Madara Uchiha?! Don't fear him, I'll handle it

"You bastard!"

The Third Hokage flared up, tapping Yūhi Shinkō on the head with his pipe pouch.

"You had the nerve to embezzle, but now you can't even look Madara Uchiha in the eye—what a disgrace to the Senju Clan's name."

Yūhi Shinkō rubbed his head.

Yūhi Shinkō analyzed, "Hokage-sama, if Madara Uchiha really is still alive, he'd be over 80 by now."

"A ninja that age probably can't even use jutsu anymore, right?"

Ninjas followed a science-based profession; they had to account for life and death, and youth beat old age in a fight.

The Third Hokage shook his head. "No, a legendary ninja like Madara Uchiha can't be judged by common sense."

"And besides—"

"Even though Orochimaru's intel didn't mention it, I think Ryobu is still alive. Orochimaru must have sought out his Immortality Technique and discovered Madara Uchiha that way."

"Only Orochimaru would have that kind of patience."

Shinnosuke caught on. "Father, if that's the case, then Madara Uchiha is behind Uchiha Ryobu?"

The Third Hokage nodded. "Ryobu escaping from the Uchiha Police Department, defecting from the Leaf, dodging the Anbu's pursuit and kill... all of it is too suspicious."

"If Madara Uchiha really is the one backing him, then it's settled. Madara wants Ryobu's Forbidden Technique to restore his youth and return to his peak."

Yūhi Shinkō hugged his head on the ground, feeling like the sky was falling. "If that's true, we're all doomed. Without the First Hokage-sama, the Ninja World can't stop a fully restored Madara Uchiha."

"Easy, easy. We have the Sannin—Jiraiya and the others will definitely stop Madara Uchiha."

Suddenly, a golden figure flashed into the Hokage's location, and the Anbu's elite immediately tensed up.

But they relaxed once they saw who it was.

It was Minato and Jiraiya.

"Hokage-sama, please save Teacher!"

The Third Hokage's pupils dilated to their limit as he stared at Jiraiya, beaten like a dead dog.

"Jiraiya!!"

Asuma and his comrades heard a series of panicked shouts and crowded around.

By the time they arrived late, the Hokage's spot was already packed with the higher-ups of the Great Families, and they couldn't squeeze in.

They could only eavesdrop from the side.

The Anbu recognized Asuma and let it slide.

The Third Hokage ordered the Anbu's Medical Ninja to treat Jiraiya.

The Anbu stripped off Jiraiya's tattered clothes and saw a blue-white Slug on his chest.

Before the battle, Tsunade had given Jiraiya and Orochimaru each a split body of the Slug.

It was the Slug that had kept Jiraiya's Heart Meridian intact and held onto his One Life.

The Third Hokage's expression darkened at Jiraiya's gruesome injuries.

If even Jiraiya, who had mastered Sage Mode, was beaten this badly, Madara Uchiha had clearly used Ryobu's Forbidden Technique to restore himself to his prime.

The Third Hokage looked at Minato, puzzled. "Minato, did you already get word in the Mist Village?"

It hadn't even been a day since the Third Hokage sent the message to the front lines; Minato couldn't have received it that fast.

Minato replied, "It was the Contact Frogs from Mount Myōboku. They told me about Madara Uchiha."

The Third Hokage nodded.

Shinnosuke stepped up and whispered something in the Third Hokage's ear.

The arrival of Jiraiya and Minato hadn't gone unnoticed, and Jiraiya's critical state worried everyone.

What kind of enemy had beaten one of the Sannin like this? Everyone murmured among themselves.

The Third Hokage couldn't keep it from them any longer. He had Shinnosuke summon the leaders of the Great Families and the village's Jonin.

Now.

The Hyuga Brothers of the Hyuga Clan—Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga.

Inuzuka Tsume of the Inuzuka Clan, Shikuro of the Aburame Clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, the Kurama Clan...

Plus some Civilian Ninja and Anbu, totaling about 50 people, all Jonin.

No choice—it was wartime, and many ninja were out on missions. Otherwise, the Third Hokage could have gathered a Ninja Army of tens of thousands and worn Madara Uchiha down.

The Third Hokage took a drag of smoke, and his first words stunned everyone.

