Traveling through three generations: Making Konoha great again!

Chapter 179 Hiruzen Sarutobi: You madman, how dare you talk about Lord Madara? (A super long chapter of 14,000 words, please vote!)

"You want to see the Hokage?"

Madara Uchiha's request took everyone present by surprise.

Surprisingly, it wasn't a further attempt to wipe them out, or an immediate retreat—

Instead, he wanted to speak to Hiruzen Sarutobi?

Hanzo suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. How come there are so many mentally ill people in this ninja world?

If you want to see my elder brother, come in and talk to me properly. It's not that I can't introduce you!

What do you mean by attacking right away?

Could it be that Kai is coveting Nagato's so-called Rinnegan?

Thinking about this, Hanzo felt that there were far too many abnormal ninjas in the ninja world.

It's true that Nagato was talented in ninjutsu.

But that's just the level of a normal genius in Konoha, someone who's proficient in various chakra nature transformations.

Kakashi has this talent!

It's far from reaching the level where it can create a significant gap with its peers in the ninja world.

While their theoretical strength is only passable, their actual combat ability is even worse.

Anyone with a little common sense should know that those eyes have such strange markings, how could they possibly kill someone?

"The First Hokage and my elder brother were indeed great—"

"Ninjas must use the Will of Fire to straighten out their brains!"

"This is most likely some old geezer from the Warring States period who appeared out of nowhere—"

Hanzang thought to himself.

"Should we call the Hokage over?" Upon hearing Madara Uchiha's request, Yahiko couldn't help but feel a sense of despair.

How could we possibly let the Hokage of the Hidden Village personally come to face such a powerful enemy for Nagato's sake?

Let alone Hiruzen Sarutobi—

Even the Hanzo of the past, Yahiko couldn't believe that he would lose an arm to save him!

"What do you think?" Minato asked Hanzo, squinting.

With the Flying Thunder God Technique at his disposal, and having carefully laid out numerous coordinates along the way, Minato was confident that he could at least safely evacuate back to Konoha, if not shake off this strange and eccentric individual.

Minato is a man who is extremely calm in most situations.

If it weren't for the fact that Nagato's hair color was barely recognizable as red, suggesting he was likely a member of Kushina's clan, Minato wouldn't have risked his life for Amegakure against such a powerful enemy.

The trust between Amegakure and Konoha has not yet been established.

They're not even family, let alone companions.

"If you want to retreat, I can take you away; he can't stop you."

Minato sized up Madara Uchiha with a wary expression.

He mobilized his entire senses and chakra to their most sensitive level, ready to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique at any moment.

Yahiko and Konan immediately stared at Hanzo nervously.

But they didn't say anything. Although it sounded cold, it was the best solution.

Hanzo and Yahiko were both captured the moment they met, so how can they rescue Nagato?

We can't possibly let Minato Namikaze fight to the death, can we?

That's Nagato, not the Hokage!

Madara Uchiha looked at Minato with admiration and couldn't help but nod slightly.

"Although this brat has mastered some dirty techniques, his thinking as a ninja is very clear—"

"He has a gentle and sunny disposition, but he's incredibly ruthless and rational when making decisions—a truly talented individual!"

"She's somewhat similar to Izuna—"

"Hiruzen's judgment is still quite good." With the Rinnegan in hand and his body looking much younger, Madara Uchiha leisurely gave Minato a rating: "He's quite suitable as a candidate for Konoha!"

Afei was completely dumbfounded as he listened to his telepathic conversation with Uchiha Madara.

How come you've changed so much since I last saw Madara in half a year?

It turned out that it and Black Zetsu had tried for countless years to persuade Madara Uchiha to pull himself together and stop with the "representative plan," but nothing worked.

That changed everything in an instant!

Not only that, but the tone of his evaluation of this blond-haired man was also very strange.

Just as Madara is a senior figure in Konoha or a teacher of Hiruzen Sarutobi, he is praising the work of a capable junior.

"That's because Hiruzen Sarutobi learned from Lord Madara's will!"

"Although the Hokage is merely the successor to your youthful will, he is still far ahead of the ninja world, and therefore far superior to others—"

At this moment, White Zetsu Ah-Huo, who was hiding underground, also joined the telepathic conversation.

"Hahahaha!"

Madara Uchiha laughed heartily: "You brat, you just know how to make me happy!"

"However, there's some truth to what you're saying—"

Afei was immediately shocked.

no--

Is this still Ah Huo, who always asks what poop tastes like?

No wonder you were trained by the Gedo Mazo and became the leader of the White Zetsu intelligence team!

Hanzo frowned.

He did want to retreat, but the question was whether he could really do so.

"I didn't sense anything unusual when this strange person attacked—"

"If we don't send our elder brother to intimidate him, Amegakure will never have peace! Besides, this drama has already gone this far; if I abandon Nagato, my character will be ruined—"

"But if I invite my older brother over, it would make me, the younger brother, seem too incompetent—"

As Hanzo pondered, his eyes suddenly lit up.

He came up with a good idea—

After Amegakure and Konoha cooperated, Hanzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi frequently exchanged letters and communicated, and he had a relatively good understanding of some of Konoha's current ninjas.

Take, for example, Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique.

Hanzo once considered having Amegakure join Konoha's Flying Thunder God defense system.

When encountering external enemies, they can quickly call for support or send troops to aid Konoha.

The problem is that if the Flying Thunder God Seal were to be engraved on a large number of people in Amegakure, the pace would be too fast and would inevitably provoke resistance from the ninjas.

But this time it's different—

With such a powerful ninja, it's perfectly reasonable for the Flying Thunder God Technique to be deployed within Amegakure. The Amegakure ninjas will only be grateful for Konoha's assistance.

