Uchiha Madara truly had not expected his current situation to be completely different from what he had imagined.
He had originally thought that Hashirama, like him, had been awakened by this mysterious young man whose strength felt suffocatingly dangerous.
But now, it seemed that was not the case.
According to Hashirama, he was actually on the same side as this young brat.
And Madara himself was the experimental subject?
That explanation made Madara's face darken.
He had never imagined things would turn out like this.
Leaving aside Hashirama's choice, he did not even know why they had awakened him.
Was it to humiliate him?
Or was this some experiment involving Edo Tensei?
Yet in the next instant, Madara suddenly noticed something different.
Hashirama and Tobirama both carried the aura of living people.
That discovery made Madara's expression shift slightly.
Because he had only just awakened, he had not observed them carefully before.
But now he noticed it.
Hashirama and Tobirama's states were completely different from his own.
There was a massive difference between the dead and the living.
Madara would never mistake that.
Especially since he himself was currently in Edo Tensei form.
How could he fail to distinguish between the two?
This bizarre situation left him deeply confused.
He clearly remembered that when he died, Hashirama and Tobirama had both been dead for a long time.
At that time, the Third Shinobi World War had been raging. Konoha had once again become the target of every side.
And that had once again proven that his thoughts back then had never been wrong.
Hashirama was his lifelong friend.
But he was also his lifelong enemy.
That would never change.
Back then, they had parted ways because they disagreed on how to bring peace to the shinobi world.
Madara had even fought Hashirama in order to obtain his power.
Of course, the final result was that Madara lost the battle, but won the future.
He had successfully obtained Hashirama's power in that fight.
And because of that battle, he had been forced to recover in seclusion, which ultimately gave him the opportunity to awaken the Rinnegan.
Unfortunately, by the time he awakened the Rinnegan, he was already close to death.
Even so, he still wanted to prove that he had been right.
Especially after reading the stone tablet left behind by the Sage of Six Paths, that conviction became even stronger.
His despair toward the shinobi world also deepened.
He knew that one day, he would meet Hashirama again.
After all, Tobirama Senju had created a technique like Edo Tensei.
When that day came, Madara intended to make Hashirama understand that his own decision back then had been correct.
The shinobi world Hashirama created was nothing more than a failed product.
He had wanted to face his old friend as a living man.
With a prouder posture.
But now, it seemed the situation had reversed.
They had indeed met again.
But the one in Edo Tensei form was actually him?
Had his plan been exposed?
Had Nagato and Obito completely failed?
Had the Rinne Tensei technique from his Rinnegan ultimately fallen into the hands of these two?
The moment he thought of that, Madara's expression became even uglier.
Although he still lacked enough information, this seemed to be the only explanation.
Otherwise, why were these two alive?
Thinking of this, Madara could no longer endure it.
His face darkened as he looked at the three people before him. Finally, he gritted his teeth and asked,
"So, I was awakened by the three of you together?
"Who is this brat?
"What is your purpose in awakening me?
"And what era is it now?"
Madara asked many questions at once.
They were also the questions he cared about most at the moment.
The world before him was far too unfamiliar.
After all, he had left the living world for too long.
That unfamiliarity was fatal.
He needed information.
He needed enough information to understand everything happening now.
Only then could he face the current situation calmly.
"I'll explain."
Before Hashirama could speak, Hikaru took the initiative.
It would be a pity not to exchange a few words with a villain as charismatic as Uchiha Madara.
Although Hikaru was not confident he could settle Madara completely, that did not stop him from doing what needed to be done.
Besides, the true caster of the technique was him.
If he remained silent and threw everything to Hashirama, that would not look right either.
"It is true that we awakened you. But I am the caster.
"As for who I am, you can call me Senju Hikaru.
"Or you can call me the Fifth Hokage."
"Senju Hikaru? Fifth Hokage?"
Hearing Hikaru's words, Madara's thoughts began spinning rapidly.
This name was completely unfamiliar to him.
When he died, Konoha still only had the Third Hokage.
That brat from the Sarutobi clan.
Madara also knew what had happened to the Senju Clan.
Even after leaving Konoha, the entire shinobi world had still been under his observation.
He had truly not expected that in the blink of an eye, Konoha's Hokage would jump from the Third to the Fifth.
And the Fifth was a Senju brat he had never heard of.
It seemed the Senju Clan had risen again.
Was it because of this boy?
Madara silently thought about it.
