"You… you bastard!"  

"Enough!"  

"Uchiha Fugaku!"  

Uchiha Setsuna, enraged beyond control, shot to his feet. His face was as cold as frost, his eyes burning with fury.  

"What are you saying!? Do you even know what you're talking about!?"  

"I know!"  

Standing in the center of the hall, Uchiha Fugaku’s face twisted into a manic grin. Clenching his teeth, he spat out each word with a sneer.  

"Of course, I know!"  

How could he not?  

Through the future reflected in his eyes, he had already seen Uchiha Madara's true purpose in returning to the clan!  

If Madara still retained the pride of a true warrior and the dignity of a former clan leader, 

If he wasn’t simply here to commit a massacre, 

If, like Uchiha Setsuna, he was here searching for the people most important to Shinji, intending to kill them to force Shinji into awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan—  

Then—  

The solution was simple.  

All they had to do was make sure that no one in the clan was important to Shinji.  

Just like how their ancestors once betrayed Uchiha Madara— 

If every single one of them betrayed Shinji, 

Then they would lose their worth as sacrificial targets!  

This way—  

By choosing a cowardly yet pragmatic approach, they could survive under Madara’s mercy!  

This was Uchiha Fugaku's plan. 

This was his scheme to pull the rug out from under Madara!  

And as the price—  

If the entire clan was lost in a dream, never realizing the truth, then the only one who stood alone as the "awakened" individual—  

Would be Uchiha Fugaku.  

He was gambling everything!  

And now, the most critical moment of this gamble had arrived.  

He had to divide the battlefield into three fronts.  

He had to bet that his next words would cut deep into the hearts of everyone present.  

He had to buy precious time for Shinji’s return.  

He had to confront the entire clan without revealing that he knew the full picture.  

He had to stand before Uchiha Setsuna— 

And challenge Uchiha Madara!  

With this in mind—  

Uchiha Fugaku’s Sharingan blazed red as he straightened his back, staring directly at Uchiha Setsuna, staring at every single person in the hall—  

Then—  

He raised his head, his gaze naturally locking onto the rooftop of Naka Shrine. He let out a mocking laugh and said:  

"Uchiha Setsuna, this is reality! You’ve lost yourself!"  

"A former elder who no longer protects the younger generation, instead treating them as bargaining chips for power!"  

"How are you any different from me back then!?"  

"Do you still dare to call yourself Shinji’s family!?"  

"Do you even deserve the Uchiha name!?"  

"You abandoned your former pride, your past ideals, and the honor of our Uchiha clan!"  

The skin around Uchiha Fugaku’s eyes was stretched so tight it seemed like it might tear. His round pupils bulged as he roared:  

"What difference is there between you and a dog!?"  

His words appeared to be aimed solely at Uchiha Setsuna, but in truth, they struck everyone present like an indiscriminate AOE attack!  

After all, every Uchiha here had, to some extent, participated in the plan to force Shinji into awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan in Yunming City.  

Uchiha Setsuna was the mastermind, but they were all accomplices!  

Even the long-haired elder observing the scene from the rooftop darkened his expression, feeling as if he, too, had been caught in the crossfire.  

If not for Fugaku’s gaze being slightly off-target and for the Mayfly Technique making it nearly impossible to see through his concealment,  

He would’ve thought that this entire speech was directed at him!  

And as for the meaning of these words—  

They struck straight at Uchiha Madara’s heart!  

What do you mean I abandoned my ideals!? 

What do you mean I don’t deserve the Uchiha name!?  

Are you implying that I, Uchiha Madara, am not even worthy of my own surname!?"  

Ridiculous!  

A mere brat like you dares to think about expelling this old man from the clan!?  

Chapter 449: Homecoming  

The atmosphere on the scene was both oppressive and suffocating.  

Uchiha Fugaku’s veiled accusations were like a sharp blade stabbing straight into their hearts, making it difficult for the Uchiha clansmen to maintain their composure.  

Yet, they had no valid reason to refute him.  

Even if they were unaware of all the details surrounding the incident, their actions, to some extent, were exactly as Fugaku had said—they were making things unbearably difficult for a mere 12-year-old child!  

They were actually relying on pushing a child to the brink of madness just to uphold the dignity of their clan!  

Such a thing...  

Finally—  

"Enough!"  

