"That old man… did something happen? He looks serious."
Obito asked weakly, his body wrapped in bandages.
Although the old man was a bit too strict, in Obito's eyes, he was still a good person.
Not to mention, respecting the elderly and caring for the young was a fine tradition upheld by Uchiha Obito.
Back in Konoha, he often helped old ladies cross the street.
Uchiha Madara looked at Obito with his aged, weathered face. A few thoughts flickered through his mind before he finally shook his head.
"Nothing."
This kid really stood out in the bitter environment of the Uchiha clan.
So much so that he reminded Uchiha Madara of someone from long ago.
There shouldn't be such a cheerful person among the Uchiha.
But the more light-hearted a Uchiha is, the more terrifying their potential once they fall into darkness.
Madara had always believed this.
That's why he chose Obito to be the executor of his plan.
The only pity was that his carefully laid plans had been ruined by some damned individual.
Obito scratched his head in confusion.
Seeing the old man's pale face, he still wasn't reassured.
"Are you really okay?"
"I told you, I'm fine."
A scarlet gleam flashed in Uchiha Madara's eyes. An oppressive, heavy darkness instantly filled the cave, nearly overwhelming Obito.
Just then, a White Zetsu emerged from the side wall, startling Obito.
"Why do you guys always pop out like ghosts?!"
Obito was clearly annoyed by these bizarre creatures.
They always gave him an unsettling feeling.
But this particular White Zetsu didn't care about Obito's complaints. It simply bowed respectfully to Madara and said,
"Master Madara, Hanyu Simu and his team are approaching the stronghold rapidly."
Madara's expression changed slightly, and he muttered under his breath,
"Already discovered..."
Obito, on the other hand, lit up with excitement when he heard the name.
"Teacher?! Grandpa, Hanyu Simu is my teacher—just let me go back with him!"
Until now, Madara had kept him here, using the excuse of making him stronger and preparing him for the harsh world.
But now that his teacher was coming, Obito believed he didn't need protecting anymore.
Although Simu had a bad temper, Obito trusted his strength completely.
"I understand. Closely monitor Hanyu Simu's movements," Madara said coldly.
Then, he slowly rose to his feet.
The countless tree roots attached to his body squirmed as his aura began to rise.
White Zetsu vanished into the ground again, and Obito eagerly ran toward the cave entrance.
"Grandpa, thank you for your help during this time! When I get back to Konoha, I'll buy you some ramen!"
With that, he took off toward the exit.
"Stop."
Madara's voice was cold and commanding.
Obito turned his head.
"What is it, Grandpa? If it's about the ramen, I'll get the extra-large size—"
Before Obito could finish, the serious old man suddenly lifted a large white war fan from thin air.
"Put away your naïve thoughts, Uchiha Obito!"
Madara shouted sternly.
Then he violently swung the fan in his hand.
But what came wasn't a gentle breeze—it was a roaring sea of flames!
Obito didn't even have time to react.
The scorching fire engulfed the cavern instantly. Escape was impossible.
Since the plan had failed, Obito had outlived his usefulness.
Rather than letting Hanyu Simu continue training this "apprentice," it was better to eliminate him completely—root and stem.
"Why...?"
Faced with the sudden betrayal, Obito froze in place.
His face was filled with disbelief.
It was this very old man who had saved his life…
Why was he trying to kill him now?
Just as the flames were about to engulf him, Simu appeared in front of Obito in a flash.
A lightsaber was raised high—
Accompanied by a dazzling flash, the sharp blade slashed downward,
Slicing the sea of fire cleanly in two!
A strong shockwave exploded from the strike, sending gusts of hot air roaring through the cave, lifting Simu's Hokage robe high.
In the glow of the firelight, the five kanji for "Fourth Hokage" gleamed brightly before Obito's eyes.
"Teacher Simu?"
"Fourth Hokage?!"
The second title clearly reflected Obito's shock more accurately.
He had only been away from the village for a few months, and now his teacher was already Hokage?
That was a lifelong dream...
Damn it...
His teacher was still so young—did this mean the previous Hokage had stepped down already...?
Obito's mind was overwhelmed with thoughts.
As Simu arrived on the battlefield, Minato followed closely behind with Kakashi and Rin.
"Rin! Kakashi!"
Obito lit up with joy when he saw his two closest friends.
