Chapter 65: The Key
The morning sun bathed the old man sitting cross-legged in his chair, warm and comfortable. He gazed toward the distant horizon, where the deep blue of the night sky slowly gave way to the pale colors of dawn.
"It seems like I've been seeing you people eat fish a lot lately."
Hearing the voice, Uchiha Madara, who had been lying in his chair enjoying the sunlight, slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the courtyard gate.
At that moment, a purple-haired girl walked over with a smile and handed Uchiha Ryoichi a steaming bowl of food.
"I can't help it. I'm just hopelessly clumsy."
"I buy four fish every day, and by evening... every single one of them is dead."
Ryoichi accepted the bowl of fish noodle soup with some apprehension.
What kind of fish is this...?
The purple-haired girl puffed out her cheeks and muttered as she looked at the picky old man.
"It's carp. We bought it yesterday. It didn't survive, but it's still fresh."
After saying that, Uzuki Yugao stared at him with wide, watery eyes.
If the refrigerator at home hadn't been filling up with dead fish lately—and if her teacher hadn't grown tired of eating them after several meals—she never would have started giving away her cooking.
Damn it.
Who would've thought that orange cat would be so picky? It won't even eat the fish I cook.
"...Haa."
Looking at the little girl pouting earnestly before him, Ryoichi let out a long sigh as distant memories surfaced.
Many years ago, there had also been a period when he constantly saw Asuka eating fish.
Every so often, Asuka would enthusiastically invite him over for a meal.
One day...
He accepted.
For the next five or six years, the mere sight of fish was enough to make his whole body feel sick.
Thinking of that nightmare, he glanced at the white noodles floating in the broth before looking back at Yugao.
"Not bad. Just from looking at it, I can tell it's an ordinary fish."
"It makes me hungry."
"You're much better than your teacher."
"Eat it while it's hot!"
After waving goodbye to the old man, Yugao happily skipped back across the street to her house.
She—and everyone in her family—had long since grown tired of eating fish.
This morning, they had finally tried something different.
Watching the little girl's departing figure, Ryoichi shook his head and sighed softly.
"I just hope that bastard doesn't get greedy and start practicing Medical Ninjutsu with pufferfish again."
"Carp is fine."
"Pufferfish may taste delicious..."
"...but it's poisonous."
After muttering to himself, he picked up the basin and walked toward Madara, his expression stiff.
"Cousin, want a bowl?"
Madara glanced at the steaming fish soup before closing his eyes once more.
"I don't need food."
His voice carried no emotion whatsoever.
Ryoichi set the basin on the ground, went inside, and brought out another set of bowls and chopsticks. He filled himself a bowl and took a bite.
"Mmm..."
"Tastes pretty good."
"Definitely not pufferfish."
Slurp.
Madara frowned.
Listening to the endless sound of noodles being slurped beside him, he said coldly,
"Move farther away."
"Alright."
Ryoichi shuffled a step to the side, took another loud mouthful of noodles, then sighed.
"Cousin... you know..."
"Looking at you reminds me of Senju Hashirama."
"Even now, I still remember what happened back then."
After Hashirama distributed the Tailed Beasts to the villages, nobody knew the exact condition of his body.
But one thing was obvious.
The healthy color had vanished from his face.
He was ill.
Once everyone realized this, the clan became uneasy.
Seeing that Madara showed no sign of impatience, Ryoichi secretly rejoiced and continued.
"Later... the Senju Clan probably noticed it too."
"I don't know whether it was Tobirama's idea or simply one of Hashirama's whims."
"But one day, he came to the Uchiha Clan as a guest."
"All of our clan's jōnin ate with him that day."
"Naturally, someone brought up his illness."
"Hashirama never hid anything."
"He told us directly."
"'The illness is serious,' he said."
"'But it doesn't stop me from eating.'"
"I don't remember the rest of the conversation anymore."
"But I still remember him eating here as though he were in his own home."
"He finished..."
"...five bowls."
"Cousin, you know how large the bowls in the Uchiha Clan are."
"Five."
"Completely full bowls."
"A man suffering from a mysterious illness with no appetite, and yet—"
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Madara silently pick up the basin and begin slurping noodles himself.
Ryoichi quietly sighed.
A cousin without the Sharingan... suppressed by Watermelon-Head Hashirama.
A cousin with the Three Tomoe Sharingan... suppressed by young Watermelon-Head Hashirama.