Hanzo was also able to hitch a ride to Konoha from time to time to talk to his older brother in person!

Hanzo believed that his older brother would definitely realize it too—

Moreover, even without this incident, Hanzo firmly believed that with the long-standing spiritual bond between him and Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the existing connection they had established, Hiruzen would definitely come to his rescue!

"How about this—"

"Is this alright?"

Hanzo took a deep breath: "Please release Nagato first. I will serve as your hostage so that Minato can return and consult the Hokage."

"Nagato was just a boy. Because of my mistake, I failed to deal with the instigation by Iwagakure and Sunagakure against the relationship between the village and Konoha, which led to the misfortune that befell Nagato."

"The Hokage also knows about this, and has repeatedly expressed regret and severely criticized me—"

"Please allow me to make amends today, this nameless powerhouse—"

These words were naturally fabricated by Hanzo.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi had taught him that if you're going to put on a political show, then go all the way—

There are costs and risks involved, but also high returns.

However, Hanzo's kindness lay in the fact that he also helped Hiruzen Sarutobi elevate his reputation further—

"Lord Hanzo!" Yahiko and Konan were shocked.

If Hanzo were to be exchanged for Nagato, neither of them could say they completely agreed.

Nagato was indeed their comrade-in-arms, sharing life and death.

But Hanzo is the strongest link between Amegakure and Konoha, representing the future of thousands of Amegakure ninja—

If anything were to happen to him, the damage would be devastating!

Minato was also quite surprised, thinking to himself, "No way—"

"I only called him 'Grand Uncle' at my master's behest, but how come I've actually learned a little bit of my master's skills?"

You can tell from the water gate.

Since this strange, nameless man wants to talk, then Nagato is actually not in any danger.

Hanzo was the same way in the past.

As long as the Grandmaster can make it in time—

If this nameless freak only wanted to kill, Hanzo and the others wouldn't have survived until he arrived; they would all be dead.

"Interesting—" Madara Uchiha was taken aback. He hadn't expected Hanzo to have changed so much.

He had already been reduced to a guard dog—

Now I can make him look at me more seriously.

Strength is certainly important, but this courage deserves some praise.

"Can--"

Uchiha Dazzle nodded: "As a reward for you—"

Madara Uchiha stepped on Nagato's chest, transferring Tobi's chakra and life force back to him.

Nagato's gaunt cheeks and pale hair regained their rosy hue.

Ah Fei shook his head speechlessly.

It doesn't lack chakra; it's a special child of the Divine Tree, completely different from inferior products cultivated using Hashirama cells.

The missing chakra can be replenished in two days by returning to the Gedo Mazo.

Afei just felt that Lord Madara was still as stubborn as ever!

"You are truly kind and righteous—" Ah Huo exclaimed from the bottom of his heart at this moment, which made Ah Fei look at him again.

What does it mean?

Nagato regained consciousness, but he was completely dazed.

First, his eyes were stolen, and within two moves he was completely powerless to resist. He could barely hear Hanzo and the others' conversation, and didn't even have the strength to tell Hanzo and Yahiko not to come to his rescue.

Then it was instilled with a powerful vitality, but it was still ugly when it was stepped on.

Which mentally ill person attacked him?

What exactly do you want to do?

Hanzo, Minato, and the others were also stunned. After this series of actions, who could tell friend from foe?

"Aren't you coming over?"

Madara Uchiha said coldly.

Hanzo took a deep breath, put down his kusarigama, and slowly walked towards Uchiha Madara.

After Hanzo arrived, Madara Uchiha casually scooped up Nagato and easily tossed him into Minato's arms with one arm.

"I'll be right back—" Minato said in a deep voice, transforming into a golden light.

Yahiko and Konan locked eyes, both feeling that the scene was completely beyond their comprehension.

Hanzo sat cross-legged on the ground to show that he had no intention of resorting to underhanded tactics or resisting.

The enemy's abilities are too bizarre—

Hanzo pondered for a long time, but couldn't figure out which technique in the ninja world this Preta Path, which could easily absorb chakra and life force, was similar to.

"Your Amegakure and Konoha have cooperated?" Madara Uchiha asked in a good mood.

He had to admit it deep down.

After retrieving his Rinnegan and replenishing it with valuable life force, Madara regained a sense of control over everything and no longer constantly worried about whether his plans would go awry.

Ban isn't stupid; it's perfectly normal for a plan to run into problems when it's stretched out over a twenty-year timeframe.

and--

Ban's subconscious thought deep down.

He has now made a clean break with that lonely old man who hides in the cave and can only communicate with White Zetsu!

That's not him!

The Asura of the Ninja World only knows how to perform a magnificent dance on the grand stage of the Ninja World.

"We've joined forces; our two villages will pursue true peace together—"

Hanzo replied calmly and confidently, "This is something no one can change."

Madara Uchiha sneered: "What if you die here today?"

"That's the same."

Hanzo chuckled. In his mind, he was already someone who had died once.

Death was not frightening to him.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't held back, he would have been smashed into mincemeat long ago!

"My death will not alter the alliance between Amegakure and Konoha, and the will for peace will never be severed by anyone's death—"

Hanzo said calmly, "Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Hokage, and also my older brother. The Will of Fire is not only passed down in Konoha, but also in Amegakure—"

These words left both Madara and Yahiko completely bewildered.

Why is Amegakure talking about the Will of Fire?

"Rain Village discussing the Will of Fire?" Madara Uchiha couldn't help but ask, "What are you talking about?"

Why care about the name of something that is truly good?

