From the beginning, Madara couldn't understand what Yato was trying to convey.
Looking at Yato's expression, it didn't seem like he was putting on an act.
Madara said, "Although the Uchiha Clan didn't choose to follow me when I left the village..."
"I'm not so low as to turn against my own clansmen."
This was absolutely true. Even in the original story,
if Madara had wanted his clansmen's Mangekyo Sharingan or regular Sharingan, given his power—even in his aged state—who could have stopped him?
Later, Obito seemed to have been forcibly dumbed down and gone mad to join Itachi in exterminating the Uchiha Clan.
Of course, the higher-ups were also involved in the Uchiha massacre, but that's another story.
This was exactly the effect Yato wanted. Only this way would Madara start thinking, and someone would inevitably suffer.
Yato immediately switched to his classic green tea persona and sighed, "Alas, the arrogance within the Uchiha Clan has gradually faded."
"But there will always be those who can't stand to see the Uchiha prosper, eager to sow discord."
These words seemed to reference conflicts within the Hidden Leaf, but upon closer consideration, Madara sensed a different meaning.
The Hidden Leaf had already been largely dealt with by Yato. As long as Yato and the Uchiha Clan didn't provoke anything, things would remain stable.
That left external matters—aside from occasional probes from other villages—which could only pertain to his own side.
Madara said, "The White Zetsu outside serve as my surveillance over the Hidden Leaf, so you needn't worry about that."
After all, since Yato was starting to speak frankly, Madara had to show some sincerity in return.After all, they were his juniors, so he should at least give them some face.
Uchiha Yato said, "I don't believe it."
"I believe that Lord Madara still favors the Uchiha Clan, but why must you choose Shimura Danzo?"
"This man has persecuted the Uchiha Clan—I refuse to believe you haven't heard even a whisper of it."
"Never mind the distant past, let's talk about recent events."
"My aunt and Hashirama's grandson were killed by him."
"Why would Lord Madara tolerate someone like this?"
Faced with Uchiha Yato's barrage of questions, Uchiha Madara found himself at a loss for words.
Because this order had not come from him. It was only after Black Zetsu brought Danzo back that Madara decided to keep him as an extra pawn and spare his life.
Uchiha Yato continued, "That pitch-black thing has appeared among the Uchiha Clan more than once."
"Lord Madara should be careful—lest you end up sewing the wedding dress for someone else's bride."
A simple nudge was enough. No need for excessive emphasis to plant seeds of doubt in this ancient battlefield veteran.
Once suspicion took root, it wouldn't be uprooted in just one or two attempts.
As long as Uchiha Madara wasn't completely fooled by Black Zetsu, Uchiha Yato still had ways to pull him back.
Hearing Yato's words, Madara began to reflect.
He started recalling Black Zetsu's actions in front of him, piece by piece.
Some things couldn't be scrutinized too closely—because no matter how flawless they seemed at first glance, cracks would always appear upon deeper inspection.
Only now did Madara realize that Black Zetsu sometimes acted on its own, not entirely in accordance with his will.
Logically, Black Zetsu was the embodiment of his will—everything it did should have prioritized his interests. Yet some things were different, like the matter of Shimura Danzo.
Meanwhile, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, who had been driven out by Madara, were chatting idly.
Black Zetsu suddenly felt that something was off. Every time Uchiha Yato appeared, it seemed to suffer some misfortune.
So much so that it didn't even pay attention to White Zetsu's jokes and musings, instead lost in thought about potential problems.
Seeing the timing was right, Uchiha Yato skillfully shifted the topic, allowing Madara to settle things after he left.
Yato said, "If Lord Madara wishes to learn more about the Hidden Leaf or the Uchiha Clan, I have no objections."
"But please refrain from using overly extreme methods."
His tone turned serious as he continued.
"If I ever discover that Lord Madara has taken the eyes of any Uchiha child, don't blame me for turning against you."
When it came time to assert himself, Uchiha Yato never held back.
This was precisely why Madara held him in such high regard—knowing when to yield and when to press was the key to control.
Not one to back down either, Madara declared,
"My stance remains unchanged—I have no interest in harming my own juniors or clansmen."
"Of course, if I find out someone is pinning such filth on me, they'll learn just how eager I am to make them dance!"
Madara's classic line: "Do you want to dance too?"
With Madara's promise secured, Uchiha Yato relaxed and continued exchanging pleasantries with him.After all, the act must be thorough—if they claimed to come to show concern for Uchiha Madara, then they truly had to show concern for Uchiha Madara.
Of course, it shouldn't hurt to smear a little more dirt on Black Zetsu during the conversation, right?
After all, he's already so black—adding a bit more dirt and making him the scapegoat is perfectly normal.
Shimura Danzo: Utterly (job) heartless (well) and (done) insane (brilliant)!
And when it was finally time to part, Uchiha Madara actually expressed to Uchiha Yato that he was welcome to visit anytime.
This was only because Yato hadn't directed his prank techniques at Madara—otherwise, Madara would have absolutely wanted to beat his current self to death.
At the end, Uchiha Yato said, "Overall, this trip has been quite enjoyable."
"Those two earlier tests from Lord Madara don't count."
"Now that I'm about to leave, how about giving this junior a little guidance, Lord Madara? Let's see how my skills measure up?"
Yato's suggestion wasn't just to let Madara stretch his limbs—it was also a way to probe Madara's limits.
It wouldn't do if Madara had a dossier on Uchiha Yato while Yato had no information on Madara at all.
This way, he could know the enemy and know himself, ensuring victory in every battle.
Hearing Yato's proposal, Madara was quite intrigued.
Without hesitation, he agreed, and the two decided to find a secluded spot for a spar.
Outside, Black Zetsu was pacing anxiously back and forth, as if his wife were in labor inside.
Just as his agitation peaked, he saw Uchiha Yato and Uchiha Madara emerge, both looking perfectly at ease.
This was not the scenario he had anticipated.
He had considered the possibility of Madara losing to Yato, or Yato being subdued by Madara—but this outcome truly baffled him. After all, the Uchiha Clan's arrogance was legendary.
At that moment, both Madara and Yato turned their gazes toward Black Zetsu.
Though both were smiling, it made Black Zetsu feel inexplicably uneasy.
Yato thought to himself, "This should keep you busy for a while. Don't thank me later~"
Madara mused, "This guy seems to be hiding something from me. Better hope I don't catch you red-handed~"
Soon, both Yato and Madara ignored Black Zetsu—because their most pressing matter wasn't dealing with him.
It was—the duel (spar)!