But the moment that idea appeared, he confirmed it almost immediately.
After all, this brat felt far too dangerous.
"Also, if Konoha already has a Fifth Hokage, then quite some time must have passed.
"Damn it. That is not good news."
Madara continued thinking silently.
He increasingly felt that Obito and the others must have run into trouble.
After all, judging by Sarutobi Hiruzen, that brat should have been able to serve as Hokage for at least another ten years before the Fourth took over.
Only after the Fourth would the Fifth Hokage be chosen.
With all that combined, at least forty years should have passed.
More importantly, for the Senju Clan to rise again under such extreme circumstances, it would have required at least forty or fifty years of development.
And during those forty or fifty years, the Hokage would also have needed to stop suppressing them.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to rise again.
"As for your last question—the current era?"
Just as Madara was thinking, Hikaru spoke again.
He naturally knew why Madara cared about this question.
After all, it was related to Madara's plan.
But Hikaru had no intention of hiding this matter.
Because the truth was what made this situation interesting.
"It is now Konoha Year 55.
"Welcome back to the living world, Uchiha Madara."
…
Konoha Year 55?
Hearing those words, Madara froze.
He truly had not expected this time period.
When he died, it had been around Konoha Year 47 or 48.
That meant only seven or eight years had passed since his death.
In just seven or eight years, Konoha had gone from the Third Hokage to the Fifth?
That was not even the key point.
The key point was that in just seven or eight years, the Senju Clan had produced such a terrifying young man?
Madara carefully studied Hikaru.
He looked like he was only in his early twenties.
If calculated that way, this boy should be around the same age as Obito.
They were of similar age.
But the feeling they gave was completely different.
One could even say that this man had utterly surpassed the Obito Madara had chosen.
Did this mean that even after death, he had once again lost to Hashirama?
The moment he thought of this, Madara's mood became even worse.
Losing to Hashirama was not something he could not accept.
After all, he had lost to Hashirama many times in his life.
But after his death, after making so many arrangements, somehow losing to this man's descendant felt far too humiliating.
Madara quietly looked at this young man calling himself Senju Hikaru, and he could not help sighing inwardly.
As for that nonsense about welcoming him back to the living world, it only made him feel disgusted.
He frowned tightly and finally asked coldly,
"Descendant of the Senju Clan, you are not bad.
"But what is your purpose in awakening me?"
"We naturally have our own plans. After all, the current situation in the shinobi world is not optimistic."
Hikaru spoke calmly.
Seeing Madara frown as if he wanted to say something, Hikaru cut him off first.
"Do not rush. Listen to me before giving your opinion. That will be better for both of us.
"And are you not curious about Hashirama and Tobirama's current state?"
Those words made Madara fall silent.
If it had been anything else, perhaps he could have ignored it.
He did care about the people of the shinobi world to some extent.
After all, deep inside, he still yearned for world peace.
But he had already despaired of the real shinobi world.
Especially after Hashirama had stabbed him in the back, that despair had only grown deeper.
Fortunately, after obtaining the method left behind by the Sage of Six Paths, he had gained a new path and a new idea.
Because of that, hearing that the shinobi world was in crisis only made him feel somewhat emotional.
Beyond that, he did not have many other thoughts.
However, Hashirama and Tobirama's current state was different.
That was what attracted him most.
Because he could clearly sense that the two of them were "alive."
Not merely possessing signs of life.
Their strength had also returned to its peak.
That was what Madara desired most.
After all, once strength reached their level, true resurrection was not easy.
Even if one revived, if one could not return to peak condition, the difference would be enormous.
A state like Hashirama and Tobirama's was exactly what Madara longed for.
Thinking of this, Madara calmed down instead and waited quietly for Hikaru to continue.
He guessed that he would likely learn the true reason he had been awakened.
"The current shinobi world is not peaceful. Although the intensity of conflict is far below the era you and Hashirama lived through, the situation cannot be called good either.
"Of course, in my eyes, the level of war in this era is not worth mentioning.
"I believe you can sense my power. To put it bluntly, in this era, no one can truly stand against me."
Hikaru's words were proud and arrogant.
But Madara did not refute them at all.
He could indeed sense Hikaru's strength.
From the beginning, he had realized Hikaru's power might not be weaker than Hashirama's.
Although he truly wondered why this boy was so strong—strong enough to move even him—Madara still maintained his confidence.