Hanzo chuckled and said, "As long as everyone can have enough to eat and wear and no longer suffer from the pain of war, I believe the Will of Fire can do it, especially under Big Brother's leadership."

At that moment, Yahiko was completely stunned.

Hanzo sat cross-legged on the ground, with the incredibly powerful black-robed monster standing behind him, yet he remained composed and spoke eloquently, adhering to his ideals and beliefs.

So cool!

Although this ideal and belief is the Will of Fire, it still evokes mixed feelings—

But so what?

As Hanzo said, what is right is right, why care about the name?

Madara Uchiha remained silent for a moment.

Madara Uchiha would look up to anyone who sought peace, even if their methods were clumsy or their ideas flawed.

Especially those who can speak eloquently and fearlessly about death in front of you—

"That's interesting—"

Madara Uchiha didn't say anything more to Hanzo, and quietly waited for Hiruzen Sarutobi to arrive.

"Hiruzen is a smart man—"

"I probably won't be able to convince him this time, but I want to point out his flawed views on peace."

"In that case, when he realizes that the chains of hatred cannot be broken, he will think of other ways. I can also set a trap to let him know the contents of the stone tablet left by the Sage of Six Paths—"

Madara Uchiha pondered how to communicate with Hiruzen Sarutobi later.

#

Leaf.

Martial arts training ground.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared intently at the enormous fireball he had created.

Reach out your hand.

The invisible chakra released precisely struck the core of the jutsu, and in an instant, the fireball rapidly transformed into a chaotic torrent of azure chakra—

Hiruzen Sarutobi once again stretched out his hand and absorbed these chakra turbulences into his body.

He was essentially a walking sealing technique; sealing techniques inherently possess an extremely strong ability to bind and absorb chakra, especially pure chakra that has escaped nature transformation—

"What's going on?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at his hands, somewhat incredulous.

He has always been accustomed to taking steady steps, expanding the upper limit of his talent at a uniform pace, and then transforming it into his own strength.

After all, his strength and Konoha's strength were, in a sense, on par—

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, Konoha's current development has not yet reached the point where quantitative change leads to qualitative change, so it should continue at a steady pace.

"This situation—"

"Could it be that some Konoha ninja has awakened some kind of talent?"

"Another genius like Minato has emerged—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi could never have imagined that, thanks to the extraordinary wisdom of Izuna and Tobirama, the bond between Uzumaki and Uchiha would be activated prematurely in Konoha.

It's no longer a matter of love and romance—

Instead, they train hard to prove their ninja way and ideals by competing with each other in order to embody the Will of Fire!

"It might not be some genius ninja; it could be Orochimaru and his team making new progress, or Hanzo's assimilation efforts in Amegakure being very successful—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi also couldn't figure out the source of this "great talent performance".

With so many sources of income, sometimes wealth can make it difficult to keep track of the accounts.

Besides, his performance evaluation wasn't detailed, and his payday wasn't punctual.

"But it's a good thing all along!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued to unleash one Fire Release technique after another, using his most familiar Fire Release chakra to cultivate the muscle memory of "Spirit Release" to capture the core of the Release technique.

Fire Release techniques rose in the training ground, exploding into invisible chakra turbulence that entered Hiruzen Sarutobi's body—

This training cycle repeated itself endlessly, with the Hokage efficiently pushing his daily Spirit Release proficiency cap to the limit with almost no resource consumption.

"Now, not only Fire Release, but I can also begin to detect the 'core' of other ninjutsu—"

"Let's take it one step at a time. As for the release method, it can't be done remotely yet."

"Being able to release tangible chakra is still too restrictive."

17

Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered his own shortcomings.

I need to find some time to have a friendly chat with the Uchiha clan members.

Fugaku, Isshin, Yashiro, Shisui, Obito—

Of course, there's also the lesser-known Tobirama Uchiha.

The more Hiruzen Sarutobi perused the texts and complete works of Tobirama Senju's thought process, the more he realized how much he still lacked; ninjutsu was truly terrifying.

There's always someone who can develop an unreasonable killing mechanism, finding a special variation in some hidden corner, and using an intelligence disadvantage to overcome a stronger opponent—

Hiruzen Sarutobi has a dream.

It's a battle between ninjas, no longer using fancy tricks. Both sides openly display their strengths and weaknesses and fight head-on!

Of course, the Hokage didn't realize one problem—

The biggest mechanism is actually the one that leaves people without a mechanism.

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi realized it, he wouldn't admit it; instead, he would think: How can that be the same!

A moment later.

A golden light flashed.

Minato appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi with a serious expression.

With Hiruzen Sarutobi's permission, Minato left special Flying Thunder God seals at the Hokage Building and the training grounds where he frequently appeared, to ensure that he could be contacted as quickly as possible in case of problems.

After all, we need to maximize the advantages of the Flying Thunder God Technique user.

"Grandmaster, something has happened in Amegakure!"

Minato reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi as quickly as possible.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was startled.

Wasn't the Eighth Hokage's attack enough? Why is another unknown ninja powerhouse appearing?

Isn't the water in the ninja world a bit too deep?

But there's no doubt that Hiruzen Sarutobi intends to rescue Hanzo.

Just as Hanzo had thought.

This time, the Hokage's personal rescue is undoubtedly a perfect stage to tightly embrace the hearts of the Amegakure ninja as the Hokage.

"Grandmaster, who else should we take?" Minato asked quickly. "The journey is long, we can't take too many!"

"How's your mastery of Aozumi's Flying Thunder God Technique going?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, feigning ignorance.

"He's very talented!" Minato replied immediately.

