After founding Konoha, Madara Uchiha is mysteriously thrust into the future, encountering Naruto Uzumaki and a village transformed. Stranded in this new era, Madara embarks on a heartwarming journey, adapting to modern Konoha and discovering the peace he once sought through a leisurely life among its inhabitants.
Episode 1
Come to think of it, before I knew it, I was living with my uncle.
Naruto looked at the mountain of inari sushi and the small number four shortcake on the table in front of him, then looked up at the man who was silently looking down at him with his arms crossed.
He had been told to come straight home after the academy was over today. On the calendar hanging on the wall, a red flower circle and Naruto’s name were written next to today’s date.
The uncle Naruto was referring to was someone he met in the village about a year ago, and when the Hokage Hiruzen asked him to live with him, they suddenly started living together.
Naruto’s first impression of the old man was that he was some kind of dark man.
The kimono she was wearing was long and dark in color, and her hair was very long.
He spoke in a slightly bossy manner and seemed strange to Naruto. Although he was a strange person, he was also someone who spoke normally even on their first meeting.
The man was very surprised when he saw the rock face.
When I first met you, I asked you your name.
Uchiha Madara, that’s what he said.
But when we lived together, we called each other by different names.
Tajima.
When Naruto said that his name was different, he was told that his real name was Madara. Apparently, he had to use a false name because of a promise he made to Hiruzen the Hokage.
Naruto nodded. Upon hearing the name Madara, aka the old man, he exclaimed, “Ah!”
“There’s a guy at the academy named Uchiha Sasuke who’s just like you.”
But Madara didn’t seem very interested.
“Now, wash your hands and sit down.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“You celebrate it on the day you’re born, so you see.”
“! Uncle, uncle, is this mine?!”
“Whose other birthday is it?”
“I’m coming with my hands!!”
Even though Naruto was inside the house, he ran towards the sink.
Today, October 10th, is Naruto’s birthday. But at the same time, it is also the day that disaster occurred in the village of Konoha. Few people celebrate Naruto’s birthday.
Naruto hurried back to the table and sat down in a chair with a thud. Madara seemed to find something funny as he laughed. Naruto took a few pieces from the pile of inari sushi onto his plate and stuffed them into his mouth. Glancing at him, Madara also stuffed his mouth with inari sushi.
It’s been a long time since I came to Konoha Village.
I couldn’t help but hear about the incident on October 10th, when the Nine Tails attacked the village.
It was an accident that Madara came to this village, no, to the village of Konoha in this era.
It was definitely not intentional.
At Hashirama’s request, I had investigated the area around the newly formed village, and when I returned, I found myself transported to a place like this.
Although he was given permission to stay in the village until he could return to his original time, the current Hokage, Hiruzen, refused to allow Madara to enter the Uchiha clan settlement.
He later learned that the Uchiha clan had been wiped out, leaving only Naruto’s classmate, Sasuke.
Just before coming to the future, Madara was shunned by his own clan, but he had often wondered if he had made a mistake in taking the hand of the Senju, even though he was the leader.
By threatening and questioning the Hokage Hiruzen about the brutal murder of the Uchiha clan, he was able to obtain some information, however small.
However, even if I knew a little about the situation, it wasn’t going to change anything.
Naruto’s schoolmate, Uchiha Sasuke, lost his family.
During his stay in Konoha, Madara is only allowed to go shopping for daily necessities, and cannot go outside the village or do anything ninja-like. This is because Hiruzen does not want Madara to come into contact with other ninja. For this reason, Naruto calls him “Unemployed Old Man” and “Isoro’s Old Man.”
As for what she usually does, she goes out shopping and kills time by accompanying Naruto in his training.
In the future – in the present day village of Konoha, Madara is not a ninja, so he has no missions. He has no job.
I’ve endured this for almost a year now, so I’d like to go back in time or do something physical.
Madara puts two or three inari sushi on Naruto’s empty small plate. When he tries to put another one on, Naruto yells “Eeek!” and moves the plate away.
“You won’t get big unless you eat properly.”
“You’re exaggerating too much, uncle! I want to eat cake too!”
Naruto screamed, trying to avoid having the inari sushi served to him, as he desperately pushed the plate away from Madara’s hand.
For Madara, ever since coming to the village of Konoha in the future, times have been peaceful like never before.
Here, Madara hardly worries about the village, his clan, or the Senju brothers, for he understands that he should not interfere too much with the future.
Here, he is simply Madara, though he takes the name of his late father, Tajima.
But even in their peaceful daily lives, a shadow falls.
After spending time together, he soon noticed that the villagers’ attitude towards Naruto was noticeably colder.
Therefore, Madara understands that the Nine Tails is inside Naruto.
If he could obtain the Nine Tails, what kind of power would he gain? If he were to remove it from the child before him, he would die. It would be easy to take it away.
But even if we did take it away, what would we do in this day and age?
In the original era, he might have considered going to get the Nine Tails, but now is not the time when Madara lives.
The stone monument that has been passed down through generations of the family comes to mind, but this is not the time when Madara will do anything.
“Bad manners, sit down.”
“You can eat the inari, uncle! I’m already full.”
“Is it okay? Even if you want it later, I won’t do it.”
“It’s fine! I mean, can you really eat that much?”
“We can do better.”
“Huh!”
It’s not that I don’t miss the days of fighting, but spending time with someone isn’t so bad.
Madara, seeing Naruto remind him of Hashirama when he was a child, gobbled down the mountain of inari sushi.Episode 2
The sound of something hitting a tree echoed through the forest.
Today is a holiday at the Academy.
After finishing his breakfast, Naruto changed into a T-shirt and said, “I’m going to train with Madara, my uncle!” and ran out of the house, where he was practicing throwing shuriken at a target in the forest where he always trained.
Although Naruto had heard that Madara was a ninja when they met, he wasn’t really sure what he actually did for a living; he would just wander around the village during the day or talk to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen.
With Hiruzen’s help, Madara searches within his permitted area (although sometimes he goes to investigate silently) for anything strange that might have brought him to Konoha Village in this era, and gathers information as much as he can about space-time ninjutsu, but Naruto thinks he has too much free time on his hands.
Although they were investigating, Madara could not search everywhere by himself, so the Anbu were keeping watch over Madara, but they were easily discovered from the first day, and Madara would use them to scare off the Anbu who were keeping watch over him, or sometimes to target them with physical attacks.
Madara spent his time paying attention to the Anbu, but perhaps because of this, he didn’t really notice that the Anbu he was watching over were gradually becoming stronger and accustomed to close combat, and that he was gradually becoming closer to them as they trained together.
Madara, however, is a clumsy man when it comes to socializing.
Although he was an Anbu ninja given the task of surveillance, Hiruzen did not reprimand him as Madara was the one who contacted him.
If they come towards you, you have no choice but to deal with them.
Naruto wiped the sweat that had gathered under his chin.
I picked up the kunai that was stuck in the target and the other kunai that had fallen to the ground in pieces.
Again, until you get them all right.
Naruto took some distance from the target and threw the kunai straight at it, but to no avail, the kunai flew into the bushes behind the target.
“Ahhh… not yet! Don’t give up!”
“You’re grabbing too much of the kunai. Even if you get worked up, you won’t hit it.”
“Huh?! O-Otchan?! Why are you here?!”
“Well, I just thought you were always so enthusiastic.”
Naruto turned towards the sudden voice he heard from behind him and saw Madara looking from Naruto’s hand to the target.
When I asked how long he had been there, it seemed he had been there ever since Naruto started practicing kunai throwing here.
I wish you’d called out to me sooner, Naruto thought to himself.
“Give me your kunai. This is how you do it, watch closely.”
“…! Amazing, it’s right in the middle!”
The moment a light thump sounded from the target, Naruto’s eyes sparkled.
The kunai Madara threw hit the center of the target as if it was being sucked in.
“Well, give it a try.”
“What? You won’t understand it just once, try again! Try again!”
“Taku, I can’t help it. Keep an eye on me.”
At Naruto’s urging, Madara picked up another kunai and threw it, mindful of Naruto’s gaze fixed on his hand.
It struck the target with another faint sound, right next to the kunai I had thrown earlier.
Naruto let out a small gasp when he heard the sound of the target.
“Come on, throw it.”
“Y-yes! I can do it if I try!”
Even though Naruto was wearing short sleeves, he made the motion of rolling them up and focused on his target.
He took a breath and threw the kunai.
However, the kunai passed right through the target.
“ah!”
Naruto slumped his shoulders in disappointment and went to pick up his kunai.
Madara was immersed in a bit of nostalgia as he watched Naruto walk slowly from behind.
(This reminds me of when I was teaching my younger brother… It’s not like he wasn’t right as far as I can see. He could have done it a little better, no, maybe he was better at it because it was more intuitive.)
When Naruto returned after picking up his things, Madara crossed his arms and looked down at him.
“Five. Today you can’t go home until you get five in a row.”
“Eeek! Your face is scary, old man!”
“Put down the kunai for now. I’m going to throw this rock. You pick up a rock nearby and try to hit the rock I throw. We’ll start from there.”
As soon as Naruto found a suitable stone, Madara immediately raised the stone in his hand high into the air.
Naruto aimed at it as it immediately fell towards the ground.
I tried throwing a stone, but it didn’t seem to hit anything.
“There’s no time to rest.”
“Ou!”
Before he knew it, Madara was clutching a bunch of stones in one hand and starting to throw them one after the other without a moment’s rest.
Naruto desperately tries to aim at the rocks in the air with the stones he has gathered, but it’s not that easy to hit them.
But after what must have been the umpteenth time, there was a clang of a stone hitting something.
(Yay! Keep it up!)
Although I’m not able to hit all the stones, I’m gradually getting the hang of it and hitting them more frequently.
However, Madara still appears not to be satisfied and continues to throw stones.
Not to be outdone, Naruto continued aiming at the stone, and when he hit it twice in a row, Madara finally stopped his hand.
Naruto stared at Madara, wondering if there was something going on.
“Next time, try hitting a rock with a kunai.”
“With a kunai? But wouldn’t it be dangerous if it hit the old man?”
“Who do you think I am?”
“You’re an old man, aren’t you?”
“…Well, okay.”
Madara looked down at Naruto as if to ask what he was worried about, but since there was little reaction when he first introduced himself it seemed he really didn’t know who Madara was, he gave up, thinking that even if he told Naruto about his own history at this point it wouldn’t be much of an interesting story.
Madara gives Naruto a kunai and throws the stone again.
Perhaps because he understands timing, the kunai flies close to the stone.
As the sound of metal echoed from time to time, Madara told Naruto to throw at the target.
I wouldn’t say I can hit every target now, but I’m sure I can hit more than when I started.
For now, it’s okay if you don’t hit the center.
Naruto throws a kunai.
Madara heard the faint sound of the target hitting it.
Naruto looked a bit pleased and threw another one.
Although it was just barely missing the target, it hit at a perfect angle.
“See that? See that?”
“Three more.”
Naruto continued to throw, but this time it went right to the side of the target and missed, but it seemed to touch the edge and the sound of it hitting could be heard.
After that, I continued throwing and was able to throw about three balls in a row in a good position.
Perhaps Naruto’s concentration had waned, because when he aimed for the fourth kunai, it bounced off the edge of the target, spun around, and stuck into the ground, and Madara finally gave the signal to stop.
The sun is already quite low.
“Stop it. Well, that’s how it is.”
“I can still do it!”
“You’re not going to hit anything just by throwing it randomly. I’m going home today.”
“I, I, still.”
“No, I have the academy tomorrow. What if I oversleep? Let’s not do it today. I can definitely see that you’re pitching better than when I saw you this morning.”
“What? Really?”
“What’s the point of telling a lie?”
I praised him a little, which made Naruto very happy, and he agreed to go home.
Suddenly, a sound began to ring from deep within their bodies.
“…Uncle, I’m hungry.”
“…Right.”
“Okay then, I’d like some ramen!”
“…Not bad.”
Busily putting away his kunai, Naruto began walking towards the town with a smile.
Before we knew it, the sun had set and a crescent moon was beginning to rise in the sky.
(Kids are such lively people.)
Just by looking at his back, you can tell that Naruto is looking forward to his ramen.
Thinking back on his training, Madara wondered just how far he should go.
Naruto wants to become Hokage.
To be honest, if things continued like this, it might be difficult for him to even become a ninja before becoming Hokage, Madara thought, and he was troubled.
Times are different now than when Madara was a child.
Madara didn’t know what the abilities of the academy’s graduates were, but given that missions were ranked and some were given odd jobs, and the level of the Anbu with whom they occasionally fought, Madara was honestly disappointed with the quality of the ninja of that era.
Perhaps that alone is bringing us closer to peace.
Madara thought as he watched Naruto humming in the morning.
If I offered to teach him martial arts, I thought he’d be happy to take the bait.
Madara truly felt that he was connected to Naruto.Episode 3
It was just after noon one day.
Madara appeared in the Hokage’s office with some documents.
He handed the documents to Hiruzen and was then given his new Konoha village forehead protector.
“Tajima, as of today I am appointing you as a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. I’m sure you understand this, but please, please, please don’t bring any trouble to me.”
“What did my future self do? I can’t trust him.”
“You really didn’t check it out.”
“No, I know the general idea.”
Hiruzen smirked.
Nearly two years have passed since Madara was unable to return to his original time.
Although he was receiving a wage for helping Hiruzen, Madara (who was bored) felt that he couldn’t just let Naruto treat him like Isoro’s old man forever with no sign of him returning, so he consulted Hiruzen and decided to work as a ninja.
Hiruzen and the ninja who were guarding Madara were well aware that Madara bore no animosity towards the Leaf Village.
He wanted Madara to return to the past as soon as possible, but there was no sign of him being able to do so. He searched through the records of the past to see if there were any ninja in the village who had used space-time ninjutsu, even if it was unintentional, but he couldn’t find anyone who looked like that at the moment.
Hiruzen had thought that perhaps the now-deceased Second Hokage and his mentor, Tobirama Senju, had accidentally sent Madara to the future while researching a technique, but Hiruzen dismissed the idea in his mind, thinking that if Madara had disappeared, then Hashirama, the First Hokage at the time, would have been causing a bit more trouble.
Madara puts away the forehead protector he received without putting it on, then says that’s all for now and heads off to leave the Hokage’s office.
Recently, Madara had been the type to finish what he had to do and go home quickly.
“We haven’t yet talked about what happens after you become a ninja.”
“They’re probably going to ask me to pull weeds or walk the dog.”
“That’s true, but no, Madara. Are you really going to do that? That Uchiha Madara? Walking the dog?”
“I’m Uchiha Madara. Sarutobi brat.”
“Ahem, it’s been a while since I’ve been called that. Ever since I first got here, you’ve been treating me like a brat. How many times have you lived like that? I’m glad your bad mouth didn’t rub off on Naruto.”
“Ha, if anything, I’m the one who’ll be dragged down by that catchphrase.”
“That’s good, your appearance will improve in time.”
Madara snorted and tried to imagine himself speaking in Naruto’s catchphrase. As he imagined it, he felt a chill run down his spine at how unsuitable it was.
Madara hadn’t intended to have a long conversation, but there was nothing he could do if he was kept there.
I asked Hiruzen about something that had been bothering me about registering as a ninja this time.
“…Have the other upper echelons said anything to you?”
“…Well, I have received some scolding, but it’s nothing that you need to worry about. I would like you to continue living as ‘Tajima’ as before.”
“ah”
“Now, what is your next step?”
Hiruzen changed the subject and began telling Madara about the mission.
The conditions presented were that they must complete several D-rank missions, that they should not undertake solo missions, and that they should always work in teams of three-man cells, four-man cells or more.
“Four people weeding?”
“That depends on the need.”
Up until now, he had kept contact with the villagers to a minimum, but now that he was officially a ninja, he could no longer avoid them.
Hiruzen, looking back at the time he spent in this village, thought that the man in front of him seemed like someone he could talk to better than the Madara he actually knew, and that he could now trust him.
At this point, Madara in front of him would not have removed the Nine Tails from Naruto and attacked the village.
The more he looked, the more Madara seemed to the elderly Hiruzen to be nothing more than another troubled young man.
I had heard that he was a maniac who could be described as a battle maniac who only the First Hokage, Hashirama, could stop, but after speaking with him I realized he was just a normal human being.
But even if we thought that way about him now, it doesn’t justify what Uchiha Madara did.
On the day that Uchiha Madara attacked the village with the Nine Tails, the village was protected by Hashirama.
Then, about 12 years ago, the Nine Tails attacked the village again. It was manipulated by someone.
Hiruzen wants to believe in Madara.
He and Naruto have been getting along well for the past two years, and Hiruzen has seen a new side of Madara that he never knew existed before.
(…If he doesn’t come back like this)
I understand that people from the past shouldn’t be involved.
Madara’s movements were restricted to prevent him from making any unnecessary moves, but if we could get him on our side…
(What would he think about the actions taken by Uchiha Madara?)
What would make Uchiha Madara act like that?
The Hidden Leaf Village was founded by the Senju and Uchiha joining forces.
Wasn’t it Madara’s dream to establish a village?
Why did he try to destroy it with his own hands?
What does Uchiha Madara know…?
“I’m looking forward to it.”
That evening.
While eating dinner, Madara suddenly remembered and said to Naruto.
“Now that I think about it… Naruto, as of today you’re no longer an unemployed old man.”
“Huh? …Huh?! Otchan’s become a ninja?!”
“What is it? Is it bad if it happens?”
“Dammit! I got beaten to it!”
“Well, I wasn’t planning on competing.”
“Me too, me too this time!”
“Next month already? Time flies.”
When he told Naruto that he had registered as a ninja like it was no big deal, he dropped his chopsticks in surprise.
Naruto’s graduation exam was approaching next month.
Madara thought that he had trained him in a lot of basic things like shurikenjutsu and martial arts.
Even Madara was impressed by Naruto’s tenacity, as he kept coming no matter how many times he was knocked down, thrown, or kicked.
“There’s a written exam coming up, so study hard.”
“Woah.”
After Madara told him that, Naruto randomly opened the textbook he had brought home after finishing his dinner.
Naruto then tilted his head in confusion at the letters he saw.
“Your name is on there.”
“What now?!”
Episode 4
A man is seen walking through the village at night.
Madara is returning home after completing a mission.
It was quite late at night and there was no one around anywhere.
Madara had become a genin and had to start building up his ninja skills from scratch, but he reluctantly completed D-rank missions and now he is making more acquaintances in the village.
On the day when the owner of a dumpling shop had hurt his back and he was asked to do shopping and sell the dumplings, he was treated to a meal of dumplings from a shop that he would usually just pass by, and he became so addicted to how delicious they were that he began to buy some as a souvenir for Naruto from time to time, and he was enjoying life in the village so much.
By the way, the forehead protector that Hiruzen gave him is sometimes worn properly and other times just wrapped around his arm, so it’s not consistent.
They are usually removed as soon as the mission is completed.
Normally, he would have finished his mission and returned home by sunset, but today some complicated matters had come up and he was late getting home.
Today’s request came from the Hokage.
Is it correct to say that it was more of a summons than a request?
There was one reason for this: Naruto had begun to want to know more about Madara.
Naruto finally noticed Madara’s name in the textbook and wanted to hear many stories from Madara’s past.
At first, Madara tried to change the subject by changing the subject, but after being asked about it for days, it finally started to give him a headache, so he decided to speak up.
When asked why the old men got into a fight, Madara would sigh and struggle to come up with an answer, saying he didn’t know.
For Madara right now, neither leaving the village nor attacking a village was something he had considered, so when asked if he hadn’t even considered it, he couldn’t deny it, which meant he didn’t trust himself, but unfortunately he didn’t have an answer to give to Naruto at the moment.
So I told him about my life in a non-offensive way.
We also talked about Hashirama.
He explained that the name Tajima he was introducing himself as was his father’s, that he used to have a brother and that he was entrusted with something important from him, and that Hashirama’s hair used to be short, in a bob.
He kept quiet about the fact that his younger brother had died from injuries inflicted by Senju Tobirama, who had become the Second Hokage.
Naruto was listening to Madara intently.
When I said he looked like Hashirama, Naruto denied it, saying, “I don’t have bob hair!” He didn’t like bob haircuts. He seemed quite against it.
After living together for two years, we are no longer strangers.
To Naruto, Madara was like family.
That was probably why, the next morning after hearing the story, Naruto ran off to Hiruzen instead of to the academy.
As soon as Naruto found Hiruzen he loudly shouted, “Grandpa! Old man really wishes for peace! Old man!” Hiruzen was taken aback by the word “old man” and quickly covered Naruto’s mouth, then quickly cleared the crowd away and listened to the story in detail.
Wanting to hear it directly from him, he quickly called Madara over to share what Naruto had said.
Even Madara is not in a state where he has completely opened his heart to Hiruzen.
Although he likes to joke around, he always draws a line somewhere.
I just couldn’t help but think that he was Tobirama’s disciple.
Tired from the long conversation, Madara stretched a little as he rounded the corner.
They would soon arrive at Naruto’s house.
When I arrived at the familiar apartment building, I slowly climbed the stairs and headed towards my room.
When I opened the front door, I saw a golden lump at my feet.
Naruto was sleeping on the floor, leaning against the wall.
He was in his pajamas, so it seemed he had gotten into bed at some point.
Madara looked down at Naruto and said.
“Why are you sleeping in a place like this?”
“…Hmm, uncle?”
“Stay in bed, you’ll catch a cold”
“…Uncle, I thought you wouldn’t come back.”
“Sorry, my talk with the Hokage took too long.”
Naruto was unusually quiet.
Madara picked up the sleepy Naruto and gently placed him on the bed, with the futon pulled back.
Naruto pulled the futon a little deeper over his shoulder and muttered something.
“I told my grandpa, so I thought we wouldn’t be together anymore. I even asked your name the first time I met you.”
“We’ll have to talk about it eventually. Instead, think about your graduation exam. You’re going to pass this time.”
“Yeah. I’ll definitely pass.”
“Well then, go to bed.”
“……Yeah”
Once Madara was sure that Naruto had his eyes closed, he gently moved away.
Madara glanced over at the vaguely visible calendar hanging on the wall, then picked up a pen that had been left on the table and crossed out one of the dates.
Usually Naruto would mark the day’s date as soon as he woke up, but this time he seemed to have forgotten.
There aren’t many blank spaces left between the cross I just made and the day with the red circle.
The day of the graduation exam was steadily approaching.
Episode 5
“Uncle! I’m off now!”
“Hey, what are you doing carrying all that luggage… have you left?”
Madara sees off Naruto as he hurriedly heads off to school, carrying a large baggage in his arms.
The grin on Naruto’s face since he woke up in the morning suggested he was up to something, but there was nothing he could do to stop him as he quickly got ready and hurried out the house.
The academy graduation exam is tomorrow.
Madara decided that he was probably just excited about the exams.
Looking out the window, Madara squinted his eyes at the brightness of the sky with few clouds.
The temperature is moderately high, making it a good day for doing laundry.
Suddenly thinking of something, he took out the Uchiha clan attire that he had kept securely stored at the back of his dresser and spread it out.
It was the attire he had worn when he first came to the village of the future, but since it would be troublesome if people saw the family crest on his back, he has never worn it again.
Looking closely, I could see several small holes.
“…You’ve been done for.”
Although he had put in some insect repellent, Madara silently clicked his tongue at the hole in his kimono.
After hanging out the washed clothes, Madara went outside.
When I stepped out onto a wide street, I noticed some commotion all around me, so I looked up towards Hokage Rock, the direction everyone was looking, and my breath stopped.
Something has grown on Hashirama’s face.
Something is dripping from his nose and it’s worse next to him.
No, if you look closely you’ll see that all of the Hokage Rocks have graffiti on them.
I almost used my Sharingan eyes, but I don’t think anyone noticed.
(That’s dangerous… is that Naruto?)
When Madara saw the blonde child hanging from Hokage Rock, he immediately knew who it was.
When Naruto left, I thought he was carrying an unusually large amount of luggage, but it turned out he was taking some paint for graffiti.
Even though the graduation exam is tomorrow, he is still so carefree.
Madara walked towards Hokage Rock.
It was to catch Naruto, not because he wanted to get a better look at the graffiti.
I walked a little faster and found a large group of people gathered under Hokage Rock, and Hiruzen, whose face was graffitied on it, was also there.
A vest-wearing ninja with a scarred face stepped in front of the Hokage, took a deep breath, and shouted.
“Class is in progress, you idiot! Come down here quickly!”
“Whoa! It’s Professor Iruka!!”
Naruto’s panicked voice could be heard even by Madara below.
If Naruto was right, then he was probably Umino Iruka, her homeroom teacher.
He sighed and looked like he had a headache, then went to retrieve Naruto, who was hanging there in a panic.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen scattered the people from the surrounding villages, and Naruto came down, tied up and held by Iruka.
“Hey you…this is not the time for this!”
“Uhh…huh? Uncle?”
“Otchan? You are…”
Naruto noticed Madara was there and turned his head to look up at him.
When Iruka also turned his gaze in the direction Naruto was looking, his eyes met Madara’s deep colored ones. He didn’t know why, but he felt a chill run down his back, and he quickly tried to look away.
However, Madara turned his gaze to Naruto first, sighed, and said:
“If you’re going to do it, keep it to Tobira.”
“The second generation uncle? Eh, that’s just not interesting.”
Iruka felt the tension in his body release as his gaze was averted, and he took a deep breath to regain his composure.
I need to get back to the Academy quickly.
Iruka looked down at Naruto, who was in his arms, and scolded him for not attending class and doodling in the first place, then bowed to Hiruzen and Madara and returned to the academy.
Madara and Hiruzen watched the scene for a while.
A gentle breeze passes between Madara and Hiruzen.
“You’ve even drawn it on my face!”
“…It’s not bad, I think.”
“Hmm? Are you laughing?!”
Madara looked at Kao-iwa again, and the more he looked at it the more interesting it seemed.
Three of the four faces on the rocks are of people I know.
That makes it even more funny.
“Oh dear. We’ll have to keep this up for a while until Naruto drops it…how long are you going to keep laughing?”
“I don’t think it’s too bad the way it is.”
Madara couldn’t help but laugh, so Hiruzen sighed loudly and went back to his work.
Madara is left alone beneath the graffitied Hokage Rock.
Madara took a long breath to calm his breathing, and looked up at the Hokage Rock with calm eyes, as if it was a lie that he had been smiling just a moment ago.
His eyes were fixed on Tobirama’s face, standing next to Hashirama, who also had a picture of feces drawn on his cheek.
One thing he learned since coming to this village is that it was his younger brother, Tobirama, to whom Hashirama entrusted the future of the village and handed over the position of Hokage.
Hashirama had a younger brother whom he could trust the most.
Not in Madara.
I couldn’t even protect my only remaining little brother.
No matter how much time passes, no matter how much war is said to have occurred in these times, Madara believes that deep down he will never forgive Tobirama.
Perhaps people were a little late in noticing the graffiti on Kaoiwa Rock, as the surroundings started to get noisy again.
Before people began to gather, Madara had left the place, thinking about what to make for dinner.
Episode 6
Naruto hasn’t come back.
Today was the day of the graduation exam.
If he passed, he would happily go home and tell Madara about it.
However, no matter how long they waited, Naruto never returned.
Madara had also been away during the day, so he had been waiting, thinking that Naruto might have gone out to play with his friends, but by the time night had set there was still no sign of him returning.
I searched around the house once but couldn’t find it.
(Where did he go? To the Hokage?)
Naruto would sometimes come home late on days when he went to train alone, but recently he had been coming home in time for dinner, and since he had an exam day, she was beginning to get worried.
The people around him do not approve of Naruto wandering the village alone.
Even if you get caught up in something, there’s no one to lend you a helping hand.
(Well, maybe there is at least one. There was that woman from the Hyuga clan who was sometimes standing behind Naruto.)
The girl had the Byakugan, and was likely a member of the Hyuga clan.
When I went to the academy with my squad members to clean the school grounds, I saw him from afar.
There was no malice in the girl’s eyes like the villagers had shown to Naruto. I’m not sure if she’s close to Naruto, but I don’t think they’re on bad terms.
The only other one I can think of is my homeroom teacher’s ocean dolphin.
If Hiruzen, the Hokage, had to choose between the village and Naruto, he would surely choose the village. That is the position of the Hokage.
Madara thought about many things, but left the apartment to go to Hiruzen, who seemed to know where he was going.
Madara sneaked into the tower where the Hokage’s room was located, where Hiruzen was likely to be, and found a collapsed figure.
The figure was none other than Hiruzen, the man he was searching for.
What appeared to be nosebleed was dripping down Hiruzen’s face and splattering all around.
(A surprise attack!)
Madara put aside the fact that he had infiltrated the room and ran over to Hiruzen, picking up his aged body.
“Hey! Who did it?”
“…Hmm, hmm, huh? Why are you here?”
“Just answer me.”
“…………Naruto.”
“teeth?”
“It’s Naruto. That guy has increased his accuracy again… that’s dangerous.”
“……teeth?”
“That’s why I say it’s Naruto.”
“…Naruto?”
Madara blinked repeatedly, unable to comprehend what Hiruzen had said.
Naruto had done something to cause Hiruzen to collapse, but what exactly had he done?
Hiruzen’s kimono was in a terrible state, causing such a situation that it caused a nosebleed.
Hiruzen looked uncomfortable and troubled as he saw Madara’s face twitch in shock, and he squeezed out the words bitterly.
“Naruto took the scroll that sealed away the forbidden technique from here.”
“Forbidden, art… you say?”
Madara raised one eyebrow.
“We must find Naruto before the scroll falls into someone else’s hands. Tajima, can you help us find him?”
“…Geez, what’s the situation with the scrolls? So, do you have any idea where Naruto might have gone?”
I don’t know what kind of forbidden technique it is, but if it’s sealed away, it must be a dangerous technique to the user, or one that can cause great damage to those around it.
If someone were to steal the scroll that Naruto had stolen, it could potentially put the village in danger.
“I can’t have gone very far. Surely you know better than that?”
“…Around the usual training grounds, huh?”
“Anyway, we can’t let this be taken outside the village. I’ll call the others in now… but we have to find Naruto before anyone else.”
“Hmm… I think we need to talk about the village’s crisis management system.”
“…”
Ever since Madara came to the village, he had a mountain of things he wanted to say to Hiruzen.
It seems insane to me that he would accept someone who is a threat to the Leaf Village as a member of the village and even place him by the jinchuriki’s side.
Even if Madara tried to find out information about the future, he wouldn’t be able to find much because of the watchful eyes of the people, but the surveillance system was fairly lax so that he could easily obtain information that was within the scope of what an ordinary villager would know.
With all of this piling up, he was now becoming angry at the fact that the scrolls were being stored in such a way that they could be easily stolen by a young child.
(Every single one of them is like Hashirama! They trust the people around them too much.)
Madara strode confidently down the corridor and headed outside.
It seemed Hiruzen had also started calling out to people, as ninja could be seen running through the village at night.
(This time it won’t be a prank, Naruto)
To be honest, Madara didn’t really care what happened to the village… but over the two years he had spent there, there were many things he hadn’t experienced when he was chief, so he wasn’t completely unattached to it.
He became friends with the supervisor ninja who had betrayed him, and ever since he became a genin, he always had them with him when he went on missions.
Hiruzen’s direction was also a factor, but recently they had begun to talk about things like hobbies, and compared to when they had first come to the village, it was no longer a relationship of observer and subject.
Thanks to Madara having behaved obediently and quietly for the past two years, he was able to live under a loose surveillance system.
Madara runs through the village at night, making no sound with his footsteps.
He quickly grabbed Naruto, returned the scroll, and quickly returned home.
I don’t want to do anything that stands out.
And when they got home, she would give Naruto a stern warning.
They need to understand the dangers involved in bringing out forbidden techniques.
Madara sighed again as he ran, thinking that he had a troublesome younger brother. Although he still thought that his real brothers were much quieter and not the type to cause trouble.
Just because someone has learned a forbidden technique doesn’t mean that everyone can use it.
Even if you do learn it, it can be deadly.
Why did Naruto want to steal the scroll in the first place?
Madara hurried towards the forest that he often used as a training ground.
(But who knew about the existence of scrolls? It was Naruto after all.)
When Madara realized that perhaps someone had instigated him, he felt a sense of unease.
There’s someone in this village who tried to use Naruto to steal a forbidden technique.
When Madara reached the training grounds, he took a good look around.
But Naruto was nowhere to be seen.
Looking closely at his feet, he saw footprints, indicating that he had been there but had moved elsewhere.
Madara moved through the forest.
The moonlight is blocked by the leaves, so visibility is not good.
Madara knew that he should not use it so carelessly now that his clan had been wiped out from the village, but he switched on his Sharingan for the first time in a long time.
Suddenly I noticed bloodstains at my feet.
Since it’s not dry, it seems like there is someone nearby.
Carefully looking around so as not to draw attention, he spotted a chakra reaction a short distance away.
There’s Naruto.
But there were other people.
Madara rushes over there.
As I pushed aside the grass and jumped out, I heard the sounds of a large number of spells being activated.
His entire field of vision was dyed orange, and he realized it was Naruto’s clone, no, his shadow clone, and at the same time, he saw a man being beaten to a pulp right in front of him.
Madara spots a familiar looking man out of the corner of his eye and turns towards him.
It was a dolphin.
His body was covered in wounds, probably from a battle.
Soon after, Naruto’s shadow clone was released and a man appeared from within, falling to the ground.
The man who was being beaten was one of the teachers at the academy, a man named Mizuki.
Once Naruto was sure that Mizuki had calmed down, he ran over to Iruka.
As the sun began to rise and visibility improved, Naruto noticed Madara standing next to Iruka.
“What?! Madara-san?! Why are you in a place like this?!”
“Uh, M-Madara?”
“It’s Tajima… Naruto, we’ll talk later. Was it Iruka? How’s your injury?”
“Ta-Tajima-san, right? Haha… I’m fine. It’s not a serious injury.”
Madara told Naruto to be careful with just his eyes.
Naruto had often told me stories about Iruka.
He is the teacher at the academy who is the most caring towards Naruto.
When Naruto returned from the academy, Madara would often tell him stories about Iruka-sensei, Iruka-sensei.
He was also the man who seriously scolded Naruto when he drew graffiti on Kao-iwa Rock.
In Madara’s eyes, Iruka was not considered a strong person, but he believed that there was no one more suitable to teach and guide him.
Iruka slowly stood up and bent down to Naruto’s height.
Then he tied something onto Naruto’s head and grinned.
“From today you are a full-fledged ninja. Congratulations on your graduation, Naruto.”
It was Madara who had suddenly widened his eyes, intending to keep quiet with Naruto.
(When Tajima-san appeared, was it just my imagination that his eyes looked red…?)
Iruka looked at the happy Naruto, then turned to Tajima and muttered to himself.
Episode 7
“You’ve been making the Tiger Sign since yesterday. Is it some kind of magic?”
“Murder for a thousand years! I’ll get my revenge someday!”
“Sen? A thousand years… what?”
Naruto pointed his tiger seal towards empty space.
The events take place in a room in an apartment before each of them sets off on a mission.
Naruto had successfully become a ninja and was now taking on missions in the Forman Cell under the guidance of his Jonin.
I had heard that yesterday was the first mission since the formation of the team, but how could I possibly keep my cool and come back?
When I’m with Naruto, things happen every day that I never imagined I’d get bored.
“Otchan! Get ready!”
“!?”
Suddenly, Naruto came towards Madara in a low stance and thrust the Tiger Seal at him.
Although they were usually alone together and thus allowed to let their guard down, Madara suddenly saw Naruto trying to get behind him and he quickly turned his body to avoid him, but it was so sudden that he slammed his pinky finger on the leg of the dining table.
Naruto was so excited that he ran into the wall.
“Ouch… Ouch, ouch.”
“Ugh… suddenly in such a small place.”
“I thought I’d practice with Otchan.”
“Stop it…don’t do it again.”
Naruto was frustrated and said, “I can’t even take the old man’s back after all,” but Madara also wanted to know the true identity of the Millennium Killer.
“It’s way too early to try and catch up with me.”
“So if I was born a hundred years earlier, I could get my back?”
“That’s not true.”
Over the past two years, Madara has come to understand very well that it is pointless to press him.
“Naruto, what time is the meeting time today? Is this the time to scrimp?”
“Uh… well, it’s about 30 minutes left… that’s right.”
“That’s not very clear.”
“Kakashi-sensei, for some reason, he never shows up on time.”
The Jonin in charge was late.
Naruto had told him that he had been late ever since they first met, and yesterday he heard that the Jonin in charge, Hatake Kakashi, had arrived quite late.
If he was a Jonin then he was surely a capable man, but he didn’t seem sorry about being late, and Madara frowned slightly at the man he had never met before.
“Well, I mean… it could just be a coincidence.”
“I hope so.”
Naruto didn’t seem very enthusiastic as he started to get ready and slowly left the house.
“Thank you again today. I look forward to working with you again. Here, this is for today.”
Madara received a heavy package from the dumpling shop owner who had requested his mission for today, and left the shop.
It must have become impossible to count on one hand the number of times Madara has received missions at the dumpling shop.
He was on duty alongside two ninja who had been watching over Madara for some time, and they divided up the tasks of distributing flyers to advertise the new Japanese sweets and procuring ingredients for the next day.
The two ninjas who seemed to be on guard duty said they would go ahead and report on the mission, and the squad disbanded, ending today’s mission.
Madara went back home and thought he’d put the dango he’d been given in the fridge, and was about to head home when he heard a familiar voice from the back of the street and when he squinted his eyes he saw Naruto running towards him, looking up.
He doesn’t seem to notice Madara ahead of him, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
“Sasuke!! He went over there!”
“I can see it without you telling me!”
“Naruto! Look ahead! Front! It’s dangerous!”
“Sakura-chan? Huh, in front?! Ahh! Ouch, ouch… I’m fine, okay?!”
“Hey! I didn’t tell you that… I’m sorry! Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m glad it was me that you bumped into, Naruto?”
“Hii. O-Uncle.”
Naruto continued running without looking ahead and crashed into Madara head on.
The girl in red, a member of Naruto’s squad, and the boy on the roof looked bitter about what they had done.
As for Naruto, he had fallen on his butt after bumping into Madara and was trembling a little from Madara’s pressure.
“Otchan…is this the one living with Naruto?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“It’s Tajima. Naruto is in your care.”
“Yes. Oh, no, thank you for your help. I’m Sakura Haruno, a member of my team.”
The girl, Sakura, bows to Madara.
They were probably in the middle of a mission, but apparently decided they couldn’t continue, and the boy on top also came down.
“Sasuke-kun, this is Naruto’s uncle.”
“This guy’s?”
Madara and Sasuke’s eyes met.
Madara stared at Sasuke for a moment, then looked away and helped Naruto, who was still sitting on his butt at his feet, to his feet.
“Sorry, uncle.”
“Be careful. So, were you chasing something?”
“Today’s mission is to find a cat! I found one just now and was chasing after it, but then it ran off somewhere.”
“If you’d kept your eyes peeled, I wouldn’t have lost sight of you by now, you lazy idiot.”
“What did you say–!”
Naruto and Sasuke start arguing.
Perhaps it’s the difference in their original vocabulary skills, but Naruto is at the loss.
“Now shut up Naruto! Sorry, I was on my way somewhere.”
“No, I was just going home.”
“… Old man.”
“What is this, gravel?”
“Well then! I’m Uchiha Sasuke. Hey, where are you from? I’ve never seen you in the village before.”
“Sasuke? Maybe it’s my house?”
“No. You’re from the same family as me.”
“Well, wherever it is is none of your business, Gravel.”
“Are you sulking about something, uncle?”
Sasuke was probably curious about Madara’s appearance.
Indeed, Madara’s facial features fit the characteristics of the Uchiha clan well.
Madara also saw a brief resemblance of his late brother when he saw Sasuke, but he shook his head, realizing that it was just his imagination due to his poor words.
Sasuke probably wanted to ask Madara if he was a member of the Uchiha clan, but Madara neither confirmed nor denied it.
Although he is a member of the clan, that was not in Konoha Village, but in the village during Hashirama’s time. Now he is just Madara, and his uncle Tajima is in the village.
“Sasuke, I’m mad because you called my uncle “uncle!”
“Naruto, generally speaking Tajima isn’t that kind of old man. He’s probably not that different from Kakashi-sensei.”
Seeing the exchange unfolding before his eyes, Madara wanted to ask Naruto if he had forgotten about the mission, but he suddenly remembered the dumpling he had left in his hand, and handed it to Naruto.
“Here are some dumplings. I’ve got some. You two can share them later.”
“Ah! It’s the usual one! Ushishi, if that’s the case then we’ll find him quickly! Let’s go, Sakura-chan! Sasuke!”
Naruto took the package of dumplings from Madara and ran off again in the direction the cat had likely run off to.
Before chasing after Naruto, who was ahead of them, Sakura and Sasuke looked back at Madara and bowed slightly.
Madara responded by slightly raising one hand and watched the three smaller backs leave.
(Is that Uchiha Sasuke?)
The surviving member of the Uchiha clan.
Madara doesn’t know why he was the only one who was spared, but it’s highly likely that the mastermind was a family member or someone fairly close to him.
A parent, a sibling – or a friend?
There can’t be many ninjas out there who are capable of killing all the members of a clan other than Sasuke.
Madara thought that the downfall of his clan had already passed, and headed home feeling bored.
As Madara took a few steps, a silver-haired man appeared from the shadows of a building, holding a book in his hand.
The man wearing a Jonin vest walked slowly in the opposite direction from Madara.
In the brief moment they passed each other, their eyes met.
Madara and the man stood back to back, moving further and further away from each other.
(… This guy?!)
As they passed each other, Madara noticed the book in the man’s hand and held back the urge to open his eyes wide.
What the man had in his hand was a pornographic magazine.
This was the first time Madara met the man, Hatake Kakashi, the Jonin in charge of Naruto and his friends.
At night, Madara told Naruto that he had seen a Jonin walking around openly reading an erotic magazine during the day, to which Naruto replied, “It must have been Kakashi-sensei,” which gave him a headache.
I think it’s about time I bought some more headache medicine.
(Are there no decent adults in Konoha?)
Episode 8
“You! What the hell are you teaching!”
“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Oops! Ouch!”
“Whoaaaa! Naruto-chan!!”
On a street on the outskirts of the village, Naruto was screaming as Madara pressed hard against his temples with both hands.
Seeing Naruto like that, a young boy – Konohamaru, Hiruzen’s grandson – also screamed.
To understand why Madara is doing this, we need to go back a little in time.
Since Naruto has some free time from noon today, he asks Madara to train him for the first time in a while.
Madara was heading to the meeting place early when, on the outskirts of the village but lined with houses, Naruto and a child younger than him began making some kind of hand seal, and then, just as they heard a “boop” sound, a naked woman’s body appeared out of the smoke.
Fortunately, the smoke that was released during the transformation prevented anyone from seeing anything important, but a naked man suddenly appeared in the quiet street, so Madara, not understanding what was going on, grabbed Naruto’s shoulder tightly and delivered a punch to the top of his head.
Naruto’s transformation was quickly undone, and his usual self emerged. Before he could run away, Madara grabbed him by the collar and pulled him towards his body, then began pressing against Naruto’s temples with both hands.
“Whaaat?! Naruto-niichan?! Who is this?!”
“What is this?”
“Ouch, ouch, ouch! It’s a sex appeal technique~~ gyaaah”
“Is that a sex appeal technique?”
“Hey you! Let go of Naruto-san!”
“You’ve been saying this and that for a while now, what are you?”
“Ugh! …Let go of Naruto-bro!”
Konohamaru mustered up all his courage and tried to rescue Naruto from Madara’s clutches.
Madara was a little scared, but the child looked up at him and continued speaking, so he stopped what he was doing, impressed by his courage.
“Sorry, but that’s not possible. Anyway, you probably learned most of that technique from Naruto, right? Naruto?”
“…Oh, oh, uncle.”
“Given that performance, it seems you’ve been practicing for quite some time…?”
“……cormorant”
“Teaching such a technique to someone else’s brat… What should I do?”
After a while, Madara let go of Naruto and crouched down, holding his head.
I only saw a little of it earlier, but Naruto’s “sex appeal technique” was well-crafted. He must have done a lot of research into it.
It’s already been two years since I spent time with Naruto, and I’ve never seen it, but I’m sure he’s been perfecting it for a long time, without Madara noticing.
As Madara retreated into the technique, Konohamaru placed his hands on his hips in front of Madara and cried out in a trembling voice.
“What kind of technique is this? This is it! It defeated the old man, it’s an amazing technique!”
“Old man?”
“Uh, uh… Konohamaru? Wait a sec.”
“This is Hokage! This will take down that old man in one hit!”
(One shot? Hokage?)
Your student has turned into an incredibly perverted old man, Madara told Tobirama in his mind.
After Konohamaru’s name had been called several times, Madara muttered it.
“Konohamaru…huh.”
“Hey, is there something you want to say?”
“Well, in any case, listen carefully too Konohamaru, you should never use this technique in public. Listen, never use this technique in public. Especially Naruto, the next time you do it in a place like this…you understand that, right?”
“I-I get it. Your face is too scary, old man.”
“Did you say something?”
“N-nothing!”
Naruto and Konohamaru leaned against each other’s shoulders and nodded to Madara while trembling.
After parting ways with Konohamaru, Naruto moved on to begin training with Madara.
There was a long silence after they arrived at the training grounds they frequently used, and Naruto hunched his head tightly as Madara gazed upon him.
I wonder if he’ll get angry now that they’re alone.
As Naruto turned his face away and looked up at the sky, Madara spoke.
“Naruto”
“Wh-what, uncle?”
“Have you ever been transformed into an inorganic substance?”
“Mukibutsu?”
“For example, a kunai.”
“…Hmm, there isn’t.”
Madara remained silent at Naruto’s response.
As Naruto tensed to see what he would say, Madara took out several kunai and threw them all at a target hanging from a tree.
The kunai pierces the target beautifully.
As Naruto looked at the kunai that had pierced his body and said, “Oh…”, he heard Madara’s voice from above his head.
“Let’s say a bunch of kunai fly at once. What if even one of them turns out to be a transformed human?”
“Ah! We can get closer to the enemy in no time!”
“That’s true. Especially since you can create shadow clones. If you’re good at transforming, then maybe you can do it to the point where it’s indistinguishable from the real thing…”
“That looks really useful! Have you ever tried it before?”
“Hmm? Ah, I’ve never really tried it.”
“Oh really?”
“Well, the way you fight varies depending on the situation.”
Madara told Naruto to create a shadow clone and spar with him, and told him to try out what he had just said while they were doing so.
“With you, Otaku? But if we use Kage Bunshin, the number of people will increase.”
“We were in a place where kunai with explosive tags were flying around. As I’ve said many times before, there’s no way you, a newly-qualified genin, could defeat me.”
“You just became a genin too, Otchan.”
“The difference is in the experience, the difference in experience.”
“Okay, let’s do it,” Madara said, clapping his hands and pulling Naruto to his senses.
Naruto made a seal and activated the Shadow Clone Technique, and two Narutos appeared around him.
“It doesn’t matter who starts. Let’s get started.”
“Hey! Let’s go!”
Naruto and the others simultaneously ran towards Madara.
Each one of them attacked Madara in their own way, and just when Naruto thought it was becoming unclear which one was the real body, the real body casually transformed into a kunai and one of the shadow clones threw it at Madara.
Just when Naruto thought he had thrown it quite well, Madara easily grabbed the kunai and swiftly threw it back at Naruto’s shadow clone, and while the other shadow clone was distracted by the shocked shadow clone’s movements, Madara mercilessly grabbed him around the neck and threw him in the direction the kunai had gone.
Before there was any time to dodge, the kunai stabbed into the shadow clones which had stopped moving, and with a pathetic thud the shadow clones disappeared, and the real Naruto also detransformed.
“Ahhh! Am I alive?!”
“Don’t shout every single time. The timing wasn’t bad, but try to be a bit more casual. If you did that now it’s obvious who the real one is.”
“I’m dead! Just now! That old man killed me!”
“Just avoid that. You’re letting your guard down.”
Naruto brought both hands to his chest, repeatedly checking to see if he was injured.
He’ll never forget the chill he felt when Madara grabbed him while he was transformed into a kunai.
(I always wonder, how can I outwit this old man?)
Even when we spar, I always get easily warded off.
I’d like Naruto to take Madara by surprise at least once.
Once you use sex appeal techniques, you’ll likely be faced with a lengthy lecture.
But in the first place, would sex appeal techniques even work on Madara? Naruto couldn’t imagine Madara fainting like Hiruzen, with a nosebleed.
(Now that I think of it, what are the uncle’s preferences…?)
Madara had no idea that Naruto was thinking such things.
“Come on, let’s continue.”
“Ah, yes!”
Naruto took a deep breath and made the seal again.
Episode 9
How did this happen?
Madara and Team 7 were heading for the Land of Waves.
Madara was not supposed to go outside the village under normal circumstances, but the trigger for this was when he noticed that Naruto had left behind a pouch full of kunai and shuriken even though he was going on an escort mission.
They chased after him, but he had already left the gate, so they informed Hiruzen of this. He was told that he could leave as long as he left and came back quickly, and so they decided to leave the village with the usual guards.
He had heard through the ninja supervising him that the mission Naruto had been given was a C-rank escort mission.
A C-rank mission would not involve combat and would simply involve escorting the target to their destination, but when Madara caught up with Naruto and the rest of Team 7, two unknown ninja were found tied up under a tree trunk, and anyone could tell that a battle had just taken place.
The ninja who had been accompanying Madara on temporary watch asked Kakashi, the Jounin in charge of Team 7, about the situation and discovered that the man who had requested the escort mission, a man named Tazuna, had lied about the details of the request.
The mission was equivalent to B rank, but the supervisory ninja advised against canceling it, saying that it was too much for the members of Team 7, who had no combat experience, even though Kakashi was the Jonin in charge.
However, Naruto interrupted Kakashi and the others’ conversation and asked them to continue the mission.
“This isn’t like the cat-hunting or babysitting missions you’ve had up until now. Do you understand?”
Madara asked Naruto, but his intentions remained unchanged.
Naruto looked straight back at Madara and declared to Tazuna that he would not abandon a mission once he had accepted it.
“We’ll protect the old man! Continue the mission!”
After all that, Madara returned to the village, and Naruto, fearing that a report would be made to Hiruzen immediately, arrested Madara and refused to let him go. The ninja who had accompanied him on guard duty were told by Kakashi that they would take over as guards, and were sent back to the village in charge of the tied up ninja. Madara ended up accompanying them all the way to Wave Land, even though he had only come to return something he had forgotten.
I pleaded with my eyes that if he was going back to his guard position, he should take me with him, but he just apologised with one hand and my wish was denied.
Madara had heard that the supervisor was apparently acquainted with Kakashi.
Madara, who ended up joining Naruto and the others on their escort mission, heard about the current situation in Wave Country from Tazuna on the way there.
It seems that a wealthy man named Gato is the de facto ruler of Wave Country, and Tazuna’s life is being threatened by him.
Madara thought to himself, “I’ve been given this most troublesome mission of all.”
If his opponent was a wealthy man, he would likely have hired some skilled fighters, and the thought of the possibility of a fight after a long time made Madara’s heart race, but he had a promise he had made to the Hokage two years ago.
“Never stand out”
He had been told not to make any flashy moves so as not to reveal his true identity, and he was still dutifully following that rule.
Considering the assassin they had just captured, Madara was worried about their destination and knew that things were not going to be easy from here on out.
Bad premonitions always come true, and shortly after they landed in Wave Land, the next assassin appeared.
A man named Momochi Zabuza, a former ninja of the Hidden Mist Village who had now defected, appeared.
He was also one of the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and Kakashi, the Jounin in charge of the case, felt that he could not let the four newly promoted Genin fight, so he told Naruto and the others to protect the client, Tazuna, and retreated.
Sakura was visibly frightened by the murderous intent emanating from Zabuza, and Naruto noticed her and took a step forward to shield Sasuke, who was also trembling, and created a wall to protect him from Zabuza.
Kakashi quickly touched the forehead protector that was covering one of his eyes.
Zabuza spoke some words in response to Kakashi’s actions.
“…I believe this is Kakashi with the Sharingan.”
(…Sharingan?!)
Madara couldn’t hide his shock.
When Kakashi exposed his left eye, which had been hidden by his forehead protector, a red pupil could definitely be seen.
It doesn’t seem to be a fake.
Considering Kakashi’s appearance and the incident, it is easy to imagine that he is not a member of the clan.
Many questions flew through Madara’s mind, such as what had happened to the Sharingan, whether it was just one eye, and whether it was okay to use it that much.
Before he knew it, Zabuza’s magic had caused a mist to roll in around them, gradually narrowing his visibility.
Madara realised that this was no time to be confused by Kakashi’s Sharingan, and he changed his focus to concentrate on Zabuza and get out of the situation as quickly as possible.
The battle between Kakashi and Zabuza began.
The battle was not in Kakashi’s favor.
Perhaps noticing his students’ anxious expressions, Kakashi looked back at Naruto and the others for a moment and said he wouldn’t let anyone die, then turned towards Zabuza again.
Normally, Naruto and his friends, who had only just become genin, should never have encountered an enemy like Zabuza.
Kakashi is the only one in Team 7 who can take on Zabuza.
However, fighting while protecting not only Tazuna but also Naruto and the others who have no actual combat experience must be a tough situation, even for a Jonin.
Kakashi used his Sharingan to see through Zabuza’s movements and repeatedly attacked and defended.
However, Zabuza’s water prison technique finally caught Kakashi, immobilizing him.
Zabuza’s water body appears before Naruto and the others.
Kakashi shouted at the top of his lungs at Tajima.
“Tajima-san! Take everyone and escape! You have only just become a ninja, so there is no way you can fight this guy! His water body will not be able to maintain its substance if it is separated from the main body! Please do whatever it takes to get as far away from here as possible!”
“Kakashi-sensei! Damn it… what should we do? Ochan, if this keeps up Kakashi-sensei…”
“Sensei…”
“Damn, is there no other solution?”
“Uncle…”
“…I can’t stick my nose in too much though.”
Madara took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at Zabuza’s body.
Although visibility was poor, Madara did not seem troubled by the situation and looked at it with a straight, cool gaze.
(There’s no need to use the Sharingan…)
Seeing Madara standing there, something that didn’t look like he was a genin, Zabuza felt as if ice was being stroked down his spine and he felt like he was suffocating.
That’s strange, that man is supposed to be a genin.
Zabuza’s intuition told him something was extremely off.
But he couldn’t back down now. Even Zabuza had undertaken a contract.
The two continue to glare at each other.
Madara glanced at the water body and then at Kakashi behind it.
Kakashi doesn’t seem to be able to move, so Madara has no choice but to fight back.
(I was planning to return my forgotten belongings and go home right away.)
Madara looked at the water body.
He wants to complete this mission as peacefully as possible, but his opponent is a ninja known as the Silent Killer.
He would have to fight back while protecting Naruto and the others, and would need to focus as much of the attacks on himself as possible.
But no matter what nickname they had, compared to Hashirama, all other ninja were insignificant opponents to Madara.
Hashirama was able to perform the technique without making any hand seals.
Even if he was injured, he healed quickly.
Madara was fighting such an opponent.
Even though Zabuza has a fearsome nickname, it won’t be enough to warm you up.
(It’s awfully quiet… They’re coming.)
The water body in front of him wasn’t moving, but Madara’s years of experience told him that the enemy was approaching.
Zabuza jumped into range to scatter Naruto and the others, but Madara easily saw through his movements and kicked him up like a dancer, crushing him.
A second and third water creature soon appeared, but he quickly pulled out the kunai he had brought with him and plunged it into the water creature’s throat, slicing it open, then without turning around he swung the kunai at the other creature that had gone around behind him.
Zabuza’s watery body melts, leaving a large stain on the ground.
Both Sakura and Sasuke were stunned at Madara’s actions, which were clearly not what you would expect from someone who had become a genin at around the same time.
“What’s with that old man…”
“Tajima-san, that’s a lie…”
“Occhan! Go to Kakashi-sensei! We’ll definitely protect the old man!”
Madara looked towards Kakashi after hearing Naruto’s words.
He is still trapped in the water by Zabuza’s magic.
(Water Prison Technique, huh. I need to hurry, or I won’t be able to hold my breath.)
Beside Kakashi, Zabuza stood with his arm inserted into the jutsu to maintain the water prison technique.
To undo the spell, Zabuza must be separated from Kakashi.
Madara thinks of Naruto and the others who are standing behind him, forming a swastika formation to protect Tazuna.
Even though the water body is weaker than the real body, it will be difficult to take on a Jonin class clone in your first real battle.
Leaving aside Naruto, who had become somewhat accustomed to combat through his practical training, it was clear that it would be impossible for Sakura, whose knees were still shaking, or Sasuke, who had no combat experience, to fight while protecting Tazuna.
However, despite Madara’s worries, Naruto’s cheerful voice hit him hard on the head.
“Otchan! Don’t worry! I’ve been training with you and gotten stronger! And you’re many times scarier than me.”
“Well, you said it, Naruto? Who’s scared?”
“B-but they’ve been merciless lately! So I’m fine! Sasuke and Sakura-chan are here too! We’ll show you what teamwork is like, Team 7! Right! Sasuke! Sakura-chan!”
“Naruto…! Y-yes, that’s right!”
“…Ahh! Come on, hurry up and get to Kakashi, old man.”
“(Another old man… calling the Jounin in charge by his first name. As usual, only his face resembles Izuna’s. Damn Uchiha Sasuke)… Just one minute will be fine, protect the target.”
“Leave it to me!”
Hearing Naruto’s reply, Madara felt empty at Sasuke calling him “old man” and slowly walked towards Kakashi.
Kakashi was watching Madara and the others’ exchange from inside the water cell.
Kakashi was able to see Madara’s movements as he faced the Mizunami, even though he was at a distance.
When he took charge of Team 7, the Hokage told him that Naruto was living with a man named Tajima who had recently become a ninja.
When I first saw the man called Tajima, I immediately noticed that for a genin, he had a well-built ninja physique.
The way muscles are developed, and the way you walk and move every day.
No matter which one I looked at, their movements were quiet and I couldn’t find many openings.
For a genin, he was far too accomplished.
In addition, there are ninjas who are on guard duty all the time.
I thought it might have something to do with Naruto’s Nine Tails incident, but I found out that they were being watched by “Tajima.”
Feeling suspicious, I tried to look into his background, but I found out that he was alone and had left no detailed records other than that he had suddenly appeared in the village two years ago.
In order to have Tajima accompany him on the mission, he agreed to act as a watchdog and left the cleanup of the captured ninja to the ninja who had been returned to the village, but it seems that this turned out to be a good thing.
No matter how much Kakashi asked the Hokage, he never told him anything about the man other than that he was living with Naruto.
(Tajima-san… who are you?)
Naruto is also the only son of his late teacher.
Kakashi wanted to find out more about the man he was with, but at the same time, he was deeply relieved that he was not an enemy.
Zabuza became increasingly wary of Madara, who had left the children and was heading towards them.
Even though the water bodies were silently creeping through the mist, not a single hit from Zabuza got through.
No matter how close the water body gets, it quickly finds out where it is without changing its expression.
I can’t even get a scratch on it.
Isn’t this a bit too battle-hardened?
Zabuza asked Madara, still maintaining the Water Prison technique.
“I was wrong to underestimate you, thinking you were a genin. What’s your name?”
“……Tajima. I’m Tajima from the Hidden Leaf Village.”
“Tajima? I remember your name well.”
Madara’s steps gradually became faster.
Then his steps became lighter and he ran out towards the sea where Kakashi and Zabuza were.
The moment Madara’s feet reach the water’s surface, Zabuza’s water body appears behind him.
Madara was not afraid to turn around and slashed sideways with a kunai, splitting Zabuza’s clone into pieces as the Mizumizumi attack attempted a surprise attack.
He then quickly hurled the kunai he was holding in the direction of Naruto and the others, hitting a water spear that was approaching them to aim at Tazuna.
The sound of water falling to the ground echoes.
He heard Naruto call out “uncle” but didn’t turn around, and after throwing the kunai Madara immediately headed towards where Kakashi was.
With one hand tied up, Zabuza was in a bad position, so he had no choice but to pull his hand out of the water prison, freeing Kakashi from the spell.
Before Kakashi could move, Zabuza quickly made a hand seal and activated the technique.
Madara tried to counter this by quickly making a hand seal without taking his eyes off Zabuza.
Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique
Fire Release: Extinction of Great Flames
Water shot up from under Zabuza’s feet and flowed towards Madara, Naruto and the others.
However, Madara’s Fire Release technique was faster than the force of the water and was deployed over a wide area, evaporating the water.
Naruto and the others, who continued to guard Tazuna, forgot their breath due to the force of the fire Madara was blowing, and their eyes were simply fixed on the red that was dyeing the landscape.
(Oh man, that was really amazing…)
Naruto was now well aware of how little he usually went easy on him.
He is a person who has left his name in the village’s history.
At the same time, Naruto wondered briefly what it must have been like in the era Madara lived in, as he had to become so strong.
The surrounding area was already poorly visible due to the fog, but now it was enveloped in steam, making it even harder to see.
When the force of the Water Release technique weakened, Madara stopped the technique and quickly ran towards Zabuza.
He knew that Zabuza hadn’t moved from his spot.
With the visibility still unclear, now was the perfect opportunity to finish him off.
However, when Madara spotted Zabuza’s shadow, something sharp flew in front of him before he could reach it and pierced Zabuza’s neck.
Zabuza’s body slowly collapses into the water.
As his vision gradually became clearer, Madara’s eyes recognized the weapon that had killed Zabuza.
A thousand of them.
The Senbon sword had precisely pierced Zabuza’s vital spot, killing him.
Madara turned his head in the direction the senbon had come from and saw a ninja wearing a mask standing on top of a tree.
Judging from his height, he was still a child.
Since the ninja was close to Naruto and the others, Madara decided it would be best not to provoke him too much and waited to see what would happen.
Then Kakashi, who was standing next to Madara, began muttering.
“Is that… a Hidden Mist ninja?”
“…From the Hidden Mist?”
Kakashi’s words made him realize that the ninja had been pursuing Zabuza.
The ninja descended to where Zabuza had fallen and was sinking, picked up Zabuza’s body, which was larger than his own, and left the scene after expressing his gratitude to Madara, Kakashi, and the others.
Kakashi watched the ninja leave for a while, but without having time to bask in the afterglow of the battle, he quickly regained his composure and headed back towards Naruto and the others.
Madara follows Kakashi and joins up with Naruto and the others.
From what I can see, no one seems to have suffered any serious injuries.
“Well, anyway, everyone is safe. Tajima-san, even though you’re only a genin, you’re still strong…right Naruto?”
“Huh? Y-yes! That’s right! Otchan is strong, um…”
“I see. So, did you do any ninja training outside the village, Tajima-san?”
