"An Uchiha?" Minato and Nara Shikaku paused, their hands gripping their teacups.
It was indeed an Uchiha, but who? No one knew of any Uchiha with the Mangekyō Sharingan, and why would they conceal it?
Questions swirled in their minds.
Noticing their stunned expressions, Tengen smiled. "You know this person. They're quite famous in Konoha."
"Someone we know, famous in Konoha?" Minato said, puzzled. That confirmed the opponent was from Konoha, but why fight Tengen?
During wartime, no less. What were the Uchiha planning?
Even the sharp-minded Shikaku was stumped, though neither considered Uchiha Madara. After his defeat at the Valley of the End by Senju Hashirama, Madara's death was an established fact.
Years had passed, solidifying that truth. When Tengen once impersonated Madara, the Uchiha clan kept it quiet, and Konoha remained unaware, ruling out any speculation about him.
"Could it be Uchiha Fugaku, or…" Minato ventured.
"Maybe Uchiha Shisui?" Uzumaki Kushina guessed. Shisui had shone brightly in the battle against the Mist, earning the moniker "Shisui of the Body Flicker" for his exceptional kenjutsu and taijutsu, despite his youth.
Though his speed couldn't match Minato's famed Golden Flash, whose battlefield presence was unmatched.
"You're both wrong." Tengen said, shaking his head.
"Not them? Then who? Someone we know?" Minato frowned. The prominent Uchiha he could think of were limited, and Tengen had specified someone familiar.
It couldn't be a lesser-known Uchiha they'd only heard of in passing. The scope was too broad, and even Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head, couldn't name every Uchiha offhand.
"Don't think of current Uchiha. Think of the past." Tengen said, sipping his tea.
"A past Uchiha?" Minato said, startled.
"No way." Shikaku murmured, meeting Tengen's knowing smile. A thought struck him, but it seemed impossible. That person was long dead.
Even if alive, they'd be ancient, hardly fit for battle, and certainly not appearing inexplicably on this battlefield between Konoha and Kirigakure.
"Shikaku, you might've guessed it. It was Uchiha Madara." Tengen said.
"Uchiha Madara?" The three others froze, dumbfounded.
Madara's fame rivaled the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, not just among the Uchiha but across Konoha. Statues of their Valley of the End battle stood as a testament, and they had co-founded the village. Most Konoha ninja knew of Madara.
But he was dead, killed by Hashirama.
If he had survived, why had the ninja world heard nothing of him in all these years? Given Madara's personality, he wouldn't stay silent.
Unbeknownst to Minato and the others, Madara had been biding his time for the Rinnegan's power, a plan delayed so long he had to revise it.
"The Uchiha Madara, from the same era as the First Hokage?" Minato said, struggling to accept it. Could it be someone else with the same name?
The Uchiha would never name a child after Madara, given his unique status in Konoha.
"The very same." Tengen confirmed.
"How is that possible? How could he still be alive and show up here?" Minato pressed.
"I'm not entirely sure." Tengen said, shaking his head. He suspected Madara was manipulating Kirigakure, likely for his pawn, Uchiha Obito.
"This is unbelievable." Minato said, calming himself. Shikaku's eyes reflected the same shock.
Why had Madara resurfaced now? Was he plotting against Konoha?
"What happened to him?" Minato asked.
"I fought a clone, not his true body. I don't know where the real Madara is." Tengen said.
"I see." Minato nodded.
They discussed further, settling on a strategy to adapt as needed. The Shinobi World War remained their priority, despite Madara's appearance.
Soon, Minato, Kushina, and Shikaku left.
As they departed, Tengen sealed the tent with a barrier, eager to examine the video he had received from this encounter.
***
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