Uchiha Shinichi, who had been kneeling in the main hall, suddenly stood up, his teeth clenched as he glared at Fugaku and shouted in a deep voice,  

"Fugaku, what exactly do you intend to do!?"  

The moment his words fell, the rest of the clansmen turned their heads, their eyes gleaming with an eager, vicious light as they looked at Fugaku.  

They were practically itching to throw a sack over his head and beat his suddenly insufferable face into a pulp.  

Even though they knew they had gone too far, that they had mishandled things, made mistakes—  

For an Uchiha to admit their own fault?  

Impossible.  

Unless, of course, you knocked them out cold and poured a kettle of boiling water down their pants!  

Upon hearing the question, Uchiha Fugaku remained silent for a moment before lifting his head with a composed yet resolute expression.  

He swept his gaze across the gathered clansmen before his eyes finally landed on the clock hanging on the shrine's wall.  

The time had just struck—  

15 minutes and 45 seconds!  

A faint smile appeared on Fugaku’s face.  

He was about to win his gamble!  

And now—  

Fugaku’s expression suddenly grew solemn.  

With a tone that was almost gritted through his teeth, a finality as if he were giving his last words, and a rare sincerity from someone who had long hidden his true desires—  

He spoke aloud the dream that had been buried deep within his heart.  

The dream that, with the resurgence of his original will, now shone brilliantly once again.  

That seemingly resigned, yet deeply unwilling wish—  

"I... want to become the head of the Uchiha clan!"  

"Shinji? He’s nothing!"  

"I’ve worked toward this goal my entire life—why should I be replaced by some brat who hasn't even grown all his hair yet?!"  

Fugaku’s face turned from pale to red, his veins bulging as he roared,  

"To hell with you all!"  

"I'M GOING TO BE THE CLAN LEADER!"  

15 minutes and 55 seconds!  

The entire hall fell into dead silence.  

You could hear a pin drop.  

Fugaku took a deep breath and closed his eyes.  

He had done everything he could.  

The elder, Uchiha Setsuna, a seasoned veteran with an icy demeanor, would undoubtedly find a way to refute Fugaku’s weak justifications in mere moments and steer the clan meeting back on track.  

To block Setsuna’s rebuttal, Fugaku had only one choice—to expose the information he had obtained from Uchiha Hokko, challenge the entire clan, and even taunt Uchiha Madara on the rooftop.  

To divert all the heat onto himself!  

Yet, even after all that, all he could do was buy this much time.  

Now, with his conversation with Setsuna revealing that he knew far more than he should, and with his final admission of knowing Madara’s whereabouts—  

Madara would, just as he had during the first Mirror Turn: Future - Limitless Tsukuyomi, kill him without hesitation!  

And Fugaku was fully prepared for that outcome!  

Shinji would return at exactly 16 minutes and 20 seconds!  

But against Madara, Fugaku was certain—he wouldn’t last 10 seconds.  

Let alone an additional five.  

In these final moments of his life, Fugaku did not want to leave any regrets!  

All he wished for—  

Was to face the dream he had once resisted due to harsh reality—  

And to witness, with his own eyes in this real world—  

That crimson fireline slicing across the skies of the Land of Fire!  

Time continued to tick away, second by second.  

The Uchiha gathered inside the Naka Shrine were briefly stunned by Fugaku’s unexpected outburst.  

Then, they blinked, exchanged glances, and soon—  

A strange, half-amused, half-exasperated smile crept onto their faces.  

Hell!  

Was this really the rigid, old-fashioned, and bull-headed head of the Police Force, Uchiha Fugaku?  

16 minutes and 5 seconds.  

As each second passed, Fugaku, who had kept his eyes tightly shut, hesitated and slightly raised his eyelids.  

A hint of confusion appeared on his face.  

Why hadn’t Madara made a move yet?  

Had he already acted, and Fugaku simply died too quickly to even realize it?  

Was he... already dead?  

With this thought in mind, Fugaku slowly opened his eyes—  

And saw—  

Over 200 clansmen, all standing, looking at him with bizarre, knowing expressions and faint smirks.  

And—  

Right in front of him, Uchiha Shinichi stood expressionlessly.  

Then, in a solemn, unwavering tone, Shinichi spoke,  

"Fugaku, stop dreaming."  