Minato and Tobirama had a great relationship. One was sunny and naturally naive, yet he developed a touch of cunning later in life; the other was straightforward but quick-witted. Their personalities created a wonderful chemistry.

Furthermore, their shared interest in the Flying Thunder God Technique meant they would frequently gather together.

"Go, call Qing Shui!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately ordered, "Take the Konoha committee members on duty in the village. The number of people should be based on how quickly you and Aozumi's chakra can reach and return. Now, move out!"

"Understood, Master!" Minato immediately sprang into action.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took out a scroll.

After the smoke cleared, he was wearing the Sengoku armor that Hashirama had worn, which Mito had given him.

"Based on the intelligence provided by Minato, the nameless powerhouse who attacked Hanzo has very similar characteristics to the one that Uchiha Hachimoku encountered. He is a typical Sengoku-era psychopath."

Hiruzen Sarutobi straightened his plate armor.

The weaponry that Hashirama Senju once possessed would obviously be a deterrent if the opponent were truly from the Sengoku period.

It will immediately seize the initiative with its momentum!

Sometimes, these seemingly insignificant details in battle can have a significant impact—

A moment later, the golden light flashed again.

Minato arrived with Fugaku, Aoisui, and Hizashi.

"Lord Hokage, Aozumi and I take turns using the Flying Thunder God Technique, allowing us to travel to and from Hizashi and Fugaku without any gaps and make multiple trips in total—"

"I've already notified the Anbu and Root; they will head towards Amegakure as soon as possible!"

"It's Minato," Minato said firmly and forcefully.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.

This is because Minato and Tobirama had not yet fully matured.

One body is that of a newly adult, and the other body is that of a teenager.

Otherwise, with Tobirama's peak chakra and teleportation abilities, he alone would be enough—

However, the two of them together now are more than enough.

It has a similar meaning to the ancient urgent dispatch of goods over 800 li (approximately 400 kilometers).

Aozumi and Minato are like two fine horses; when one gets tired, the other is immediately spurred on, keeping their mobility at its peak at all times.

"Set off!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted in a deep voice.

Several people placed their hands on Minato's shoulders and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Along the way, Minato and Aoshui took turns using the Flying Thunder God Technique, moving at high speed in an absolutely straight line towards Amegakure, and in an instant they arrived at the battlefield where Hanzo was.

"They're here!"

When Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others arrived, Yahiko involuntarily exclaimed in surprise.

Because it was just too fast—

At that moment, Yahiko finally understood why Kusagakure, despite not being particularly weak, had been defeated by Konoha in just one hour—

The application of the Flying Thunder God Technique in one-on-one combat is only a small aspect.

Its overall strategic value is simply too great.

It can completely reverse many of the logics on the battlefield.

"this--"

When Madara Uchiha saw Hiruzen Sarutobi, he intended to speak in a mysterious and aloof manner, but he was taken aback.

no--

Why are you wearing Hashirama's armor?

If it were someone else, they might not be able to tell whose classic style of Warring States armor it was—

However, Madara Uchiha could tell from various details that this was the same outfit Hashirama wore during the battle at the Valley of the End, only it had been repaired.

Because both of their armors were destroyed at that time.

"Hiss—" Although Madara Uchiha didn't want to admit it, he had to admit it—

Now, after years of training, Hiruzen Sarutobi has a tall and strong body, which perfectly supports the armor.

In addition, his long-standing position as Hokage imposing aura during battle—

Compared to the carefree and jovial Hashirama in Madara's memory, this was more like the Hokage in his mind—

"How could I think like that?" Madara Uchiha dismissed the strange thought from his mind.

During this time, Madara Uchiha was not idle. Instead, he secretly replaced his Rinnegan inside Tobi's armor, regaining his full power.

However, this hot-swapping behavior is not something that just anyone can do—

One must possess strong vitality and medical ninjutsu skills. Uchiha Madara, who mastered Yin-Yang Release, is a prime example; he was practically capable of creating life.

"Hokage, you've arrived," Madara Uchiha said.

"I've arrived." Hiruzen Sarutobi squinted at him.

Madara Uchiha's appearance is quite bizarre.

Wearing a hood, his eyes seemed shrouded in mist, and his entire face was made of white Zetsu, making it impossible to discern any distinctive features.

"You shouldn't have come—"

"But I still came."

The two were exchanging veiled insults.

Minato couldn't help but feel admiration for his master's great-grandfather once again.

It's nothing to have a smooth conversation with the ninjas from the same village, but how could my master even have a chat with such an oddball?

And this is not meaningless.

The moment Hiashi landed, his Byakugan was activated, operating at maximum power in an attempt to see through Madara Uchiha's disguise!

Unfortunately, White Zetsu, especially Tobi's transformation technique, is extremely similar to Hashirama's Wood Clone Technique.

Not to mention the white eye, even the former Eternal Eye Spot couldn't see through it and was ambushed from behind.

"This person's chakra is extremely strange; he can use techniques to disguise chakra—"

The shrew secretly noted this down.

Fugaku, who was standing to the side, had already activated his Three-Tomoe form, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.

He has given up on the path of becoming a cultural figure and has recently been focusing on self-cultivation, wanting to become a true martial artist.

"You were the one who attacked Uchiha Hachimoku, weren't you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi gestured for Fugaku and Hizashi to step back, then stared at Madara Uchiha.

Madara Uchiha's heart skipped a beat, and he readily admitted, "That's right, it's me!"

"Your Excellency has been hiding your true intentions and repeatedly attacking Konoha and its allies. What exactly is your purpose?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice, "If you believe you have any grudge against Konoha, you might as well say it outright!"

