The incident in Kirigakure had caused a massive uproar—especially the final words Yagura screamed before his death:
"Damn you… Uchiha Madara!"
Those four words nearly made everyone present wet themselves in fear.
For the older shinobi in particular, the name alone caused their faces to pale. Among them, Elder Yamashiro was the most shaken. He had lived through the era of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama and understood better than anyone just how terrifying those two figures truly were.
If not for the fact that Madara had later been manipulated by Black Zetsu and broken with Hashirama… if he had truly stood alongside the First Hokage, then a Susanoo-clad Wood Buddha would have been enough to wipe out every other shinobi village in existence. There would have been no room for survival.
Of course, when Kirigakure demanded that Konoha "give an explanation," it was mostly bluster. The current Konoha possessed power comparable to Madara himself. Even at their peak, Kirigakure had not been a match—let alone now, with their Mizukage dead.
When the news reached Konoha, the village took it extremely seriously. Messengers were dispatched immediately to summon Rokuro back at once.
In truth, Rokuro had learned of Kirigakure's situation much earlier. He had already established an efficient intelligence network through Granny Cat, using summoning beasts for instant communication—fast and convenient.
"I'll leave things here to you. I'm heading back to the village," Rokuro said.
"You can use the Mountain and River Map yourself. Just don't let anyone else find out."
"I know…" Uchiha Izumi hesitated before asking, "Rokuro… is the news about Uchiha Madara real? That ancestor has been dead for decades. There's no way he's still alive, right? This has to be Kirigakure making excuses for their defeat, isn't it?"
Rokuro smiled mysteriously.
"Madara lost to Hashirama back then and severed ties with the Uchiha clan. Most records about him are incomplete. Maybe he really did live to a hundred—who can say for sure?"
Izumi knew Rokuro never spoke without reason. Her expression immediately grew serious.
"Do you really think it's Uchiha Madara?"
"Heh. Anything is possible. Don't worry about it for now. Even if Madara were still alive, he'd be nearly a hundred years old. No matter how strong he was, how much power could he still have? In the shinobi world, youth always triumphs over age. With the Eternal Mangekyō, we wouldn't be weaker than Madara. Relax."
Izumi nodded slowly.
"That's true. If we both possess the Eternal Mangekyō, then even Madara wouldn't stand a chance against us together!"
She regained her confidence.
Rokuro considered telling her that if Madara were truly alive, he would almost certainly possess the Rinnegan by now—but after a moment's thought, he decided against it.
Relying on Susanoo's flight, Rokuro returned to Konoha in just a few hours. He was immediately summoned to the Hokage's office for an emergency meeting.
After Tsunade finished relaying the intelligence from Kirigakure, she stared wide-eyed at Rokuro and Uchiha Setsuna. The other clan heads followed suit.
Rokuro remained silent. He was too young to speak authoritatively on ancient matters. Among everyone present, only Uchiha Setsuna—who had once lived in Madara's era—had the right to speak.
Setsuna took a sip of tea before finally opening his mouth.
"Fifth Hokage… is Kirigakure's intelligence reliable?"
"It is," Tsunade replied grimly. "I've confirmed it through multiple channels. Kirigakure suffered devastating losses—nearly half the village destroyed. Most importantly, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, is dead. The Three-Tails can only be suppressed with large-scale sealing techniques, and they're scrambling to find a new Jinchūriki."
Setsuna sighed.
"Then it seems likely. As for Uchiha Madara… I can only say it's possible. But without proof, I won't make any definitive claims."
"Possible?" Tsunade's face changed. "You truly believe Madara might still be alive?"
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the others all stiffened. A name was not just a name—it carried weight. Uchiha Madara was a figure who stood shoulder to shoulder with the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama. One of the twin titans who ended the Warring States Era.
If such a monster were still alive… who could possibly stop him?
"Everyone here knows the official account of Madara's death," Setsuna continued.
"He brought the Nine-Tails back to destroy the village. The First Hokage confronted him alone, leading to the legendary Battle of the Valley of the End. Madara was killed, the First Hokage returned gravely injured, and the Nine-Tails was sealed."
"That's common knowledge," he said calmly. "But what happened afterward… fewer people know."
Every clan head leaned forward.
"After the battle, our clan naturally wanted to retrieve Madara's body. But Senju Tobirama—who had not yet become Second Hokage—wanted to study it and refused to allow Madara to be buried in the Uchiha cemetery. After prolonged dispute, our clan backed down."
Tsunade's expression darkened. She had always hated others researching her grandfather's cells—only to realize now that her own grand-uncle had been the first to do such things.
"In the end," Setsuna continued, "Madara was buried in a secret location known only to a few in Konoha. Not long after, Tobirama suddenly accused us of secretly stealing the body. We denied it and opened the grave together—only to find it empty, with clear signs of grave robbing. Tobirama took this as proof that we were responsible."
Tsunade interrupted sharply.
