"...This... is Konoha?"
Uchiha Madara's eyes widened. He instinctively stepped back, stunned by the sight before him.
Konoha had changed.
Down the street, Sarutobi Hiruzen was sweeping the ground with practiced ease. Villagers and shinobi mingled freely, chatting and laughing. There was no oppressive hierarchy anymore—civilians and ninja walked as equals.
"It's the Shodaime-sama and Nidaime-sama!"
A group of children came running, cheerful and energetic.
Even the ever-stoic Senju Tobirama allowed himself a faint smile.
Senju Hashirama scooped up the children on both sides, laughing warmly.
"Shodaime-sama! I want a turn too~!"
"Haha, alright, alright, everyone gets a turn!"
"Wood Style: Wood Clone Jutsu!"
Crash!
With a puff of chakra and wooden creaks, Hashirama summoned a Wood Clone to help lift all the children at once.
As the laughter continued, a few children noticed someone nearby—a man whose face felt both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.
"Shodaime-sama, who's that?"
"Yeah... he looks kinda familiar, like I've seen him before."
One boy's eyes lit up. "It's him!"
"I saw him in a textbook!"
"I remember now—he's Uchiha Madara! The man who helped found Konoha with the Shodaime-sama!"
Madara stood frozen in place.
Textbooks?
Uchiha... Madara?
He studied the children's expressions carefully. Strangely, there was no hatred, no fear. Just curiosity—some even looked... respectful?
"Are you really Uchiha Madara-sama?"
Madara looked down to find a little girl tugging at his robe, her eyes wide with nervous wonder.
He kept his arms crossed over his chest. "…You know me?"
"It's really Madara-sama~!"
"Our teacher said Madara-sama was like the Shodaime-sama—strong, and once believed in peace."
"But Madara-sama was deceived… Now that you're back, do you know you were tricked?"
Madara's eye twitched. A storm of emotions churned in his chest. He was deceived. That much, he couldn't deny.
But hearing it from a child...
For the first time in a long while, Madara turned his head awkwardly, ears flushed red in embarrassment.
Shame!
He—the feared Shura of the Shinobi World—deceived for two lifetimes. And now… even a child knows it.
"Pfft—hahahaha~!"
A familiar laugh echoed.
"Madara, didn't you hear? Even the kids know now," Hashirama teased.
"Shut up, Hashi-sama!!" Madara barked, his voice rising defensively. Weren't they supposed to never mention this again after coming back?!
His sudden outburst startled the little girl, who burst into tears.
Madara froze, completely unprepared.
But... strangely enough, something inside him began to soften.
When he first walked through the village gates, he could already sense it—Konoha had changed.
Shinobi and civilians from all nations and clans moved together in peace. Patrol squads kept disputes under control. Smiles bloomed on faces—genuine smiles born from safety and contentment.
Konoha now… was better than anything they had originally built.
Madara stood silently. Memories flickered through his mind.
"…Seriously, Madara, if you're gonna cry, at least don't make yourself cry alone."
He glanced at the little girl now cradled in Tobirama's arms. The contrast struck him.
"Impure World Reincarnation... really does change the way you think."
"So what if the Infinite Tsukuyomi was true?"
"It's nothing compared to the feeling of being alive... of emotions, of touch."
A world of emotions far outshines a world of illusion.
Madara took a step forward, crouched down, and for the first time in decades, smiled—a real smile, like the one he wore when Konoha had just been founded.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Tobirama chimed in cheerfully:
"Oh, don't cry, good girl~ How about the Shodaime-sama takes you dancing tonight?"
Madara's ear twitched. "...Dancing?"
The little girl sniffled. "Really?"
"Of course," Tobirama nodded. "Nidaime doesn't lie to children."
"That's amazing~!"
Madara squinted suspiciously. "You're dancing? You?"
Clearly, he had no idea what kind of 'dance' this was.
Tobirama smirked. "Hmm? You can dance too, right? Why don't you perform with her to make up for scaring her?"
The girl turned to Madara, still a little scared, but curious.
Madara sighed and held out his arms, lifting her up. "Hmph. My dance is the most dazzling in the entire ninja world."
Her eyes sparkled.
"Then... can we dance with Shodaime-sama?"
"…Sure."
Hearing the commotion, Hashirama's expression shifted. His eyes gleamed with competitive spirit.
"Madara, you're dancing too?"
"Do you even know who the current Konoha Dance King is?"
Madara smirked. "You?"
"Haha! Only because no one else dared challenge me!"
"Is there anything special about dancing with Wood Style?"
Hashirama grinned wildly. "Good! You're the first one in Konoha brave enough to challenge me."
"See you tonight. Six o'clock. Konoha Square."
Madara's heart raced, but his face remained calm. "It's been a while... I'm getting fired up."
"When the night falls, you'll regret it!" Hashirama said dramatically.
Tobirama, still playing the straight man, didn't respond. He simply vanished with Flying Thunder God, doing good without claiming credit.
"…Come on. You need an ID and proof of residence."
"What?" Madara blinked.
"Yeah, yeah. Just head to the service hall—Shikaku will handle it."