"You're a Sengoku ninja, aren't you? If it's a problem left over from history, the current Konoha has the confidence and magnanimity to resolve it—"

"These repeated attacks on Konoha ninja and our brothers are unforgivable acts!"

"A ninja with the Will of Fire will stop at nothing to eliminate enemies who threaten peace!"

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi was resolute, he didn't completely rule out the possibility of a fight.

In his view, this strange man's behavior pattern was very odd—

Let's say he's targeting Konoha—

That is indeed the case.

But upon closer examination, the results are all extremely beneficial to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

For example, the Eighth Hokage incident prematurely ignited the conflict between the Ninja Code and the Will of Fire, achieving the ideological integration of Konoha with minimal public outcry, and further unifying the aristocratic forces.

Even the Rain Hidden Incident—

Although Hanzo was injured, he released Nagato, a member of the Uzumaki clan.

If handled properly, Amegakure's limited resistance to Konoha will quickly crumble.

Under pressure from the outside world, the two villages will quickly merge!

Of course, these could be coincidences.

However, based on his understanding of mental illness in the ninja world, Hiruzen Sarutobi subconsciously retained the possibility of winning him over—

After all, no one has died because of him so far.

For ninjas, given Konoha's current medical resources, not dying is practically a guarantee of survival.

The cost of accomplishing major tasks quickly is negligible at present.

It's cruel, but that's reality.

Madara Uchiha listened quietly to Hiruzen Sarutobi's words.

Should we hunt him down?

He didn't care, of course; the key was that he heard an important statement.

Eliminate the enemies that threaten peace —

Does he endanger peace?

In Madara's own mind, he was the most peace-loving person in the ninja world!

It is to resolve the millennia-old conflict and the inescapable hatred once and for all!

Therefore, they are naturally not among Konoha's enemies.

It was just a slight misunderstanding between the two parties.

"Hiruzen is quite clever; despite my attempts to conceal my identity, he still managed to deduce that I'm from the Sengoku period—"

"He speaks with refinement, unlike Hashirama—"

Madara Uchiha's heart skipped a beat, and he said in a deep voice, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, as the Third Hokage, you've done a barely passable job—"

"I called you here to tell you that the peace you have been so desperately seeking is nothing but a mirage, a flower in the water and the moon in the mirror. It may seem to be effective in the short term, but it will eventually collapse one day."

"Your approach won't work. The history of the ninja world over the past thousand years has made it clear that neither the ninja clan system nor the one-country-one-village system can bring peace to this land."

Madara Uchiha suddenly had a clever idea.

He wanted to further conceal his identity.

Although he absorbed the part of Nagato that was modified by the Rinnegan, he is still far from his peak condition.

Based on his reputation in the ninja world—

Madara didn't want to deceive himself on this issue. Once Hiruzen Sarutobi was certain it was him, all the major hidden villages would unhesitatingly set aside their differences and come to deal with him first.

Even Onoki, who was fighting on all sides, would do the same.

Or rather, Onoki would be the first to charge forward with a roar, urging all the hidden villages to unite first.

The other hidden villages will surely agree as well.

After all, who doesn't have several elderly people in their family?

"The one-country-one-village system was a flawed system created by Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. Their actions, seemingly aimed at bringing peace to the ninja world, actually resulted in even greater bloodshed."

"Instead of intimidating each other, the ninjas were organized into a more tightly knit group, which actually increased the efficiency of their battles and made the war even more brutal—"

Madara Uchiha was reprimanding Hiruzen Sarutobi, but he was also talking about his younger self: "Remember what I said, this path is a dead end! Don't waste your talents on the wrong path—"

Before Madara Uchiha could finish speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him with an angry shout.

"A madman!"

"On the battlefield, I expected you to have some profound insights—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was extremely serious: "I never expected you to utter such vulgar words!"

Madara Uchiha was taken aback.

"In the Warring States period, the country was in chaos and the years were filled with famine. Ninjas were caught in endless feuds, and even young children were forced onto the battlefield!"

"It was Lord Hashirama and Lord Madara who joined forces to quell the chaos! For the first time, they ended the thousand-year-old feud between the Senju and Uchiha clans, bringing together the ninja clans that had previously fought each other to form an alliance!"

"Since then, the intensity of the Shinobi World War has decreased dramatically. Before taking action, the major hidden villages always consider the balance, and large-scale battles only occur every ten years or so."

"This is so much better than the Warring States period!"

"Admittedly, this did not completely eliminate war, but it was definitely an epoch-making advancement. Both I and the other ninjas from the hidden villages should be grateful to them for not letting the ninja world fall into complete chaos back then—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his hand, pointed at Madara Uchiha, and roared angrily, "And you, besides spouting nonsense here, what have you done?"

"They hide their true intentions, engage in empty talk, and believe they have grasped the so-called truth, but in reality, they have accomplished nothing and are probably just wasting their days in their hiding places!"

"You think you're qualified to comment on Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, the founders of Konoha?"

"Let me tell you, you're not qualified!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed somewhat angry.

In his view, Madara Uchiha's remarks were utterly ridiculous.

The Warring States period was a complete chaotic era, with endless division and slaughter between the states, threatening to extinguish even the last vestiges of humanity.

What is wrong with ending such a dark age?

Fugaku, who was standing to the side, was quite engrossed in listening.

Good guy!

So the Hokage's recognition of the clan head wasn't just superficial after all?

I truly acknowledge him from the bottom of my heart as the founder of Konoha and an inseparable part of it.

Madara Uchiha was completely bewildered.

Logically speaking, given his temper, being scolded like that would surely enrage him and lead to a physical fight—

But was Hiruzen Sarutobi cursing himself?