He took a deep breath before continuing,  

"Even if, as you said, our actions have betrayed Shinji—"  

"—I am absolutely certain that Shinji is the best candidate to be our next clan leader!"  

"That is precisely why we sincerely want to help him!"  

"If our actions have caused him to resent the clan—"  

Shinichi turned and met the gazes of the other clansmen, exchanging a silent understanding.  

Then, with firm resolve, he declared,  

"Then—"  

"Even if we have to break his arms and legs, we will bring him back and make him our clan leader!"  

The moment those words landed, Fugaku’s expression changed dramatically!  

If Madara heard that—then everything he had done up until now would be—  

Just as that terrifying realization struck—  

"—BOOM!!!"  

A deafening explosion erupted above Naka Shrine!  

A violent shockwave blasted downward, tearing through the ceiling and instantly sending tables, screens, doors, and windows flying in all directions!  

Fugaku’s eyes widened in horror.  

In his reflection—  

The sky above the shrine had been blown open once more.  

But this time—  

Instead of a dark sky filled with circling crows—  

What lay beyond the shattered ceiling was the translucent barrier of Konoha, now torn open by some unknown force.  

Beyond that barrier—  

The same bright blue sky as always, now filled with a flock of startled birds scattering in all directions.  

Sunlight streamed down through the hole, illuminating the wreckage of Naka Shrine.  

The stunned clansmen all looked up, their first thought being:  

Which bastard dared to attack the heart of the Uchiha clan within Konoha!?  

And then—  

They saw—  

A tall, well-built teenager standing atop the roof, scratching the back of his head as he looked around in confusion, seemingly searching for an enemy that didn’t exist.  

As his gaze lowered—  

He met the furious glares of the Uchiha below, who looked ready to tear him to pieces.  

Shinji’s body stiffened.  

Crap.  

How much was this gonna cost to fix?  

Swallowing nervously, he awkwardly raised a hand—  

Joints creaking like an unoiled machine, his arm trembling helplessly as he gave a tiny wave.  

Then, with a forced, sheepish smile, he greeted,  

"Uh—hey, guys?"  

"Long time no see?"  

Chapter 450: Interlude, Threshold  

A farce.  

That was the only way Uchiha Madara could describe what was currently unfolding at the Naka Shrine.  

"Trying to use empty words to absolve an entire clan… Clever rhetoric is merely an attempt to blur the truth. But in the face of absolute power, such petty tricks are ultimately useless."  

He gazed down at Uchiha Fugaku, who was standing among the clansmen, shouting in rage, growing increasingly incoherent. Fugaku’s eyes, filled with desperation, seemed to pierce through the shrine’s roof and lock onto Madara’s own as if they were meeting in a conceptual "stare."  

Seeing the rising despair in Fugaku’s gaze, the fear causing his body to tremble uncontrollably,  

Madara knew.  

His disguise had been exposed.  

However—  

The words spilling from that noisy brat’s mouth left Madara momentarily dazed.  

For the sake of Infinite Tsukuyomi—that fantastical dream, an ancient tale recorded on the Uchiha stone tablet—  

Madara had sacrificed too much.  

His best friend, his brother, his clan, his ideals, even his life.  

The endless years of solitude had numbed him. Events that felt like they had just happened yesterday had, in reality, passed decades ago. His rival, his dearest friend, the one he used to laugh and battle alongside, had long since turned to dust, his name carved into stone for others to mourn.  

If not for that miracle that had truly occurred—  

If not for the revelation inscribed on the Naka Shrine’s stone tablet— 

The scripture decipherable only through the Sharingan, the Mangekyō Sharingan, and finally the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan— 

The message that spoke of combining the powers of Uchiha and Senju to obtain the power of all creation—  

If not for all that, Madara might have long since fallen into the same kind of dazed disillusionment he felt now, believing that everything he had done was meaningless.  

Perhaps, hearing this noisy brat’s furious shouts, he might even have mistaken his own actions for a mistake.  

Perhaps, seeing these lively and warmhearted scenes, he might have entertained unrealistic fantasies about returning to the clan he had abandoned long ago.  

But—  

Madara slowly stood up, gripping the handle of his scythe, dragging the blade against the rooftop.  

Looking down coldly at the all-too-familiar scene below,  

His resolve was as unyielding as the hardest steel.  