“O-Otchan, you had nowhere to go by yourself… well… you didn’t have a home, so grandpa felt sorry for you and took you with him…”
“Hey, Naruto, don’t talk like I’m a pitiful person for being kicked out of my house. I used to be a bodyguard, that’s all. Shouldn’t you hurry up, Jonin Hatake Kakashi?”
“…That’s right. Okay, you guys, hurry up and get Tazuna-san…”
“Kakashi-sensei? Are you okay?”
Suddenly, in the middle of his sentence, Kakashi became lost for words and began clutching his eyes.
Sakura looked at Kakashi with a worried look on her face.
He began to breathe a little heavily and everyone realized that something was wrong when Kakashi said in a small voice:
“I may have used a little too much chakra.”
It seemed like he was on the verge of running out of chakra.
It was probably because he used the Sharingan.
From Kakashi’s behavior, Madara realized that the Sharingan did not originally belong to Kakashi, and that he did not originally have much chakra reserve.
It looked like Kakashi was having difficulty even standing, so Madara had to carry him on his back, and although Kakashi was supposed to be acting as Madara’s watchdog, he ended up collapsing, which made Madara hope that he wouldn’t have to write any tedious reports when he returned to the village.
“Oh man… you really helped me out, Tajima-san.”
“It’s good to have you here, Kakashi-sensei.”
Madara had no words to respond to the pathetic voice of the man who had doubted him until just a moment ago, so he just listened in silence.
On the way to Tazuna’s house, Madara was once again thinking about the formation of Team 7.
The reason Naruto was assigned to Kakashi’s squad was likely because he possessed the Sharingan.
Most likely, when the Nine Tails inside Naruto went out of control, Kakashi was given the task of stopping it.
I don’t think the Nine Tails can be controlled with just the Sharingan.
Sasuke was likely assigned to this squad because there was no other ninja who knew how to use the Sharingan.
(…Kakashi Hatake, it seems the Hokage has placed a great deal of trust in you… but you were almost wiped out.)
Kakashi collapsed due to lack of chakra, and it will likely take a while for him to fully recover.
Madara had intended to stay quiet and inconspicuous ever since coming to the future, but it seemed like things had been hectic and not going well, so he just kept walking with a straight face.
Episode 10
Kakashi was unable to move after yesterday’s battle with Zabuza, but he borrowed a staff from Tazuna and took Naruto and the others to a nearby forest where he tasked them with some training.
It’s chakra control.
It tells you to climb a tree without using your hands, and to keep doing it until you reach the top.
Naruto had been taught by Madara to walk on water, so he was tasked with helping Sasuke and the others, who still had trouble controlling themselves.
While the children were busy training, Madara, who had been taken out with them, was beckoned by Kakashi and taken to a place where Naruto and the others could not see.
“Tajima-san, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Was that yesterday?”
“That is true. I am in charge of those kids, Team 7. I need to be somewhat aware of those kids’ surroundings. Tajima-san, what is your relationship with Naruto? Why are you with him?”
“I’m just a roommate. You can’t really ask why… I just said so because the Hokage told me to.”
“Hokage-sama?”
“You look suspicious.”
Kakashi suspects that Hiruzen wouldn’t just let Naruto live with the mysterious man.
Judging by the way he fought yesterday, it was hard to believe he was someone who had only just become a genin.
“You seemed to be very good at your fire release technique yesterday. There aren’t many people who are as skilled as you in fire release.”
“…”
“A ninja of your calibre would have been famous during the last war, but… I have never seen you. Even if you have really only just become a genin, there is no way a mere genin could use that technique.”
Kakashi looked straight at Madara.
He is not much older than Madara, and he is suspicious of Madara, thinking it is odd that he has never heard of him before, given that he is such a capable person.
It’s not a good feeling to be looked at with suspicion.
However, there was no guarantee that he would be believed if he told the truth, and even if they did believe him, if they found out that he was “Uchiha Madara,” Kakashi would no longer have the time to rest in the Land of Waves.
The man who once attacked the village, Uchiha Madara, is by his students’ side.
Even if Madara did not intend to, the impact that Uchiha Madara left on the village was great.
As Madara remained silent, Kakashi gently touched his left eye.
“Yesterday, you seemed to be reacting strangely to the Sharingan in your left eye.”
“…I thought the Uchiha clan was wiped out? I just didn’t think anyone else besides Sasuke had it.”
“I see. Oh, that’s right, I was asking Naruto as well… Tajima-san, you’re also a member of the Uchiha clan, aren’t you?”
“…That Naruto guy.”
“I thought so.”
“…! I see… Ah, you’ve tricked me, Hatake Kakashi.”
“Well, I’m sorry. Just to be clear, Naruto didn’t say anything. However, it was easy to understand because he didn’t say anything.”
Despite his appearance, he is skilled in fire release and responds to the Sharingan.
When Kakashi tried to get Naruto to tell him more about his uncle, asking, “What kind of person is Naruto’s uncle?”, his eyes wandered, he fell silent, and then he only said, “I can’t tell you.”
I asked him about it last night too, but he just pursed his lips and shook his head.
This is basically saying that there’s something going on with my roommate, the guy named Tajima.
Kakashi said that considering Tajima’s true identity, taking into account Naruto’s behavior and what had happened yesterday, he thought it was highly likely that he was a member of the Uchiha clan.
“So, Uchiha Tajima-san? Why are you with Naruto? Do you know Sasuke?”
Madara’s late father’s face flashed in his mind.
He thought he’d gotten used to being called Tajima, but when he was actually called by his Uchiha name, it still strongly reminded him that the name belonged to his father.
“…Please Tajima. I’m with Naruto because the Hokage really told me to. There’s no doubt about that fact that he started living in the village two years ago. I don’t know anything about Uchiha Sasuke other than what Naruto knows. I had no particular connection with him. …You keep asking about me, Kakashi, but if you know I’m an Uchiha, then you have the right to ask me as well. Whose eyes are those? Why do you have them, someone who isn’t of the clan?”
It would be bad if they dug too deeply into “Uchiha Tajima.”
The name Tajima alone would not be particularly unusual, but “Uchiha Tajima” is also the name of Madara’s father and the former clan leader, and since there would not be many people in the clan who would be so inclined to name someone after Madara’s parent, who rebelled against the village, it could be suspected that it is a false name.
Thinking that, Madara tried to change the subject and asked, staring sharply at Kakashi’s left eye.
It’s partly to divert the conversation, but it’s actually something that bothers me.
Judging from what had happened yesterday, those eyes would take away a considerable amount of chakra if used even a little, and were no match for Kakashi’s body.
Is it because he can’t use it properly that he only has one eye?
Who is the original owner of the eye?
Just as Kakashi wants to know what’s going on in his student’s life, Madara also feels that he should know about Kakashi, who is Naruto’s jounin.
“this is……”
“If you can’t answer that, then I have nothing more to say. I don’t think that a member of the clan would turn his attention to an outsider.”
“…”
This time Kakashi was silent.
It may be because he is physically weak, but his complexion looks a little pale.
Madara decided that now was the time to end the conversation and began walking to the other side of Kakashi to return to Naruto and the others.
As I passed Kakashi I heard a faint voice.
“…Obito.”
Obito, is that a person’s name?
Kakashi’s voice sounded somewhat sad.
Even Madara has no intention of blaming Kakashi for possessing the Sharingan.
Possessing the nickname Kakashi of the Sharingan means that he is allowed by the village to use it.
There’s no way he would leave Sasuke with someone who would steal someone’s attention.
I’m just a little curious as to how he came to have the Sharingan.
When Madara returned to Naruto and the others, they found Naruto at the base of a tree, holding his head and repeatedly explaining to Sasuke that the tree-climbing training was going nowhere.
Madara turned his attention to the tree Sasuke and Sakura were using.
He managed to climb up and make a wound with a kunai, but Sakura was higher than Sasuke.
When Naruto noticed Madara returning, he turned around quickly.
“Otchan! What were you talking about with Kakashi-sensei?!”
“That was yesterday. What, you still haven’t done it?”
“Explaining things is hard.”
Naruto groaned, furrowing his brow as he crossed his arms.
Sasuke, who had been standing beside the troubled Naruto, turned to Madara and asked with a serious look on his face.
“Ossan. What was that technique yesterday? Tell me.”
“…I’ll think about it if we can get to the top, Gravel.”
“Tch!”
“Ah! Sasuke! Even if you get carried away and run, you’ll just slip! Wait!”
“Don’t say unnecessary things, you lazy idiot! And don’t follow me!”
“Don’t say such cold things… What the hell!”
For some reason, Naruto started chasing after Sasuke who was running up the tree, but perhaps he had let his guard down as he slipped and fell to the ground first.
“You two, concentrate now! I wonder why boys are like this.”
Sakura, who was watching from below, sighed in exasperation at the two of them.
Madara was watching Naruto fall from the tree and roll away, but suddenly he felt someone looking at him, so he glanced in that direction and met Sakura’s eyes.
“Ah, sorry for staring.”
“Well, is there something you want to ask?”
“the……”
Sakura continued speaking, stammering.
“I heard that you’d been training with Tajima-san since Naruto was at the academy. I did think that he’d gotten really strong all of a sudden. I was just wondering what it was like training with Naruto.”
He was probably worried about the fact that Naruto had said, “The old man is scarier.”
Sakura’s first impression of Madara was that he was a scary person, so much so that she might have been wary if she hadn’t had the prior knowledge that he was Naruto’s uncle.
“How does it feel?”
In response to Sakura’s question, Madara thought back on his days of training with Naruto.
He recalled how he had been training in physical techniques, repeatedly tearing off the approaching Naruto and throwing him away.
No matter how lightly Madara treated him, he never gave up and kept going until he was exhausted.
“I was a brat who never gave up. I still am.”
“I’m not good at giving up…”
“Yeah. You’re so tenacious, I got tired first.”
“That’s right”
There is a clear difference in strength between Madara and Naruto.
Naruto is still a young child, so it’s unlikely he’ll be able to surpass Madara. It might not be possible if he uses the power of the Nine Tails, but even if the Nine Tails’ seal is released in the future due to some accident, he knows that Madara can control it with his Mangekyo Sharingan, so he doesn’t think he’ll be defeated so easily.
“Sakura, it was you. Did you make it to the top?”
“Yes, I’ve been to that height a few times.”
“That was quick.”
Sakura pointed to a spot quite high up in the tree.
Madara let out a sigh of admiration.
(The mark I just saw was from when I first started.)
“It’s surprisingly easy.”
“Y-yes.”
Sakura’s words reminded Madara of his childhood.
My father, Tajima, would submerge me in the river so that I would quickly learn to walk on water.
(I heard he comes from an ordinary family, but he seems to have more ninja potential than Naruto and Sasuke.)
There must be something special about him that has earned him a place in Squad 7.
As Madara was talking to Sakura, he suddenly heard the screams of Naruto and Sasuke.
This time they both fell at the same time.
“Ouch!!!”
“But why are you running in the same tree as me, you lazy idiot!”
“Ah! There you have it, Usuratonkachi! Usuratonkachi is the real Usuratonkachi!”
“Hey, hey! You two!”
Sakura stepped in to calm them down.
Madara felt a sense of nostalgia seeing Naruto and the others.
He reminisced about a trivial memory when Hashirama and he were still hiding their true identities from each other and one time they were messing around and fell into a river.
There were many days when the two of them trained together, until their father found out.
Two years have passed since Madara came to the future by chance, but what is Hashirama doing now?
If Madara had disappeared, the person who would likely make the most noise would be Hashirama.
However, no matter how much Madara searched through information from the past, there was no record of him having disappeared.
When I asked Hiruzen, he said he didn’t remember any major incidents happening.
It’s possible that the records regarding Madara were erased after they left the village, but from what I could find, there were no unnatural holes in the history.
Both Madara and Hiruzen thought that this was extremely strange.
Madara turned his gaze to Sasuke, who had begun climbing the tree again.
(…Ah, if I kicked that hard I’d fall again…)
The way he got so worked up, believing he’d be able to do it right away, made him feel somehow more like his old self than Izuna.
Looking at Naruto and Sasuke, Madara couldn’t help but remember the days when he cut water with Hashirama.
(……These guys)
Seeing their interaction, I couldn’t help but hope that Team 7 wouldn’t fall apart like Madara and Hashirama did that day.
Episode 11
“Otchan? Where are you going with Sasuke?”
“I told you the other day… I know it’s still a bit early, but I’ve decided to watch you train in your place.”
As Madara was leaving Tazuna’s house with Sasuke, Naruto called out to him.
When Sasuke first began his tree climbing training, he asked him to teach him the Gouka Mekkyo technique, to which he replied that he would consider doing so once he reached the top. However, when Sasuke successfully completed the climb, he was urged to start training him instead.
When it came to instructing Sasuke, he got permission after just a word from Kakashi, the Jonin in charge.
Although Kakashi took on the role of watching over Madara, he also continued to guard Tazuna, who was being targeted by Gato and the others, until he was fully recovered.
Today Kakashi had heard that Tazuna was heading to the bridge construction site, so he planned to go there with Sakura.
As for the monitoring, Madara and Naruto had a relationship of trust, so Kakashi thought that Madara would not take any voluntary action such as leaving Naruto behind and leaving Wave Country, and so he allowed him to act separately, thinking that there would be no problem as long as he was acting together with someone from Team 7.
“So, what will you do?”
“Well, there’s something that’s been bothering me lately. So I’ll skip it today.”
“Really? Inari?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Inari is Tazuna’s grandson.
Ever since he first arrived at Tazuna’s house, Inari had been cold towards not only his family but also Madara and the others.
According to what Tazuna and his mother Tsunami had told him, after the death of the man who was like a father to Inari, he had become negative about things, believing that there are no heroes and that nothing will ever go right.
Naruto was probably worried about Inari’s condition.
“Sasuke, be careful of that old man. He’s tougher than Kakashi-sensei.”
“Hmph, I’m not going to lose.”
“What you’re doing is training. Why are you all trying to defeat me?”
Naruto whispered to Sasuke.
I don’t know what he is trying to say, but I think he is secretly trying to convey some realization that Naruto gained during his training with Madara.
Madara decided that if he was going to do it he might as well do it quickly, and began walking towards the place they had used for tree climbing training.
When they arrived at the training grounds, Madara immediately wanted to see how well Sasuke could use jutsu.
Thinking that it might be a bit strange to use a fire in the middle of the forest, I took him to the river I had found the other day while talking with Kakashi.
Madara picked up a branch from a nearby tree and handed it to Sasuke, telling him to try lighting it on fire first.
Sasuke looked up at Madara suspiciously.
“……teeth?”
“I’ll see how much control you can have. It’s not always good to be able to use big techniques. Try setting the branch on fire with Fire Release.”
There was some truth in what Madara said, but from Sasuke’s perspective it was a rather mundane idea, and made him wonder if it still had any meaning at this point.
Though confused, Sasuke took the branch from Madara and easily lit the tip of it on fire.
(From what I can see now, the basics seem fine. So, what should I do today…?)
There is a waterfront nearby.
It was too early to teach Sasuke the Gouka Mekkyaku technique he used to counter Zabuza’s Suiton technique, but as he was thinking about this, Madara suddenly thought of something.
Sasuke is also a child of the clan.
If he’s about the same age as Naruto, he’d be around thirteen.
Though there are individual differences, it wouldn’t be strange if Sasuke was also able to use that Fire Release technique.
There is a limit to the amount of techniques a child can do. Naruto had told him that Sasuke was doing well at the academy and was known as the number one rookie.
He is also a promising newcomer to Sato.
Madara also became interested in seeing just how much ability Sasuke had as the last of the Uchiha clan.
“Gravel. I’ve heard that Uchihas are skilled in fire release… but can you use the Great Fireball jutsu?”
“Of course. Watch me, old man.”
Sasuke walked over to Madara’s side, made a seal, brought his fingers to his mouth, and cast a jutsu towards the river.
A roaring sound rang out and flames filled Madara’s field of vision.
Sasuke was holding back, but the flames, bigger than the boy’s height, lit up the surface of the water red.
(…As expected of a child of a leader’s family. It’s not just for show that he’s the number one rookie.)
In Madara’s time as a child, if he had been able to use such a powerful fireball technique, he would have been sent to the front lines without question.
Nowadays, they work in teams of four, and each team is assigned tasks that match their abilities, so they’re not suddenly thrown into an unreasonable battlefield like in the past.
From the rumors at the academy, it seemed likely that Sasuke had some ability in taijutsu as well.
Madara didn’t know if there would ever be a mission where Sasuke’s massive fireballs would be put to good use, but he thought it would be on a scale that would be sufficient for someone of his age, and nodded.
“How is it, old man?”
“…Not bad. Who taught you? Or maybe you saw someone else do it? The original user must have been good, and you must have imitated the speed at which he made the seal.”
When Madara asked Sasuke who his leader was, Sasuke’s expression suddenly dropped and the forest was enveloped in silence.
Sasuke’s demeanor suddenly changed, and Madara’s expression changed to one of awkwardness as he had asked something unnecessary.
It is not difficult to imagine that it was a deceased family member.
“…Father, it’s my father.”
“Your father?”
Sasuke’s voice dropped darkly.
Just as Madara was thinking of changing the topic, Sasuke spoke again.
“…Not yet, not like this…Itachi”
Sasuke replied that he had learned it once from his father, but after a moment’s pause he muttered the other name.
As for the voice that Sasuke called out, it was chilly beyond compare, something he had never heard during his conversation with Naruto and the others.
“Even if I ask who it is.”
“…It was my brother.”
“Was it?”
“That guy isn’t even family anymore.”
The last words were spat out.
Though many months have passed since the incident allegedly occurred, it is likely still a fresh memory for young Sasuke.
He even goes so far as to say that Itachi, his older brother, is not family.
(From the way he talks, he seems to be alive… if that’s the case, no way)
Madara came to a certain conclusion and began to regret asking such a stupid question.
If Sasuke is the sole survivor of his clan, and if he seems to be holding a grudge against his brother for being alive, then that means…
“I’m going to kill him with my own hands someday.”
(Was it his brother who committed the crime?)
Did he kill all the other members of his clan all by himself?
Why was Sasuke the only one spared?
(It must be hard to live if your younger brother hates you.)
Sasuke’s expression was not good even for someone his age; one wondered if even Izuna, who hated the Senju, would have made such a face.
If he knew that his brother was the culprit, did he meet him on the day of the incident?
“That’s why I need to get stronger. So I can kill him. I can’t afford to fall behind guys like Zabuza. Tell me now, old man.”
Sasuke is planning to kill his brother Itachi and is asking Madara for instruction.
But Madara had no intention of watching the training in order to murder his brother, so he closed his eyes and pondered.
The reason Madara became so strong was to defeat the Senju, led by Hashirama, who was on the offensive at the time, but primarily to protect his younger brother and his clan comrades who were behind him.
Although the Uchiha almost always ended up losing, he never gained power solely for the sake of revenge.
What must it be like for an older brother to be hated by his younger brother?
And what are the feelings of the younger brother who resents his older brother?
If he had always had a bad relationship with Itachi, he probably wouldn’t have let Sasuke live.
“…If you want to get stronger in order to get revenge, I don’t recommend it.”
“Huh?! What do you know? You don’t know anything!”
“Oh, I don’t know anything. But don’t assume that what you see is the truth. I bet your brother was an excellent ninja. Think about why you were the only one who was spared.”
“That’s obviously just to get revenge on me… obviously.”
“…I also had younger brothers, but even if I was told to kill my family, I don’t think I could bring myself to kill them.”
“You had a younger brother…?”
“Yeah. He was killed by the younger brother of the guy who told me he was his best friend or something. It was during the war, after all.”
“Have you ever… wanted to kill his brother?”
Madara picked up a flat stone at his feet and threw it toward the river.
The stone bounced rhythmically across the water and reached the other side.
“I still think that, even now. I always wish that he wasn’t here.”
“Then why?”
“I could have killed him any time I wanted. But revenge wouldn’t bring my brother back. Sasuke, if you want revenge then go ahead and do it. You won’t have to know anything.”
“Why… why would you say something like that?”
“Just think of it as an uncle’s meddling. Besides, you look like my little brother.”
“To my little brother…what’s his name?”
Madara thought for a moment, then spoke.
“It’s Izuna.”
When he called his younger brother’s name, his voice had a warm tone to it, even though it still had a hint of loneliness.
When Madara spoke his brother’s name, Sasuke was reminded of Itachi’s face when he was a kind man.
At the same time, he remembered the last time he saw Itachi on the day of the tragedy.
(Which one should I believe? Why, Itachi?)
Come to think of it, this might have been the first time Sasuke had spoken about his brother to someone else since the day of the incident.
He remembers speaking as a party to the Hokage and the village ninja who came to question him, but he says he may not have ever faced his own feelings like this.
Thinking about it carefully, it was hard to imagine that Itachi had caused that incident suddenly.
Itachi was also what was called a genius, but even so, it seems unlikely that Sasuke’s father, Fugaku, would fall into Itachi’s hands so easily.
Perhaps my murdered father and mother knew something.
(If you wanted me to get revenge, why did you cry that day…dammit)
Sasuke looked up at Madara.
It wasn’t the hateful look in his eyes from earlier, but Sasuke’s usual expression.
“Opssss…cooperate.”
“What?”
“I want to capture Itachi, that bastard, and hear his story. So please continue to train me even after this mission is over.”
“…I see you had something on your mind. That’s fine, but you should tell Kakashi.”
Even if he had heard the story, he didn’t know if he would be able to forgive Itachi, but for a young Sasuke, the incident had come all too suddenly.
It wouldn’t be too late to get revenge, even after hearing Itachi’s story.
Sasuke picked up a stone at his feet.
He imitated Madara’s throw earlier and threw it into the water.
The stone bounced once on the water and then sank with a clatter.
“…There’s a trick to it. A trick. Throw it mentally upwards.”
?That was just a random throw! If I put in my all, it would have reached the target.?
Madara’s mouth corners turned up slightly at Sasuke’s excuse and he snorted quietly.
Not liking Madara’s reaction, Sasuke picked up the rock at his feet again and threw it slightly upwards.
It bounced more than before, but the stone sank before it reached the other side.
When they returned to Tazuna’s house in the evening, Kakashi, who had returned earlier, asked the two what kind of training they had been doing.
Sasuke exchanged glances with Madara for a moment before answering Kakashi’s question.
“Drain it.”
Episode 12
The gentle sounds of the waves and the sound of soft breathing tickle your eardrums.
The surface of the water reflected the blue of the clear sky, brightly reflecting the light outside.
As Madara was looking out the window, he heard the sound of the futon moving behind him and turned around.
Naruto, with bedhead, looked up at Madara with sleepy eyes.
“Oh… where’s everyone else?”
“It’s been a while since I left.”
“Eh… Huh?!”
Naruto hurriedly jumped out of the futon.
She yells and hurriedly gets ready.
“Why didn’t you wake me up everyone?”
“There’s no point in going to see the Zoro Zoro Bridge. If you were sleeping anyway, I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“But, but, but, it’s just me! Otchan! I’m going to everyone’s place!”
Today, all of Team 7 was planning to go and see the construction site of the bridge that Tazuna and the others were building.
However, it seemed that Naruto had been talking with Sasuke about something until late last night, and he probably didn’t get enough sleep, so he overslept.
Madara had warned them not to stay up too late, but since they were both sitting on the pier and having a lively conversation, he didn’t force them to go to sleep.
They seemed to be plotting something called “Defeat the Old Man! Plan!” and the Old Man was weak in the back so they would have to aim for a surprise attack. Madara thought that if he was going to do it he should do it a little quieter, so he turned his back to the two of them and got ready for bed.
Naruto slept very soundly. Perhaps because of that, he didn’t wake up even after the scheduled departure time had passed, and Kakashi and Madara decided that there was no need for four or five people to escort Tazuna, so they left him there until he woke up.
As for Sasuke, he woke up without any problems and set off with Kakashi and the others.
Madara replied “yes, yes” as he watched Naruto get changed, his arms swinging around wildly as he struggled to get them through the sleeves, and then told Tsunami, who was watching them, that they would be going as well.
As Naruto was leaving the house, Inari popped his head out the door and saw him off.
Madara seems intimidating and doesn’t approach him much, but it seems he has become good friends with Naruto at some point.
Inari’s expression still remained stiff, but compared to the first day, he had become more present in front of Naruto and the others.
Madara followed Naruto, who was walking quickly, along the paved path leading to the bridge under construction.
Along the way, I passed a shirtless man with an eyepatch and two other men dressed like vagrants, wearing hats and carrying swords.
The men were grinning at something and headed down the path Madara and the others had just walked.
There was a pier at the back, and beyond that was just Tazuna’s house.
Madara followed behind Naruto to avoid arousing suspicion, and when he was sure he had put some distance between him and the other men, he spoke to Naruto in a low voice.
“…………Those two were armed. Let’s go back home.”
“… Hey, uncle.”
Naruto nodded, and the two of them turned on their heels at the same time and ran off to Tazuna’s house.
As soon as they arrived home, the first thing they saw was the front door, which had been slashed with something sharp, leaving a hole in it, and Inari facing the men with his arms outstretched, as if to protect Tsunami, who was sitting there.
In an attempt to protect Tsunami, Inari charged at a man, and while the man was distracted Naruto kicked him, causing him to fall.
Meanwhile, Madara twisted the other man’s arm and with one hand stomped hard on the shoulder of the fallen man, immobilizing him from the floor, and when the men gave up resisting, he tied them up tightly with rope.
Madara tied the men tightly with rope and urged Naruto to take Inari and Tsunami to another room.
The door to the house was in a terrible state, and Tsunami and Inari might have some injuries that would need to be treated.
It would be best if the men answered honestly, but if they didn’t readily explain why they came here, the interrogation that follows could become rough.
If that was the case, it would be best not to show it to young Inari.
Once Madara had made sure that Naruto had led the two men upstairs, he looked down at the two men with a blank expression.
“What is your purpose in coming here? Tell me everything.”
“Huh… It’s too late to ask now, you know?”
The man with the eyepatch replied.
Madara asked suspiciously at the rather vague answer.
“What are you trying to say? What do you mean it’s too late?”
“Hmm… hehehehe.”
Madara glared at the man with such intensity that the air around him froze.
He heard the other man who was tied up with him let out a soft scream.
However, the man being questioned by Madara was looking away, or perhaps because he was relaxed, but he seemed so nonchalant about the situation that he was able to laugh.
Madara asked the man again what his purpose was, but he didn’t get the answer he wanted, just a burst of laughter.
(This guy must be crazy. There’s no point in talking to him.)
They even went so far as to attack Tazuna’s house.
They were no doubt Gato’s gang. Judging from their clothing, they were definitely not ninja, but judging by the fact that they were all carrying weapons and the terrible state of their house, they didn’t seem to be amateurs.
Kakashi and the others were already on their way to the bridge, but if something went wrong and the escort mission ended in failure, Inari might lose his grandfather.
He had promised to protect Tazuna during his stay in Wave Country, so he must keep that promise for the sake of the village that had entrusted him with the mission.
Madara was particularly bothered by the man’s words, “it’s too late.”
Wanting to finish this quickly, Madara changes the color of his eyes.
“It seems we don’t have much time… how unfortunate.”
“Hehe, this country belongs to Gato-sama!”
When the man looked up at Madara, he stopped talking abruptly.
The two men’s eyes widened as they saw Madara’s, and at the same time they felt their consciousness begin to fade.
My consciousness becomes hazy as I see those red eyes, which I’ve never seen before.
“Now, tell me. What are you planning?”
As if in slumber, or drifting into a dream, the men began to talk about the events that were about to take place.
“Gato and his allies are heading to the bridge. They plan to eliminate Tazuna and his allies today.”
Yes, the men spat out.
Kakashi and the others were probably at the bridge by now, but from the way the men were talking it seemed likely that Gato and the others would arrive at the bridge within an hour.
After listening to their story, Madara puts the men to sleep using a genjutsu to prevent them from suddenly becoming violent.
As Madara was looking down at the sleeping men, Naruto and the others came downstairs.
The timing couldn’t be better.
Madara told Naruto what he had just heard and left him to deliver the message to Kakashi.
“There’s a good chance Gato and his men are on their way. Go and let them know as soon as possible.”
“Gato?! Okay! I’ll go see Kakashi-sensei. Can I ask Inari and the others, Ochan?”
After hearing Madara’s story, Naruto hurried out of the house.
As he left the exposed entrance, Naruto glanced back inside the house for just a moment.
“Inari! That was so cool just now!”
With that, Naruto stormed off.
When Naruto arrived at the bridge, fog had rolled in and a boy wearing Zabuza’s mask was facing Kakashi and the others, and the battle had already begun.
Sakura stood with a kunai at the ready to protect Tazuna, Kakashi was fighting Zabuza, and Sasuke was further in, though it was difficult to see due to the mist unless you got close.
Naruto slowly walked over to Sakura and Tazuna.
“…! Naruto, you.”
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Sakura-chan! What’s going on now?”
“If you look, you can see he’s alive.”
Sakura was trying to act strong and not show any fear, but Naruto could sense that her voice was tense.
The battle situation didn’t seem to be going very well.
Suddenly, Naruto frowned as he caught the faint smell of blood.
In the mist, Naruto focused on Sasuke, who was further back than Kakashi, who was standing in front of him.
Looking more closely, he saw several thick slabs of ice floating in the air in the background, surrounding Sasuke.
Inside the wall of ice, Sasuke’s body tilted unsteadily.
At that moment, a scream came from Sakura, who was standing nearby.
“Sasuke-kun!!”
The sound of someone falling with a thud.
It didn’t take Naruto long to realise that the person who had made the noise was Sasuke.
Did you lose?
Got it?
Who?
Sasuke.
to whom?
When he came to his senses, Naruto had jumped into the wall of ice to protect the fallen Sasuke.
Episode 13
Madara was heading towards the bridge construction site where Naruto was headed.
He was watching Tsunami and Inari being attacked by Gato’s gang, but after Naruto left, Inari went around calling out to the adults nearby to tell them that the bridge was being targeted.
Moved by Inari’s courage, the islanders gathered together and agreed to protect Wave Country no matter what happened. Madara was urged by Inari and the others to go first and meet up with Naruto and the others, so they headed for the bridge.
If a skilled warrior like Zabuza were to appear, Kakashi might not be able to handle it on his own.
Madara concentrated his chakra and kept a watchful eye on his surroundings as he headed towards the construction site.
As for Zabuza, Kakashi had said that the ninja who recovered his body were pursuers from Kirigakure, but they had recovered the body remarkably quickly.
It’s possible that this was done out of consideration for Naruto and the others, to avoid showing them the disposal of the body, but there was no obligation for them to go that far for a complete stranger.
As he was thinking about this, he approached the bridge and noticed an unnatural fog appearing in front of him. Madara frowned, realizing that his bad feeling had come true.
Zabuza is alive.
It could be said that Kakashi had almost fully recovered from the day he ran out of chakra, but he still seemed a little lacking in the decisive blow needed to defeat Zabuza.
Even though Kakashi had fought the enemy once before and possessed the Sharingan, if he set his sights on the lightly defended children, Kakashi would not be able to take their heads so easily.
Defending the rear while fighting an evenly matched opponent can be quite stressful.
I was approaching the bridge thinking I should meet up with Kakashi and the others.
Madara sensed the presence of sinister chakra.
(!? Whaaaat?)
It was a chakra that he had never felt before, one that overwhelmed those around him.
Madara was taken aback by the sight, which seemed far too impersonal, and quickly jumped onto the bridge shrouded in mist.
(…It’s the Nine Tails. Could the seal have been broken?)
The Fourth Hokage had used a sealing technique to contain the Nine Tails inside Naruto, but perhaps it came loose for some reason.
It’s also possible that the Nine Tails may have made some contact with Naruto.
It would be good if Naruto had the power to control the Nine-Tails, but in the two years they had lived there, there had been no sign of the tailed beast’s chakra leaking out, nor had Naruto shown any sign of being bothered by the Nine-Tails’ presence.
It would be a bit harsh to expect that from Naruto.
Regardless of Kakashi, with Sakura and Tazuna there, if they didn’t reseal him quickly, the damage to the surrounding area could become enormous.
Madara landed next to Kakashi, who was fighting Zabuza, and narrowed his eyes at the sinister chakra he felt coming from deep within.
“M-Mr. Tajima.”
“What on earth is going on here?”
“Ugh…”
From the other side of the mist he could see red chakra and hear Naruto groaning.
The voice sounds somewhat painful.
(That amount of chakra is a big burden on Naruto’s body… I guess I have no choice but to do it.)
He knows that the Nine Tails can be controlled with the Mangekyo Sharingan.
He was well aware that even the current Madara could do it, and that the power of this Mangekyo Sharingan was different from that of a normal Sharingan.
He puts the Nine Tails into a genjutsu to stop the chakra leaking from Naruto’s body.
Madara ran over to Naruto and switched his gaze.
When Naruto saw Madara running towards him, he noticed that both of his eyes were red.
(That’s my uncle’s Sharingan)
However, its shape is different from that of a scarecrow.
Naruto couldn’t comprehend why Madara was staring at him with his Sharingan.
At Naruto’s feet was Sasuke, stabbed all over his body by the senbon weapons. He had to quickly treat Sasuke, he should ask the old man – that’s when Naruto thought.
My heart pounded.
Naruto felt the sense of loss and helplessness that had filled his chest turn into intense anger along with his heart beating fast.
I feel as if fear, anger, and anxiety are filling up my heart.
But these aren’t his own feelings. Whose feelings are they?
“Those eyes!? It’s you… Madaraaaa!!!”
A voice echoed in my head.
Naruto’s consciousness was suddenly consumed by a huge wave of anger and he was thrown into darkness.
Just before he lost consciousness, Madara arrived in front of Naruto and his red eyes met.
Naruto looked into his eyes.
“Ah… Ocha…”
Naruto felt a sense of relief at Madara’s presence, but at the same time a great sense of fear welled up in his chest, before losing consciousness.
The horrifying chakra that had been overflowing from Naruto’s body gradually subsided, and Madara caught Naruto as he was about to fall backwards.
At the same time, Madara noticed Sasuke at his feet, and while supporting Naruto, he lowered his body and placed his hand on Sasuke’s neck, checking to see if he had a pulse.
He’ll wake up soon.
Once Naruto had calmed down and everyone was quiet, assessing the situation, Madara raised his voice to Kakashi.
“Gato and the others are heading this way! Kakashi! You hold off Zabuza. Sakura, take Tazuna and get away from the bridge quickly!”
“What? I didn’t hear anything.”
“……?”
The one who showed the biggest reaction to Madara’s words was Zabuza.
Madara turned his attention to Zabuza.
“Gato? Hey, who told you that?”
“Gato’s friends showed up at Tazuna’s house. I found out what they had to say.”
“…What’s going on? Hey, Shiro.”
“Yes, Zabuza-san.”
Zabuza called out to the boy standing near Naruto.
The boy had a cut on his forehead and blood was flowing from his face, and broken pieces of glass were scattered at his feet.
The boy called Shiro glanced at Naruto, who was being held by Madara, and the fallen Sasuke, then walked over to Zabuza.
His steps were a little awkward. Perhaps he had hurt his leg while getting caught up in Naruto’s rampage.
Suddenly, the sound of a crowd of footsteps began to be heard from the far end of the bridge.
A short, middle-aged man appears from the mist, accompanied by a large group of thugs.
The man was wearing a black suit and small round-rimmed sunglasses on his nose.
“Is it not over yet, Zabuza?”
“Gato, what are you planning?”
The man who just appeared seems to be Gato.
Zabuza asked Gato.
“The plan has changed a bit… What? I had planned to do it that way from the beginning.”
“I’ve come to eliminate you all,” Gato told Zabuza and the others.
Zabuza also looked at his employer, Gato, with anger in his eyes.
With Zabuza and his men suddenly falling out, Kakashi put away his weapon and listened to their exchange.
Zabuza listened to Gato babble on in frightening silence.
“I never had any intention of paying you guys in the first place. Ha, I heard you were the Hidden Mist demons, but you’re nothing more than this… just a cute little demon.”
“…Is that all you wanted to say?”
The sound of cutting through the wind echoes.
Someone behind Gato fired an arrow in the direction Zabuza and the others were.
Zabuza spread his arms in front of Haku and blocked the arrow.
Red blood dripped down from the tip of the arrow that had penetrated deep into the body.
The arrow stopped right in front of Shiro’s eyes.
“Zabuza-san!”
“Shiro, your legs are just a burden.”
“Za, Zabuza-san, I’m not there yet.”
“Hey Kakashi…we have no reason to target Tazuna now. The battle is over. Sorry, but could you please take care of this guy?”
“Zabuza…ahh.”
Zabuza shoved Shiro towards Kakashi.
Unable to keep his footing due to the pain in his leg, Shiro stumbled towards Kakashi.
“Hmph… Shall I let you find out if I’m a little demon?”
With movements that showed no sign of the injury to his arm, Zabuza readied his execution knife.
Gato frantically turned around to face his subordinates behind him and began attacking Zabuza.
However, before his minions could act, Zabuza was on his way, his large blade hitting Gato’s slender neck and digging deep into it.
Without even a moment to plead for his life with terrified eyes, the blade at his neck was mercilessly pulled out to the side, and Gato’s life came to an end.
Gato’s head falls onto the bridge with a thud.
Zabuza slowly turned towards the crowd.
Zabuza’s beheading knife was dripping with the blood of the gateau he had just cut off.
“…Who should go next?”
Zabuza’s voice seemed to resonate from deep within the ocean, causing the crowd to panic and flee from the bridge.
Gato had ruled the Land of Waves, but his end was an unexpected one.
Naruto woke up in the middle of the night that day.
He was back at Tazuna’s house, lying down in the room he rented.
“Sasuke!!”
Naruto remembered Sasuke lying on the bridge and jumped up.
I wonder what happened to Sasuke in his battle with Zabuza.
Naruto felt his heart beating rapidly and uncomfortably as he thought about the worst case scenario.
Why did I lose consciousness?
The last thing that stands out in my memory is Madara’s unusual form of Sharingan.
In the dimly lit room, Naruto hugged his arms tightly, closed his eyes tightly, and looked down.
“…Shut up, you lazy idiot.”
“! S-sure…?”
Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard.
When he quickly turned sideways, he saw Sasuke tossing and turning in his futon next to him.
He was alive. He was safe.
Naruto was stunned for a moment, then he felt a deep sense of relief.
He slowly looked around the room and saw Kakashi lying on Sasuke’s back and Madara on Naruto’s other side.
Kakashi raised one hand and waved it to show he was awake.
“Otchan, Kakashi-sensei…”
“Oh, Naruto, you’re awake now. Sorry but it’s late so I’ll tell you the story in the morning, so sleep a little longer.”
“Kakashi-sensei, is Sasuke okay?”
“It seems that the masked boy never intended to kill Sasuke in the first place. If he gets plenty of rest he’ll be fine.”
“I… I see. That’s good…”
Naruto collapsed onto his back onto the futon and pulled it back over him.
Everyone was safe. That was what reassured Naruto more than anything.
Naruto turned over in his sleep and faced Madara, who was also awake.
“Uncle.”
“…Even if you can’t sleep, at least close your eyes. If you make too much noise, Tazuna and the others will wake up.”
“Uncle, uncle. You see, I don’t really remember, but I think I was dreaming about something.”
“Just a little while before I go to sleep,” Naruto whispered.
“In my dream, I was at the academy. I told Shikamaru and the others that Mom and Dad would be waiting for me when I got home, so we tried to go home quickly, and as I was walking home…I didn’t actually see Mom and Dad’s faces, but it was a strange dream.”
Naruto muttered that in his dream he had taken it for granted that his parents would be waiting for him at home.
Kakashi and Sasuke were sleeping next to them, so they could hear the conversation.
“It was a really warm dream.”
Even when he walked around the village, no one looked at him strangely.
“That’s great. Do you want to see it again?”
“Hmm… that’s nice. It might be fun to see them again, but my uncle, Sasuke, Sakura-chan, and Kakashi-sensei are all here, so I’m fine.”
“…I see.”
Satisfied, Naruto spun around.
After that, he stopped saying anything, and after a while I could hear his regular breathing, so it seemed he had fallen asleep.
Madara was surprised at how easily he fell asleep, even though he had been sleeping just a moment ago, and he closed his eyes to try and fall asleep again.
It was a quiet night.
Madara woke up the next morning with a confused look on his face.
The sound of waves and the cries of sea lions can be heard from outside.
Madara slowly got up, pressed his temples and sighed.
For some reason, I had a dream in which my father, Tajima, appeared with clippers and scissors in both hands and tried to get us to match each other’s hairstyles.
Although it had been a long time since he had seen his father, Madara didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about the nightmare-like dream, and he woke up in the morning feeling strangely queasy.
Episode 14
As soon as Madara returned to the village from Wave Country, he and Kakashi were summoned by Hiruzen.
This was because he had accompanied Team 7 on a mission without the Hokage’s permission.
Hiruzen never expected Madara to just leave the village without saying anything, and he also never expected Kakashi to act in such a way, so a so-called debriefing meeting began in the Hokage’s office.
“Kakashi, I’m glad you returned safely. There’s no need for Tajima or anything to follow you.”
As for Madara, he was simply caught up in Team 7’s mission, but it was also his own decision to follow him.
Incidentally, he was originally Madara’s supervisor, but it seems he was frantically filling in for the mission he was originally scheduled to take while Madara was away from Wave Country.
Apparently, a request for a dumpling shop had been made specifically for Madara, so he was standing in the shop in his place the whole time.
Hiruzen told Kakashi to contact him beforehand if he took him out in the future, and this time he asked him about the situation in the Land of Waves.
Kakashi told Hiruzen about his battle with Zabuza, a missing-nin from Kirigakure, and asked him for one thing.
“I have told Zabuza and the boy he was with, Shiro, to come to the village.”
“And the reason is…”
Madara interrupts the exchange between Kakashi and Hiruzen.
“The Sharingan was seen by the boy. I’m sure Zabuza already knows. I’m calling him to the village to silence him.”
“Hokage-sama, Tajima-san is a member of the Uchiha clan. He’s the only surviving member other than Sasuke.”
“Hmm, so Kakashi has heard about Tajima as well. …Kakashi, please don’t tell anyone. Tajima wouldn’t want others to know about it either. So, when is he coming?”
“Of course. They will arrive in a week at the earliest. I would appreciate your permission to enter at that time.”
“…Um. I’ll do something about it. Also, does anyone else know anything about Tajima?”
“No, they’re the only ones. For now, anyway.”
Hiruzen thought that it would be best to have someone who knew a little about Zabuza and Haku at the gate.
In that case, they would have to choose from people who had been on guard against Madara in the past, but since the day wasn’t far away, they would have to check if there were any ninja who could leave early.
Hiruzen glanced at the clock.
As the next appointment was approaching, the report and debriefing meeting was adjourned for the time being, and Kakashi and Madara were kicked out of the Hokage’s office.
As they walked outside, Madara was thinking about something completely different.
(I’m sure there’s a lot of dust accumulated there…)
Although he wanted to rest as soon as he got home, unfortunately the room he shared with Naruto was in a complete mess because he had left in a hurry to return something he had forgotten.
The futon on my bed is still the same as when I woke up this morning.
I wanted to wash it or at least hang it outside, but I have no choice but to hold off for today. I can only hope that tomorrow will be sunny.
Naruto should have left first, but he probably wouldn’t have finished cleaning by then, so he waved back slightly to Kakashi, who raised his hand and said, “See you later,” and headed home.
After a long mission in Wave Country, Madara had returned to his normal life.
He spent his days peacefully completing low-ranking missions as usual, occasionally accompanying Naruto and Sasuke in their training, and listening to the complaints of his occasional teammate, the ninja who acted as a supervisor.
It seemed that the “Defeat the Old Man Club” had been officially formed among Naruto and his friends, and Naruto and Sasuke had decided that if they couldn’t defeat him individually, then they should attack as a team.
Madara is impressed that he is devoting himself to his training, but when he thinks that his goal is to defeat him, he is tempted to question whether that is really the best thing.
Sasuke was also serious about his training with Naruto, and when they fought in a real battle, he was desperately trying to read Madara’s movements while using his Sharingan, which was not fully assembled. He was also looking for an opening to attack every now and then, and Madara was amazed at how fast Sasuke was growing.
Madara stands in front of the dumpling shop as usual, having received a request from the store.
Her long hair is tied up in a ponytail, she has a triangular scarf around her head, and she wears a navy blue apron with the owner’s name embroidered on the left side of the chest.She watches the people passing by with an order slip in one hand.
When he returned from the Land of Waves and received a request for the first time in a long while, the store owner was worried about him and asked where he had been, while regular customers greeted him with welcome back.
The number of customers had calmed down for a while, and I was thinking about how to sell the remaining dumplings when I heard a familiar voice and turned in that direction.
Sakura was standing a short distance away. She was wearing a forehead protector, so it seemed she had just finished her mission.
“Hello, Tajima-san.”
“Sakura?”
“So this is the dumpling shop where Tajima-san is being assigned.”
Sakura walked towards Madara and looked up at the sign.
“Is the mission over now?”
“Yes. It seems that Kakashi-sensei is busy, so he finished early today. Sasuke-kun is going somewhere with Naruto…”
Sakura sighed with a sad look on her face.
Sakura’s feelings for Sasuke were well known while accompanying him on a mission in Wave Country.
Sasuke is likely aware of Sakura’s feelings, but since he pretends not to notice, it will likely be a tough road for her love to come to fruition.
Although Sasuke does have a cold attitude, he does sometimes ask Madara if he has seen Sakura lately and how she is, so he does seem to care about her.
“What have you two been doing lately?”
“It’s training. To defeat me.”
“Eh, Tajima-san? Why did you do that again?”
“I don’t know, but it just happened.”
When Madara told Sakura what Naruto and the others were doing, she blinked in surprise.
While Sakura was convinced that this was the case, she also felt a little lonely in the back of her mind.
(I’m in the same group as Sasuke and Naruto)
Both Naruto and Sasuke are striving to reach greater heights.
Kakashi, the Jounin in charge, is a renowned ninja with a nickname, Sasuke is so skilled that he is rumored to be the number one rookie, and Naruto is also getting stronger by training every day.
With people like that in the group, what should Sakura aim for? She was worried that she would end up holding back the group 7 if things continued as they were, due to her experience in Wave Country.
“Tajima-san, you’re strong…”
“Did you say something?”
“No. By the way, were the dumplings I had a while ago from here?”
“ah”
“It was delicious.”
Madara had noticed Sakura looking a little depressed, but when he changed the subject, Sakura’s expression brightened.
Thinking that she had only imagined it, Sakura and I continued to chat, when the elderly woman who owned the shop beckoned her in and invited her to sit inside, then placed a cup of tea and a piece of mitarashi dango on the table in front of her.
The sauce was glistening and the dumplings were small and rolled into bite-sized pieces, whetting Sakura’s appetite.
The shop owner smiled at Sakura.
“Hello. Do you know Tajima-san? If you don’t mind, please take your time.”
“Oh, I can’t have this much!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Young people are great. They eat a lot.”
“…Thank you! I love the dumplings here.”
Sakura bowed her head vigorously in thanks, and the shopkeeper was so captivated that she burst out smiling.
The owner of this place is quite laid back.
As he has gotten older he can no longer carry heavy things, so he has started asking Sato to help out at the store.
Apparently she was once a kunoichi, but was injured when she was young and retired due to that reason, and has been running a sweet shop ever since.
When the shop was quiet, Madara would often listen to old stories.
Apparently she had a son, but he died in the last war, and she also has grandsons, who come to help out occasionally, but she wants them to focus on their studies, so she asks them to live in the village.
Madara, who happened to have some free time on his hands, picked up the request, and since then, Madara’s team has been in charge of the dumpling shop missions, as it would be better to have someone who knows the area rather than a different person coming every time.
Sakura reaches for the skewer.
He then brought it to his mouth, took a bite, and his eyes lit up.
The freshly baked dumplings will be delicious.
While Sakura was eating, customers began to show up at the restaurant one by one.
Sakura watched Madara deal with the situation while sipping tea.
Customers of all ages, including girls around Sakura’s age, visit the place.
Sakura couldn’t really imagine Madara working in a shop given his appearance, so she was a little amused to see him showing people around with surprising ease.
A ninja who showed overwhelming strength in the Land of Waves is selling dumplings.
Is there anyone who doesn’t feel a gap?
The funny thing is, I have become completely accustomed to this dumpling shop.
As I watched them pay the bill, I noticed that the girl who received the package, along with her friend, kept glancing at Madara’s face.
He watched as they finished paying the bill and left the store, and they both looked excited as they whispered to each other with their hands over their mouths and smiling.
(…Ah, I see, maybe the kids these days are after Tajima-san.)
With that in mind, Sakura enjoyed her dango.
On my way out, I was given some dumplings as a souvenir.
A few more days passed as Madara carried out his usual missions, and when he returned home after completing another job today, he noticed a piece of paper on the table.
As I was staring intently at the paper, Naruto popped his head out from the bedroom.
“Welcome back, uncle!”
“Ah, I’m back. …The Chunin Selection Exam?”
“Um! Um, uncle, can I take it?”
“Well, that’s fine.”
Madara replied appropriately and Naruto jumped happily and picked up the paper.
Then he suddenly looked up at Madara with a smug look on his face, puffed out his chest and said:
“My uncle and I are having a contest to see who can become the first! So, so, starting tomorrow, we’ll all be gathering at the academy!”
“? …I have no intention of taking the exam.”
“Eh! Why?!”
Seeing Naruto’s expression as if he was going to take the test together with him, Madara immediately became suspicious and shook his head.
Naruto looked very surprised and his eyes widened as he looked at Madara.
“Whatever, the exams are held jointly with other countries. There’s no way I can go to a place where I don’t know what kind of people will show up. And I don’t have any intention of joining in anyway.”
“That’s true, but…but Otchan, if we keep doing that we’ll just be doing the same missions over and over again. Plus, we might be able to fight stronger opponents!”
“…I don’t really expect strength from those who come to take the test.”
“Don’t say such unkind things.”
Naruto looked disappointed as he put the paper away in his usual jacket pocket. If he forgot it he wouldn’t be able to take part in the exam.
The exam was apparently tomorrow, but Madara had heard about it beforehand, and his supervisor had told him that if he wanted to take it he could ask the Hokage, but he had refused, saying he wasn’t interested.
Apparently, the exam is basically a team system, so if I were to take the exam, I would be paired with people I didn’t know. I didn’t feel like I could get along with strangers.
“Don’t be late.”
“It’s not like I’m Kakashi-sensei, it’s fine.”
I’ve noticed that there are a lot of faces I haven’t seen around the village lately, but it’s only natural that people will be gathering as the event approaches.
Most of the participants have already arrived in the village.
Regardless of whether he would become a chunin or not, Madara simply prayed that the exam would go smoothly.
Episode 15
“Tch, another Heavenly Book?”
“Oh come on! This is the fourth one! Do the Books of the Earth really exist?”
Sasuke searched the pocket of the ninja who had fallen to the ground, took out a scroll and looked at it, then clicked his tongue.
Naruto crouched down and clutched his head again, while Sakura, who was nearby, watched the exchange with a twitching look on her face.
“Hey Naruto, let’s move on. Next is that formation.”
“Hmm, I guess! Let’s try out different ones, Sasuke!”
(…Aren’t they both pretty strong?)
The second test of the Chunin Exams was a survival battle to retrieve a scroll in the Forest of Death near the village.
Scrolls of Heaven and Earth were distributed to each participating team, and Naruto’s team received the Book of Heaven.
To pass the second test, they had to obtain the companion Book of the Earth within the deadline of five days.
At the same time that Sakura and her friends have to do this, the team that has the Book of Earth needs to obtain the Book of Heaven, and the teams are fighting each other to eliminate each other.
In contrast to Sakura, who seemed fearful and not knowing when or where she might be attacked, Naruto and Sasuke looked full of enthusiasm even before the event had begun, and Sakura had assumed they would go and retrieve the scroll while hiding, but Sasuke and Naruto stomped through the forest looking for the other groups as if that was the natural thing to do.
Sakura was drawn in by the two’s natural, synchronized movements and followed along, but when they spotted the other squad, they mercilessly went after the scrolls.
The opposing team looked down on Naruto and Sasuke, thinking they were just rookies who had just graduated from the academy, but Naruto saw this as an opportunity and pretended to be clumsy as he threw a shuriken, which fell short and the opposing team chuckled to themselves. At some point, Sasuke had crept up on them and mercilessly blocked the enemy’s movements.
While his opponent was surprised by Sasuke, Naruto used his shadow clones to close in and restrict his movements, and while Sakura was stunned, the two of them skillfully snatched the scroll away.
She knew that the two of them often got together after missions to train, but when she thought that their current actions were all a result of a countermeasure against that genin, Sakura felt the corners of her mouth twitch even more.
Madara had never thought that Naruto would never come home even once in the several days since he had gone to take the Chunin Exams, and he had been waiting for Naruto to return without realizing it until he passed Kakashi on his way home from a mission.
Kakashi told Madara that everyone would be taking the second exam by now.
It had already been four days since the Chunin Exams began.
Realizing that he was running out of detergent, Madara went out shopping, but after finishing his errands he suddenly felt like stopping by a dumpling shop, so for some reason he went in front of the store.
As I walked past the store to see what was going on inside, the owner came staggering out from the back, leaning on a cane.
The shop owner looked up at Madara and said, “Oh my,” and greeted him in a gentle tone, to which Madara replied in the same way. However, when he asked what was wrong, as he was walking differently than usual, it turned out he had hurt his knee.
“I’m getting old, you know… I actually wanted to go to my grandfather’s grave today, but this is what happened when I woke up this morning…”
Apparently, every year on the anniversary of his death he would go to offer flowers and rice dumplings, but he said that something had been wrong with his knee since this morning and he couldn’t walk for long distances.
The store appears to be open, but today it appears they are only selling takeaway food.
Madara had no particular business after that, and since the owner had always been kind to him, he said he would go and offer flowers in his place. The shop owner blinked, wondering if it was okay, and asked again.
The flowers had already been prepared and were placed on a shelf near the entrance of the shop, and it was clear that the shop owner, despite his painful knee, had been debating whether or not to go until just before Madara arrived.
I was told that it was possible to carry it, but I was told that I would be going with my grandchildren at a later date and that it would be enough if I could just offer flowers today.
Madara received a note from the shop owner with the location of the grave and the name of her late husband written on it, and headed to the cemetery.
On the way to the cemetery, Madara spotted a familiar figure.
It was Kakashi, the Jounin in charge of Naruto and the others. They seemed to be heading towards the outskirts of the village, but on the other side was a training ground.
Whenever I met him in the village, he was always carrying a novel in one hand, but today he had a serious expression on his face and was walking with a relaxed gait.
Madara was concerned about Kakashi’s unusual behavior, but he pushed it to the back of his mind for the time being and decided to head to the cemetery to fulfill his original purpose without calling out to him.
When I arrived at the cemetery, I finally found the grave I had found using my notes, and tried to place flowers on it. Looking closer, I could see that dust had started to accumulate on the grave.
Madara bent over and picked up the dry cloth he had been holding, then lightly ran it over the surface of the gravestone, wiping off the dirt.
Madara saw the year engraved on the tombstone and realized that the couple had likely run a dumpling shop until just a few years ago.
Flowers are gently placed on the cleaned tombstone.
I wonder if the flowers will still be in bloom by the time the owner and his grandson arrive.
Madara glanced at the gravestone and then quietly walked away.
Pass through the torii gate at the entrance to the cemetery and exit the grounds.
Returning to the path where he had passed Kakashi, Madara turned in the direction he had gone.
I’ve never stopped there, but I’m sure there is a training ground and a memorial ahead.
As I walked slowly, perhaps because of the time of day, I could not find anyone around the memorial monument at the training ground, except for the scarecrow. In the first place, it may not be a place where many people stop by.
The sound of leaves rustling in the wind echoes throughout the area.
When Madara walked up next to Kakashi, Kakashi, who had been looking down at the memorial, raised his head slightly.
“…Hi Tajima-san, are you here to pray for someone too?”
Only Kakashi’s eyes glanced towards Madara.
Since I had no particular reason to lie, I replied that I just happened to see him and came over, and Kakashi replied in a listless voice, “Is that so?”
Kakashi’s gaze was removed from Madara and dropped to a point on the memorial monument.
Madara followed his gaze and looked down, finding a familiar surname.
Apparently this memorial monument lists the names of ninjas who died in the line of duty, and even though there are many of them, I easily found the name of my kindred spirit among them.
“Uchiha Obito”
It was a name that Kakashi had muttered while talking with him in Wave Country some time ago.
“Uchiha Obito, huh? You mentioned that name in the Land of Waves.”
“Did you hear me? Obito is my best friend… Now that I think about it, Tajima-san, I’m sure you asked me who these eyes belong to.”
“……ah”
“It was Obito’s. He had a personality very similar to Naruto’s. He said he wanted to become Hokage. People around him said he was a loser despite being a member of the Uchiha clan.”
“So that’s Uchiha Obito. He looks like Naruto, huh… I see.”
There have always been people with all kinds of personalities within the clan, but when the guards were asked, their impressions of the Uchiha were the complete opposite of Kakashi’s assessment of Uchiha Obito.
One of the guards had said that the Uchiha were an elite family.
Sasuke has the talent to be called the number one rookie this season, and according to reports, his older brother Itachi is also quite talented.
Apparently Hiruzen once had a colleague named Kagami, and I’ve heard that he was also an excellent ninja.
As Madara gazed intently at the memorial, Kakashi continued speaking.
“Like Naruto and the others, I used to be in the same squad as Obito and received missions as a Foreman Cell member. Obito gave me these eyes as a gift when I was promoted to Jonin when I turned twelve.”
“…A celebration for your inauguration?”
Madara felt something was off and repeated Kakashi’s words.
Thinking he had misheard, Madara asked again.
“Inauguration celebration?”
“Yes. It seems he didn’t have anything else prepared. It was his first mission after becoming a Jonin. That day, Obito awakened his Sharingan, and while shielding me he got caught in a rockfall…and in the end he left his eye behind.”
I hadn’t heard wrong.
Madara wondered how they had ended up being caught in a rockfall and wondered when Kakashi was talking about, and remembered that it was still in the middle of the Third Shinobi World War.
Since the day when he shared his wish with Hashirama that the children would not die and that they would be able to protect those who needed to be protected, despite many twists and turns, they took each other’s hands and formed a village, and yet war broke out.
It seems that conflict is an inseparable part of human history.
The boy Obito trusted Kakashi and likely entrusted him with his own Sharingan, believing that he would use it well.
However, the Sharingan is a celebration of promotion to Jonin.
If it had been embedded in his left eye since he was about the same age as Naruto and the others, then his fighting style would certainly rely on the Sharingan, Madara thought back to his time in the Land of Waves.
(I see, so that’s “Kakashi with the Sharingan”?)
However, given the amount of chakra Kakashi had, he should have had the option of not using the Sharingan.
It’s unlikely that he was unaware of the risks of using the Sharingan until recently.
The fact that he has a nickname that is well known among ninja from other villages means that he has come this far using a fighting style that makes use of the Sharingan.
Kakashi was surely the target of many looks: resentment, jealousy, expectations, responsibility.
Kakashi certainly had the option of letting go, but he didn’t, and it seems he had a reason for having to use the Sharingan.
Somehow Madara remembered Kakashi’s thoughts, and gently closed his own eyes, which were also Izuna’s eyes, then slowly opened them.
“…You’re using the Sharingan to mourn your friend, right?”
“I… want to see the world with my own eyes for him. The scenery from now on is what he was meant to see.”
“But even so, if you fall, he will be at peace. I don’t know what burden you feel, but once you’re on the battlefield, it doesn’t matter if you’re an adult or a child. Uchiha Obito’s fate was simply limited to that point. I don’t think he entrusted his trust to you with high expectations.”
“But even so… I couldn’t keep my promise to her.”
Not only Kakashi, but each and every member of Team 7 is carrying something. Madara knows very well that Kakashi is a very talented ninja, but it also seems that Kakashi is already carrying a heavy burden, and that he is entrusting Sasuke, Naruto, and the rest of the village too much to him.
Madara doesn’t know much about Kakashi’s daily life. All he knows is that he walks around the village in the middle of the day with an erotic novel in hand, is repeatedly late for missions but shows no sign of regret, and while he seems to have some rough edges, he is very considerate of his team members.
Suddenly Madara realized that he had never seen or heard of anyone who seemed to be Kakashi’s friend.
Obito is deceased, but if he was a Forman cell, there would have been another squad member, and also a Jonin in charge, like Kakashi is now.
What was the promise he couldn’t keep with Obito?
“I wanted you to meet Tajima-san too. He looks a lot like Naruto. I’m sure you don’t dislike people like that, Tajima-san.”
“When I think that there’s someone like him other than Naruto, it seems like things will get out of hand.”
“There are certainly two Narutos around…that guy? Is he the one from the village?”
“He’s a guy I’ve known for a long time. Although we’re quite far apart now.”
Hashirama’s face flashed through his mind.
Who is the one in the distance, Madara or Hashirama?
Between Madara and Hashirama stands the wall of time.
Kakashi would never have the slightest idea that the person Madara was talking about with whom he had a long-standing friendship was Senju Hashirama, the first Hokage.
“The second test will be over tomorrow. Whatever the outcome, they’ll be coming back.”
“Haa, it’s getting noisy again.”
Even though ninja from other villages are coming and going from the village during this Chunin Exam, everyday life in the village continues to go on peacefully as usual.
On these very peaceful days, I feel uneasy, as if something big is about to happen.
Madara continued to stare at the names engraved on the memorial, harboring a suspicion that this balance of peace would one day be upset.
Episode 16
It was one afternoon.
On his way home from a mission that finished early, Madara spotted Kakashi and Sasuke walking towards him from the end of the street.
Although it was the Chunin Exams, Naruto and the rest of Team 7 had successfully passed the second test.
It seemed they had noticed Madara as well, and all three of them looked up at the same time.
“Isn’t that Tajima-san? What a coincidence.”
“An old man?”
“…Kakashi and Sasuke?”
When Sasuke called him “old man”, he shut his mouth in annoyance.
Naruto had told Sasuke that a stranger had set his sights on him during the second exam. Apparently, he’d managed to evade the attacker during the exam, but since he didn’t know when he’d be targeted again, Kakashi had been staying by Sasuke’s side almost all the time.
The third exam was just one month away, and Naruto and Sasuke, who had made it through the preliminaries, were each training in preparation for the upcoming main tournament.
It seems that Kakashi will be looking after Sasuke, and Madara will be training Naruto in the evenings when he has the time.
Madara had been watching the two of them train recently, but if their tricks were revealed when they faced off in the main battle, it would be no fun for either of them. It also seemed like Kakashi had something he wanted to teach Sasuke, so Madara left it up to Sasuke to decide on his training until the main battle.
