"Trouble, huh."
A sigh escaped Kiyosuke as the coffin lid suddenly exploded open, and a young man in rust-red armor with long hair flowing stepped out.
A curtain of black hair covered his right eye, leaving most of his face exposed, radiating an aura of invincibility—second only to Hashirama—a terrifying, overwhelming presence.
The one who had been summoned was none other than Uchiha Madara.
"Has the Rinne Tensei finally been completed? No—Edo Tensei, of course. That kid was right."
Madara felt the difference in his body and was forced to accept reality: his plan had shifted.
But it didn't matter — since he had returned as an Edo Tensei, there were still ways to play it.
He steadied himself and looked at the allied shinobi before him.
"Same forehead protectors, different village garb—have the villages teamed up? Oh, it's you, huh? And Mito and… Obito. Figures."
"Uchiha… Madara…"
Onoki's face showed fear, recalling the terror of being dominated by Madara in his youth.
That fear was almost rooted in his subconscious; even now it remained crystal clear.
Kiyosuke said, "Damn it, we're still a step late. Kabuto really did bring you back."
"Seems everything's under your control, kid. Then let's see who wins in the end—me or you."
Madara naturally remembered Kiyosuke summoning him with Edo Tensei, and their conversation inside the genjutsu.
"Looks like Kiyosuke-sama anticipated this." The First Raikage approached, speaking with Kabuto Yakushi's voice.
"Are you the mastermind?" Madara sneered.
Kabuto said, "I'm his assistant and the one who performed the Edo Tensei. Also, your Edo Tensei was prepared by me; your current power surpasses even your prime."
"You… have seen my prime?" Madara questioned.
"No, which is precisely why I want to see the strongest of the Uchiha clan now."
Yellow sand swirled up beneath their feet, and the three of them leapt up. Madara landed slowly and said, "Very well."
He stood alone against a large number of allied shinobi.
Kiyosuke narrowed his eyes and ordered, "Everyone pull back."
"What?!" Onoki asked. "What are you having them do now?"
"Do what? Preserve their life force. Madara isn't someone you can take down by numbers. If he were alive, maybe you could overwhelm him with sheer bodies, but this is Edo Tensei."
Edo Tensei had endless chakra and an immortal body—never growing tired and impossible to truly kill; only sealing could stop it. Leaving the allied shinobi there would be nothing but delivering bodies to Madara, which was unnecessary.
Gaara nodded, seeing Kiyosuke's logic, and said, "Retreat!"
This was the correct move; better to leave the strongest shinobi to clash with Madara directly—there might still be a chance to win.
Madara did not stop them either—just as Kiyosuke said, the remaining group would be nothing to him.
Kabuto also refrained—there was no need to kill the allied shinobi. What he wanted was simply the body of Kiyosuke, Itachi, or Sasuke.
The allied shinobi withdrew en masse to a distance, leaving Kiyosuke, Uzumaki Mito, Kushina, Obito, Itachi, Naruto's shadow clone, Onoki, and Gaara to stay and face Madara.
"The withdrawal's complete. Kid, last time my body prevented a decisive outcome between us; now I can only fight you using this body, which is rather ironic." Madara snorted, displeased about being resurrected as an Edo Tensei.
Kiyosuke clicked his tongue and said,
"I don't want to fight you either, but there's no choice. Obito, Itachi—taijutsu assault."
"All right!"
Obito dashed forward impatiently, Itachi close behind, and Kiyosuke followed; the three attacked Madara together.
"Good—come on!"
Madara snorted coldly. A fist sliced past Obito but missed.
This kid's ability… I remember—phasing…
Recalling the reports on Obito's ability, Madara struck again, another attack that rendered Obito's offense meaningless.
Itachi's kick came in and was caught by Madara. The two locked eyes.
"Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Suddenly Itachi's body stiffened and he was swallowed by genjutsu space.
"Tsukuyomi!"
Madara entered the genjutsu space as well; his eyes too transformed into Mangekyō Sharingan, countering Itachi's technique. Outside, only a moment passed, and when he came to, Madara was kicked flying by Kiyosuke.
"The Uchiha produced such a genjutsu genius—truly something to celebrate. What surprises me more is that the Uchiha never rebelled." Madara stabilized himself in midair, astonished that the Uchiha clan still existed as a tolerated presence.
After awakening the Sharingan, many in their clan grew arrogant; Konoha shunned the Uchiha for a long time. That they endured in silence amazed him.
Itachi told this ancestor, "Our clan has changed. We're no longer seen as a threat by the Hokage or the village. We have chosen a new path."
"Interesting. But you're on the wrong path; Konoha will never be your home."
Madara shook his head.
"By the way, you named the village Konohagakure; yet they treat you so badly—did someone bamboozle you into limping?" Kiyosuke had used genjutsu before to trick Madara; Madara didn't believe it then, so there was nothing Kiyosuke could do now.
"Hmph! You cannot understand my vengeance. Obito, even if you broke free of genjutsu, I still invite you to stand by my side. You could accomplish great things." Madara still valued Obito, seeing him as an excellent pawn.
Obito's face was full of hatred.
"Madara! I will never be used by you again! I will defeat you and avenge my disgrace!"
"Refuse then. You could have helped create a new world with me."
Madara looked regretful and said to Kiyosuke,
"Let's see how it plays out, kid. Our wager—let it decide who wins, you or me!"
A seal rose into the sky and descended toward Madara, forcing him to flee.
"Is that Mito?"
"Madara!"
Rivals meeting always sparked extra jealousy… cough cough!
Most of the Uzumaki are hot-tempered, and Uzumaki Mito was no different.
"You resurrected, so I'll make you die again!"
She charged forward, displaying taijutsu no less than Madara's—hard to imagine she was the First Hokage's wife.