Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Do you guys think you can defeat Madara Uchiha?

The Nara clan's pineapple-headed man sighed deeply. After Madara Uchiha's sudden departure, he had repeatedly offered himself to Hashirama Senju, wanting to take over the task management work, but the latter refused for various reasons. Now it seems that the position had actually been reserved long ago.

Having come to terms with reality, the crowd shook their heads. The crazy idea of ​​competing for the second generation leadership had already been extinguished and crushed during the day.

I'm going to fight Madara Uchiha?

You'll die!

"However, I'm a little worried now. What crazy things might Madara Uchiha do after he takes over?"

Kenichi Shimura, who had an extremely low opinion of the Uchiha clan, puffed out his large belly, his worried expression clearly visible.

"Yes, after all, the Uchiha clan's brain circuits are somewhat peculiar, and their mental state is quite worrying."

Others chimed in, not because these ninja clans were speaking ill of the Uchiha behind their backs, but because that was simply the nature of the Uchiha.

If an Uchiha lacks emotional sensitivity, he will never become a true powerhouse, no matter how long he lives.

I don't have that worry.

Looking at the worried faces of the crowd, Sarutobi Sasuke, who had once served as the leader of the Shinobi Alliance, shook his head with great certainty.

"Oh? Why?"

"Because Mr. Gin is here."

Even if Madara Uchiha becomes Hokage, he will still be a junior.

"That's true."

The ninja clan members, who shared the same sentiment, nodded in unison.

The clan headquarters of the Uchiha clan.

All the Uchiha clan members in the village, regardless of age or gender, whether they were lame or using crutches, except for one curly-haired man who was fast asleep, were present. The huge venue was packed with people, and for a moment, it was bustling with activity.

"Big brother, you've kept this from us for so long!"

On the high platform at the front of the venue, Uchiha Izuna, dressed in a high-collared robe, could not hide his excitement. His dark eyes were fixed on Uchiha Madara, whom he had not seen for a long time, and his tone was full of complex emotions.

"I'm sorry, Izuna, that mission concerns the overall development of Konoha, and I really can't reveal too much to you."

Madara Uchiha looked at his younger brother with deep remorse. Back then, he had left, leaving the entire burden of the clan on Izuna's shoulders. Fortunately, he had trained Izuna well beforehand, so he didn't cause any trouble in clan affairs.

Hmph~ I was right to be farsighted!

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"

Izuna felt that he had finally made it through. With his older brother back, he could finally relax and be a hands-off boss, going home to his wife and kids and enjoying a few days of comfort.

Why don't we take advantage of our youth and have a second child with Mieko?

His name is Fugaku. My older cousin didn't allow me to use this name last time, but he probably won't care now, right?

"Thank you for your hard work, Izuna."

"It's not hard work, it's not hard work, it's all I should do!"

"So it's not that hard? Then please continue. I have other work to learn at the Hokage Building, and I can't be in two places at once."

"ha?"

Madara Uchiha finally saw through Izuna's lies. Since Izuna was lying through his teeth, he decided to go along with it and let his hardworking younger brother continue working illegally.

This is what the hot mom from Haxi taught him; that's how your little brother should use it!

"Chieftain! We've been waiting for you for so long!"

"Chieftain, if you don't return soon, we'll rebel!"

"Chief, what have you been doing these past few years?"

"Chieftain!"

"Chieftain."

Not only was Uchiha Izuna on the stage excited, but the clansmen packed below were also in high spirits. Their crimson eyes shone with undisguised joy as they bombarded Uchiha Madara with questions.

It turns out that the clan leader, who is the spiritual symbol of the Uchiha clan, has not abandoned them!

Sensing the expectant gazes of his clansmen, Madara Uchiha, having finished arranging for his younger brother, clenched his fists and, starting with zero frames, performed a dogeza (prostration) towards the entire clan. His usually unyielding and arrogant head was now pressed firmly to the ground. He then channeled his chakra to amplify his voice.

"I'm sorry to have worried everyone!"

The sudden kneeling silenced the noisy venue instantly.

next moment,

"Chieftain!"

"thump!"

"thump!!"

"."

With a chorus of kneeling sounds, Madara Uchiha slowly raised his head. Looking at the densely packed fan-shaped clan crests before him, he was overwhelmed with gratitude, his heart overflowing with indescribable, complex emotions.

I, Uchiha Madara, will never fail the expectations of my clan!

After the meeting with their clansmen, Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha went into the inner hall. The two brothers, who hadn't seen each other for several years, had much to say.

"Big brother, what kind of mission did you go on? I was completely kept in the dark."

Sitting cross-legged, Uchiha Izuna was most curious about the reason why his older brother left the village. Just how important was that secret mission that it made Uchiha Madara, the head of the clan and one of the high-ranking officials of Konoha, resolutely leave his hometown?