Rin rushed toward Obito and saw his pale, gray-colored arm for the first time, her eyes filled with concern.
"You…"
Sensing Rin's worry, Obito immediately grinned and said,
"It's fine! This arm feels exactly the same as my real one—don't worry!"
Once Kakashi was sure Obito wasn't seriously hurt, his focus shifted toward their teacher—and the formidable enemy ahead.
Minato did the same.
As an elite ninja, he could feel the overwhelming pressure pouring from the old man facing them.
Simu stood calmly with one hand in his pocket,
His other hand holding a flickering lightsaber, pointing directly at the legendary figure before him.
"It's not very nice to try killing my student like that, Uchiha Madara."
Yes—Uchiha Madara.
The legend who stood shoulder to shoulder with the God of Shinobi.
Flames burned on both sides of the cavern,
A clean path of scorched earth split down the middle by Simu's strike.
Uchiha Madara sat calmly in his chair, a giant war fan embedded into the ground in front of him.
He regarded the young man from Konoha with quiet interest.
"To achieve something like this without using chakra… you're indeed a genius, Hanyu Simu."
As expected from a legend.
With just a glance, Madara had seen the core of Simu's power—it wasn't chakra-based at all.
Everyone present was shocked by Simu's words.
"Uchiha Madara?!"
Even Minato's face twisted in disbelief.
He knew anyone who could force Simu to act personally wouldn't be ordinary—
But Uchiha Madara? That name was beyond comprehension.
As the co-founder of Konoha...
And the strongest missing-nin in the village's history—
Minato had at least some understanding of the man.
And because he knew, he was even more stunned.
"Didn't Uchiha Madara die in the battle at the Valley of the End against the First Hokage? How could he still be alive...?"
Compared to the shock on Minato and Kakashi's faces, Obito looked completely confused.
"Uchiha Madara? Is he famous? Heh, makes sense—I'm from the Uchiha clan too!"
Rin stared at him speechlessly.
"This guy... he's the first head of the Uchiha Clan after Konoha was founded."
Obito's eyes widened.
"Whoa, he's got that kind of background?"
But the others ignored the banter.
Uchiha Madara's gaze was locked on Simu, unblinking.
Among everyone present, only Simu was worth his attention.
Even Minato, though already Kage-level, was nothing compared to him.
Slowly, Madara rose from his chair.
As he stood, the tree roots connected to his back receded, falling away like dead vines.
His aura surged again—
And from his aged, weathered face, two glowing red eyes burst open.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan locked onto Simu, instantly pulling him into a genjutsu.
Simu responded immediately, releasing Conqueror's Haki at full strength.
An overwhelming and terrifying pressure surged outward like a tidal wave, sweeping through the cave!
The pressure was so immense it formed a visible shockwave,
blowing Uchiha Madara's long hair wildly behind him.
Under this immense force, Minato and the others were finally shaken free from the illusion.
In just an instant—
All four of them were drenched in sweat, gasping for breath, as if waking from a nightmare.
Only Minato and Kakashi remained barely composed.
"What incredible power..."
Minato looked at Uchiha Madara again, fear flashing in his eyes.
Even in this elderly state, Madara possessed such terrifying strength.
What kind of monster had he been in his prime?
No wonder he could end the Warring States Period alongside the First Hokage.
Simu turned his head slightly and said calmly,
"Minato, get them out of here."
Minato immediately nodded.
This level of battle was no longer something Obito or the others could get involved in.
Even for himself, staying meant risking death.
Feeling Simu's pressure, Madara's face lit up with an intoxicated expression.
"Such overwhelming aura..."
He could barely hold back his maniacal grin.
Pulling his fan from the ground, Madara said to Simu,
"If genjutsu doesn't work on you… then let's dance!"
Without hesitation, he poured chakra into the legendary weapon,
a treasure once handed down from the Sage of Six Paths.
The war fan instantly ignited, conjuring a massive wall of flames, surging toward everyone once more.
The temperature inside the cave spiked rapidly.
The flickering firelight cast long shadows over Simu's face, now tinged red from the heat.
Simu raised his lightsaber again—
And with a single mighty slash, he split the sea of fire in two once more!
Seeing the chance, Minato swiftly led Kakashi, Rin, and Obito away from the battlefield.
Even the ever-reckless Obito knew better than to try and stay behind to help at this point.
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