Listening carefully, it was indeed an insult directed at him, but it's unlikely to be a direct insult.

"Although I already knew—"

"But if it's really true that Hiruzen admires me so much in my youth—" Madara Uchiha's feelings were complicated.

As Tobirama Senju's disciple, Hiruzen Sarutobi's willingness to defend him so fiercely in front of an "outsider" solidifies his position as the founder of Konoha and the one who quelled the chaos of the world.

Is there anything more to say?

This attitude must stem from an unwavering approval of one's younger self!

Madara Uchiha remained silent for a while before calming down.

He wants to debate with Hiruzen Sarutobi!

With the Infinite Tsukuyomi and his understanding of the ninja world at his fingertips, Madara Uchiha was confident in his own reasoning and unafraid to raise his voice.

"snort--"

"That sounds nice, but why did Madara Uchiha fight Hashirama Senju to the death back then?"

"Your Konoha has never publicly stated this reason, but if even the founder can no longer accept a village, doesn't that prove that this system is unsustainable?"

Madara Uchiha sneered, "Madara Uchiha is so naive that he's practically stupid, but at least he has a bit of a beast's sense of smell, able to detect the falsehood of the so-called 'one country, one village' and 'Will of Fire'—"

"Are you so immersed in this mistake that you don't even have the courage to recognize the truth?"

In order to conceal his identity, Madara Uchiha went to great lengths, constantly attacking his former self.

According to the stereotypes about him in the ninja world, the Ninja World Asura is clearly someone who is incapable of self-criticism.

This definitely worked.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi only thought that the mysterious person in front of him was probably a senior figure of the same generation as Hashirama and Madara, and didn't think that he was related to the two of them.

Because Madara's death was so deeply ingrained in people's minds, no one would think Hashirama would be fooled, especially since he almost fell out with Tobirama over the matter of the corpse at the time.

The blemishes were also very well concealed.

It can only be said that, having regained his spirits, Madara's intelligence has once again taken over the high ground.

"You're the loser who was defeated by Lord Madara before, aren't you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi sneered.

Logically speaking, it would be impossible for him to address Uchiha Madara as "adult" in the village.

But this is in front of outsiders.

Madara Uchiha may have made many mistakes, but he was also one of the founders of Konoha that was impossible for the village to abandon, and Hashirama insisted on not revoking his Konoha ninja status.

We still need to distinguish between inside and outside; that's an internal conflict within Konoha and has nothing to do with others!

After all, even the First Hokage, Hashirama, forgave him.

So, as his apprentice, he couldn't say much.

Legally speaking, Madara Uchiha is still a legitimate Konoha ninja, number 002!

It's just not appropriate to bring this up in the open for the time being.

Madara Uchiha was at a loss for words.

He was defeated by him, right?

"What you're really trying to say is that Madara and Lord Hashirama once fought a battle at the Valley of the End—"

"This battle was unpleasant, but it was merely a clash of ideals; it didn't mean they believed the village's existence was unnecessary!"

Seeing that Madara Uchiha remained silent, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled coldly: "Even imperfect order is better than complete chaos."

Madara Uchiha frowned.

"You mean the village represents order? And as long as there's order, it's better than the Warring States period?"

In Ban's view, this was a desperate attempt to prolong his life!

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled.

"As long as an order can safeguard the individual's right to survival, even if it has significant flaws, it will inevitably have absolute priority over complete disorder."

"Admittedly, after Konoha was established, the internal balance was disrupted."

"But Madara also left his mark on the village with force at this moment. He made Konoha realize that order needs to be reformed in line with the times, and that reasonable demands cannot be denied by labeling it as 'creating disorder'."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared directly at Madara Uchiha: "Madara and Lord Hashirama, one symbolizing the warning of continuous improvement and the other symbolizing overall order, stand together at the Valley of the End, complementing each other. One is the root and the other is the branch, and they will forever be remembered by the people of Konoha."

"A dreamer like you—"

"Is he perhaps dreaming of some kind of perfect order? Constantly thinking about going to extremes—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head: "I advise you to read more about Lord Madara's deeds and his writings. Even if you were defeated, don't always try to stigmatize the Asura of the ninja world. Instead, try to understand his determination to give up everything to remind Konoha!"

The spots finally gave way.

"Who are you to Madara Uchiha? Aren't you Hashirama's student? What are you saying on his behalf! Wasn't his attack on Konoha an act of rebellion?"

"Your vision is smaller than I imagined—" Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Madara Uchiha in surprise: "Weaker ninjas don't understand, and I don't blame them—but since you have such strength, you should understand that Madara could never think he could defeat Lord Hashirama."

"The outcome of their battle was already decided when the Senju and Uchiha formed an alliance."

"Besides, who rebels by challenging someone to a one-on-one duel?"

"If it were truly a rebellion, why didn't Lord Hashirama remove Madara's Konoha ninja status?"

"If you want to criticize Madara and Lord Hashirama, I advise you to first understand history, understand the history of Konoha, and the core of the ideological conflict. It's laughable to think you understand everything but say nothing of substance."

Madara Uchiha didn't say anything.

However, Afei, who was pressed against Madara's body, could feel that Madara's body temperature was rising rapidly.

The abbreviation has become popular!

What does it mean that he felt he couldn't possibly beat Hashirama?

Madara Uchiha really wanted to tear Tobi off right now, expose his true identity, and have a proper debate with Hiruzen Sarutobi!

Do I understand myself better, or do you?

You've really figured it all out!

Madara Uchiha was clearly a little exasperated.

