Uchiha Seiji scanned his surroundings warily.The system's glowing text still burned in his mind:
[Target Locked: Uchiha Madara]
Not a nightmare. Not a genjutsu. Reality.
Seiji didn't even know whether to laugh or cry. On one hand—cool, legendary big bad noticed him. On the other—seriously? Why the hell did the tag say possessive emotions?!
"What the actual—?!"His face twisted. "Old man. Freaking old pervert old man. And not just any geezer—the Shura of the Ninja World variety! What the hell am I supposed to do with that?!"
He rubbed his face, forcing himself to think it through.Why him? Why now?
"Okay… deep breath. Why would Madara fixate on me? Am I, what, the premium Uchiha upgrade pack compared to Obito? Maybe he thinks my bleeding-heart Fire Will persona makes me an even juicier target for corruption? Like: the brighter the flame, the darker the shadow."
That tracked with Madara's style. He'd pick the stronger, smarter Uchiha to groom as his proxy. Obito had been a long-term investment: forged through endless manipulation, fine-tuned Sharingan training, every ounce of talent dragged out to barely keep up appearances as Madara's stand-in. And even then, it was a stretch.
The title Madara Uchiha wasn't something just anyone could cosplay.
Seiji vs. Obito? Yeah, anyone with eyes could tell who had more talent.
But that word—"possessive." That wasn't "I want to corrupt you." That was… "Mine."Madara hadn't thought of Obito like that, right?
"Doesn't make sense."Seiji frowned hard. A string of question marks practically floated above his head.
Then a ridiculous—yet disturbingly plausible—thought hit him."Wait. Don't tell me… When I beat down Uchiha Hachiyo, I deliberately used 'the Uchiha way' to win, trying to sell the clan's loyalty trick. And that old fossil saw it. If he thought I looked like Izuna while doing it…"
Seiji's face cracked."Oh no. He's trying to remodel me into baby Izuna, isn't he?!"
The more he thought about it, the more it lined up. His battle stance, Tobirama's off reactions, and now this tag. Yeah. It fit too well.
Which… seriously screwed his schedule.He'd have to consider Madara's gaze before every move now. He couldn't just pretend the man didn't exist—not when White Zetsu fed him front-row coverage of Konoha drama.
And this was Madara. The old ghost might be half-dead, but let's not kid ourselves. Near the end of his life, he still slapped down a rampaging Three-Tails, stuffed it inside Rin, sealed it, and puppeted half of Kirigakure's ANBU—and possibly the Mizukage.
If you thought that guy was just some shriveled patient on life support, you'd be the joke.And right now, he wasn't even near the end yet.
Seiji shuddered. Nope. No thanks. Not testing that.
But after the chill passed, he found himself grinning.Because danger also meant opportunity.
"If Madara's locked onto me, then I've locked onto him. And if I can make him emotional… oh man. Whatever loot drops from shaking that guy—easy stat boost city."
So how to trigger Madara?Seiji's grin sharpened. "Replacement little brother roleplay, huh? Fine. You want Izuna? I'll be Izuna."
Problem: his knowledge of Izuna was fuzzy—just fragments, whispers.Solution: go straight to the source.
"Hey, Tobirama. Wake up."
A groggy voice growled back inside his head."Brat, it's the middle of the night. You're disturbing my beauty sleep."
Seiji, grinning, waved cheerfully at the soul lounging in a conjured futon. He'd even given Tobirama a bed out of courtesy. Rituals mattered."Insomnia. Tell me a story."
"…You really have no shame, do you?" Tobirama stared. "We were at each other's throats three days ago. Now you want bedtime stories?"
"We're bonded, old man. My insomnia means your insomnia. That's teamwork."
Tobirama twitched. How did this kid spin things like that so smoothly?Out loud, though, he sighed. "Fine. What do you want to hear?"
Seiji leaned forward, eyes bright."Tell me about Uchiha Izuna. Hachiyo said I look like him. But I'm built from your template, right? So… what's the deal? Weren't you sworn enemies?"
