---
"Lately, I've heard that Uchiha Madara, the so-called Shura of the ninja world, left behind a treasure somewhere in the ninja world…"
"Uchiha Madara? The name sounds familiar, but it seems the Uchiha clan only has two members left, and one of them is an S-rank rogue ninja…"
"Uchiha Madara was a ninja from the same era as the First Hokage—a legendary shinobi!"
"A legendary shinobi!? Then his treasure must be unimaginable!"
"…The treasure's authenticity hasn't been confirmed. Don't get your hopes up."
"Even if it's real, people like us have no chance of getting it… so there's no point thinking about it!~"
---
Thanks to Uzumaki Takayoshi's deliberate promotion—and even hiring "water army" trolls to exaggerate and hype it up as much as possible—the vast majority of people in Konoha had heard of the so-called "Uchiha Madara's Treasure."
However, because Madara belonged to the previous era, and because the Second and Third Hokage had deliberately downplayed his legacy, his influence had been minimized.
Decades later, aside from many veteran shinobi, most people in Konoha—ninja and civilian alike—had completely forgotten the name "Uchiha Madara."
So when they heard the rumors, they only looked into who Madara was out of casual curiosity, treating it as nothing more than a topic of small talk.
As for those few ninja who truly knew about Madara, they didn't believe for a second that a legendary shinobi like him would leave behind some "amazing treasure."
---
"Uchiha Madara's treasure?"
When he first heard the rumor, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, frowned ever so slightly and thought to himself:
"Who would be so bored as to make up such a ridiculous, hole-ridden lie? There's not a shred of truth to it."
As a direct disciple of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, Hiruzen had personally witnessed Madara's imposing figure in battle—an image he remembered vividly to this day.
Meanwhile, deep in Konoha's unseen shadows, Shimura Danzō, leader of the Root organization, dismissed the news entirely, tossing it aside like garbage.
If the rumor hadn't spread so far and wide in Konoha, he wouldn't even have bothered to look at it.
Even when he did glance at it, he considered it nothing more than the ravings of some lunatic.
As one of the main culprits behind the Uchiha clan's downfall, Danzō had already ransacked their entire compound from top to bottom.
Nothing of value could have escaped the eyes of his Root shinobi.
So if something like "Uchiha Madara's treasure" really existed, there was no way the clan's history would be completely silent on it.
He simply didn't believe it.
Still, for the sake of protecting Konoha's stability, Danzō instructed one of his Root operatives to keep an eye on the rumor's source—Uzumaki Takayoshi.
---
Similarly, most of Konoha's ninja didn't believe in the treasure either.
At first, Sasuke Uchiha didn't believe it himself.
After all, as a member of the Uchiha clan, he had heard at least a little about Madara Uchiha, the legendary shinobi.
The clan's history made no mention of any treasure.
But for some reason, Sasuke's resolve began to waver.
"Even if it's fake, so what?"
"But if it's real… Madara's treasure might contain items that could increase my strength—or perhaps a powerful forbidden jutsu sealed away within it!~"
Once this thought arose, he couldn't suppress it.
Driven by his burning desire for revenge, Sasuke sought every possible way to grow stronger, and the treasure seemed like a golden opportunity.
Following that impulse, he easily tracked the rumor to its source—a very inconspicuous general store.
---
To his slight surprise, the shop's shelves were completely bare.
Only behind the counter sat a red-haired young man, smiling with narrowed eyes.
"Something's not right!~"
Seeing this, Hatake Kakashi narrowed his one visible "dead fish" eye, hiding the sharp gleam within as he analyzed:
"This shop is completely empty… and that young man seems to be waiting specifically for us… or perhaps just for Sasuke."
Following Uzumaki Takayoshi's unabashed gaze toward Sasuke, Kakashi's mind sharpened:
"Looks like this guy is trouble!~"
---
Even if all of Konoha doubted the rumor, Takayoshi didn't care—because his first target was Sasuke.
With Sasuke's desperation for revenge, he wouldn't pass up any chance to gain power.
If Sasuke actually unearthed Madara's treasure and shook the entire ninja world, it would cement Takayoshi's identity as a treasure merchant.
In simple terms—it would raise his reputation and make the "treasure merchant" name unforgettable.
---
"Is Uchiha Madara's treasure here with you?"
Looking at the ever-smiling Takayoshi, Sasuke felt an inexplicable discomfort, as though he were being manipulated—but still asked bluntly.
"Madara's treasure, huh?"
Takayoshi chuckled silently, then replied softly:
"I do have a treasure map… but did you think it would be free?"
Saying this, he took out an ancient-looking treasure map.
"How much?"
"One million ryō."
"…"
Sasuke frowned again, weighing the pros and cons.
"One million?! You bastard, why don't you just rob people! Do you know how many missions it takes to earn that back?!"
Naruto shouted, pointing angrily at Takayoshi.
"One million's not much. Just two A-rank missions at most. And this is Uchiha Madara's treasure—we're talking about something priceless. One million is cheap."
With a slight smirk, Takayoshi wore the look of someone convinced they were already giving a discount, which only made Naruto's anger boil over.
"You bastard, you—!"
"One million. Deal."
"Straightforward! As expected of Uchiha Sasuke. You've got guts—unlike that loudmouthed blond brat!~"
---
10 Energy Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
2 Five-Star Ratings = 1 Extra Chapter