Because if he returned to his young and complete peak state, he believed he could deal with this boy.
But what puzzled him was this:
If this brat was already so powerful, why would he still say the state of the shinobi world was not optimistic?
"Because a group of outsiders have arrived in this world."
Hikaru did not keep Madara waiting.
He directly revealed the reason.
And his explanation went deep.
"As the former clan head of the Uchiha Clan, I believe you must know the story of the Sage of Six Paths. You should also know that he is definitely not merely a legend.
"After all, in a certain shrine of the Uchiha Clan, I saw a rather interesting stone tablet."
Hikaru paused slightly.
Then he closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, his eyes had turned into a brilliant, dreamlike blue.
The moment Madara heard Hikaru mention the stone tablet, he could no longer sit still.
That stone tablet was the Uchiha Clan's greatest secret.
It could even be called Madara's greatest secret.
But why had this Fifth Hokage found it?
Had the Uchiha Clan been completely dealt with by him?
Thinking about it, that might not be strange.
This Senju Hokage possessed such terrifying strength.
Destroying a fallen Uchiha Clan would not be difficult for him.
But even if he had dealt with that fallen clan, how could he read the contents of the stone tablet?
Just as Madara was wondering, he sensed a power full of destructive force rushing toward him.
He looked over.
At this moment, Hikaru's eyes had changed.
A pair of dreamlike blue eyes, as if capable of devouring the soul, appeared in his sockets.
Madara had never seen such eyes before.
But as someone who had awakened the Rinnegan through his own power, he instantly realized something.
The strength of those eyes was absolutely not inferior to his Rinnegan.
For a moment, he could not quite process it.
How could a member of the Senju Clan awaken such special eyes?
While Madara was filled with doubt, Hashirama and Tobirama were also confused.
Because they truly did not know anything about the stone tablet hidden beneath the Uchiha shrine.
…
In truth, Hikaru was speaking nonsense about the Uchiha stone tablet.
He had never gone to the Uchiha shrine.
Nor had he ever seen what that so-called stone tablet looked like.
But he was a transmigrator.
If he did not even know this, then he would truly be too foolish.
Aside from Tobirama's role in pushing Madara toward darkness, the most crucial tool in Madara's fall had been that stone tablet.
The reason Black Zetsu had been able to deceive Madara was largely because he used his Yin-Yang Release body to alter the information on the tablet.
That made Madara believe the tablet had been left behind by the Sage of Six Paths to guide the descendants of the Uchiha Clan on how to bring peace to the world.
Because of his failure in the Hokage selection, because of the words he overheard from Tobirama, and because Hashirama rejected his idea of unifying the shinobi world, Madara had already been pushed toward an extreme path.
So he believed the contents of the stone tablet.
And that belief directly led to countless conflicts afterward.
It uncovered countless secrets in the shinobi world.
It also caused countless tragedies.
But at the time, Madara had nearly fallen into despair.
So from Hikaru's perspective, it was understandable that Madara believed the stone tablet.
At least under those extreme circumstances, Madara had no better choice, nor any reason to doubt the tablet's authenticity.
Besides, Madara's actions afterward were also rather reasonable.
At least before making his decision, he had asked the rest of his clan.
Compared to certain people, Madara's approach could already be considered worthy of praise.
Madara quietly looked at Hikaru.
The Sharingan in his eyes spun continuously, and he looked like a leopard waiting for the right moment to strike.
But Hikaru seemed completely unconcerned.
He simply watched him quietly, his expression somewhat playful and unreadable.
"What exactly is that stone tablet?"
At that moment, Hashirama broke the silence.
He looked between the two of them with curiosity before asking,
"Hikaru, Madara, what is going on? Did that stone tablet record something incredible?"
"You could say that."
Hikaru nodded calmly.
He gave Madara a deep look before speaking slowly.
"Legend says that stone tablet was left behind by the Sage of Six Paths.
"And on that tablet, some very interesting information was recorded.
"For example, the story of Indra and Asura.
"For example, the change that occurs when the powers of Indra and Asura are gathered together.
"Only when those two powers are fused can one obtain the power of all creation, thereby gaining the power of the Sage of Six Paths.
"Of course, there was also one very interesting piece of content.
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Hikaru said those words lightly.
But Madara's expression changed completely.
This was a secret he had buried deep in his heart.
It was also the goal he had always pursued.
Now, his innermost objective had been seen through and spoken aloud.