"Are you saying Madara's corpse was stolen?"
"Correct. Though the matter was never made public, we investigated in secret for years and found nothing. In the end, we concluded that Tobirama was crying thief while stealing—wanting Madara's body for experiments while fearing Uchiha opposition."
"My grand-uncle wouldn't—"
Tsunade's voice lacked conviction even to herself.
Setsuna waved it off.
"Decades have passed. Arguing over blame is meaningless now. What matters is this: if neither side lied, then there is a third possibility."
"What possibility?" Jiraiya blurted out. "That Madara faked his death?"
Everyone turned pale.
"Don't tell me…" Jiraiya swallowed. "He really did fake it?"
"Izanagi," Tsunade said quietly.
Setsuna nodded.
"A forbidden Uchiha technique. By sacrificing one Sharingan, the user can rewrite unfavorable reality—even death itself. The stronger the ocular power, the longer the effect lasts. With Madara's strength, he could have maintained a false-death state for several days—appearing completely dead to all inspection."
"With his intelligence and understanding of the First Hokage, he would have prepared for defeat. Using Izanagi as a failsafe is entirely plausible. As for why he never resurfaced—even after the First Hokage's death—it may be that losing an eye drastically weakened him."
The analysis was not entirely accurate—but without knowledge of canon events, it was remarkably logical.
In truth, Madara's escape had been orchestrated by Black Zetsu, who forged the grave robbery and buried the truth forever.
By the time Setsuna finished speaking, everyone present was convinced that the one who had ravaged the Land of Water and controlled the Fourth Mizukage was Uchiha Madara.
Tsunade turned to Rokuro.
"Rokuro, what do you think?"
Rokuro smiled.
"I've only read fragmentary clan records about that ancestor, so I can't say for certain whether the one controlling Yagura was truly Madara. But when it comes to using ocular power to control a Kage-level shinobi… I do have something to say."
"In my opinion, long-term control of a Kage-level opponent is impossible with just a three-tomoe Sharingan."
As he spoke, Rokuro activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, releasing his ocular pressure.
Instantly, the entire Hokage's office was suffocated by his gaze. From Tsunade and Jiraiya down to the ANBU guards, everyone felt chest-tightening pressure and dizziness.
Rokuro then deactivated it, reverting to a three-tomoe Sharingan and releasing its power again.
The pressure was still present—but incomparably weaker. Tsunade and Jiraiya could now completely resist it.
"Everyone felt that, right?" Rokuro said calmly.
"I wouldn't dare compare myself to Madara—but I can say this: a three-tomoe Sharingan cannot control a Kage-level shinobi. Especially not a Jinchūriki like Yagura. Suppressing both him and the Three-Tails simultaneously would be far more difficult."
"So you're saying it was Madara?" Jiraiya pressed.
Rokuro nodded—then shook his head.
"From the perspective of Mangekyō power, it's possible. But there's the issue of age. Madara was from the Warring States Era. If he were alive now, he'd be nearly a hundred. Without extraordinary circumstances, even Mangekyō alone wouldn't make him a threat anymore."
Tsunade's eyes sharpened.
"You're saying someone is impersonating Madara? Using his name to intimidate the world?"
"This isn't just intimidation," Rokuro replied gravely.
"Counting Kirigakure, two of the Five Great Villages have already suffered catastrophic damage. The first was Konoha."
The room fell silent.
Everyone realized the similarities.
A Jinchūriki attacked.
A Tailed Beast forcibly extracted.
A Sharingan used to control the beast and devastate the village.
"The one who controlled the Nine-Tails that night…" Jiraiya growled.
"Was it him?! Does that mean Minato and Kushina died because of him?!"
Rokuro turned his gaze to Kakashi, who still wore his forehead protector over his left eye.
"Kakashi. I heard your left eye was stolen during the war. The man claimed to be an Uchiha—correct?"
"He didn't just claim it," Kakashi said slowly.
"I saw his Sharingan… Wait. Are you saying the man who stole my eye is the same one who controlled the Fourth Mizukage?"
The realization spread instantly.
To maintain genjutsu control over a Kage, distance could not be great. Yagura had fought personally on the battlefield—meaning the controller was present as well.
Rokuro finally delivered the conclusion.
"A ninety-year-old Madara wouldn't be much of a threat—unless he somehow regained youth, which is unlikely. If he had, Konoha would've been his first target, not Kirigakure."
"So my conclusion is this: the man calling himself Uchiha Madara is not the real one—but he is certainly connected to him. Possibly his successor. The mental control over Yagura may even have been a relay between the real and fake Madara."
"As for who this current 'Madara' truly is… Kakashi already gave us the clue."
Nara Shikaku's expression changed first.
Then Kakashi's face drained of color.
"No… it can't be him… It can't…"
Rokuro spoke each word clearly.
"If my reasoning is correct, then the man calling himself Uchiha Madara can only be one person."
"…Uchiha Obito."
END OF CHAPTER
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