As a result, he ended up learning from Kakashi.
Kakashi suddenly spoke as if he had remembered something.
“Tajima-san, are you good at taijutsu as well? I was surprised at how much better Sasuke’s movements were than before. Everyone in the preliminaries were saying they didn’t expect a kid who had only just become a genin to be able to move to that extent.”
“I see. Sasuke has good muscles, so if he trains a bit more he should get better.”
“But you know, Sasuke. It’s nice to be praised.”
“S-stop teasing me!”
Kakashi’s hand swiftly reaches over Sasuke’s head.
Sasuke shook off Kakashi’s hand that was trying to pat his head, but both of his ears were red.
Kakashi paid no attention to being shaken off and looked down at Sasuke with a grin.
?Are you the one who should be so cocky? Right now, I feel like we can easily take Suzu from you.?
“Hahaha, I wonder about that. Shall we try it next time?”
“The bell catcher…ah, the one with the Millennium Killer.”
“Tajima-san?”
“You did it to Naruto. Like this… the one who made the Tiger Seal.”
“! it is”
Madara imitated the Millennium Killing Seal that Naruto still practices from time to time.
Sometimes when he was sparring with Naruto, he would try to use it. It seemed like he really wanted to get revenge on Kakashi.
Sadly, after watching Naruto’s movements many times, Madara had come to understand how, with minimal movement, he could get behind his opponent, crouch down and perform the Tiger Seal.
He doesn’t want to brag, but he’s confident he can do it better than Naruto.
Madara regretted his own good eyesight, thinking that the new martial art he had learned after living to this age was the Millennium Kill, and that you never know what’s going to happen in life.
Kakashi opened his uncovered right eye wide and began to tremble as he looked at Madara.
“Tajima-san… I never thought you would be a master of the Millennium Kill technique, too.”
“No it’s not!”
“Opsssss… haa.”
Madara denied Kakashi’s words with all his might, and Sasuke, who was standing next to Kakashi, sighed as if he wanted to say it was pointless.
“Now now, please don’t deny it like that. That’s right, this is a rare opportunity…”
Kakashi rummaged through his bag and handed a book to Madara.
Kakashi looked down at the book in his hands and saw a picture of a man chasing a woman.
Madara read out the title of the book.
“Flirting in Paradise? Sorry, but this kind of book…”
“Please don’t say that. Tajima-san and I are close, aren’t we? Just think that you’ve been tricked, okay…?
“What kind of relationship are you on about? I don’t read this kind of stuff anyway.”
“We are fellow masters of Naruto and Sasuke, right? Give it a read, you won’t regret it.”
“Hey, stop it, Kakashi. Look at that old man’s face.”
Sasuke shook his head, trying to stop Kakashi.
From the title of the book and the fact that Kakashi was carrying it around, it was clear that it was a series of erotic novels that he usually read.
Madara stared at the book, then furrowed his brow and looked at Kakashi with a disdainful look, but Kakashi paid no attention to his gaze and handed the book to Madara once more.
“Tajima-san, please.”
“……Understood”
“Stop the scarecrow, old man?”
As Madara reluctantly accepted the book, Sasuke looked up with an expression of disbelief and shock.
Even Madara didn’t want to accept it, but the fact that he strongly recommended it even after Sasuke told him to, suggests that Kakashi thought it was a good novel.
As for Madara and Kakashi, Madara is currently both Naruto’s guardian and teacher, and he also accompanied him to Wave Land, so their relationship is not just that of strangers.
This may also be Kakashi’s way of compromise.
He felt that he would be wasting the kindness of the Jounin in charge of looking after Naruto, so he reluctantly accepted it.
Madara carefully placed the title of the book inside the bag where he kept his ninja tools, so that others would not see it.
Sasuke’s black eyes were fixed intently on Madara.
(…Sasuke gives me a cold look)
When Madara returned home, he sat down in a chair in the dining room, picked up the book he had borrowed from Kakashi and looked at the cover.
“Flirty Paradise” is a title that would never have been seen in Madara’s original time.
While I was wondering whether to let it in or not, I heard footsteps outside and the front door opened.
“Occhan, I’m back. I brought the Ero-sennin you mentioned yesterday…huh? Hmm?”
“…”
“…Uncle, what is that?”
The front door was opened with a clang, and Madara, holding a book in one hand, turned towards the direction of Naruto’s voice.
Naruto’s eyes were fixed on the book in his hands.
When Naruto noticed that there was no cover on the book, with the title of the novel exposed in its entirety, he opened his mouth in surprise and pointed.
“Ah! That’s it! It’s the same as Kakashi-sensei! So the old man was reading it too!”
“No.”
“You’ve been saying so much about Kakashi-sensei! I’ve been reading it too!”
“No, this is Kakashi.”
“What’s the matter, Otchan? I’m not telling you not to read it, you know? But, I wish you’d at least hide it.”
“That’s why I said it’s not Kakashi’s, you idiot.”
“Um, Kakashi-sensei’s?”
When Madara said that Kakashi had recommended it to him, Naruto nodded in disbelief.
A visitor who had been watching Madara and Naruto’s exchange cleared his throat exaggeratedly.
Hearing the voice, Naruto remembered that he had brought someone with him, so he hurriedly brought the person inside the house and finally closed the front door.
Madara put the book on the table and stood up, staring intently at his visitor.
Naruto remembered that he had met the man during the day recently, and that the man had become interested in Naruto’s roommate, so Madara had asked if he could meet him and asked him to bring him over.
He is a middle-aged man with long white hair and dark circles around his face, younger than the Hokage Hiruzen.
The man glanced at the book Madara had set down and showed a satisfied look, then quickly looked back at Madara with a serious expression.
“Thank you Ero-sennin. Let me introduce you. This is my uncle.”
“Otchan, I’m Jiraiya. May I ask your name?”
“It’s Tajima. It seems Naruto has been taken care of recently… at the hot spring town.”
The man with a wart on his face and a large scroll hanging from his back said his name was Jiraiya. Madara looked at Jiraiya intently, then quietly hid the book he had borrowed from Kakashi with a flyer on the table.
Madara and Jiraiya exchanged searching looks, and Naruto, caught in the middle, looked back and forth between the two of them, wondering what was going on.
Jiraiya turned his eyes to the book Madara had hidden, then let out a snort and laughed.
“Wow, I can’t believe I have readers even in a place like this!”
“……teeth?”
“What? You don’t have to hide it! I don’t choose my readers!”
“…What are you talking about?”
Madara narrowed his eyes and gave Jiraiya a look that questioned his sanity.
Jiraiya said this intentionally to poke fun at the situation, but Madara seemed to take it at face value. When Madara tried to say that it wasn’t true, Jiraiya laughed back and said there was no need to be embarrassed.
Jiraiya laughed heartily, but deep down he was very suspicious of Madara.
Jiraiya also knows about Naruto’s origins, which are kept secret within the village.
He was acquainted with Naruto’s parents, and his father was one of his students.
Naruto had never met the man he called Otchan, and he had never heard of any relatives or acquaintances like him on Naruto’s father’s side. They didn’t look alike at all, and it was easy to guess that they were complete strangers. Jiraiya groaned in his heart, feeling a mysterious sense of déjà vu.
(I haven’t met him before, but he’s somewhere… No, that can’t be. There shouldn’t be any “Uchiha” in the village, apart from one.)
If there were still people alive after that incident, it would be natural for someone other than Sasuke, the only survivor, to know his name.
It’s possible that he isn’t an Uchiha, but there’s no way that an ordinary human would be by Naruto’s side, or the Nine Tails, Jiraiya thought to himself.
And a certain scene came to Jiraiya’s mind.
The Valley of the End is where the First Hokage and a large stone statue stood facing him. For some reason, the appearance of the man in front of him seemed to closely resemble the stone statue erected opposite the First Hokage.
(Maybe it’s because of the color of his hair and eyes, but he looks just like an Uchiha. Does Naruto know?)
Jiraiya glanced over at Naruto, pretending to smile.
Judging from Naruto’s behavior, their relationship doesn’t seem bad, in fact it seems good.
Judging from the complete lack of caution, Naruto also seemed to know some of the situation.
Who was letting them live there and why? Was it an arrangement by Hiruzen, who was also his master?
It was also unusual for a ninja of that age to show no particular reaction upon hearing Jiraiya’s name.
(…It seems Naruto is studying under this guy. I thought his chakra was a bit rough for someone who graduated from the academy, but I see, it’s Tajima after all.)
As Naruto tried to turn over the flyer on top of the hidden book, Madara quickly stopped him with his hand.
Naruto’s shoulders shook in shock as his palm was grabbed with a slap.
“Whaaat?! Otchan, you don’t need to be so desperate!”
“noisy”
It is easy to imagine that such exchanges take place regularly in the natural conversation between the two of them.
Jiraiya had suspected the existence of a man named “Tajima,” but as he watched the two of them talk to each other, he realized that his fears were unfounded, and the doubts that had arisen in his heart were dispelled.
“So, about that sexy technique of Naruto, are you the one teaching him?”
“Sex appeal technique? …Naruto, I told you not to use it, right?”
“Wah! Wah! Don’t tell this to the old man, Ero-sennin!”
They were a lively bunch, Jiraiya thought.
Episode 17
As the night breeze blew, Madara picked up the kunai and shuriken scattered around the training grounds.
Naruto had also gone into the nearby bushes and was gathering up some of the ninja tools that had flown off into the distance.
Today is a beautiful moonlit night.
Even without squinting, the surrounding scenery was clearly visible.
I wonder how many days it’s been since my nighttime training with Naruto since the Chunin Exams.
Naruto pushed his way through the grass and returned to the square.
Once they were sure they were done cleaning up, the two of them headed home.
Since it was night, the two walked quietly towards the center of the village.
The day of the main tournament is approaching. Naruto’s opponent is apparently Neji Hyuga, a boy from the Hyuga clan.
In times of war, the Uchiha clan often fought with the Senju clan, but not all of their enemies were members of the Senju clan. Madara has also fought with other clans.
The Hyuga clan’s Byakugan is famous for its ability to see all around and see chakra pathways, but the clan also excels in martial arts that make use of this ability.
The head of the family’s child is apparently a girl named Hyuga Hinata, a classmate of Naruto’s who would sometimes watch over him from the shadows, but in the main tournament he will be facing a boy named Hyuga Neji, who is her relative.
To be honest, it would be difficult to say whether Naruto would be able to hold his own against the Hyuga clan, who excel in martial arts, with his current abilities.
Naruto also trains seriously, but perhaps due to a difference in their initial senses, Sasuke, who started looking after him later, is an overwhelmingly quicker learner. He sometimes watches Madara’s movements with his Sharingan, but he is able to incorporate them into his own movements. However, Madara thinks that Naruto is worse at giving up than anyone else. Naruto’s strengths were his determination and tenacity to never give up.
I’m on my way home and I’m almost home.
There was a faint sound of the air shaking.
Madara’s long-held senses inexplicably stirred up a sense of unease. In the quiet night when everyone was asleep, he thought he heard a faint but unfamiliar sound. It sounded like crumbling rubble, or something being scraped.
Madara stopped awkwardly and Naruto turned to look at him, wondering what was wrong.
“Hey, where are you?”
“…Naruto, you go home first. Hey, you’re still there.”
Madara called out, heading towards a dark alleyway in the shadow of a building, where a ninja was standing guard over him.
The man on guard duty slowly appeared, and exchanged glances with Madara, who turned back towards the alley. Of the several guards on duty, the man was a few years older than Madara.
Madara rarely called for someone to watch over him when he was with Naruto, and Naruto’s eyes widened in surprise when the man appeared, wondering if Madara was still being watched.
Madara walked over to the guard and leaned his face close to his ear and whispered.
“I have a bad feeling about this. You get Naruto home safely, okay?”
“I, I’m your supervisor. I can’t leave you. And what do you mean by unpleasant presence?”
“Humph, you haven’t even noticed. You should know who should take priority, me or the jinchuriki. If you’re a ninja of the village, that is.”
“it is”
“I’m just looking around, I’ll be back soon.”
“Tajima, what are you doing? Hey! You’re gone…Taku, I’m not the only one who’s going to get a scolding from the Hokage.”
Madara leapt onto the roof and ran off in one go, disappearing from sight.
The guard looked at Madara, who had disappeared from sight, his face turning pale and he held his head with one hand.
Naruto called out to the supervisor with a serious look on his face.
“Hey, supervisor uncle.”
“What is it, Uzumaki Naruto?”
“It’s okay. I’ll be back soon. You’ve never broken a promise with grandpa, have you?”
“The Land of Waves… well, I guess that can’t be helped. That’s right. Anyway, Uzumaki Naruto, let’s go home.”
“Ou”
The supervisor followed behind Naruto as he began to walk.
The only thing worrying them was what that unpleasant presence Madara was talking about, and they hoped that he would return soon.
Madara runs through the village at night.
I crawled along the roofs toward the sound, and when I got close enough, I hid myself and headed in that direction.
Currently, many ninja from other villages have come to the village to take the Chunin Exams.
For example, if there was someone plotting something, there couldn’t have been a better situation to sneak into the village without arousing suspicion than right now.
He was also concerned about the suspicious people targeting Sasuke and the person Naruto mentioned about the second test.
(…Is Sasuke the target? Surely that’s not all. Even if they didn’t come at the time of a major event, they could have sent a small elite force to target Sasuke at any time.)
There must be a reason for it to coincide with the Chunin Exams.
Is their target the village of Konoha itself? Since they’re not targeting Naruto, it’s obvious that the tailed beasts aren’t their goal, but what is their purpose in doing so?
It seemed like the fighting had stopped, but it turned out to be only a temporary ceasefire after all.
Madara carefully heads to his destination, trying not to be spotted by anyone.
This area is near the border. The only people around here right now are probably participants from outside the village.
Gradually he sensed a chakra reaction, and saw a shadow moving a few dozen meters ahead. Quickly hiding in the shadow of a building, Madara slowly closed in on the figure, trying to stay silent.
On the roof just above, two ninja… no, three were facing each other.
The faint conversation exuded a tense atmosphere.
(I thought something was going to happen in this Chunin Exam. Are those at the top our ninja who were keeping an eye on the rats? They don’t seem to be Anbu. So, those rats…)
As Madara strained his ears to eavesdrop on the conversation, he heard the sound of a blade sliding. Someone unsheathing their sword.
The sound of someone running and then a muffled voice soon followed.
Sensing the hostile chakra, Madara stopped hiding and threw a smoke bomb that happened to be mixed in with his training gear towards the roof.
Then, his eye color instantly changes as he runs up.
“Who is that?! What is this? Cough cough.”
“Damn, there’s still a mouse! What!? What’s this, the picture…”
The enemy seemed unaware of Madara’s presence, and as ash flew about, Madara used a genjutsu on the two to hold them back, then he put his right arm around the injured Konoha ninja’s shoulder and supported him as he left the scene.
He could hear heavy breathing and confused voices in his ears, but he wasn’t about to let them stop him in his tracks.
The two of them cast a simple genjutsu on them, saying that they had “eliminated the Konoha ninja who was searching”, but if there were any other spies, it would soon become clear that they had failed to eliminate the ninja.
(That forehead protector is from Sand and Konoha. Who is that guy, the Konoha man who was a ninja from Sand Hidden?)
A young man with white hair and glasses, wearing a forehead protector from Konohagakure.
There is a spy in the village.
What is their purpose, has Hiruzen already realized?
“You, cough cough… who are you, cough cough cough?”
“Shut up or I’ll bite my tongue. We’re heading straight to the Hokage residence.”
Wherever he touched it, he could feel a gradual, damp heat seeping into his clothes.
This is not the first time Madara has carried a seriously injured person.
With this amount of bleeding, every second counts.
Once they entered the center of the village, Madara moved to a street where he could be easily seen. The place where he had separated from the guards was close to Naruto’s house.
The man on guard duty would likely send Naruto off quickly and then start searching for Madara.
By now the supervisor had contacted Hiruzen to inform him that Madara had disobeyed orders and was acting on his own, and the other staff had probably been informed and several people were now searching for him.
Madara ran deliberately under the moonlight, telling himself to just find him quickly, no matter who it was.
Thanks to that, I soon came face to face with the man I had parted ways with earlier.
“Tajima! You’re finally back… Hayate?! Tajima, what do you mean? What happened?”
“I’ll transport him to the Hokage residence, I’ll explain the details later. You gather the medical team, we don’t have much time.”
“Tell me about it later. I’ll send clones to the medical team. You can’t explain it by yourself.”
Madara usually wears dark clothing, but the blood of the man called Hayate was thickly on his body and he could smell a strong blood scent.
Judging by Hayate’s condition, there was no room for further explanation. If Madara was alone, he might arouse unnecessary suspicion from the Anbu who were waiting in the Hokage Mansion.
The guard skillfully created a clone, and after making sure that it was heading in a different direction from the Hokage Mansion, he ran towards the Hokage Mansion. Madara followed behind the guard and ran towards the Hokage Mansion again.
During the day, as Naruto was walking towards the hot spring town where Jiraiya was, he heard Kakashi call out to him from behind and turned around.
“Hey Naruto. Tajima-san, are you back?”
“Good morning, Kakashi-sensei. What’s that yet?”
“Is that so? I thought you’d be about done reading it by now, so I carried the rest with me.”
“It’s a shame we can’t meet,” Kakashi continued.
Naruto wasn’t even sure if he was reading it in the first place, but he kept quiet.
Kakashi was holding a novel titled “Icha Icha Paradise Volume 2” in one hand and his shoulders slumped in disappointment.
Madara, however, has not returned home even though it has been five days since they went their separate ways that night.
He had heard from the ninja in charge that it was taking some time due to questioning and the like, but Naruto was gradually growing worried that it would really take that many days.
Naruto had just finished his training and was on his way home as usual when Madara suddenly started gazing into the distance with a calm look in his eyes, which made Naruto feel a chill run down his spine.
“I wonder what she and Grandpa were talking about…”
Naruto’s murmurs faded into the air.
A crow flew through the sky, and a shadow passed by the feet of Naruto and Kakashi.
Naruto looked up to the sky, not noticing that Kakashi’s eyes were fixed on his mouth.
That evening after Naruto and Kakashi had this exchange, before Naruto had returned from Jiraiya’s house, a figure was seen climbing the stairs of the apartment.
Madara was allowed outside for the first time in five days.
He climbs the stairs with a furrowed brow and visible signs of fatigue.
(It took five days because the man named Gekkou Hayate took so long to wake up…)
After reaching Hiruzen, Madara was surrounded by the Anbu who had been waiting in the Hokage’s mansion, just as the guards had feared.
Although he told them that he needed immediate treatment, the suspicious men were not so quick to open their doors, and if Hiruzen did not show up while the guard was explaining, there was a chance that Hayate would not be able to be treated in time.
Hayate managed to survive, but so much time had passed while he was being interrogated about why Madara had taken an injured Hayate and why he had been there at the time.
I climbed the last step and headed towards the front door, taking out my key.
Suddenly I saw a paper bag hanging from the doorknob.
“yeah?”
Madara took the paper bag from the doorknob and peered inside before unlocking it.
“Flirty Paradise Volume 2”
Judging from the cover, it is brand new.
Madara immediately realized who it was.
(It’s a scarecrow!)
Along with the novel was a piece of paper, which I picked up and read aloud.
“…I thought you’d be curious to know more, so I came to deliver it to you. It was a gift for Tajima-san, so you can keep it as is… here you go… Hatake Kakashi.”
Madara held back the tears, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
Episode 18
It was three days before the third and final round of the Chunin Exams.
In a room in the Hokage residence, Hiruzen was getting ready to head to the meeting.
As Hiruzen was checking the angle of the hat he was wearing in the mirror, a ninja standing waiting for him asked him a question.
The man was a ninja who had been on guard when Madara had acted alone not long ago.
“Hokage-sama, are you sure you are going to call Tajima?”
“Yes. It’s the day when the most ninja from other villages gather. If this is Orochimaru’s plan, and it involves Sasuke, then he won’t be able to refuse.”
“But if something were to happen and the other executives found out about Tajima, you…”
“Better safe than sorry. Worry about the village rather than myself. Besides, you’ve seen what he’s been up to now.”
“That is true, but if that is what you ask, Hokage-sama… then it is really a good idea. I will make the request.”
A traveling dumpling shop selling dumplings.
Hiruzen nodded slowly and quietly in response to the man’s gaze seeking confirmation.
On the day of the Chunin Exams, Madara was running a dango stand near the entrance to the venue with some other shop owners.
The store will be open until the start of the match.
As the time for the match to start approached and Madara started to glance towards the venue, the owner of the store urged him to go and cheer the team on since they were closing up soon anyway.
As I was taking down the flag, thinking I would at least tidy up, I felt someone physically pushing me forward, telling me to hurry up.
“Don’t worry about it. Go and support them. When the time is right, please bring a gift for the Hokage.”
The shop owner said that he would clean up the rest with one of the guards, gave Madara some rice dumplings as a gift, and saw him off with a very happy look on his face.
Madara went inside and quickly walked up the stairs to the bleachers.
Because I was in a hurry, I arrived at the stands still wearing my apron and holding a flag in one hand.
Most of the seats were taken, and as I was searching for a place where there weren’t as many people around, I saw something fluttering next to me, and when I glanced over, I saw Kakashi waving at Madara.
Next to him was a man about the same age as Kakashi, and Sakura was sitting nearby.
“Tajima-san, come here. Let’s look together.”
“Kakashi, who is that person?”
The man with thick eyebrows next to Kakashi asked.
Sitting next to the heavy-set man was a boy who looked so similar to him that they could be mistaken for father and son, with his crutches nearby.
Kakashi replied, looking at the man.
“Oh Guy, that’s Tajima, your good friend.”
The moment he heard Kakashi say the word Ichapara, Madara moved over to where Kakashi and the others were in the blink of an eye.
It seemed like such a desperate move that Sakura, who was nearby, took a double take.
Kakashi had given him the first and second volumes of Icha Icha Paradise, but between the interrogation the other day and his regular duties he didn’t have much time, so he hadn’t had a chance to read through them all.
Madara was relieved that he hadn’t spoken before Kakashi had finished, but then his eyes met with the man known as Guy, who flashed a smile that showed his teeth. Madara narrowed his eyes at the brightness, which was so bright he thought it was the sun.
(This guy is intense. He doesn’t seem like an ordinary guy.)
Sensing Madara was in a difficult position, Sakura waited until he was interacting with Kakashi and the others before offering him the empty seat next to her.
“It’s been a while, Tajima-san. Please sit next to me if you like.”
Madara looked away from Gai and Kakashi and turned towards the source of Sakura’s voice.
Madara had heard from Naruto that Sakura had cut her hair during the second exam, but today was the first time he had seen her in a long time, and when he saw it in person, her long hair had now been cut short to shoulder length.
Sitting opposite the empty seat Sakura recommended was a girl with long blonde hair tied up high in the air, who looked at Tajima and tilted her head to the side.
“Sakura, who is this person?”
“That uncle Naruto you mentioned before. The one who often hangs out at that dumpling shop.”
“Ah! This is the one!”
The girl next to Sakura looked surprised, then quickly bowed her head and said thank you.
Her name is Yamanaka Ino. The Yamanaka clan is known for its mastery of the Shin Tenshin technique.
Madara wonders if it’s okay for him to join them, but since he’s already been invited, it’s too late to change seats now.
He lightly folded the flag and placed it at the foot of the seat Sakura indicated, then slowly sat down.
Looking down into the stadium from the stands, Naruto and Sasuke were already there, and the participants who had made it through the preliminary rounds were lined up in a row.
Looking down, Naruto’s head rose towards the bleachers, he looked left and right before meeting Madara’s eyes and waving his hand.
Sasuke, who was standing next to Naruto, noticed Naruto’s movements and followed his gaze.
Madara was now faced with the two of them looking up at him.
“Oh, they’re both looking at me, Sakura.”
“That’s true.”
(You two, concentrate.)
Madara didn’t wave back, but made a gesture as if to wave him away and tell him to face forward. I don’t know if the other two got it, but they averted their gaze from Madara and began looking straight at the examiner. Maybe the other person had said something to them.
The spectators eagerly wait for the match to start.
The stadium’s bleachers were divided into three main sections, with the Hokage Hiruzen and the Kazekage sitting at the top center seats.
There was a lot of chatter in the hall, but as soon as Hiruzen stood up and announced the start of the event, it all went quiet.
“Everyone, I’m glad to see you all here. You have all been waiting for this moment for a long time. We will now begin the main chunin exam!”
At Hiruzen’s command, loud cheers rang out throughout the venue.
Madara stared at Hiruzen as he returned to his seat.
(Now that I think of it, “Could you please bring some dangos after the final battle?” Are you planning on having some with the Kazekage as a snack? Also)
Hiruzen had told Madara that there was a possibility that someone targeting Sasuke had infiltrated the venue.
The reason he had Hiruzen bring the dumplings was probably so that Madara could contact him more easily if something happened during the exams. If he had planned on coming anyway, he would be able to approach him without suspicion.
Madara carefully placed the dango between where Sakura was sitting so that it wouldn’t get crushed.
Naruto is in the first match, but Sasuke is in the final match.
Once all the matches were over, Hiruzen would move to another location. If he gave out the dango before then, he would be watching Sasuke’s match while moving around.
The host’s voice echoed throughout the venue.
“First match: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuga Neji. Both fighters, forward!”
The curtains rose on the third test.
In the match between Naruto and Neji, Neji had the advantage in terms of martial arts technique.
Sakura let out a small shriek every time Naruto was hit by Neji’s fist and sent flying.
Beside Sakura, who was watching anxiously, Madara had his arms crossed and was calmly following Neji and Naruto’s movements with his eyes.
(Neji Hyuga graduated from the academy one year before Naruto and the others. His movements are as you’d expect from the Hyuga clan. But it seems like Naruto would be at a disadvantage in a straight-on martial arts fight.)
Even though they launched a simultaneous attack with their shadow clones, they were unable to escape Neji’s Byakugan field of vision, and it became clear where they were aiming from.
Even if he had tried to use ninjutsu, it was nullified by Neji’s Kaiten technique.
The Byakugan’s vision was aimed at Naruto’s point of view, and although he barely managed to avoid them, he was hit by Neji’s thrusts several times, and it seemed that some of Naruto’s chakra flow had been stopped.
In contrast to Neji, who seemed relaxed, Naruto’s breathing was gradually getting faster.
Neji seemed to be saying something to Naruto, and although Madara couldn’t hear what he was saying, he could guess what they were talking about from the movement of his lips and the situation.
As he spoke, Neji removed his forehead protector, revealing a pattern that resembled a curse seal underneath.
(Most likely a story about their lives. The issue of the main family and the branch family is the same everywhere.)
“Naruto…”
“Sakura, why are you so worried? Naruto has been fighting Neji all this time, what would you do if you gave up?”
“! That’s right, Ino. Yep, Naruto is doing his best!”
Sakura clenched her fists in her lap and raised her voice.
“Naruto! You’ve got a lot more to offer!”
I don’t know if he heard Sakura’s voice, but Naruto’s face, which had been looking pained, brightened a little.
Undaunted, Naruto made the Shadow Clone sign, and three of them appeared around him and launched a simultaneous attack on Neji.
It seemed as if he had exerted all his strength, but Neji easily dodged Naruto’s shadow clone attacks with a snort, saying it was useless, and crushed them one by one with his soft fists.
The shadow clones disappeared, and Naruto, having had most of his points hit, nearly fell over.
Realizing that Naruto would no longer be able to fight, Neji stopped the chakra concentrating around his eyes and restored his vision to normal.
The audience thought that the matter was settled and the hall fell silent.
However, unlike Sakura, who was standing next to him with her mouth agape and frozen in despair, and Ino, who had a look of resignation on her face, thinking that Naruto hadn’t been able to do it, Madara was the only one with his eyes wide open and his spirits in high spirits.
While holding back the smile that was threatening to burst out, Madara remembered the days when he had watched Naruto and Sasuke train. It was when Naruto and Sasuke had repeatedly tried different attacks, trying to somehow touch Madara even once. However, whenever they went to attack, their weak spot was quickly taken, so as the two tried to think of ways to buy time or take him by surprise, Madara had once been tricked by Naruto’s clone technique.
(That Hyuga brat still doesn’t seem to realize that it’s a Kage Bunshin. He was defeated when he was fighting both Sasuke and Naruto, but that time it was one of the kunai that Naruto had scattered. That was a good trick.)
Naruto held on, but eventually collapsed face down on the ground.
Neji walked over to the fallen Naruto with easy steps and looked down at him with disinterested eyes.
The moment Naruto raised his arms and tried to stand up, Neji slammed his fist into him and knocked him to the ground.
A large depression appeared in the ground and Naruto stood motionless, and at that moment Neji was sure of victory.
“A ninja must always outwit his opponent! That’s what I mean. Who decides things like fate?”
Suddenly Naruto’s voice echoed throughout the quiet hall.
Suddenly, Naruto appeared in front of Neji.
The audience roared, and Naruto instantly braced himself and punched Neji with all his might, knocking him straight off the jaw.
“If you think it’s impossible, then I’ll change it once I become Hokage!”
The sound of Naruto’s fist hitting Neji shook the eardrums of the audience, and Neji was hit so hard that he hit his back on the ground and never got up.
There was a flurry of sounds, and then Naruto’s victory was celebrated with loud cheers and applause.
“The winner is Uzumaki Naruto!”
The moment Naruto heard the words the examiner said, he turned towards Madara.
Naruto looked up at her proudly and looked dazzling.
After the match, while waiting for the next match to begin, Madara was asked by Sakura and Ino why Naruto had appeared before Neji.
Sakura knew that Madara was watching Naruto’s training, so she was probably wondering if he’d come up with anything.
“Tajima-san, do you know why Naruto appeared in front of Neji at that time?”
“Yes. It’s the real Naruto, but he also transformed during the last shadow clone. While he was fighting the shadow clone, his real body was probably attached to the clothes of that Hinata brat. Even that Hinata didn’t notice because he was so close.”
“Oh, no, Naruto. I had no idea.”
Madara knew that Naruto was not the type of person to just fall silently, so he was able to sense something was off and think that the person who had fallen was probably a Kage Bunshin.
Even though he would yell during training, Naruto would keep on clinging on no matter how tired he was. He couldn’t imagine a situation where he would give up without even crying out when he was still unconscious.
Leaving aside the sex appeal techniques, her clone and transformation techniques are improving day by day.
(And now it’s Sasuke…)
Amidst the cheers, Madara looked down at Naruto, who was beaming at the crowd.
Episode 19
The match was progressing roughly on time, and if it continued like this the final would likely be over before the sun set.
Naruto comes to the stands with Shikamaru, who has just finished his match against Temari from the Land of Wind.
When Naruto spotted Madara sitting, he thrust his fist forward with his thumbs up and smiled, showing his white teeth.
For some reason, Guy returned the smile to Naruto instead of Madara.
Inside the stadium, the next competitors were getting off.
Next up was the final match, Sasuke versus Gaara.
“Sasuke! Don’t lose!”
“Sasuke-kun, do your best!”
Naruto and Sakura cheered on Sasuke from the stands.
As the last member of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke had already been attracting attention, but the moment he stepped onto the stadium, the venue was filled with cheers even louder than those from the previous matches.
Although Madara hadn’t been watching Sasuke’s training recently, he knew that Sasuke had learned a new technique because Kakashi, whom he met from time to time, would ask him for his thoughts on Ichapara and would tell him about Sasuke’s progress. Hearing about the technique, it was understandable why Kakashi wanted to look after Sasuke.
Because he had been told not to tell Naruto, Naruto and probably Sakura too, probably don’t know what Kakashi had taught them. This is where it was revealed for the first time.
The signal for the match to begin sounds.
Sasuke hadn’t been able to keep up with Madara’s training for nothing. Although Naruto had more perseverance, the two of them had incomparable tenacity. Madara reminisced about the past, thinking that they would have been just as strong-willed as he was when it came to a showdown.
Sasuke’s opponent, Gaara, is a ninja from the Land of Sand, and according to information he heard from Hiruzen, he is the son of the Kazekage. The Land of Sand seems to own the One-Tail, and Hiruzen also told him that Gaara is a jinchuriki.
His circumstances were likely similar to Naruto’s, but the aura he exuded, intimidating and keeping others away, gave the impression of a child completely different from Naruto.
Madara quietly watches Sasuke.
(Now, which way should we move?)
Countless tiny grains of sand were fluttering around Gaara, overflowing from the gourd he was carrying on his back.
After a long glaring exchange, it was Sasuke who made the first move.
Sasuke got within range in an instant. His movements were so fast that Gaara’s face paled for an instant.
All of Sasuke’s punches and kicks were deflected by the sand, but even though the attacks missed his body, Sasuke kept his expression steady and took some distance from Gaara, then stopped attacking.
It seems he was checking the movement of the sand.
Judging from Gaara’s reaction, the sand defenses were strong, but if he could do something about the sand, it wouldn’t be difficult for Sasuke to win.
“Sasuke-kun… do your best!”
Sakura’s praying voice can be heard from next to me.
Sasuke and Gaara continued to glare at each other for a while.
This time Gaara moved first, creating a sand clone and throwing a block of sand at Sasuke, but Sasuke avoided the attack with his Sharingan and steadily closed the distance.
The sand clone tried to grab Sasuke but couldn’t keep up, and Sasuke’s swift fist punch came close to hitting Gaara’s face.
Gaara hastily covered the sides of his face with sand to block the attack, but Sasuke spun around, stomped his feet on the ground, and delivered a powerful kick to Gaara’s jaw.
A murmur and cheers rose from the venue.
Since Naruto had won the previous match, Sasuke seemed quite determined not to lose either.
This match won’t take long to finish.
(It seems Kakashi was also teaching him martial arts. I feel bad for Sasuke, but I think it’s time to move.)
Madara thought this as he watched the game, and while he looked down at the flag at his feet, he picked up the package of dango next to him and prepared to stand up from the stands.
But at that moment, a sharp chakra reaction and a bird-like chirping sound came from the arena, and when he glanced over, he saw Sasuke heading towards Gaara’s lump of sand, about to launch an attack. Sasuke’s left hand was covered in chakra that had the properties of lightning.
“…Hmm, you’re a quick learner.”
“That was Kakashi-sensei’s, did you hear that, Tajima-san?”
“Yeah.”
Over the past month, Sasuke seems to have mastered the techniques he learned from Kakashi.
Gaara surrounded himself with an even thicker wall of sand to defend against Sasuke’s attacks. He was fully on the defensive, but Sasuke’s technique would break through Gaara’s sand.
In the attacks so far, Gaara has been unable to land a decisive blow on Sasuke.
Gaara is on the defensive and the situation remains extremely tough.
No matter how strong Gaara’s sand defenses were, he was still out of reach of Sasuke, so there was no need to worry about who would kneel first.
(Sasuke won this match)
Sasuke’s movements are fast. A fight with an opponent who is not even a Chunin would be no match for the current Sasuke who also possesses the Sharingan. It’s not like the time in the Land of Waves anymore.
The sound of birds chirping echoes through the hall.
Sasuke ran forward and without hesitation thrust his left hand into the sand covering Gaara.
Gaara, who probably never expected it to be broken, looked at him with a shocked expression from the sand.
The open gaps in the sand cannot be closed.
Sasuke was about to launch his next attack.
The entire audience was watching with bated breath.
The winner is…
However, just as Sasuke’s match was reaching its climax, Madara and the others were hit by a sensation as if their chakra was being disrupted.
(– Illusion!?)
The heads of the spectators all dropped.
Madara immediately removed the genjutsu that had been cast on him and quickly counted how many people had been successfully dispelled.
The only people awake in the stands at the moment were a few chunin and above ninja, as well as the Anbu who had been standing by originally, Kakashi, Gai, Sakura, and Naruto.
However, Naruto just kept his eyes tightly shut and kept the release seal on.
Madara said that was enough and lightly tapped Naruto on the head.
“If you’ve released it, get up now.”
“Hey. I was surprised…”
“Naruto…! So you realized it was a genjutsu as well. Even so, why is it like this?”
Naruto and Sakura looked around nervously.
Suddenly, the sound of wind cutting was heard from inside the arena, and Madara picked up the dango shop flag that was lying on the floor and deflected a kunai that was flying towards him.
The metallic clang of the kunai falling echoed throughout the stands.
“Hey, you saved me! What’s going on? Why is everyone sleeping?”
“Let’s save that fuss for later. Naruto, you go to Sakura’s side.”
Madara told Naruto not to leave Sakura’s side.
Naruto stood protectively with his back to Sakura, holding a kunai at the ready, but suddenly his eyes widened, he pointed at the building in the direction of Hiruzen and his mouth opened wide.
“Hey! That’s it! Over there! It’s Orochimaru!”
“Naruto, it’s Orochimaru! Is that the guy who was after Sasuke-kun?”
“That bastard Orochimaru, you’re not only targeting Sasuke, you’re targeting my grandpa too!”
“Orochimaru?”
Madara looked in the direction Naruto was pointing and saw a long-haired figure dressed in the Kazekage’s garb standing behind Hiruzen.
However, there is a distance between them, so it seems unlikely that they will be able to see the person’s face.
Madara was about to focus his attention when a Sound ninja stepped into the bleachers.
The Sound ninjas appeared one after another and stood in front of Madara and the others.
Madara didn’t know much about Otogakure other than that it was a newly established village, but given the current situation it was clear that it was not on Konoha’s side.
Kakashi and the others are on battle alert, waiting to see what the Sound ninja will do, but it seems that a fight is inevitable.
“Guy, it looks like they’ve set something up after all. Tajima-san, could you give us a little help?”
“Eight of us? We must hurry to Hokage-sama.”
“…”
Madara didn’t reply to Kakashi’s call, but stood in front of the Oto ninjas, hiding Naruto and Sakura. Then, sighing in exhaustion, he dropped the end of the banner to the floor with a thud and picked it up again.
Madara looks at the Sound ninjas with a troubled look on his face.
“…You guys can put up a bit of a fight, right?”
Madara’s listless muttering dissolved into the grim atmosphere of the venue.
The Sound ninjas moved in unison.
Madara met the attacks of the Sound ninjas without any particular preparation.
Next to Naruto and Sakura who were crouching down and protecting their heads, a male Oto ninja collapsed with a thud. The man didn’t seem to move from the fallen position.
Before they knew it, the rain of kunai that the Sound ninja had been throwing had stopped, and it seemed that all of the Sound ninja who had appeared in the stands had been defeated.
Madara looked down at the Sound ninja lying on the ground in a heap and spat coldly.
“The flying insects have disappeared too. Konoha is being underestimated. I thought they must have some backbone if they were going to attack the village, but I have been completely disappointed.”
“Oh, uncle, I think you’re exaggerating.”
I don’t know what their purpose was in plotting a rebellion against the village, but couldn’t they have gathered more decent people?
As Madara looked dumbfounded, Naruto looked with a bit of pity at the Sound ninja who had started a fight here.
The Oto ninjas probably never expected that a man in an apron holding a flag with the word “Dango” written on it would not only put up a good fight, but actually win by a landslide.
After making sure that no other ninja were pursuing them, Kakashi and Guy gathered around Madara, who was standing next to Naruto and the others.
As Kakashi was checking to see if Naruto and Sakura were injured, Naruto turned to Hiruzen and spoke.
“Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke’s not here, and grandpa seems to be in some kind of trouble too!”
“Naruto, don’t panic. The Hokage is capable of all ninjutsu, so he shouldn’t fall behind against Orochimaru.”
Kakashi’s tone was gentle as he tried to calm the flustered Naruto.
Naruto was probably a little confused by what could be called the first ever village crisis of his life.
Madara turned his gaze towards where Hiruzen was, who seemed to be trapped within a red barrier.
The ones creating that barrier were the Sound ninjas standing at the four corners.
It seems that there are several Anbu on Hiruzen’s side, but they have not been able to lay a hand on it, so it must be too strong for them to break it. The Anbu have not even been seen attacking the ninjas at the four corners of the barrier, so it seems to be double-layered.
“But Kakashi-sensei!”
Naruto’s anxious voice shook Madara’s eardrums.
“…I’ll go to the Hokage’s place. That would be fine. I was originally planning on bringing some dango with me.”
“! Tajima-san, please wait, Orochimaru is over there.”
“It’s because of that Orochimaru guy. You guys hurry up and help the others out or go search for Sasuke.”
Madara said as he picked up several kunai that had fallen at his feet and put them in his apron pocket, then he ran out of the stands, holding the flag.
Naruto followed Madara with his eyes, but quickly turned around when he heard Kakashi’s voice.
“It’s true that Tajima-san seems like he could do something about it, but…Naruto, Sakura, I’m going to give you your mission so listen carefully.”
“!”
“Y-Yes!”
Kakashi met Guy’s eyes once.
Guy nodded silently.
The two of them seemed to be in agreement about their future actions.
The fabric around Kakashi’s mouth moved.
“Meet up with Sasuke who has pursued Gaara and provide support for him.”
Episode 20
“You have weakened, Sarutobi-sensei.”
“…Orochimaru.”
In the central viewing area, on the roof of the watchtower, Hiruzen, who had stripped off his Hokage attire and was now in ninja garb, faced off against Orochimaru.
Trapped within the barrier, they attacked each other using ninjutsu, but neither of them were fighting with enough power to land a decisive blow.
The attack and defense of magic stopped, and they took some distance between them.
Hiruzen looked at Orochimaru with a bitter expression.
The Anbu who had rushed to Hiruzen’s aid were unable to break the barrier created by the Sound ninjas, and could only watch as they fought.
Orochimaru shook his shoulders as if unable to contain his amusement and made the summoning seal.
The roof shook and two coffins appeared at Orochimaru’s feet, causing Hiruzen to look slightly impatient.
The coffins are marked with the numbers “one” and “two.”
(That technique?! No good!)
Summoning Edo Tensei
Hiruzen instantly understood what technique Orochimaru had used, and reached out to throw a shuriken to block it.
Suddenly, there was a double explosion-like sound and a hot gust of wind blew all around.
Right in front of Hiruzen’s eyes, one of the Sound ninja who had activated the Shishien Jin barrier and Orochimaru were blown away one by one as if they had been blown up by detonation tags.
By the time Orochimaru turned around at the initial impact, a black shadow was already approaching in front of him.
Just before he was blown away, Orochimaru saw the word “dango.”
“Hmm? … Guh.”
“Lord Orochimaru! Jirobou? Why was the barrier broken?”
“Tayuya, could you see it from there?”
“The Anbu aren’t moving! Who could it be?!”
“Was there an explosion?! Hokage-sama! Are you safe?”
“I’m fine.”
When one of the four corners falls, the barrier is broken.
Orochimaru seemed to have successfully clung to the roof, but the Sound ninja who had been sent flying remained motionless on the ground.
Both coffins Orochimaru had summoned fell over due to the impact, and the man in the coffin numbered one was thrown out and rolled onto the roof with his long hair swinging wildly, while the impact also caused the man in the second coffin to fall face down along with his coffin. From the face-down second coffin, part of his white hair and shoulder clad in blue armor was sticking out between the upside-down coffin and the lid.
Orochimaru wiped the dirt from his mouth that had gotten there from the impact of being blown away, then slowly stood up, glaring at the scattered remains of the Edo Tensei technique and the person who had appeared at the site of the impact.
“Hehe, I can’t believe you were able to break the barrier. Oh, you must be Uzumaki Naruto-kun’s… hehe, aren’t you my uncle Tajima-san?”
“…Are you Orochimaru?”
The sound of parts of the roof collapsing and falling onto the stadium below can be heard.
When the dust cleared, Madara appeared before Orochimaru, Hiruzen and the others, carrying a dango shop flag.
Hearing Naruto’s name, Madara narrowed his eyes and looked at Orochimaru, who was smiling wickedly.
Madara glared at Orochimaru, finding it extremely unpleasant to see him sneaking around people and sniffing around.
Orochimaru seems to have been investigating Madara, but due to Hiruzen’s information control over the past few years, his existence was only known to a very small number of ninja, so it seems he has not yet discovered Madara’s true identity.
Madara chuckled softly and shifted his gaze to Hiruzen.
“Naruto said that not only Sasuke but you too were being targeted. I went out of my way to come and see you because I was so worried, but… was I being a nuisance?”
“Me? Is that so, Orochimaru? Is that so… but, hmm.”
“Hey, who do you think would want to go after an old man’s body? No way.”
As soon as Hiruzen heard that Naruto was worried, he lowered his eyebrows and looked at Orochimaru with an indescribable look of disappointment, but Orochimaru loudly denied the words Madara had spoken.
Madara dropped his gaze to the remains of the roof and coffin lying at his feet, and the moment he saw the hand sticking out of the coffin twitch, he turned to the opposite side and casually shifted the coffin with his foot, emptying the contents.
There was a clang and the sound of the lid closing.
“Uh, um… what is it?”
The man who was thrown onto the roof begins to move around.
Madara’s shoulders twitched at the sound of the voice, and he turned his gaze from the coffin to look in the direction of the man’s voice, his eyes widening.
The man lying on the roof looked like someone Madara knew very well.
Senju Hashirama, a man who should already be dead in this era.
(That’s… strange, is that Hashirama? Why is Hashirama here?)
Madara furrowed his brow in suspicion as he watched the man who appeared to be Hashirama rolling about.
The chakra was Hashirama’s, but slightly weaker than what he was familiar with, his complexion was pale and pale, and lines were visible on his skin in places.
While Madara was deep in thought, the body movements of the man who seemed to be Hashirama became more intense.
Slowly, he picked himself up and stood facing Madara with a dazed, unsteady expression on his face.
“My vision suddenly flipped…huh?”
His expression was colorless, but his voice carried a warmth that Madara was familiar with, stimulating his brain, which had been poisoned by Madara’s peace in recent years.
“I, I don’t know…”
Madara muttered softly, and Hashirama returned the gaze with blank eyes.
Hashirama’s expression didn’t change, but as soon as their eyes met, Madara sensed that Hashirama’s mood suddenly lifted, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the flag.
“Not yet.”
“First Master!”
“…Oh! Sarutobi? It’s been a long time, you’ve aged quite a bit. The village is still alive and well, by the way.”
“It’s been a long time!”
“Yes, it’s been a while! So, Mada.”
“First Master! You were all summoned to this world by Orochimaru’s Edo Tensei technique.”
“I told you to seal it in Tobirama, so…”
“First Master!”
“…Sarutobi. I’m happy to talk to you too, but I’d like to talk to you some more…”
Hashirama’s head dropped sharply.
However, his gaze was directed towards Madara.
It’s not often that a conversation is interrupted like this. Even though his expression doesn’t change, it’s clear from his tone of voice that Hashirama is depressed.
Madara looked away, hoping she wouldn’t look at him with that face.
(The one who would be depressed in a situation like this has to be Hashirama. If Hashirama keeps babbling away, he might reveal my true identity. Do you think that brat Sarutobi would realize what he’s doing to you… No, it’s Hashirama, it would be ridiculous to expect that. Even so, is it Edo Tensei? Before coming to this era, I thought Tobirama had developed something about the souls of the dead, is it this? … Either way, it’s better to be careful.)
“Hehehe… This touching reunion comes to an end. It’s about time we bring out the other one. He’s been saying something for a while now.”
“…Brother! Why is there a monkey here? What’s going on in this village, the Impure Land?”
The person inside was making a commotion, rattling the coffin.
Fortunately, the lid was firmly in place, and thanks to the sound of it shaking and hitting the roof, the voices of people coming from inside the door could not be clearly heard outside.
Judging by the way Hashirama stood up and the fact that he did not come out of the coffin right away, it seems that his body movements are not stable immediately after being summoned by Edo Tensei.
It wouldn’t be strange if he jumped out at any moment, but it makes sense if he couldn’t move freely and his body was not functioning properly.
Madara looked back and forth between Hashirama and Tobirama, who was still trapped in the coffin.
(This must be Tobirama. My face is cracked open by them. Hashirama and the sensory-type Tobirama have already noticed me… but)
The only other person here who knew Madara was Hiruzen.
The others must have just recognized him as a simple dumpling vendor who had suddenly barged onto the battlefield.
Leaving aside the highly intelligent Tobirama, he must at least shut Hashirama’s mouth before he says anything unnecessary.
Then a dark being appeared on the roof.
The ANBU moved to where the blown away Oto nin had been standing and began making hand seals.
The Sound ninja standing in the other corners noticed the Anbu and made the same seal.
–Four Purple Flame Formation
A thin, magenta barrier surrounded Madara, Hiruzen and the others.
“Thank you for helping me, Kabuto. Now, shall we start afresh…?”
As the barrier was once again set up, Orochimaru smiled with pleasure.
There was a clang and the coffin that Madara had put back in place opened.
A white-haired man wearing blue armour appeared from within.
Tobirama, a man who was kneeling and trying to climb out of the coffin, looked up as he pushed the coffin aside, but stopped dead in his tracks when some words caught his eye.
(…………Dango?)
The flag Madara was holding was fluttering in the wind.
Episode 21
Hashirama looked down with his shoulders slumped, the Second Hokage, Tobirama, frozen in his position as he was about to get out of the coffin, and Madara remained silent as he looked down at Tobirama. Hiruzen looked at them, wondering what to do.
Orochimaru had intended to surprise his master Hiruzen with the Edo Tensei technique, but Hiruzen seemed more troubled than surprised, so he called out his name from a distance.
“This is no time to be dumbfounded, Sarutobi-sensei. Although there was an unexpected intrusion… you are about to fight against the previous Hokage.”
“Orochimaru. Of all people, you summoned the two of them using Edo Tensei.”
At Hiruzen’s grumbling, Tobirama, who had stopped moving, slowly stood up and began to move again.
“Are you the one who reincarnated us?”
“Yes. How does it feel to be resurrected by a jutsu you yourself created, Second Hokage-sama?”
Tobirama was silent at Orochimaru’s words.
Given the circumstances, there was no doubt that Orochimaru had come to attack the village or Hiruzen, and Tobirama was able to determine that his brother Hashirama, who had been summoned by Orochimaru, and himself were enemies of the village.
Tobirama’s attention was no longer on Orochimaru, but now on Madara, who was standing beside him.
Madara had been looking at Tobirama with a look of confusion and resentment since earlier. Tobirama’s gaze was filled with complicated emotions and he began to think deeply.
(Is this really Madara? His appearance and chakra are not Edo Tensei. I’m sure my brother killed Madara… but what are you doing in the village, looking at your appearance?)
To Tobirama, Madara was a man who would leave the village on his own and then come back to attack with the Nine Tails.
Tobirama finds it difficult to understand why Madara, who is supposed to be dead, is still there.
Although she was wearing an apron and holding a flag with the word “dango” written on it, none of the information Tobirama had could be linked to Madara.
The only thing that is clear is that Hiruzen doesn’t seem to be worried about Madara’s presence, which means the two are not enemies.
At least for now, it seems certain that Madara is not an enemy of the village.
There is a reason why Hiruzen calls Madara by his father’s name, and it seems Madara has a reason for keeping his name a secret.
(What was that monkey doing with Madara in the village?)
Madara is not an Edo Tensei living being.
Hiruzen also showed no hostility towards Madara.
Madara’s current appearance also looks as if he is living in the village.
While under Orochimaru’s control through Edo Tensei, Tobirama’s thoughts run wild.
If Madara’s presence wasn’t that of a dead person.
Suppose this Madara hadn’t been killed by his brother Hashirama in the first place.
(Madara’s reaction to the Edo Tensei is weak – perhaps he doesn’t know about it. When the Edo Tensei technique was developed, Madara was still in the village. If so, then perhaps Madara from some time before he learned of the technique was summoned to the current village.)
Tobirama comes to a certain conclusion.
Somewhere, Madara had gotten caught up in some kind of space-time ninjutsu and was now in the village.
However, I have never heard of Madara being caught up in any jutsu during his lifetime.
It’s possible that it was handled privately within the Uchiha clan some time ago when Madara was ruling, but at least Tobirama hadn’t heard anything about it from anyone.
While Tobirama thinks about Madara, Orochimaru moves forward to achieve his goal.
Making his seal, Orochimaru looked at Hiruzen and the corners of his mouth turned up.
“Naruto-kun’s uncle is pretty rough as well. If he hadn’t been blown away, the Shodai would have been able to control it a little better, but… it can’t be helped. Come on, sensei, are you prepared?”
“! Tajima, both the first and second masters are Edo Tensei! Be careful!”
As Hiruzen spoke with increasing intensity, Madara focused his attention on Hashirama and Tobirama.
Before they knew it, Hashirama and Tobirama had regained their vitality, stood up straight, raised their heads and turned towards Hiruzen.
When Hiruzen uttered the name Tajima, Hashirama began speaking in such a puzzled tone that he would have tilted his head if he hadn’t been under control.
“Sarutobi, we haven’t met often so maybe you don’t remember his face, but his name is Tajima… Hmm. I see, Edo Tensei is a troublesome technique. Sorry, Sarutobi, but you managed to dodge it well.”
“Tajima, huh? Hey Tajima, go and cover the monkeys. We can’t stop them unless the caster releases them.”
“So that’s Edo Tensei? Serves you right, Tobirama. I’m sure you would know the secrets to unlocking the curse.”
“We are under Orochimaru’s control and cannot move freely. I hate to ask you for help, but…”
Tobirama’s voice, which was sung with bitterness, grew quieter and quieter as he spoke.
Hashirama was the first to run towards Hiruzen.
As for Tobirama, he turned around to face Madara, who was nearby, and tried to grab him around the chest, but Madara dodged Tobirama’s attack by throwing a flag towards Hashirama, then grabbed his outstretched arm and threw him in the opposite direction.
As soon as Madara put some distance between him and Tobirama, he ran towards Hashirama, who was aiming for Hiruzen.
Madara took a deep breath and tensed his stomach.
“Hashirama!”
“!”
As Hashirama was about to swing a heavy fist at Hiruzen, Madara quickly made a seal, drew it to his mouth and let out a fireball.
As soon as Hiruzen saw Madara’s hand he determined what kind of technique it was and kicked the ground to avoid the technique.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
The huge fireball that Madara unleashed headed straight for Hashirama.
Hashirama dodged the incoming fireball by moving sideways, then stomped his feet and regained his balance.
Hiruzen, who had retreated from the jutsu, called out loudly to Madara.
“Tajima! I’m fine. If we don’t stop Orochimaru, I can’t stop you two!”
“You take on Orochimaru, I’ll take care of Hashirama and Tobirama. As the master, you’ll have to clean up after your apprentice.”
“…Sorry.”
Hiruzen’s eyes lowered for a moment at Madara’s words.
The next time Hiruzen opened his eyes, a look of determination was shining deep in his eyes.
Hiruzen nodded silently and walked past Hashirama and Madara towards Orochimaru.
Madara, noticing Tobirama’s presence coming up behind him as he passed Hiruzen, threw backwards a kunai he had retrieved from the stands. As soon as he heard the sound of the kunai bouncing off, Madara simultaneously jumped close to the border of the barrier, putting some distance between him and Hashirama, positioning himself face-to-face with the two of them.
Hashirama and Tobirama stood side by side in front of Madara.
“…Hey, Hashirama.”
“It must be Madara. What are you doing in a place like this? You don’t seem to have undergone Edo Tensei.”
“Unlike you, I’m not dead. Even being in this village is like an accident.”
In the middle of their conversation, Hashirama suddenly runs towards Madara.
Although Hashirama can talk, he has no control over his body movements and it seems he cannot stop attacking. He must have been ordered to defeat Hiruzen and his companions, Madara.
“I never thought the day would come when I too would become the village’s enemy. Madara, it’s like things have changed since then.”
“…”
When is the time that Hashirama is talking about? If “that time” refers to when Madara came to raid the village, then it is something that Madara has never experienced before, so he cannot pinpoint what Hashirama is thinking.
Madara neither confirmed nor denied Hashirama’s words.
(…Hashirama talks a lot)
Tobirama hasn’t said a word since the fight began, and seems to be more under control than Hashirama.
Madara continues speaking while blocking a blow from Hashirama’s heavy fist with one hand.
Hashirama was about to strike again, but Madara grabbed both of his arms firmly, stopping him.
Madara could hear Tobirama’s footsteps running across the roof nearby, but he paid no attention to him as he continued his conversation with Hashirama.
“It’s no good, my body won’t listen to me at all. And Madara, why are you not dead? At that time, I was definitely…”
“That’s enough about that for now. So, I want to ask, as far as you can remember, has there ever been a time when I suddenly disappeared?”
“Suddenly? Didn’t you leave the village, Madara?”
“Go out…. ah, no, it happened before that.”
With Madara grabbing both of Hashirama’s arms, he sounded as if he wanted to ask what he was talking about, but muttered “I don’t think so.”
As if he was reminiscing, Hashirama began to recount stories that Madara had no recollection of. When he listened, they all sounded like happy memories.
“Hey hey, knowing you, I’m sure you left all the political stuff to Tobirama anyway… well, if there isn’t any, then there isn’t.”
“That’s terrible, Madara. If that’s true, then so be it for you too…Madara, something’s not right.”
“! Get out of the way, Hashirama.”
Right next to him, he saw Tobirama kneading his chakra and making seals.
In this dry place, a mass of water in the shape of a dragon was released towards Madara from between the doors.
Madara kicked Hashirama far away and quickly activated his technique.
Tobirama activates the Water Dragon Bullet technique, but it is countered by the flames of the Katon. The area becomes foggy due to the steam.
(Weak. So this is what Tobirama’s magic is like. Hashirama and his magic have deteriorated considerably compared to when they were alive.)
Sensing Tobirama’s approaching presence in the mist, Madara picked up a flag that had fallen nearby and got ready, then faced the approaching Tobirama and mercilessly stabbed him in the front.
But there is no response.
“You dodged it… but you’re still superior.”
Madara quickly swung the flag upwards and stabbed Tobirama in the torso as he was about to jump at Madara.
There was a weight coming from the top of the climb, and Madara’s eyes caught sight of Nakatobirama in his blurred vision.
Being an Edo Tensei living being he doesn’t feel pain, and Tobirama’s expression doesn’t distort when he is stabbed.
Suddenly Madara sensed a familiar chakra reaction behind him.
(What is this…Hashirama! In a place like this!)
Using the stick to send Tobirama flying towards Hashirama, Madara let go of the banner and put it around his body, quickly making a seal.
Although both Hashirama and Tobirama had used Edo Tensei and the power of their techniques and taijutsu had been reduced compared to their original abilities, Madara was also limited in the range of his movements when it came to fighting Hiruzen, who was facing off against Orochimaru and had to be careful not to fire stray bullets.
The roof shook and rattled, and all around them, thick tree branches broke through the roof and sprouted, their tips reaching out towards Madara.
(Mokuton… If I make a bad move the roof will collapse)
Madara puts chakra into his throat.
He concentrated his chakra with the intention of burning down the Edo Tensei bodies of Hashirama and Tobirama, then unleashed the technique with great force.
Hashirama’s technique and Madara’s flames collide.
Wood Release: Birth of the Sea of ??Trees
Fire Release: Extinction of Great Flames
The flames that ignited on the Mokuton branch continued to spread due to the force of the technique.
Ash began to fly around, and visibility within the barrier grew increasingly dim.
Madara switched his eyes to his Sharingan and, in the poor visibility, ran towards the moving shadow he spotted.
The first person to catch sight of Tobirama was Madara, and as Tobirama tried to dodge, Madara threw the kunai that was left in his pocket, and used his Mangekyo Sharingan to cast a powerful genjutsu.
With his chakra disrupted, Tobirama’s movements slow down.
(I wonder if the illusion will work, let’s give it a try.)
When Tobirama saw his eyes and his movements slowed down, he didn’t miss the moment and caught him by the foot, and as Tobirama was leaning onto the roof, he climbed up and put his weight on the side without armor and stabbed him hard into his torso.
Tobirama, who was sewn onto the roof, just lay there without struggling, with a stunned expression on his face.
Just when Madara thought he had stopped Tobirama’s movement, the ground beneath his feet rose up and tree branches began to grow from the cracked roof.
It’s Hashirama’s Mokuton.
Unless Hashirama is stopped, this branch will continue to grow until it reaches the inner limit of the barrier.
Madara was pushed higher and higher, and he skillfully slid down through the gaps in the growing branches, closing the distance between him and Hashirama, who he had spotted with his Sharingan.
Chakra concentrates in the eyes.
“Look at me, Hashirama!”
One would wonder if there was any ninja who would look at the Sharingan on the battlefield if told to do so, but Hashirama, hearing the words of his former friend Madara, moved his head as far as he could even under Orochimaru’s control, and looked into those eyes without a moment’s doubt.
Madara’s red eyes met Hashirama’s.
At that moment, Hashirama’s field of vision spun around and the scenery turned white.
Episode 22
The setting sun casts long shadows at my feet.
Before he knew it, Hashirama was standing at the entrance to the park.
Far behind the hedge, you can just make out a swing swinging, making a creaking noise.
(Is this… a genjutsu cast by Madara?)
Perhaps because he was inside an illusion, Hashirama sighed as he was able to move his limbs freely, in contrast to the real world where movements were controlled.
I thought I’d try going into the park, but when I took a step, I suddenly felt something small bump into my foot.
It was just like when his young granddaughter Tsunade came running up to him.
“Oops”
“Whoa! Ouch…huh? Who the hell are you?”
At Hashirama’s feet, a blonde child was sitting on his bottom, shaking his head unsteadily.
When Hashirama bent his knees to bring the child’s gaze level with the one who had fallen, he noticed that the child’s gaze, looking up at him, was directed much higher than his own.
When he turned around, Madara was standing there, not wearing an apron, but dressed in the attire of the Uchiha clan.
His expression was a little annoyed.
“Who’s the uncle, brat?”
“Ah! I’m not some little brat! I’m Uzumaki Naruto!”
“Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to call you a shitty brat… Uzumaki?”
The two of them began talking as if they hadn’t even seen Hashirama.
(What kind of situation is this? But I guess I was just imagining that I bumped into this boy earlier… I’m surprised, there are so many ways to use genjutsu. Even so, why is Madara showing me this scene?)
Taking a closer look at the clothes of the young boy who called himself Uzumaki Naruto, Madara noticed that they were unnaturally dirty with dust. Madara’s gaze traced not only Naruto’s face, but also his shirt and down to his feet.
Other than Naruto, there were no other children to be seen in the park, and even though it was a playground, there were no people around as the sun had not yet fully set.
Could it be that he was playing alone until he got dirty?
Naruto stood up, slapping his soiled pants, and asked Madara who he was, apologizing. According to Naruto, there was no one there until he ran to the exit, and before he knew it, he bumped into Madara, who had appeared in front of him.
“So I didn’t bump into him on purpose,” Naruto said timidly as he apologized. Hashirama suddenly noticed that Naruto’s small hands were tightly gripping the trousers he was wearing, and that his eyes, looking up at him, seemed to waver with anxiety.
