Feeling the strong, youthful vitality of his restored body—so unlike the frailty of his aged self—Uchiha Madara's confidence soared to new heights.
"In this entire ninja world, there is no one who can match me, save for Hashirama Senju."
If not for his body being too old and feeble to carry out tasks personally, why would Madara have resorted to enlisting Uchiha Obito and Nagato Uzumaki to execute his plans?
"It doesn't matter."
Madara's indifferent voice echoed through the room.
"Though the plan has deviated from its original course, as long as I am in my current state, no one in the ninja world can stop me. In fact, I can complete the plan ahead of schedule.
I understand your weakness, which is why you resorted to such measures. Though you two are weak, at least you possess some intelligence."
Neither Obito nor Black Zetsu dared to utter a word. The overwhelming pressure exuded by Madara was suffocating.
Madara stretched his limbs slightly, adjusting to his current state. For the first time in ages, he felt his blood boil with excitement.
"Oi, Obito. Among those ants outside, who is currently the strongest?"
Obito hesitated for a moment. Though reluctant to admit it, he truthfully spoke the name that filled him with envy, hatred, and frustration.
"The strongest outside right now is Konoha's Fifth Hokage, Hatake Kakashi.
Lord Madara, please be cautious. Even Nagato, who had mastered the abilities of the Rinnegan, suffered a crushing defeat at his hands."
An intense surge of chakra erupted from Madara's body as he glared coldly at Obito.
"Fool, do you know who I am?"
Of course, Madara knew who Kakashi was—he was, after all, one of the key players in Obito's descent into darkness.
Focusing his senses slightly, Madara locked onto Kakashi's chakra signature.
"Hmph, how laughable. Such a meager amount of chakra has made Obito so nervous. Konoha truly grows weaker with each generation."
Unconsciously, Madara recalled the intelligence he had gathered about Konoha during his time in hiding.
"Hashirama, your choice was wrong from the start. Only I can bring true peace to this world."
Cursing his eternal rival in his heart, Madara decided to make a grand entrance to announce his return. He, Uchiha Madara—the Warlord of the Ninja World—was back.
In the command center outside the barrier, they had just detected the disappearance of Nagato Uzumaki's chakra and the emergence of a powerful new chakra signature—but before they could report it—
*Boom!*
A massive explosion rang out. From the ruins, a colossal blue arm burst forth.
Kakashi, who had been in pursuit, quickly retreated, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he stared at the skeletal arm before him.
Though its size was unusual, its form was unmistakable.
"Susanoo?!" Kakashi exclaimed in shock.
Hidden in the shadows, Ye Wen was equally surprised.
Others might not yet know who wielded this Susanoo, but Ye Wen already did. After all, every Susanoo had a distinct color, and this towering blue Susanoo left little doubt as to its owner.
Ye Wen narrowed his eyes slightly. "The butterfly effect truly is terrifying. Has Uchiha Madara returned to the ninja world so soon?"
But soon, Ye Wen chuckled. No matter how strong Madara was, at this point, he was barely scraping the surface of Six Paths-level power—a mere minor deity.
"Let the show begin."
As the massive skeletal arm shifted its movement, a figure shot up from the deep pit below.
Even in an era where technology was less advanced fifty years ago, photos of Uchiha Madara still circulated in Konoha.
"This face… You're Uchiha Madara?!" Kakashi exclaimed in disbelief.
But moments later, Kakashi formed hand seals, suspecting he was under a genjutsu and attempting to dispel it.
After all, the First Hokage had been dead for decades. As the eternal rival of Hashirama Senju, if Madara were still alive, he would be at least seventy or eighty years old. Yet the man before him appeared to be no older than his twenties.
"It's not a genjutsu."
Kakashi furrowed his brow even deeper. Thanks to Ye Wen's divine empowerment, Kakashi was confident in his perception. If everything before him was real, judging by the sheer size of that Susanoo, this man might very well be the legendary warlord of the ninja world—Uchiha Madara, the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan wielder.
"Troublesome…"
Kakashi felt a headache coming on. He had come here to deal with Akatsuki in Amegakure, only for this ancient monster to appear as well.
"Hokage-sama, urgent news!
The primary target, Nagato Uzumaki's chakra signature has disappeared. Intelligence suggests he is likely dead. Additionally, a ninja with an overwhelmingly powerful chakra presence has appeared at Nagato's previous location. It is highly probable that this individual is an enemy. Please remain vigilant."
Kakashi couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated. The person in question was already standing right before him—what use was this delayed report?
However, upon hearing of Nagato's death, Kakashi's mind began to connect the dots.
"The Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique… If that's the case, Madara's resurrection isn't impossible. And—"
Kakashi's gaze shifted to Uchiha Obito, who had leapt up from the cavern.
Analyzing intelligence was a fundamental skill for any ninja, and Kakashi had thought deeply about this. How had Obito survived that seemingly fatal situation years ago? If Madara had intervened, it would make sense.
It was only because Ye Wen hadn't directly told Kakashi that Rin's death had been orchestrated by Madara that Kakashi was overthinking things. Otherwise, he would have charged forward to eliminate Madara without hesitation.
Standing atop a small mound, Madara looked down at Kakashi with disdain.
"One generation is weaker than the next. For someone as weak as you to become Hokage… Konoha has truly rotted to the core." Madara sneered coldly.
Kakashi remained unfazed. Ever since becoming Ye Wen's divine messenger, the so-called honor of the Hidden Leaf had long since lost its meaning to him.
"Uchiha Madara, what do you intend to do?" Kakashi demanded.
Kakashi's response surprised Madara. He hadn't expected such a weakling to have the courage to confront him.
"Hahahaha—" Madara burst into wild laughter before fixing Kakashi with a serious gaze.
"Brat, though your strength is lacking, I acknowledge your audacity. You are worthy of being the Fifth Hokage."
Though Kakashi knew Madara was arrogant and unhinged, he hadn't expected this legendary ninja to embody those traits to such an extreme degree.
Kakashi's expression remained cold as he mentally labeled Madara as insufferably arrogant.
"Answer me, Uchiha Madara. What is your purpose? Your actions and words will determine our relationship moving forward."
Madara's smile gradually faded, replaced by a mocking smirk as he gazed at Kakashi.
"Weakling, who gave you the right to question me?"
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