Don't Mention That Person's Name in Front of Me!!

"You..."

"You really are..."

"Impossible! That person couldn't still be alive, let alone look as young as you!!"

Kakashi Hatake's eyes were filled with shock and disbelief as he stared at Chen Yiban before him.

Beside him, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, Shikaku Nara, and the others watched as Kakashi grew increasingly tense, even muttering incomprehensible words...

At this moment, the assembled Jonin couldn't quite understand what was wrong with Kakashi.

"Kakashi..." Shikaku Nara felt Kakashi wouldn't suddenly act this strangely for no reason.

So Shikaku Nara also re-examined Chen Yiban, whose seated motion had been interrupted, clad in a suit of red armor.

Then:

"Wait..."

"You... you..."

Suddenly, it was as if a thunderclap exploded in Shikaku Nara's mind.

He now became just like Kakashi:

A face full of shock and disbelief as he stared at Chen Yiban, who wore red armor and had long, flowing hair.

"Shikaku, what's gotten into you too?"

Choji Akimichi looked at Shikaku with a bewildered and confused expression, seeing him share the same astonished look as Kakashi.

Meanwhile, Kurenai Yuhi, Anko Mitarashi, Asuma Sarutobi, Yamanaka, and Might Guy were all equally perplexed.

Until:

"Ha..."

Chen Yiban, whose seated motion had been interrupted by Kakashi, let out a faint, inexplicable laugh.

And:

"You recognize me?"

"Both of you!"

His black pupils fixed on Kakashi Hatake and Shikaku Nara.

"Everyone..." Kakashi Hatake looked at the Jonin around him.

As if trying to warn them to immediately enter combat readiness, or at least...

They should assume a defensive stance!

The person before them might be a legendary...

"Kakashi!"

"What's wrong with you and Shikaku? Why are you so wary of this unfamiliar gentleman?"

Might Guy scratched his head.

"But, I trust Kakashi."

"So, hand over your identity, friend!"

The next second, Might Guy suddenly grinned, his teeth gleaming as he locked onto Chen Yiban.

As Kakashi's rival for so many years, Might Guy knew Kakashi well enough!

Thus: Might Guy unconditionally chose to believe Kakashi!!

And so, Might Guy became alert toward Chen Yiban.

Beside him, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, Shikaku, Yamanaka, Choji, and the other Jonin also began to fix their gazes on Chen Yiban.

Only:

"Hey hey, what's with all of you..."

Anko Mitarashi still felt like her companions were being a bit inexplicable.

Until:

"Heh, hand over my identity?"

"I didn't expect that in just seventy or eighty years, Konoha would completely forget someone who existed since the Warring States Period."

Chen Yiban, clad in red armor with his hair wild, revealed a cold smile.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway."

"You want to know my name, do you? Fine!"

"In this world, I permit you to call me..."

Chen Yiban wore a faint, cold smile as he addressed Kakashi, Shikaku Nara, Might Guy, and the others before him.

But just then, before Chen Yiban could finish speaking:

"So you are... Uchiha Madara!!"

Before Chen Yiban could finish his words, Kakashi cut him off, declaring this to the Chen Yiban before him.

Chen Yiban: ???

Hearing this, Anko Mitarashi, who had initially found Kakashi and the others a bit baffling, suddenly jolted entirely.

The chopsticks in her hand slipped from her grip and clattered onto the table!

Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Choji Akimichi, Might Guy...

Each of them was instantly struck with expressions of shock and disbelief, frozen in place involuntarily.

Even Shikaku Nara, who had already suspected something, now heard Chen Yiban's half-spoken admission of his identity.

Both he and the others stared with wavering, uncertain eyes at Chen Yiban, clad in his red armor before them!

"U... Uchiha, Madara?!"

"You... you are..."

Kurenai Yuhi could hardly believe the name that Kakashi had spoken on his behalf.

But, In that instant:

"This form..."

Through the name "Uchiha Madara," Kurenai Yuhi finally realized:

The Chen Yiban before her bore an uncanny resemblance to one of the two giant stone statues that had always stood at the Valley of the End.

She hadn't made the connection before!

But now... in Kurenai Yuhi's eyes, Chen Yiban truly looked strikingly similar to one of the Valley of the End's stone statues.

Especially that Warring States-era armor and that wild, flowing mane of hair!

It was as if the stone statue had come to life!

And the statue Kurenai Yuhi was thinking of at that moment...

Was none other than the legendary warrior, Uchiha Madara!

Chen Yiban: "..."

Meanwhile, The one who made this connection was, of course, not just Kurenai Yuhi.

Aside from Kakashi and Shikaku Nara, who had realized it from the start, Now, Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, Anko Mitarashi, Inoichi Yamanaka—everyone—had come to the same conclusion.

Then:

"Impossible!"

"The legendary ninja, Uchiha Madara, perished long ago in his battle with the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju."

Asuma Sarutobi suddenly stood up, denying Chen Yiban's identity.

Beside him, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, and Anko Mitarashi nodded in agreement.

How could a dead man come back to life?

But:

"Hashi... rama..."

Hearing that name again, Chen Yiban suddenly shuddered, as he had absorbed nearly all of Uchiha Madara's memories.

At that moment, an uncontrollable surge of terrifying battle intent and killing lust erupted from the depths of his memory.

Chen Yiban, possessing [All of Uchiha Madara's Memories], instantly lost control of his killing intent and battle spirit the moment he heard the name "Hashirama Senju."

"Not good! Fall back!"

Kakashi, seeing Chen Yiban's state in time, immediately waved his hand and shouted to the others around him.

And everyone present was at least Jonin-level, with reaction speeds that met the standard.

They instantly abandoned whatever might happen next and followed the team's order: retreat!

"Don't speak that man's name... in front of me!!"

Boom—

A massive surge of Chakra exploded violently.

In that instant, even though Kakashi and the others had retreated in advance, they were still blasted by the sheer force of the Chakra eruption, each of them crashing through the walls.

"Ugh..."

Everyone was blasted out of the Barbecue Restaurant, landing one after another on the street outside.

"S-Such a powerful surge of Chakra!"

"Chakra on this level... I've never seen anything like it!!"

Shikaku Nara steadied himself and stood on the street alongside the others, unable to help but exclaim in astonishment.

Nearby, Kakashi, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, and the rest were equally shocked and deeply solemn.

Meanwhile:

"This massive, terrifying Chakra... Hey, Kakashi, he couldn't really be—"

Might Guy was visibly shaken even now.

In response, Kakashi already held a kunai in hand, his expression grim as he stared at the Barbecue Restaurant, now battered and torn apart by the overwhelming Chakra.

Inside the restaurant, countless diners fled in panic.

Soon, even the owner and the staff ran out!

Anyone unaware might have thought it was an earthquake!

Just as the restaurant had mostly emptied:

"Hashirama!"

"I've already... reached the other shore!!"

Chen Yiban was now nearly submerged in Uchiha Madara's memories.

Chakra and terrifying dojutsu power erupted!

ROAR---!!

The next moment, with a furious bellow.

BOOM---!!

A colossal blue Susanoo - Third Stage, dozens of meters tall, burst through the restaurant's roof.

Finally, it stomped the entire Barbecue Restaurant underfoot!

Seeing this...

Kakashi glanced thoughtfully at the kunai in his hand.