Just as Mаdаrа wаs lоst in reminiscenсе, feeling thе maddening lоnеlinеss оf this wоrld, а small figure furtivеly сrouсhеd by thе stairwеll, sеcrеtly watсhing him.
Uchihа Мadаrа сoldlу shооed her аwаy.
"Gеt lоst, brаt."
Giоn, hоwever, раid him no mind. Аftеr all, her grand ambitions rеmаined unfulfillеd. Shе wаs dеterminеd tо mаke thаt dеtеstable, ungrаtеful Uсhihа wоlf fall at her feet—or rаthеr, at thе hеm of her pomеgranаtе skirt. Оr perhарs а рrinсеss dress.
"Мaster, аrеn't уou bоred аll bу уoursеlf?"
A flаsh of irritatiоn went through Uсhiha Madаrа. I was еnjoуing а рerfеctly good reminiscence of my legendary, albeit failed, life. Do you have any idea how satisfying that is? And you just had to interrupt. But then another thought struck him. Having this brat constantly pestering him wasn't a viable solution either.
"It is, I suppose, a bit dull. Care to hear my story?"
Gion's eyes lit up at his words.
"Yes, yes! No one's told me a story since I was ten."
Madara's eyes lit up as well, and he began.
"Where I used to live, there was war year after year. My father died. My family died. My clansmen betrayed me. My younger brothers all died. Later, I killed my closest friend, too. I lost, but he died. My ambition and I survived."
"We also had some… interesting customs in my homeland."
Gion's big eyes blinked. Although Uchiha Madara was a terrible storyteller, and his delivery was completely devoid of emotion, it was better than nothing. She quickly played along.
"What kind of interesting customs?"
"We enjoy fighting and killing our closest friends. We enjoy fighting and killing our teammates. We enjoy fighting and killing our seniors and juniors. We enjoy fighting and killing our fellow disciples."
"In this regard, while I have made considerable achievements, I still cannot compare to my closest friend's will."
Gion was left dumbfounded. So, the ninjas of Wano Country were all a bunch of lunatics?
Seeing Gion at a loss for words, the corner of Madara's mouth lifted. He decided to strike while the iron was hot.
"My closest friend's will is called the Will of Fire. Its inheritors are called Hokage. The one who truly glorified it was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. He had three disciples. One adopted an attitude of avoidance toward him, one an attitude of contempt, and the last one was always thinking about seeing him off to the grave."
Gion tilted her head.
"Isn't that last disciple pretty decent?"
The smirk on Uchiha Madara's face grew wider.
"The monkey's third disciple was initially driven out of the village by him. He then endured and plotted for decades, finally returning with the monkey's own master and my closest friend. The three of them successfully saw the monkey to his end."
Gion: …
Now that was what you call filial piety of the highest order.
"The disciple who liked to avoid the monkey was named Jiraiya. He listened to the slander of the Toads and also took on a few disciples. In the end, his own student stabbed him six times and dumped his body in the deep sea."
Gion: …
"And then, as the Will of Fire was passed down, Jiraiya's disciple, the Fourth Hokage, also took a student. In the end, he and his wife were turned into hot pot skewers by his own student. Oh, and he killed the Third Hokage's wife for good measure."
Gion: …
"The disciple who killed the monkey was named Orochimaru. He later took a student as well, who was then stabbed to death by his student's older brother. But that kid has a lot of lives and came back later. His student did manage to kill his own brother, though, so I suppose that counts as carrying on the tradition. And that older brother who was killed had once murdered his own parents."
Gion: ... All one can say is, what brotherly love, what a happy family.
"Now then, brat, I'll tell you another secret. I was once a candidate for the First Hokage."
Gion: Are you crazy?
"The reason I didn't become Hokage was because I was afraid of dying at the hands of my own disciple. So I swore that I would never take a disciple. If I ever did, I would kill them immediately, just in case."
Uchiha Madara looked at Gion menacingly, the intent to eliminate a future threat palpable.
Gion: "Waaah~ I'm so moved! That's so touching!" /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~
Uchiha Madara: ...… Unbelievable.
Uchiha Madara had considered many possible outcomes. The brat getting scared and running away, crying in fear, not being afraid, not believing him, standing up for justice, flying into a rage. He had thought of them all and prepared for each. But this was the one reaction he had not anticipated.
Did I say something worth being moved by just now?
"Brat, you…"
For a moment, Uchiha Madara didn't know what to say. He simply turned his back, ignoring Gion, who was still sniffling with emotion behind him.
About five minutes later, Gion got up and left. Seeing her depart, Uchiha Madara felt a surge of delight. A brat is a brat. No patience at all. Ignore her for a bit and she leaves on her own.
He also thought to himself, If this were Hashirama or Izuna when they were young, they would have been much better than this brat. They definitely wouldn't have left after just a few minutes.
After leaving the rooftop, Gion trotted all the way to the medical department, burst through the door, and started searching for something.
Sengoku saw the frantic Gion and smiled faintly.
"Little Gion, what are you looking for?"
Gion flashed Sengoku a happy smile.
"I'm looking for my swordy!"
"What do you need a sword for? Did Mr. Madara agree to take you as his student? Is he going to train you?" Sengoku's face lit up with joy as he quickly handed over his own officer's sword.
Gion gave a sweet, innocent smile. (●'◡'●)
"Nope! Master told me to kill him."
Sengoku: ?
Gion completely ignored Sengoku, grabbed the sword, and rushed back toward the rooftop where Madara was. Operation Play Pitiful 2.0: The Strict Master Produces a Worthy Student Plan, was a go.
After Gion left, Uchiha Madara had planned to contemplate life, to think about what he should do from now on. He couldn't just be reborn and do nothing, after all. And he could reminisce about Hashirama a bit more.
As the bored Madara sat there, his ears suddenly twitched. Someone was coming. That sound… it was the brat?!
He quickly sat up, ready to scout the enemy. If the situation looked bad, he would make a run for it. He peeked his head out and saw the little brat, brandishing a sword as tall as she was, running over with great excitement.
Seeing Madara's head pop out, Gion grew even happier. She raised the sword high and shouted at Madara with adorable ferocity.
"Master! Die!!"
Madara: ...… Is this brat tired of living?
Gion leaped forcefully, landing on one leg on the stair railing and began to gather her strength.
Uchiha Madara's eyes brightened. Iaido? The stuff of those samurai. Interesting!
The sharp aura around Gion intensified, and upon reaching its peak, the blade slid slightly from its sheath. She used Shave and charged directly at Uchiha Madara.
"I am the successor to the Will of Fire! Haaah! Father-Slaying Filial Sword!!"
Madara, who had been about to laugh, found he couldn't. With a face full of dark lines, he caught Gion's sword between two fingers. Gion, still gripping the sword, was left dangling in the air like a dumb cat being held by the scruff of its neck. She looked pitifully at Uchiha Madara.
Facing the stone-faced Uchiha Madara, Gion put on a cute expression.
"Um, Master, could you give me another chance? I'm still young. I can endure for decades, too, you know (●'◡'●)."
Uchiha Madara's face grew darker and darker, making Gion's heart pound with a little fear. She thought to herself, 'Uh oh~ I think I might have taken it too far.'
She let go of the officer's sword and scurried away on her little legs.
Uchiha Madara stood there, looking at the sword in his hand, and slowly let out a breath of relief. The farce was finally over.
At the same time, without him even realizing it, the corners of his mouth had quietly turned up.
To be continued...