He hadn't expected that Hiruzen, the successor to his youthful will, would be so eloquent—

Madara Uchiha felt that even if he had summoned his younger self, he wouldn't have been able to put up with him like that!

Madara Uchiha thought for a moment, then his lips moved.

Instead of arguing about ideologies, he steered the conversation to his area of ​​expertise: "Even if what you're saying is true, the hatred in the ninja world will never cease—"

"It's meaningless for you alone to understand their will!"

"With its weak resources, Konoha cannot possibly uphold its original aspirations in this cruel ninja world. It will inevitably veer towards extremes due to the continuous warfare, resorting to oppressing ninjas to gain military advantage!"

Madara Uchiha kept talking about power.

What if a ninja like him and Hashirama appears in Kumogakure?

Putting aside the low probability, it's not impossible that such a possibility exists.

In Madara Uchiha's view, if you want to convince him, you have to see the Konoha system develop to the point where it can at least fight four opponents at once, only then will it barely meet the standard that makes him take it seriously.

Furthermore, only if they can withstand at least one ninja like him can they be considered worthy of serious discussion.

That's what you call convincing!

Otherwise, such order and peace would eventually collapse in the face of extreme power.

While it may seem wonderful in the short term, it is far inferior to Infinite Tsukuyomi in the long run.

"Arrogant!"

Fugaku Uchiha and Hizashi Hyuga on either side moved almost simultaneously.

"Well done!"

Madara's eyes narrowed; he finally had a chance to show his strength, and he really didn't want to continue talking.

I really can't argue with that—

The properties of lightning and water merged and coalesced into a single crossbow bolt gleaming with a chilling light.

There is no superfluous fanfare, only an extreme, bone-chilling penetrating power.

Hijiri thrust his arms out like a fully drawn bow, the crossbow bolt whistling through the air as it hurtled straight at Madara's left rib, so fast that it left only a blur in place.

Almost at the same instant that the Storm Release was released, Fugaku's Fire Release had already taken shape.

The raging fire extinguished the overwhelming flames, even distorting and boiling the surrounding air.

Two deadly attacks arrived in an instant, but Madara didn't even move an inch.

Madara coldly swept his gaze over the incoming techniques, a sneer curling at the corner of his mouth. He then stretched out his hands, bare-handed, to meet the Storm Release and Fire Release techniques.

The expected explosion and roar did not occur in the next instant.

He held the Storm Release crossbow bolt firmly in his palm, so tightly that it didn't even cause the slightest ripple.

The lightning struggled frantically, trying to unleash its power, but was firmly locked down by an invisible force, instantly becoming docile.

Madara's other hand also caught Fugaku's fire release, and the raging fire was compressed into a single point!

The skillful use of the Hungry Ghost Path allowed Madara to freeze two deadly techniques in an instant.

Meaningless chakra—

The repulsive force of Shinra Tensei erupted, giving the crossbow bolts and flames several times their previous speed.

It shot straight towards Hiruzen Sarutobi!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze sharpened.

When Madara Uchiha was practicing the Preta Path.

Fire Release was one thing, but the "Storm Release Core," which Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't usually see, was also clearly exposed and visible to him.

It can be said that Madara used the Preta Path to help Hiruzen Sarutobi dismantle the structure of the Storm Release. Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his right hand.

The raging storm and fire attacks suddenly stopped in front of him.

It's not a rebound, it's not an absorption.

It starts from the core chakra nodes and disintegrates completely from top to bottom, like ice and snow melting away.

The lightning flashed out instantly, and the flames dimmed in a flash.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the Storm Release and Fire Release collapsed with a roar, even faster than the Hungry Ghost Path could absorb them!

It transformed into gentle chakra currents that entered Hiruzen Sarutobi's body.

The entire process was eerily calm, a stark contrast to the earlier violent roar.

The battlefield instantly fell into a deathly silence.

Fugaku and Hizashi on either side were frozen in place.

They were well aware of the power of their two previous attacks and were also shocked by the strength with which Madara had effortlessly caught them.

But the Hokage's casual gesture was equally eerie.

It was completely beyond their understanding of ninjutsu; they couldn't grasp even a shred of logic in it.

No one spoke anymore.

Madara Uchiha and Hiruzen Sarutobi stared intently at each other.

Both of them had the same thought in their minds.

"What kind of technique is this guy using!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind was filled with alarm bells: "This isn't just simple chakra absorption—it dismantles the structure of the technique, yet still has the power to preserve it!"

"That repulsive force is also very strange. It doesn't require any hand seals, yet it can be triggered instantly and is extremely powerful. It has an overwhelming suppressive effect on both Fire Release and Storm Release—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," yet he was also shocked by Madara Uchiha's methods.

He's never seen it before!

Even Tobirama-sensei's classic texts didn't record it—a true expert's skill is immediately apparent upon making a move.

The same applies to Madara Uchiha.

"What kind of technique is that? There's even a technique I've never seen before—"

"It's not absorbing chakra; it's somewhat like the desensitization technique used in the prelude to the absorption of chakra in the Hungry Ghost Path, but it's much more ferocious and faster than the activation of the Hungry Ghost Path—"

"How could Hiruzen possibly possess advanced techniques comparable to the Rinnegan? Isn't he just an ordinary ninja?"

Both of them raised their assessment of each other's abilities by several points without prior agreement.

"not good--"

"I was hoping to exchange a few blows with Hiruzen, but since he knows this technique, things are in trouble."

"The ordinary Five Elements techniques that can conceal my identity are ineffective. I should not reveal information about the Rinnegan for now. Awakening the Sharingan would be even more troublesome, as my ocular power is too conspicuous—"

"During the battle, Tobi's disguise would fluctuate, and both his Byakugan and Sharingan were watching—"

Madara Uchiha could sense a large amount of chakra activity from a great distance.