"Madara Uchiha... isn't dead!"

"(◐_◑)."

The ninja of the Great Ninja Clans wondered if they'd misheard, and some Civilian Ninja even puzzled over who Madara Uchiha was.

"Madara Uchiha? Who's that? Is there even such a person in the Uchiha clan?"

"Don't know. Probably some Uchiha master! No need to fear him—I'll handle it myself!"

"Oh, is that all? I thought it was something big. Everyone, scatter, scatter! Go home and take in the laundry!"

"..."

The Third Hokage watched these clueless civilian ninjas and didn't even know what to say.

The blame for this fell on his teacher—Senju Tobirama—because Leaf Village's textbooks never recorded anything about Madara Uchiha.

The higher-ups, to maintain the legitimacy of the Senju Lineage, or out of fear of Madara Uchiha's power and the worry that Uchiha people might follow him, had deleted all relevant introductions about Madara Uchiha from the textbooks.

Not just the rest of the village—even the Uchiha themselves probably couldn't remember their Old Ancestor, Madara Uchiha.

History was always a tool the rulers could arbitrarily imprint on.

Plus, it had been too long. Madara Uchiha's story was from the era of Leaf Village's founding—fifty years ago.

Fifty years, and the ninja clans had produced three generations. This Generation of ninjas had already forgotten the Uchiha's ultimate power.

For Senju Tobirama not to write books slandering Madara Uchiha was already generous. An ordinary person would have branded Madara Uchiha as the greatest sinner in history, nailed him to the pillar of shame forever.

The Great Ninja Clans all stared at the Third Hokage, wanting to confirm the news from his mouth one more time.

Seeing the ninja clans' ninjas so serious, the civilian ninjas couldn't laugh anymore.

It seemed this Madara Uchiha was a tough one!

The Ninja Families had their own family education. Their recorded history might not be complete, but they wouldn't teach their children to be fools.

Choza and Inoichi glanced at Shikaku. No wonder the Third Hokage hadn't brought any Uchiha people.

If the Uchiha ninjas heard their Old Ancestor wasn't dead, would they defect on the spot? Then shout, "Don't say the old ancestor's soul returns late—stir the Uchiha to rise against Leaf!"

"Cough, cough..."

Jiraiya coughed up two mouthfuls of blood. Minato stepped forward with concern.

"Teacher!"

"Mi... nato..."

The Third Hokage ignored the ninjas seeking answers and went to check on his most trusted disciple.

"Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya half-opened his eyes, looking weakly at the Third Hokage: "...Old Man, where's Orochimaru?"

The Third Hokage looked at Minato.

Minato hung his head, silent. When he left, he'd seen Orochimaru crushed under a Wood Golem Arhat's fist.

Probably already...

Seeing Minato's silence, Jiraiya seemed to realize something, his face turning pale.

The Third Hokage clenched his fists so hard the veins bulged.

His proudest disciple—dead!

Some of the ninja clan ninjas were already wetting themselves.

Jiraiya was barely clinging to life, Orochimaru was dead, and Lord Tsunade was missing.

Madara Uchiha really wasn't dead!

Heavens! The Ninja World was doomed!

The Third Hokage forced back his grief and stepped forward to ask Jiraiya: "Jiraiya, where's Tsunade?"

Before Jiraiya could speak, the Slug on his chest said: "Lord Tsunade was captured by Madara Uchiha. He handed her over to Liao Wu, saying he wanted to marry Hashirama's granddaughter to his grandson."

The Slug finished speaking, then shrank smaller and smaller, consuming all its Chakra in a blink of an eye before vanishing.

Hearing this, Jiraiya's face grew even paler. Minato worried that if they kept talking, Jiraiya wouldn't make it, so he quickly shot the Third Hokage a look.

The Third Hokage understood instantly and said to Jiraiya: "Jiraiya, rest assured. We'll rescue Tsunade. What's most important now is for you to rest."

Jiraiya coughed twice with difficulty, then forced himself to say: "Teacher, I have important intel to share."

"Jiraiya, listen!"

"Teacher, I can feel my injuries. I'm about to go. I'm the only one here who knows about Madara Uchiha's situation. Let me finish."