How could he endure that?
Fortunately, he was Uchiha Madara, not Uchiha Obito.
Even after being exposed, he could still maintain his composure.
He did not shout.
He did not act like he was about to attack.
Although his face looked grim, he still maintained his dignity.
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi?"
Tobirama could not help speaking when he heard this.
And because his hostility toward the Uchiha had always been deep, he asked directly,
"Does this mean this man was preparing some evil plan?"
"Hmph. You have been dead for so many years, yet you are still the same.
"A dog cannot stop eating filth."
Before Hikaru could speak, Madara looked at Tobirama with a dark expression.
After saying that, he no longer glanced at Tobirama.
Instead, he turned his gaze back to Hikaru.
"Since you already know of this plan, you should also understand its greatness.
"This world is filled with despair.
"Especially after Hashirama rejected my desire to unify the entire shinobi world, tragedy was already inevitable.
"You do not look old. At your age, you should have experienced the shinobi world's cruelest wars, correct?
"Wars on the scale of villages.
"Larger, crueler wars with fewer limits, fought for each side's interests and fueled by hatred.
"When things became most extreme, even children had to step onto the battlefield.
"How did that feel?"
Madara did not deny anything.
Although he did not directly admit his thoughts and plans, he had indirectly admitted that he was indeed carrying out the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan.
He had once been the clan head of the Uchiha Clan.
It was impossible that he had not seen that stone tablet.
And with eyes as powerful as his, it was impossible that he had not read its contents.
Denying it was unrealistic.
If so, why deny it and make himself look undignified?
It was better to admit it openly.
After all, he had never thought there was anything wrong with it.
Especially since his goal remained the creation of a peaceful world.
And now that he had reached this point and been seen through, there was nothing he needed to deny.
Madara looked at Hikaru again.
Without waiting for him to speak, he continued,
"Since the world is already so tragic, and since we cannot integrate it through ordinary means, I have only one way to deal with it.
"That is to create a new world.
"A world where everyone's dreams can be realized.
"A world inspired by the Sage of Six Paths, a world he hoped would be created.
"Only in such a world can every person's heart become peaceful.
"Only then can everyone realize their dreams.
"Only then will war no longer fill the land with smoke.
"Only such a world is a truly peaceful world."
At this point, Madara's expression changed slightly.
He looked somewhat fervent.
Somewhat excited.
He stared deeply at Hashirama and Hikaru before lifting his chin with pride.
"That world, that world without war, is the world I seek.
"This is the revelation the Sage of Six Paths gave me.
"This is the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan.
"This is the final peace."
…
The final peace?
Hikaru, Hashirama, and Tobirama all looked rather strange after hearing his words.
Hikaru was fine.
After all, he knew Madara's goal.
But for Hashirama and Tobirama, hearing those words felt far stranger.
Madara had not explained everything clearly.
But the brothers were not fools.
Just from the phrases "everyone's dreams can be realized" and "create a new world," they instinctively thought of something.
Was this man planning to drag everyone into an illusion and create such a world inside that illusion?
It had to be said, the two brothers truly understood Madara.
With only a few sentences, they had already guessed so much.
And the plan he described filled them both with a strange feeling.
What kind of good method for bringing peace to the world was this supposed to be?
Almost instinctively, the word lunatic appeared in both their minds.
However, neither of them spoke.
Instead, they looked toward Hikaru.
After all, this was their first time hearing about this matter.
Hikaru was different.
This brat had come into contact with that stone tablet, so he naturally knew more.
Of course, they also had some doubts.
For example, why would the Sage of Six Paths leave behind such a stone tablet?
That was completely different from the Sage of Six Paths described in the materials they had seen on the moon.
Also, why would the Sage of Six Paths leave such a tablet inside the Uchiha Clan?
Was there some other story hidden here?
If Hikaru knew what they were thinking, he would helplessly sigh.
There were far too many records inside the moon.
The things they had read were mostly about the Sage of Six Paths and his younger brother defeating Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
After that, the easier materials to find were all about Ōtsutsuki Hamura on the moon.
There were records about the Sage of Six Paths' descendants, but they had not gone looking for them.
Besides, they had not gone to the moon many times.
Even when their clones went there, they mostly organized the chaos inside the moon.
Even when they read materials, they focused mostly on Yin-Yang Release.
Otherwise, some of their doubts would have already been solved.
"I think you have misunderstood something."
Hikaru spoke at last.
