"Frog in a well?"
Uchiha Madara felt his pride sting.
Even though Uchiha Ren hadn't said his name outright, the meaning was obvious.
Who else could stand at the peak of the shinobi world if not him?
Ren studied Madara's expression.
Good. No immediate anger.
"Yes," Ren continued calmly. "A frog in a well. The source of a shinobi's power is chakra. And chakra originates from the being known as the Rabbit Goddess. The upper limit of what shinobi can achieve… even for the First Hokage, or for Madara himself…"
He trailed off deliberately, glancing at Madara.
Some things did not need to be said.
The ceiling of this world had already been set.
Power ultimately traced back to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Each generation diluted that bloodline further.
Even legends like Madara and Hashirama Senju stood at the peak largely because they were reincarnations of Indra and Asura.
And even then, they were still bound by limits.
Only the Uchiha had a path toward the Rinnegan. Only through it could one summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, gather the Tailed Beasts, and ascend to that level.
For everyone else, no matter their talent, the ceiling remained painfully low.
Madara fell silent.
Because he knew it was true.
Since awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, his power had plateaued. And as his body aged, it had even begun to decline.
Ren continued, his tone turning reflective.
"The conflict between the First Hokage and Madara is difficult for later generations to judge. But their split was a tragedy. If they had worked together, perhaps…"
He stopped himself and shook his head lightly.
"Never mind. You wouldn't understand."
Madara's lips curved slightly.
This brat knew more than he should.
So he had already seen the stone tablet.
"So, the Third Hokage has quite the ambition," Madara said.
"Of course," Ren replied without hesitation. "What predecessors couldn't achieve, successors must attempt. Konoha's future lies among the stars. This world alone isn't enough."
Madara narrowed his eyes.
Ren continued.
"The Rabbit Goddess came from beyond this world. Chakra was only a fragment of her power."
"Where did she come from? Does she have a clan? Are there beings even stronger than her?"
"Is there a level where one becomes immortal, transcends time and space, exists eternally beyond all limits?"
"If such beings exist, then the conflicts of the shinobi world are nothing more than ants fighting."
"I am Uchiha. That is the kind of path worth pursuing."
Madara said nothing.
He didn't fully grasp every detail.
But he understood the ambition.
And it shook him.
The Eye of the Moon Plan suddenly felt… small.
Here he was, still focused on dominating this land.
And Ren was already talking about leaving it behind.
For the first time, Madara hesitated.
Ren sighed faintly.
"Unfortunately, being Hokage comes with responsibilities. I must strengthen Konoha, unify the world, and only then lead everyone forward."
It sounded burdensome.
But the position of Hokage also meant access to immense power and resources.
Research. Development. Experiments.
Without Konoha, none of it would be possible.
Beside them, Ito Sosuke watched with shining eyes.
He didn't fully understand the conversation.
But he understood one thing.
The Hokage was incredible.
Ren smiled and ruffled his hair.
"These are just plans. One step at a time."
Madara clicked his tongue softly.
"The Third Hokage speaks boldly."
"Ambition should be large," Ren replied. "This world is too small."
Madara understood the implication.
Ren was telling him to stop fixating on old plans.
For a moment, silence lingered.
Then Madara spoke slowly.
"I will be watching."
"Do not disappoint me."
His tone carried weight.
He had learned something today.
If anyone else had said such things, he would have dismissed them immediately.
But Ren was different.
And he had already uncovered secrets tied to the Rinnegan.
As for the Eye of the Moon Plan…
Madara wasn't so sure anymore.
Revealing his identity now and trying to recruit Ren would only make him seem small-minded.
So he decided to wait.
When Konoha faced true crisis, then he would act.
"Sosuke, you've seen the Hokage. It's time to go."
"Yes, sir."
The boy bowed politely.
"Goodbye, Lord Hokage."
The two of them left together.
Ren watched their backs disappear down the mountain.
Then he finally exhaled.
That had been far more exhausting than a battle.
At least for now, Madara was stabilized.
If things went well, he would focus on awakening the Rinnegan instead of causing trouble.
That alone bought time.
Konoha remained safe.
A crisis that could have shaken the entire village had quietly dissolved.
Madara returned to the factory.
While working, he continued his attempts to awaken the Rinnegan.
It was a slow process.
But in his mind, he was already far ahead.
Sasuke returned to the Academy, proudly showing off his signed book.
For an entire afternoon, he became the center of attention.
As for Ren, he went back to the Hokage office and finally relaxed.
Until the door opened.
Nara Rokuen walked in, carrying a stack of documents.
"Hokage-sama, good timing. These require your approval."
"Exchange students to Sunagakure. Infrastructure teams. Personnel allocations…"
Ren stared at the mountain of paperwork.
For a brief moment, he had a dangerous thought.
Maybe fighting Madara one-on-one would have been easier.
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