Land of Water, Somewhere
Uchiha Madara woke up. Due to his age, he had cut off the flesh from his chest, consuming a massive amount of energy. His hair had even turned half-white.
"Lord Madara, you've finally awakened!" Black Zetsu said in a sinister tone.
Madara, already accustomed to Black Zetsu's manner of speaking, paid no mind. "Zetsu, tell me, have any major events happened in the outside world?"
Black Zetsu had anticipated this question. With a smile, he replied, "Congratulations, Lord Madara. You have a good grandson."
"What nonsense are you spouting? I've never had a wife in my life, let alone a son. How could I have a grandson? Do you think I won't kill you for being so insolent?" Madara flared up, gathering chakra.
Black Zetsu quickly waved his hands. "Lord Madara, not your grandson, but your brother Izuna's grandson!" He then transmitted the images of Uchiha Ryun from his memory to Madara.
Madara froze for a moment before closing his eyes to receive the information. He saw the battlefield in the Land of Wind, where Uchiha Ryun displayed his might, killing the Third Kazekage with a single strike.
Soon, the corners of his lips curled upward. Not bad. This kid looks a lot like me. With just the first stage of Susanoo, he can instantly kill a Kage-level opponent. And he acts without hesitation!
Izuna, your grandson… I truly like him!
But then his brows furrowed. Why is this kid getting close to Hashirama's granddaughter? He had heard of her—Tsunade, wasn't it?
She inherited a fraction of Hashirama's talent, but she's quite beautiful. A good match for my little brat.
"Zetsu, I want to see this kid," Madara declared. He had made up his mind. This was the only successor left of their bloodline.
"Lord Madara, this… isn't a good idea," Black Zetsu said, stunned. He had shown Madara the intel, but now Madara wanted to meet the protagonist in person?
Although Uchiha Ryun's current strength wasn't on par with Madara's, he had youth on his side. Moreover, he was both intelligent and brave. If Madara went and was detected, it wouldn't end well! It could seriously disrupt his Moon's Eye Plan!
But seeing Madara's determined expression, Black Zetsu knew there was no stopping him in this state.
"In that case, Lord Madara, you must be extremely careful. Ensure your safety and avoid reckless actions."
"Understood. Stop nagging." Madara changed into his Warring States-era armor and vanished from the Land of Water, heading toward Konoha.
His heart was filled with excitement. He had thought he no longer had any bonds in this shinobi world. Izuna was dead. His clan had betrayed him. All these years, he had lived like a wandering ghost.
Though he had once said that the strong needed neither friends nor bonds, deep down, he still yearned for them.
Now, Uchiha Ryun was Izuna's grandson. There shouldn't be any issue with meeting him!
Soon, he arrived at Konoha Village. It was already night, and under the watchful eyes of Uzumaki Mito and Tsunade, Uchiha Ryun had left the Senju compound.
Madara stood atop a distant building, his hair fluttering in the wind, arms crossed as he looked down.
Uchiha Ryun suddenly felt a pull from his bloodline. The moment he looked up, he saw Madara, his half-white hair swaying, clad in his Six Paths armor, staring at him.
In an instant, Madara cast a genjutsu. Even without the Rinnegan, his three-tomoe Sharingan alone was enough to overpower Ryun and pull him into the illusion.
Ryun sensed the genjutsu immediately but chose not to break it. He wanted to hear what Madara had to say.
Inside the Genjutsu
Madara continued looking down. Then, he spoke. "Hey, brat!" His Sharingan shifted from three tomoe to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Ryun almost laughed. If I hadn't seen the anime, I'd really think you still have the Eternal Mangekyō. Currently, Madara's Eternal Mangekyō had already evolved into the Rinnegan. The eyes in Nagato's sockets were his.
Ryun bowed slightly. "Could you be the former clan leader, the Warring States Demon, Uchiha Madara?"
With a face that resembled Madara's by seventy percent, Ryun's respectful greeting gave Madara a headache.
"Hmph. That's right. Brat, do you know your identity? Or has no one told you?" Madara leaned forward slightly, his deep gaze fixed on Ryun.
Ryun was taken aback. Identity? My father was just an ordinary jonin, wasn't he?
Clearly, neither Uchiha Hirotomo nor Hiruzen Sarutobi had informed him of his ancestry, including his father's lineage.
"Your father was the son of Uchiha Izuna, my younger brother. Your great-grandfather was Uchiha Tajima, the leader of the Uchiha clan during the Warring States period!" Madara's voice was steady and authoritative as he explained.
If Ryun hadn't carried Izuna's blood, Madara wouldn't have given him the time of day.
Ryun was stunned. If that's the case, everything makes sense now. He had thought his resemblance to Madara was coincidental. But no—Madara was his great-uncle!
"So… you're my great-uncle?" Ryun's pupils contracted in shock. Initially, he had worried that his high-profile actions had drawn Madara and Black Zetsu's attention, and that tonight might be his end.
But now, he was no longer concerned. Madara valued bloodline above all else.
"Mn. You could say that. Brat, I heard you awakened the Mangekyō, right? Show me." Madara tried to soften his tone.
Ryun nodded. He closed his eyes, then reopened them. The six-tomoe wheel-patterned Mangekyō Sharingan activated. Instantly, Madara felt the genjutsu space tremble.
He stared at Ryun in excitement. Izuna's grandson has such immense talent! If, after his death, Ryun were willing to inherit his will, the Moon's Eye Plan could be completed in no time.
Just as he was about to speak, Ryun beat him to it. "Great-uncle, under my leadership, the Uchiha clan has entered the center of power. We're no longer marginalized. Why don't you… come back?" Ryun's voice was sincere.
Madara was caught off guard. He had intended to persuade Ryun but ended up being persuaded himself to return to the village.
Still, he shook his head. "No. I have no interest in this false peace."
Ryun's eyes gleamed. "I've seen the clan's stone tablet. It's been altered. The original text wasn't what's written now."
At this, Madara's pupils trembled. Altered? When? Could everything I saw have been a lie?