He shook his head and looked at Madara.
"The Sage of Six Paths would never leave behind such a foolish method to tell his descendants how to resolve the conflicts of the shinobi world."
"Descendants?"
Hikaru's words immediately stunned Hashirama and Tobirama.
Madara, however, remained very calm.
After all, he had already guessed it.
He had also taken actual action and obtained the conclusion himself.
How could he still be surprised?
"Yes. Why do you look so shocked?"
Hikaru looked at Hashirama and Tobirama strangely, then spoke with confusion.
"Are there not records on the moon?
"The Sage of Six Paths had two children. One was Indra. The other was Asura.
"These two children fought endlessly over the true inheritance of Ninshū.
"One inherited the Sage's body and the power of his will.
"The other inherited the power of the Sage's eyes.
"According to the records, Asura could use Wood Release, while Indra could use the Sharingan…"
"So that means…"
Even if Tobirama were slower, he would have understood by now.
He could not help looking at Madara with disgust.
"One descendant became us, the Senju. The other became the Uchiha?"
"But why did you never tell us?"
Hashirama looked at Hikaru curiously and scratched his head.
"Are there really records about this on the moon?"
"Of course there are. All of you kept reading about Yin-Yang Release, and my clones do not follow you every time. How would I know what you saw?"
Hikaru nodded as if it were only natural.
In truth, he had not read those records either.
But the Ōtsutsuki he had killed had recognized his Wood Release.
He had even directly stated that Hikaru was a descendant of Asura.
So Hikaru was not afraid of being exposed.
Besides, he was not explaining things in great detail.
"The moon?"
Madara naturally heard their conversation as well.
At this moment, he seemed somewhat lost.
"What exactly are you talking about? What is going on?"
"To put it simply, you may have been deceived."
Hikaru sighed faintly.
He deliberately looked at Madara with a slightly pitying gaze, and Madara's fists immediately clenched.
But that was exactly the effect Hikaru wanted.
And Hikaru unexpectedly discovered that their conversation was going much more smoothly than expected.
Perhaps it was because Hashirama was here.
Or perhaps his own strength had made Madara realize that he was someone who deserved an equal conversation.
"Senju Hikaru…"
Madara's voice became low.
"Explain."
"The Sage of Six Paths' name was Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.
"The people on the moon are descendants of his younger brother, Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
"Of course, what happened on the moon can be explained by Hashirama later. For now, we will discuss the more important matter.
"On the moon, we learned the true origin of the shinobi world.
"The mother of the Sage brothers was a destroyer of worlds. She wanted to plunge the entire shinobi world into deathly silence.
"Because of that, the two brothers decided to resist her.
"They sealed their mother inside the moon, where she remains to this day.
"And afterward, the Sage of Six Paths taught the shinobi world how to use chakra.
"He laid the foundation for Ninshū and for shinobi themselves.
"He was also the one who saved all living beings in the shinobi world from his mother.
"So tell me—why would such a person go out of his way to make the entire shinobi world fall into an illusion?"
Hikaru spoke calmly.
Madara frowned as he stared at him.
This story was completely different from what he knew.
What Madara knew was that the Sage of Six Paths had resisted the Ten-Tails' attempt to destroy the shinobi world.
In the end, he sealed the Ten-Tails inside himself and saved the world.
But that seal also cost him greatly.
He no longer possessed enough strength to bring peace to the shinobi world, so he left behind that stone tablet.
For a moment, Madara became somewhat confused.
He truly did not know whom he should believe.
If what this Hokage and Hashirama were saying was true, then what was that stone tablet?
But if they were lying, what was their purpose?
His current strength was not even worth fearing.
"I know what you are wondering. It is the matter of the stone tablet, correct?"
Hikaru looked at Madara's shifting expression and smiled.
"That stone tablet may truly have been left behind by the Sage of Six Paths, but its specific contents were likely modified.
"Do not tell me such a thing is impossible.
"In truth, with Yin-Yang Release, many things can be changed.
"And you were wondering why we summoned you, were you not?"
At this point, Hikaru shifted his body slightly, revealing the corpse of Ōtsutsuki Urashiki behind him.
"This is the reason.
"This is a member of the Sage of Six Paths' clan.
"And now, they have come to the shinobi world again.
"Look carefully.
"Feel carefully.
"Think carefully.
"Perhaps then, you will discover the inconsistencies hidden within everything you thought you knew."
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