(Madara has a rather stern look on his face, but this doesn’t seem to be the case.)
“So, uncle.”
“…It’s not my uncle, it’s Madara. Uchiha Madara.”
“Eh, Madara? Madara uncle?”
“So I’m not an old man… haa, I guess I’ll just call you old man.”
Madara finally gave in when Naruto continued to refuse to stop calling him “uncle.”
From Hashirama’s perspective, it was clear from the tone of Madara’s voice that he wasn’t angry about being bumped into, he just seemed to have been thrown off balance by Naruto and was unsure of how to react.
Crouching down, Hashirama looked up at Madara just like Naruto and thought of something.
(Somehow Madara seems younger… he seems closer to when they formed an alliance than when they crossed swords that day… Hmm.)
Hashirama tilted his head, feeling that she looked a little younger.
While Hashirama wonders what’s going on, Madara and Naruto continue to talk.
“Um, hey, are you a ninja?”
“That’s sudden. Well, I am a ninja.”
Perhaps Naruto’s wariness had faded, as he asked Madara, who introduced himself, it seemed he had no idea what kind of person the man in front of him was.
Perhaps realizing that Madara was not angry, and thinking that he might listen to him, Naruto’s expression brightened a little and his eyes lit up upon learning that Madara was a ninja.
“Ah, well, well, uncle.”
“……?”
“I want to be a ninja. I’ve been training on my own, but there are so many things I don’t understand.”
Naruto’s breathing was quickening.
I wonder if he’s nervous.
“But I’m going to be Hokage one day! I’m going to make a rock face on it!”
Seeing Madara looking confused as Naruto continued speaking, Hashirama’s expression unconsciously relaxed.
The scene within this genjutsu was probably something Madara had actually experienced.
Naruto seemed pleased that someone had listened to him, as he energetically walked out of the park into the street and pointed further in.
Madara slowly followed Naruto out of the park, and when he saw where Naruto was pointing, his eyes widened. Hashirama stood next to Madara and turned his face in the same direction.
A gasp came from Madara.
What came into view were four rock faces lined up.
The movement of Mokuton stopped.
Hashirama, who had Madara’s Mangekyo Sharingan firmly locked on him, just stood there blankly, not moving.
Tobirama, with the flagpole stuck in his throat, remains motionless from the roof, continuing to look up at the sky.
A leaf swayed down from the large branch that had grown through the roof. It fluttered through the air and landed at Madara’s feet.
Madara patted the hem of his battle-stained apron and looked towards Hiruzen and the others.
(Hashirama and Tobirama will likely be unable to move for a while. The rest is up to them.)
It seems Hiruzen has calmed down for the most part, as he can be seen straddling Orochimaru, who has collapsed onto the roof.
Noticing more and more shadows moving at the edge of his vision, Madara glanced outside the barrier and saw that Konoha ninja were beginning to gather around him.
Apparently having finished subduing the Sound ninja and Sunagakure ninja who had been rampaging through the venue, the gathered ninja began to form a circle around the barrier.
The Sound ninja who had set up the barrier were beginning to become impatient, and they watched the outcome of the battle between Orochimaru and Hiruzen with prayerful expressions on their faces.
Madara glanced at Hashirama, who was still motionless, then slowly walked towards Hiruzen and the others.
Sensing Madara approaching, Orochimaru smiles while still lying down.
“I can’t believe you were able to hold back those two even though you were weakened. And your Sharingan… hehe, Sarutobi-sensei is really sneaky, hiding things from your important subordinates.”
“…Orochimaru, look outside the barrier. Stop this pointless struggle.”
The first and second Hokage, who Orochimaru summoned using the Edo Tensei technique, were rendered useless by the genjutsu cast by Madara.
Seeing Madara’s red eyes, Orochimaru threw his arms limply onto the roof as if he had given up. His fighting spirit seemed to be fading.
For Orochimaru right now, facing off against a man who could take on Hashirama and Tobirama without a scratch, and Hiruzen, was a very bad prospect.
Hiruzen urges Orochimaru to surrender.
“You can stop now, Orochimaru. Release the Edo Tensei on both of you.”
After Hiruzen spoke, the roof felt a slight shaking and a cool breeze blew into the barrier.
The sky becomes brighter. It seems the barrier has been lifted. The Konoha ninja have gathered on top of the watchtower, and the Sound ninja have realized they have lost and lifted the barrier themselves.
The Oto ninjas were captured by the Anbu who had been lying in wait.
However, one of the Sound ninja who continued to resist desperately and another ninja who was pretending to be a member of Konoha’s Anbu managed to escape from the Anbu’s clutches.
As they fled, several of the ninja and Anbu who had gathered there chased after them and left the roof.
“Hokage-sama, are you okay? You Orochimaru! Give up!”
“Hokage-sama!”
The other Anbu ninja surrounded the remaining Sound ninja and tied them up, at the same time calling for Hiruzen.
Hiruzen didn’t respond to the Anbu’s call and continued to stare straight down at Orochimaru.
Among the gathering ninja were Kakashi and Gai, and when Madara noticed Kakashi trying to approach Hashirama and Tobirama, he turned around, called out his name and stopped him.
“Don’t do that, Kakashi. You shouldn’t go near an ET living body carelessly. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Stay away from Tobirama in particular.”
“…Tajima-san, what about that Sharingan?”
“Shut up now.”
Kakashi’s questioning gaze was directed at Madara.
He had kept his eyes open in case Hashirama and Tobirama made a move, but thinking it would be troublesome if this many people found out about his Mangekyo Sharingan, Madara switched his eyes in front of Kakashi. The familiar black color that reflected the darkness of the night returned to Madara’s eyes.
Suddenly, a voice was heard coming from Hashirama’s direction.
Madara then turned to Hashirama, and although his eyes remained blank, he could see the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, and Hashirama, who was laughing during the spell and looked to be enjoying himself, furrowed his brow.
(Are you laughing? What are you doing in this genjutsu…?)
Madara wanted to show Hashirama his memories of when he came to this era so that he could understand the situation he was in, but Madara’s mouth twitched, as there was no way that anything could warrant such a suspicious smile.
Though he was concerned about Hashirama’s condition, Madara returned his gaze to Hiruzen and the others.
Orochimaru was surrounded by the four new ANBU who had rushed to the scene, and Hiruzen mingled with them and quietly looked down at Orochimaru, before eventually giving out instructions to the ANBU in an unusually calm tone.
“Orochimaru. I will seal you here in Konoha with my own hands. You and the First and Second Lords will be sealed away as well. Everyone, capture Orochimaru.”
“Haa.”
“… Damn, hehe, that choice will come back to haunt you someday, you damn old man.”
“Just tell me.”
Orochimaru’s limbs are sealed using techniques created by the Anbu.
A spiraling pattern of bindings appears, entangling Orochimaru’s arms and legs. It seems he will no longer be able to move freely.
Orochimaru didn’t resist and was captured by the Anbu without complaint. His expression still looked somewhat relaxed.
As Madara and the bound Sound ninja were being taken away by the Anbu, Orochimaru passed by him and left the roof with a tangled gaze towards him.
As they passed by, Madara felt a chill run down his entire body, making him frown slightly in discomfort.
(What on earth was Orochimaru trying to do? What will become of Hashirama and Tobirama in the end?)
Right now they were under a genjutsu and were behaving calmly, but it wouldn’t be strange if the genjutsu was broken at any time, never mind Hashirama. Madara knew that he wouldn’t last much longer.
Madara tried to move towards Hiruzen to ask him what he was going to do, but a fox-masked ninja appeared in front of him and Madara glared at him harshly.
“You’re in the way. Get out of the way.”
“Hokage-sama! This man is dangerous. What happened with Hayate the other day, and he’s way too strange to be a mere genin!”
“…It seems that you are not only not taking good care of your disciples, but also your subordinates.”
“What the hell are you saying to Hokage-sama!”
“Okay, stand back. Tajima is fine, there’s no problem.”
“Hokage-sama?! But there’s no way a mere genin could hold back the First and Second Hokage-sama!”
“I’m telling you there’s no problem. Don’t worry about it.”
The Anbu, doubting Madara’s strength, stepped back, biting his lower lip at Hiruzen’s words.
The Anbu takes a deep breath, not seeming convinced.
It is said that this man, a dumpling shop owner who had just become a genin, was the one who helped Gekkou Hayate, who had been seriously injured by a ninja from the Hidden Sand.
The man was always accompanied by a Konoha ninja. A select few had been on guard duty for the past few years.
While there is said to be a shortage of ninja talent, and there are other missions of higher importance, there are capable ninja who are a valuable fighting force who work alongside him at the dumpling shop, carrying out tasks similar to those a child might perform.
Why does Shinobu have to be on the man’s side? It would be strange if she didn’t feel uncomfortable.
There was no way that a mere genin could escape the ninja from Sand Hidden who had attacked Hayate.
There’s no way a mere genin could defeat the First Hokage, Hashirama, or the Second Tobirama.
If he possessed such strength at a man’s age, it was puzzling why his name had never been heard of in his not-so-short ninja career.
Not convinced, the Anbu gives way to Madara, who stares with an annoyed expression.
Madara swiftly passed by the Anbu, who had his fists clenched.
Episode 23
“…Hey, Sasuke, have you heard? The results of the Chunin Exams.”
“……ah”
Two dejected voices echoed through the training grounds.
“You two, there’s nothing we can do this time.”
Sakura spoke in a bright voice, trying to encourage Naruto and Sasuke, who seemed a little down.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were gathered at the training ground where Team 7 was formed. There were no missions today, but for some reason the three of them felt the urge to get together.
A few days have passed since Orochimaru’s attack, and the village is in a state of chaos, repairing the damage and strengthening security. Kakashi and the other village jonin are gathered before the Hokage to discuss how to deal with the captured Oto ninja and the future of Sunagakure.
Sakura looked at Naruto, who was leaning against a tree in the training grounds.
“Naruto, is Tajima off today too?”
“Hmm, Otchan used to work at my grandfather’s place in the morning, but I think he’s probably at the dumpling shop now.”
“I see. Tajima-san seems to be quite busy as well.”
“That’s right. I was at my grandpa’s place all day yesterday and the day before yesterday.”
“You went to the Third on exam day, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. My grandfather is being targeted by Orochimaru, so I asked him to go.”
“Tajima-san, I wonder if something happened at the time. Didn’t Naruto hear?”
“I wanted to ask, but lately Otchan has been coming home in the middle of the night. And he leaves right away in the morning.”
“So Naruto, you haven’t talked to Tajima at all?”
Both Sakura and Sasuke blinked at Naruto’s words.
Ever since that day when he asked Madara if he could go and support Hiruzen, Naruto hadn’t been able to talk much with him. While Madara was with Hiruzen, Naruto and the others had followed Sasuke and reunited with him, after which there was a lot of trouble with Gaara who had left the match venue, but Naruto and the others didn’t know what had happened with Madara and Hiruzen while they were trying to persuade Gaara.
“So Naruto, should we go to Tajima’s place?”
“The dumpling shop? I think the old man will get angry if you go and disturb him. When the old man gets angry, he attacks you with a thumping motion, it really hurts, you know?”
“That’s because you’ve done something wrong. If you go as a proper guest it should be fine, right? Sasuke-kun, are you okay with the dango?”
“If I go, I’ll order something edible.”
Sakura suggested that if they couldn’t talk at home then they could talk when they were out, so the three of them decided to head to a dumpling shop.
When Naruto and the others arrived at the dango shop, it was empty as all the customers had already left, and when Naruto peeked inside the shop, he met Madara, who was wiping a table.
“Oh, uncle.”
“Naruto? What, all of you are here? I guess Kakashi isn’t here.”
“Kakashi-sensei can’t make it today either. Can I come in now, uncle?”
“Oh, perhaps you’re from Tajima-san’s place…? Well, I’m not Sakura-chan. Hello, everyone, please come inside.”
While he was talking to Madara, the owner of the restaurant popped his head out of the kitchen, and as soon as he saw Naruto and the others, he happily showed them to a seat at the very back.
As he moved to the back, Naruto noticed the door at the end was slightly open and took a quick look, seeing a man unloading cardboard boxes inside, which must have been a warehouse. Naruto knew the man and realized he was one of Madara’s guards, but he pretended not to notice and took a seat.
As they were looking at the menu on the table, Madara appeared to place teacups for the three of them. Warm steam was coming out of the teacups. As Madara arranged the tea, the elderly woman who owned the shop slowly approached him and smiled at Naruto and the others.
“Ufufu, welcome. There are no other customers here at the moment, so Tajima-san, please relax with the kids. You’ve been busy, haven’t you?”
After saying that, the shop owner placed an additional cup of tea.
Madara tried to refuse, but the owner just gave him a warm smile in silence for a while, and as soon as Madara, having given in to the pressure, could no longer argue, he quietly took the tray that had been used to serve Naruto and the others’ tea and returned to the kitchen.
Reluctantly, Madara took the vacant seat next to Naruto.
“Thank you for your hard work, Tajima-san.”
“Good job, old man.”
Madara accepted Sakura and Sasuke’s words of encouragement and returned the same.
As Madara removed his apron, he asked the three if they had a mission today, and Naruto replied.
“We didn’t have any missions, but we got together. I said that I hadn’t talked to my uncle at home recently, so we decided to go to a dumpling shop.”
“I see. I heard Sasuke doesn’t like sweet things, so I didn’t think he’d come.”
“Tajima-san, are you going home after this today?”
“No, I have things to do.”
“Oh, Otchan, are you here again today? At grandpa’s again?”
“Well, that’s true. Even if you look at me like that, it’s not like I want to go either.”
“Uncle…did something happen back then?”
Naruto asked about the day of the Chunin exams.
Madara’s dark eyes, the same as Sasuke’s, fell towards the table. Not only Naruto, but the other two also looked at Madara, looking a little tired.
“…Ah! Did Orochimaru do something to not only my grandfather but also my uncle?”
“That’s not all so don’t worry, Naruto. The Third is also safe.”
“…But Orochimaru seems like the kind of person who would do something.”
“…You keep saying that, but isn’t there actually something else that happened, old man?”
“…At least I’m going to see the Hokage-sama.”
“Hey, there’s nothing here so you two don’t need to whisper.”
As Sakura and Sasuke whispered to each other, Madara once again told them that nothing was wrong.
The reason Madara was heading towards Hiruzen was because he was trying to do something about Hashirama and Tobirama, who had been summoned using Edo Tensei, before sealing Orochimaru away, and as a result, the days had just been passing by one after the other since that incident.
Madara cannot tell the children that the former Hokage, Hashirama and Tobirama, have returned to life in the village in the present day, so he changes the subject.
“You guys had it harder than that, didn’t you? You did a good job holding back that Sand Monk.”
“Hey, what about Gaara? A lot has happened, but he’s just like us. I wonder what they’re doing now.”
“I’m sure those two were Gaara’s brothers, Naruto. I wonder if they’ve reached the Land of Sand yet.”
Speaking of Gaara, he is the boy from Sunagakure who faced off against Sasuke.
Madara learned from Hiruzen, who later heard a report, that he was the jinchuriki of the One-Tail and that his powers had gone out of control that day, but Naruto and the others spoke of him as if he were a close friend.
(Was there ever a time when we could have become friends…?)
Madara, who did not actually see the location where Naruto and the others went, was having a hard time following the conversation as there was a huge discrepancy between what he heard and what Naruto and the others were saying, but he let it slide as there was no need to pursue what had happened after all.
Madara grabbed the teacup and took a sip of tea.
The tea, carefully selected by the owner, had a bitter yet sweet taste, and the refreshing aroma, which was not too strong, filled Madara’s mouth and quenched his dry throat.
As Naruto and the others were looking at the menu and discussing what to order, they heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming from outside the store.
As I strained my ears to hear what was going on, a Konoha ninja ran into the store through the shop curtains.
“Ta…Tajima! Is Tajima there?”
It was a man’s voice that Madara found familiar.
He was not the man currently working in the warehouse, but one of the guards who had been called in by Hiruzen and left Madara’s side today. He was breathing heavily, as if he had been in a great hurry to get here. Madara turned around, seeing something unusual, and met the man’s eyes. The man looked at Naruto, Sasuke and the others, and after a moment of hesitation, he called Madara to the entrance alone.
When Madara approached, the man quickly beckoned to him, leaned in close and whispered in his ear.
“Tajima, something terrible has happened.”
“…From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like very good news.”
“Yeah. Orochimaru has run away.”
“They ran away? What were those ninja guards doing, a bunch of incompetents?”
How can I escape?
Madara had heard that Orochimaru had been locked in a cell with his hands and feet bound, unable to make seals or use magic, but how could someone who was supposedly unable to move possibly escape?
Apparently, a ninja helped Orochimaru escape, and that ninja and others are currently pursuing him.
It seemed odd to compare them to people from a time when war was intensifying, but Madara was shocked to see how much the skills of the village’s ninja had declined, so he shrugged and shook his head.
The man on guard duty still had something to say, and he continued to mutter in a barely audible voice while keeping a closer eye on his surroundings than when he was talking about Orochimaru.
“Also… the First Master mispronounced your name, causing some confusion.”
(……Hashirama!)
What was the point of showing him that genjutsu? He had explained everything that had happened since he came to the village, and yet he still didn’t understand. Naruto had sometimes mistakenly said Madara’s name, but even though he was old, Hashirama was still just as absent-minded as Naruto, and Madara felt like covering his face.
Hashirama and Tobirama were under Orochimaru’s control, but now they have escaped from his control.
Orochimaru had implanted spells into the two Edo Tensei bodies in order to control them, but the Byakugan holder pinpointed their location, and the ninja in the village who were skilled in using genjutsu worked together to rewrite the instructions on Orochimaru’s spells. Therefore, even though they could not return to the Pure Land, it could be said that they were able to escape from Orochimaru’s control for the time being. Even if they tried to overwrite it, there was no practitioner in the village skilled enough to completely rewrite it, and it was unclear how long it would last, so it was only temporary.
“…What, how, did it happen?”
“Tajima, you seemed a little close to the First Masters when you fought them, right?”
“I don’t think that was the case. In the first place, no one could have heard our conversation outside.”
“That’s supposed to be the case… The Anbu who went to talk to the First Master took a photo of your face with them. When the First Master saw the photo, he blurted it out… Now the Third Master and the Second Master, who can now speak, are somehow managing to cover it up. The First Master also joined in to try and cover it up, but his behavior was clearly strange. After the Second Master yelled at him not to talk anymore, he’s been behaving quietly now…”
After the destruction of Konoha, Madara had found it a hassle to visit the Hokage, but now more trouble had come his way, so he turned his tired and pitying eyes to the other guard, who was still busy sorting the warehouse and likely unaware of the situation.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I’m taking you to see Lord Hokage. For now, I’ll let him work until closing time. Tajima, you should assume that you won’t be able to go home tonight.”
With the sound of Naruto and the others getting excited about which dango to order in the background, Madara had his arms crossed and looked like he had a headache.
Episode 24
Kakashi was in a room in the village’s research facility, in a library where materials about the village’s history and magic were kept.
Among the facility’s archives, scrolls containing forbidden and special techniques are stored here, and it is one of the rooms that cannot be entered without permission from the Hokage, Hiruzen.
Kakashi scanned the spine with his eyes, searching for anything that might give him a clue as to the Edo Tensei technique that had been used.
I was skimming through the books from the shelf at the side, but it was hard to tell just from the simple title on the spine, and since Hiruzen had told me the approximate time period when the Edo Tensei technique was developed, I decided to focus on searching for materials from around that period.
When Kakashi bent down to pick up a file from the bottom shelf, the pouch hanging from his waist shifted and he had to support it with one hand. As he touched the pouch, Kakashi suddenly remembered the existence of a book inside.
(Now that I think about it, I brought it with me. Tajima-san, I wonder if you’ve finished reading the one from the other day by now.)
Inside the small pouch was the latest volume of the Ichapara series, which was also meant to be given to Tajima, also known as Madara.
(He’ll probably come today too, so I’ll give it to him then.)
He pulls out a thick file and stands up, opening it up.
Then the door to the library slammed open, and Guy appeared, his forehead slightly sweaty as if he had come in a hurry, and called Kakashi’s name.
Kakashi stepped out of the row of bookshelves, popped his head up to Guy, and asked what was going on.
“Kakashi! You were here!”
“What’s wrong, Guy? Why are you in such a hurry?”
“An emergency summons from Hokage-sama. Come upstairs immediately.”
“Hokage-sama?”
“Did Kakashi know?”
“What?”
“It’s Tajima.”
“Tajima-san? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Madara.”
“picture?”
“It seems it was Uchiha Madara, Kakashi.”
“Eh, no, no, no, it seems it was Guy, what’s that all about? First of all, when do you think Uchiha Madara was from? Do you know what kind of person he is?”
“I don’t know.”
“You came here in a panic even though you didn’t know?”
Kakashi knows that Tajima, who lives with Naruto, is a member of the Uchiha clan and is hiding this fact from those around him, but how could that lead to rumors that he is Madara Uchiha?
On the day of the Chunin Exams, even though he was an Edo Tensei body, he was able to hold his own against the previous Hokage, so it’s clear that he’s no ordinary genin, but that doesn’t mean that there was anything unusual about him since Tajima appeared.
There probably aren’t many ninjas who can cast genjutsu on the First Hokage, but considering that he was being controlled by Orochimaru, it could be said that Hashirama was less affected by his control. He was in a situation where he was somewhat susceptible to genjutsu.
“And Kakashi.”
“What now?”
“It seems Orochimaru has escaped. We have already dispatched agents to pursue him, but there may be someone within the village who helped him escape.”
“That seems more important though. Understood, I will go to Hokage-sama for now.”
The fact that Orochimaru had escaped was a valuable piece of information, but if Orochimaru had already been dealt with, then rather than sorting out the situation, it would be best to head to Hiruzen as instructed.
Kakashi put the documents back in their original place and followed Guy towards Hiruzen.
This was just before Kakashi and Guy left the library.
Madara was in the same research facility.
“I heard some idiot let it slip.”
At the sound of Madara’s voice, Hashirama, who was looking down at Tobirama and hugging his knees, started to tremble.
Madara was in a room in the research lab with Hashirama, Tobirama, and Hiruzen.
While Madara was taking a rest with Naruto and the others at a dumpling shop, a man on guard suddenly rushed in and took him away, and he was hurriedly brought to the room where the Hokage was.
Hashirama and Tobirama were across from Madara and Hiruzen, inside a barrier that had been set up to surround the center of the room.
Tobirama looked down at Hashirama as he turned to Madara and spoke.
“There are no other ninjas around other than those arranged by Saru. Madara, I’ll ask you straight out: why are you in Konoha?”
“I’m sure I explained it thoroughly in the genjutsu. I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? We went along with it that day, but do you really think we’ll be satisfied with that?”
“Even if you say that, I still don’t know what I don’t know.”
“And that genjutsu… I also heard from Saru that you’ve become a genin, but is it true? You were once the clan leader, and now you’re roasting dumplings all over town?”
“Madara, you started a dumpling shop?”
“Brother, don’t talk yet.”
“…oh.”
Hashirama looked up once, but was reprimanded by Tobirama and once again hugged his knees tightly.
Madara cast a pitying look at Hashirama, who looked a little older than the Hashirama he knew, then quickly returned his gaze to Tobirama.
Hiruzen cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everyone present.
“Second Master. It is true that Madara suddenly appeared in the village one day. At first, we also assumed that we would soon return to our original time, but…”
“Before I knew it, two or three years had passed.”
“When you noticed, you say? Why don’t you at least try to go back?”
“I was just following your instructions not to do anything. Right, Third Generation?”
Madara only shifted his gaze towards Hiruzen, but Hiruzen remained unfazed, staring straight at Tobirama.
“Monkey, is there any way to get Madara back?”
“That is not the case. Even if we wish to continue researching techniques to return the world to its original time, if Madara’s existence were made public, the village would be thrown into chaos.”
“That’s true Sarutobi… ah, what have I done…”
“So what was that picture of me that Hashirama showed you?”
“Here’s your ninja registration card. Here you go.”
Hiruzen pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Madara.
Madara quickly unfolded the wrinkled paper and looked inside.
Inside was a copy of his ninja registration card, and in addition to his name and address, there was a photo of Madara taken when he became a genin.
“It was just like Madara. I just thought it was an old photo! Hey, Tobirama, do you think you could tell from when this photo was taken just by looking at this?”
“Brother! I’ve disposed of everything related to Madara!”
“! …That’s right…it was.”
“You did a great job as Hokage, Hashirama.”
Was Konoha’s future bright or bleak?
Madara closed his eyes and thought back to past events: Hashirama sneaking out of his office despite having a mountain of documents piling up, only to be retrieved by Tobirama; when Hashirama suddenly visited him for a drink and invited him up onto a hill, Tobirama suddenly appeared and took him away, telling him that if he had time to drink, he should get the rest of his work done; and when Hashirama immediately agreed to a letter from his clan asking to form an alliance without consulting them first, Tobirama stopped him.
(…I’m surprised the village has lasted this long.)
Madara frowned and looked at Tobirama, who was scolding Hashirama. The fact that the village had developed to this extent was due to the discretion of Tobirama, who had succeeded him as the second Hokage. No matter how much Hashirama was hailed as a ninja god, there were many worrying aspects to him, such as his soft-spoken nature, that made him question whether he could have governed alone.
“Sandaime, you didn’t call me here just to have a chat with these guys, did you?”
“Yes. Now is the only time when the two of you are not under Orochimaru’s control. Madara, I didn’t let you investigate yourself. Do you know why?”
“Did you think I would repeat history in this village? Using Naruto… No, using the Nine Tails.”
“…I have been watching you for the past few years, and from what I have heard, it is far from what Madara has said. Well, I know I have a bad mouth, but…”
“That’s an unnecessary word.”
Hiruzen took a step forward and looked up at his former master, Tobirama.
“Nidaime-sama, if, as you have said, Madara has never gone missing before…”
“Do as you like monkey. It’s up to you Madara whether you listen or not.”
Hiruzen and Tobirama’s eyes turned to Madara.
Unfazed by the narrowed gaze that seemed to be aimed at him, Madara crossed his arms and looked back.
Hiruzen’s mouth opens.
“Right now, rumors are circulating among the village’s ninja that you are Uchiha Madara.”
“ah”
“I and the Second Master once explained things to those who doubted you, but I don’t know if they were convinced. We tried to stop you from investigating, but… we would like to share some information with you.”
After Hiruzen had finished speaking, Hashirama, who had somehow recovered from his depressed mood, took over the conversation.
“Madara. Let me tell you a story from long ago… something that may have happened in your future.”
Episode 25
“Before you left the village, you showed me something.”
“Are you talking about the stone monument at our shrine?”
“Yeah. Soon after, you left the village.”
Madara, seeing the stone monument that he hadn’t had any desire to see since coming to the future, remembered that there had been such a thing in the Uchiha district, which was now a restricted area.
(Maybe I interpreted it differently here.)
The stone monument, which can only be read with the Sharingan, is something that no one other than the Uchiha can decipher. The dead Madara of this era, who deciphered the meaning written on the stone monument, parted ways with Hashirama.
After leaving the village alone, Madara came to the village with the Nine Tails to attack it. The location was far away from the village, and it seemed as though he had only lured Hashirama to that location.
Madara listened quietly and accepted the choice Hashirama had ultimately made, despite his attempts at persuasion.
“I never knew about the new dream you – no, Madara – had achieved. I never knew of the dream, the determination that would have led you to sever the ties to the village that you had so painstakingly created.”
“Even though I brought the Nine Tails with me, I was defeated by you so easily. If you wanted to know the reason, you could have just used Edo Tensei on me after I died and made me vomit.”
As Hashirama spoke in a calm tone, Madara simply calmly voiced what he was thinking.
In response to Madara’s question, Tobirama spoke.
“I can’t reincarnate you. I know the seal of the solution.”
“Well, then it would be wise not to use it.”
“Yes. You must have heard about the technique from Saru. If the summoning contract is cancelled, there is a possibility that we may come into conflict with you, who has infinite chakra in the village, so I cannot use the Edo Tensei technique recklessly.”
“Madara, what does the village look like to you now?”
“Is this the village?”
Hashirama’s eyes were fixed on Madara.
Now that he no longer bears the burden of being the clan leader, what does he think of the village in this future where the clan he was supposed to protect has been wiped out, leaving only Sasuke and his brother behind?
Hashirama asked him a serious question, and when asked, Madara struggled to come up with an answer.
Even after hearing Hashirama’s story, Madara found it difficult to comprehend the events he had caused here. What was the need for him to fight a deadly battle with Hashirama? He had only seen it in documents in the village, but the place where Hashirama and Madara had fought was called the Valley of the End, and although Konoha had erased almost all traces of Madara’s presence, giant statues of the two of them had been erected there, as if to warn against a repeat of past events.
In an attempt to answer Hashirama’s question, Madara thought back on what had happened since he came to the village.
All that comes to mind are memories of Naruto, who has been tossing her around for the past few years.
“Hey, I beat Sasuke in kumite today!”
“That’s good.”
“Otchan, today, Iruka-sensei…”
?Yes, yes.?
“From today onwards, I’m a ninja too!”
“Ramen is great! Let’s go to Ichiraku today!”
“Ahh! I’m scared of you! I don’t want you to tell me to shake it off!”
“Let’s go, Sasuke! Take that, old man! Konoha taijutsu secret technique!”
“–Hmph, sweet.”
?Ahhhhhhhh!!?
“…Tch, Naruto is no good.”
“You’re next, Sasuke.”
It felt like the days I spent in Konoha were the most peaceful I’d ever experienced.
Madara had thought that there would be no major battles and that his days would be boring, spent secretly in the village, but when he thought of the people he had come into contact with through Naruto, he felt that this kind of everyday life was not so bad.
Madara did not answer Hashirama’s question, but seeing that his expression and chakra were calm, Hashirama relaxed and nodded with satisfaction.
While Madara was talking with Hashirama and the others, there was a sound of several knocks on the door.
Hiruzen called out outside, and a young man’s voice answered back.
“Hokage-sama. Regarding the matter with Tajima from earlier, it seems to be spreading again. Someone has requested to see you regarding the matter.”
“I’ll leave it to you… Tajima, I’m sorry but I’ll have to leave.”
“Misunderstandings are hard to clear up… I’m sorry Sarutobi…”
Glancing at Hashirama, whose shoulders slumped in disappointment, Hiruzen bowed slightly and left the room.
The guards were waiting outside, but inside the room, only the three were left and silence fell. There were only two ninjas on guard, the one who usually brought Madara here and one other person, and when the man who had come to contact them took Hiruzen and left the room, the three resumed their conversation.
“I heard that you guys corrected the rumors about me once…”
“Yeah, just me and the monkey.”
“That was a slip of the tongue by Hashirama, but how many people heard it?”
“Well, you three are there. You were wearing masks so I didn’t see your faces. Madara, is there something bothering you?”
“…An Anbu was standing in front of me on the roof. He spoke as if he had been suspicious of me for a while.”
On the day of the Chunin Exams, as Madara was about to approach Hiruzen, a ninja stood in his way. The other ninja were probably suspicious of Madara, who had held back the two former Hokage, but no one openly demonstrated it.
The fact that his body was moving in that place suggests that he had been suspicious of Madara for some time, and possibly of Hiruzen as well.
Not many people in the village knew about Madara. Only a few of the higher-ups, including Hiruzen, and the ninja who were assigned to watch over him.
It is not surprising that some people are skeptical of Madara’s sudden appearance in the village and his presence close to the Hokage. However, when asked if there is any benefit to spreading word about Madara, he thinks that there is nothing for the lower ranks to gain.
Was he simply unhappy about a stranger being by the side of the jinchuriki and the Hokage, or was he dissatisfied with the way he was being treated and had some lingering resentment towards Hiruzen?
“It seems like there’s no end to the troubles…”
Madara looked towards the door through which Hiruzen had left and sensed the chakra of the guard waiting on the other side.
He’s Madara’s usual watchdog, and I don’t sense any hostility from him. He also obediently follows orders from Hiruzen. Could the rumors be purposely spread by a ninja who was relieved of important duties by the Hokage, or is there something else?
(It was shortly after I started living with Naruto. They said they had been suddenly put in charge of watching over me. It seems they didn’t know the details of Naruto’s situation… but now that I think about it, they didn’t seem to care much about Naruto compared to the other residents of the village.)
With the important mission of watching over Uchiha Madara in front of him, it may be that he simply didn’t have the time to worry about Naruto, who had been with the village since the beginning.
(…There’s no need to assign a ninja to watch over both me and Naruto. It’s a waste of manpower. In fact, there was no sign of any other Anbu beings following us. So what if the ninja who had been put in charge of watching over the jinchuriki by the Hokage himself were suddenly relieved of their duties one day?)
There’s no point in ranking missions, but monitoring a jinchuriki is a crucial mission that holds the fate of the village in its hands. It’s impossible to know what others are thinking, but if they were proud of it, it’s only natural that they would be dissatisfied when a man suddenly appeared and took their mission away from them.
Madara was worried that Hiruzen’s troubles were endless, as he had a disciple plotting to destroy the village, and he had many subordinates who were also suspicious of him.
While the ninjas of the village were warm-hearted, they also had a strangely suspicious side. During his time in the village, Madara had felt this to the point of becoming fed up.
They only want to protect themselves and those around them, and to achieve that, they are not afraid to hurt or belittle others. It’s as if they are willing to give up something or use whatever means necessary to protect and ensure the safety of those around them.
“That brat Sarutobi was also your pupil, Tobirama. I truly feel that your will has been well carried on in this village.”
“Is that sarcastic?”
“Hmm. Let’s stop fighting!”
Hashirama stepped in between the two of them. After a silent exchange of glares, Madara snorted and laughed at Tobirama.
For the village, Hashirama and Tobirama are now dead people of the past. Whether they regret or lament what happened, it was the next generation of ninja who made the choices that led to the village as it is today after their deaths.
While he cannot return to the past, the village is merely a temporary home to Madara.
He had drawn a certain line, deciding that as long as the peace of the village, and that of Naruto, Sasuke, and the others, was maintained, he would not interfere or interfere too much with Hiruzen’s plans.
“Madara…”
Hashirama’s voice echoed.
The Madara in front of him was the Madara that Hashirama knew, but there seemed to be a deeper emotion in his gaze than there was on that day when they last spoke.
Episode 26
Kakashi and Gai were gathered in a large conference room and silently gazed upon Hiruzen, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back in front of a large group of ninja.
The reason they were gathered here was because a rumor had spread about Naruto’s roommate.
Rumors spread that Tajima, who had skillfully neutralised the First and Second Hokage, who had been resurrected and controlled by Edo Tensei, was actually Uchiha Madara.
(Uchiha Madara is from the same generation as the First Master and others. Someone who doesn’t like Tajima must have made him look like the two Edo Tensei characters.)
Kakashi had been suspicious of Tajima before, but since Naruto did not seem wary of him and seemed to be performing his duties seriously, it seemed that Hiruzen had trust in him, so Kakashi had stopped doubting his existence.
Kakashi had built a relatively friendly relationship with the members of Team 7, which he was in charge of, and since Naruto called them “Uncle” and loved them, he decided that there was no point in suspecting them any further.
Although it may seem odd that Naruto stubbornly refuses to talk about Tajima, he is not an enemy to the village.
Moreover, we are now like-minded people who read the same books.
“Ahem. The reason I gathered everyone here is because of a rumor that is currently circulating. As someone who lives in the same village, it is not good to spread false rumors. That person is also a ninja of the village, and he carries out his duties every day.”
“But Hokage-sama, I think his abilities are too high for a mere genin. He doesn’t seem to be an Anbu member, either.”
“That’s right.”
“…I think he should take on more missions.”
One ninja had voiced his opinion to Hiruzen, causing whispers of confusion to rise up around them.
Among them all, Kakashi continued to look straight at Hiruzen, unlike the noisy people around him.
From the corner of Kakashi’s eye, Kunoichi, his long hair down, raised his hand.
“Hokage-sama, is that alright?”
“What is it?”
She was Hayate’s girlfriend who was attacked by a Sand ninja while on a mission.
“Does it matter to us now whether that person is Uchiha Madara or not?”
The ninjas who had been whispering until then fell silent at the sound of her voice.
If Madara had been revived and was living as Tajima, would he have caused any harm to the village so far? Rather, he would have contributed more to the village, such as rescuing Gekko Hayate and subduing the enemy during Orochimaru’s attack.
“It concerns me that a ninja like him was unknown until now, but I believe that spreading rumors using the name of someone who died long ago and stirring up anxiety among the ninja in the village is of no use to us, and to the village. I think it’s pointless making a fuss.”
“It’s just as Yugao said. If you’re curious, she often works at the dumpling shop at the end of the shopping street. Why don’t you go and buy some dumplings?”
“You had a dango flag.”
“Are you really at the dumpling shop…?”
“Why did you go to a dumpling shop…?”
“Apparently the lady at the dumpling shop has requested him.”
“Besides, there’s no way Madara is still alive.”
Some people still looked dissatisfied, but with the possibility that the ninja who helped the captured Orochimaru escape was hiding within the village, and with discussions about the future of their relationship with Sunagakure still pending, there was no time to be fooled by rumors.
Although everyone had different reactions at the meeting, the talk concluded that the rumors about Uchiha Madara were unfounded fears.
After the group dispersed, while some headed towards the dumpling shop Hiruzen had mentioned, Kakashi remained where he was for a while, gazing intently at the place where Hiruzen had been standing.
The suspicions about Tajima have not been completely cleared. Hiruzen has not explicitly denied that Tajima is Madara Uchiha.
Kakashi remembered one of Tajima’s guards who had not shown up, and felt a slight sense of unease in his heart.
After Hiruzen’s further explanation, the rumors that “Tajima” was “Uchiha Madara” seemed to be settled for the time being.
Hiruzen determined that the distrust he had caused among his subordinates came from a lack of communication, and decided to interview each and every ninja working at the Anbu and other Hokage Towers.
Hashirama and Tobirama had been summoned through Edo Tensei, but the summoning contract has been cancelled, and all that remains is for them to return to the Pure Land.
Hiruzen also became busy again with meetings and interviews, but now that the rumors had died down Madara was called upon less and less, and he resumed his duties as usual.
He woke up earlier than Naruto, quickly got ready, and headed to the dumpling shop, sensing the presence of a change in the night watchman.
Today, Madara takes orders from customers who come into the shop and grills dumplings.
As the sun begins to set, work is finished and the remaining dumplings are wrapped up and the workers head home with them in hand.
With the package of dango dangling from his shoulders, Madara climbed the stairs to the apartment he shared with Naruto.
He sees the lights in the room are on and senses the familiar presence of chakra from several people.
(…Sasuke and Sakura?)
Recently, they don’t go home immediately after a mission, but instead hold strategy meetings for the next Chunin exams.
As Madara turned the lock on the front door, all three of them turned to look at him at the same time.
“Oh, uncle!”
“Ah, old man.”
“Oh, Tajima-san.”
The overlapping voices were followed by scattered words of “welcome back” and “pleased to bother you.”
“What are you doing today?”
“Actually, today it’s about Kakashi-sensei.”
“Kakashi’s?”
Naruto ran up to Madara and looked up at him, then began to explain while touching his chin.
“We’ve never seen Kakashi-sensei’s face. So, we’ve been wondering for a while now if there was some way we could see him.”
“Are you three gathered here to try and rip off that gauze?”
Naruto nodded yes.
Madara recalled that even though they had shared meals and sleep together in Wave Country, he had never even seen what was under that cloth.
Apparently Naruto and the others had tried various things, such as taking Kakashi to Ichiraku and offering him tea, but before they knew it he had finished it all and was unable to see under the cloth.
(I see. It’s not like it’s something that needs to be peeled off by force… but Sasuke and Sakura seem quite interested in it.)
When Madara suggested that Naruto just take him out to eat somewhere again, Naruto looked down.
Seeing Naruto’s dejected slumping shoulders reminded me of a man I met again not long ago who had a terrible habit of getting depressed.
“Why are you looking down?”
“…I don’t have any money to treat Kakashi-sensei anymore.”
Don’t let your student treat you, Madara thought, furrowing his brow.
From the looks of it, he had spent quite a bit of the reward he had earned from the mission.
Naruto had been buying replacement kunai that had been worn down during his training, and new clothes as he had grown taller, so he was running low on money.
Although they receive a fee for their requests, the reward from low-ranking missions doesn’t allow for luxuries like frequent dining out.
“…Naruto. Are you guys on a mission tomorrow as well?”
“Yeah, it’s a mission. Where’s the matter, uncle?”
“I’ll take everyone to Ichiraku tomorrow. I’ll be home all day tomorrow, so Naruto, once the mission is done, send me a clone or something.”
“Ichiraku?! Are you sure?! Did you hear that, Sasuke?! Sakura-chan?! Let’s get the mission done quickly tomorrow!”
“Eh, even we’re okay with that?!”
“Are you sure you’re okay, old man? It would be better if we brought it out ourselves.”
When he said that tomorrow would be Ichiraku, not only Naruto, who loved ramen to begin with, but even Sasuke and Sakura looked happy.
While they rejoiced at the chance to see what was under Kakashi’s cloth, Madara finished washing his hands and dumped the dumplings he had just received onto a plate.
It was just after noon the next day.
The four members of Team 7, who had finished their mission early, and Madara, accompanied by Naruto’s shadow clone, met up in front of Ichiraku.
As Madara and the members of Team 7 join forces, the shadow clone disappears with a noise.
Naruto and the others were the first to pass through the Ichiraku noren curtains, followed by Madara and Kakashi. Madara quickly headed to his seat on the far left.
“Thank you very much for joining us today, Tajima-san. Why is everyone leaving their seats open in the middle? Huh? Am I in the middle?”
“Just sit down quickly, the next customer will be coming soon.”
Sasuke’s merciless words stung Kakashi.
“I was fine with being on the edge though.”
Reluctantly, Kakashi sat down in the empty middle seat.
As for the seats, from left to right, Madara, Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke were lined up.
Everyone had decided what they were going to eat, and the ramen was served shortly after they’d finished ordering. Madara heard Naruto and the others say “itadakimasu” in unison as he clasped his hands together and broke his chopsticks.
Madara didn’t really mind being under Kakashi’s cloth, but when Naruto and the others were making noise he somehow became concerned, and he slurped his ramen more quietly than usual.
As for Naruto and the others, they were waiting impatiently for the moment when Kakashi’s hand would reach his mouth, and they stopped moving with their chopsticks in hand.
Even Kakashi would notice if he was being watched that much.
“Aren’t you guys going to eat it? The noodles will get soggy.”
“I-I’m gonna eat it!”
“Yes, I see.”
Naruto began to eat his ramen quickly as he started to pick at the edge of his bowl after hearing Kakashi’s words. Sasuke and Sakura also began to slurp their noodles.
Now that Naruto and the others were no longer looking, Kakashi’s hands started to move and he finally seemed to start eating.
Teuchi appears to be working and has his back to Madara and the others.
From what Naruto and the others had said, Kakashi’s mealtimes seemed to fly by. If you missed the first bite, you might not be able to see it again.
Madara focused on Kakashi’s hand.
(This is a bad position. If I had seen even the slightest touch of his fingers to the fabric, I would have kicked the chair to let him know.)
As Madara slurped his ramen, he kept his eyes on Kakashi, who had been telling Naruto and the others that the noodles would get soggy but had not yet taken a bite, and began to look panicked.
“Eh. Wait, what? Tajima-san and Sasuke? I’m scared.”
“Tch, just eat it quickly, Kakashi.”
“Hey, I’m your teacher. But more importantly, do you need the Sharingan to eat ramen? What are you looking at?”
“Oh, Sasuke-kun, you have the Sharingan?”
Sakura raised her gaze from her ramen and turned to Sasuke.
Madara, on the other hand, looked away as if nothing had happened to Kakashi’s words and resumed slurping his ramen. Kakashi glanced over at Madara, who was pretending not to notice, and confirmed that the red eyes he had seen earlier had returned to their normal color.
Kakashi had noticed that Naruto and the others had recently been plotting various schemes to see what was under the cloth, and from their current behavior he realized that Madara, who had invited them to Ichiraku this time, was also in on it.
(…Sharingan from both sides? This must be a ramen shop.)
Kakashi holds his head in his hands, wishing that it would be used in a more meaningful way.
He wanted to eat his ramen quickly, but he felt embarrassed to start eating knowing that someone was watching him. Kakashi stared at the spiral pattern on the bowl of ramen and wondered whether he should pick up his chopsticks or not.
At that moment, Teuchi, who had his back turned to him, turned around and asked Madara if his usual partner was not there today. Madara raised one eyebrow for a moment when he heard “partner,” but then he quickly realized who she was talking about and answered Teuchi’s question.
The partner Teuchi was referring to was likely one of the guards, and since they had come to Ichiraku together several times after completing missions, he was probably asking about him.
“He’s off duty. He said he’s going to the hot springs for the first time in a while.”
“Is that old man going to the hot springs today? A hot spring, huh… I wonder if the Ero-Sennin is still wandering around there.”
Madara, who was spoken to by Teuchi, and Naruto and the others, drawn in by the conversation, looked away from Kakashi and headed forward. The man on guard duty, as Teuchi had asked, was in fact off work, and it was no mistake that he was at a hot spring. When he was leaving the dumpling shop yesterday, he said, with his shoulders twisted, that he wanted to go tomorrow. He complained that his dream was to go on a tour of hot springs, and that if only it was easier for Madara to go outside the village, he could have gone to many places. It seemed that he was planning to take him with him.
As I was talking to Teuchi, I heard the sound of chopsticks being put down.
By the time everyone realized what was going on, it was too late, and they all turned to look at the center and saw that Kakashi’s bowl was empty.
Madara nodded in his mind, impressed by Kakashi’s speed at eating, and thought that if Naruto and the others invited him to dinner, he wouldn’t be able to watch.
Episode 27
Madara heard hushed voices and several looks piercing his eyes.
A ninja customer at the dumpling shop kept glancing at Madara while waiting for the dumplings he ordered to arrive.
When the guard, who was also on duty at the dumpling shop, approached them to ask if they wanted any more tea, even though their cups were still not empty, the talking stopped, but they continued to look at me several times.
No matter how much Hiruzen had told him not to spread rumors, once something had spread it would not disappear completely. However, although those who knew the rumors were looking at him, their looks and voices were not of suspicion or contempt, but rather a reaction as if they were seeing a strange person and wondering, “Is that the person?”
It’s like enjoying ghost stories and superstitions.
Therefore, Madara and the supervisors both just ignored what he was saying to a certain extent.
After the customers had left, the owner, having overheard the gossip, tilted his head and muttered, “Another familiar name came up… I wonder if that’ll be the theme for the next courage test,” to which the supervisor burst out laughing. Madara listened as he wiped down the table the customers had used.
“Kakashi is feeling unwell?”
“Uhh… that’s right.”
Madara, who had no missions, was leisurely having his breakfast when he noticed that Naruto was still sleeping in bed and went to wake him up.A sleepy voice replied that Kakashi was feeling unwell and that today was the day off.
Due to the incident with Orochimaru, Kakashi was no longer only the Jonin in charge of Team 7, but also took on missions on his own, and there were several days when he did not accompany Naruto and the others on their missions. It seems that Hiruzen also calls on him frequently, so he seems to be leading a very busy life.
It seems that Naruto and the others are able to complete missions such as searching for pet cats on their own without any problems, so the three children only take on easy missions, but I wonder if something happened to one of the missions he took on alone that affected his health.
Naruto was fidgeting in his futon. The weather was nice and there was not a cloud in the sky, so Madara was thinking of airing the futon out. He mercilessly pulled the futon off the sleepy Naruto and went outside to hang it on the railing.
When he returned home, Naruto was in the living room with a dazed look on his face, and was about to take a carton of milk out of the fridge.
After putting down the carton of milk and going to get a cup, Naruto sat down in a chair and poured himself some milk as he asked Madara.
“Huh? Oh yeah, is Otchan off work too?”
“Yeah. We don’t have enough people to go on the mission today.”
Madara sat in a chair opposite Naruto and watched as Naruto drank the milk, his white beard growing.
(…I guess he’s not feeling well. I guess it can’t be helped, since he’s doing other missions while watching these guys.)
Naruto put the empty cup on the desk and asked Madara if he had one while handing him a carton of milk.
“I was thinking about going to visit Sasuke and the others later, do you want to come too? Ah, want a drink?”
“No need. What, is it bad enough to go visit you?”
“Sakura-chan said you might be using too much chakra.”
According to Naruto, he won’t be able to move for several days.
It seems he’s not completely unable to move, but he probably doesn’t have enough stamina to go on a mission. I wonder if he’s even prepared meals.
“Do you guys know Kakashi’s house?”
“It seems Sasuke knows.”
“That’s fine then. There’s no point in visiting someone if you don’t even know where they live.”
When I asked what time we were going to meet, Naruto looked at the clock and froze with his mouth wide open.
“Wow! It only takes about 30 minutes!”
“Haa… I guess it’s because I sleep forever.”
As Naruto quickly pulled out some clothes from the dresser, Madara sighed and got ready.
With Sasuke leading the way, they arrived at Kakashi’s house, and in response to the doorbell ringing, a pale-faced Kakashi appeared from inside the house.
As usual, her mouth is covered, and her left eye, which is usually hidden by a forehead protector, is hidden with her eyelid closed beneath her long bangs.
It seems he had told him beforehand that he was coming to visit, but Kakashi blinked, never expecting Madara to be there.
Kakashi, in a dazed state, led Naruto and the others into the living room, where they asked to use the kitchen, and he briefly explained the cooking utensils to them. He then sat at the low table and watched over them, but Naruto and Sakura strongly urged their teacher to rest, so he reluctantly headed to the bedroom.
Before coming here, Naruto and his friends had said that they were going to make dinner for Kakashi, so they met up early and went shopping for ingredients.
Ignoring the children who were excitedly clenching their fists, ready to make something, Madara headed towards the room Kakashi had retreated to and called out through the door. When Kakashi replied in a heavy voice, “Come in,” he opened the door and went inside. The room was tidier than Madara had imagined, and the state of the living room was also such that it was hard to imagine him being late. Kakashi was lying on a bed on one side of the room. Madara walked over to him, stopping Kakashi as he tried to get up.
“Stay in bed. I heard from Naruto and the others that you’ve been using too much chakra.”
“Ah, haha… it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Did you use your Sharingan? If you have been given a mission that requires you to use it, it would be best to reduce or adjust your duties with Team 7.”
“Ah, no, the mission is not an issue. I thought I should train too so that Sasuke and the others don’t overtake me. In between missions, you see.”
Madara looked down at Kakashi, who was lying on his side, with his eyes closed and a thoughtful expression.
Kakashi was thinking about being alone as Madara’s gaze dropped.
(Should I tell Tajima-san…?)
Ever since Kakashi saw Madara’s Sharingan with its strange pattern, he had realized that it was not a normal Sharingan. On the day when Orochimaru plotted to destroy Konoha, he had used his eyes against the two former Hokage who had been resurrected and controlled, so he must have thought that a normal Sharingan would not work on them.
(Tajima is probably the most knowledgeable about the Sharingan in the village. The Hokage also trusts Tajima.)
When Kakashi opened his eyes, he noticed that, unlike before, Madara’s gaze was directed above Kakashi’s face.
Kakashi followed his gaze a little and realized what he was looking at. It was a group photo that was on the bed. Next to the one that Naruto and Team 7 had taken was a photo of the team that Kakashi had once belonged to.
“…Umm, Tajima-san.”
When called, Madara turned his attention back to Kakashi.
“There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“What?”
“It’s about the Sharingan.”
“Sharingan?”
Madara raised one eyebrow at Kakashi’s question and repeated the words. Wondering what he was trying to ask, Madara waited for the next word.
“It might be quicker if you just took a look… but I don’t think it would be right to suddenly show it to you.”
“Is there something wrong with your left eye? I’m not an expert in medical ninjutsu, but… never mind, let me see.”
“That would be helpful. Actually…”
Madara wasn’t particularly keen on peering into someone else’s Sharingan, but when Kakashi’s voice sounded as if he was asking for help with a hint of confusion, Madara nodded and crouched down next to the bed so he could get a better view.
Hearing Madara’s reply, Kakashi slowly brought his hand out from under the covers to cover his left eye, and after a moment he removed it to reveal a red pupil.
Madara gasped, expecting a three-cornered pattern to appear.
A special, sharp, circular pattern appeared in Kakashi’s left eye.
“–! What happened to your eyes?”
“When I saw Tajima-san’s eyes back then, I thought that perhaps there was a form of the Sharingan that had even greater power. Since then, I’ve experimented with various ways of refining and concentrating my chakra, and finally I created it.”
“Can you do it?”
“picture”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Madara closed his eyes tightly and looked down, wondering what that meant.
The left eye that Kakashi showed Madara must be the one called the Mangekyo Sharingan. Judging from Kakashi’s behavior, he doesn’t seem to know much about its existence or the reason for its awakening.
As far as Madara knew, there hadn’t been any incidents around Kakashi, such as separations from loved ones or friends, but he thought that perhaps he was unaware of the fact that Kakashi had been under severe mental stress from a recent mission, and considered the circumstances that had led to his awakening.
“…Kakashi, has anything happened recently?”
“I don’t think so…”
“Really?”
“Um, yes. Probably.”
Madara asked again intently, and Kakashi nodded with his left eye closed, a confused look on his face.
(How could he awaken without having anything? In that case, the conditions for awakening were met from the start. The left eye belonged to a guy called Obito. Does that mean he had already attained the Sharingan when he inherited it?)
If that was the case, it is hard to imagine that Kakashi hadn’t noticed until now if he had already awakened the power. In the first place, it was questionable whether the Mangekyo Sharingan could blossom into a powerful one after being transplanted into someone outside of the clan.
The fact that Kakashi didn’t know meant that when the eye was transplanted it was probably just a Sharingan.
While Madara was deep in thought, Kakashi, having seen his reaction, timidly called out to him.
“Tajima-san, is this really bad?”
“It’s not bad… it’s not bad, but I guess it’s okay if nothing happened to you, or is it okay? No, it’s not okay.”
“Is it no good?”
“For now, it’s too risky for you to use that eye right now. Especially since you don’t have enough chakra. Just keep the eye open for now. Don’t use it carelessly when you’re alone, absolutely not. Have you told the Hokage about this?”
“I spoke to him yesterday, but he said it would be best to ask Tajima-san.”
“So you’re just leaving it to me. You haven’t used any magic since you got those eyes, have you?”
Kakashi nodded.
It seems that he was able to draw out the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan that he had originally awakened after his research. Madara had only intended to come to visit, but he never expected to find out such a fact, so he folded his arms and pondered.
(…Sasuke is here too. Maybe we should talk about the Sharingan another time.)
Hearing the noisy voices of Naruto and the others coming from the living room, Madara asks Kakashi if it’s okay for him to visit tomorrow.
Madara said he wanted to set up an opportunity to talk again, but Kakashi realized that it would be difficult for Naruto and the others to hear, so he agreed that Madara could visit whenever he wanted since he had the next day off.
Episode 28
One afternoon, Madara was visiting Kakashi’s house.
Yesterday he had come with Naruto and the others to visit Kakashi, who was apparently suffering from a chakra shortage due to suspected overuse of the Sharingan, but today was a different day.
The reason Madara came to Kakashi’s house was to talk about the Sharingan in his left eye that Kakashi had shown him yesterday.
Kakashi greeted me and led me into the living room.
The two of them slowly sat down in front of the low table where the cushions were placed.
Kakashi was not acting in the usual light-hearted manner he always did when interacting with Madara, but instead looked a little serious as he quietly gazed at Madara, who was sitting across the table from him.
In an oddly heavy atmosphere, Madara’s mouth was the first to open.
“Before we talk, there are a few things I want to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“As I heard yesterday, there really hasn’t been much going on around you lately.”
“……yes”
“Is it possible that Uchiha Obito had his eyes awakened when he inherited them?”
“No, I don’t think that’s the case. The Sharingan itself had only just been awakened. So, I don’t think so.”
“I have heard stories from Uchiha members in the past about your newly awakened eyes.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Have you told anyone about this besides the Hokage?”
“No, no one yet, except for Hokage-sama and Tajima-san.”
Kakashi answered Madara’s question.
From the way he was asked, Kakashi understood that this was not something that could be awakened simply by training chakra in a different way than usual.
“Those eyes, it is certain that you are not able to control them at the moment. I will investigate their abilities in due course, but I need to warn you in advance about the risks of using them.”
“Risk?”
Kakashi listened intently to Madara as he described his left eye, trying not to miss a single word.
It’s called the Mangekyo Sharingan, and only a select few of the Uchiha clan can awaken it. It allows the user to use more powerful eye techniques, but at the same time it puts more strain on the eyes, putting them at risk of going blind, and he was told that once his eyesight deteriorates it can never be restored.
“Just make sure you don’t use it too many times. That being said, I don’t think you can use it that many times.”
“Tajima-san, are your eyesight okay? From what I can tell from your conversation, you’ve used it before, haven’t you?”
Kakashi asked, looking Madara in the eye.
“I have no problem with that.”
“But Tajima-san, you might go blind right now… I think you’re giving me this warning precisely because you had the opportunity to use it.”
“…Yeah. But your worries are unfounded. My eyes are fine now. Now, I need to see what will cause my eyes to open.”
Simply put, it is experiencing the death of someone closest to you, or experiencing something similar to that emotion.
As Madara spoke, Kakashi pursed his lips tightly beneath the cloth and slowly let his eyes fall to the wood grain of the low table.
Kakashi was no stranger to the loss of a loved one.
But when and where did it happen recently?
When Madara asked if he had any idea, Kakashi shook his head weakly, dripping with cold sweat.
“I see. I felt a sharp pain in my left eye.”
“pain……”
“If you have no idea, then it can’t have been something recent, or even in the past few years. It must have been much earlier – that’s right, there was another place you often visited besides the memorial. What was the name again… I thought it was a woman’s name.”
“!… Rin? Wait a sec, couldn’t that have happened back then…?”
“what up”
“…Tajima-san, I told you about Obito.”
“Yeah, I heard that.”
Kakashi began his story with a slightly trembling voice, explaining that when they were young, in addition to Obito, there was a girl named Hara Rin on the Forman Cell team they were on.
Kakashi was worried about how much he should talk about, but in the end he told Rin as much as he knew about the time she was kidnapped and the day she lost her life.
Madara pretended to listen calmly without changing his expression, but held back the urge to open his mouth at what he was hearing. Thinking how Kakashi had managed to endure all the brutal stories of his past that seemed to come out at any moment, Madara took a deep breath to keep his emotions under control and continued listening.
“At that time, I lost consciousness immediately… but I think I may have felt something strange in my eyes.”
“Something strange?”
“Yes. However, at the time I wasn’t thinking about my eyes. There’s something else that’s bothering me…”
“Anything bothering you?”
“After I killed Rin, I collapsed immediately. There were still enemies around. And yet, by the time reinforcements arrived, the enemy had been wiped out.”
“Oh, so all the enemies were dead before I knew it.”
“Yes. I still don’t really understand it though…”
Kakashi couldn’t say for sure if Rin fit the category of his closest friend, but if we were to categorize her as someone close to him at the time, she would not have been far off the mark.
Madara crossed his arms and looked towards the corner of Kakashi’s room in deep thought.
(Kakashi is also unlucky… to have ended up killing the person his late friend loved.)
Madara had asked him a lot of questions, but Kakashi answered them honestly. If he didn’t trust Madara, he wouldn’t have answered so well. Hiruzen had told him to rely on Madara, though.
The sun floating in the sky outside was hidden by moving clouds, and the room was enveloped in dimness.
Kakashi placed his hand over his left eye, closed both eyes and imagined Obito’s face. Madara watched Kakashi quietly.
As the sun set and the training ground became dark, a cold wind blew through it, blowing fallen leaves around.
One day, shortly after the incident with Kakashi’s left eye, Madara was training with Naruto and Sasuke, and recently Sakura as well, until the sun went down.
It seemed that the three of them still had not achieved satisfactory results, as when Madara tried to call it a day, they looked dissatisfied, but he gave them an excuse that it would interfere with the next day and sent them home, and then a different person appeared at the training ground.
The person who appeared just as Naruto and the others were there was their Jounin Kakashi. However, it seemed that Kakashi had received a request for personal work during the day, so today he was acting separately from Naruto and the others.
“Good evening, Tajima-san.”
“You’re late. Where have you been?”
“I was just helping out an old lady who was passing by.”
“Don’t tell such a blatant lie. You’re probably just visiting the grave again anyway.”
“Ahaha…”
Madara said as he crossed his arms, and Kakashi laughed awkwardly.
The reason Kakashi was called to the training ground was because he had originally planned to take on Naruto and the others, but he also wanted to test how far Kakashi would actually be able to move as he continued to use his left eye in the future.
Although it is not possible to suddenly increase an individual’s chakra content, it is possible to gradually increase it by training the body and mental energy. Madara also wanted to prepare Kakashi’s body to a certain extent before allowing him to use the Mangekyo Sharingan in his left eye.
Apart from Sasuke, Kakashi is the only one in the village who officially has the Sharingan. If the Nine Tails inside Naruto were to be manipulated and go berserk, Kakashi would be the first to be called upon. If he is not useful at that time, there is no point.
Although he had briefly explained about the Mangekyo Sharingan once at Kakashi’s house, there was no point in using it once and then collapsing, so it was necessary to give Kakashi some resistance to it.
After making sure that there was no other person around except for the guards, Madara took a step closer to Kakashi.
“Right, there’s no one else around. Let’s just do it here for today. There’s moonlight, so we should be able to see our feet. Kakashi.”
“yes”
“I spoke to you before about your eye, but if you try to use it, you should be aware that it will be subjected to a certain amount of strain. I’d like to try various things with your left eye, but I will start on that once your foundation is complete.”
“Um, the base… does that mean me and Tajima-san?”
“You have good intuition. From now on, I’ll accompany you every night to the limit of my physical strength. For now, how about we start by trying to catch the bells like you did with those guys? As long as your eyes don’t change, you can use your Sharingan or ninjutsu as you like. If you don’t like being alone, I’ll call anyone hiding in the bushes over there.”
“Eh! Me?”
When Madara said this while glancing towards the tree behind him, the guard popped out, turned towards Kakashi and shook his head vigorously. Today’s guard was the youngest of the group that mainly worked with Madara on missions.
Kakashi looked at the man on guard duty as he held both hands out in front of him, saying, “Please, please, Kakashi, leave it all to yourself,” in a dumbfounded look.
Kakashi was also a talented person who became a Jonin at a young age, but judging from the state of Konoha these days, it is undeniable that everyone is weaker than they were in Madara’s time. From what I’ve heard, in the past Shinobi World Wars, it honestly doesn’t seem like there were any talented people who lived up to Madara’s expectations. As with the recent destruction of Konoha, there were no ninjas who could break through the barrier, so it’s hard to deny that the village’s ninja have weakened.