A cousin with the Mangekyō Sharingan... still suppressed by young Watermelon-Head Hashirama.
A cousin possessing both the Mangekyō Sharingan and the Nine-Tails... still suppressed by middle-aged Watermelon-Head Hashirama.
Even now...
How many years had Hashirama been dead?
Yet simply hearing his name still ignited Madara's overwhelming desire to surpass him.
Too bad there aren't enough noodles for five bowls...
---
"Lord Madara."
"How did it feel... going to the bathroom?"
Fresh from the toilet, Madara immediately heard the irritating voice beside him.
He glanced sideways at Spiral Zetsu—the White Zetsu infused with Hashirama's cells.
Remembering that the only reason he'd needed the bathroom today was because of Hashirama's cells, irritation instantly filled his face.
"Why would you ask someone something like that?"
"Cut your own backside open with a kunai."
"Then you'll understand."
"Huh?"
Spiral Zetsu's eyes widened as though it had discovered a brand-new continent.
It touched its rear thoughtfully before suddenly realizing something.
"So that's why..."
"So the reason I've never experienced the feeling of defecation..."
"...is because I'm missing something!"
"No wonder."
"No wonder!"
"Idiot."
Watching Spiral Zetsu actually pull out a kunai and compare it against its own rear, Madara's mouth twitched violently.
Thinking of a certain watermelon-headed fool, he cursed again.
Moron.
You're even stupider than Hashirama.
Even he wouldn't do something like that.
Madara suddenly fell silent.
He remembered Hashirama willingly offering his own life to reconcile with the Uchiha Clan.
A trace of bitterness welled up in his heart.
If I'd told him to do it back then...
Hashirama probably would've cut his own backside without hesitation.
Sure enough...
The stupidity of creatures born from Hashirama's cells had been faithfully inherited.
"Go unlock Uchiha Asuka's house."
"I want to take a look inside."
Receiving the order, Spiral Zetsu reluctantly lowered the kunai.
It hadn't expected that experiencing the feeling of defecation could be so simple.
"Lord Madara..."
Watching Spiral Zetsu repeatedly look back as it walked away, Madara took a deep breath.
"What now?"
"Would that really let someone experience... that feeling?"
Madara's breathing paused.
He glared at White Zetsu and answered through gritted teeth.
"Yes."
"You can even experience hemorrhoids."
"Then—"
"Get lost."
"...Okay."
Creak...
The door closed, cutting off the noise of the outside world.
"Lord Madara!"
At that moment, Spiral Zetsu emerged from beneath the floorboards.
Scratching its head with a grin, it asked,
"What are we looking for?"
Madara ignored the question.
This fellow was exactly like Hashirama.
Tell him one thing...
He'd respond with ten.
After walking around the living room, Madara's gaze settled on a faded color photograph hanging on the white wall.
Time had slightly washed out its colors.
Even so, everyone in the picture remained clearly recognizable.
He quietly looked at himself...
...and at the people standing behind him.
Izuna.
Ryota.
Tsuru.
Fifty-one years.
"Lord Madara!"
"I found a love letter!"
Madara's eyelids twitched.
He turned toward Spiral Zetsu, who was waving a white envelope excitedly, and found himself speechless.
Oblivious to Madara's displeasure, Spiral Zetsu ran over.
"Can we recreate what happened to Obito?"
"Idiot."
Madara rubbed his aching forehead.
He already possessed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
He had experienced everything he needed to experience.
Falling into darkness again was no longer that easy.
"...Hm?"
Something caught the corner of his eye.
Madara stared at an ancient bronze key hanging on the wall.
He stood there for a moment before walking over.
Removing it from its hook, he read the note attached beneath it.
A Mysterious Key:
It can open a mysterious box filled with Uchiha secrets, containing forbidden techniques capable of increasing one's power.
Madara had no idea that Asuka had obtained the key from the System.
After searching everywhere without finding any mysterious box, Asuka had simply hung the key on the wall.
To avoid confusing it with ordinary keys, he had even left a note explaining what it supposedly unlocked.
Madara quietly examined the strangely familiar key for a long time before hanging it back where it belonged.
"A forbidden technique that increases one's power..."
"Did Tsuru leave this behind...?"
"Lord Madara!"
Madara inhaled slowly.
"What is it now?"
"Someone's cursing you."
"...?"
Madara stared at Spiral Zetsu in confusion before being dragged over to a nearby table.
Following Spiral Zetsu's finger, he looked down.