"Oh, and you're not allowed out of my sight for now. Village rules. Gotta check for fake surrender, you know."
Madara: "..."
He turned to complain—but Tobirama had already disappeared.
That's when he noticed someone else—someone familiar.
A young man he had once beaten down.
"Sasuke, come here!"
Hashirama waved to the brooding Uchiha across the street—the one with newly awakened Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, practically burning with untapped potential.
The boy was glaring at a stray dog, one hand twitching with the urge to test Amaterasu on it.
"Hold up!" Sasuke said, not even turning his head.
Sasuke crouched down, handing a corrected test paper to a little girl.
"Very good. Keep working hard, and you'll definitely become an excellent kunoichi one day."
"Thank you, big brother! When I become a ninja… will you be my sensei?"
Sasuke paused. A guiding jonin?
Hmph. If even that slacker Kakashi could become one, how hard could it be?
He straightened up and crossed his arms, speaking coolly, "Want to be my subordinate?"
"That won't be easy. Are you ready for the challenge?"
The little girl's eyes sparkled. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his leg.
"I'm ready! I'm ready!"
From a distance, Madara Uchiha watched with a sour expression.
"She looks a bit like Izuna… but that's where the resemblance ends."
Hashirama chuckled, setting the children down and pulling Madara toward Sasuke.
Despite his scowl, Madara followed, still carrying a child in his arms.
As Sasuke sensed the incoming chakra signature, he tensed. His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan activated in an instant.
He turned, shielding the girl behind him. His gaze sharpened.
"You!"
He snarled, "You've got guts showing your face in Konoha again... but this time, I won't lose!"
"Let go of that girl!"
Whoosh—
Sasuke lunged forward.
Madara didn't even bother activating his Sharingan. He casually caught Sasuke mid-rush and lifted him by the collar like a misbehaving cat.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
Wait… I awakened the Mangekyō. My power should've increased dramatically! Then why—?!
"Hold on!" Hashirama stepped between them. "Sasuke, this is Uchiha Madara. He's... under supervised reintegration and community service."
Sasuke wriggled free, rubbing his wrist and muttering, "Oh, I see…"
"So you're in Konoha's labor reform program too, huh."
Madara's eyelid twitched.
For some reason, he used to appreciate this boy's potential. Now, he just wanted to slap him into the next dimension.
"Big brother, are you okay?" the little girl asked with concern.
Sasuke immediately dropped the act and put on his most confident grin. "Of course. That was nothing."
But internally—Madara's punches are terrifying. Is this what the Uchiha have been reduced to?
Hashirama quickly stepped in to defuse the tension. "Alright, alright. Let's not turn the village square into a crater."
He checked his wristwatch—when he got that was anyone's guess.
"Ah! Just two and a half hours until the Konoha Dance King contest!"
He pointed at Sasuke. "Make sure you're there later!"
Madara smirked, amused. "A square, huh? Good. Plenty of room for me to outshine you."
Sasuke visibly paled.
Madara leaned in, sneering. "What's wrong? Already nervous?"
Sasuke shot him a strange look and forced a grin.
"Fine. You go first!"
Madara chuckled. "Bold words. But if I take the lead, you won't get a chance to fight back."
Sasuke's eyes flared. "Whoever doesn't show up at 6 PM is a coward!"
Unbeknownst to Madara, Hashirama was already celebrating internally like a giddy child.
Meanwhile, in Orochimaru's Laboratory
A researcher entered, bowing respectfully.
"Lord Orochimaru, someone's here to see you."
"Oh?" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. He sensed a familiar aura—reptilian, ancient.
"Ryūchi Cave..." he murmured. "White Snake Sage?"
He stood at once, then frowned. "No... It's faint. More like… fragments. Could it be them?"
Seeing Orochimaru deep in thought, the researcher asked cautiously, "Is something wrong, Lord Orochimaru?"
"It's fine. I'll meet with her later."
He flopped onto a chair, then picked up a peculiar helmet resting on the desk.
"Chakra-powered motorcycles… Naruto really has too much free time," he mused.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a sealing talisman-turned-keycard, and slotted it into the ignition of the chakra cycle.
Whirrr—vrooom!
The engine roared to life.
Snap! Gear engaged.
Fwoosh!
The bike shot forward, almost knocking Orochimaru off.
As he accelerated along the test track, his mind raced.
If we can mass-produce these… it could revolutionize transportation in the shinobi world. Civilian and ninja alike would benefit.
Excited, he tried to lick his lips—only to realize that his long tongue was flailing wildly in the wind, saliva spraying everywhere.
"...Tch."
Alright. Speed needs to be capped. Noted.
Still, the possibilities thrilled him.
"If we clean up the roads… hmm, Hashirama will definitely agree to help."
Of course, Hashirama did agree.
On one condition.
He got to borrow the prototype chakra bike for one night.
The next day, Hashirama Senju strolled in wearing sunglasses and carrying an absurdly massive speaker on his shoulder.
"Orochimaru, I want one equipped with a subwoofer. You know, the kind that makes your heart shake with every beat!"
...
TN:
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