Chapter 115: Konoha is My Father; Uchiha is My Mother
Upon hearing those words, Fugaku Uchiha's face twitched. He instinctively
scanned their surroundings, letting out a sharp, anxious sigh. "It's a blessing
Hizashi isn't here. I heard he was sent out of the village on a mission this
morning..."
Since the battle at the Valley of the End, any mention of Madara Uchiha had
become a political landmine.
Through the reign of the Second Hokage and into the Third's era, the name had
evolved into a forbidden taboo. Even within the Uchiha compound, he was referred
to only as the "Great Patriarch," never by name. To outsiders, claiming to
follow "Madara's Will" was functionally the same as announcing an immediate coup
d'état against the Hokage.
"Seisui, don't you ever say that again!"
Elder Isshin strode forward, his face dark with gravity. "Do you want to get us
all killed? Have you forgotten? Danzo Shimura is already watching you like a
hawk!"
For an Uchiha to claim they identified with Madara's "spirit" or "will"...
Isshin couldn't even imagine what kind of "Naturally Evil" label Danzo would
slap on the boy. It was the ultimate weak point in the Uchiha's political
defense.
The logic was simple: Madara had betrayed the village and fought the First
Hokage to the death. Lord Hashirama had died young from the injuries sustained
in that fight, which directly led to the outbreak of the First Great Ninja War.
The damage to Konoha was a matter of historical fact—one even the Uchiha
couldn't deny.
"Seisui, you have a sharp mind and you've read many scrolls, but you don't
understand the history of this village well enough," Isshin lectured sternly.
"The Senju and the Uchiha, Lord Hashirama and the Great Patriarch, Lord Tobirama
and the Young Master... the threads between them are a tangled, lethal mess.
It's too dangerous to play with!"
Tobirama (as Seisui) smirked internally.
I know the history, old man. I wrote half of it. No one in this era—not even the
Hokage—understands the dynamic better than I do.
Seisui shook his head slowly. "Elder Isshin, I understand your concern. I'm not
talking about acting like the rebel Setsuna—using the Patriarch's name to incite
a mindless civil war."
"I'm saying we need to understand the Patriarch's devotion to our bloodline. We
take the strength of his spirit and merge it with the Will of Fire. We use his
legend to fix the rift between the clan and the village."
Isshin's expression was a mask of disbelief.
Madara's Spirit and the Will of Fire? How do those two concepts even fit in the
same sentence? It was like trying to mix oil and water.
He thought of his late brother, Setsuna Uchiha. Setsuna had claimed to be
Madara's successor, trying to lead the Uchiha in a bid to reclaim power from
the Senju. He had tried to play "Hardball" with the Second Hokage.
Tobirama had crushed him in less than a week. The Uchiha were relocated to the
village perimeter as a direct result.
"Seisui, do you even know what the Will of Fire is? It's the exact opposite of
the Patriarch's philosophy!" Isshin rubbed his brow. "You've been reading too
many different books, boy. Your head is a mess."
"Elder Isshin, my head is perfectly clear. This is the conclusion I reached
after observing the reality of Konoha."
Tobirama's voice remained calm, but it carried a resonant power.
"I wasn't born in this village. But I love it more than anyone. Without the
Leaf, I would still be rotting in a Grass Village cell, starving and treated
like a slave. The village saved me."
"And I love the Uchiha. Returning here, I've felt a warmth and a sense of
belonging I never knew existed."
"In these past two months, my classmates at the Academy have shared their family
scrolls with me out of pure friendship, asking for nothing in return. I eat
gourmet food for free in the cafeteria. My training gear is provided by the
Hokage's office. I even received a personal stipend from the treasury."
"In this clan, my two brothers follow me everywhere. They make me feel like I
have a real family. The elders tell me stories of our ancestors. When I visit
them, they stuff my pockets with snacks and money."
"Elder Isshin, Fugaku-sama, Yashiro-sama... you have all given me your wisdom
without hesitation."
Tobirama stood tall, his posture as straight as a spear, radiating a maturity
that made the adults around him feel small.
"As a boy who grew up without parents, I have reached a realization."
"Konoha is my Father. The Uchiha is my Mother. I want them both to thrive."