"It's alright to tell you in advance, Izuna, do you know about Tailed Beast Knights?"

Madara Uchiha pondered for a moment. The details of his mission would be revealed soon, so revealing them to Izuna Uchiha first wouldn't be considered a leak.

"Tailed Beast Riders? I've heard of them."

Frowning, Uchiha Izuna recalled the Tailed Beast Riders who had been gaining popularity in recent years, then nodded.

Since Uchiha Gin distributed the belts to the other major countries, except for the Land of Wind, the Lands of Water, Earth, and Lightning have all successfully produced Tailed Beast Riders. In addition, there are seven known Riders, including the hunter Rider Sword who roams the countryside.

These mysterious knights, with their extremely high efficiency and superb combat power, easily completed many challenging S-rank missions, establishing a good reputation and goodwill for their country's ninja village.

Taking the Land of Water as an example, the two Tailed Beast Riders from Kirigakure even achieved a record of soloing three S-rank missions in a single day. Their enthusiasm for achieving results is astonishing and has also increased people's curiosity about the emerging profession of Rider.

"I went on this trip specifically for it."

Seeing that Izuna Uchiha knew about the Tailed Beast Riders, Madara Uchiha took out a gray driver from the four-dimensional chrysanthemum behind him and placed it in front of him.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

"That's right, I am now a Tailed Beast Rider too."

Seeing his younger brother's dumbfounded expression, Madara Uchiha, feeling extremely satisfied, flashed a hint of arrogance in his eyes before announcing his hidden identity.

"Is it the Nine-Tails?"

The only Tailed Beast whose whereabouts are currently unknown is the Nine-Tails, which was released by Hashirama Senju back then. Now that his older brother has become a Tailed Beast Knight, it is highly likely that he is the Nine-Tails Knight.

"Um."

Madara Uchiha nodded slightly and took out a card from his waist that exuded a violent aura. It depicted a snarling red fox with nine long tails swaying behind it.

"Hmm, I must tell my older cousin about this important news. I really want to see his shocked expression."

Uchiha Izuna clenched his fist excitedly, his first thought being Uchiha Gin, wanting to share this earth-shattering secret with him.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Madara Uchiha, sitting opposite him, gave him a strange look and waved his hand at Izuna.

"My older cousin already knew about this."

"ha?"

"But he didn't come today?"

Uchiha Izuna, who had just gotten up, frowned and sat back down. Uchiha Gin had even skipped such an important clan meeting today, so how could he possibly know the latest news about his older brother?

"My older cousin has known everything about my affairs from beginning to end."

"Huh? Wait a minute. You mean, even the reason you went out, your older cousin knew?"

A deep sorrow welled up in Uchiha Izuna's heart, and his eyes became empty. With a last glimmer of hope, he asked in a trembling voice,

"Yes, my older cousin even came to see me off when I left back then~"

Waaaaah.

A tough guy shed tears.

We're all brothers, so why exclude him?

crunch~

Just as Uchiha Izuna was weeping bitterly, the tightly closed door to the inner room was pushed open from the outside.

The jarring sound of the door opening made the two brothers, who had just been exchanging pleasantries, frown. They had clearly instructed the guards not to let anyone in. Who was being so inconsiderate?

"Ha~ Sasipuri, you've recovered so quickly, big cousin~"

The two brothers, who had initially looked displeased, immediately softened upon seeing the newcomer's fluffy curly hair. Uchiha Izuna even quickly stood up to make room for his older, wealthy cousin.

"The village doctor is quite skilled."

Feeling brimming with energy, Madara Uchiha gave a rare smile and said to Gin Uchiha, whose face was languid.

"Big cousin, sit here, I just warmed it up for you~"

Uchiha Izuna, standing to the side, pointed obsequiously to the seat he had just been sitting in.

"Hmm, little prisoner, you've put in a lot of effort."

Having just finished dinner, Uchiha Gin strolled over to the Uchiha clan compound right on time.

He encountered many happy-looking clansmen along the way, which told him that his off-peak travel was a good idea, and the troublesome clan gathering must have already ended.

"Don't I know the skill level of those doctors? They're fine for treating gynecological diseases, but for you to be alive and kicking so quickly, it must be the blessing of your ancestors."

Uchiha Gin squinted his droopy, dead-fish eyes, sized up Uchiha Madara, and then shook his head firmly.

With those mediocre medical staff in Konoha who even have to treat gynecological issues themselves, how could they possibly cure my cousin so quickly? It's probably because Kurama secretly exerted its power.

Or perhaps...

Seeing the vibrant life force emanating from Madara Uchiha at that moment, Gin Uchiha couldn't help but think of another factor.