Written across the tabletop were countless scratches.
Uchiha Madara! I'm not finished with you yet!
Yaaah-haah~
He's human. I can't let humans make me angry. Filthy... disgusting humans.
I feel like I'm going crazy. Damn Uchiha Madara. Even though he gave me freedom, I lost my strength.
Another day of being squeezed by humans.
Second day of being squeezed by humans.
Third consecutive day of being squeezed by humans.
Looking at the resentful words carved into the table, Madara tilted his head.
"Who wrote this?"
Spiral Zetsu immediately shook its head.
Then, as though remembering something important, it clapped its hands.
"It definitely wasn't Uchiha Asuka!"
"Why?"
"He doesn't have fingernails."
"He couldn't scratch the table."
"..."
Without another word, Madara turned and walked toward the exit.
As he opened the door, he glanced once more at the bronze key hanging on the wall before calmly instructing the White Zetsu behind him.
"Erase every trace that this old man entered the room."
"I don't want anyone discovering it."
Konoha Ninja Academy
To ensure that the Will of Fire would be passed down through future generations, the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, established the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Every year, large numbers of students enrolled there, guaranteeing a steady supply of trained ninja.
The academy didn't teach especially advanced ninjutsu.
Still...
It was more than enough to produce competent cannon fodder.
"I heard the entrance exam is really difficult."
"I don't think I'll score very high."
"Me too."
"My parents trained me a lot before I came, but I still don't think I'll pass."
"If none of you are prepared..."
"...then I'm definitely getting in!"
Everyone turned toward the child who had spoken.
Their eyes filled with admiration.
What a positive mindset.
He'll definitely become an excellent ninja someday.
Standing nearby, Asuka couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth.
Kids really are innocent.
They believe every word their classmates say.
But after suffering through a few years of exams...
They would eventually learn.
Some things...
...were better heard than believed.
Otherwise, the only one who got hurt would be yourself.
The students who seemed lazy all year, constantly sighed before every exam, yet somehow always ranked at the top afterward...
Either they secretly worked much harder than anyone realized...
...or they cheated.
Like me.
Back then, his classmates always saw him sleeping or spacing out during the day.
Naturally, they assumed he never studied.
So they desperately worked harder, determined to prove there was nothing special about the Uchiha.
Yet every time exam results were posted...
When they saw Asuka standing at the top with a perfect score...
They would silently turn away, clench their fists, curl their toes inside their sandals, and grit their teeth.
Even now, the memory remained vivid.
Sigh...
Those innocent classmates had once studied alongside him every day.
Some had even suspected he wasn't very bright.
None of them ever imagined...
...that he studied secretly at night behind their backs.
Idiots.
Today was registration day.
Disguised once again as a child, Asuka followed the crowd toward the academy.
The first time he'd enrolled...
He'd come alone.
This time...
He was alone again.
As he walked, he looked around at the freshly renovated walls, brand-new desks, and spotless bathrooms before sighing.
So many years passed in the blink of an eye.
Even the academy has been renovated.
When he was still a student, the walls, desks, and bathrooms had already been over twenty years old—installed during Tobirama's era.
Everything had been worn out beyond belief.
On rainy days, every classroom smelled damp and moldy.
He hadn't expected that only a few years after graduating...
Everything old had already been replaced with something new.
Jealous.
Very jealous.
"Hm?"
While absentmindedly picking at the fresh paint on one of the walls, he suddenly heard someone behind him.
"Whose child are you?"
"And what are you doing to the wall?"
Asuka's finger froze.
Looking at the tiny hole he'd accidentally dug out, he replied awkwardly,
"I just wanted to check whether this was cheap paint pretending to be good quality."
He turned around.
Standing before him was a woman with curly black hair and deep crimson eyes, her hands resting on her hips as she stared fixedly at the finger-sized hole.
Kurenai Yuhi...?
Was she on leave back then too?
Ah... her captain was preparing to have a child.
That probably meant she didn't have any missions right now.
"Hey."
"Hey!"
Suddenly, Asuka's feet left the ground.
Looking at Kurenai, who had effortlessly lifted him with one hand, he feigned complete ignorance.
"Who are you?"
"What are you doing?"
Kurenai glanced at the Uchiha crest embroidered on his back before answering calmly,
"I'm a substitute instructor personally assigned by the Hokage."
"I'm taking you to your parents."
Asuka widened his eyes.
"Why do you need my parents?"