There are plenty of ninjas, but no one who can fight properly.
“Either one or two is fine.”
“She seems really reluctant, so is it okay if I’m the only one?”
When Kakashi said that, the guard looked relieved and hid in the bushes.
Kakashi didn’t know if what he was about to do would just be a simple game of bell-catching, but he wondered with a troubled expression if the man in front of him had done something to make him dislike it with all his might.
“You really do this every day, don’t you?”
“Yeah, the Hokage told me too. I explained your situation and he asked me to help him. If you get a mission, you can prioritize that, but I do know what you’re doing, so don’t even think about being late.”
“Good luck, Kakashi-san! I have a feeling you can do it!”
“Either you hide or you don’t hide.”
The guard again peeked out from behind the bushes, raised one arm and began cheering on the scarecrow.
When Madara had first come to the village of the future, he had a few light attacks on the guards when he had free time, but I wonder if they still remember that. Madara had been going easy on them back then so as not to interfere with their duties, but he had made them crawl on the ground so many times that it broke their pride, as they had been given orders directly from the Hokage. I remember that they held a grudge against him for a while until Madara officially became a ninja of the village.
As expected, Madara no longer had to kill time with them as he now carried out duties as a genin, but there were always supervisors standing by when Naruto and the others were training, and Madara knew that they were always cheering on the children.
Hearing the rustling sounds of the guards hiding, Madara decided it was time to get started and reached into the pouch hanging from his waist.
“Well, I don’t have a bell, but I’m sure I have something here that would suit you.”
He fumbled around in his pouch, pulled out something and showed it to Kakashi. When Kakashi realized what it was, his eyes widened and his hands trembled in front of him.
“T-that’s it!”
“It’s a special edition. The one you’re reading.”
“Special edition. Ta-Tajima-san, where did you get that?”
The thing in Madara’s hand was Icha Icha Paradise. However, it wasn’t just any Icha Paradise, it was a special edition that was sold in limited quantities. It must have been a while since it was published, but it was in good condition, and the clear plastic was still in place, so it was probably unopened.
After a while, Kakashi seemed to calm down, his trembling stopped, his expression became serious, and he fixed his sharp gaze on the book in Madara’s hand.
“If you want this book, take it from me.”
“Let’s do it quickly. If you don’t mind, you can use this instead of Suzu.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Kakashi was suddenly filled with enthusiasm, and Madara took one look at the Ichapara in his hand before quickly putting it away in his bag.
Instead of a bell, he is given a netsuke with a bamboo part hanging from the scarecrow. The bamboo part has an illustration of a dog on it. It looks like something you would buy at a general store in the village, but where did he get it?
Madara took the netsuke and placed it around his waist, then stepped away from the eager Kakashi to calm himself down.
(What is this guy’s obsession with Ichapara…?)
By the way, this special edition of Ichapara was given to me by the client when I went to help with a major cleaning assignment and found it covered in dust on a shelf. I was so interested in it that I wanted to give it to him. I tried to refuse it, saying I didn’t need it because it was only being read by an acquaintance, but he said he had a spare and it was a thank you for helping me, so I had no choice but to accept it.
Madara has no intention of losing, but Kakashi’s obsession with Ichapara is genuine, as can be sensed from the aura he exudes. It’s not murderous intent, but a strong will to get Ichapara at all costs.
Madara had no idea how Kakashi would approach Ichapara, so he became a little on guard.
“…Haa, haa.”
“Kakashi, time to stop this.”
“No, I can still move!”
“However, it’s probably time for us to go home.”
“The special edition that I wasn’t able to buy back then is right in front of me, so I can’t give up.”
Kakashi shook his head, causing sweat to patter onto the ground.
The task was to steal the netsuke from Madara, but Kakashi was unable to accomplish it.
Madara told him to come at him with the intent to kill, and Kakashi fought back with all his might for Ichapara, but no matter what technique he used, it was all negated. But Kakashi still didn’t give up. Right in front of him was the special edition that he had been unable to get because he had been assigned a mission on the release date. He wanted to get it at all costs.
“…I’m not going to throw it away or anything.”
Kakashi continues to stand despite being in tatters, and Madara hangs his head, wondering if bringing Ichapara had been a mistake.
His impression after fighting him was that, just as Madara had expected, Kakashi used his Sharingan skillfully. Whenever Madara tried to make a hand gesture, Kakashi instantly identified the technique he was going to use and used a counter technique.
Although it was only one night, they were able to get a rough idea of ??Kakashi’s abilities.
He is also skilled at reading the space, with a quick mind and the ability to dodge Madara’s offensive techniques by using the Earth Release Wall and his Sharingan, and then going on the offensive when he sees an opening.
It seems that Kakashi with the Sharingan has the ability to make his name known in other villages.
“That’s it for tonight. If you continue any more you’ll end up in bed again. I said I’d push myself to my limits, but at least save enough energy to get home.”
“…………yes”
If they continued like this, Kakashi’s stubbornness would eventually lead to him running out of chakra. Madara didn’t particularly want to see him run out of chakra.
Upon hearing Madara’s final words, Kakashi slowly exhaled and relaxed the tension in his body. Once he had calmed down, he felt his strength weaken from the knees down, and realized that he had lost a lot of his physical strength and chakra. It seemed best to call it a day for now.
“Hahaha… I got carried away. Now that I think about it, Tajima-san seems to be in a good mood.”
“Hmph. I guess the person who’s supposed to be taking care of her can’t afford to get tired.”
Although Madara said this with confidence, he was quite surprised by Kakashi’s terrifying momentum during the battle. The difference in their abilities was obvious. The special edition Ichapara that Madara had seems to be quite special to Kakashi.
(Next, while I’m training this guy, I might as well investigate whether someone who isn’t even of the clan can awaken him.)
Besides Madara, the only person in the village who seems to know a lot about the Sharingan is Hiruzen. The only remaining Uchiha member in the village is Sasuke, but given his age, he probably hasn’t heard much about it from his family yet. Especially since only a select few know about the Mangekyo Sharingan.
(If only Kakashi had realized this sooner. It’s annoying, but I’m sure Tobirama would have done some research on the Uchiha clan.)
It annoyed him to rely on Tobirama’s knowledge here, but in the Age of War, he was a man among the Senju who had done countless countermeasures and research into fighting against the Uchiha. As far as Madara knew, there was no one outside the clan who had such a deep understanding of the matter other than Tobirama.
However, even if he wanted to ask Tobirama, it was highly likely that the Edo Tensei spell had already been lifted. If he couldn’t ask directly, there was a chance that he had left documents about Tobirama somewhere in the village. He could just rummage through them.
Madara walked next to Kakashi, who looked unsteady and unable to hide his tiredness, while thinking.
The night sky was beginning to lighten and morning was soon approaching.
Episode 29
Three small shadows were lying on the ground at my feet.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were walking slowly down a street lined with the village’s shops.
With her hands clasped behind her back, Sakura spoke to the two as if making small talk.
“Hey, you two, have you heard this rumor?”
“What is it Sakura-chan, rumors? About what?”
Feeling thirsty, Naruto opened his water bottle and drank some water as he walked, but when he heard Sakura’s casual question he turned his head slightly to the side.
“I heard some ninja talking at the cafe. There was a rumor that Uchiha Madara was there.”
“Grrr, cough cough cough, cough.”
“Eh? Are you okay Naruto? You’re going in all sorts of weird directions while drinking, so… have you heard, Sasuke-kun? Isn’t it going to be for the next neighborhood association performance? That’s what Ino and the others are saying.”
“…I don’t know.”
When Naruto heard Sakura’s words, he choked loudly as water began to enter a different hole.
Naruto’s heart was pounding and he wondered why Madara’s name was being mentioned here, so he couldn’t look at Sakura and the others and instead turned towards the day after tomorrow and answered appropriately.
“I, I, I don’t know.”
“Why are you stuttering so much? Where are you looking? Do you even know who you are?”
“I-I know that much!”
“Hmm, that’s surprising. I’m sure Sasuke-kun would know, but Naruto knows too.”
“I know you. You’re the one who founded the village with the first generation uncle!”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Eh, Sakura-chan? …Huh?”
Sakura blinked at Naruto’s answer.
Sakura was surprised that Naruto knew, but was a little puzzled by the way he answered, which was a little different from what they had learned in their history classes at the academy.
Although the textbook contained detailed information about the Hokage, it didn’t mention much about Madara, who is said to have co-founded Konoha Village, and Sakura didn’t think Naruto, who often dozed off or got up to mischief during class, would remember it. Although the name came up, it was hard to imagine Naruto remembering the name of Uchiha Madara, which Iruka just brushed off as he explained, and Sakura felt a little uneasy.
“Hmm, that’s right, that’s right but… I was surprised that Naruto knew. If anything, I thought that the stone statue would have made a bigger impression on him. I’m surprised you remember the contents of the lesson.”
“Ah, ahahahaha, ah, yes! I remember! I remember!”
Naruto tried to laugh it off somehow.
He vaguely remembers that the lessons weren’t covered in depth, but what he actually heard from Madara made a bigger impression on him than the contents of the textbook, and if Sakura asked him in detail he would probably tell her things that he hadn’t learned.
The first Hokage, Hashirama, and Madara, who was the head of the Uchiha clan at the time, joined hands to create the village, but as Sakura felt something was off about Naruto’s answer, Madara’s existence had been almost completely erased from the village’s history. It would be wrong to answer questions that were not taught at the academy.
Naruto and the others walked down a street lined with shops, with Sakura between them.
Sasuke looked at Naruto, who seemed strangely flustered. Naruto’s reaction to Sakura’s casual question was too big. Sasuke looked at Naruto and thought to himself, “What a strange guy.”
“Sa-Sakura-chan, let’s stop talking about that.”
“Oh, isn’t that Kakashi-sensei and Tajima-san over there? It’s rare to see the two of them together in the middle of the day.”
“Huh?! Uncle?! Why are you here?!”
“Even the old man lives in the village, so it doesn’t matter where he is, you idiot.”
Sakura turned her gaze to the end of the street, where she saw Kakashi and Madara rounding the corner. Madara and Kakashi noticed Naruto’s loud voice more than Sakura’s and stopped in their tracks and turned around.
Sakura and Sasuke left Naruto, who was still panicking, and went ahead to where Madara and the others were.
“Kakashi-sensei! Tajima-san!”
“Yo. The three of you are together again. You guys seem to get along really well.”
“You guys. So, Naruto, what are you doing dancing alone in a place like that?”
“I’m starting to panic all by myself. But that’s normal.”
“…Well, that’s certainly true.”
“Ahh! That’s cruel, Sakura-chan! And you too, Uncle, don’t accept it!”
Naruto ran, arms flailing about, and caught up with Sakura and the others.
Naruto looked up at Madara with a sulky expression and his eyes met his usual dark color.
“What were Kakashi and the old man doing?”
“Hmm, maybe a walk.”
“Two old men, eh?”
“Well, isn’t it fine Sasuke? The two of you can go for a walk together sometimes. Right, Tajima-san?”
When Kakashi told Sasuke with a smile, Sasuke was not satisfied and thought to himself, “If you have time, come on a mission.”
Recently, Kakashi had been accompanying them on missions as the Jonin in charge of Team 7, but he was not always able to be there because he was assigned a mission on his own once every few days.
“Hey Sasuke. Are you lonely without me? Sorry, I can go tomorrow.”
“N-no!”
“Sasuke, just be honest with yourself.”
“Shut up, you lame idiot!”
“Well, we have somewhere to go. Meet in front of the gate at ten tomorrow.”
“Eh, are you leaving already, Kakashi-sensei and the old man?”
Naruto asked Kakashi, who waved goodbye, and Kakashi nodded in affirmation.
Naruto knew that Madara was doing something with Kakashi in the middle of the night (he had told him when he had complained), and since it didn’t look like the two of them were on any particular mission at the time, he concluded that it must be something related to that.
Sakura said it would be rude to hold them back, and Naruto and the others parted ways with Kakashi and Madara.
Kakashi and Madara seemed to be heading outside the village, and they were walking in a different direction from Naruto and the others.
“I wonder where Kakashi and the others are going?”
Sakura muttered, and both Naruto and Sasuke turned to look at Kakashi and the others.
Kakashi and Madara were heading towards the outskirts of the village.
The two of us walked in silence down the deserted street.
Once the houses seemed to stop, they walked a little further and then a gate appeared before them. A no-entry line was posted at the gate, and the area seemed to have been neglected, with weeds growing in an unruly fashion and giving it a desolate appearance.
Madara deftly passed through the gate that was cordoned off, and Kakashi followed behind him.
The place they were visiting was the now deserted Uchiha district.
It was the first time Madara had set foot on this land since arriving in Konoha Village in this era, and as he was a leader himself he thought he might have some thoughts about this scenery, but as expected, no particular emotions welled up inside him.
However, if we think about it, this scene was bound to happen in the not-too-distant future as a result of being under the control of the Senju and those associated with them. It is said that the Senju and the Uchiha joined hands, but it would be more accurate to say that they were merely pandered to by the Senju. Hashirama spoke of the Uchiha and Senju joining hands as if they were equals, but judging by their fighting power and track record at the time, the Uchiha were at a disadvantage, and Hashirama was probably the only one who thought they were equals.
It would have been better if all the clan members could accept the days spent in the village, but the clan has a long history and many members with great pride. Even after Madara’s time, there were probably always those who felt that they were being forced to endure, that the Uchiha were looked down upon by other clans. With so few clan members involved in domestic affairs, it is not surprising that some would feel this way.
Even in Madara’s time, there were many who were unhappy with the way politics were now mostly run by the Senju. However, as time passed, the voices gradually died down, and more and more people began to accept life in the village.
The sound of footsteps on dirt and gravel echoes, emphasizing the silence of the surroundings.
Kakashi, who had been walking and looking around, broke the silence and spoke to Madara.
“Tajima-san, you said there was somewhere you wanted to stop by in the Uchiha district, may I ask where you’re heading?”
It wasn’t Kakashi’s first time setting foot in the Uchiha district, but the last time he was here was when that incident occurred, so it had been a while since he’d last been there.
Madara, who wasn’t supposed to be in the village, was heading towards a certain location without any apparent confusion, and Kakashi felt something was off.
(I had thought about not suspecting Tajima-san, but he was definitely in the village…)
I don’t know if that was when he was a child, but for someone who lived outside the village, he seems to be very familiar with the geography of the Uchiha district.
While Kakashi was thinking about this, Madara was thinking about something different.
(I’m sure if I go straight down this street I should be able to get there…)
Although I didn’t look lost, I was actually having a bit of trouble finding my way.
Rather than knowing which street I am walking down, I only have a general idea of ??my location.
Kakashi’s eyes were fixed on Madara curiously, wondering where he was being taken, and Madara answered, still looking down the street.
“Nangano Shrine.”
“Nakano… Ah, Nanka Shrine?”
Nanka Shrine is the shrine that enshrines the guardian deity of the Uchiha clan. A seed of doubt grew in Kakashi’s mind as to why he was taking him to such a place.
Today Kakashi was called to the Hokage’s office, and then Hiruzen told him to go to a certain place with Madara, who was already there.He wasn’t even given time to ask where he was or what he was going to do, so he just followed Madara.
Before meeting Naruto and the others, he had heard the general location, but since it wasn’t the kind of thing he should be talking about in a crowded place, he didn’t pursue the matter any further and just followed them.
As for entering the Uchiha district, he would likely need Hiruzen’s permission.
“Why did you go to Nanka Shrine?”
Madara glances backwards briefly, but quickly returns his gaze to the front.
“…You’re the only one here, so it’s fine. You don’t have to look like that, Kakashi. I wanted to show you something.”
“Something?”
“That’s something to look forward to after we get there.”
Madara let out a sigh and laughed, and Kakashi, still not quite understanding the situation, followed Madara with his doubts in mind.
Madara’s reason for heading to Nankanojinja Shrine was that he wanted to read the contents of the stone monument once. When he told Kakashi that there was something he wanted him to read, Hiruzen allowed Madara to enter the area without any suspicion. Although Hiruzen had told him not to go near it just a few years ago, he seemed to have let his guard down quite a bit now.
(I want to check the contents of the stone monument once more. I thought Kakashi would give me permission to see it if I said so, and it turned out I was right.)
Kakashi felt a slight unease as he followed Madara, who was occasionally checking left and right as he walked, thinking that it was probably this way.
When they arrived at Nanka Shrine, Madara took Kakashi underground.
After lighting the bonfire and going down the stairs, Kakashi quietly looked down at what Madara had shown him.
It is a stone monument, and it appears to be ancient.
“Tajima-san, this is…”
Kakashi was about to ask Madara what this was, but stopped short when he saw Madara’s eyes as he stood next to him.
Before he knew it, the Sharingan had transformed into one with a different pattern.
“Sharingan…”
“Kakashi, this is a stone monument that has been passed down through the Uchiha clan for generations. I recommend you try reading the inscription on this monument with your left eye.”
“With my left eye…”
Kakashi quickly lifted the forehead protector that was covering his left eye and read the characters on the stone monument. The stone monument, which had only appeared to be engraved with old characters, was miraculously readable through his Sharingan. However, there were some parts he couldn’t read and he frowned.
“……this is”
“Can you read it?”
“Tajima-san, what are your eyes like?”
“It seems you have read as much as you can with that eye. Yes, with that eye, with your newly awakened Sharingan, you will be able to control the Nine Tails. It is for this reason that the Hokage asked me to instruct you regarding that eye.”
“The Nine Tails… then what about that incident?”
“The incident? Ah, that was thirteen years ago. I don’t know the details, but it’s possible. I don’t know if it was committed by someone within the village or an outsider, though.”
Kakashi put his forehead protector back in place and took a deep breath.
I don’t want to imagine what if, but if something were to happen to Naruto in the future and the Nine Tails were to be unleashed and go on a rampage, Kakashi would definitely be on the front lines and would be using his watch. Hiruzen had thought about this, and for some reason he had entrusted the guidance of Kakashi to the surviving members of the Uchiha clan. And to someone under supervision.
How could a man who said he wasn’t in the village know about the existence of this stone monument? It’s possible that he just happened not to be in the village on the day of the incident, but it’s hard to imagine that Itachi, who committed the crime, would overlook the existence of someone of that magnitude.
Kakashi glanced timidly at Madara from the side and saw him staring down at the stone monument and reading it.
The red eyes, which are different from normal Sharingan, flicker as they reflect the color of the flames from the torches.
“Tajima-san, how did you know about this monument? You weren’t in the village, were you?”
“Yeah, not here.”
“What are you thinking Hokage-sama?”
A moment of silence passes.
The firelight illuminating the room made the shadows of the two of them flicker.
“Tell me, Tajima-san. You’re hiding something.”
“…I can tell you, but only if you’re prepared to listen.”
Madara, who had been gazing at the stone monument, raised his head and faced Kakashi without looking back. Their gazes crossed.
(Prepared… Tajima-san is willing to talk. If I miss this chance today, I may never hear from him again.)
Kakashi looked Madara in the eyes without fear and nodded clearly.
He may finally learn why this man appeared before Naruto and why he is under guard, and perhaps he will be able to clear up the mystery of why there are other members of the Uchiha clan in the village besides Sasuke and Itachi, who has left the village.
Looking straight at Kakashi, Madara’s mouth turned up slightly and he let out a small sigh and laughed.
“You opened your heart to me too much – if you ever see the Sharingan on the battlefield, it’s not like you see it now, Kakashi.”
“Hk”
A sudden wave of dizziness hit Kakashi. It was a genjutsu.
Since he wasn’t at all wary, Kakashi was easily fooled by the genjutsu Madara had cast.
After his vision spun around, Kakashi made a bitter face as everything turned completely white while he was in the genjutsu.
(I got it–)
But that thought was short-lived.
“Tell me what you’re hiding, that’s what I said.”
Kakashi heard Madara’s voice from behind him and quickly turned around. Madara stood before him, dressed in a somewhat ethnic outfit, unlike the way he had looked a moment before. The long, dark-colored kimono with a wide open neckline reminded him of the clothes Sasuke often wore. It looked like the attire of the Uchiha clan.
“Tajima-san, what’s with that outfit?”
“I’ll tell you, if you really want to know. He calls himself Tajima, but that’s a fake. His real name is–“
Kakashi’s eyes widened at the words he heard, and he was immediately hit by a dizzying sensation again, bringing him back to reality. As soon as the genjutsu was broken, he felt a sudden sweat break out. He quickly turned his face away from Madara’s eyes, which had been fixed on him before the genjutsu, and stared down at the floorboards, unable to raise his gaze.
(No way, that rumor was true. I can’t believe this guy would lie, and it seemed like the Hokage was hiding Tajima’s true identity as well. The reason I was able to calmly deal with the First and Second Hokage was because Tajima was like that. No, in reality, Tajima isn’t just “Tajima”. I don’t know why he’s staying in the village, and it seems like Tajima doesn’t know either, but why is he trying to train me…? Ah! Wait a sec, if I don’t get the netsuke from this guy, I won’t get that Ichapara, right…?)
Kakashi was caught in a whirlwind of thoughts and unable to comprehend the true identity of the man in front of him that was revealed to him during the illusion, but he soon regained consciousness and managed to squeeze out the words in a trembling voice.
“Really… what is it, Tajima-san?”
“Only a very small number of people in the village know about it. I never intended to stay this long in the first place, and I never thought I’d end up living the life of a genin here. Later, Sarutobi… you should tell the Hokage that you know about me.”
“No way, I…”
“You seem so flustered. I know most of what I did to get to this point, but I don’t have any intention of bringing vengeance upon the village.”
“I, I…”
“Scarecrow.”
“Do I have to take Ichapara away from this person?”
“That’s right, I’ll start with Ichapara…wait, Ichapara?”
“Can I do that…?!”
“Ichapara… Ah, that’s right. You were planning to give it to me if you managed to steal the netsuke from me. No, hey, I’m sure there would be a better reaction than that. Do you really want that Ichapara that badly?”
“yes”
“…”
“…”
Their shadows on the floor simply flickered.
Episode 30
The sound of the kunai being deflected echoes.
Thick clouds were floating in the sky, obscuring the sun, and a gloomy atmosphere hung over the training ground.
In this weather that looked as if it was about to rain, Kakashi roughly wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand before it got into his eyes, then he fixed his gaze sternly on the man standing before him.
It’s Madara.
Kakashi’s training to use his Mangekyo Sharingan was usually done at night, but he thought it would be a good idea to do it during the day for a change, so he started in the morning.
He could see the surrounding scenery clearly, making it easier to aim for the netsuke than at night, but on the other hand, he became too focused on what he could see, making him more vulnerable to Madara’s attacks.
In contrast to Kakashi, who was out of breath, Madara had his arms crossed and was waiting for Kakashi’s next move.
“Are you done yet?”
“…Haa, haa, as expected of Tajima-san. You’re not even using your Sharingan with this.”
“To this extent, it makes no difference whether you use it or not.”
Kakashi was frightened when the techniques he unleashed, hoping to take advantage of an opening, happened to hit Madara, but he was easily able to defend himself, and then he quickly regained his balance and came right up to him.
It seemed that three of Team 7’s students were facing off against this man, but Kakashi thought it would be best to get information from Naruto and the others about how they were tactics.
It would be quicker to take it if we joined Naruto and the other three and used the Forman Cell to target the netsuke hanging from Madara’s waist. In a one-on-one fight, Madara would be concentrating on Kakashi, and his movements would be easily read, which would only weaken Kakashi. We would need to distract Madara.
(If I were to use a Shadow Clone now, I wouldn’t be able to hold on… I can’t even use magic anymore)
Kakashi counted in his head how many kunai he still had left, then took a breath and dove towards Madara. Half in desperation. Not thinking he could hold a candle to Madara in his current state anyway, he took out a kunai with one hand, gripped it, and swung it at Madara the moment he got close. Madara dodged it and grabbed Kakashi’s arm, pulling him forcefully, then kicked Kakashi in the solar plexus with his knee, making him groan, then he grabbed his shoulders, turned him around, and pushed Kakashi to the ground face-first.
To prevent him from moving, he grabbed one of Kakashi’s wrists and pulled it towards his back, holding him down, then he half-climbed onto his back and used his weight to hold him down.
Kakashi, knocked down and pinned down, exhaled a gulp of air.
“Kahaha…”
“Have you run out of ideas? Right now is a training exercise, so it’s fine, but it’s not like you to just keep interjecting things.”
(… Mm, that’s impossible. Naruto said he’d outwitted Tajima before, but how did he do it?)
No matter how hard he tries, Kakashi has no chance of winning in a one-on-one fight.
(My arms are being grabbed and I’m being stepped on from behind… What should I do in this situation? But now is my best chance to get the netsuke. It doesn’t look like I can move easily, but it’s right there.)
The kunai is snatched from the hand that Madara is holding.
There would be few who would resist in this situation. Right now was a training exercise, so there was no need to continue to the point of hurting one’s body, but now that Kakashi seemed to have given up, it was the perfect opportunity to make a move.
Although he was growing tired from the repeated overuse of magic and hand-to-hand combat, Kakashi mustered his remaining strength, grabbed the earth with his free hand, and spun around with all his might to change his position.
Madara looked a little surprised that he was still moving, but as Kakashi changed his position he threw a blinding cloud of earth at Madara’s face. He then raised his torso, and as Madara’s grip loosened a little he took out a kunai that he had hidden in his sleeve, grabbed it, and swung his arm swiftly. Looking up at Madara in front of him, he slashed sharply diagonally towards his waist.
“……law”
“…!”
But unfortunately, the tip of the kunai only grazed the string of the netsuke, and he was unable to get his hands on it.
Madara falls to his knees in front of Kakashi and puts a kunai to Kakashi’s throat. Kakashi loses.
“…Haa, haa… I give up.”
?That was unfortunate. Now, let’s take a break for now. You’re nearing your limit, after all.?
“Ha, haha… sorry.”
Kakashi stretched out on the ground, his strength gone. Even though the sky was covered in thick clouds and there was no sunlight, his whole body was covered in sweat.
After gazing at the clouds for a while, Kakashi slowly stood up and saw Madara looking towards the river with his hands on his hips. Seeing how relaxed he looked, Kakashi was reminded of the difference in the eras they lived in.
The story of Madara and Hashirama has been passed down like a myth, and the scale of the battle doesn’t seem like a battle between two people. The scale of the story makes it seem like it happened a long time ago, but it hasn’t been a hundred years since they lived. They lived in a time just a little while ago.
Although Madara died young, he was still around the same age as Kakashi’s grandfather or great-grandfather. Madara Uchiha was in the village when Hiruzen, the current Hokage who rules the village, was still a child.
“…What’s with all this staring?”
“I thought it was strange that Tajima-san was there. That legendary ninja must be here.”
“It seems that I’m not a very good thing to you guys.”
“Well, I don’t know much about the past either. Ah, speaking of not knowing, I didn’t really get it when I heard at the academy that there was a battle with the First Master that changed the terrain. But leaving the First Master aside, you’re still Tajima, how could the mountains be eroded and the earth carved out to create valleys?”
“Considering the scale of his technique, well… what’s with those eyes? If you have something to say, then say it to the dead me.”
Madara remembers the story of his own final moments, told to him by Hashirama in the Edo Tensei form.
Hashirama’s choice to abandon his friends and his Mokuton and choose the future of the village was the right one. Madara has no say in that at this point.
“Shall I go and see it some other time?”
“Hey, you think I can leave the village?”
“It might actually be easier than you think. Besides, Tajima-san, you’ll probably be sent on missions outside the village soon, since we’ve been short-staffed for a long time.”
“I wonder.”
“There really aren’t enough people.”
“I’ve heard that before, but is it still that bad now?”
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t take on so many other roles.”
“…That’s true.”
“Hokage-sama, I wonder what will happen from now on.”
“That guy has been ruling the village for a long time. Have they found the next candidate?”
Kakashi took out a towel from his pouch and wiped the sweat off his face.
Long before Madara visited the village, the Fourth Hokage was killed in the line of duty during the Nine Tails incident, and while the Fifth should have been appointed, the Third Hiruzen took over instead.
Hiruzen has ruled Konoha for a long time. However, due to his recent responsibility for the attack on Konoha by his disciple Orochimaru, and his age, there are talks that he should hand over the reign to the next generation.
It seems Hiruzen has also been thinking about it, and when Madara had first visited the village in the past, he had suggested that he should quickly hand over the position to the next generation and retire, but Hiruzen had instead complained, “If you would just go home soon, there wouldn’t be a problem. How long are you planning to stay?”
“It seems like there are a few candidates already listed.”
“Then let’s just call them quickly and decide on the next step.”
“That’s right… Do you know Jiraiya-sama? He’s the one who writes the Sannin, ah, Ichapara.”
“That guy? Who recommended him?”
“Do you know Tajima-san?”
“Naruto brought me home.”
“Now that I think of it, we were together. Jiraiya-sama asked me to join him, but it seems he turned me down the first time. Then Jiraiya-sama mentioned Tsunade-sama’s name.”
“Tsunade? Who is that?”
“He is one of the Hokage-sama’s students. He served under the Hokage-sama together with Jiraiya-sama and the others. He is just like me and Naruto are now. Tajima-san, you know of Princess Tsunade… I see, she wasn’t even born yet!”
“What, you suddenly started making a hundred faces all by yourself. A princess… so you’re a woman. And you weren’t even born yet?”
“You are the first sama’s granddaughter, Tsunade-sama.”
“Hashirama’s grandson?!”
Madara cried out loud. Kakashi was a little surprised, but it was unusual for Madara to become so upset that he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Haha, that’s true. He’s not in the village right now though. From what I’ve seen above, it’s highly likely that it will be either Jiraiya-sama or Tsunade-sama.”
“Is he Hashirama’s grandson? Are you sure he’s okay? The one who caused the incident is also Sarutobi’s disciple. And Kakashi, was it okay for you to blabber about something like that?”
“Well, the succession of the Hokage will have an impact on Tajima-san’s future too. If we were to find someone of the right age, I thought it would be those two. I’m sure the Hokage-sama will have more to say about this matter later.”
Madara thinks about Hashirama’s grandson who was mentioned in the story.
He married a member of the Uzumaki family, and even had a grandchild. Knowing Hashirama’s personality, it was easy to imagine that he was a cat-lover with all his heart.
If he was Jiraiya’s grandson and a contemporary of his, he would be quite old. There’s no doubt he’s older than Madara is now.
Madara leaves Kakashi to get his water bottle that he had placed at the base of a tree.
Besides the water bottle, there was a bag containing snacks and some Ichapara for Kakashi.
Bending down and picking up the water bottle, Madara opened the lid and took a sip. The moderately cold water quenched his thirst.
“Tajima-san.”
“…”
Madara stopped drinking his water when he heard Kakashi’s voice from behind him.
“I’m sure you’ll get some lovey-dovey love from me. So please stick with me until the end.”
“…I told you. Don’t become a man of all talk.”
Madara lowered the water bottle from his mouth and turned to Kakashi.
Episode 31
Recently, a shadow had been seen peeking into the women’s bath at a public bath, frightening the customers, so Madara was asked to capture the suspicious person.
It wasn’t that Madara took it on, but rather that it happened to be the day that a supervisor who liked baths was accompanying them, and the request caught his eye.
Apparently he is on friendly terms with the owner of the place, so he probably couldn’t ignore someone he knows being in trouble.
After accepting the mission and heading to the bathhouse, I was given a rough explanation of the store’s layout.
It seems the women’s bath is to the right of the entrance, and when customers sense the presence of other people, they often feel someone’s gaze coming from the other side of the women’s bath, towards the forest, rather than from the men’s bath next door.
There should be no other way behind the women’s bath than the corridor managed by the establishment, but apparently people often felt their gaze or heard noises from there. Even if staff from the establishment did enter, it was only during cleaning. They never went there often enough to cause complaints.
They decided to split up and keep watch around the bathhouse, with Madara waiting behind the women’s bath.
Madara had a look on his face that seemed to ask why he was behind the women’s bath, but he stayed as quiet as possible so as not to be noticed by the customers.
Behind me I could faintly hear the sound of splashing water and cheerful conversation.
Wanting to leave the place quickly, Madara told the peeping tormenter to come quickly, and swore to beat him down completely as soon as he found him.
Shortly after he began his watch, Madara sensed someone’s presence and quickly hid in the shadow of the storeroom that contained the store’s cleaning supplies, then strained his ears in the direction of the sound of footsteps.
(There are two of them…)
The footsteps he heard were those of two people, one an adult and the other a lighter sound, like a child.
Madara vaguely recognized the approaching chakra and frowned, so he hid quietly so they wouldn’t notice him, waiting for them to approach the women’s bath.
(If he gets past those cobblestones first, I’ll catch him… I’ll finish this quickly and go home.)
He tried to keep his breathing as quiet as possible and suppress his presence, and the moment the approaching presence passed close to Madara and approached the wall of the women’s bath, Madara jumped out from the shadow of the storeroom.
What he saw was a white-haired man and a boy wearing an orange jumpsuit; he could guess who they were judging from their chakra, but when he actually grabbed the child and held him under his arm he was overcome with shock and pity.
“Why is the old man here? Eh, Pervert Sage!”
“Someone was hiding there, huh? You’re from Naruto’s place.”
Naruto and Jiraiya appeared at this location.
“…………Are you the peeping Tom?”
“Peeping? Ah, ah, it’s because the Ero-Sage came to a place like this that things turned out like this!! Ah! Don’t run away, Ero-Sage!!”
“Naruto, do you know what you’re doing?”
“Hii, uncle, I misunderstood you…”
Madara easily caught Naruto, holding him tightly and preventing him from moving, and let his arms and legs dangle at Madara’s sides. He knew he couldn’t shake it off, so he just let them dangle. Resisting was pointless, and if he tried to force it off, his body would make a strange creaking noise.
Incidentally, Jiraiya abandoned the captured Naruto and disappeared off somewhere by himself.
Madara listened to Naruto’s excuses as he continued to insist that it was a misunderstanding, then he carried him and left the scene, joining the guards who were watching over the entrance to the store.
After borrowing a back room from the store owner, Madara had Naruto sit on a metal chair and interrogated him.
“So then? Why did you come there? Whatever the reason, I’d like to hear it.”
“O-Otchan, er-er, Ero-sennin said he had business there, so I just followed him.”
Naruto’s voice was trembling.
Madara took Naruto’s excuse and asked what Jiraiya had come for.
“Eh, Ero-sennin… um… probably for an interview.”
“An interview? There shouldn’t have been anyone there, so I wonder who they were trying to interview. Ah, there should be a women’s bath up there.”
“Uh, well…”
Naruto looked away from Madara and explained why he had appeared at that place.
Apparently he had made an arrangement to meet Jiraiya, and as soon as they met up he started moving towards the back of the bathhouse.
Naruto hadn’t asked what he was going there to do, but it seemed that Jiraiya had done something similar during the Chunin Exams, and that he had probably come to peek at women’s naked bodies under the guise of researching for reference for the novel he was writing.
It is unclear whether this was normal, but Jiraiya had visited the back of the bathhouse, but was spotted by Madara and had escaped on his own while Naruto was held captive.
“I thought for sure you were saying it for the sake of your special charm technique or something.”
“Even I wouldn’t peek! I’d read a book or something.”
“Like a book?”
“a”
“Well… I won’t turn the whole house upside down looking for it though.”
“There’s no point in searching for it. It’s not like Ichapara is hiding anything.”
“Did you say something?”
“No, no.”
Naruto shook his head rapidly.
Although we know that Naruto isn’t peeping of his own volition, when and where does he take inspiration from naked women’s bodies?
Of all the transformation techniques, the sex appeal technique is by far the most precise. Madara didn’t even need to say anything, Naruto’s technique was the ultimate ideal.
(Well, I guess that technique was also a result of the imagination of a child. But still, where did that perverted old man go?)
No matter how much they may be called the Legendary Three Ninjas, their peeping into the women’s bath and endangering the safety of customers is a serious instance of disruption of business.
Especially if you are with someone and one of you escapes while the other is being held captive.
“You’re running away on your own… Naruto, let’s go and capture Jiraiya. He should still be in the village, and he still has his chakra. We’ll definitely get him.”
“…Wow, Ero-sennin. The old man is serious, he’s dead.”
Madara made Naruto stand up from his chair and went outside the store, saying that he couldn’t have gone far yet, and decided to start asking around to see if anyone had seen Jiraiya.
After continuing to ask around and searching for several minutes, Madara received information that Jiraiya was heading outside the village, so he left the bathhouse and decided to wait in front of the village gate where Jiraiya would likely be heading.
Jiraiya knew from the previous incident that Madara was trying to catch the peeping Tom, so if he stood directly in front of him there was a chance that he would escape again, so he decided to lie in wait by hiding along the wall of a nearby store as much as possible.
He and Naruto hid behind the wall of the shop closest to the gate, keeping an eye out for any figures leaving the gate, and for any signs of Jiraiya’s chakra among the people walking around them.
“…Otchan, hasn’t the Ero-Sage already left?”
“No, not yet. If my hunch is correct, he hasn’t left yet.”
“I guess so…”
“Just be quiet and let them know…! Here I come.”
“What? Seriously?”
Madara nodded slightly and peeked his head out from the corner of the room to see Jiraiya.
He walked slowly and calmly, seemingly unaware that Madara and the others were lying in wait.
This area was close to the gate leading out of the village, so there was a fair amount of foot traffic and people could be heard, so Jiraiya, who wouldn’t have suspected that Madara and the others were hiding, would likely not notice their presence.
“If I see him, I’ll go.”
“……Ou”
Naruto replied softly.
From the way Jiraiya looked, he didn’t seem to be planning on fleeing the village, but it might just not look like it. If he remained inside the village, Madara would be able to capture Jiraiya, but if he left the village, it would be extremely difficult for Madara to catch him, as he couldn’t cross the gate without permission. If he took even one step outside the gate, Hiruzen or someone like him would come rushing at him.
There’s not much Hiruzen and the guards could do about Madara, but they’ll no doubt continue to nag him about going outside the village on his own.
Jiraiya passed by the building where Madara and the others were hiding. Jiraiya raised one hand toward the gate and started to act like he was about to call out to someone, but Madara jumped out from the shadow of the building and grabbed him from behind. Naruto jumped in front of Jiraiya, who was now immobilized, and stabbed his finger at him.
“Ero-sennin! I caught you! How dare you leave me behind!”
“What? Naruto and Tajima?!”
Jiraiya tried to resist, trying to get out of Madara’s arms, but he was held down with a strength beyond what one would expect from a genin, and when he realized that resisting was futile, he became submissive.
Jiraiya laughed and said “Sorry, sorry” as if he had resigned himself to the situation, and glanced quickly at Madara.
(I knew he had a reason, but he’s just a Genin after all. I can’t shake him off at all. I didn’t expect him to catch me so easily.)
Madara’s cold, dark eyes were fixed on Jiraiya.
“Tajima, you’re pretty good, to have caught me. Haha…Naruto, you need to train even harder so you don’t get caught!”
“That’s not what I meant!”
The laughing Jiraiya and the angry voice of Naruto drew the attention of the people walking around. Thinking that it would be bad to continue attracting attention like this, Madara slightly loosened the grip he had on Jiraiya so that he could move, but then he suddenly remembered that Jiraiya had been trying to call out to someone just before he was captured.
There was a presence of someone approaching from the direction of the gate, and Madara turned from Jiraiya to face the front and saw a person walking towards him.
A light-haired woman wearing an open-chested dress and a woman with short black hair holding a small pig in her arms are walking towards me.
The two women came to a halt behind Naruto, who was yelling at Jiraiya angrily, and the one with the pale hair looked at Jiraiya and sighed loudly.
“Haa, you’re not the one being picked up, are you?”
“Oh. It’s been a while, Tsunade.”
(…Tsunade?)
Madara looked closely at the person Jiraiya had called Tsunade. Speaking of Tsunade, according to what Kakashi had said, she was Hashirama’s granddaughter and one of the Sannin who was on par with Jiraiya. No matter how you look at it, wasn’t there a big age difference between her and the woman in front of him?
“…Hey man, is there something you want to say to me?”
Tsunade noticed Madara’s gaze and asked with a frown.
Naruto, who was sandwiched between them, moved down next to Madara and looked up at Tsunade, wondering what was going on.
“Who is this girl?”
“Is this the first time you two have met? Let me introduce you to my classmate, Tsunade.”
“Ero-sennin, no matter how much you like your beautiful sister, you can’t lie, okay?”
“I’m not lying. This guy looks like this, but he’s no different from me. He uses magic to change his appearance.”
“Huh!?”
Naruto yelled as he looked up at Tsunade and took a slight step back.
While Naruto and Jiraiya were having this exchange, Madara kept his eyes fixed on Tsunade’s face.
(…This is Hashirama’s grandson)
Since he asked Jiraiya if he had come to pick him up, he must have been called to the village.
Based on what Kakashi had said the other day, it’s highly likely that he’d been called as a candidate for the next Hokage.
“So what’s the deal with all this time? Staring at people’s faces.”
“…I thought he was a colleague of this guy. There’s nothing special about it.”
“How rude of you.”
Tsunade looked back at Madara with a slightly annoyed expression.
Tsunade’s appearance was hard to believe for someone from Jiraiya’s class, and it made Madara wonder if the Senju clan didn’t age easily, like Hashirama and Tobirama, who hadn’t changed much in appearance since Madara knew them, even though they were Edo Tensei bodies, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
Although she seems to be a strong-willed woman, will she become the next Hokage, or will the peeping tom Jiraiya who he has just captured become Hokage? If Madara was forced to choose one, he would probably vote for Tsunade, ignorant of her past achievements.
Although she is a woman, she was once hailed as one of the legendary Sannin. There is no doubt that she is stronger than any other ninja.
Tsunade’s hazel eyes and Madara’s black eyes met, their gazes filled with a searching look.
Episode 32
In the dark living room, with only a faint light from outside streaming in, Madara was sitting in a chair at the dining table, resting his chin on his hand, thinking.
Naruto’s breathing could be heard from the next bedroom.
On the table was the special edition of Ichapara that he had brought with him during his nightly training with Kakashi, and Madara took a deep breath as he looked at the cover before turning the book over.
(…It seems like something is happening outside the village.)
After completing his regular duties, Madara was called by Hiruzen to visit the Hokage’s office. If it was just a trivial matter, it was usually communicated through the supervisor, but when he was called in, it was usually for something of a higher importance.
“There is a group outside the village that is targeting the jinchuriki. I will keep an eye on Naruto as long as he is inside the village, but I would like you to also be more vigilant around Naruto than ever before. Can I ask you to do so?”
Could this information have come from a ninja on an outside mission?
Hiruzen, unusually, gave Madara information about what was happening outside the village.
When they first met, Madara was a person from the past, so Hiruzen tried not to give him any unnecessary information about what happened outside the village, but since he was registered as a ninja in the present without returning to the past, Hiruzen’s policy regarding Madara had changed to one of using anyone who could be of use.
Madara was also beginning to get bored with only taking on low-ranking missions (as missions within the village were limited in number).
“…Ehehe, Sakura-chan…hehe.”
“…Are you just talking in your sleep? You seem awfully happy.”
A dreamy voice came from the bedroom. It sounded happy, as if he was dreaming about going out with his squad member Sakura.
(…Akatsuki, huh? So Uchiha Itachi is there. Is he hunting tailed beasts… or is it the jinchuriki that is being attacked? Still, they don’t seem to be just a group of criminals.)
There are three types of tailed beasts, from one tail to nine tails, and each village is currently managing them individually. The more tails there are, the greater the amount of tailed beast chakra they possess, especially the Nine Tails sealed in Naruto. The tailed beasts are highly valued as powerful military forces for the villages, but they are also difficult to handle.
From what Hiruzen had said, the group Akatsuki was gathering tailed beasts in order to become jinchuriki, but what were they planning to do by gathering them all? For an average ninja, it would be difficult to capture even one tailed beast. From what he had heard, it seemed like they were gathering not just a few, but all of them.
(A group… there must be someone in charge. Where did they go after gathering the tailed beasts…?)
Hiruzen did not give much information to Madara. He probably told Madara this time because he was worried about Naruto. If the Akatsuki were to sneak into the village and target Naruto in the future, he probably thought it would be best to ask Madara, who was by Naruto’s side, for help, even if not as a bodyguard. When Orochimaru attacked the village, Madara’s presence at the scene allowed Orochimaru to be captured early.
Kakashi kept an eye on their surroundings during the day, and Madara and the other watchful ninjas kept an eye on them while they were at home.
Currently, no one in the village of Konoha can match Madara. If Sasuke’s brother Itachi were to appear, Madara would be able to deal with Itachi’s Sharingan.
Kakashi has also been steadily growing stronger in his battle with Madara for Ichapara, and his abilities are undoubtedly second to none among the ninja in the village.
(Sasuke’s brother, huh… Well, if he’s coming from there, it will be easier for me. It will be easier for them to find him if they send Itachi, rather than sending someone who is unfamiliar with the village’s geography. It will save us the trouble of searching as well.)
Madara put the book away in a drawer, stretched a little, and headed to the bedroom.
Naruto, not feeling any sense of caution at all, continued to dream comfortably.
(What a carefree sleeping face)
The next Hokage will be decided soon. Hiruzen’s retirement is also imminent.
A new wind will soon blow through Konoha, one that comes from the Senju bloodline.
The flow of time mercilessly leaves Madara from the past behind. His brother, his clan, and everything he tried to protect are all gone, but now…
As Madara was closing up the dumpling shop, he received an urgent summons from Hiruzen to the Hokage’s office. Hiruzen had been calling out to him a lot recently, so the owner of the dumpling shop once again saw him off with a worried look on his face.
(What’s this time?)
With these thoughts in mind, Madara walked down the long corridor. It seemed that the academy was just about to finish, as he could hear the lively voices of children coming from outside.
These are children who will carry the future of the village on their shoulders; some will become ninja and others will take other paths, and even if they come from ninja families, their futures will vary.
Madara was the head of a clan, so he had no choice but to become a ninja, but the children of today are different. An era without war has finally arrived, and while the job of ninja will never disappear, they probably won’t be forced into fighting. Building peace may not be something that can be achieved in one generation, Madara thought deeply as he looked at the village of the future.
As he got closer to the Hokage’s office, he heard a familiar female voice. It was Hashirama’s grandson, whom he had met in front of the village gates when he had caught Jiraiya, the culprit for peeping into the women’s bath.
(Is there Hashirama’s grandson? There are others too… It seems that the peeping old man is also there.)
He can also sense Jiraiya’s presence from further in. Madara has a strong impression of Jiraiya as just a perverted old man, rather than a legendary Sannin. All Madara knows about Jiraiya, other than the recent peeping incident, is that Naruto studied under Jiraiya during the Chunin Exams, and that Jiraiya seemed to really like the sexy technique that Naruto showed off during the exams, and that he is the author of the erotic novel Icha Icha Paradise. Madara doesn’t know much about Jiraiya’s exploits, which are said to be legendary.
As Madara entered the Hokage’s office he received a barrage of stares from everyone inside.
“! You caught Jiraiya back then.”
“You said you were calling someone, but Tajima? Why Tajima?”
Tsunade and Jiraiya, who were inside, had expressions on their faces that indicated they didn’t understand why Madara had appeared. Hiruzen called out to Madara to come to the back of the room, so when they followed him, their eyes were drawn to him and they followed him.
“What kind of talk should we be having with this group of people? I have business with Kakashi after this, so I won’t be staying long.”
“It won’t take that much time. Tajima, I’ve already told you that these two are candidates to succeed me.”
“Hey, I’m not ready to accept it yet. If you want to be Hokage, you should let Jiraiya do it.”
“I have other things to do. I think I can leave it to you.”
“Then I have one or two things I want to do as well. Surely there’s no one else who wants to become Hokage? Why not leave it to that man over there? He might actually be the right man for the job.”
“Bzzz.”
“Haha, cough cough, Tsunade, stop talking nonsense.”
Madara and Hiruzen burst out in unison.
I have no intention of nodding, but I wonder if it was a coincidence that the one who offered the role of Hokage to Madara was Hashirama’s grandson. If he knew his true identity, he wouldn’t have said such a thing.
I thought that since they were able to summon him to the village right away, the new Hokage would be chosen easily, but Tsunade doesn’t seem to be motivated. From the way she talks, it seems she doesn’t have a very good impression of the Hokage.
“Hmph. I’ll also decline! No matter what the decision is from above, the Hokage can handle such things as he pleases.”
“……?”
Tsunade spat those words out and left the Hokage room. Jiraiya tried to follow her, but Hiruzen called out to him.
“Jiraiya, that’s good…. well, that didn’t go well.”
Hiruzen dropped his gaze and drooped as if holding his head.
Hiruzen had hoped to decide on his successor here today and take over from Madara as soon as possible, but Tsunade, who had been recommended to him, was not willing to take on the role, so he was unable to go ahead with the procedures for his retirement.
Madara looked down at Hiruzen, then glanced towards the entrance where Tsunade had left, then he crossed his arms and muttered to himself.
“…Is he chosen because he’s Hashirama’s grandson? Even if they forced him, he could see the future of the village.”
“Imposition, you say. I was the one who chose him, but I didn’t just recommend him because he’s the grandson of the First Hokage.”
“So even if she wasn’t Hashirama’s granddaughter, you would still have chosen that woman?”
“Yes, of course. Tajima, you may not know this, but Tsunade has the best medical ninjutsu skills in the village, and is an unprecedented contributor to the current three-man cell system. Add one kunoichi and a medical ninja to the team. It was Tsunade who suggested it, and thanks to that, how many casualties have been reduced?”
“I see. It seems you really want to make that woman Hokage.”
“Hmph, I acknowledge Tsunade’s abilities.”
“Would you let me in there too? I know very well the child’s abilities. After what happened, I imagined he wouldn’t accept the position of Hokage so easily. Jiraiya, it’s not good to force her, but… if you really want Tsunade to be the next Hokage, then you must persuade her properly. In a way that Tsunade will be happy with. I’m worried, so Tajima, may I ask you to join me?”
“Why me?”
“Hmm, if things continue like this, the position of Hokage may no longer exist by the time Naruto becomes an adult…? If a new position other than Hokage is created, that will also be the start of a new era. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying something new, but that’s Naruto’s dream, isn’t it…?”
“…Bringing up Naruto’s name here shows you have a good personality, you brat Sarutobi.”
“Hmph, I’ve lived more than twice as long as you. After watching you for nearly three years, I can pretty much tell.”
“Haa…”
Madara, who had heard Naruto’s name mentioned, had always wanted to become Hokage so much that it hurt his ears, so he had no choice but to nod and support Jiraiya so that Tsunade’s persuasion would go well. Hiruzen’s mouth corners turned up slightly in satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya felt that the interaction between Hiruzen and Madara did not seem like that of a Hokage and a ninja subordinate to the village, which only increased the sense of unease he already had about Madara, so he asked about their relationship.
“Hmm? Hmm? I know it’s a little late to ask, but what is your relationship with Tajima?”
Madara and Hiruzen looked at each other, then turned to Jiraiya at the same time. Hiruzen answered Jiraiya’s question with a slightly faraway look in his eyes.
“…………It’s like I now have one more son I can’t take my eyes off of.”
“Hey”
While the next Hokage was not being decided easily, an organization was working outside the village.
On the road leading to the Hidden Leaf Village, two people were walking in black cloaks with red cloud patterns. A man with a fish-like appearance was carrying a large sword-like object on his back, and a young man with black hair and a calm demeanor who looked slightly smaller than the man.
The taller man spoke to the young man.
“The Hidden Leaf Village, huh? It will be a homecoming for you, Itachi-san. Are you looking forward to it?”
“Not really.”
“Now now, don’t say it like that. Still, that Orochimaru… was captured so soon after attempting to destroy Konoha. Rumor has it that he was defeated by someone from the dumpling shop or something, but that’s just a rumor. However, it seems that Orochimaru also escaped.”
“Dumplings?”
“Are you worried, Itachi?”
“…”
The man with sea-colored hair called the young man walking next to him “Itachi.”
Itachi’s silence could be taken as an affirmation.
However, if asked if he was curious about the dumpling shop, he wouldn’t deny it, but there was another rumor that worried Itachi. This was another strange rumor, that Uchiha Madara existed and might be in the village.
It is hard to imagine that Hiruzen, the Hokage, would purposely spread rumors about Uchiha Madara and stir up anxiety in the village. Why would such a rumor even be spread? And why Uchiha Madara, of all people?
There are various rumors going around within the village, such as that they are thinking of the theme for the next courage challenge, or that they are just thinking of something related to the founding of the village for a festival performance, but why is Madara’s name being mentioned now? And this was around the same time as Orochimaru attacked the village.
(I don’t seem to know that man… but who is he? Whatever happens in the village, that name will come up. I wonder if Sasuke is safe?)
All Itachi could think about was his younger brother who he had left behind in the village.
Episode 33
Two men wearing suspicious cloaks were seated at a dumpling shop, eating dumplings in silence. It was a quiet time of day, and they were the only customers there. The owner, who was standing in front of the shop watching the people passing by, had let the duo through, and after taking their order, he left it to Madara and the others and went to the back to rest.
After serving the orders, Madara pretended to clean up, while glancing repeatedly at the two people enjoying dumplings at a table.
(This is a type of customer I don’t see often in this store. Also, the younger guy somehow looks similar to Sasuke… or is it just me?)
It’s an appearance that you would never see in the village, let alone a dumpling shop.
It was clear from their appearance that the duo were ninja, but it was also clear that they were no ordinary customers, as they were carrying what appeared to be weapons at their sides.
Madara notices that their teacups are empty and goes to pour more.
Madara’s eyes met with the black-haired young man and they glared at each other in silence for a while, then the fish-like man apologetically handed him a teacup.
“May I have more? This tea is delicious.”
“…Ah, it’s the owner’s recommendation. It’s chosen to go well with the sweets in the shop.”
“…Hmm, wow, you have quite an eye for quality.”
“…”
Just like when he brought the dango, when Madara spoke, the two of them shook their shoulders slightly and stiffened. The young man’s gaze pierced Madara.
(……You’re staring at me a lot.)
When they first met, Kakashi and Jiraiya often stared at him, so Madara became dissatisfied and wondered if his appearance was really that suspicious.
“I added some tea,” Madara said, trying to hold back the frown that was threatening to form, then asked the young man if there was anything else.
“Sorry, can I add something?”
The young man looked at Madara and gave another order in a calm voice.
“Ah, yeah.”
“Do you like it? Well, I guess it’s fine for today.”
Madara took out an order form from his apron pocket and wrote out the young man’s additional amount.
(Mitarashi, sesame, red bean paste, and another bottle of mitarashi… how much do you plan to eat? Oh well…)
When the young man stopped ordering, Madara read out the list of each dish one by one to make sure there were no errors, as there were many different types. Meanwhile, the young man and the man across from him quietly listened to Madara read out loud.
“Eight in total, is that correct?”
“Oh. By the way, how long has this dumpling shop been in business?”
“…I’ve been here for about a year, but the store itself has been here a long time.”
“I see. The dumplings are cooked to perfection.”
“……Thank you”
Madara tried to hold back the corners of his mouth from twitching at the young man’s sudden compliment as he replied in a small voice.
After taking their orders, Madara returned to the kitchen and began preparations. Although he was a little concerned, a customer was a customer after all. After grilling the number of dangos requested, Madara returned to their table and placed them there.
The young man’s expression was stern, but as soon as he saw the freshly baked dango he immediately reached out and stuffed his cheeks, so it seemed like he liked them quite a bit. He kept eating with unstoppable momentum.
After they had cleared their plates, Madara returned to the kitchen and waited for the next customers to arrive.
When a new customer arrived, the area in front of the store became a little noisy. The supervisor, who had noticed the customer earlier, was busy dealing with the customer, presumably ordering some takeaway dumplings.
Suddenly, Madara noticed that the two were not at their tables. There was money on the table so it wasn’t a case of dine-and-dash, but when he picked it up and counted it, he saw that there was far more money than what they had ordered.
“…Well, I guess I’ll go look for it.”
Since he left the store without saying anything, he probably wasn’t going to go back to get the change.
Madara quickly prepared the change and tucked it away in his apron pocket, then after apologizing to the store owner, went off to look for the two who had disappeared. The guard looked at Madara with a look as if he wanted to say something, but there was another ninja there just watching over him, so he didn’t call out to him and just looked at him, and Madara ran out of the store.
Unable to find the duo for some time, Madara’s search had taken him quite a distance from the store. Having left the shopping district and come to the side of the river that runs through the village, Madara sighed in resignation and looked at the rippling water on the other side. It would be fine to continue searching, but there was no guarantee that he would find the duo. Just as he was thinking that it was about time to return to the store, Madara sensed a familiar presence and turned around. Sasuke was standing behind Madara, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his shorts.
“Hey man, what are you doing? You’re wearing an apron.”
“Sasuke? A customer left his money and left, so I was just looking for him. Are you alone?”
Sasuke nodded sternly.
Sasuke asks Madara if he’s free and will help him search for the customer. However, as Madara tries to tell him the characteristics of the customer, he closes his mouth, which had been opening, and looks pondering.
(…Those two are definitely not just customers. It would be best not to get Sasuke involved.)
Madara had gone unnaturally silent, and Sasuke looked up at him suspiciously.
“Well, I don’t even know where he is anymore. I’ll just accept his feelings.”
“That’s right, old man… What was that sound just now?”
Suddenly, the sound of an explosion reached their ears. Judging from the faint chakra reaction, it seemed as if a battle had broken out within the village.
Sasuke ran in the direction of the sound, but Madara immediately chased after him and put his hand on his shoulder to stop him.
“Wait. What are you planning to do going alone, Sasuke? What can you do on your own?”
“Whatever, old man. What if no one else noticed?”
Shaking off Madara’s hand, Sasuke started running again. He knew from his training that Sasuke had a personality that couldn’t be left alone, but was it just his nature to not listen to what people say? Madara shook his head in exasperation and chased after Sasuke.
As they approached the source of the sound, Madara and the others caught sight of a figure standing on the surface of the water. A large man carrying a sword was facing off against Kakashi’s friends, whom they occasionally saw.
(…That was at Sarutobi’s place…and then there were the guys I saw at the Chunin Exam venue. That customer was no ordinary person after all…where is the other one?)
Madara looked around and saw Kakashi’s back at the back of the street he and Sasuke were in. Beyond him, although a little in shadow, he could also see the young man from the dango shop.
Kakashi, probably noticing Madara and Sasuke’s presence, raised his voice.
“! Are you Tajima-san? Take Sasuke and get out of here! Hurry!”
Seeing Kakashi’s unusual behavior, Madara ran up to Sasuke and grabbed his thin wrist. Sasuke was surprised that he was grabbed and his shoulders shook.
From Sasuke’s position, he couldn’t see well the young man standing on the other side of Kakashi’s back, but as he ran over to him, Madara got a clear glimpse of the young man’s face. It looked very familiar, and he realised why Kakashi had yelled.
(…The Sharingan, I see. If he wants to keep Sasuke away, does that mean that’s Itachi?)
“What?! Let go, old man!”
“Let’s listen to Kakashi and retreat.”
“…Sasuke?”
“H! That voice, it hurts, let go! It’s Itachi, I’ll take care of him!!”
“You’ll just get in Kakashi’s way if you go.”
“That’s true… but Itachi, why is he here?!”
“Calm down, Sasuke.”
“Huh…”
Sasuke, with Madara tightly gripping his wrist, refused to give up and tried to run to a position where he could see the young man on the other side of Kakashi – Itachi, but Madara pulled him forcefully, stopping his movement.
“Sasuke, look around you.”
Madara’s low yet powerful, reproaching voice sank into Sasuke’s chest.
Sasuke felt his excitement cool down, and he repeatedly asked himself in his mind what he would be able to do if he were to jump in front of Itachi. Madara was right. Was he really going to be able to face Itachi alone when he couldn’t even shake off the wrist that had grabbed him?
“How foolish, Sasuke. You don’t even know your own strength and act on emotion… you’re weak, so weak.”
“You… what do you know? You always have that calm face as if you know everything. You always… always…! You’ve left the village, so what do you know about me now?”
Madara could feel Sasuke trembling from his wrist. What Sasuke was feeling was a complex mix of anger and loneliness.
Madara did not loosen his grip on Sasuke, and while looking deep into Kakashi’s mind, he pulled Sasuke slightly closer to him and called his name once more.
“Sasuke.”
“…Oh, san.”
“Hey Kakashi, is that Sasuke’s brother over there?”
“……that’s right”
Kakashi’s voice affirmed, and Sasuke looked down. The hand that wasn’t holding Madara’s grip was clenched into a fist.
Although he was calming down, Sasuke was still losing his cool. Madara only knew about Itachi from what he had heard from Sasuke and Kakashi, but Itachi was likely the most outstanding ninja among those who were called geniuses. From just the information Madara had heard, it was clear that he was an opponent who should not be underestimated.
“Sasuke, don’t go moving around on your own. I’ll make time to talk.”
“!”
Sasuke suddenly raised his head and looked at Madara. There was still a hint of impatience on Sasuke’s face, but his eyes were softer and less sharp than before.
Thinking that Itachi was okay now, Madara let go of Sasuke’s grip and gently turned his wrist, taking a half step to the side so that he could get a better view of Itachi.
It had been a while since he’d last seen the red eyes of the two Tomoe Tomoe’s, a kindred spirit other than Sasuke.
“The person from the dumpling shop is a ninja after all. What is your relationship with Sasuke?”
Itachi’s emotionless voice asked Madara.
“…He’s one of the kids I look after.”
“Is that so, Sasuke?”
“…It has nothing to do with you anymore.”
“…That’s right.”
Madara urged Sasuke to move behind Itachi so that he would be hidden from his Sharingan, and he considered what he should do next. Kakashi’s friends were dealing with Itachi’s other partner, the big man, at the surface of the river. It was difficult to gauge the strength of his opponent, but Itachi was the most troublesome. Kakashi had trained hard in his battle with Madara for the Ichapara sword, but his opponent was Itachi, a member of the Uchiha clan who was accustomed to using the Sharingan, and a talented man known as a genius. Kakashi had not yet been able to make full use of his Mangekyo Sharingan, so Itachi would surely be a tough opponent. He had heard that Itachi was particularly skilled in genjutsu.
(…I want to somehow create time for Sasuke to talk with Itachi, but I’m not sure if he’s up for it.)
Madara does not fully understand how Itachi joined the Akatsuki organization. Sasuke also said that he never thought his brother would commit such a foolish act when it came to killing Itachi’s entire clan. From Sasuke’s recollections, it is impossible to connect Itachi’s actions on that tragic day to his actions, unless he had suddenly gone mad, and Madara felt something was off. Why was it necessary to let Sasuke survive alone?
It was natural for a ninja to suppress their emotions and not show them, but even now Itachi seemed strangely calm, and he seemed to be investigating Madara while worrying about Sasuke. Whatever the circumstances, it’s hard not to be concerned if he found out that the only younger brother he had left in the village was involved with a man who looked like a member of the Uchiha clan, whom he thought he had killed off.