Yesterday at the hospital, Hashirama Senju gritted his teeth and poured his precious life essence into Madara Uchiha's body. The chakra contained the ancient aura of Ashura was thus integrated into his cousin's bloodline.

This power dramatically enhanced his physique; minor injuries healed almost instantly, and fatal wounds were just a matter of minutes.

Hey! The cells at the bottom of Hashirama's prison are really useful~

Uchiha Gin, who was stroking his chin in deep thought, looked up at Uchiha Madara's dark eyes, and his expression became rather interesting.

So, my younger cousin is a few steps closer to unlocking the circle.

"Big cousin, your gaze is a bit impolite."

After being stared at by Uchiha Gin with a strange look for a while, Uchiha Madara shifted uncomfortably. Although there was no malice in the other's eyes, he still felt that his older cousin was making up stories about him.

"An illusion, it's definitely an illusion!"

Uchiha Gin vehemently denied it, then his gaze fell on the driver on the desktop.

"Are you getting used to this thing?"

The driver my older cousin uses is an upgraded version of the Uchiha Silver Driver, which has been enhanced. Compared to the old driver, it has stronger compatibility, allowing it to not only borrow the power of tailed beasts but also flexibly utilize chakra of other attributes.

However, it was precisely because of this that Indra's chakra had the opportunity to carry out a top-level operation that had not been performed for a thousand years.

"I feel great, I'm sure I can beat Hasi Hot Mom next time!"

Stroking the gray driver, Madara Uchiha's eyes gleamed. In the previous contest, if it weren't for the strange Black Fox Knight interfering, he, as the White Fox Knight, would have definitely been able to overpower Hasi Hot Mom and rightfully take over the title of Hokage.

"Is this thing really as powerful as the legends say?"

Since the Land of Fire does not have any official knights, Izuna Uchiha has always been skeptical of the legendary knights' power. If he weren't so busy, his competitive nature would have led him to sneak out and find a knight to test his skills.

"Would you like to give it a try?"

Unexpectedly, his younger cousin dared to question his technological achievements. Uchiha Gin glanced at him with slight displeasure.

"Izuna, it's been so many years. Let me test your capacity and see if you've neglected your training because of trivial matters."

Having already accepted his identity as a knight, Madara Uchiha looked at the arrogant Izuna Uchiha with displeasure, gripped the driver in his hand, and was the first to get up and walk out.

"I'm not the same person I used to be, big brother, don't go easy on me, or you might capsize unexpectedly!"

Uchiha Izuna, who has always prioritized training in recent years, has absolute confidence in his strength. Even if he is slightly inferior to his older brother, he is by no means powerless and may even transform into a water demon to capsize Uchiha Madara's galactic battleship.

"Tsk tsk tsk"

Does this mean the legendary ignorance is bliss?

Uchiha Gin, watching from the sidelines, looked at his confident little cousin with great pity. He thought that the boy might cry loudly in a moment.

"Waaaa, Coach, he's cheating! I'm quitting!"

Three minutes later, lying on the training ground, Uchiha Izuna's dark, panda-like eyes glistened with tears that made one want to scream "He deserves it!" He slightly raised his head, looking at the fox knight before him, whose fur was entirely red and covered in white stripes, his voice filled with desperate fear.

Uchiha Izuna, who was unleashing his full power, didn't even last three minutes before collapsing to the ground with his mouth open and eyes closed.

"Isn't this Izuna? It's been years, what happened to him?"

This sparring session, which barely even served as a warm-up, further convinced Madara Uchiha that his current combat strength had definitely earned him the title of No. 1 on the combat power rankings.

"Oh dear, your little cousin isn't young anymore, don't let him off the hook!"

Uchiha Gin, standing to the side, was secretly stirring things up, because this kid dared to underestimate his invention.

"Let's try again next time. I hope you can last three minutes."

Fortunately, this version of Madara Uchiha still had some humanity; after reverting to his original form, he helped up Izuna Uchiha, whose face was bruised and swollen.

"Oh, that's it? I wanted to see rivers of blood!"

Seeing this, Uchiha Gin pouted slightly in disappointment. Then, Uchiha Madara seemed to remember something, turned to him, and said...

"Don't stir things up, cousin. I have something to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"Hassi Hot Mom has delegated some of the Hokage's authority to me, and I'd like to ask you for your advice."

"Ahem, I've reached retirement age."

Upon hearing that it was a serious matter, Uchiha Gin instantly lost interest, coughed a few times, and then feigned exhaustion.

"Alright, then I'll have to discuss with Izuna how to manage the Konoha prison and its security."

"Ball Bean Sack! Twenty-two years of service, Level 8 prison guard Uchiha Gin, requesting to return to duty!" (End of Chapter)