Pointing at the hole in the wall, Kurenai answered,
"You deliberately damaged school property."
"I want your parents to teach you a proper lesson."
"Oh."
"I understand."
Learning the reason, Asuka immediately calmed down.
Looking straight into her eyes, he said evenly,
"I've been the only survivor in my family..."
"...since I was one year old."
An orphan.
Kurenai's expression froze.
Her hand instinctively loosened its grip on his collar.
Looking at the calm expression on the child's face, the reprimand she had been about to give quietly died in her throat.
She knew there were many orphans and children from broken families at the academy.
She simply hadn't expected to meet one on her very first day as a substitute teacher.
She suddenly remembered something the Third Hokage had once told her.
"Teaching children is a matter of conscience."
"Only teachers whose hearts are filled with compassion have light in their eyes."
"Only then can they illuminate the road their students walk."
A teacher without compassion abandoned troublesome students.
A truly responsible teacher...
...educated them more.
Guided them more.
Cared for them more.
Did everything possible to understand them, tolerate them, and fill the emptiness in their hearts with kindness.
Smack.
Unaware of everything passing through Kurenai's mind, Asuka simply pulled several banknotes from his pocket and slapped them directly into her hand.
"No need to find them."
"Even if I stuffed this entire hole full of money..."
"...it'd still be enough to fill it."
With that, he turned and sprinted toward the registration desk.
Back then, he'd ranked at the very top of the entrance exam.
Years later, he had become one of Konoha's pillars and gained a much deeper understanding of the Will of Fire.
An academy entrance exam...
...was nothing.
This time...
He wanted the Second Hokage to experience what it felt like when a god descended from heaven.
Screech!
The sound of sudden braking echoed behind him.
Asuka planted both feet firmly on the ground and looked up at Kurenai, who had once again blocked his path.
"Is there something else?"
"The hole..."
Seeing her bring up the wall again, Asuka sighed.
He emptied every coin from his pocket and shoved them into her hands.
"This is enough to hire a ninja to repair it."
"Please don't stop me."
"I still have to register."
When she still showed no intention of moving aside, the corner of Asuka's mouth twitched.
He bent forward in one smooth motion and apologized sincerely.
"I was wrong."
"I shouldn't have been so mischievous."
"I shouldn't have damaged school property."
"After I finish registering..."
"...I'll repair the hole myself."
"No."
Kurenai gently shook her head.
She returned every coin to his pocket before softly ruffling his hair.
"There will be many things you'll need money for in the future."
"You have to learn how to budget."
"You shouldn't spend recklessly."
"And you definitely shouldn't waste money on meaningless things."
"This money..."
"...may represent everything your parents worked for during their entire lives."
"Every coin you spend..."
"...takes you one step farther from fulfilling your dreams."
Looking into the child's confused eyes, Kurenai sighed inwardly.
This child lost his parents when he was still very young.
He has no relatives.
No one ever taught him healthy spending habits.
He doesn't understand how difficult it is to earn money.
His perception of money has become completely distorted.
He thinks money can solve everything.
That's wrong.
Meanwhile...
Asuka felt nothing but irritation.
He had merely been curious how an old, broken wall had suddenly become a brand-new one.
And now this still wasn't over.
Looking at the visibly restless Uchiha child, Kurenai gently took his hand.
"I'll take you to register."
"Thank you."
"I can go by myself."
He immediately pulled his hand away.
Before he could escape...
His feet left the ground again.
"..."
Kurenai looked down at the suddenly silent child in her hand.
After observing him for a while, she asked,
"What's your name?"
Asuka's lips twitched.
He decisively closed his eyes and answered,
"Uchiha Ri."
"'Uchiha' is the Uchiha Clan of Konoha."
"And 'Ri' means..."
"'If I pass, I stay. If I fail, I leave.'"
"...the 'leave' from that sentence."
"Uh..."
Kurenai blinked blankly.
She had the distinct feeling this child was rather unhappy.
Definitely a problem child.
Even introducing himself carries a strong sense of defiance.
"That's a nice name."
"But next time..."
"...don't introduce yourself like that."
"It's rather impolite."
Then she pointed at herself.
Her crimson eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled warmly.
"My name is Kurenai Yuhi."
"From now on..."
"...you can call me Teacher Kurenai."
"Oh."
Asuka answered with a completely lifeless "Oh."
In any case...
He was only here to take the entrance exam.
Once the exam was over...
He planned to run away immediately.