(…If I use Sasuke, will I be able to see Itachi’s true intentions?)
If Itachi had no intention of killing Sasuke, Madara could make him panic by pretending to attack Sasuke. He could then use a genjutsu to stop Itachi’s movements.
However, there was one thing to be concerned about. Kakashi knew Madara, so no matter how he fought, Kakashi would go along with it, but Sasuke was different. From Sasuke’s perspective, Madara was just an unremarkable genin uncle who lived with Naruto. When they first met, Madara had asked if they were from the same clan, but now he was an old man who trained with him, and Sasuke no longer suspected him, and would not even consider him to be an Uchiha.
Suddenly, Itachi lowered his eyes and muttered something just loud enough for Madara to hear.
“Tajima, huh?”
“You seem to be trying to say something, Uchiha Itachi.”
“……no”
Itachi muttered Madara’s name, but his expression remained unchanged as he shook his head slightly, as if to clear away a thought that had come to his mind.
(Madara’s rumor is that the man from the dumpling shop is Tajima… Madara and Tajima, is that a coincidence? No, it can’t be.)
Rumors of Madara Uchiha circulating in the village of a man who resembles a member of an unknown clan. And the fact that the name is the same as that of Madara’s previous clan leader makes Itachi uneasy. He wonders if there is some connection to the rumors he heard before coming to the village. However, now that he is in battle mode, Itachi pulls himself together and looks sternly at Kakashi and the others with his Sharingan.
Episode 34
The kunai grazed the side of Madara’s face.
The kunai Itachi threw flew far away, making a faint metallic sound in the distance.
Madara continues to pursue Itachi without paying any attention to the kunai. If it had a marking like Tobirama’s it would be different, but he knew it was just a regular kunai the moment Itachi threw it. He wouldn’t waste his time paying attention to a mere projectile.
Even Kakashi was hesitant to look Itachi in the eye, but Madara leapt before Itachi without any hesitation.
On the road beside the quiet river, his red eyes and Madara’s black eyes intersect sharply.
(Interesting. So the rumors weren’t just for show. Itachi, it’s a pity he was born in this era.)
As he exchanged punches with Itachi, Madara tried to hold back the urge to smile at Itachi’s movements.
No matter how powerful the Sharingan’s power is, it’s meaningless if the body’s foundation is not in place to utilize that power. Itachi’s skills in this regard were impeccable. He seems to have the skills to be called a genius ninja.
Although he would like to test Itachi, Madara’s goal is not to torture Itachi, but to fulfill his promise to Sasuke. He must somehow stop Itachi and make things happen so that they can talk.
Meanwhile, Sasuke believed Madara’s words that he would make time to talk with Itachi, and as he had been told not to move, he watched the battle between Madara and Itachi from a distance. Although he wanted to go and help, as Madara had asked him what he could do, Sasuke at the moment could not see any opening that would allow him to get between them.
As the battle with Itachi unfolded, Madara descended towards the river. Itachi also descended towards the river and pursued Madara. In the brief moment that Madara stood on the water’s surface and adjusted his stance, Itachi quickly made a seal and shot a lump of fire at Madara.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
The roaring flames illuminated Madara, causing the water in the surrounding river to evaporate and turn everything white.
(A fireball technique here?…It didn’t even reach him. This is just a diversion.)
If he was targeting Madara alone, there was no need to use a powerful technique like the Great Fireball in an open place like this where there was an escape route.
Taking advantage of being hidden in the shadow of the flames, Madara poured chakra into his eyes.
Itachi saw Madara as if he had been engulfed in the fireball technique. He immediately saw a shadow emerge from the mist of steam, and Itachi ended the technique and jumped back to put some distance between them.
Madara leapt out of the mist, arms outstretched to grab Itachi.
Itachi sees through Madara’s movements with his Sharingan, and immediately puts chakra into his eyes to trap him in darkness with a genjutsu. Itachi and Madara look directly into each other’s eyes. Just as Itachi thinks it’s worked, he senses something strange in the view through his Sharingan. Then, when Itachi sees Madara’s face, he widens his eyes, realizing the genjutsu is useless and stops.
“…!”
For just a moment, Itachi saw two red lights in his field of vision. He adjusted the flow of his chakra, which had been unconsciously disrupted.
As Itachi quickly distanced himself from Madara, his expression twisted in a slightly bitter expression for the first time. Itachi’s perception of the man from the dumpling shop changed to one of complete doubt. This man was no ordinary ninja.
“…What, did the genjutsu stop?”
“What? Earlier you used an illusion on me to make me think you were under an illusion, right?”
“…Hmph, you were fooled after all. You’re used to fighting.”
Itachi and Madara continued to exchange silent glares.
Madara took a quick look around. He confirmed that Kakashi had moved to Sasuke’s side, and in the distance, on the surface of the river, he saw Hiruzen’s son Asuma and a hot-headed man who said he was Kakashi’s rival, fighting together. They seemed to be measuring the difference in their fighting strength, and the scale of the battle was not large, so they didn’t seem to be fighting seriously, and it didn’t look like they needed any help, so Madara decided it would be best to leave them alone.
Madara turned his attention back to Itachi, crossing his arms and lifting his chin slightly as he narrowed his eyes.
“Well, I was looking for you guys to give you my change, but…Sasuke wanted to talk to you.”
“Sasuke? Talk? There’s nothing we can talk about now. What are we trying to say? He’s just a powerless, stupid child. Do you think we should even bother with him?”
“……I see, then.”
Madara closed his eyes and exhaled slowly at Itachi’s response.
It was already a fact that Itachi was worried enough to ask Sasuke about his relationship with Madara, but it seemed that Itachi was planning to continue to conceal the fact that the incident from earlier had never happened. If Itachi really didn’t care, it shouldn’t have been of any concern to him whether Sasuke knew Madara or what happened to Sasuke. There was no need to confirm his relationship with Madara.
“If you say so…”
“……?”
“No matter what I do, you won’t complain, right?”
“Tajima-san?! What, uh, gulp. Sa, Sasuke…”
“Kakashi? …Hey, geez!?”
Suddenly Itachi heard the muffled voices of Kakashi and Sasuke.
“??”
They were supposed to be in a safe zone, but what had happened? Itachi looked away from Madara, who didn’t seem to panic at the danger his comrades faced, and turned towards the direction he had heard the voice.
Above the river, Kakashi was on the ground groaning in pain, and right next to him, Madara, who should have been in front of Itachi, had moved to Sasuke’s side. Then, something like glowing blue bone armor appeared from Madara and grabbed Sasuke by the collar. Sasuke was struggling desperately in his blue arms, probably having difficulty breathing.
(Could that be Susanoo?! It must be the man we’ve heard about!)
Itachi turns around to where Madara should be, but he is no longer there. He must have been replaced by a clone during the fight. Itachi realizes that the one next to Sasuke is now his real self.
When Itachi realized what was holding Sasuke, his breath became heavy and he broke out into a cold sweat for the first time.
“…Sasuke.”
“Uchiha Itachi. I thought for sure you were keeping Sasuke alive so you could use both of his eyes, but it seems you’re more thoughtless than I thought. Don’t leave behind a useless brat, just kill him quickly. If you let him live, Sasuke will eventually stand in your way.”
“Ugh, old man… stop it.”
“…What are you planning to do with Sasuke?”
“If you don’t care about Sasuke… then you won’t have any complaints if I use you, right?”
As Madara said this with a grin, he felt a numbing air sting his skin coming from Itachi’s direction. Madara glanced sideways at Itachi. The moment he caught Itachi’s red eyes, Madara threw Sasuke towards the guard waiting in the bushes. Sasuke was thrown onto the grass and was surprised when he got up by the man in the bushes, but when he realized it was a man he had seen at the dango shop, he ignored him and whispered curses at Madara.
“…Damn it, the old man grabbed me for real. That was too rough.”
Sasuke thought back to the moment just before Madara grabbed him.
Madara, who was supposed to be fighting Itachi, suddenly appeared behind them and said to Sasuke and Kakashi:
“Sasuke, I’m going to use you to lure Itachi.”
Before he could ask how, Sasuke was grabbed by the collar and lifted into the air. It was a plan that took advantage of Itachi’s suspicions about Madara, but Sasuke felt sympathy for Kakashi, who had been hit in the solar plexus to create the impression that Madara had rebelled. Kakashi’s groan was real.
Putting his hand on the back of his neck, Sasuke peeked at Madara and the others from among the bushes.
Black flames were spreading around Madara’s feet, blocking his escape route. It seemed Madara had removed the blue armor-like thing that had been holding Sasuke up until a moment ago. But even though Madara was surrounded by flames, his expression didn’t change at all.
Madara’s strangely cold eyes looked down at the black flames.
(This is… Amaterasu. Has Itachi had his eyes opened?)
Madara’s eyes narrowed and then focused on the flames and then on Itachi.
Itachi glared at Madara with blood streaming from his eyes. The pattern on his Sharingan had also changed.
“…Ah, that seems to be what you want to say, Sasuke.”
Madara, in stark contrast to his previous behavior, called out to Sasuke as if nothing had happened. With a rustling sound, Sasuke emerged from the bushes, grass on his head, and approached the railing along the river.
Itachi looked up at Madara and Sasuke, and at Kakashi, who stood up while clutching his stomach in pain. As he looked up, Itachi let out a small “ha” sound from his mouth. His expression naturally stiffened, and he felt his composure disappear.
“Now Uchiha Itachi, I want you to get some sleep.”
While surrounded by black flames, Madara took advantage of the fact that Sasuke was not looking towards him and switched his gaze, pouring chakra into him to cast an illusion. Itachi gasped when a pattern that was not a three-sided cross appeared in Madara’s eyes.
(…That’s…!)
Itachi was startled for a moment, but his resistance was futile as his vision became distorted and his eyelids became heavy, and he lost consciousness.
Kakashi lowered Itachi’s body into the river to support him as he was about to collapse into the water. Kakashi put Itachi’s arm around his shoulders and carried him halfway across his back, and they returned to the path where Madara and Sasuke were.
Itachi, who had fallen under the genjutsu that Madara had cast, had his eyes closed and a calm expression on his face, but the traces of bloody tears streaming down his handsome face looked painful.
The black flames must have gone away before Itachi fell asleep, because after he stayed still for a while the flames surrounding Madara completely disappeared.
(I knew from the position of the flames that it wasn’t aimed at me, but… Itachi, you must have had a problem.)
Although it was only for a short time, Madara, who had been fighting, noticed that Itachi was not serious. He didn’t know why he had come to the village, but he must have been unhappy about being found by Kakashi and the others. He knew that he hadn’t come to the village to eat dango, but it seemed like he had no intention of fighting.
“Tajima-san, we managed to capture Itachi for now…”
“Kakashi, you go and reinforce them. That guy in the bushes should have sent a message to the Hokage, and Sarutobi will be making his move soon. Until then, Sasuke and I will handle Itachi.”
Madara said as he took Itachi from Kakashi. When he put Itachi on his back, he couldn’t tell from the outside because it was hidden by the Akatsuki cloak, but Itachi’s body was lighter than he expected. He remembered what Sasuke had told him before, wondering how old Itachi was.
(You said they were five years apart. So that would make them 17 or 18?)
“Where are you going, old man?”
“It would be best to go somewhere where there won’t be any interruptions. And it would be even better if it’s somewhere where we can’t easily meet up with the people on the other side.”
“…Then I think I know the answer. It’s over there… Old man, follow me. I’ll show you the way.”
Sasuke seemed to have a clue and ran ahead. Madara glanced at Kakashi and then ran after Sasuke.
Following behind Sasuke, Madara noticed the changing scenery and realized where they were heading.
(We’re heading to the district.)
Sasuke didn’t look back and just kept running ahead.
Episode 35
Following Sasuke’s lead, they arrived at Nankano Shrine.
Madara remembered his visit with Kakashi the other day and was relieved that Sasuke was with Naruto and the others. If the timing had been bad, they might have run into each other. Kakashi could have justified it by saying it was a mission or something, but Sasuke only thought of Madara as an old man, so it would only sow the seeds of doubt as to why Madara, who should have no connection to the situation, was there.
(It’s only natural that Sasuke knows this place. It’s a good thing that Sasuke acted separately when he and Kakashi came here.)
Madara carefully went down the stairs so as not to drag Itachi, and gently sat him down near the stone monument in the room where the bonfire was lit. Just to be safe, he tied Itachi’s body with the rope Sasuke had found along the way, then crouched down and supported Itachi’s shoulders to prevent him from falling, while he turned to Sasuke.
“Sasuke, I’m sure you two would like to talk alone, but Itachi is an enemy of the village. It would be best if you were to join us.”
“…Nothing.”
Madara stared at Sasuke silently, and shortly after Sasuke nodded, which was the signal for him to release the genjutsu he had cast on Itachi.
Slowly Itachi’s eyelids lifted.
Itachi didn’t seem particularly panicked, but when he realized where he was and that Sasuke was in front of him, he lowered his gaze to the floor with a stiff expression.
Sasuke swallowed the saliva that had built up in his mouth. The man he hated so much he wanted to kill him was right before his eyes. The man he had always believed to be the enemy of his parents and his clan, the man he hated from the bottom of his heart. But the more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t understand the events of that day and Itachi’s actions. Even though he should have hated him so much, now he just wanted to know the truth. And now, Sasuke was standing in a place where he could ask Itachi directly.
Sasuke’s voice threatened to tremble, but he managed to suppress it with determination.
“…Itachi, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you.”
“…”
“Why did you kill the whole family?”
“…”
Itachi didn’t immediately reply to Sasuke’s pained question.
Three shadows sway by the bonfire.
Sasuke approached Itachi, whose mouth was still closed.
“Just say something already, Itachi!”
“…Itachi. I know it’s not one for an outsider to say anything, but Sasuke has a right to know. Is there a reason you can’t tell him?”
Itachi’s eyes, lowered, shifted. His black eyes caught the name written on the front of Madara’s apron as he crouched next to him with one knee raised. The name “Tajima” was not an unusual one, but to the Uchiha clan, the name carried a little more weight than could be dismissed as just a person’s name. No parent would willingly give their child the name of someone related to “Madara”. Why was Sasuke with this man? There was no doubt about it from their exchange at the river that he had opened up to him quite a bit.
“…Sasuke, there is nothing to say to you right now.”
“Weasel!”
“All you have to do is hate me. Hate me and hate me, and come and kill me one day. That’s fine.”
“What’s with you, hating me? I’ve gotten strong enough now! Even Orochimaru, I can do something about it!”
“Orochimaru, have you been in contact with him?”
Itachi remembers a conversation he had with his colleague, Kisame, before coming to the village.
Rumors that Uchiha Madara is in the village… I wanted to think that it was just a ghost story at best, but I wonder if Sasuke knew about the rumors. It’s not impossible that people outside know more about them. Even Sasuke would have heard Madara’s name at the academy, but was it really just a rumor within the village?
Most of the records relating to the family have probably been confiscated by the village, but there’s still plenty of information that can be gleaned if one really wants to dig.
(Does Sasuke know that this man is from his clan?)
Madara noticed Itachi’s gaze was on his chest, so he turned his body from Itachi’s direction to face Sasuke. As the name became harder to see, Itachi returned his gaze to the floor.
“Itachi, in your mind I will always remain a weak child. You have no idea how I have been feeling every day since you disappeared. Don’t mess with me. Listen Itachi, you are currently in our hands. Don’t think you can escape without saying anything.”
Sasuke’s voice, dripping with anger, rained down on Itachi.
“Tell me, Itachi. I want to hear it from you…”
“…………Sasuke, I have nothing to say.”
“You were the one who always said “next time” and put it off. Why didn’t you kill me when you killed Mom and Dad? Why were you crying then… Hey, Itachi, answer me!”
Sasuke’s clenched fist was trembling.
There was a moment of silence, and then the sound of a deep breath was heard in the room.
And here Itachi raised his head and looked at Sasuke. His gaze was no longer stern, the corners of his eyes were relaxed and somehow sad.
“…Sasuke, do you like the village?”
“Huh? Why would you say that?”
“Sasuke, do you trust this person?”
“Eh, what? What do you mean, village or old man?”
Sasuke looked at Itachi with a confused look on his face.
Itachi’s voice also had a gentle tone to it, and when Madara realized that Itachi was no longer resisting, he spoke to Sasuke, who still did not understand.
“Sasuke, perhaps, but Itachi is on a mission.”
“What? A mission?”
“It’s not a mission from an enemy organization. Itachi is currently on a mission from the village.”
“……picture”
“Isn’t that right, Uchiha Itachi? I thought so based on what Sasuke told me, but I don’t think that what happened was up to you alone.”
“why”
Madara felt that the conversation would not progress if he left it to Sasuke, so he guided Itachi so that it was easier for him to answer.
Talking about the mission was something that shouldn’t have happened, but Itachi didn’t think Sasuke would be convinced if he didn’t say anything, so he nodded.
“Sasuke, the dango shop owner’s story is not wrong. I have a mission.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sasuke, Itachi seems to be an excellent ninja. Even from your perspective as he is of the same clan. I’ve heard he joined the Anbu at a young age. So there’s one thing I can think of.”
“Old man… what does the village have to do with the Uchiha clan?”
“Yes, Sasuke. I heard that you excelled at the academy, but now that I think about it, you were just as stupid as that guy.”
“What?! What does the village have to do with us? What does this old man know?”
“Well, I don’t know much about the modern village. But I’m sure there have been conflicts with the village since long ago.”
After Madara, Itachi spoke heavily.
“…He’s right, Sasuke. Have you ever felt something strange either?”
“Something feels off…”
The Konoha Police Force was led by his father, Fugaku. Its job was to crack down on crime within the village, but wasn’t its headquarters strangely far from the center of the village? Come to think of it, there didn’t seem to be any Uchiha clan members among the Hokage’s aides or other ninjas in related positions at the Academy. It was as if it was natural for all Uchiha clan members to be assigned to the police force. There was a time when Sasuke also thought he would work under his father in the future.
Madara continued after Itachi.
“The Uchiha clan have always been wary of other clans due to their strong eyes. Each clan has even devised strategies to counter the Sharingan. This is especially true of the Senju, who ruled the village for two generations. They are also skilled in genjutsu, so it is no wonder they are feared. If there is someone with eyes like that in the village, and if they are causing trouble for the village, do you know what we as a village should do?”
“Wha… then we… all…”
Sasuke’s voice trembled.
As Madara spoke, his expression became grim, as if he had a headache.
It was Tobirama Senju who established the police force. At the time, Tobirama thought that he wanted to give the Uchiha clan a certain status, but it backfired.
(Hashirama, maybe your attempt to create the village was a failure. You were fine, but you didn’t think about what the other humans thought. Maybe this was also the reason why I left the village. I had a vague feeling about it, but in this era… peace is so fragile.)
Madara knows very well that it is difficult to convince everyone. In the end, he joined forces with the Senju and founded the village, but even though there were many people who supported the alliance, the majority of those who supported it were fed up with fighting a battle they had no hope of winning.
Aside from the women and children who sought peace, by the time the alliance was formed, the number of warlike people had decreased, but there were still many who thought they had fallen into the hands of the Senju. The voices of those who were dissatisfied likely grew louder as the present day approached. Sasuke’s father, who was the clan leader, even went so far as to name his son after Hiruzen’s father, so it is hard to imagine that he was on the side of the rebels from the beginning. However, as the clan grew to distrust the village, Sasuke’s parents likely fulfilled their duties as clan leaders.
Madara continued speaking with a crease in his brow.
“If the Uchiha rebel, there’s no telling what will happen even if the Hokage is that good. It’s best to eliminate any disturbing elements as soon as they become suspicious, especially if they have the Sharingan. Maybe they received an order from above to kill them… What was the purpose of this village?”
“So, they were killed in the village? Everyone? Is that so? Ouch… Brother.”
“…”
Itachi neither confirmed nor denied it.
“…But why me? Why only me?”
“…”
When Itachi didn’t reply, Madara spoke up.
Only Itachi’s younger brother, Sasuke, survived. For some reason, Sasuke was the only one who was spared. There is only one thing that can be deduced from this.
What a despicable choice Itachi was forced to make.
“It must have been the time when he had to choose between the village and his clan. Perhaps the idea of ??sparing Sasuke was used as a bargaining chip. It was the Third who suggested it… No, I find it hard to imagine that he would bring it up. Perhaps another advisor asked him to do so. Well, it doesn’t matter who it was.”
“…I simply made the best decision I could at the time. Sasuke, I want you to remember this.”
Itachi had been silent most of the time, but when he looked straight into Sasuke’s eyes he began to speak.
“Father tried to protect the family until the very end. He wanted to end things in a way that was good for the village and the family.”
“…Why, why did you choose the village?”
“Repression through force will not last long. It may be good for the time being, but conflict will surely break out again soon.”
“…That’s not true.”
“Sasuke, you can keep holding a grudge against me. I’m on a mission, so I’ll get back to work.”
“H! Wait a second, will you come back to the village once this mission is over? Does that outfit have something to do with it?”
“Sasuke.”
“Stop always putting me on the back burner! You never even consider my feelings!”
“Sasuke.”
“Listen to what I’m saying too! …Haa… haa…”
With the edges of his eyes red, Sasuke roughly wiped away the tears that had slowly welled up and ran outside.
Madara tries to call out to him, but Sasuke keeps running and doesn’t stop.
“Ah, hey, Sasuke! …Taku, you went out on your own. Is there nothing else you want to say to Sasuke, Itachi? I’ll call him back.”
“That’s fine for now. Dango-san, how far has Sasuke come with you?”
“He’s an old man who lives with a kid from his same year.”
“…I see. Why did you give me the Sharingan?”
“…Hmph, I just thought that even you would be upset if a comrade who was supposed to be dead was still in the village. There’s nothing deeper to it.”
“is that so”
Madara released Itachi from his restraints.
I don’t know the details of the mission, but I’m sure Itachi is in an organization called Akatsuki on orders from the village. It wouldn’t be strange for Hiruzen to have noticed Itachi when he entered the village, but the fact that he didn’t make a fuss until Kakashi and the others found him suggests that he was deliberately overlooked.
With his body now free, Itachi stood up, gently moved his arms, and looked at the stone monument at his feet. Itachi had also awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, and was now able to interpret it more deeply.
However, it seemed he was just watching, as Itachi quickly looked back at Madara.
“Are you aware of this rumor?”
“rumor?”
“Yes, Uchiha Madara is alive.”
“…Ah, I think…it was a neighborhood association test of courage…”
Madara, who had grown to not care about rumors at all, frowned as he remembered the rumor he had heard at the dumpling shop after Itachi had dug it up. When Hashirama had let it slip and the rumor had spread, he had been a little worried about what would happen, but now, although he would occasionally hear it, it had settled down to nothing more than the subject of casual conversation.
“…Dumpling shop owner, I have one word of advice for you.”
Before Itachi spoke, the bonfire stopped shaking unnaturally. Itachi seemed to have put Madara under a genjutsu. There was no particular hostility felt from Itachi, so Madara listened without releasing him, trying to understand what Itachi was trying to convey inside the genjutsu.
“Uchiha Madara is alive. Be careful of the masked man.”
Madara’s eyebrows twitched at those words, but he suddenly felt the cool air on his skin and realized the genjutsu had been broken, so he looked back at Itachi, who was still staring at him as usual.
Madara wonders what Itachi’s true intention was, saying that in a genjutsu. Itachi must know the person impersonating Uchiha Madara.
(Masked man… Why did you have to lie about my name? And my name isn’t Dangoya.)
He’s someone who purposely uses the name of a man who rebelled against the village, so he’s probably not a good guy. Does Hiruzen know about this?
Perhaps Itachi’s warning to Madara was to prevent each other from being taken advantage of as they both have the Sharingan.
(There is a mysterious phenomenon that has occurred that has led to me being in the village, but that is a separate matter. Times are what they are. Even if I wasn’t dead, being an old man would be the best thing I could do. Besides, after I was killed by Hashirama, Tobirama should have kept my body under strict security. It is hard to imagine that someone would have brought me back to life…)
While he wouldn’t notice it inside the village, something seemed to be moving outside the village without Madara’s knowledge.
A man who pretends to be Madara Uchiha and an organization that collects tailed beasts. What is the relationship between them?
“Itachi, now that I think about it, I never asked you what your purpose in coming to Konoha was.”
“Now that I think of it.”
Madara asked, and Itachi answered as if he had just realized it.
“…I came to the village to find out the whereabouts of the Fourth Generation’s heir, the Nine Tailed Fox – that was the pretext I came to the village under.”
When Madara and Itachi emerged from the basement, they saw Sasuke standing outside with his head down.
Itachi stopped a few steps away from Sasuke, but Madara came around to face Sasuke and looked down at him, who was still bowed. Sasuke didn’t seem to want to be seen, so he didn’t look up.
The chirps of birds echoed through the quiet grounds.
Itachi’s quiet voice was directed towards Sasuke’s back.
“Sasuke, I will return to my mission. Do not tell anyone about what you heard here today.”
“Huh… You say that again and go off somewhere. You should be the one to talk.”
When Sasuke turned around at the sound of the voice, Itachi took a step and approached him.
Then he held up his index and middle fingers in front of Sasuke and lightly tapped him on the forehead with the tips of his fingers.
“Forgive me Sasuke, but that’s for another time.”
Itachi gave Sasuke a weak smile and left the shrine.
The shadow of the clouds that hid the sun fell over Sasuke and Madara.
“Again… that’s it…”
Sasuke’s voice fell into silence.
Hiruzen was standing in a deserted alleyway within the village, wearing the Hokage’s umbrella.
He knows to some extent what is going on in the village through the crystal ball he always uses to check on Naruto, Madara, and the others.
Hiruzen was eagerly waiting for the person who would appear here.
After waiting for a while, Hiruzen sensed a familiar chakra from the two paths that split in front of him and spoke softly in surprise, “They’ve finally arrived.”
From Hiruzen’s left, he saw Itachi, who had been at the shrine until just a moment ago, and from the opposite right, Madara, wearing a dumpling shop apron, appeared.
“a”
“a”
Before they could spot Hiruzen, their eyes met, and they both froze, one foot in front of the other.
Itachi was the first to speak.
“…The direction was the same.”
“Ah, yeah. I see…”
Apparently, after the two had parted ways at the shrine, they had created shadow clones and sent them to Hiruzen. It seems there was something they wanted to confirm with each other, but they had never expected to come together at such a similar time.
An awkward atmosphere hung in the air in the alley.
Episode 36
“Huh? It’s Sasuke and Ochan. Hey! Ochan, Sasuke! …Huh? Sasuke doesn’t seem very energetic.”
Naruto, who was traveling with Jiraiya, called out to Madara and Sasuke as he saw them walking towards him, waving his hand. Jiraiya also looked in the direction of Naruto’s voice and caught sight of a boy walking towards him with a gloomy expression.
Madara turned to face Naruto, but Sasuke’s gaze was lowered to the ground and he walked past Naruto and the others without saying a word.
“Eh, wait a minute, Sasuke. It seems a bit dark, is something wrong? You don’t seem like yourself today…?”
“……noisy”
“Eh, what?! Shut up, you don’t have to say that, Naruto… uncle?”
Madara interrupts Naruto as he tries to call out to Sasuke.
Madara looked down at Naruto and shook his head slightly, telling him with his eyes to leave him alone.
Madara immediately followed after Sasuke as he walked away, and he got further and further away from Naruto and the others.
Naruto muttered quietly as he watched the two of them walk away.
“Sasuke… did something happen?”
Naruto felt uneasy at the dark atmosphere between the two of them, but he continued to watch their backs as they got smaller and smaller.
Madara was following behind Sasuke, but he wasn’t just walking behind him.
Sasuke’s shock upon hearing Itachi’s story was immeasurable. Normally he would have said something like, “The old man always looks like he has nothing better to do,” or “Doesn’t he take on any missions other than the dumpling shop?”, but judging from the heavy aura emanating from Sasuke’s back, who had been keeping his head down since they had left the shrine, it seemed that he had been quite strained by his conversation with Itachi. Madara was worried about letting him go home alone, so he decided to see him off.
Kakashi and the others should be able to figure out Itachi’s partner. Eventually Itachi, who had been separated from them at the shrine, will reunite with them, retrieve his partner, and the other side will be able to get through it smoothly.
After walking for a while, Sasuke stopped in front of a building. This seemed to be the apartment where Sasuke lived. Unlike the place where Naruto and Madara lived, the exterior was well-maintained.
It was the first time Madara had visited Sasuke’s house, and he realized once again that Sasuke was living alone. Had he been alone ever since the incident?
There are many orphans in the village, but Sasuke’s loneliness must be considerable. His entire clan died overnight. It’s not something that can be compared to mere hatred or a sense of loss. Was there really anyone who could understand Sasuke’s pain?
Sasuke’s movement to unlock the door was somewhat heavy, and he wondered whether he should just leave him alone in the house.
As Sasuke slowly opened the door to the house and prepared to enter, Madara called out from behind him.
“Don’t think too much by yourself. I’ll come back later. If you’re tired, go to sleep or whatever, just kill time until I get here.”
“…Shut up, old man. Stop telling me what to do.”
“Hmm… I see. You seem to have the energy to say nasty things. I’ll go back to the store for now, but I’ll come back later. Don’t leave me there, got it?”
After telling himself that, Sasuke nodded slightly and closed the door to his house.
Judging by the situation, it was doubtful he even wanted to eat, so he decided to pick out something that even Sasuke could eat and bring it with him while thinking about what to do after the mission at the dango shop.
I knew that things would be different from what happened with Naruto, but the situation Sasuke is in is quite serious. I just hope he doesn’t have any strange thoughts and suddenly leaves the village to chase after Itachi.
Madara walked away from Sasuke’s house and stared down the street, muttering to himself in his head.
(There’s no reaction from the shadow clone… are they dragging on?)
After parting ways with Itachi at the shrine, he sent his shadow clone towards Hiruzen, but the spell had not yet been lifted and they were still deep in conversation.
Still wearing his apron, Madara walked towards the dango shop.
Along the way, he spots a girl dressed in colors reminiscent of spring: Sakura, a member of Naruto’s squad.
Sakura, as if she had noticed Madara, looked up and called out to him.
“Hello, it’s Tajima-san. You’re wearing an apron… are you at work?”
“Well, that’s about it. I’m on my way back to the dumpling shop.”
Kakashi was currently busy dealing with Itachi and the others, and Naruto was working with Jiraiya. Sasuke was also acting separately, so today was probably a day without any missions to begin with.
Madara suddenly had an idea and asked Sakura.
“Sakura”
“yes?”
“Do you know what Sasuke likes?”
“Eh, is that Sasuke-kun’s?”
“You probably know the favorite foods of the man you like, right? I thought it would be quicker to ask you. You seem to know the most about Sasuke.”
“Eh, eh, ehhh! No, Tajima, please… don’t say that out loud in a place like this!”
“No, I didn’t say it out loud.”
Sakura clutched her cheeks and began to writhe in agony.
It was a moderately busy street. Sakura’s scream attracted the attention of housewives returning from shopping. No one reprimanded her, as she was blushing and showed no signs of displeasure, but Madara thought to himself that it was not a good idea to suddenly ask Sakura, a girl in love.
Taking several deep breaths, Sakura seemed to calm down, and although her ears were still red, she looked up at Madara and answered.
“Sasuke-kun, you like tomatoes. Also, when we all went out I made some rice balls and you ate a lot of bonito flakes, so maybe you like bonito flakes too…?”
“I see. Tomatoes and bonito flakes, huh?”
“But Tajima-san, why did you suddenly ask me about Sasuke-kun’s favorite things? Ha! Did Sasuke-kun catch a cold or something?”
“I don’t have a cold, but I’m feeling pretty down. It’s probably best to leave her alone for now… but if it’s convenient for you, you could come and see her tomorrow.”
“Is that so? Sasuke-kun…”
They say that women have sharp intuition, but Sakura seemed to have immediately noticed that Sasuke was not feeling well.
Sakura had a slightly worried look on her face and looked straight into Madara’s eyes.
“Tajima-san!”
“?”
“Are you free tomorrow?”
“We have time though.”
“I’ll do my best to make dinner, so can you come with me to Sasuke’s house? If I go alone, he’ll wonder why I know.”
“That’s fine.”
“! thank you!”
Sakura bowed to Madara, decided on the time to meet tomorrow, and started heading back the way she came. It seemed she was going to go buy ingredients for the next day.
When Kakashi ran out of chakra and collapsed, the children of Team 7 cooked for him, but since it was only the three of them who cooked, it was unclear whether Sakura was good at cooking or not. But just having friends who cared about him would be a great help to Sasuke right now. When he was alone, he would end up thinking too much.
If Naruto knew that he was going to Sasuke’s house with Sakura tomorrow, he would want to tag along. Being too noisy would just tire Sasuke out. However, Naruto had noticed that Sasuke was acting differently than usual when they passed each other earlier. There was a chance that he would go to Sasuke’s house alone, even without Madara telling him. In that case, he should have called out to him.
After parting ways with Sakura, Madara headed back to the dango shop, reaching into his apron pocket and pulling out a small package. He clutched the change Itachi had given him, as he had missed the timing to give it to him, as he made his way to the dango shop.
The moment he arrived at the dumpling shop and was about to slip through the curtain, Madara suddenly stopped moving. A certain memory flowed into Madara’s mind. It was the effect of the shadow clone that had been leading him to Hiruzen after parting ways with Itachi at the shrine being released.
The shared memory made the corners of Madara’s mouth twitch as he stood at the entrance to the dumpling shop.
(I-Itachi was there too…)
Madara thought to himself that he should have given Itachi the change even though he was probably using a Kage Bunshin as well, but he tightened his grip on his mouth at the fact that his actions had overlapped with Itachi’s and shook his head slightly. His expression suddenly dropped as important memories flashed before his eyes, including his sudden reunion with Itachi.
The supervisor who was still on duty at the dumpling shop gave Madara a strangely serious look as soon as he returned, looking at him with strange eyes and wondering what was wrong with him, but Madara was too busy with the information coming from the shadow clone to pay attention to that and decided to ignore him.
It was just before Madara dropped Sasuke off at his house.
Madara’s shadow clone followed Hiruzen’s chakra and found himself in an alleyway.
When Madara came across Itachi in the alleyway he came to, he regained his composure when Hiruzen cleared his throat and turned towards the person he was looking for.
“Itachi, it’s been a long time since you last returned. I’m sorry for coming here so suddenly… I never expected to be kidnapped.”
“No, it was the result of my own lack of ability. Hokage-sama, this is the man from the dumpling shop.”
Itachi gave a quick glance in Madara’s direction and approached Hiruzen.
Hiruzen doesn’t seem to change his attitude when he sees Madara here, which makes him realize that he and the man from the dumpling shop have a connection.
“I heard about a rumor going around in the village. Is the person it’s referring to undoubtedly this person from the dumpling shop?”
Itachi and Hiruzen exchanged glances, and as silence fell between them, Madara also remained silent as he continued to watch the exchange.
“…That’s right, Itachi, what are you planning to do?”
“I don’t know, but how much of that is true, Hokage-sama? What is the village, no, what are you thinking?”
“Itachi.”
“…”
“I’m most worried about Sasuke. There’s nothing to be worried about regarding Sasuke. He was actually protecting him at the river.”
“He grabbed me by the neck.”
“Mm, you seem pretty angry…”
Madara looked at him with a look that seemed to say Hiruzen was going too far.
That was an act to trick Itachi, but it must have been nerve-wracking for Itachi to think that Sasuke, who was supposed to be protected by the village, could have been killed on the spot by a mysterious man. After all, there was a person in the village with a Sharingan that he didn’t know about.
Madara closed his eyes and thought back to when he had captured Sasuke at Susanoo. He imagined that if his brother Izuna had been taken hostage while he was still alive, he would have done whatever it took to help him. Whatever the circumstances, Madara would never have the chance to protect his brother again.
Just as Izuna was the only remaining brother that Madara had to protect in the past, Sasuke is the same for Itachi now. Thinking about it now, he was surprised he wasn’t burned directly by Amaterasu. If he had actually been hit by Amaterasu, he would have had no choice but to take off his clothes on the spot and deal with it. And he did it quickly, in front of Sasuke and Kakashi. How embarrassing. With his clothes gone, what face would he have when he returned to the dango shop?
“He wasn’t in the village on that day. I’m sure you were surprised.”
“Yes, I was very surprised.”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Hokage-sama, we don’t have much time. I really want to be sure about this.”
“…What is it?”
“Even if a new wind blows, our promise remains the same, now and forever.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be watching closely.”
There was warmth in Hiruzen’s words.
At this point, the tension between Hiruzen and Itachi finally eased.
Itachi must have been satisfied with Hiruzen’s answer. He turned on his heel. His face was in the bingo book, and anyone with a long history of ninja experience would know Itachi’s face. He is especially famous within Konoha. Kakashi and the others have already found him, but who knows when other ninja will find him and cause a big commotion? Itachi cannot stay in the same place for long.
“Itachi, as I said that day, you can come back whenever you want.”
Hiruzen spoke to Itachi’s back.
Itachi stopped beside Madara without looking back at Hiruzen.
“… The dumpling shop will send crows periodically.”
“A crow?”
Without even replying to Madara’s question, Itachi disappeared. It was a very one-sided affair.
Hiruzen cleared his throat, attracting Madara’s attention, who was looking in the direction Itachi had disappeared to.
“…Oh, Tajima.”
“…”
“Just how much did you reveal to Itachi, including the use of the Sharingan?”
“She thinks I’m a dumpling seller… but it’s possible that she’s already guessed because of the rumors circulating in the village.”
“Itachi is a clever boy…”
“Third Generation”
“nothing?”
“About Itachi, no, about Itachi and Sasuke, I wanted to ask you something.”
“…It depends on the content, but tell me.”
Madara switched his Sharingan to focus on Hiruzen. Hiruzen, glaring at him with red eyes, glared back with a resolute attitude, undeterred.
“You didn’t think I’d use a genjutsu on you, did you? It seems like everyone’s sense of danger has faded considerably since the Uchiha clan was wiped out. You, the Third Generation in particular, are not unaware of me.”
“Fuh, I only know you as you. If you want to cast an illusion on me, feel free to do so. But if you do, please do so in moderation…I have to give my subordinates a talk later about the Akatsuki Itachi’s invasion of the village. It’s going to be a busy time.”
“…That’s true, he looks busy.”
The Sharingan was still a threat to Hiruzen, but he told him to do as he pleased. Madara was taken aback by this and relaxed his shoulders, which he had unconsciously tense.
“So, what is it that you want to ask?”
“Tell me everything about Itachi.”
“…Hmm.”
Hiruzen simply continued to stare silently into Madara’s red eyes as he listened to what he said.
Episode 37
When Madara woke up in the morning and opened the curtains, his eyes met with a crow resting on the roof of the house opposite.
(That crow… is it a weasel? He said he was coming to see, but isn’t it too early? It was just yesterday.)
He said that he would send crows periodically, but that was yesterday. Madara watched the crow for a while with the curtains open, wondering if it had something to say, but nothing happened. Maybe it was just watching the situation.
“Uncle, what are you doing? Ahh~”
“You’re awake. Hurry up and wash your face and get changed. You’re going to Sasuke’s house, right?”
“That’s right, I’m going to Sasuke’s place today… Umm, uncle? Are you sure Sasuke will be okay by himself?”
“I wonder.”
“Otchan, well, about Sasuke, I was wondering if you could invite him over to our house. I think he might feel lonely if he’s alone. It’s a little cramped, but if we push the rooms together we can all sleep together. Sasuke in the middle, and ah, me or Otchan would be fine too.”
“We’ll sleep in a row. It’ll be difficult for me to be in the middle.”
“Kawano…yeah. I used to be alone too, and when I’m feeling down, it’s really lonely when I’m alone.”
“…If Sasuke is okay with it. Well, he’s come to stay at my place a few times, so I’m sure he knows how it works.”
If they put together the bunks that Naruto and Madara were using, they could sleep side by side, and if it was too cramped there were futons for guests so someone could just sleep underneath.
Naruto had been watching Sasuke for a long time and seemed to know very well that something was not right with what had happened yesterday.
“Don’t be so lazy. If you get up, hurry up and wash your face. I’m meeting up with someone, so I can’t be late.”
“Sakura-chan is scary when she’s angry… You’re the one who should not be late, Otsan! Hey!”
As if imagining Sakura after hearing Madara’s words, Naruto shivered, jumped off the bed and jogged off to the bathroom.
When Naruto left the bedroom, Madara turned back to face the window. The crow that had been there earlier was gone. It was unclear whether the crow was Itachi’s messenger, but Itachi said that the reason he came to the village as a member of Akatsuki was to find the location of the Nine Tails.
In fact, Itachi seems to have only come to check on the village, but Akatsuki is looking for Naruto.
Itachi has to adjust to his partner’s side, and even if Itachi has no intention of taking it away from Naruto, there is a possibility that he could cause harm to Naruto, big or small. They should have retreated now, but it is possible that they are still near the village.
(I’m still in the village…)
Kakashi had used his Sharingan in yesterday’s commotion, and although he wasn’t as exhausted as before, he was resting due to fatigue, according to the guards. Jiraiya was nearby yesterday, but Naruto was going to Sasuke’s house with Madara, so Madara would be in charge of guarding Naruto for the rest of the day.
(I’ll prepare myself so that I can handle it on my own eventually.)
Madara lightly folded up the futon, leaving it in the state Naruto had left it in, and began to get ready.
When I went to Sasuke’s house, Kakashi was already there.
When Sasuke opened the intercom after it rang, he saw Kakashi raising one hand from the back of the room, signaling to Madara and the others.
“What a coincidence that Kakashi-sensei was here too.”
“It seems like we think alike, Nishishii.”
“I always thought you guys were often together, but you’re close enough that you get together naturally. Is this the group to defeat Tajima-san? It’s obvious you’re always together.”
Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi’s laughter echoed through the room.
When Sasuke brought the low table that was attached to the sofa to the center of the room, Sakura, who was carrying a large package, placed it on top of it.
When I opened the package, a bento box appeared. She said she was going to cook something, and judging from the amount of food, it seemed like she had put a lot of effort into it.
“If you’d like, Sasuke-kun, please eat some. Mom and I made way too much, so it’s good that our teacher is here too. Hey Naruto, help us spread it out.”
“It’s fine. Sasuke, we don’t have enough space. Do you have any other tables?”
“If you’re talking about the folding desk Kakashi left behind the other day… just wait a sec.”
“Wally, Sasuke!”
Naruto put his hands together in front of his face and apologized for making Sasuke help, but without changing his expression, Sasuke pulled out a desk that was hidden away in a small space in the kitchen and placed it in front of Naruto.
The two adults watched from the corner of the room as the three of them busily spread out their lunches, when Kakashi called Madara if he wanted to stay for a bit and took him out to the balcony.
“Tajima-san, I thought you were okay yesterday… but Sasuke, what did Itachi tell you?”
“It seems like it was tough for you, I heard later.”
“Well, it all worked out somehow. Itachi returned shortly after, retrieved the other man, and disappeared somewhere. So, where is Sasuke?”
“Haven’t you heard from Sasuke? He would have been here first.”
“I have heard about it, but… as soon as I got here, I was asked to tell you about Itachi. I didn’t have much to tell you, though.”
“Oh, so you knew Kakashi?”
“It was when he was in the Anbu. Sasuke had intended to kill Itachi up until the time he graduated from the academy, but now he’s saying he’s going to bring Itachi back… don’t you think this is something serious, Tajima-san?”
“…”
Kakashi’s unhidden eye turned to Madara.
Then, as if remembering, Kakashi rubbed his solar plexus and opened the mouth beneath the black cloth.
“Also, yesterday, it hurt. If you’re going to hit me, please be a little more clear about it.”
“Oh, it hurts, it hurts,” Kakashi rubbed his stomach.
Certainly, Kakashi’s collapse that time was not an act. His groan was real, and he must have been confused by the pain and surprise.
“Sorry. I thought I’d avoid it.”
“Don’t be so ridiculous. I never expected you to suddenly take such a step.”
Madara took Kakashi’s complaint seriously, and next time he thought about how he would give a signal that at least Kakashi would understand.
“Putting the punch aside, it seems best to keep an eye on Sasuke’s actions at all times.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Sasuke is quite a man of action too, once he gets his mind set on something he won’t stop.”
“I won’t deny it. But you think you’re going to go looking for Itachi on your own?”
“I guess it’s possible.”
“…You should also take a good look, Kakashi.”
Madara sighed, realizing that his hands and eyes were not enough.
There wasn’t much that Itachi had told Sasuke. But Sasuke should have understood that Itachi hadn’t wanted to cause that tragedy.
Will he start investigating the dark side of the village first, or will he go looking for his brother who is currently on a dangerous mission? Either way, it’s likely that he will take some kind of action.
(Bringing Itachi back itself is not difficult, but Itachi’s presence is quite important in obtaining information about that organization. If we were to think only of the pros and cons, I would like Itachi not to return to the village for a while.)
A soft breeze caressed the cheeks of Madara and Kakashi, who had stern expressions on their faces.
While the two of them were talking on the balcony, Naruto and the others had finished spreading out Sakura’s food, but they were sitting on the floor around the table and looking at the two of them on the balcony.
“Kakashi-sensei and Tajima-san, it seems like they just can’t finish talking.”
“Naruto, go call the two old men.”
“Eh, me? Then Sasuke, let’s go too. You’re hungry, right Sasuke?”
“It’s nothing special.”
Sasuke’s stomach growled as his appetite was stimulated after seeing the contents of the bento.
Naruto grinned at the sound, and Sasuke stood up with his ears red. Clicking his tongue, he headed towards the window, where he lightly tapped the glass with the back of his hand to attract their attention.
Madara and Kakashi heard the sound of someone tapping on the glass and turned around to see Sasuke glaring at them from the other side of the window.
“Eh, are they scolding us for something…?”
“I don’t think there’s any need to explain the rooms at this point.”
“Sasuke comes to my house quite often.”
That evening, Sasuke came to Naruto’s house carrying a large backpack filled with clothes and other things. Naruto said he’d leave his luggage here for now and went to show Sasuke the space in the closet he had left open for him to visit.
(I never thought he’d actually come)
When he visited Sasuke’s house, Naruto was worried about him being alone and suggested that he stay over for a while. Sasuke thought about it for a while before agreeing to Naruto’s sudden invitation.
Sasuke had thought that Madara would refuse, saying that he wanted to be alone, but perhaps he had imagined what would happen after Naruto and the others had left, as he glanced at Kakashi and the others before nodding.
Naruto called out to Sasuke from time to time as he put away his luggage.
“Oh, that’s the drawer the old man uses, so there might be some Ichapara in there, so let’s leave it alone.”
“You’re an old man, aren’t you?”
“It’s just us here, so there’s no need to hide it. Right, Sasuke?”
“This is the only fun you and Kakashi have. You want to have some quiet time.”
“I see.”
“You.”
Perhaps talking with Naruto and the others had helped him regain his composure, as Sasuke’s behavior was back to normal, incomparable to yesterday.
(It would be fine if Kakashi’s worries turned out to be unfounded.)
If Itachi and the others were still in or near the village, it would probably be best to postpone Kakashi’s nighttime training for the time being.
If he took the two of them with him, they could see them at the same time, but Sasuke doesn’t know about Kakashi’s Sharingan yet. He was thinking about getting Kakashi to try it out soon, but he wasn’t sure about suddenly showing it off in front of Sasuke.
They must be wondering how to awaken the Sharingan and why Madara, let alone Kakashi, has it in the first place. Madara used the Sharingan in yesterday’s fight with Itachi, but it was out of Sasuke’s sight and Itachi didn’t say anything, so they probably don’t think for a second that Madara was using the Sharingan.
(It would be troublesome if he noticed, but I’d be worried if he didn’t notice at all. Ah, but, just like Naruto, he’s pretty simple-minded… Maybe it’s impossible.)
Thanks to this, my true identity has not been revealed.
He may be smart, but Sasuke’s intelligence is different from Sakura’s. Is he just naturally smart?
Naruto shows Sasuke another place, and briefly explains that Madara uses this shelf and this shelf, as well as the top of the dresser. He adds that there might be an Ichapara somewhere in there. Ichapara is unnecessary.
There wasn’t much in the house that Sasuke would be embarrassed to see. If anything, it would be the clothes he had worn when he came to this era, but they were wrapped up in multiple bags, so unless he took the trouble to open them, the family crest on his back would not be visible.
“When you guys finish cleaning up, we’ll go somewhere to eat. I don’t feel like cooking today.”
“Eh, ramen?”
“You’re all about ramen.”
“…That’s right, old man, this is it.”
Sasuke took out a piece of paper from his trouser pocket and handed it to Madara. Sasuke took it from him and looked at the words written on it, then Madara read them out loud.
“‘Meat Day Festival, All-You-Can-Eat Yakiniku at Half Price’… Sasuke, do you like meat?”
“N-nothing. I just remembered that it was due at the end of this month.”
An all-you-can-eat buffet for three people would cost quite a bit of money, but if it were half price it wouldn’t be out of the question.
When I asked Sasuke where he got the discount coupon, he said that Kakashi had given it to him some time ago. I wondered where Kakashi had gotten such a coupon. He probably handed it to Sasuke because he didn’t have time to take Kakashi out and thought it would be a good idea for the three of them to go together since they often get together.
“Well then, I guess I’ll go here today.”
“Yakiniku?! Then let’s go quickly before it gets crowded, Otchan! And I’ll treat you! Right?”
“I’ll be out as soon as I’m done cleaning up Sasuke.”
“That’s enough. It’s almost done.”
Madara put the discount coupon Sasuke had given him into his wallet and checked how much money he had left.
(Maybe starting tomorrow we’ll have to take turns making dinner…)
Although the burden of adding Sasuke would be small, they still couldn’t go out to eat every day. Naruto, Sasuke, and Madara were all genin. The amount of reward they received for each mission was not large.
Watching from behind as the excited Naruto and Sasuke seemed to be having some fun, Madara followed the two of them towards the yakiniku restaurant.
When they headed to the yakiniku restaurant, they saw Yamanaka Ino, who Sakura had introduced to them as her friend at the exam venue, as well as members of her team, Shikamaru and a boy from the Akimichi clan, and their Jonin, Sarutobi Asuma.
Madara and the others were shown to the seats next to them, and Naruto, Shikamaru and the others, who noticed each other as they passed through the restaurant, exchanged a brief greeting.
Was it just my imagination, or did it seem like Asuma’s eyes were looking somewhere far away?
As soon as Madara and the others sat down, they quickly ordered. Naruto and Sasuke had been here a few times before, and they ordered efficiently.
When the ordered meat and salad were delivered, Naruto immediately reached for the tongs and laid the sauce-soaked meat on the wire rack.
“You guys, eat your vegetables too.”
“We’re not as old as you guys, so we won’t be childish even if we don’t eat.”
“I told you, Naruto.”
Naruto said this while grilling the meat, and Madara mercilessly served salad on their small plates, and snorted with satisfaction at the screams they heard.
(Wh-what)
As the all-you-can-eat time limit was about to end, Madara was called outside the restaurant by Asuma, who was sitting next to him.
Madara wondered if something had happened yesterday because Asuma looked so serious, but when Asuma suddenly began to kneel down, he instinctively took a half step back.
“…Please lend me some money.”
“………………”
Suddenly he asked for money.
A cold night wind blew through the street where the shop was located, and dead leaves flew past the two of them.
Asuma’s earnest voice sounded extremely sad, in stark contrast to the lively laughter coming from inside the restaurant.
Episode 38
“Hey, your son asked me to lend him some money. Do Jonin these days not have that much money?”
“I’m sorry Asuma…”
Madara gave Hiruzen a detailed account of what had happened at the yakiniku restaurant.
Among the members of Asuma’s squad is a member of the Akimichi family, but due to the Akimichi family’s constitution, they eat an incredible amount of food, so the restaurant has refused to allow them to use the all-you-can-eat plan, and so they order off the regular menu.
I don’t know if there was some happy occasion, but Asuma said that the kids in his squad were eating well and he couldn’t stop them, so the bill had skyrocketed to an unbelievable amount. It wasn’t an amount he couldn’t quite pay, but it really was a stretch and he was worried about tomorrow’s living expenses, so he asked Madara, an acquaintance of his who happened to be at the same restaurant, for help.
“Thanks to that, it’s an unexpected expense for me.”
Madara thrust the receipt from the yakiniku restaurant in front of Hiruzen.
As for yesterday’s bill, Madara handed Asuma the discount coupon he had received from Sasuke as he knelt down in front of the restaurant, and in the end paid the regular price for the all-you-can-eat buffet. The coupon stated that if used on the regular menu, it would give a 30% discount off the total, and Asuma was able to pay by lending him some cash.
After receiving the receipt, Hiruzen took out his wallet from the back of his Hokage robes, picked out some cash from inside, and placed it in Madara’s palm for him to hold.
“The person in question will have to pay you back what you lent later.”
When Hiruzen’s hand was removed, Madara opened it to check the amount. It was too much even at a glance. He was about to say that it was wrong when Hiruzen spoke first.
“Sasuke will be staying for a while. You should go and buy whatever is left over.”
Hiruzen smiled, the corners of his mouth turning up as if he understood everything.
A few days after Sasuke had come to live with Madara and the others, Madara was woken up in the middle of the night by a noise coming from the living room.
Naruto seemed unaware as he was breathing comfortably in his sleep. Sasuke, who should have been sleeping on the other side of Naruto, was nowhere to be seen, and it seemed that the noise he had heard was made by Sasuke.
Madara slipped out of the futon, careful not to wake Naruto, and headed toward the living room.
Without the lights on, Sasuke could be seen sitting in a chair, blankly. Standing at the border between the bedroom and the living room, Madara called out to Sasuke in a low voice.
“Sasuke, aren’t you going to sleep?”
“Oh, what, it’s an old man.”
Sasuke turned to Madara in shock.
Sasuke’s expression, illuminated by the light from outside, could not be described as bright.
“What are you doing alone?”
“…Anything is fine.”
“I see. Well, it doesn’t matter to me if you don’t get enough sleep.”
When Madara spoke up, Sasuke dropped his gaze to the floor.
Soon after, Sasuke began to speak in a hushed voice.
“…Old man, what can I do to get stronger? You were much stronger at your age. If you keep doing missions like protecting stray cats, I’ll never be able to catch up.”
Sasuke clenched his fists.
“You can’t bring your brother back like this.”
“…”
“This is no time for low-level missions…”
Sasuke had been acting perfectly normal these past few days, but he was probably just putting on an appearance that way.
Since the only members of Team 7 were genin, excluding Kakashi, the jonin in charge, the missions they received were all low-ranking. Due to Kakashi’s schedule, they rarely received missions outside the village, and generally only received easy missions that could be completed quickly during the day.
Sasuke wants to bring Itachi back as soon as possible, so he is likely feeling impatient with the current lukewarm environment.
“If you don’t like your current mission, then ask Kakashi. He’ll probably think about it. Once you’re done worrying, go to bed. If you stay up later than Naruto, you’ll get teased for a while.”
“… Old man.”
“?”
“…I wish the old man had come to the village sooner.”
“…”
When Sasuke says “sooner,” does he mean before the incident with Itachi? If he had sided with the Uchiha, it would have meant that the village would have fallen into a devastating situation, but Sasuke, who doesn’t consider himself a member of the clan, wouldn’t understand this.
Sasuke quietly pulled a chair away and got off, heading to the bedroom. Madara, hearing the sound of footsteps on the floor, walked to the back of the living room on the opposite side from Sasuke, went to the window and opened it, letting the night air into the room.
I poked my head out the window and looked to the side, and my eyes met with the young supervisor, who was crouching and eating a rice ball.
Since Sasuke was still awake, there was no way he could exchange words with him, so Madara pretended not to see and quickly closed the window.
“That’s why we’re heading to the next town.”
“It’s been a while since I last went on a mission outside the village! How long has it been?”
“I hope you won’t forget something this time.”
At eight o’clock the members of Team 7 showed up at the dumpling shop, and Kakashi reported that they were about to leave the village to deliver a package to a nearby town.
Madara remembered what he had said to Sasuke last night and deduced that Kakashi, having listened to his request right away, had chosen a mission that would be easy to complete.
Each of them was carrying a small backpack, which must have contained a change of clothes, and Naruto and the others waved goodbye as they set off on their journey.
Madara thought that the next town would be a good place for Sasuke to take a break, so he saw Naruto and the others off until they were out of sight, then returned to work.
After sending Naruto and the others off without a single worry, the sun rose twice.
According to what Madara had heard from Kakashi, the mission was supposed to simply be to deliver a package to a ninja in a nearby town, but perhaps due to some hassle, Naruto and the others did not return to the village yesterday.
Hiruzen also thought that Kakashi and the others might have gotten into some kind of trouble, as he expected the mission they had been assigned to would be completed quickly, so he summoned Madara and the guards to the Hokage’s office early in the morning.
It would have been fine if they had just missed each other, but the shinobi who was supposed to receive the package had contacted them early in the morning, asking when it would arrive.
Hiruzen rested his elbows on the desk and clasped his hands in front of his face, then he put his hands to his forehead with a complicated expression on his face, looking troubled.
“…”
“Hokage-sama, does this mean you can’t get in touch with Team Kakashi?”
“If anything were to happen, Kakashi would have informed me. But if that hasn’t happened… Hmm.”
When one of the guards asked, Hiruzen continued speaking as if he had some idea.
“Kakashi and the others may have accepted a different mission than the one they were supposed to be receiving. In fact, there were several similar missions. They were all just a matter of handing over an item, but what if the person in charge at the time of reception gave them the wrong mission…”
“It doesn’t matter if I was wrong or not. Just tell me the rest.”
Madara looked down at Hiruzen, who had a sour expression on his face.
At this point, it is still impossible to determine whether the incident was an attack by ninja from another village or simply an accident, so what is needed now is not to hold a reflection meeting.
“…The reason I sent my ninja to that town was because something mysterious had been happening nearby.”
Wondering what the mysterious thing was, Madara and the others stared at Hiruzen, waiting for his next words.
“Apparently, people would go missing, then suddenly return. One person was seen driving around the same place in circles trying to get home. There were several reports of this a few months ago.”
Hiruzen let out a quiet sigh and stood up, looking back at Madara and the others with a serious expression. To tell them the reason he had called them here.
“There are no other people who can escape. We will have to leave the village, but… I have assigned you all to an emergency mission. Go search for Kakashi’s team.”
With one of the guard ninjas as the captain, Madara and his comrades decided to go to the town where Naruto and the others were believed to have been headed.
If we hurried along at adult pace, it didn’t take long to get to town, and we arrived there in the afternoon.
They meet up with the Konoha ninja that Kakashi and the others were supposed to meet, and after confirming that Team 7 has not arrived, they begin making inquiries in town.
All four of them were distinctive, and if they had walked together someone would have noticed and left an impression. However, when I asked around the entrances and exits of the town, not a single person had seen them.
If that’s the case, it’s possible that none of them made it to town.
“You and Tajima, go back the way you came and search for any traces of Kakashi’s team.”
After saying that, the commanding officer headed off in the opposite direction from Madara and the others.
One of the guards, a younger man, was left alone with Madara at the town’s entrance.
When I arrived in the town, the sky was clear, but before I knew it, it was covered with thick clouds, casting a heavy, dull light on the lush vegetation surrounding the town. I could smell damp earth, and it looked like rain was about to start falling at any moment.
“…Tajima, shall we go?”
“…”
Nothing unusual was noticed on the way from the village to the town, but where on earth could Naruto and the others have disappeared to?
The other day, Akatsuki appeared in the village with a body targeting Naruto, but were there other people targeting the Jinchuriki? However, if there had been a battle, there should have been traces of it somewhere.
Madara and the guards began slowly walking back the way they had come.
Madara kept his eyes on the higher trees, while the lookout kept his eyes on his feet as they walked.
About 30 minutes after leaving the town, Madara suddenly remembered something about the scenery around him and turned back to face the guard.
I called out to the lookout who was searching through the bushes.
“Hey Tajima, did you find something?”
“Well, I remember something. I’ve been around here before.”
“You mean a long time ago, back where you were… before you came here?”
“Yeah, something similar to this happened. There was a forest where it was easy to get lost in, and I’m sure there was a cave nearby…Hashirama asked me to go and check it out.”
“Hashirama… First Master?”
The guard nodded and continued his search, but when he raised his head slightly to look beyond the trees, he suddenly stopped moving and pointed at a certain spot. Madara looked directly ahead.
“Hey, hey, could that cave be that one?”
The auditor pointed to a gaping hole at the bottom of the cliff.
“Oh, that’s exactly what it felt like, huh?”
Madara was about to nod in agreement when the guard in front of him suddenly disappeared. He instinctively turned around but there was no one there. Not knowing what was going on, he blurted out, “Huh?”
Sure enough, the guard was right in front of him. He had been speaking to her just moments ago. He wasn’t lying on the ground, and there was no sign of him having been ambushed by anyone.
Suddenly, heavy rain began to fall.
I stand there stunned by this sudden event, but I know I’ll get soaked if I stay here, so I head towards the cave.
As he approached the entrance to the cave, Madara sensed someone’s presence and gently placed his hand on the pouch around his waist, inside which was a kunai.
The sound of the heavy rain hitting the leaves echoes loudly.
(Who is that? If he hasn’t shown himself, is he also a ninja?)
If the person hiding there was not an ally of Konoha but a spy from an enemy country, there was a chance that a weapon would fly out from the darkness in the distance.
A tense atmosphere hung in the air, but then he saw a shadow move slightly in the darkness and heard a familiar girl’s voice, so Madara took his hand off his pouch and relaxed his guard.
“Could that be Tajima-san?! Are you Tajima-san?”
“Is that voice… Sakura?”
Madara heard the sound of feet digging into the sand inside the cave, and saw a pink girl running up to him.
Sakura runs up to Madara just before bumping into him, with a look of complete relief on her face.
“I’m glad Tajima-san. Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun can’t move right now… I didn’t know what to do on my own…”
“Kakashi and Sasuke? What about Naruto?”
“Naruto… he’s been captured.”
“Captured? What’s going on? Your mission was to deliver something to the ninja in town, so why are you here? The town is right around the corner, have you been caught in a surprise attack?”
“A surprise attack… no, that’s not it. We were heading towards the town but couldn’t get there, and the next thing we knew we were in an unfamiliar village. Then there was a big commotion, and Naruto was captured…”
“A settlement?”
When Madara asked again, he heard footsteps from the back and Kakashi appeared with an unsteady gait. From Kakashi’s state of exhaustion, Madara immediately realized that he was out of chakra.
“Tajima-san, I’ll explain. Sakura, go and stand by Sasuke.”
“Kakashi-sensei… yes.”
Sakura bowed slightly to Madara and went back into the cave.
