Madara, in This World, I Am the Protagonist!

If a small unit encountered Crimson Eyes or the Yellow Flash, they were permitted to abandon the mission.

As long as they could return to the village alive, they would not receive any punishment.

Though such an unwritten rule existed, very few people survived after facing either of them.

The handful of survivors had summed up some experience.

As long as you could threaten Minato Namikaze's teammates, there was a chance he would spare you and not pursue.

But when facing Kagami Uchiha...

Luck.

Luck was the only criterion.

If he was eating and you had not provoked him, he would most likely not put down his food to attack you.

Tragically, Kumogakure had not only provoked him, but had also chosen a time that was not mealtime.

"Run!!!"

Toroi roared himself hoarse. The calmer he had been moments ago, the more frenzied he was now.

Even if the chance of escape was infinitesimal, did that mean they should not run?!

Don't underestimate Kumogakure, you bastard!

Among the Kumogakure formation, only Toroi had managed to summon the courage to flee.

The others could not...

Their limbs simply would not obey them!

Thud.

Something fell, followed by what sounded like rolling.

Toroi kept running, running for his life!

His blood boiled as the blood pumped by his heart rushed straight to his brain!

Something was wrong.

Why couldn't I see?

Why... was my head pressed against the grass?

His head rolled once and saw his body still sprinting away.

Come back...

Take me with you!

Didn't you notice your brain was gone?!

Kagami Uchiha lowered his hand, and then came a series of sounds like fruit dropping to the ground.

Cutting people in half was too bloody. Beheading was more elegant.

Against trash like this, Kagami Uchiha could not even be bothered to call out a technique. It would only lower his standing.

He turned around.

"You're really weak, Kakashi. You can't protect anything."

Kakashi carefully pried his short blade out of the Shuriken and shot Kagami Uchiha a glare.

"You think everyone's a monster like you? That was a jonin with a Kekkei Genkai. He was never supposed to be an opponent someone at my level had to face."

Aware of the enormous gap between himself and his two senior brothers, Kakashi had never considered going to the main battlefield. He had kept taking small missions and hanging around with his old classmates.

Back at the Ninja Academy, Kakashi had still wanted to compete with Kagami Uchiha. After that, he no longer had any such thoughts.

I've already achieved more than anyone my age should. I'm already amazing.

Had this guy started giving up early?

Kagami Uchiha shifted his gaze to Rin.

It was all right, Kakashi.

Once you truly tasted that helpless pain, you would crave power again.

"Kagami-sama... thank you for saving us."

The flush had yet to fade from Rin Nohara's face. It was normal to be afraid when death had come so close for the first time.

Though they were about the same age and had even been classmates for several years, Rin Nohara knew very well that Kagami Uchiha was no longer on the same level as them.

"Th-... thanks..." Obito turned his head away. "But even if you hadn't come, I could've protected Rin!"

No...

You couldn't protect her.

Kagami Uchiha inexplicably chuckled as Kakashi approached.

"Kagami, why are you here?"

Only Kakashi knew that they had been tasked with transporting supplies to the western battlefield, while Kagami Uchiha was stationed on the northern front.

"Classified. No comment."

Kagami Uchiha said flatly, "Kakashi, Rin, leave for a moment. I have something to say to Obito."

"Hey! Don't leave! Kagami Uchiha is definitely going to beat me up! Don't go!"

"Kagami... don't think I'm afraid of you!"

If you weren't trembling, that might've been more convincing.

Kagami Uchiha did not waste words on Obito. Scarlet flashed in his eyes.

"Aren't you... going to talk... to me..."

Thud...

Kagami Uchiha pressed a hand against Obito's body and murmured softly.

"I'm only using you as a conduit."

As ocular power flowed in, Obito's back bulged, as though something was about to burst out.

A strange mass of white matter let out a shriek and seeped from his collar, horrifying to behold.

"You... you are..."

Before this White Zetsu clone could ask anything, its eye sockets too were covered by the Sharingan.

It was as though... a number had been dialed.

Invisible ripples linked the two consciousnesses.

Buzz—

An unknown underground space.

The main body of White Zetsu, attending Uchiha Madara's side, suddenly cried out in pain and clutched its head tightly.

"What is it?"

Uchiha Madara slowly opened his eyes. Only when he saw one of White Zetsu's eyes transform into a Sharingan did his expression visibly shift.

"Ahhh!!!"

White Zetsu was still resisting fiercely, trying to drive out the invading ocular power.

"Do not resist," Uchiha Madara said indifferently.

Before long, a pair of Sharingan filled White Zetsu's eye sockets, and its expression became impassive as well.

"Interesting."

"With ocular power of this level, it's Kagami, isn't it? Have you awakened the Mangekyo?"

After briefly adapting, Kagami Uchiha spoke through White Zetsu's mouth.

"Lord Madara, you really are alive."

No further words were needed.

Kagami Uchiha knew that Madara must have been watching him from the shadows, and Madara would not ask how Kagami Uchiha had uncovered the clues.

With ocular power like this, he must have read the stone tablet at the shrine.

Discovering the spores on Obito's body was indeed somewhat unexpected.

But since he was an Uchiha, being able to do such a thing was only natural.

Uchiha Madara's voice was aged, yet it lacked an old man's sluggishness.

"Obito is the successor I chose. Do not harm him."

"Of course. I would not take the initiative to harm an Uchiha clansman, just like you."

"Clansman..."

Uchiha Madara seemed to recall that twilight, when not a single clansman had followed him.

"Kagami, what do you want?"

"I want to see you and verify a few things."

"No need. I'm about to die. This barely clinging-to-life state of mine is far too ugly."

A faint smile appeared on White Zetsu's face.

"Lord Madara, I want to know—how far am I from the realm of legend?!"

An aged, hoarse laugh rang out.

"You really are a lot like Izuna, except..."

"You're far too ignorant of your own limits."

BOOM!!

Terrifying ocular power, like mountains of corpses and seas of blood, flooded the space, as though countless demons were howling!

The Three-Tomoe in White Zetsu's eye sockets spun wildly.

Utterly frigid ocular power forcefully erected a reef amid the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, standing firm and unmoving!

"You're truly too old, Lord Madara."

"A man like you can actually endure such a frail body. Just what are you plotting?"

Uchiha Madara did not grow angry. He answered calmly.

"Peace in the shinobi world."

"Kagami, nothing in this world can go exactly as you wish. The longer I lived, the more I came to understand how reality was filled with helplessness and sorrow."

"If there were victors, then the concept of losers would inevitably arise. The two had an unavoidable karmic relationship."

"Love gave rise to hatred. Love and hatred became entangled, and war was born from them."

"That was reality."

"With your ocular power, you cannot see the final inscription on the stone tablet. Otherwise, you would not have asked such a question."

"Tell me, what do you think of the shinobi world?"

"With ocular power like yours, you are qualified to become my successor!"

After a moment of silence.

Kagami laughed.

"Don't think you can lecture me just because you've lived a few more years."

"Someone has to be the victor. Why can't that person be me?!"

"Who wants to be your successor?"

"Uchiha, the future of the shinobi world is mine to decide."

"I am the protagonist of this world!"

"Madara!"