"There is still a path in this world that leads to true dreams."  

"Beyond that,"  

"The reality of this world is nothing but helplessness, suffering, and emptiness. Where there is light, there must also be shadow."  

"And so—"  

This farcical reunion would end here.  

Madara closed his eyes. Chakra surged around him. A brilliant blue skeletal frame took shape, extending an enormous arm outward.  

Encased within the ribcage of his Susanoo, he looked down at the scene he was about to obliterate and sneered.  

"If one were to view this world as nothing more than entertainment, it would be far easier to accept."  

However—  

At that moment—  

As if sensing something, Madara furrowed his brows and abruptly opened his eyes, turning toward the southwest of Konoha.  

At that very instant—  

A blinding red light flared in the distant southwestern sky!  

The air around it warped strangely, forming a trumpet-shaped cloud as it surged toward Konoha at a speed beyond human comprehension.  

Its velocity—reaching an astonishing 1,440 km/h!  

"That brat?!"  

Sensing the powerful presence approaching, Madara’s eyes flickered with surprise.  

"Just half a month apart, and his strength has already reached this level?!"  

"This level of chakra… Even compared to Hashirama, it’s not far off!"  

Thinking this,  

Madara instinctively glanced down at his own aged, decayed body.  

Then, shaking his head in regret, he muttered,  

"This body… It cannot fight a brat possessing power akin to Hashirama’s."  

"So be it…"  

With a final, cold glance at the chaos unfolding below in the Naka Shrine, his ears caught the booming sound of the red light piercing Konoha’s barrier, as well as the resolute declaration from Uchiha Shinichi.  

Scoffing, Madara’s body began to disintegrate—turning to wood, splintering, and scattering into dust.  

In the end,  

His remains drifted through Konoha, leaving behind only a distant, indifferent pronouncement:  

"I’ll let you continue indulging in this fleeting fantasy for now,  

Shinji.  

The day you stand before me is not far away."  

North of the Land of Iron, along the coastal mountains. 

A vast stretch of towering white bones supported an entire mountain range. Endless forests and the shimmering ocean interwove in an eerie yet beautiful contrast.  

This place was known as the Mountain Graveyard.  

In the original story, it would become the hidden lair of Uchiha Obito—the mastermind behind the Fourth Great Ninja War.  

But for now, its master was still—Uchiha Madara.  

Seated in a shadowed stone throne, his figure blended into the deep darkness cast by a massive skeletal structure looming overhead.  

An old man, with long, withered white hair, a deep-blue robe draped over his frail frame, and a death god’s scythe resting by his feet, abruptly opened his eyes.  

His scarlet irises gleamed as the three black tomoe within them spun.  

The memories of his wood clone returned to his true body. The fleeting glimpse of Shinji in Konoha was now deeply engraved in Madara’s mind.  

"So… that brat has obtained Hashirama’s power as well."  

Chuckling with a trace of amusement, Madara murmured to himself,  

"Then, I wonder—will he also gain eyes like mine?"  

"If he can… It should be many years from now. However—"  

Madara suddenly lifted his gaze.  

Reflected in his crimson eyes was a monstrous, humanoid figure—chained and bound, its enormous body covered in nine closed eyes.  

The Gedo Statue!  

"To wield the power of both Uchiha and Senju… is to obtain the right to control the Gedo Statue!"  

"I no longer need to wait!"  

"The Moon’s Eye Plan can begin… now!"  

At that moment—  

From the ground beside Madara, a strange, pitcher plant-like structure suddenly emerged, interrupting his murmurs.  

A White Zetsu stretched out from the plant, respectfully reporting to the seated elder:  

"Lord Madara, everything is proceeding smoothly on the other front as well!"  

"The Land of Water, just as you intended, has descended into complete chaos."  

"Oh~?"  

Hearing this double dose of good news, a thin smile crept onto Madara’s dry lips.  

"So that incompetent fool actually managed to pull it off… Not bad."  

Then, in a detached voice, Madara gave his command:  

"Then let’s begin."  

"Yes!"  

"By the way, Lord Madara,"  

White Zetsu shifted slightly, revealing a section of the wall leading out of the Mountain Graveyard, his expression amused.  

"It seems… we have an unexpected guest seeking an audience."  

"And it appears they’ve brought a rather special gift."  

(End of Chapter)