Those were the Konoha ninja on a forced march.

"Even ants working together can sometimes be a tough nut to crack for an elephant."

"I have to go now."

"We need to find a way to establish an organization. We can't always do things ourselves. Just controlling the White Zetsu isn't very meaningful. We need to find some capable ninjas—"

Madara Uchiha narrowed his eyes.

His first thought was of the two unjustly killed Second Mizukage and Tsuchikage—

There are still a few barely usable survivors—

"Right and wrong cannot be determined by words alone."

"Hokage, go back and think carefully about what I told you—"

"I will not take action for the time being, but the hatred in the ninja world will tell you who is right."

Madara Uchiha said calmly.

"Lord Hokage, he's trying to escape!" Fugaku shouted immediately.

Hizashi stared intently at him with his white eyes.

Minato and Tobirama also entered battle mode, each holding a Flying Thunder God kunai.

"You're a typical brainless Uchiha, your very words reek of stupidity—"

"The Hyuga can use Storm Release, but the Uchiha can only use Fire Release. They're really stuck in their ways and haven't made any progress." Madara glanced at Fugaku: "These are Madara's clansmen? What a disappointment—"

Today, Madara was getting a bit frustrated by Hiruzen Sarutobi's attacks, and finally managed to find an easy target—

I have to say something!

"Hokage, this is a gift of parting."

"There is a truth hidden in this." Madara Uchiha conjured an extremely black rod in his palm and threw it toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Although it was very fast, it was not an aggressive move.

Hiruzen Sarutobi casually took the black rod condensed from Yin-Yang Release.

"As for those eyes."

Madara Uchiha took out the Rinnegan, which was created using parts of White Zetsu's tissue, and crushed it in his hand: "As expected, it was just the illusion of an incompetent person."

"I hope you'll have improved by the time we meet again."

Seemingly not wanting to be refuted by Hiruzen Sarutobi again, Madara Uchiha suddenly disappeared.

It wasn't the technique of the mayfly, but rather the use of Limbo: Border Jail to send the clone to a distant place, using the Limbo space to perform a seamless time-space teleportation.

"Completely disappeared—"

"Can't sense it!"

"What kind of spell is this—"

Whether it was Hizashi, Fugaku, Minato, or Tobirama, all of them showed expressions of surprise and doubt.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't too surprising.

The fact that this strange person came to me means that he must have a way to escape.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked the black rod that Madara Uchiha had left him.

Madara's idea was to use his meticulously crafted Yin-Yang Release artifacts to make his successor, known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," understand that techniques could be perfectly manifested.

Therefore, there is a perfect solution to peace.

Even Madara Uchiha had a premonition that, given Hiruzen Sarutobi's displayed talent, he might be able to read the stone tablet left by the Sage of Six Paths even without his ocular powers after mastering a portion of Yin-Yang Release.

If we also add his mobilization of the entire ninja world for a war—

If Konoha can't hold on any longer, then Hiruzen Sarutobi will naturally start to think:

In the ninja world, it is far from enough for only Konoha to yearn for peace; it is necessary to force everyone to love peace all at once!

Only then can the various problems in the ninja world be completely resolved.

But despite all that, Madara was still quite angry after being reprimanded by Hiruzen Sarutobi for questioning his own will.

He decided to go back and thoroughly review the situation!

If there were another chance to debate, he definitely wouldn't lose!

"It's not just the Second Mizukage and Tsuchikage—"

"Those two useless guys, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, who killed Tobirama, do have some use."

"The Second Kazekage might also be useful."

"We need to find their corpses to make Six Paths Puppets, preferably while preserving their souls—"

"Let Black Zetsu go find it—"

Madara Uchiha pondered to himself, "Now that I've stepped back onto the ninja world stage, I must give it my all!"

However, Madara Uchiha did not intend to have these puppets swarm Konoha.

That's so obvious—

If Hiruzen Sarutobi were to notice, Madara believed that his successor would not be bound by such trivialities under these circumstances.

Although the Impure World Reincarnation technique is currently ineffective, perhaps Konoha can use some forbidden method to bring Hashirama back with power close to his former strength—who knows?

After all, the creator of this technique was Tobirama Senju.

That would be a huge problem!

Ultimately, it was a test to put pressure on Konoha. Madara Uchiha didn't want to kill anyone; he wanted Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Konoha ninja to understand the unchangeable nature of the ninja world.

In Madara's view, the difficulty he set for Konoha was not excessive; it was all difficulty that might appear in future generations.

He's a qualified test setter!

After the mysterious disappearance of Ban.

Hanzo let out a deep breath.

From the moment his older brother arrived, he felt calm and wasn't worried that anything would go wrong.

Fugaku, Hizashi, and the others were also somewhat confused.

This was the first time they had encountered such a bizarre and powerful enemy; it was not only mysterious but also virtually impossible to counter.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi's "Spirit Release" undoubtedly reassured the Konoha ninjas.

Our Hokage is also very strange!

"Brother, what should we do now?"

Hanzo asked the question quite naturally, even though his left arm was still bleeding, his expression remained unchanged.

"Yes, Hokage-sama, what do we do now?" Fugaku looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with reverence.

This really gives the Uchiha clan a lot of face in front of outsiders!

Tobirama watched this scene silently, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

It must be admitted that his disciple has probably surpassed his former prestige in Konoha.

He became an irreplaceable backbone of Konoha!

P.S.: Here comes a super long chapter of 14,000 words! Requesting monthly votes mid-month!!