Kakashi leaned against a rock near the entrance, took a deep breath, then turned to Madara with a troubled look on his face and began to speak.
“Tajima-san, the reason we can’t complete our mission and why Naruto was captured is-“
Madara listened quietly as Kakashi spoke wearily.
Unable to reach the town, he wandered around searching until he came across a village, where the people there immediately identified him as an enemy and attacked him. Surrounded by the people of the village, Naruto took his place in order to allow Sakura, who had been captured earlier, to escape, as they thought he was the weakest woman.
Kakashi explained everything that had happened to Team 7 so far, including how Kakashi had used the new ability of his left eye’s Sharingan for the first time when they were escaping, which had confused their opponents and enabled them to escape, and how Sasuke’s arm had been poisoned by a kunai that had grazed it while he was escaping, which had caused him to develop a fever and was now resting.
Fortunately, it seems that Sasuke’s poison was the kind commonly used among ninja, and he was able to deal with it using an antidote that he always carries with him. He seems to have calmed down now.
“That village… No, now that I think about it, it’s not really a village. It’s more like a camp, for war. And the atmosphere there didn’t seem to be one of someone trying to exclude outsiders or anything.”
“For the war?”
“I know it’s hard to believe, but there’s the example of Tajima-san.”
“…What is it?”
“Those people… they were wearing the Uchiha clan crest. Their clothes were also very similar to the ones Tajima was wearing the last time he cast a genjutsu on me.”
“The family crest?”
“Yes, and then he pointed his Sharingan at me. Tajima, this may be a bit far-fetched, but I thought maybe we had traveled back in time… or maybe it wouldn’t be strange to think that.”
Perhaps tired from talking, Kakashi took several heavy breaths.
Madara crossed his arms in thought.
If Kakashi was right, there were Uchiha people who shouldn’t have existed, all gathered in one place. They were also wearing clothes that didn’t fit the era.
Then Madara remembered what Hiruzen had said: that mysterious phenomena had been occurring near the town.
The cause of the mysterious phenomenon occurring in the area is unknown, but it could be explained if a distortion in space-time was occurring.
(It’s some kind of space-time ninjutsu… If it’s man-made, is there someone trying to change the past?)
Who on earth could have caused this distortion? He would need to speak to Hiruzen as soon as he returned to the village. It seemed like it was out of control, as people passing by in the vicinity were being caught up in it. When the caster regained control, they would need to find out what purpose he had in going back in time, and depending on that purpose, they would need to stop him by any means necessary.
Madara has come from the past to the future without realizing it, but being sent back to the past is an experience he will never have again. However, judging from Kakashi’s story, the past he is going back to is certainly a troublesome time.
“It goes back to the past…I see. I came around here looking for you guys when you went missing, but I saw the man who was traveling with you disappear right before my eyes. Kakashi, maybe what you’re saying isn’t all that wrong.”
“I see. From their perspective, Tajima-san has disappeared. We need to get him back quickly.”
“That’s right. I heard from the Third that there were people who had gone missing around here. Apparently some of them had been traveling around the same area. Luckily, it seems that they all returned within a few days at the longest. If they stay around here they’ll probably return eventually…”
“Naruto’s not here yet.”
“Yeah, we’d better hurry and rescue him. We might have to leave him behind.”
“That’s something we have to avoid somehow.”
Madara looked out at the view outside the cave, where the rain continued to fall.
This heavy rain makes the ground muddy and leaves footprints.
There was a commotion when Kakashi and his group approached the area, so it was likely that they were on high alert. Naruto’s rescue would need to be carried out with great caution.
Judging from the time Kakashi and the others appeared at the dumpling shop and left the village, it could be surmised that they had arrived around dusk. Madara was caught up in the phenomenon, too, and although it was cloudy and hard to see, it was before the sun had set.
(Is it around evening? We need to rescue Naruto and return to this area by this time tomorrow… Even if it’s not tomorrow, time is important. If we’re going to move, we should do it right away tonight…)
Madara glared at the dark scene outside, remembering the time in Wave Country, wondering if missions outside the village were nothing but trouble.
While thinking about how to sneak into the village, he was getting a little rained on, so he followed Kakashi into the depths of the cave to check on Sasuke first.
“Hey. Hey, come on, is someone there? I guess Kakashi and the others managed to escape.”
Naruto was inside a cell carved out of the rocks on the edge of the village.
The rain had made it very humid, and when I touched my arms, a sticky, unpleasant sensation danced across my skin.
While being careful not to touch the iron bars of the cell, I try peeking outside and calling out, but there is no one there, so there is no reaction.
If there were no guards, it would be a chance to escape, but there were signs attached to the iron bars and the surrounding walls, so it was certain that it would be best not to touch them carelessly.
Naruto sat down on the rock floor with a bang.
(But what exactly happened…?)
Naruto listened to the sound of rain hitting the ground as he looked out the iron bars.
They were unable to reach the town they were supposed to go to on their mission, and when they finally found a village, they ended up getting caught up in an unexpected battle.
“Hmm, when I said your name something strange happened… Why?”
It was understandable that they would be wary of outsiders, but even so, there was no need to try and capture them out of nowhere. Naruto and his friends had no choice but to fight back as the villagers suddenly got into fighting stances.
And when the battle began, I remember something strange happening.
(Everyone has the same eyes as the uncle and Sasuke… What does that mean?)
There’s no mistaking those distinctive eyes.
Naruto was captured while trying to help Sakura escape, but was put to sleep using a genjutsu with the Sharingan, and when he woke up he was here.
The sound of Sakura and Sasuke calling out Naruto’s name just before he was put to sleep still rings in his ears.
“…I need to get out of here somehow and quickly get to everyone.”
“Where are you going?”
“Whaaat?!”
Not expecting a reply to his monologue, Naruto spoke out loud with all his might, his shoulders shaking.
Without a sound of footsteps, a young man carrying an umbrella appeared in front of the cell. The young man, who looked somewhat like Madara or Sasuke, peered into the dimly lit cell and took a good look at Naruto’s entire body.
“So this is the child who goes by the Uzumaki surname?”
“N-nichikan, whoever it is…”
Naruto’s question went unanswered.
Naruto swallowed the saliva that had been building up in his mouth.
The young man’s black eyes looked down at Naruto, and for some reason the way he looked down at him seemed familiar, and Madara’s face came to Naruto’s mind.
Episode 39
Near the entrance to the cave, the members of Team 7, excluding Naruto, and Madara were sitting around a campfire.
Listening to the sound of branches breaking in the flames, the four of them discussed their next course of action.
Madara announced that rescuing Naruto was their first priority and that he would head to the village alone, when Sakura’s high-pitched voice rang out.
“No matter how good you are, Tajima-san, it’s dangerous to go alone!”
Sakura said, leaning towards Madara.
Kakashi looked at Sakura and Madara with a pale face, and Sasuke also turned to Madara. Sasuke seemed to be in good health compared to Kakashi, probably because the medicine had taken effect and the poison had worn off.
Given that Sakura had actually fled the village, she probably didn’t want to let her go to such a dangerous place alone.
Madara didn’t know what era he was in, and there was a possibility that Sasuke and Sakura would find out his true identity if they acted together, so he wanted to act separately as much as possible. It wouldn’t be a problem if he didn’t have to deal with people from this era, but since he was heading for a long way, it would be more convenient for him to be alone.
“Those people were very skilled, and besides, Tajima-san, you don’t know where the village is. Naruto probably doesn’t know where it is either, and even if he does find it, if he gets separated from Tajima-san, we probably won’t be able to meet up.”
“I’m used to scattering them, but… it’s true, he doesn’t know this place.”
“Hey, old man.”
“? What is it Sasuke?”
Sakura said worriedly, before Sasuke looked at Madara and continued speaking.
“I’ll go as well. In that case, even if he is found, either I or the old man can just bring Naruto here.”
“B-But, Sasuke-kun, your body…”
“I’m fine now. It’s nothing.”
Kakashi watched the exchange, then turned a serious look to Sasuke.
“Sasuke. You know this because you’ve actually faced them before, but your face is known to them. Are you still planning to go with Tajima-san?”
“Yeah. Kakashi, you can’t move and Sakura stands out too much. Even though our faces are cracked, the old man and I won’t stand out in that village. Besides, it would be quicker if I guided the old man there.”
Certainly, it would be easier to get there with Sasuke than if Madara went alone, who didn’t know where the village was. Madara knew Sasuke’s strength. Even though Naruto was a decoy, he had managed to escape from the village once, so there would be no problem going there together.
(There’s no problem. Well, I don’t know where it is… never mind.)
“…Tajima-san, could you please go with Sasuke?”
Kakashi looked at Madara with eyes filled with regret. He probably wanted to go and rescue his student, but unfortunately, Kakashi wasn’t in top form at the moment and would be easily captured if he went. Kakashi also wanted to go with them, but he knew very well that if he went there himself, he would just be a hindrance.
“Yeah. Sasuke, let’s go over our strategy before we head out.”
Madara looked away from Kakashi and towards Sasuke.
He thought he was speaking with a serious face, but Sasuke’s hands were clenched into fists and trembling slightly.
One night after the rain had stopped, two shadows were hiding in the shadows of a building, watching their surroundings.
It was Madara and Sasuke. They strained their ears, not wanting to miss even the slightest sound.
It was as if it had never rained, as there were only a few clouds floating in the sky, and the moonlight shining through the gaps in the clouds and the torches in the village allowed me to get a good idea of ??what was going on around me.
The two moved carefully so as not to leave any unnecessary footprints.
Luckily, there didn’t seem to be any guards around, so I relied on the light of a torch placed near a house and was able to absorb information about my surroundings.
(Is the prison on the other side…?)
When Madara and Sasuke entered, they didn’t see anything resembling a prison in the vicinity. If so, it was likely on the opposite side from where they were, and they would have to go deeper into the village.
If Kakashi’s assumption was correct, there was a risk that Naruto might inadvertently speak about the future, but what was even more worrying was the sealed Nine Tails inside him.
If they examine Naruto’s body, they will notice that there is something there. The seal will not be broken so easily, but if they find out what is inside, there is no way they won’t use it. If it is stolen, Naruto’s life is in jeopardy.
“Sasuke, let’s go further in. If we find him, I’ll lure him away. You go find the cell and escape with Naruto first.”
“But,”
“You think I’ll be caught that easily?”
“…………”
When asked, Sasuke shook his head, unable to imagine Madara being captured.
However, even though Madara said that, he thought it would be better if they stayed together as much as possible. Even though Sasuke’s fever had subsided, he had just recovered from an illness, and it was possible that he was actually feeling unwell without even realizing it. Things that he had been able to do up until now could suddenly become impossible. If Sasuke was left alone and surrounded by the people of the village, it would be difficult for him to escape.
The two of them sneakily walked deeper into the village, carefully hiding in the shadows of buildings while searching for signs of people around them, and hid in the shadow of a slightly larger house. They could hear people talking from inside. If they listened carefully, they could hear words about the Senju and tomorrow’s battle.
(The battle… will probably start as early as early as the morning. I’d better hurry up and bring Naruto back.)
It would be best to leave this area as soon as possible. If Kakashi’s assumption that this is the past and what Sasuke and the others saw were not wrong, then the people in this village were Uchiha. Since they said there was a battle, that meant they were still fighting with the Senju side.
Even for Madara, it was quite tough to run away from both the Uchiha and Senju with Sasuke and the others who had no fighting experience and Kakashi who lacked chakra. He didn’t know what would cause the past to change drastically. His head ached when he thought about the impact that changing the past could have on the future if he got involved with the people of this era.
“…Sasuke, let’s continue going deeper. Follow me.”
“? Hey!”
“Hmm? What are you guys doing here?”
When Madara turned to Sasuke, a figure appeared in the darkness and a human from the village appeared. It was an adult man, wearing the Uchiha uniform that Madara was familiar with.
The man seemed to have just happened to be walking by and had no hostility towards me, so perhaps because I was a little lost in thought, I was late in noticing him.
“Eh… Eh? What are you doing in a place like this, hey… Guhhh.”
As soon as the man saw Madara instead of Sasuke, his suspicious expression changed to one of bewilderment, as if he had met someone he knew. Seeing this, Madara grabbed Sasuke’s shoulder and hid him behind his back, and before the man had finished speaking, he approached the man, unsheathing the sword hanging from his waist and struck him hard in the solar plexus.
The man who was hit collapsed towards Madara, his arms hanging down as if he had lost consciousness, and he fell silent.
“…Phew. That was close.”
“Hey, man, this guy was just about to say something.”
“Did he say something? It was probably just my imagination. I’ll leave this there and go to the back.”
“? But it seemed like he said something…”
Sasuke looked as if he wanted to say something, but Madara gently helped the fallen man sit up against the wall of the building, then picked up the borrowed sword and hurried on.
The man from earlier had looked at Madara’s face and was about to say he was the clan leader, which meant that this was not a time long ago, but when Madara was leading the Uchiha clan.
It had been several years since Madara had joined Naruto and the others, but judging from his appearance, it could be assumed that an agreement with the Senju was soon to be made. Madara frowned as he walked deeper into the village.
Unfortunately, in this day and age, there are many people who know Madara’s face.
(This is the worst.)
Sasuke’s face was also known to the people in the village, but if Madara were to be discovered it could cause even more trouble.
He had to find Naruto as soon as possible and get out of here.
(Judging from the guy’s behavior earlier, it seemed like he hadn’t expected me to be here. It seems unlikely that we’ll run into each other here.)
Just when they thought they were progressing smoothly deeper into the cave, they suddenly heard a commotion and sensed the presence of someone behind them. The man they had been sleeping on may have been found.
“Opsss, that’s bad.”
“Let’s go.”
Listening to the sounds of people coming out of the houses behind them, Madara urged Sasuke on, and went further in.
While they were concentrating on the unconscious man, now was their chance. If time passed, their infiltration would be discovered and people would gather around the cell.
As they weaved their way through the shadows of buildings and trees, the two of them reached a rocky outcrop. Deep inside the rocks, they squinted and found a hole with iron bars in it.
“… Old man, is that it?!”
Sasuke muttered. While searching for any sign of people around, Madara and Sasuke ran to the front of the iron bars.
Inside the cell, behind the iron bars, Naruto was found sleeping curled up on the cold rock floor.
When Sasuke approached Naruto to call out to him and tried to put his hands on the cell, Madara stopped him with his voice.
“Naruto!”
“Sasuke. Look at the corners of the bars and the inner wall. It seems that the charm is designed to make a loud noise if there is an abnormality in this cell.”
“Well, then what should we do? Hey, wake up, you lazy idiot. This is no time to be sleeping.”
Sasuke looked down at the sleeping Naruto with a look that looked like he wanted to click his tongue.
Even after Sasuke cursed at him, Naruto didn’t seem to move, so it was highly likely he was asleep due to drugs or an illusion.
Even though it is called a cell, it is not designed with a door that can be entered and exited with a keyhole; rather, iron bars are inserted between the rock and the ground, making it difficult to get in and out.
If the person who attached the tag was there, it would probably be possible to quietly remove the iron bars, but unfortunately neither Madara nor Sasuke were the people who built these iron bars, so the only way to get Naruto out from inside would be to destroy the cell.
“Sasuke, stay out of the way. When I open this, I’ll wake Naruto up and we’ll get out of here right away.”
“Huh? How do you open it?”
“If we can’t open it, what should we do? … We should just destroy it.”
“That’s brute force!”
It was already known that something unusual had happened within the village. People would soon be coming to the prison.
People were going to come anyway, so rather than taking their time it would be better to destroy it all at once, retrieve Naruto inside, and get out of here quickly.
“Sasuke, step back a bit.”
“…Ossan, are you okay?”
Sasuke took a half step back behind Madara with an uneasy expression on his face. He felt the pressure of chakra from Madara in front of him, and saw Madara’s body enveloped in the blue light that Itachi had been wearing during his performance when he came to the village. Something arm-like stretched out from the blue light, and after the long arm was raised diagonally above his head, it was swung down forcefully towards the iron bars.
The sounds of rocks breaking and iron bars being cut and rolled echoed under the night sky.
Despite the loud noise and impact, Naruto was still lying under the collapsed rock.
“…Huh, you still won’t wake up, idiot?”
Sasuke ran over to Naruto’s side and picked up his fallen body. He was sleeping peacefully, but he couldn’t let him continue dreaming like this.
When Sasuke released Naruto from the genjutsu, Naruto’s closed eyes twitched and slowly his blue eyes appeared.
“…Hmmm…? So, I don’t know… is that okay? Sasuke? And the uncle?”
“You’ve finally woken up, you lazy idiot. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Eh, running away… something crazy is happening!”
“You guys hurry up, there are four…five people coming that way.”
At the sound of Madara’s voice, both Naruto and Sasuke quickly stood up and ran outside, in the opposite direction from the settlement.
The three of them ran away from the village at full speed and disappeared into the forest. In the dark forest, it would be difficult to be seen.
Madara sharpened his senses and checked the chakra around him for any signs of movement, and when he sensed one coming quickly towards him, he narrowed his eyes as he fixed his eyes on Naruto and the others running ahead of him.
(! This… I wonder if they can catch up with me…)
Sasuke and Naruto were not slow, but if they continued running like this, they would be caught up by the time they reached Kakashi and the others. If they split into two groups now, the other group would be the one chasing them, as they had more people. However, if they tried to take a detour and throw off the others, Sasuke and Naruto’s stamina would be weakened, and it was conceivable that reinforcements would arrive in the meantime.
(We have no choice but to do it here. It will reduce our fighting power before the battle.)
Madara felt uneasy at the approaching presence, but decided to fight off his pursuers.
While Sasuke and the others ran ahead, Madara was the only one who gradually slowed down his pace. Then, he heard the faint sound of something flying through the night forest, cutting through the wind. Madara turned his body around and took out a kunai hidden in his sleeve, and deflected something that was coming towards him.
A sudden metallic sound echoed behind them, causing Naruto and Sasuke to stop in their tracks.
“Whoa! Something just flew away!”
“Ossan, are you being pursued?”
What Madara deflected was a kunai fired by his pursuer.
The presence was getting closer and closer from the darkness, and Naruto and the others seemed to have noticed as well, as their expressions stiffened and they turned their gaze towards the depths of the trees where they sensed the presence.
Madara drew the ninja sword he had borrowed from the man and blocked the shadow that had come rushing out from behind a tree. The other man also seemed to be brandishing his sword, and after a metallic sound was heard, the two began to clash.
Madara’s expression grimaced slightly at the sight of his opponent.
“Uncle!”
“Opsssss!”
The two call out to Madara, who is dealing with the pursuers.
Neither of them lowered their swords, and Madara faced them with a stern look on his face, while his pursuer looked stunned.
“…What do you mean, brother…?”
“…”
The young pursuer sees Madara and mutters that he is his brother.
In contrast to the young man, who looked confused, Madara’s expression didn’t change and he simply continued to calmly block the sword.
“No, that can’t be…”
“…”
Unless I do something about this young man, I can’t head to Kakashi.
He senses the presence and chakra of several people coming from the far back, to which the young man has his back turned.
“Oh no, Sasuke. There’s someone coming from the back again! We have to do something about that guy.”
“I know… That’s right!”
Naruto was getting impatient as Madara was not making any moves, while Sasuke looked startled and acted as if he had remembered something, then he reached into his trouser pocket and took something out.
In Sasuke’s palm was a smoke bomb.
Sasuke didn’t know the reason, but he knew that his opponent had the Sharingan. He didn’t think he could fool him with a single smoke bomb, but he could probably catch him off guard.
Sasuke grabbed a smoke bomb and threw it with all his might towards Madara.
It flew at him so quickly that not only Madara but also the young man with his sword crossed noticed it and looked away from Madara.
Madara didn’t miss that moment, he shifted the blade of his sword, moved towards the young man and pushed him hard against his chest. At the same time, he grabbed the smoke bomb that Sasuke had thrown. Madara took a breath before throwing the smoke bomb and looked back at Naruto and the others for just a moment.
“Uncle! Hurry up!”
“Opsssss!”
“You guys run first.”
“That voice… I’m not gonna let you go!”
The sound of the smoke bomb exploding drowned out the young man’s frustrated voice.
Sensing Naruto running after Sasuke, Madara did not miss the red light that appeared just before the smoke bomb exploded.
As he concentrated his chakra around his eyes, his vision turned red.
(…Sorry, Izuna.)
In a situation that made him want to cough, Madara closed the distance between him and the young man. Perhaps expecting him to run away with Naruto and the others, the young man faced Madara with his red eyes glaring at him.
When the young man caught sight of Madara’s Sharingan, he felt his head being shaken. It was a genjutsu.
The young man struggled to resist the spell, feeling defeated and that he would be put to sleep if he continued, but the more he resisted the worse the headache he received. Sweat began to trickle down the young man’s forehead.
“?! What, so… what are you doing?”
“‘There were only brats here.’ Just think of it as a bad dream.”
“Wait…”
The young man dropped to one knee on the ground.
Perhaps the spell was weak, but the young man – Izuna – did not seem to lose consciousness. However, in this state, there was no way to pursue him.
Madara turned his back on Izuna, who was breathing heavily, and followed after Naruto and the others.
Izuna’s trembling hand reaches out to Madara’s back as he runs away. As his vision gradually darkens, the question “why” keeps repeating in Izuna’s head.
“Oh, Sakura-chan!”
“Naruto!! I’m glad… Welcome back Sasuke-kun and Tajima-san. I’m sorry Naruto, it was because of me getting captured that you had to…”
“Sa-Sakura-chan?! It’s fine, it’s fine, they didn’t do anything to me!”
“Really…? Thank you too Sasuke-kun, I was just recovering from an illness.”
When Naruto and the others returned to the cave, Sakura appeared at the entrance, and when she saw that Naruto appeared uninjured, she looked deeply relieved.
Looking closely, Sakura’s eyes were moist and it was clear that she finally felt at ease now that everyone was together.
While Naruto and the others were talking, Madara spotted Kakashi trying to get up from the back and headed towards him. Kakashi was probably heading towards Naruto and the others as well, but Madara knew he would soon be coming to Kakashi’s side so he told Kakashi to stay where he was.
“If you leave him alone he’ll come back later, so go to sleep. I was chased when I left the village, but there’s nothing strange going on around here.”
“Thank you, Tajima-san. I was so busy I couldn’t move… By the way, how was the village?”
“…”
Kakashi tilted his head in confusion at the silent Madara.
“Perhaps even someone you know.”
“…Yeah, I guess so.”
Madara replied in a calm voice.
Madara should have been happy about rescuing Naruto, but his expression was somehow gloomy. While Kakashi was thinking about whether he should ask him the reason, Naruto and the others came towards them from the entrance.
“Kakashi Sensei! It’s still here!”
“Ah, welcome back Naruto.”
Naruto’s loud voice resonated deep in Kakashi’s ears.
Even though it was night, Kakashi felt the dazzling sunlight and smiled gently, rejoicing at Naruto’s return.
Episode 40
“I can’t catch anything at all…”
After reuniting with Kakashi and the others and dawn breaking, Naruto was fishing in the river with Sasuke.
Naruto was trying to see if he could catch any fish in the river with a simple fishing pole he had tied a string to a long tree branch, but there was no sign of catching any fish.
I continue to drop the line from the rocks on the river bank.
“Don’t you think we should move after all? Right, Sasuke?”
“There’s no other way. The old man told me not to go any further than this, and I don’t know where I might run into the enemy.”
“But can we just move to a different spot? There aren’t any fish around here.”
While Naruto and Sasuke were talking, a noise of hunger rang from deep within his stomach. The owner of the sound was Sasuke.
“…”
“Now that I think of it, Sasuke and the others haven’t eaten anything.”
“I think it’s a bit strange that you just eat what the enemy gives you.”
The bento lunches he had made when he left Konoha had long since been consumed, and Sasuke hadn’t had a proper meal in nearly two days. The same could be said for Sakura and Kakashi. Only Naruto had eaten the rice balls that had been given to him when he was captured, so he had more energy than the other three.
Although Sasuke had been filling his stomach with other rations he had brought with him, it was not enough for his growing body.
Madara predicted that they would not get caught up in any fighting around here, so he had left the two of them to go fishing and secure food, since they would have nothing to do there anyway.
Their fishing lines sway and move with the current of the water.
It seems as though a battle is taking place, but before the two of them is a serene landscape of flowing water reflecting the sunlight and lush greenery, and the air is far removed from any hustle and bustle.
Finding it boring to just sit there and stare at the fishing line again, Naruto resumed his conversation with Sasuke.
“Hey Sasuke, where are we?”
“Who knows. Kakashi and the old man guessed it was a long time ago.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Yesterday’s.”
“Hmm?”
“The one who followed me.”
“The person who was chasing me… Ah! That reminds me! That guy came by once when I was in prison. He was called by someone or something and came quickly to see me or something.”
“Was that guy not there originally?”
“Probably. Something about the Uzumaki clan? What purpose did I have in coming here? I think they asked me about Kakashi-sensei and the others. S…ss…what was it again? Who were they after?”
“You didn’t answer.”
“I didn’t know what he wanted to ask, and even if he asked me about the Uzumaki clan, I don’t know anything about that clan, so I couldn’t answer.”
Naruto thought back to his time in prison.
The young man’s searching eyes seemed to indicate that he had simply come to confirm who Naruto was. The more Naruto struggled to answer and couldn’t, and the more he asked the young man questions without understanding what he meant, the more he seemed to frown, sigh, and look increasingly annoyed.
“After he bombarded me with endless questions, that guy called my name and went off somewhere. Then the next thing I knew, Sasuke and the old man were there.”
“Did you ask his name?”
“I heard that, I heard that. What was it, when he called me he sounded a bit haughty… Ah, I’m sure he called me Izuna-sama… Hmm? I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before… Ah.”
“Izuna? …Izuna?”
“Eh, I know Sasuke… Ha! Wait a sec, Sasuke! I must have misheard after all! I… Maybe it was Inari!”
“Inari is from the Land of Waves.”
Naruto thought the young man’s name sounded familiar, so he spoke it out loud, but Sasuke’s face quickly changed color at his reaction and he hurriedly repeated that he might have misheard.
He remembered too late, but Izuna was the name of Madara’s younger brother. Judging from Sasuke’s behavior, Naruto realized that Madara might have told him the name, so he tried to somehow cover it up by giving a different name, but he couldn’t think of anything good, which only made him look more suspicious.
“I’m pretty sure it’s the same name as the old man’s younger brother.”
“So, sodanar.”
Naruto gripped his fishing rod tightly, thinking of a way to change the subject. Sweat suddenly started pouring out of his body, and his heart started beating strangely.
“Is it a coincidence? I felt like the old man looked different than usual when he came that night.”
“Is that so? I look the same as usual though…”
“There’s no way that old man couldn’t take down one pursuer. Why didn’t he act immediately?”
(Uh, that may be true… I’m sorry, Otchan! You’re too strong, I can’t fool you!)
Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs.
Certainly, as Sasuke said, for the normal Madara, being caught up by just one pursuer would not have been a big deal. Naruto was sure he understood that as well.
Among Team 7, only Naruto and Kakashi know that Madara is a person from the past, and Naruto knows that Sasuke and Sakura don’t know. Madara must have only revealed his true identity to people he deemed appropriate. It’s not something Naruto should just spread around.
Naruto took his hands off the fishing rod he was holding and placed it at his feet, then he made a frame with his thumb and index finger and brought both hands in front of his face, surrounding it.
“…H, hey, Sasuke! They say there are two or three people who look alike, right? I was surprised because you looked like someone the old man knew… or something like that.”
“…”
Naruto couldn’t think of any better analogies, so he returned the words to Sasuke with a look on his face as if he had just eaten something bitter. Naruto somehow managed to come up with an excuse, but Sasuke was gazing at the surface of the river, unaware of Naruto’s struggles.
“You know the old man, huh? Now that I think of it, the old man said where he was going.”
“Um, I think they were scouting over there.”
“You tell us not to go far away, but you’re going yourself?”
“Well, well, I went to check out the area and the only person who seemed okay was you.”
“Also Naruto, have you seen Kakashi’s eyes?”
“Eh? Kakashi-sensei’s?”
“ah”
“Well, I got caught…”
“If Kakashi is right, then the people in that village were members of the Uchiha clan, like me. When they saw Kakashi, they turned pale and chased after him. I couldn’t see him properly, but the pattern in Kakashi’s eyes that night was different from before.”
“I, I see.”
When Sasuke said that, the image of Madara’s face, not Kakashi’s, came to Naruto’s mind. He had seen Madara’s Sharingan a few times, but the pattern in his left eye was different from the one in Sasuke’s and Kakashi’s.
Kakashi’s chakra consumption seems to be worse than when he was in Wave Country. There was a time when Madara watched Kakashi train at night, but I wonder if it has something to do with Kakashi’s left eye. The different pattern of Sharingan that Sasuke saw seems to have put a lot of strain on Kakashi’s body. Naruto now realised that the nighttime training with Madara was probably an attempt to improve Kakashi’s basic physical strength and chakra so that he could use the power of his left eye.
“I can’t ask the people in that village, so I’ll look into it when I get back… Maybe Itachi too.”
“Hmm? Did you say something at the end? Hmm, why don’t you ask Kakashi-sensei directly? He might be able to tell you.”
“…”
Sasuke glared at the surface of the river, squinting his eyes against the brightness of the reflected sunlight.
On the day Itachi appeared in the village, when Sasuke was caught in the blue light, he shot a black flame he had never seen before at Madara’s feet. He couldn’t see Kakashi’s technique well because he was fleeing from the village, but he felt like the space looked slightly distorted.
(By the way, why does Kakashi have the Sharingan?)
Suddenly Sasuke became curious about where Kakashi’s left eye came from.
I also wondered when Kakashi first showed his Sharingan, why did Kakashi, who is not even a member of the Uchiha clan, have those eyes?
At first, I wondered if it was something he had stolen from someone, but given Kakashi’s personality, I could imagine that this wasn’t the case. Perhaps it was implanted in him by force. It doesn’t seem like he was being forced to use it by anyone, so I wonder what caused that left eye to appear.
As Sasuke was lost in thought, Naruto suddenly leaned in close and looked into his face.
“…Sasuke, are you embarrassed? Want to go and listen to it together?”
“…Huh? It’s not embarrassing, ah, hey, it’s hanging by a thread! Hurry and pick it up, you lazy idiot!”
“Eh? Oh, really! Wow!”
“Ah! Idiot!”
Naruto noticed the fishing pole slowly sliding along the rocks and frantically tried to grab it, but he was unable to grab it, and lost his balance because he had leaned too far forward. Sasuke reached out to grab Naruto’s jacket as he fell towards the river, but sadly, the rocks were not a good place to stand on and Sasuke was lifted into the air along with Naruto.
“”Ge””
The moment they saw the clear surface of the water, the two of them fell into the water together.
The impact of the fall caused water to splash up, and my soaked clothes became heavy and tangled as they clung to my body.
“Watch it carefully, you lazy idiot!”
“It’s cold! Sorry Sasuke!”
The two quickly climbed out of the river, took off their jackets, and wrung out their heavy, water-soaked clothes.
The good news is that it’s sunny, unlike yesterday.
“Ugh, it’s so cold when the wind blows… Hey, can’t you use Fire Release or something to dry it off in one go?”
“You can do that, I’m not an old man.”
“On the contrary, with the heat you give me, I’ll get roasted to death!”
“Hey, why are you all wet?”
As Naruto spread out his wrung-out clothes and ruffled his sticky wet hair with one hand to shake the water off, he heard a voice from behind them.
It’s Madara.
It seemed Madara had finished his reconnaissance and had come back to check on the two of them.
“Oh, what a rumor to spread!”
“Old man, I can’t catch anything here. Isn’t there another place?”
“That’s right, I want to change locations.”
“You guys, answer the questions I ask you.”
They had just come out of the river, but water was still dripping onto the gravel at their feet, leaving black stains.
When Naruto told Madara that his fishing rod was about to fall and he tried to go and get it, but the two of them fell together, Madara sighed and shook his head.
“You can just walk on the water and get it later…”
“Buekushi! Ugh, I thought we’d make it in time…Hey, uncle. Can’t you use Fire Release to dry it all out in one go?”
“Do something about it yourself. You can use Wind Release too, right? Do it yourself.”
“It’s cold. Sasuke must be lonely too.”
“…”
Drops continue to fall from their hair.
Naruto and Sasuke’s eyes fixed on Madara.
“… Seriously, line them up there.”
“Yessssss!”
Naruto let out a cry of joy at Madara’s words and grabbed his jacket. He then put his arms forward and spread it out, and he and Sasuke lined up in front of Madara, keeping some distance between them.
In contrast to Naruto, who was holding his clothes outstretched as if waiting for them to arrive, Sasuke looked a little anxious as he held his clothes right in front of his body. It was a fire release powerful enough to dry wet clothes in an instant, but it was not a gentle technique like starting a bonfire.
As Sasuke had expected, the flames that Madara had unleashed after making the seal stopped just in front of Naruto and the others, but the pressure of the hot air coming from in front of them made his bangs stand on end, and the heat was so intense that he involuntarily stepped back, making Naruto cry out and Sasuke furrow his brow.
“Ouch, ouch, give up! Otchan I can’t do this! It’s enough, thanks! Stop it! Otchan! Thank you very much! …Stop it!”
(It’s hot…)
Naruto, who had his arms stretched out in front of him, pulled them back and raised his voice to appeal to Madara.
Sasuke endured the heat and soon noticed that his clothes were drying, then, ignoring Naruto’s screams, he went down to a place where the hot air was more bearable.
Madara’s flames were immediately stopped, and as the red glare disappeared from before Naruto’s eyes, he sat down on the ground, slumped over.
“Oh no… I thought I was going to die.”
“You told me to do it. Look, it’s all dry.”
“You’re right… it’s dry. I guess the old man is used to it after all.”
“This is the first time I’ve used Fire Release to dry my clothes directly. Get dressed quickly, we’re heading back to Kakashi and the others.”
“Eh? Are you going back to Kakashi-sensei?”
“I want to share the situation around me.”
Madara urges the two to quickly get changed.
Naruto and Sasuke tell Madara that they haven’t caught anything yet, but that they should be able to get by for a few days with the remaining rations they have on hand.It has been some time since they started fishing, so although there is still plenty of time before evening, they decide it would be better for them to join Kakashi and the others early and head home.
Madara turned to where he had been scouting while Naruto and the others finished getting ready.
(Right now, there is no sign of fighting. It seems they have entered a truce, but I felt that chakra from afar, it numbed me to the core… there’s no doubt about it, it’s Hashirama. It’s on a completely different level from the time of the Chunin Exams, I remember it fondly.)
Madara was scouting, but he didn’t blend into the battlefield; he simply got close enough that he could sense chakra.
With Hashirama there, the sensory type Tobirama should also be on the battlefield, but Madara is basically the one fighting Hashirama, and there are a fair number of clashes of techniques as well as physical techniques. Even if Tobirama is a sensory type, in the middle of a battle, his senses will be dulled when he is hit by the chakra of the many people around him and Hashirama, and he probably won’t even notice Madara’s chakra at a distance.
“Uncle, sorry to keep you waiting!”
“…It’s over. Can you guys run? Let’s go.”
When Madara started running, Naruto and Sasuke were surprised, but they followed him as fast as they could so as not to be left behind.
When Madara and the others returned to the cave, they were greeted with a sight they had never imagined.
Outside, Sakura was lying unconscious, and Kakashi was kneeling beside her, drenched in sweat. Behind Kakashi, the young man who had followed Madara and the others the night before, stood with a red tri-common pattern in his eyes, pointing a kunai at Kakashi’s neck.
“Guh.”
“…Looks like you’ve returned. I didn’t need to get you to tell me where you were.”
The young man, Izuna, turns to Madara and the others.
(…Why is Izuna here?)
Madara snorted in his chest.
Today was the day of the battle with the Senju, and he had assumed that Izuna would be there as well, but it seemed he was wrong. Even though there was a truce at the moment, if he had been at war, Izuna wouldn’t have known where Kakashi and the others were, so there was no way he could have made it from the battlefield to here in such a short time.
(Oh, I see. I guess it was “I” here who didn’t let him go.)
The news that Izuna had been defeated by someone last night must have reached the ears of Madara, who is originally from this era. As far as I can remember, Izuna did not seem to be feeling well and did not go to the battlefield, so it is possible that Madara from this era, judging it to be a major emergency, refused to accompany Izuna and had him wait.
(If that’s the case, you should have just obeyed the standby order.)
Izuna’s eyes were fixed directly on Madara.
“The way they were sneaking around here doesn’t seem to mean they’re simply on the Senju side. I didn’t know who the kid was, but there was a kid claiming to be from the Uzumaki clan and this guy with the Sharingan. The kid behind him is an Uchiha. When I heard the report I wondered if they were joking, but the more I look at it the stranger this group is, seriously.”
“I-I-I’m not suspicious! It’s true! It might be hard for you to believe, Big Bro, and it’s hard to explain… but at the time, we were just trying to ask for directions, there was no hostility or anything like that.”
“I see. So why did you run away?”
“Eh. Th, that’s…”
Naruto’s gaze rose to Madara’s side, begging for help.
Madara cast his gaze down towards Kakashi and Sakura. Kakashi had been captured, but Sakura had no visible injuries. The reason Izuna had followed him this far, even after what had happened last night, was either to check on Kakashi’s left eye, or he had become curious about Madara’s presence and had come to investigate on his own.
“More importantly–“
Izuna radiates murderous intent, sending shivers down your skin.
It’s also possible to use a genjutsu on Izuna to put him to sleep and render him powerless, but Sasuke would surely notice if he used his Sharingan in such a bright place. He might be able to tell from Izuna’s reaction. Besides, Izuna should have taken measures to ensure he won’t fall for the genjutsu so easily again. Izuna isn’t so weak that he would think the same technique would work on him twice.
“It’s not a transformation technique. Besides, he should be on the battlefield by now…that appearance, that chakra…what on earth is this!”
“…”
He probably suspects Madara of what he’s up to in the person of his brother.
Madara didn’t reply as he faced Izuna’s murderous intent head-on, drawing the attention of Naruto, Sasuke, and even Kakashi, who was being held captive by Izuna.
Naruto looked back and forth between Madara and Izuna many times, anxiously watching to see if Madara would answer or not. However, Madara had no intention of answering Izuna’s question and remained silent.
Izuna, growing impatient with Madara not replying, put more strength into the hand holding the kunai and was about to use Kakashi to threaten him when the atmosphere around them suddenly changed.
The ground was damp and dark from yesterday’s rain, but before I knew it, it had turned into dry soil.
The sound of a fallen branch being stepped on was heard, and a man suddenly appeared from behind a nearby tree beside Madara. He was the younger man in charge of watching over Madara, wearing a Konoha forehead protector. The moment the watchman caught sight of Madara, he blinked repeatedly.
“Eh, huh, uh, Tajima? Ah, ha! Found them! Commander! We’ve found Tajima with the kids from Team 7! …Hmm? Kakashi?”
“Hey, are you friends?! Move!”
Kakashi, who was supposed to be on his knees, moved.
Kakashi took advantage of the opportunity when Izuna was surprised by the man on guard duty who had suddenly appeared from among the trees without any warning, and mustered his strength to grab the hand holding the kunai and pull Izuna back, throwing him off balance.
Kakashi had somehow understood the relationship between Madara and the young man from their previous interactions. Madara had seemed strange when he returned to the cave last night, and he remembered that when he asked him if they knew each other, he had replied in the affirmative.
(This person must be Tajima’s relative. If so, I can’t let him hurt Tajima. I have to stop him.)
Izuna makes a bitter face for a moment, thinking “Oh no!”, but he knows that Kakashi is weak, so he quickly changes his position and easily shakes off Kakashi’s hand. As soon as they face each other, he raises a kunai at Kakashi’s neck and tries to finish him off. Realizing that he cannot dodge with his current physical strength, Kakashi makes up his mind.
(I wish I could have arrested him…but I guess not.)
“Kakashi Sensei!”
“Kakashi!”
A voice that sounded like a shout came from Naruto and Sasuke.
They both rush to get between Kakashi and Izuna, but it looks like they won’t make it in time.
Kakashi is in danger – just as Naruto and Sasuke were thinking that, a pink shadow moved.
Episode 41
A slim arm wrapped around Kakashi’s torso. The hem of her long red dress fluttered. Kakashi had been staring at the kunai approaching his throat, but as he was being knocked to the ground, he lowered his gaze to see what the impact on his torso was. He saw Sakura, who had been lying on the ground just a moment ago, stretching out her arms and putting her entire body weight on him, trying to push him down.
Kakashi’s body was lowered by the impact of being pushed down by Sakura, and Izuna’s kunai grazed right in front of him. He could see the red pupils of his Sharingan widen, but as he fell, Kakashi picked up Sakura so that she couldn’t be attacked, and rolled on the ground, taking some distance from Izuna.
“H! You were able to move!”
Naruto’s voice rang into Izuna’s ears in shock.
“Nice job, Sakura-chan! –Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!”
The image of a boy wearing orange and yellow clothes spread out before Izuna’s eyes. Naruto’s figure filled his field of vision, and Izuna was perplexed by the appearance of the boy, who seemed too real to be called an alter ego.
(? What is this guy…is this nonsense?!)
Naruto used multiple shadow clones to cling to Izuna’s hand, clothes, and feet, trying not to let him move. Even if he continued to hold on like this, an opponent who was used to fighting would be shaken off. Before that could happen, Sasuke, who had started running at the same time as the main body and Naruto, went to push Izuna down.
“Sasuke!!”
“Leave it to me Naruto!!”
“Guh.”
The real Naruto slammed into the feet of Izuna, who was unable to move because the shadow clone had wrapped around him first. As Izuna fell, Sasuke went behind him and first used one hand to block him so he couldn’t resist, then Sasuke used all his weight to push Izuna down in the direction he was leaning. Izuna, who had been crushed by Naruto, his shadow clone, and Sasuke, groaned in pain as he pressed his body against the ground.
“……Ugh”
Naruto held Izuna tightly so he couldn’t move and shouted for backup.
“Hey! The person who’s always with Oji-san! A rope! A rope! Do you have one? It doesn’t have to be a rope, but please tie up this guy with something while you can!”
“Ahhh!!”
At Naruto’s voice, one of the guards moved. It seemed he still hadn’t fully grasped the situation, but the guard tied Izuna up with the rope he had and retrieved the kunai he had at hand.
After making sure that Izuna wasn’t resisting, Naruto and Sasuke ran over to Kakashi, who was sitting on the ground with Sakura supporting his back.
“Nice timing, Sakura-chan!”
“Sakura, you saved me. We wouldn’t have made it in time.”
“Um, well, I am. Is Kakashi-sensei okay?”
“…”
“teacher?”
“Oh. No, it’s okay, Sakura.”
Kakashi smiled softly, hiding the fact that his body was weak.
Even though the Jounin in charge was unable to move and it was a critical situation, the children somehow managed to handle it on their own. Kakashi felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, he realized how pathetic he was.
“You guys have really gotten stronger.”
“Of course! We’re going to defeat both the sensei and the old man!”
“Naruto, now is not the time to be saying such things!”
Naruto’s dazzling smile shines in Kakashi’s field of vision. Naruto and the others are growing rapidly. Kakashi vows to himself that he must become even stronger so that he can continue to stand in the forefront as a teacher.
Then, surrounded by the three people who were worried about him, Kakashi turned his eyes to Madara, who was standing on the other side of the guard post.
(Tajima-san…)
His face was frighteningly expressionless, and he stared silently and still at the young man who was tied up.
After returning to the village, Madara, Kakashi, and the other members of Team 7 were busy handing over the captured young man, reporting to the Hokage, and taking the unsteady Kakashi to Konoha Hospital, where he was also examined.
They were released from their duties that day late into the starry night.
Unlike Kakashi, who was immediately hospitalized, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Madara were allowed to go home for the time being with the permission of the Hokage.
Naruto and Sasuke took Sakura home, and after seeing her off until they heard the sound of the front door closing, they looked back at Madara, who had been walking alongside them the whole time. Madara had become less talkative than usual since returning to their original time, and Naruto and Sasuke were at a loss as to what to say to him.
(Otchan, you’re definitely worried about that guy…)
(The old man is too quiet)
The three of them slowly walked to Naruto’s apartment.
His body was already exhausted and he just wanted to go home and lie down quickly, but for some reason Naruto and Sasuke were walking ahead of him and their steps were heavy.
The next day, when Sakura visited Kakashi at his apartment, Naruto and Sasuke nodded vigorously in response to his words.
The three of them sat around the table in the living room and talked.
“What?! So Tajima-san, did you go on a normal mission with the usual people?”
“That’s what I’m saying, Sakura-chan! We only got back yesterday! And what happened just yesterday! We’re still roasting dumplings right now!”
“Your ability to change your ways is impressive… but I think it was probably Hokage-sama’s orders, right? I often see the ninja who returned to the village with us yesterday hanging out with Tajima-san at the shop.”
“Yeah. Anyway, what kind of group are those old guys? Hey Naruto, you’ve been living together for a while, you know something, right? Why are those old guys helping out at the dumpling shop?”
“Eh, eh, now that you mention it…? Well, you see, um… you’re a junior, Occhan, after all… mission rank? Or something.”
“Even so, it’s weird that that group is at a dumpling shop. It would be more beneficial for them to do something else.”
“I-I guess it’s just a hobby of yours, Otchan. Otchan likes sweet things.”
“Yeah, well, it’s true that Tajima-san likes sweet things. I often get dango as a gift too.”
“Yes, yes,” Sakura nodded.
Even though Sasuke and Sakura don’t know the details, they understand that the man named “Tajima” is no ordinary genin. When they first met, he had a stern face and an unapproachable aura that made it hard to talk to him, but after learning about what happened in Wave Country and how he treated Sasuke and Sakura the same way he treated Naruto, and how he seemed to enjoy flirting with others, something they never would have imagined, they now see him as a reliable adult who is by their side, like Kakashi.
“But I think Tajima-san is more like someone fighting on the front lines than someone roasting dumplings.”
“Oh, I’m sure that old man’s hobbies are something completely different. Although, he reads Ichapara together with Kakashi.”
Naruto and the others were now used to seeing her standing in the shop with an apron on, and wondered if grilling dumplings was her hobby, but no one would believe it if they had never seen her working.
Sakura and Sasuke shook their heads at the same time.
“…Hey hey Sakura-chan? Sasuke too. Rather than that, why don’t we go to the teacher’s place?”
“Yeah, that’s right Naruto. It’s time to go, Sasuke-kun.”
Sakura nodded in her mind, wondering if it might suit her tastes or not, and headed straight for the entrance.
The three of them walked side by side from Naruto’s house towards Konoha Hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital, Sakura asked the receptionist which room Kakashi was in, and the three of them headed to his room. Kakashi had been given a private room, and after knocking on the door, the three entered without even hearing a response from him.
“Kakashi Sensei!”
“Hello, teacher.”
“Kakashi, are you awake?”
“Oh? Are you all here? You look great.”
When they entered the hospital room, Kakashi was sitting up with a book in one hand, and as soon as Naruto and the others entered, he turned around and smiled, though his tiredness was fading. Seeing the children looking so energetic after just yesterday, Kakashi narrowed his eyes, feeling the dazzle of youth.
Naruto ran over to Kakashi’s bedside first and noticed a paper bag on the desk next to the bed.
“Huh? Is there someone who got here before us?”
“Oh, that’s it. Tajima-san and her friends came over just now and left it there. The old lady at the usual dumpling shop told me to take it.”
“Did the old man come? Did he get there before me?!”
“When did that happen… Was that teacher, Tajima-san, the only one?”
“No, Tajima-san and the other people who are always there too. I saw you guys yesterday too.”
“Eh! Everyone is coming! You should have told me if you were going too.”
“Now, now, Tajima-san and the others are probably busy today.”
“Eh? Old men?”
When Naruto tilted his head, Kakashi beckoned Sasuke and Sakura, who were standing a short distance away, to come over.
“Tajima-san and the others came to search for us when we disappeared. So what?”
“Are you reporting for a mission? But that was done yesterday.”
“Um, Kakashi-sensei? That person from yesterday ended up being…”
“Yes, that man who arrived with us. Does Kakashi know something?”
“I’ve been here ever since. Do you think you know?”
“Hey, Kakashi-sensei. I’m an old man.”
Naruto spoke, interrupting Sasuke and Kakashi’s conversation.
The quiet voice made both Sasuke and Sakura turn their attention to Naruto.
“Hey, how was it when you got here?”
“What do you mean?”
“I just felt like… I was less energetic than usual.”
“…Tajima-san. He left as soon as he left this here.”
Kakashi remembered the time Madara came to drop off a package from the dumpling shop. He brought along a group of exhausted-looking guards, who placed it on the desk, telling him it was from the old woman. It seemed he hadn’t intended to stay long, and when he saw Kakashi’s face, he left a quick “see you” before leaving. As for how things were then, it was such a short stay that there was no way to compare it to how it usually was.
“Hmm… I wonder when Otchan will be back today. What do you think, Sasuke?”
“Even if you’re busy, you’ll be back by sundown, won’t you?”
“Maybe… Sometimes Otchan doesn’t come home, you know?”
If the only mission Madara was on today was to the dumpling shop, he would return as usual, but if Hiruzen had called for him, he might not return, or if he did, he might return very late.
Naruto stared at the package Madara had left behind.
(If it was “business as usual” that would be fine.)
While Naruto and the others were visiting Kakashi, they saw a boy looking up at the Hokage Rock, holding his head in despair, and a man standing there, stunned. The boy had blonde hair and wore a red vest, while the man was dressed in mostly black clothing.
The boy’s features resembled Naruto’s a little.
Trembling, the boy took a deep breath, opened his mouth and cried.
“The face rocks are gone again… What on earth is going on?”
The man standing next to the boy who resembled Naruto was staring straight at the four rock formations with his black eyes, hidden by his bangs and only visible on one side.
Episode 42
In the corner of the village training ground, hiding in the shadows of the trees, there were two figures talking. One was a child, the other a middle-aged adult.
“Uwah… Oh no. I can’t find Karasu anywhere, uncle Sasuke.”
“They must have fallen at the same time. If they were pulled and thrown out like us, there’s a good chance they’d be lying around here.”
“That area, I don’t even know where it fell, but aaaah… I need to find Karasuki quickly and get back to the future!”
The boy called Boruto had blonde hair, blue eyes, and two distinctive lines on his cheeks. The other man called Sasuke had black hair and was almost entirely covered in a black cloak, with an eyepatch covering his left eye. The man’s left arm was missing from the elbow down, but at first glance it was hard to tell because of the cloak he was wearing.
Judging from their appearance, the age difference between the two was as great as that of a parent and child, and each bore a resemblance to someone else.
Sasuke regained his composure and began to speak with a serious expression on his face.
“I think Karasuki’s magic formula was influenced by something from this era… It must have been dropped somewhere in the village, like ours. We’ll just have to search patiently.”
“That may be true, but… I mean, what time in Konoha village are we in this time? If the Fifth Kaoiwa rock is not there, does that mean we are in an era before when Dad and Jiraiya and the others met?”
“It doesn’t seem to be that far away. Kaoiwa only has four generations. We don’t know how long it will take to find it, so we’ll search carefully while also gathering information about this era.”
“Understood”
Saying that, the man called Sasuke turned towards the exit of the training grounds.
Boruto followed suit and stood next to the man named Sasuke.
“Boruto, just to be on the safe side, don’t say my name here either. Got it?”
“Of course. Let’s go, Master!”
The boy named Boruto and the man called Sasuke headed towards the center of the village where they could get a good view of Kao-iwa Rock.
Now let’s move on to the dumpling shop.
As soon as the owner of the dumpling shop heard that the Jonin in charge of Team 7 had been hospitalized, he had Madara and the others take some of the leftover snacks from the shop.
Kakashi had visited the shop several times with Naruto and the others, and was familiar with the owner. He never ordered sweets, but he was like a regular customer. When the owner heard that Kakashi had collapsed, he regretted that he was unable to visit him in person due to his weak legs, and asked Madara and the others if they could deliver some gifts in his stead, as the shop was also busy.
The package, small enough to be held in one hand, was filled with bite-sized rice crackers of various flavors, which he would likely eat together with his students who would come to visit him later.
Madara and the others who had come to help out at the store told them to all go and show their faces since they were there, but they all decided to leave the store for a while, quickly delivered the condolence gifts, and then hurried back to the dango shop.
When Madara and the others returned, several of the seats in the restaurant had been filled. Madara took over from the owner, who had begun to grill dumplings, and stood in front of the charcoal grill, handling several orders.
After continuing to grill the dumplings for a while, the owner went outside to check on the situation and looked up at the roof with a troubled look on his face. The owner returned inside the store with a troubled look on his face and came over to the charcoal grill where Madara was standing.
“This is a problem… Tajima-san, could you please take a look at the roof for me…”
“What happened on the roof?”
“It looks like something is stuck… I’d like to go and have a look, but my knees hurt and I don’t think I can climb all the way up. I’ll take over from you in baking, so could you just come and have a look?”
“Is something stuck on there? Let me take a look.”
“Thank you.”
It’s not particularly windy today, and the fact that the shop owner is concerned about it doesn’t seem to be something like a branch.
As the owner entered the kitchen, Madara took his place and went outside.
Looking up at the roof from the entrance of the store, I could definitely see something hanging from the edge of the roof. I squinted my eyes to see what it was, but the sunlight was backlit and I couldn’t see clearly what it was.
(It doesn’t seem to be a broken branch. Is that… a mouse? No, it seems more round… is that a leg? Oh well, I’ll just have to go and have a look.)
Madara hopped onto the roof and bent over to retrieve the object that was stuck. The object was shaped like a turtle, with a pink body and a blue shell. Although it had the characteristics of a turtle in appearance, it had an inorganic texture to the touch, and from the feel of it, it didn’t seem to be a living thing.
“Who the hell threw that junk on the roof?”
He sighed and climbed down from the roof with light movements, where he saw a blonde boy wearing a red vest in front of the restaurant. The boy had been looking at the sign with the menu written on it, but when Madara suddenly landed next to him, he turned around in surprise, but as soon as he saw Madara’s hands, he opened his eyes wide, pointed at them and shouted loudly.
“Ah! That’s it! I found it!”
“Tebasa?”
Hearing the similar tone of Naruto’s tone, Madara quirked his eyebrows and turned his attention to the boy.
The boy’s fingertips are pointed at the turtle in Madara’s hand.
“Master! That thing! That thing that old man has, ugh.”
“Stand back, Bolt!”
A man came running up from a short distance away, looking panicked.
The man called Master, who seemed to have been chasing after the boy, covered the boy named Boruto’s mouth with his only hand, hid behind him and glared at Madara.
The turtle seemed to belong to the boy, but Madara had no recollection of doing anything to deserve the glare of the man clad almost entirely in black, so he looked back at the man in a confused and suspicious manner. Madara thought the man’s features were somewhat similar to Sasuke and Itachi’s, but when he wondered if he was a relative or something, he remembered that he no longer had any family, and dismissed the idea in his mind.
Madara frowned, not wanting to hide his annoyance at being glared at, and held the turtle up in front of them as if to show it off.
“So, is this yours?”
“Why are you in the village? Who the hell are you?”
The man asked, glaring at Madara harshly without answering his question.
“I was the one who asked the question first. Who I am? I’m just a… dumpling seller.”
“Don’t lie to me, there’s no way you’re just a dumpling shop owner.”
Being flatly denied, Madara felt the corners of his mouth twitch.
There was no need to be so assertive. Madara wanted to ask, “What do you know about me?”
(Isn’t this guy being a bit rude to someone he’s meeting for the first time? He reminds me of Sasuke. I haven’t been to the dumpling shop for very long either… I guess he’s from the village.)
The attack on Konoha by Orochimaru is still fresh in the memories of the villagers. In addition, it was only recently that Uchiha Itachi and other members of Akatsuki snuck into the village. Currently, there are no strict restrictions on the entry and exit of people from outside the village, but there should still be a simple question and answer session before entering the village. It would be fine if the correct procedures were followed to enter the village, but it is quite rare for people from outside the village to know Madara’s face. Madara basically never leaves the village. The only people outside the village who know Madara’s face, other than Orochimaru and the others, are those who met him in Wave Country, where he was taken when he was caught up in a mission with Team 7. Few people know his face.
Even if the two people in front of Madara were from outside the village, it was hard to understand why the man would be so hostile towards Madara. To Madara, this man was a complete stranger. Although some ninja within the village had been suspicious of him, never in this era had they shown such open hostility to his face. Tajima knew that there were no bad rumors about him.
Madara was curious as to what this man knew, so he decided to try bluffing him.
“…By any chance, you know me?”
“Boruto. If anything happens, you go and retrieve Karasuuki and run away first.”
“I can’t do that! S-master, who is that old man?”
“Well, if you ask me who I am, I don’t know. Did you say the guy behind me is Bolt? As you can see, I’m just a dango shop employee.”
“There’s no way you’re just a dumpling seller!”
“Tajima-san? Tajima-san, are you okay?”
When Madara took a long time to return, the store owner became worried and peeked his head in from inside the store. The man’s eyes, which had been on high alert, widened in confusion as he heard the store owner’s gentle voice.
“It seems you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
“I see… If you’d like, please come and have some tea with us, my friends. So, Tajima-san, I wonder what was bothering you?”
“It was a toy shaped like a turtle. This one. It seems to belong to those guys.”
“Oh, it’s the owner. I’m glad you found it. Thank you, Tajima-san.”
The shop owner smiled at Boruto and the others and told them not to lose it next time, then went back inside the store without asking how it had gotten stuck on the roof.
The man who had been watching the exchange began to tremble. Madara ignored him and approached him, pushing the turtle towards the boy named Boruto who was hiding behind him.
“That’s why. Stop sending it flying in weird directions, you gravel brat.”
“So, Gravel Brat?”
“If you’re not planning on buying anything, then get out of here. It’s annoying if you make noise in front of the store.”
Madara waved his hand as if to shoo them away and went back inside the store.
Boruto looked up at the man, holding Karasuki in his arms. The man didn’t seem to notice that his breathing was becoming irregular, and he was breathing heavily and making a soft noise.
“……do”
“Eh, Master?”
“…Why, in this day and age, that man?”
The man cannot hide his agitation and trembles as he looks at the entrance to the dumpling shop.
Boruto didn’t understand why his master was so flustered, and grew worried as the man’s face grew paler, but he picked up the karasuki again, being careful not to drop it, and gazed out at the entrance to the dango shop for a while.
Madara returned to the store and called the guard who was tidying the storeroom, took him to the back door, and had his clone appear. The guard, who had received an order out of nowhere, looked as if he wanted to say something along with his clone, but Madara left no room for argument as he spoke in a low voice.
“Go to Sarutobi. There’s someone in the village who knows me.”
?I think Boruto called Sasuke “san” in the anime version, but I’ve decided to call him “Otchan”
Episode 43
Under a cloudy sky, a single orange shadow runs up a gentle slope.
On the third day after returning from the past, after getting ready for the morning, Naruto headed towards Hiruzen.
Naruto had been curious about how Madara had been doing since he met the young man named Izuna, but Madara had never brought up the subject once.
Naruto realized that the young man was Madara’s deceased brother, and when Madara met Izuna, he had the most unreadable expression he had had in the years he had spent with Naruto. Madara had told him that his brother Izuna had died, but even though they were at different times, he was able to see his family again. The shock he felt would be immeasurable.
(I don’t know because I didn’t have a mom or dad or siblings to begin with. Is it okay for you to stay like this? You finally got to meet your family.)
Naruto thought as he ran up the slope.
After returning from the past, Izuna was captured and taken somewhere, and is now under strict surveillance, which will no doubt continue until he returns to his own time.
Naruto asked Sasuke if he had noticed anything about Madara, but Sasuke thought Madara looked the same as usual, which worried them both. Incidentally, Sasuke continues to stay at Naruto’s apartment even after his strange experience of traveling back in time.
His meeting with the young man Izuna was not a peaceful one, but if he was really Madara’s younger brother, Madara felt it would be a great shame if he never met or spoke to him, and instead returned to the past without even realizing it.
Naruto didn’t suspect that Hiruzen was in the Hokage room and continued running in silence.
He goes to ask directly if he can let Madara meet Izuna.
When Naruto arrived at the Hokage Tower, he was stopped by a security ninja and was told that Hiruzen was not there at the moment. According to the ninja, there was a high chance that he would not be back soon. He was told that it would be better to try again, so Naruto walked back the way he came with his shoulders slumped, thinking about where Hiruzen might be.
(Maybe she went to that guy’s place. If so, I don’t know where she is…)
He trudged along the road. Kakashi was still unable to move, so there was no group action and he was bored. Sasuke had gone home to get his things, so when he returned to the apartment, there was no one there. Madara was a dumpling shop owner. He could bring up Izuna and ask him if he was up to anything, but he probably couldn’t bring it up while he was working at the dumpling shop.
As he was walking and wondering what to do, Naruto suddenly had an idea and looked up.
“Hmm, I guess I’ll go to Kakashi-sensei’s place.”
Naruto turned the corner and walked rather quickly towards Konoha Hospital.
I only met Kakashi yesterday, but I’m sure he’s bored and reading Ichapara. He’s also the only member of Team 7 who can talk about Madara. Maybe after visiting him yesterday, Hiruzen contacted Kakashi and he got some new information.
Perhaps because he was thinking about various things, Naruto’s attention was distracted from his surroundings. As he walked quickly down a deserted road, he suddenly bumped into someone walking towards a fork in the road, causing the person to fall on his butt.
“Whoa!”
“Ah! Are you okay?”
The boy who bumped into Naruto was about the same age as him, with hair the same color as Naruto.
As soon as the boy saw Naruto’s face he cried out, a shocked look on his face and clutched both his cheeks with both hands.
“Ugh! I did it again…”
“I wasn’t looking straight ahead and I bumped into you. Sorry about that. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“Eh, huh? Ah… nothing! Sorry about that too!”
The boy stood up, patting the soiled area on his trousers, and replied with a smile at Naruto, who looked the boy over from top to bottom.
(Was there a guy like this in the village?)
Although people from outside the village do come and go, most of them are adults. Naruto was curious as to why he had never seen this boy, who seemed to be around his age, in the village before.
“Oh, we were in a hurry! Sorry for bumping into you! See you then!”
“Oh, hey! You said “we” but there was only one person! …Where is that guy from? Hmm?”
As Naruto watched the boy run away, he noticed something lying at his feet. A turtle-shaped figurine was rolling on the ground. Naruto picked it up, raised it up to his eyes, and turned it over to get a closer look.
“What’s this? A turtle? Looking closely, I can see it’s missing something… I think it’s a leg.”
It was a turtle figurine, but when tilted, its limbs drooped down, and although its texture was mechanical, it was recreated to look like a living thing. Looking closely, it was clear that a part of what appeared to be a hind leg was missing, and judging from the shape of the hole in the missing part, it looked like it could be fixed by simply fitting the part back in if there was one.