He plopped down at the foot of Tobirama's bed, ignoring the man's glare."Come on. Spill it. I'm dying to know."
"…Nonsense. There's nothing to—" Tobirama stopped mid-scoff. Memories flickered. He fell quiet, eyes shadowed. Maybe not so nonsense. Maybe too much sense.
Finally, he exhaled."Fine. Consider it history class."
And then he spoke.Of Uchiha Izuna—the younger brother of Madara, battlefield commander of the clan, strategist, fighter, flawless shinobi."Perfect," Tobirama admitted. "The hardest opponent I ever faced. Even after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, he pushed me to my limits. I was… overwhelmed."
But Izuna wasn't just skill. He had charisma, warmth for his clan, a ruthless edge on the battlefield, and loyalty that bound Uchiha hearts."He gathered their will. Much like you with Hachiyo. That trick? His first."
From the age of nine, they had clashed—over and over, until Tobirama created Flying Thunder God just to survive him."I sometimes wonder," Tobirama murmured, "if he'd lived, he would have seen the truth. Maybe even stopped Madara's fall."
A flicker of regret passed through his voice. But he straightened quickly."Still. In the end, I was stronger."
Seiji's eyes shone like a fangirl's. "That's so badass. Tell me about your first fight. And the second. And the third—"
"Brat!" Tobirama snapped. "I'll pick a few highlights, not every damn duel."
And so the midnight story session began.Seiji listened, memorizing every detail: Izuna's movements, habits, preferences—even what foods he liked. (Apparently, Tobirama once considered poisoning him. Respect.)
The more he heard, the more his plan solidified.If Madara wanted his brother back? Fine. Seiji would become the next-best thing. That alone would shake the old warlord's heart.
Eventually, Tobirama wrapped up with a warning."Don't waste your talent mimicking Izuna. Your Water Style potential rivals mine. My ninjutsu alone could serve you for life. Copying him leads nowhere."
Seiji only smiled, filing the words away.Because the truth hit him hard tonight: Tobirama and Izuna were too similar. Cold, brilliant, secretly warmhearted, brother-obsessed, blade masters with signature teleport jutsu. Swap their clans and eyes, and they were practically twins.
No wonder his fight against Hachiyo had pinged Madara's radar. His Water Style had shifted into Fire + blade style mid-duel. Classic Izuna move.
It all made sense now.
"Got it. Just wanted to know more about you," Seiji said, eyes twinkling. "One last question though…"
Tobirama raised a brow. "What is it?"
"You and Madara. Who was stronger? Did he ever beat you?"
The system chimed instantly:
[From Target: Senju Tobirama – You have obtained Sealing Technique: Five Elements Seal!]
"You insolent Uchiha brat—!" Tobirama roared.
Seiji laughed, already fading out. "Night, Tobirama."
And as sleep finally claimed him, he caught one last glimpse—Tobirama, lips twitching upward. A smile.
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
The White Zetsu Madara sent to kickstart Obito's tragic love story stumbled upon something worse. Black goo coiled over its body, swallowing the Yin-Yang chakra inside.
Black Zetsu.Kaguya's third son.
"Heh. I thought I'd have to wait for Madara's idiot plan to start before I could get close to Indra's heir… but this is perfect. Whether it's Uchiha Seiji or Obito, both can serve Mother's return."
His grin twisted."Madara's idea of fake romance between Obito and a puppet Rin? Pathetic. But me? I'll show him true despair. Let Obito taste the sweetest love—then crush it at its peak. That kind of despair will forge the finest eyes."
Black Zetsu raised his gaze to the moon, voice solemn."For Mother, I'll sacrifice everything."
That night—Seiji was busy plotting how to cosplay Izuna.Black Zetsu was busy cosplaying Rin.And Madara was lost in memories of his brother.
Everyone dreaming. Everyone scheming.Everyone convinced the future was theirs.