"Because I want what is best for both, I will push for the reforms we need. I
don't care if the Anbu Commander hates me for it. I don't care if the 'Darkness'
targets me."
"Nothing Danzo can do to me will ever be worse than the years I spent in the
Grass!"
"I know Madara's name is a taboo. But we cannot let our history be a shackle!
The current interpretation of the Patriarch is one-sided! Whether it's the
village or the clan, everyone is looking at the past through a keyhole!"
The Uchiha elites went silent.
The image of a "Lost Son"—a boy who had suffered in the dark but now loved the
village and the clan with a burning, fanatical intensity—crystallized in their
minds.
"Brother... you're so cool," Shisui whispered to himself.
He had been ready to jump in and stop Seisui from speaking. The mention of
Madara had triggered his "Village-First" alarms. But after hearing the "Father
and Mother" analogy, Shisui realized his own thinking had been shallow.
Seisui-nii has already transcended the cycle of hatred, Shisui realized. He
isn't choosing between the clan and the village. He's forging them together. If
Madara's spirit can be used to strengthen the Leaf, then we HAVE to do it.
Anything else is just cowardice.
Obito Uchiha swallowed hard, his eyes shining.
The speech hit him in his core. Like Seisui, Obito was an orphan who had felt
the sting of loneliness. Seeing Seisui frame his rebellion as an act of "Deep
Love" made Obito's Uchiha blood boil with pride.
That's it! That's the kind of man I want to be! Obito thought. I'm going to
become a hero who loves the village so much that even the Hokage is moved!
In the Mountains' Graveyard.
Madara Uchiha stared at the Zetsu-stream, his jaw slightly ajar.
For the first time in decades, the Ninja of the End was genuinely surprised.
Merging the Will of Fire with MY will?
Hashirama had been his greatest friend and his greatest rival, but their
ideologies had always been at war. Now, a teenager who looked exactly like Izuna
was standing in the heart of the village, claiming to find the "Truth" between
the two.
"The boy's sense of belonging to Konoha is... problematic," Madara rasped. "He's
been brainwashed by Saru's welfare checks."
"But," Madara added, a glint of interest returning to his Rinnegan, "that level
of emotional energy is remarkable. He's a high-tier candidate. The more he loves
his 'parents,' the more powerful his descent into darkness will be when I tear
them away from him."
"Let him speak. I want to hear how he 'corrects' my legacy."
Back at the Training Grounds.
Tobirama scanned the crowd of Uchiha. "Elder, my brothers, my kin—"
"I know our tradition. Power is the only thing the Uchiha respect. Words are
wind if the man speaking them is weak."
"So, I make a proposal. If I can defeat Fugaku-sama today, I ask the Elder for
one chance. Let me speak at the Grand Clan Meeting tonight."
"This will be my first official meeting. I have much to say about our future."
Isshin stared at Seisui. He was shocked, but he found the request to be
perfectly in character for a "Blessed Son." A super-genius Uchiha—especially one
born of ancestral intervention—would never be content to sit in the back and
follow orders. They were born to lead.
"Fine!" Isshin nodded. "If you can best the Vice-Chief, I will grant you the
floor."
"Fugaku, you carry the pride of the clan on your shoulders. Do not hold back."
Fugaku bowed solemnly. "I understand, Elder."
Tobirama smirked.
In truth, with his current undeveloped physique, relying solely on "Izuna's
Method" against a veteran like Fugaku would be difficult. Fugaku had more chakra
and a more stable Sharingan.
But Tobirama wasn't just a "Speed-Climber." He was the world's most prolific
Uchiha Killer. And in Shisui's house, he had already "found" several scrolls of
Kagami's personal notes—which were actually Tobirama's own technical manuals on
how to dismantle the Sharingan.
To unify this clan, I need more than Izuna's face. I need Madara's weight.
Hiruzen has been using the 'Hashirama Mantle' to secure the village. It's time I
use the 'Madara Mantle' to seize the clan.
Saru... I'm cashing in on your PR tricks, Tobirama thought.
He looked at Fugaku, his eyes glowing with a cold, absolute confidence.
"Come, Big Brother Fugaku."
"For the glory of the Uchiha, show me everything you have. I intend to carry the
Patriarch's conviction into the future—and I won't let a 'soft' era stop me!"
☆☆☆
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