Naruto took his eyes off the turtle, thinking about chasing after the owner, but the boy was already nowhere to be seen.
“He’s not there anymore… I don’t really know, but if it was something important it’ll be a problem. I have to go look for him! Oh, that’s right. If the old man is at the store today, I’ll have him call out to me when he comes around!”
Naruto organized the contents of his pouch, shoved the turtle in there, and ran off to the dango shop where Madara was, instead of to Konoha Hospital as he had been heading for.
When they arrived in front of the dumpling shop, Madara was wiping the sign in front of the store, and when Naruto called out to him, he stopped and turned around.
“Uncle!”
“What? What are you doing alone?”
“Hey hey old man, have you seen a guy around my age with blonde hair like this?”
“A blonde brat…? Any other distinguishing features?”
“Um, a red vest? I think that’s it, he was wearing it. The one that said something like ‘whatever’.”
“Dattebasa? Maybe it’s the one from yesterday?”
“Hey, do you by any chance know, uncle?”
“Yeah. His belongings got caught on the roof of the shop yesterday.”
“For example, is it something like this?”
“That’s right, it’s shaped like a turtle…Naruto, why do you have it?”
“I bumped into him on the street just now. He dropped something.”
Madara stared down at the turtle in Naruto’s hand. Naruto seemed to be searching for the boy from yesterday – the boy called Boruto, but unfortunately Madara had not seen him today. His partner was wary of Madara, and in the first place, the two of them probably wouldn’t come near this area again. He would leave the turtle at the dumpling shop hoping that it would wander nearby and wait for its owner to come, but it would surely be in vain.
“He’s probably in the village anyway. I don’t know if he’ll come, but if I see him, I’ll let you know.”
“Uncle, I’m counting on you.”
“Hmm…”
Naruto asked Madara with both hands together. When Madara folded his arms and sighed, the turtle’s limbs suddenly moved. The turtle’s head, which had been hanging limply along with its limbs, turned towards Naruto.
“picture?”
“oh”
“…Warning, warning. An unexpected error occurred during time travel.”
“Ahhh! It spoke!”
Naruto threw the turtle he had in his hand towards Madara with all his might.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Madara were gathered around the turtle that was placed on the table in the apartment, looking down at it. Incidentally, the turtle hadn’t said a word since Naruto threw it at Madara in front of the dumpling shop.
Sasuke stared at the turtle intently, then turned his gaze to Naruto.
“What kind of turtle is this? Did this thing really talk?”
“He started talking. All of a sudden, his head turned around and he started looking over here.”
While Sasuke was picking up his belongings at his apartment, Naruto had apparently picked up something strange. Shortly after Sasuke returned, Madara had also returned from the dango shop, and the three of them were now looking at what looked like a turtle figurine that Naruto had picked up.
“I’m sure Error said something about this turtle.”
Madara said, crossing his arms.
“Really?”
“I haven’t been assigned to babysit, after all. I don’t know what the latest toy trends are… but I’m sure you guys know more about those sorts of things than I do. I don’t think a turtle like this will be popular, though.”
“I don’t think it’s popular.”
“I’ve never seen a turtle like this before.”
“…An error, huh?”
“Old man?”
Madara muttered softly.
If I heard correctly, the turtle said that an “unexpected error occurred during time travel.” Does this mean that the turtle can travel through time, which means that the events that Madara and his friends experienced until the other day can occur? It’s also possible that it’s just a toy’s voice function, though.
(… Should I take this to Sarutobi? It might be a clue to help me get Izuna back.)
Madara lightly strokes the turtle’s shell. The turtle doesn’t react at all, and it looks like it needs some kind of power source to move.
“Sasuke… if you ever see a blonde with a red vest, please let me know… I think he’s probably about our age.”
“Are there blondes like us? Naruto, if you don’t know him then I don’t know him either. Is there anyone like that in the village?”
“Hmm, I don’t know, but I knew it was someone I didn’t know.”
Sasuke recalled the faces of his classmates and underclassmen from the academy as far as he could remember. He had a feeling there were a few blonde kids, but when it came to people around his age, he couldn’t really think of anyone.
“Maybe I should tell Sakura about it tomorrow.”
“Yeah. It’s easier to find it if we all work together.”
“………………”
While Sasuke and Naruto were talking, Madara was alone, quietly watching the turtles.
Should he find the two owners and return the turtle? Regardless of the boy, what bothers him is the black man beside him who seems to be extremely wary of Madara. Who is that man who seems to know Madara? And what about the boy who was traveling with that man?
(I’ll look into it tonight. If I were to catch him, I think I could get some information from that kid easily.)
While Naruto and the others were returning the turtle to the boy, Madara was thinking about this as he looked down at the turtle coldly.
As Naruto and Sasuke’s breathing echoed in the bedroom, Madara quietly finished changing and went out through the living room window. With a soft thud, the young ninja on night watch landed next to Madara.
“Hey Tajima, it’s time for bed. Get back in bed.”
“you……”
“…”
“…”
“…Ah, well, well…”
“…I’m going to go look for the kid who was in front of the store yesterday.”
“The blonde… ah, the ones in front of that store.”
“Naruto and Sasuke are probably in a dream right now. You decide which side you’ll take.”
“Eh? Huh?”
With that dismissive remark, Madara created a shadow clone and each one ran out of the village at night. As Madara leapt onto the rooftops and turned a corner and disappeared, the guard unconsciously reached out to stop him, but it was all in vain, as the two shadows were lost sight of each other.
The supervisor lowered his hands, which had nowhere to go, and his expression dropped to a serious one.
“I guess I’m fired now.”
I keep losing track of my surveillance targets lately.
Whenever Madara acts independently, there is usually a reason for it, but in this current situation, not only has the supervisor lost sight of his target, but he is also receiving orders. In the first place, he never thought for the past few years that he could rival the legendary ninja Madara, but recently the hierarchical relationship with the target has been breaking down and becoming unclear. At this rate, it would not be surprising if he was relieved of his duties as a supervisor at any time.
Should I just leave it to Madara?
For a moment, the supervisor looked up at the sky and thought. Even if he sent clones to chase Madara, it would not be a good idea to expend chakra so recklessly, even if it was only a small amount, if something were to happen.
Madara had given the guards the choice of whether to remain in the apartment, which meant that this place could be targeted. Perhaps the targets would be the owners of the turtle.
The guard quietly sneaked into the apartment’s living room through the window Madara had come out of and opened the top drawer of the shelf. There was a notepad and a special edition of Ichapara stored there, and directly below that was a can of sweets. Dodging the Ichaparas, he quietly opened the lid of the can and found a turtle that belonged to the boys in question.
(…I have already told the Hokage that there are suspicious people in the village, but why do they…or is it just the men? Why do they know about Tajima?)
The supervisor closes the lid of the can, places Ichapara on top, and puts the drawer back in place.
From the bedroom nearby, Naruto and Sasuke could be heard breathing softly in their sleep.
Episode 44
In the corner of the training ground in the middle of the night, there were two figures: a boy leaning against a tree gazing at the stars, and a man putting out a bonfire. They were Boruto and his master, Sasuke. Near them were cups of instant ramen each. The instant ramen, with only the soup left, were their dinner.
The expressions on their faces were not exactly cheerful, and the sounds of insects and the occasional hoot of an owl echoed throughout the training ground.
“Boruto, when the sun rises, go and retrieve the Karasu-ki from Naruto. Okay? If you dropped it when you bumped into him, he should have it. He should be looking for you too.”
“What about Sasuke’s uncle? He has no intention of meeting my dad here, does he?”
“Don’t call me uncle, call me master. Ah, I have no intention of meeting Naruto. Once I retrieve Karasuki, I will quickly find the missing parts and leave this era.”
“Master, about that old man at the dumpling shop, was he ‘Tajima’? I think that’s what he was called… I heard him called that yesterday too, do you know anything about him?”
“…That man. He was the spitting image of a certain man. His appearance, voice, and the chakra I felt that time too. I found out after exploring the village again today, but it seems he really is working at the dumpling shop. Tajima…Tajima, I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before. Who’s name is that…I can’t remember.”
“Huh? It doesn’t seem like they’re very good acquaintances.”
“Boruto, you’ve learned about the Fourth Shinobi World War.”
“Huh? Oh, well, I learned it.”
“Then you also know about Uchiha Madara.”
“I know, but… I’m sure Dad and Master defeated him… Eh? But why is his name here?”
Boruto, who had been leaning against the tree, spurred Sasuke to listen and leaned forward. He knew the name “Uchiha Madara” because he had learned about it in class when he was at the academy. As Boruto began to gradually understand why his master Sasuke was wary of the man from the dumpling shop, his eyes widened in surprise.
“If my intuition is correct, that man at the dumpling shop is the spitting image of Uchiha Madara. I don’t know what his purpose in life is at the dumpling shop, but the chakra I felt when he approached was definitely his.”
“…Eh, what? Eh, but anyway, isn’t Madara from the same generation as the first Hokage? He was said to have been resurrected during the Fourth Shinobi World War, but he shouldn’t have been in the village of this era!”
“That’s right. He can’t be there. It would be strange if he wasn’t dead. In the first place, it’s a mystery why he’s working at a dumpling shop. What’s with that apron? This world may be different to the Konoha we know. Try not to get into contact with that man as much as possible. I’m sure there are broken parts for Karasuki somewhere. If we can get Karasuki to start up even temporarily, we might be able to get a clue as to where the parts are. …I’m going to go wash it. Boruto, you wait there.”
After saying that, Sasuke looked around for a bit, then collected the instant noodle container and headed towards the river. All that was left to do was throw the container away, but it seemed he was going to rinse it out lightly in the river water.
As Boruto heard Sasuke’s footsteps leaving, he looked up at the night sky again. There were a few more stars twinkling in the sky than when Boruto was there.
“…………Hmm? Master?”
While gazing at the brightest star next to the moon, Boruto suddenly felt a presence behind him and turned around the tree he was leaning against. He thought he heard the sound of leaves rustling, so he stared into the darkness. He stared into the darkness for a while, but he didn’t hear any particular sound or see any shadows of anything moving. It must have been a rabbit or a bird that moved just now. When Boruto turned forward with that thought in mind, a large hand reached out from behind where Boruto had been looking back and covered his mouth. Boruto panicked, unable to breathe from the sudden event, but he tried to stay calm for the time being, desperately trying to regulate his breathing as his nose was not blocked. Sasuke was not far away. He tried to buy time by returning soon, but he managed to calm his impatient feelings.
“Hmmmm…?…”
“…You’re smarter than I thought. Sorry, but let’s move to another location.”
The voice he heard above his head was the same one he had heard at the dumpling shop yesterday afternoon. It was the voice of a man named Tajima, who his master Sasuke had said was suspected of being “Uchiha Madara.”
(It’s him! Damn, I have to tell Master something!)
How long had he been nearby? If Sasuke hadn’t sensed him, did that mean he had no hostility? There was no need to worry about him being killed right away, but where was this Tajima man planning to take Boruto?
With his mouth still covered, Boruto was carried by one arm around his waist and taken somewhere out of the nighttime training grounds.
Boruto was taken to a research facility on the outskirts of the village.
Madara kicked open the window of a corner room on the first floor, then skillfully carried Boruto inside and threw him into the center of the room, where there was no glass. At the far end, opposite the window, stood an old man with a grim expression and a hat in hand.
“Whaaat?! Wait, that’s dangerous!”
“We just replaced that window… Tajima, why don’t you use the door when you come into the room? Oh dear.”
“If you don’t mind the others seeing this brat, then I’ll do it next time.”
“Um… Ah, perhaps!… Grandpa, the Third Hokage?”
“I see, so you know me. Hmm… I can’t talk in a room with a broken window. I’ll go check out the next room, so wait a moment.”
Unlike Madara, Hiruzen left the room through the door, checked the next room, and immediately beckoned the two from the hallway. Following Hiruzen’s invitation, Madara and Boruto entered a windowless room with nothing in it. The bleak room seemed to be a storage room. They turned on the light and closed the door, and silence enveloped the three of them.
“By the way, Tajima, you’ve been acting too independently lately.”
“I don’t know.”
Madara shrugged, not understanding what he was talking about.
While listening to the conversation between Hiruzen and Madara, Boruto was thinking about how he should inform his master, Sasuke, who was at the training grounds.
(This man was the Third Hokage, and was supposed to be Konohamaru’s brother’s grandfather. If the Third is still alive, does that mean that this is an era when Dad had just become a genin? But when I bumped into him today, he didn’t look much different from the Dad I met back in the previous era… what does that mean?)
Boruto looks back and forth between Madara and Hiruzen and thinks about this era.
Before arriving at the village of Konoha in this era, Boruto and his master Sasuke were in a similar time period, where they fought a deadly battle to protect the young Naruto from a monster named Urashiki of the Otsutsuki clan who had traveled back in time to the village of Konoha in the past, aiming to capture the Nine Tails sealed inside Naruto Uzumaki.
(We were supposed to go back to the future, but we were suddenly thrown here… Karasu was running fine that time. We defeated Urashiki during the time when Tsunade’s grandmother was Hokage, so when we got here, the number of Kaoiwa rocks had decreased, which is strange no matter how you look at it. Also, according to Master, there are people here who shouldn’t exist… Uwaaah, Master, help me…)
It seems like this era is facing some difficult problems.
As Boruto was thinking with a grim expression on his face, he suddenly felt someone looking at him, and when he raised his head, he realized Madara was looking down on him. The sharpness of that gaze made the hairs on his head stand on end. Swallowing the saliva that had been building up inside him, Boruto timidly looked back into Madara’s black eyes.
“Wh, what do you mean?”
“Hey, brats. What is your purpose in coming to the village?”
“Uh, uh, well…”
“That’s the reason I came to the village. What business are you in Konoha for?”
“Well, we are… traveling performers! We go from place to place.”
“Oh, a traveling entertainer… by the way, is this Bolt? You seem awfully wary of me, have we met somewhere before?”
“No, no, no. I don’t. There’s no way I know you or anything.”
“Yeah, me too. I don’t know any brats like you either. And there’s one other guy… the guy who was with me yesterday… I don’t know him either, but it seems like he knows him. So, do you know him? Right?”
“Sasu… Master, you know, he went to all sorts of places, so I was wondering if he might have seen you somewhere!”
“Then where did you see me?”
“That was…maybe sometime in the past, somewhere in town?”
Boruto broke out into a cold sweat.
Madara’s black eyes clearly conveyed his suspicions. If only the Hokage had been present, he might have been able to ask for his cooperation in the search for the Karasuki parts without having to tell him the whole truth about him being a human from the future, but Sasuke had just told him about Madara, and with a man he should be wary of nearby, Boruto couldn’t say anything careless.
Just as Boruto begins to shrink back, Hiruzen comes to his rescue.
“Now now, don’t bully me too much. Sorry, it seems you have company. I am Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage. I should introduce myself just in case. Tajima mentioned it earlier but just in case… what’s your name?”
“…Boruto. It’s Boruto, the third grandpa.”
“Boruto, huh? I’ve never seen you in the village either, but I think you were a traveling entertainer.”
Hiruzen’s words were gentler than Madara’s, and Boruto felt his tension ease a little. Boruto nodded in response to the question, and Hiruzen nodded in response.
Boruto breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Hiruzen would continue the conversation like this, but the sense of relief he felt for an instant was blown away by Madara’s voice coming from beside him.
“Sarutobi, that exchange is irrelevant. Gaki, I’ll let you know in advance that I’m in charge of your turtle.”
“What?! Why?! Daddy should have the Karasu-ki!”
“Does Dad have it?”
“Hash shima.”
Realizing his mistake, Boruto quickly covered his mouth with both hands. Madara’s eyes pierced Boruto even more sharply.
(That’s crazy… I mean, why is this guy holding a Karasu-ki? I bumped into my dad!)
Madara slowly approached Boruto. Boruto also stepped back, but after only a few steps he crashed into a wall. There was no way to escape.
“I see, I thought it was just junk, but that turtle is called a ‘Karasu’.”
“…”
“Now that I think of it, you met with Uzumaki Naruto during the day.”
“…Th-what is that?”
“Yes, if I remember correctly, that turtle Karasuuki also said something like… ‘An error occurred during time travel.'”
“H! That thing has been activated! Seriously… Karaskii…”
Boruto’s weak voice came out from the back of his throat.
Madara continued to look down at Boruto with an extremely cold look on his face. He couldn’t hide anything or run away. Boruto suddenly noticed something odd about the man called Tajima, who his master Sasuke was wary of, talking calmly with the Hokage.
(W-wait a minute… My master said that this guy might be Madara Uchiha, so isn’t it weird that the enemy is on friendly terms with the Hokage? Damn, I have to tell Sasuke uncle! What should I do…?)
Boruto doesn’t know much about Madara Uchiha. After all, he only learned about him in textbooks at the academy in the future. But it’s not hard to imagine that the battle with Madara during the Fourth Shinobi World War was fierce.
Boruto must have repeated the words “This is bad” in his head countless times.
The Hokage Hiruzen and Madara were his comrades, that was the answer Boruto found in his head, and his blood went colder and colder. If he lied poorly, there would be no guarantee of his life.
Madara’s eyes pierce Boruto coldly.
“When it comes to Dad… well, the world is full of unimaginable things. Boruto, then your name is… well, that’s it.”
Madara stopped speaking for a moment, smiled darkly, approached Boruto and covered him with his own shadow.
“…So, Uzumaki Boruto? Let’s have you tell us everything.”
The bolt that was being stuffed into Madara looked like it was about to collapse at any moment.
Hiruzen walked over to the two of them with a swift cry. After clearing his throat, Hiruzen swiftly struck Madara in the side with a chopping motion.
“Hey Tajima! If you keep doing that, you won’t be able to say anything.”
Episode 45
“That’s a very blunt admission.”
“Ugh…”
The cornered Uzumaki Boruto confessed rather easily. He admitted that the turtle was a time travel device and that they had come from the future, so there was no doubt about it.
Madara was the one who interrogated him, but he almost grimaced when the boy spilled something he hadn’t expected.
(Have you considered the risks of lying? With the Izuna incident and everything, there has been no end to trouble lately…)
Madara shook his head and shrugged, wondering if this was what a painful headache was. However, the shadow clone was soon released and he chuckled as memories flooded in. An interesting memory had been passed on from the shadow clone that had been in contact with Boruto’s companion.
After leaving the apartment, it made the guards think that the real body and the shadow clone had gone in different directions, but in reality they were heading to the same place, but at different times.
Just before Madara kidnapped Boruto, Madara’s shadow clone arrived at the training grounds and lured Sasuke away from Boruto. Madara hadn’t launched a surprise attack, so he had no fighting spirit and was surprisingly not noticed.
(That guy poured the leftover soup from his cup ramen on me. Why did he have a cup ramen container with leftover soup in it in the first place…but more importantly, does he know at least a little about my fighting style? I don’t know how he knows, but if this brat is from the future, that guy must know too. There’s an age difference between them like that of a father and son, but they’re not related by blood…The fact that he called Naruto his father shows that they’re close…)
The image of Sasuke’s sleeping face that he had seen just before leaving the apartment flashed through Madara’s mind. He remembered Naruto’s outstretched arm touching his torso as he slept with a look of annoyance on his face.
Madara thought that Sasuke was someone who seemed to be closely related to Boruto and his father, judging from the man’s aura, since he had easily let slip that Naruto was his father. So far, he didn’t remember doing anything to deserve a grudge, but there might have been some trouble in the future.
(Either their memories of me have been erased, or–)
Even if Madara is lucky enough to return to his original time, I can’t imagine that Naruto won’t tell his child anything in the future. From their previous interactions, Boruto probably doesn’t know much about Madara. Other than that he’s a man to be wary of. There’s a strong sense of anxiety in Boruto’s eyes as he looks up at Madara.
(That means I don’t know this kid. I only know the guy.)
According to the conversation Madara had with Hashirama and Tobirama, who had been resurrected by Edo Tensei, it is highly likely that they came to a different Konoha village from the original era Madara was in. It is possible that they, like Madara, came from an unrelated timeline.
I don’t know what time period this boy named Boruto comes from, but if Naruto is his father, I can assume that he comes from a few decades into the future, at most.
(What happened to that arm and that hidden left eye? Well, it doesn’t really matter if the kid’s companion is Sasuke. More importantly, it’s that turtle called Karasuki. I’ll find out how to use it. But before that… he’s here.)
Madara grabbed Boruto by the collar, who looked as if he would have collapsed at any moment if he hadn’t leaned against the wall, and pulled him to a standing position. Boruto, who was forced to stand upright, glared at Madara, making a strange noise as his neck was squeezed.
“Guh, what’s with that all of a sudden?”
“Rejoice, little brat. Your companions are coming this way.”
“Eh, Master!”
After hearing Madara’s words, Boruto looked left and right, impatiently awaiting his master’s arrival.
“Hey Sarutobi, lure him to his room. That’ll work better than if I go.”
“You’re using me. Who do you think you are?”
“You’re the Third Hokage, right?”
“Hmm… I guess I have no choice but to go. Wait here. The elderly really do deserve to be looked after. Right, Boruto?”
Asked for his consent, Boruto nodded timidly.
Hiruzen shook his head in exasperation at Madara, then put on the Hokage hat he was holding and moved to leave the room. At that moment, suddenly, the sound of glass breaking and the noise of someone chasing something were heard from a distant room. A little later, a voice called out to Hiruzen from the hallway.
“…What’s going on?”
When Hiruzen stepped out into the corridor, a ninja with an injury on his face ran in from the back and knelt down in front of him with a desperate look on his face. His body was so wobbly that he looked like he might collapse at any moment. The ninja spoke in a serious voice.
“Uchiha Izuna has escaped!”
A man is seen running through the forest at night, his cloak fluttering in the wind.
Sasuke was in the training ground with Boruto. Sasuke looked a little annoyed and was just aiming for one thing.
(So ??your target was only Boruto from the beginning!)
Sasuke was heading towards the village’s research facility. Although it was called a research facility, it wasn’t particularly used, and was more of a warehouse where documents were kept.
“Why did he kidnap Boruto…”
The guy Sasuke was referring to was Madara, who had appeared at the training grounds earlier.
After eating cup ramen with Boruto, Sasuke sensed something ominous and pretended to go wash the container so Boruto wouldn’t notice, then headed alone to the source of the noise.
He knew he was being lured out, but he thought that it would be easier to deal with the situation and cause less damage if Sasuke went alone rather than being attacked together with Boruto.
At his destination, Sasuke came face to face with Madara’s shadow clone that he had met at the dumpling shop.
(The reason he was so unmotivated was because he had no intention of fighting me in the first place. Damn it. Why is that guy here in this day and age?)
In the thick forest near the training ground, Sasuke had a hard time with Madara, who was hiding. If he had come to fight him head on, he could have neutralized him, but Madara just provoked Sasuke and didn’t use his Sharingan or any other jutsu. Sasuke thought Madara was a battle maniac, so he was unnecessarily cautious and couldn’t catch him.
He recalls a memory from a while ago and looks into the distance.
(Looking back, that guy was rampaging around even without both eyes…)
He also remembered Madara stabbing him where his heart would have been. Thinking about Madara’s arrogant attitude at the time, he thought to himself that he was a despicable man.
(If I hadn’t fought Urashiki, I could have moved a little more…)
Sasuke had recently experienced an incident that drained his chakra, and although he had been resting for a period of time, his chakra and physical strength had not fully recovered. If Sasuke had recovered his chakra and had the leeway, he would have easily smashed a shadow clone and rushed back to Boruto. If he was in top condition, it should have been easy to stop Madara’s movements.
The moment I spat the remaining instant noodle soup all over Madara in a fit of desperation, I felt relieved when he gave me a look of genuine disgust.
Holding the empty container in one hand, Sasuke pushed forward into the forest at night.
Just as I was about to see the facility I was looking for, I stopped in my tracks as I sensed something approaching from ahead.
(Who is that?!)
The presence, not seeming to have noticed Sasuke yet, was steadily approaching. Pushing aside the branches and leaves, a young man clad in long black clothing appeared from behind a tree.
“What?! You got there first…!”
The impatient-looking young man stood before Sasuke and prepared for battle.
Sasuke felt a sense of déjà vu when he saw the outfit the young man was wearing, and faced him suspiciously, an empty instant noodle container in one hand.
“Could you please move out of the way?”
“What do you mean? I feel like I’m being chased.”
“None of your business. Forget you ever saw me here.”
“……?”
Not quite able to comprehend the situation after what the young man said, Sasuke continued to stare at him. The fact that he didn’t deny that he was being chased meant that he was probably really on the run from somewhere. Judging from the direction, it seemed like they were fleeing from the facility Sasuke was heading towards, but even if he tried to confirm this, judging from the young man’s state, he probably wouldn’t answer.
(What’s going on at the research facility in the back? I need to meet up with Boruto quickly. I can’t figure out Madara’s intentions now, so I need to stop saying unnecessary things…)
The priority right now was rescuing Boruto, not dealing with the young man in front of him.
Sasuke decided to pretend he hadn’t seen the young man and let him go. As he tried to move aside to make way for him, he saw the young man’s eyes glow red. It was the Sharingan.
“What eyes!”
“You’re probably one of those guys from this unknown village. If you resist… I won’t show you any mercy.”
“Wait! I’m not one of the people chasing you.”
“No excuses!”
The young man approached with shining red eyes. After Sasuke dodged the attacking young man with light steps, his eyes widened when he saw the family crest on the back of his costume.
“The Uchiha family crest?”
Sharingan and the attire of the Uchiha clan. In this time period, the only Uchiha human in the village was Sasuke Uchiha, but here he was.
Episode 46
Sasuke paid close attention to the eyes of the young man in Uchiha attire in front of him, and as he scanned his surroundings he sensed several presences heading in his direction.
Perhaps they were the young man’s pursuers. If Sasuke were to be found, it would surely become troublesome. He should disappear immediately.
However, he had almost reached where Boruto was. He wanted to retrieve Boruto from Madara’s hands as soon as possible and reunite with him. He wanted to somehow lose the young man and head to the facility. However, he wondered if it was okay to let the young man run wild.
At that time, Sasuke had probably left the village, but he still knew that this young man was an irregular being. Was it okay to leave this young man, who probably didn’t exist in the past, alone?
(What happens to this guy after he gets caught?)
Sasuke decided to stay here until the very last moment in order to determine what kind of person the young man’s pursuer was.
After continuing to glare at each other, they exchanged punches at the same time and quickly put some distance between them.
The young man’s red eyes fixed sharply on Sasuke.
“…It’s just for defense. What have you been holding in your right hand all this time?”
“I have no reason to fight you. This… I forgot to throw it away.”
Sasuke tilted the cup slightly towards the young man. It was empty, and unfortunately he couldn’t spill the contents out like he had done to Madara’s shadow clone earlier.
He had the appearance of a young man, but the more he looked at him the more nostalgic he felt, and when he noticed that the attire was similar to that worn by a man who was a friend of Kakashi’s during the old war, his brow furrowed slightly.
(That costume…it’s similar to the one Obito Uchiha wore back then. It’s an old costume that was no longer worn when I was a child. Something is strange about this era, like Madara the dumpling maker. What’s going on? And then…here he comes!)
The presence grew closer, and then one shadow picked up momentum and was the first to jump in between Sasuke and the young man. Then, a short time later, a small blonde shadow leapt in front of Sasuke.
Boruto appeared in front of Sasuke.
“Master!!”
Boruto, with several leaves tangled in his hair, called out to Sasuke.
“Are you okay, Boruto? Did anything happen to you?”
“I’m fine! But there’s something I need to tell you!”
Boruto put both hands together and bowed his back as if apologizing to Sasuke. Standing behind Boruto, back to back with him, was Madara, who had sent a shadow clone at Sasuke. Madara was silently facing the young man.
The eyes of the young man facing Madara waver with anxiety.
“…Brother.”
“…Izuna, return to the facility.”
Madara, the young man, and Izuna call out to each other.
Izuna’s eyes lit up slightly when he saw that Madara hadn’t denied it.
“I thought you were my brother. I don’t know why you changed your name, but what are you doing here?”
“…”
Sasuke flinched at the young man’s name. It was a name he’d heard before.
“…Izuna? Don’t tell me, you’re Uchiha Izuna?”
“Master?”
Ignoring Boruto’s call, Sasuke focused on Madara and Izuna.
The young man, Izuna, had a confused look on his face.
(Izuna… Uchiha Izuna was Madara’s younger brother’s name. But all of Madara’s younger brothers are dead. If it wasn’t some sort of Edo Tensei technique, could it be that Izuna was caught up in some kind of space-time ninjutsu like us and ended up in this village?)
Sasuke hid Boruto behind his back and watched the exchange between Izuna and Madara.
“Why… why aren’t you answering me, brother?”
“Just come back right now. And I’m not… your brother.”
“… So you’re one of them then? If you’re not my brother, then why are you mentioning my father’s name? Who do you think you are?”
“…”
“If you won’t admit that he’s your brother, there are plenty of ways to prove it!”
“Eh, guys, what? Brothers? What do you mean?”
Boruto looked confused and exclaimed, “Erm?”
A young man named Izuna sees Madara and says he is his brother. Boruto stands beside Sasuke, holding his breath in surprise at this unexpected presence.
A soft breeze gently blew through Madara’s long hair.
“…!”
“…”
Izuna moved first. He thrust his fist in front of Madara’s face as if to dazzle him, but it was easily dodged. Madara grabbed his wrist to stop Izuna’s movement, but Izuna, undeterred, spun his body around and aimed for Madara’s waist with a spin kick. Boruto blinked at the gracefulness of the young man’s movements.
As Izuna’s body twisted due to the change in direction, Madara let go of his grip. Not missing the opportunity, Izuna put some distance between them, quickly made a seal, and spat out flames.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
Madara instantly understood what seal Izuna had made and countered it with the same technique.
Boruto grimaced at the heat of the flames emanating from the two of them.
“Ats… it looks like a sibling quarrel has broken out, wait, Master, what should we do about this!”
“If we’re not careful, this whole area will be reduced to ashes… Hey, Boruto, what are you doing?”
“We can’t keep doing this! You two wait a bit!”
As soon as the flames died down, Boruto raised his hands and stepped in between the two of them. The sudden intruder made them both stop moving, and Madara turned to Boruto and scolded him.
“Don’t rush forward so suddenly, look at the situation. Do you want to die?”
?That’s not what I meant! Let’s calm down for now!?
Boruto said as he waved his hands around, trying to persuade him. Izuna’s eyes had also turned back to a calm black, red color, perhaps because his attention had been drawn away from Madara.
“I don’t know if you and this guy are brothers, but there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Boruto! Do you realize what a dangerous thing you’ve done?”
Sasuke rushed to Boruto’s side and pulled him away from the two of them.
“Sorry, Master! If you’re going to lecture me, I’ll listen to it properly later! Anyway, Big Brother, why don’t you go back to where you were earlier?”
“You think I’d go back to normal? You don’t know this, but I was imprisoned there.”
“Eh? Well, well, well! I’m sure Tajima-san thinks the same! He says we should go back there for now.”
“…”
Madara turns to Izuna, who appears calm, but is always keeping an eye on the situation, ready to escape at any time.
No one responded, so Boruto pleaded again, flapping his arms tentatively.
“Even if you don’t come back, we’ll stop fighting like brothers.”
“Hey, Uzumaki Boruto.”
Madara called out to Boruto, Sasuke’s eyes widened when he realized he knew Boruto’s last name.
“! Why did you tell Boruto’s name… to this man?”
“Oh no. Hey, wait a second, something I never expected… happened…”
Sasuke called out sternly to Boruto. Boruto flinched at the harsh tone of Sasuke’s voice and gradually shrunk.
Rather than thinking about how to end this situation, Sasuke hung his head in the knowledge that his true identity may have been revealed.
“Haa…”
As Izuna waits for an opportunity to escape, Madara and Boruto try to bring him back to where he came from.
Then, everyone except Boruto sensed another presence approaching the place, and the three of them turned in that direction.
As Izuna tries to escape, Madara quickly blocks his path and stops him.
Hiruzen appeared from deep in the shadows of the dark trees, wearing the Hokage hat.
“He’d come so far. Who would have thought he’d incapacitated all the ninja on guard, smashed the windows and escaped. We’ve had to replace two windows just today… What a pain.”
“Oh, Grandpa Hokage!”
Hiruzen walked briskly up to Madara and Izuna. Izuna was wary of Hiruzen approaching and slowly backed away, but Madara grabbed his arm tightly, immobilizing him.
“!”
“…”
“Let go…let go, brother.”
“…”
Madara’s grip did not ease despite Izuna’s pleas.
Once Hiruzen was sure that Izuna was no longer able to escape, he then turned towards Sasuke.
“Now then, you there. I believe you are the companion of this boy named Boruto.”
“……ah”
“I believe he was a traveling entertainer. Have you just arrived in the village?”
“…”
“You don’t need to be so cautious. I have no intention of telling you anything bad.”
“Are you planning to negotiate?”
“That’s about it. Now, Uzumaki Boruto and his companions.”
Want to make a deal?
Episode 47
“Um, so what you’re saying is, in exchange for providing us with a place to stay until we can return home, you want us to help this guy get back home?”
“That’s the simple answer.”
After hearing Hiruzen’s story, Boruto gave a simple summary. Boruto was a little taken aback by what he had heard.
Here’s what Hiruzen told Boruto and Sasuke:
“This young man is from a past era.”
“We are searching for a surefire way to return you to your original time, but have not found one yet.”
“This matter is kept top secret even within the village, and only a few ninja know about it.”
“In exchange for helping us search for the missing parts and allowing us to stay in the village, could we bring this young man back to the past when Boruto and the others return to the future?”
Hiruzen spoke in a very calm tone.
Boruto’s slip of the tongue had convinced both Hiruzen and Madara that the two were time-traveling. Normally they wouldn’t believe it so easily, but they had recently unintentionally traveled back in time and brought Izuna back with them.
“What do you think? It’s not a bad idea.”
“……Understood”
Sasuke, who was being offered a deal, thought for a while and then nodded to Hiruzen’s proposal. The time travel device, Karasuski, was not currently in Sasuke’s possession, and he judged that if he refused the deal, it would be difficult to get it back.
Karasuki was able to start for a moment even with the missing parts, but it seems to have stopped working again. It’s unclear when the parts will be found. It’s not a bad deal if they’re given a place to live, rather than being treated as illegal immigrants.
“Well, I’ll arrange a room later…Tajima.”
“…”
“Because of what happened earlier, all of the people who were assigned to watch over Uchiha Izuna are now unable to move.”
“…”
“…We can’t let things get any worse by adding any more people. If others find out that there are so many people from the past, there’s a danger that the device used by Uchiha Izuna and the others, Boruto, could be targeted and misused. That being said, there’s no one else I can trust right now.”
“…”
“Well then, Tajima. I’d like to give you a mission…”
Hiruzen kept his mouth shut and looked troubled for a moment.
Madara somehow understood what Hiruzen was trying to convey, and his grip on Izuna’s arm tightened a little.
“I will let anyone going to the dumpling shop know tomorrow that they will be staying with Izuna and keeping an eye on him until the device is operational.”
In the morning, warm light pours into the living room of the apartment.
Naruto and Sasuke woke up to the sound of sparrows chirping and froze with wide eyes at the person in the living room.
“Wh-what?”
“You’re awake? Go wash your face.”
“Wha-wha-what?”
Seated on a chair at the dining table was a young man with short, black hair, just like Madara’s.
The young man looked at the scratched part of the table with a sullen expression.
Naruto was so shocked he couldn’t find the words to say, but the words he managed to utter echoed painfully through Sasuke’s sleepy head.
“Why is that guy in my house?”
Naruto and Sasuke were woken up by Madara’s gentle smack while they were in bed, and they surrounded Izuna, wondering what was going on.
Madara, whether he knew what Naruto and the others were doing or not, paid no attention as he took the dishes out of the shelf and lined them up. At the same time, the sound of bread toasting came from the toaster in the kitchen, and he placed it on top of the plates. Then, taking the frying pan with the fried eggs on it, which must have been cooked all at once, he scooped them up one by one with a spatula and placed them on top of the bread.
Naruto and Sasuke looked up at Madara in shock.
“You guys hurry up and eat and go to Kakashi’s place.”
“Y-yes. I’ll go to Kakashi-sensei’s place later, but, hey, what, Otchan?! What are you doing baking bread or something?! So why is that guy here?”
“He acted violently, he ran away, and I ended up seeing him here. That’s all.”
?No, that’s sloppy! I want you to explain it a little more carefully!?
“Hmm… What would happen if word spread that we had brought back a person from the past? Normally Kakashi would have been the one chosen, but now is not possible. Circumstances are what they are. Understand.”
“Eh, uh…”
“O-Ossan…are you out of your mind?”
“I’m sane. In fact, my mind is probably clearer than yours when you just woke up.”
What had happened while they were sleeping? Naruto and Sasuke’s expressions became frowned upon.
Hiruzen had ordered Madara to keep an eye on Izuna purely for personnel reasons. Rather than assigning someone new, having Madara and the members of Team 7, who already knew the situation, keep watch over him would prevent any new information from leaking within the village. Madara was already under surveillance, so Hiruzen probably wanted them to keep an eye on Izuna as well.
“Hey, Otchan? I’ll just pretend I understand for now, but what are we going to do about a place to sleep?”
Naruto asked, tilting his head. The three others except Izuna looked towards the bedroom. Even now that Sasuke was staying over, the bed that Naruto and Madara had been using had been set up to secure a sleeping space. It was not impossible to lay a futon on the floor, but there was no space that was that spacious.
Sasuke spoke up.
“…Old man, I’m going back to my house.”
“That’s right, Naruto, Sasuke. Buy a set of futons on your way home.”
“No, when I get home.”
“Sasuke is back?”
“We should probably go home. It’s a bit cramped for four people.”
“It’s small, but we can still fit in. Anyway, both me and the old man are usually away on missions during the day. It’s only at night.”
“Right now Kakashi can’t move so we’re probably bored.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Naruto laughs and covers it up, saying he forgot.
“So, can I go to Sasuke’s house?”
It would be fine for three people, but with one more adult it would be too cramped. Naruto asked Sasuke as if he had come up with a good idea.
“You’ve been here before, so you know there’s nothing to do when you come to my place.”
“Then only during the day! Only when you’re free!”
“What are you doing here in the middle of the day?”
“… Planning our future strategy?”
“What?”
Although Naruto was surprised at first that they were suddenly going to have another person living with them, he was already acting just like his usual self, and Sasuke’s face twitched again as he answered.
Izuna, who is caught in between them, has an annoyed look on his face.
Naruto gestured towards Madara with a thumbs up in acknowledgement.
“Well well, I understand for now, Otchan! But what about a place to sleep? What about Sasuke? Who’s going to sleep downstairs?”
“Well, it’ll probably be me or that guy, I guess. I’m staying with them anyway.”
“Sasuke, if you say that, then you’re right too.”
Madara put the frying pan back on the stove and looked down at Izuna, who was still sandwiched between the two of them continuing their conversation.
Naruto and Sasuke no longer show any signs of being wary of Izuna, who was more of an enemy until just the other day. Perhaps they are overconfident, thinking that if Madara is watching, he won’t be able to escape.
Madara reaches for the toast.
While Madara was eating his toast, Naruto and Sasuke started talking about where to sleep. Izuna was so surprised at how quickly they were adapting that he instinctively looked around to either side of them, but the two of them didn’t seem to notice him.
“Right, can I put Sasuke’s things on the shelf over here for a bit? I need to make a place to put my futon. It’s already full over there.”
“I thought that old man’s Ichapara was there, that shelf. I don’t want to put my tools next to Ichapara.”
“Oh, Ichapara is over there. Then I’ll put it there, how about you use the one below?”
“I-Ichapara? Ichapara…?”
When Izuna heard the unfamiliar word “Ichapara,” he looked back and forth between Naruto and Sasuke. When Naruto realized he was being watched, he turned back to Izuna. Sasuke, on the other hand, gave Izuna a quick glance before heading to the bedroom.
“Hmm? Big Bro, are you interested in Ichapara? Ichapara is a book called Icha Icha Paradise that my uncle and Kakashi-sensei read.”
“Naruto, hurry up and eat and go visit Kakashi. Sasuke, you clean up later.”
Madara’s slightly loud voice pierced Naruto’s ears.
Sasuke had started organizing his belongings that he had placed near the bedroom, and returned to the living room as soon as Madara called him.
“Everyone knows that you’re reading Ichapara, so there’s no need to hide it now.”
“If you don’t want anything shoved in your mouth then sit there and start eating. Hurry up.”
“Huh?”
“…I-Ichi Icha Paradise?”
Izuna’s confused voice filled the air.
Naruto and Sasuke began eating their breakfast in silence, and Madara didn’t reply, so Izuna’s questions remained unanswered.
Episode 48
Naruto and Sasuke met up with Sakura and went to visit Kakashi.
When Naruto entered the hospital room and told Kakashi about Izuna, he couldn’t believe his ears.
“So anyway, Kakashi-sensei, that guy is at my house right now.”
“Wait. What’s the matter?”
“That’s right, Kakashi-sensei. I was so surprised when I heard it too that I had to ask again.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Sakura lets out a small sigh.
As Kakashi raised his still slightly heavy body, he thought about Madara.
(What was the Hokage thinking about Tajima-san? That person must be a relative of Tajima-san. He gave orders to Tajima-san, but seeing him at Naruto’s apartment means that Team 7 can’t be unrelated, right?)
Madara is supposed to be watching over him, but Madara is the one being watched in the first place. Hiruzen probably didn’t leave Izuna’s watch over Madara alone. The fact that he’s at Naruto’s house means that Sasuke, who is staying with Naruto, of course, is also in charge, so it’s safe to assume that Team 7 has also been assigned a mission.
(Maybe this is a mission that was meant to come to me.)
He was due to be released from the hospital tomorrow, so he thought about stopping by Naruto’s apartment.
A loud flapping of wings was heard from outside. A crow that had been perched on a branch of a tree visible from the window spread its wings and flew off, soaring into the blue sky.
“So, Sasuke and I are going futon shopping later today, so listen up, Kakashi-sensei!”
“What?”
“We can’t decide where to sleep, so we’re going to fight over it this evening! No matter how you look at it, the uncle is bound to win!”
“I will absolutely stop the three of you from sleeping on the floor, Naruto.”
Naruto said to Kakashi in a displeased tone.
Sasuke nodded with a frown on his face, as if to say he thought the same.
Kakashi frowned, confused by the two of them.
“…Hey, aren’t you just taking it for granted too much? Maybe I’m the weird one?”
“It’s okay, Kakashi-sensei. I just don’t really understand it yet.”
Kakashi almost forgot for a moment what kind of person Izuna was.
“Even if you’re worried… right, Sasuke?”
Sasuke nodded in agreement.
Just like Naruto and Sasuke when they time-traveled, they were really strong-willed. Kakashi felt a sense of dread about the future of these two.
“…Just because Tajima-san is here, don’t let your guard down, okay?”
“Yes! Otchan! I think this should be a team battle!”
Naruto’s loud voice echoed throughout the training grounds at dusk.
Naruto, Sasuke, Madara, and Izuna were gathered at the training ground. The four of them had come to the training ground simply to compete for a place to sleep tonight.
“We won’t let the old man win alone! So we’re going to take this guy!”
“Oh I see, then if I win you three get to sleep on the floor.”
“Heh. I won’t give up victory that easily! Right, Oniichan!”
“Eh, uh…”
Izuna’s displeased reaction was soothed by Naruto, who put both hands together and said, “It’s alright.” Then, during the strategy meeting, Naruto took Sasuke and Izuna and left Madara.
“Hey Naruto, you’re an old man. What are you going to do with the number of these increasing?”
“If you can do something to catch the old man’s attention, you might have a chance.”
“The old man is always on guard, expecting something to happen to us, so an ordinary trap won’t distract him.”
?That’s it, that’s it. But that’s exactly why it’s my turn as a big brother!?
“Eh, what?”
When Naruto pointed his finger at Izuna, he frowned in displeasure.
Beckoned to lend his ear, Izuna bent down a little and listened to what Naruto had to say.
“I’m going to teach you my special technique, so that it’ll stop you in your tracks.”
“……Huh?”
Wondering whether any kind of technique would work on the Madara, Izuna glanced over at Madara, who now went by the name Tajima and was slightly older than the brother he remembered.
(…For a child like this? How could that even happen?)
“Sniff… You idiot, Naruto! You’re not teaching me weird stuff, are you?” There’s no way! It’s not good to eavesdrop, old man!”
“Then what’s with Sasuke’s shocked look beside him?!”
Madara’s loud, half-annoyed voice reached Naruto and the others from a little distance away.
When Naruto realized that Madara hadn’t discovered what they had talked about, he began to whisper to Izuna again.
“…It’ll be pointless if Occhan finds out…So, what I wanted to say earlier was that it was a charm technique!”
Izuna wondered if he had misheard.
Naruto conveyed the image of the technique. Izuna wanted to ask if he was serious about it, but he was a little curious to see how he would react, so he reluctantly learned the “Charm Technique”. He wondered if he would ever use it outside of this situation today.
Sasuke and Naruto, dripping with sweat, desperately try to get Madara to give a signal of surrender. In contrast to the two of them, Izuna, despite being at a disadvantage, continues to spar with Madara with a cool look on his face.
If this continued, Madara would be the winner, and the three of them would end up sleeping together on the same small futon.
“Sasuke! We have no choice but to do this! Let’s go!”
“Yeah. Hey, Izuna or whatever.”
“Izuna. We don’t need that blah blah blah.”
“Ready, go! Do it after the count!”
“…What is this, huh?”
Izuna took some distance from Madara and turned his attention to Sasuke.
Sasuke had a calm expression on his face and he and Naruto were concentrating on Madara.
Right now the three of them were working together to take away Madara’s right to sleep in his bed, but why was Sasuke speaking in such a commanding tone to someone who wasn’t even a friend to begin with?
Naruto had told Izuna that they looked alike so they actually compared their faces in the bathroom sink in their apartment, but Izuna narrowed his eyes as it was rare for him to be so unhappy when someone said they looked alike.
“…Yes, yes. I guess it really works.”
?It will definitely work! Well then… let’s go!?
Naruto and Sasuke ran towards Madara first. Madara made a light swatting motion with both hands, wondering if they were coming at the same time as usual. Just as he was thinking about grabbing Naruto and Sasuke by the collar and throwing them to the side, he saw Izuna running towards him from behind with a troubled look on his face. Madara frowned, wondering what had happened, seeing his rather sour expression.
(…What, I never thought Izuna would make such a face. I don’t think I’ve seen that often.)
“Now! Big Bro! Ready, go!”
“…Okay, okay, here we go… ?Charm Technique?.”
“!”
When the transformation technique was activated, a woman with long, straight black hair appeared from the smoke.
Madara’s eyes widened and he quickly brought his fist down on Naruto and Sasuke, and before the smoke that rose from the activation of the technique cleared, he lightly brought his fist down on Izuna’s head as well.
Although it was a light blow, the impact broke Izuna’s technique and he slowly fell to his bottom next to Naruto and Sasuke, staggering.
Madara’s cold, terrifying eyes looked down at Naruto.
“Naruto… it’s you”
“…”
“And of all people, you…”
“…N-no…I guess even Otsan would be surprised if Big Brother did it.”
“Don’t insinuate unnecessary things into people from the past. Why didn’t Sasuke stop him?”
“I wanted to see your reaction.”
“… Really. Ah, of all things… of all things, it was the ‘Sex Appeal Technique’…”
Madara sighed deeply, clutching his brow.
“I was thinking about doing the Millennium Kill, but I thought it might be a bit too much to set up a Millennium Kill on the old man. He’s a professional after all.”
“Who’s a professional? Who’s a professional?”
“What? A thousand year kill?”
“Big bro, are you interested? The Millennium Kill is awesome, Izuna, don’t be interested.”
Madara tries to stop him, but unfortunately for him, Naruto has already pretty much said it.
“Huh?”
“…”
Izuna looked up at Madara with a look of deep emotion in his eyes. Madara quickly looked away, folded his arms and went quiet.
Naruto whispered to Izuna.
“I’ll tell you later.”
Naruto received a heavy blow to the head.
In the end, Naruto and Sasuke ended up sharing the bunk that night.
When Naruto and the others were completely asleep, Izuna carefully moved over to Madara, who was sitting in a dining chair, trying to make as little noise as possible, and stood opposite him.
“…Brother, wait a second.”
“…It’s Tajima. That’s why I’m telling you it’s a case of mistaken identity.”
“You know who that name belongs to, don’t you?”
Izuna quietly pulled out a chair and sat down facing Madara.
“…Right, I get it. I get it. I can imagine that my brother is in a panic right now because I’m gone and can’t do anything about it.”
“…What do you want? It would be easier for me if you just went to bed.”
“…Tajima…”
“…”
“How long have you lived in this village? We lost that battle. Izuna. It’s been four years since I came here.” …Four years.
Izuna lowered his voice when he was interrupted.
Madara has no intention of telling Izuna what is going to happen next, even as he erases his memories when returning him to his own time.
Madara promises to find parts for a time travel device called Karasuki to Boruto and his friends, who say they are from the future, but since it has worked once before, Madara believes that it can still be used as is if they can somehow find a power source. If they can figure out how to use it while Boruto and his friends are there, it will not be difficult for Madara and his friends to use the device to return Izuna.
“You should be back soon. There’s no need to worry.”
“Tajima is…”
“Well, you don’t need to worry about it.”
“…You always seem to keep secrets… I guess that hasn’t changed since the old days.”
“…”
Izuna looked down sadly as Madara still didn’t reply.
“Well, it’s fine. Those two sleeping now, Uzumaki Naruto and… what is their relationship with Sasuke? Why is this guy Sasuke here?”
“Sasuke has been through a lot lately so we’re just together.”
“My family?”
“…I’m alone now.”
“Now? No, I’m alone.”
“Not yet. My brother will be back soon. That’s the plan.”
“I have a brother. So I’m not alone. But for how long?”
“…It shouldn’t be too far away.”
“…So you’re saying you can’t come back right away?”
Izuna leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling.
Madara seemed to want Izuna to fall asleep quickly, just like Naruto and the others were in the bedroom, but Izuna ignored the slight drowsiness he felt and continued trying to talk to Madara, knowing that he wouldn’t let him have his way.
Izuna knew that the ongoing battle between the Uchiha and Senju was not going well, no matter how many times they fought. Many of his allies had defected to the Senju side. He was constantly worried that if things continued like this, his clan would one day be wiped out.
(Even when I walked around the village, I couldn’t find anyone other than Sasuke)
Madara doesn’t tell Izuna the details of the Uchiha clan during this time. Even though he doesn’t tell him, when he walked through the village to the training grounds in the evening, he walked down the street with nothing hidden. It was as if there was nothing in plain sight that he didn’t want people to know.
(What we have done… how will that battle end? What is it that we really must protect?)
Even if Izuna’s memories of this place would one day be erased, he wanted to know what happened to the world after that war, as proof that he was living in that era.
(…Ah, but you don’t need to ask my brother; you can figure it out with a little thought. Right now, Sasuke is the only one left in this village.)
Izuna laughed self-deprecatingly. Madara’s eyes turned to Izuna.
“What’s interesting?”
“No, it’s nothing. There are still many things I don’t understand, but it’s no good thinking too much. I’m an outsider. Even so, you’ve been in a place like this for four years… You look like you’ve had a weight lifted off your shoulders. I guess you weren’t cut out for this after all, Big Bro… Haha, maybe I made you carry too much.”
“! Tha, that’s…”
“See, it’s definitely my brother.”
“Hey, you caught it,” Izuna said, grinning at Madara.
Madara closed his open mouth and looked away.
“It’s not bad for you two kids to be such a good uncle. You always look after them. They’ve become so attached to them, it’s almost amusing to watch.”
“Haa. I just can’t take my eyes off them. If I take my eyes off them, there’s no telling what will happen. Every single one of them… haa.”
“…………Huh, doesn’t this all seem a bit real?”
Hearing the sound of Madara sighing from the bottom of his heart, Izuna realized that a lot had happened.
Madara had stubbornly continued to tell Izuna that he wasn’t his brother, but he no longer felt like denying it. Even if he continued to deny it, Izuna would not stop calling him his brother.
Madara wondered if he should put an end to it, and faced Izuna with a serious expression.
“Brother.”
“Izuna”
“?”
“It’s too much hassle so I won’t deny it every time, but I haven’t told Sasuke about it. So just call me Tajima.”
“What, you haven’t talked about it?”
“It’s me. They think I’m just some old guy from around here.”
“Eh… Seriously?”
“Seriously?”
Izuna froze involuntarily.
Episode 49
Kakashi was released from the hospital that morning and came to Naruto’s apartment on crutches to check on Naruto and the others who had decided to stay with Izuna at the apartment.
He rang the doorbell and heard footsteps running to the front door, and soon the door was opened. Yellow hair swayed in front of Kakashi’s eyes.
“Kakashi-sensei? I heard you were going home, but what happened when you came here? That’s what you’re thinking.”
“You said something that was bothering me yesterday. So, Tajima-san, are you here?”
“The uncle is out for a bit or something. He’ll probably be back soon.”
“So, does that mean there are just the three of you now, that person, Sasuke and me?”
“Yeah”
After Naruto said that, Kakashi saw a hand fluttering out of the corner of his eye and glanced over to see a ninja who was often with Madara peeking out from the outer wall of the apartment building.
(At least there are people watching…. I wonder where Tajima-san went.)
Naruto let Kakashi into his house. When Kakashi gently placed his crutches on the floor at the entrance, he noticed several familiar looking books on the table.
Izuna was sitting in a chair next to the table, picking up a book and flipping through the pages.
Kakashi’s eyes widened at the words on the cover.
“…Hah, ah, that!”
“Huh? Kakashi-sensei?”
Kakashi quickly sat down in the seat opposite Izuna and stared intently at his face. At his sudden movement, Izuna’s gaze went back and forth between the words in the book and Kakashi’s face. With a troubled look on his face, he inserted the bookmark into the open page and slowly closed the book.
“…Wh, what?”
“Kakashi-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, your brother is really pulling away.”
“Flirty Paradise”
“Uh, wh, what? What is it?”
“How far have you gotten through… is this your second book already? How was it?”
“Wh-what?”
Izuna’s eyes turned to Naruto as if pleading for help. Naruto simply shook his head in silence, and Izuna flinched at the sudden seriousness in Kakashi’s eyes.
When Izuna and Kakashi first met, he captured a weakened Kakashi and lightly hurt him, but it seemed he had pushed that memory somewhere, as Kakashi was now very serious and asked for his thoughts on Ichapara.
(Scary. People from this era are a bit strange.)
Izuna pulled his chair back, putting a small distance between him and Kakashi. Kakashi showed no signs of moving. He wouldn’t leave Izuna’s presence until he answered. Izuna hoped Madara would come back soon.
“…I think it’s interesting.”
“…!”
Kakashi’s eyes sparkle.
Naruto narrowed his eyes and moved to the room where Sasuke was. He put his arms behind his head and swayed off.
“This is gonna be a long one…”
“Um, wait a minute, Naru… hiii.”
Izuna tried to follow Naruto, telling him not to leave him behind, but Kakashi, who had moved to his side without him realizing it, grabbed him by the shoulders and made him sit down. Kakashi’s face was mostly hidden, but the part of his right eye that was visible was gently curving in a smile.
Cold sweat ran down Izuna’s forehead. He felt completely different from when they met at the cave.
“The second volume is also really good. Tajima-san also liked the part that started in the middle and ended in the second volume. I urge you to finish reading it quickly. You won’t regret it.”
“Oh, I see. I see.”
Izuna’s voice trembled. Having heard that Madara was reading something called Icha Icha Paradise, Izuna was curious about the contents, so he asked Naruto and the others where it was stored and secretly read it when Madara wasn’t looking. His eyes were drawn to the descriptions of love between men and women, and he kept turning the pages. While he was surprised by the sensual descriptions that appeared from time to time, he was overwhelmed by the power of expression, and before he knew it, he was absorbed in reading and had finished the first book in no time. Having finished the first book, Izuna crossed his arms, looked down, and was immersed in the afterglow, saying that the contents were not what he had imagined from the title.
I never imagined something like this would happen while I was skimming through the second book.
Madara was not there at the moment, but he was under surveillance, and Izuna knew that there was a substitute auditor somewhere. If he were to lose consciousness in front of Kakashi, he would be captured by a ninja hiding somewhere, and he would be sent back to his empty room in the facility.
Kakashi began to speak as if he had just remembered.
“Oh yeah, I promised to meet Tajima-san next time.”
(…with my brother?)
Izuna looked up at Kakashi, who was smiling quizzically.
“movie”
“Oh, a movie.”
“Shall we go together?”
“…Who and who?”
“Me and Tajima-san.”
(Ahh… Big Brother is going.)
Growing up, I wasn’t in an environment where I could enjoy entertainment about war and such, so although I know of the movies themselves, there aren’t many that I have actually seen.
Icha Icha Paradise is undoubtedly a masterpiece, even after just a quick read of the first volume. There’s no way it wouldn’t be interesting if it was made into a movie. But, in the first place, Izuna is under surveillance, so is it really okay to take her out somewhere to play?
“Tajima and I are together, there’s no way we’ll let him get away. He’s already regaining his form quite a bit.”
“Well, even if I ran away I wouldn’t have anywhere to go…but anyway, weren’t you wary of me until I got here just now?”
“There are no bad people who understand the value of Ichapara.”
“… Never mind.”
It’s pointless to even think about it. I don’t know when the movie will be released, but if we haven’t returned to our original time by then, we’ll probably be taken away.
Come to think of it, he hadn’t had the time to enjoy anything leisurely recently, Izuna thought, lowering his eyes as he remembered the days of war.
“A movie, huh… I wonder how long it’s been since I last saw something like that.”
“…”
Izuna muttered, and Kakashi’s smile disappeared.
Even in this era, there was conflict until just a short time ago. The number of lives lost there is uncountable. Although the time when Izuna lived differed slightly from when Madara lived, it was a time of war, a time of constant tension and fear for one’s life. And for Izuna and his friends, it was a battle that risked the survival of their clan. Being the younger brother of Madara, who was the leader, would have come with a heavy responsibility.
Kakashi and the rest of Team 7 and Izuna were enemies because of how they met, but if the circumstances of their meeting had been different they might have spoken to each other like friends or colleagues at work.
“A movie…” Izuna muttered, but then he suddenly started and looked up at Kakashi. His black eyes landed on Kakashi’s left eye, hidden by his forehead protector.
“Now that I think of it, Kakashi? Right? Ever since we met I’ve been wondering about your left eye.”
Just as Izuna was about to ask what happened to the left eye, he was cut off as the front door opened.
“–You’re back. Hey, the door wasn’t locked… Oh, it’s Kakashi.”
“Hello, Tajima-san. Nice to meet you.”
Madara is back.
Madara was a little surprised to see Kakashi there, but his eyes quickly shifted to the Icha Icha Paradise set up on the table, then he turned towards the bedroom where Naruto and the others were.
“That bastard Naruto…”
Madara’s low voice silenced Naruto and Sasuke’s voices from the bedroom.
Madara locked the front door and walked over to Izuna and the others, sighing at the Ichapara piled on the table.
“Wow… you’ve read quite a bit.”
“Tajima-san, he was funny.”
“What do you want, Kakashi? You didn’t come here to read me Ichapara.”
“Ah, that’s right. I heard that Tajima-san was going to audit him. Naruto and the others are there too, so I’m not completely unrelated.”
“That’s true, but even though you’ve been discharged from the hospital, you shouldn’t make detours in that state. But thank goodness nothing happened.”
Kakashi chuckled at Madara’s tone of exasperation.
Madara hadn’t been able to stop sighing since he got home. He took another deep breath and took something out of his pocket, placing it on the table. It was pink and white in color and looked like the shape of some kind of foot. It was small enough to be held in the palm of your hand and also looked like a part of something.
“Tajima-san? What on earth is that…?”
Kakashi asked Madara curiously, but Madara didn’t answer. He took out a can from a drawer in the cupboard, opened the lid, and took out a turtle figurine from inside. Naruto and Sasuke came out of the bedroom and gathered around the table.
“What is that, uncle?”
“I found the part. It was on the roof of the dumpling shop.”
“On the roof of the dumpling shop… Ah! Perhaps!”
Naruto looked towards the turtle and shouted loudly. Madara nodded at Naruto’s voice and inserted the part into the missing part of the turtle. It clicked into place, and the turtle regained its correct shape. However, even after fitting the part, there was no sign of it moving, and it seemed that a power source was still needed.
(It’s not moving. I don’t know if it’s powered by chakra, but if this time travel thing is real, then a considerable amount of it is needed.)
Everyone’s attention was focused on the turtle on the table.
“Tajima-san, what is this ornament?”
“It’s a trick. It seems to be able to travel through time. If this is the real thing, we might be able to use it to return to our original time.”
“Time travel? This? Are you sure it’s credible?”
“I don’t know. But it’s worth a try.”
Madara said, and put the turtle back into the can and put it away on the shelf. When he reached out to put away the Ichapara that was on the table as well, Kakashi stopped him with his hand.
Madara met Kakashi’s eyes.
“Kakashi?”
“Tajima-san, we’re still on our way.”
Kakashi’s eyes were completely serious.
“…………Izuna.”
“!”
“You, um… do you want to read it?”
“Well, if you don’t mind reading it.”
It had stopped at a good point. If I could read it, I wanted to read it all the way through. Madara withdrew his hand upon hearing Izuna’s reply.
Izuna muttered to himself as he picked up the novel with the bookmark in it.
“…I like this kind of thing.”
Madara’s cheeks twitched.
After he explained the situation to Kakashi, he seemed convinced and said he would come back tomorrow to check on him, before heading home that day. Sasuke’s sharp words hit him in the back.
“You just want to talk about Ichapara.”
No matter how much he likes Ichapara, Kakashi is a Jonin of the village and should keep his public and private lives separate. Let’s turn a blind eye to when Madara revealed his true identity to Kakashi. In the first place, Kakashi’s job is to be a Jonin teacher to Naruto and the others, not a ninja who is there to do anything to Madara. A watchman is a watchman. Madara was surprised that Ichapara was given priority at that time, but Madara’s name is probably just a part of the records of the past for Kakashi and Naruto’s generation.
After Kakashi left, everyone was free to do as they pleased. Izuna resumed reading, while Naruto and Sasuke were in the bedroom discussing the upcoming missions and Team 7.
Both of them seemed to have become completely accustomed to Izuna’s environment.
Taking advantage of the fact that Naruto and the others were engrossed in their conversation, Izuna raised his gaze from the pages of his book and looked at Madara.
“What is it, Izuna?”
“…Nah. I wonder how many times I’ve read this book.”
“Shut up and read.”
Madara put his hand on top of the pile of Ichapara books and said this with a frown.