Madara Uchiha's Stand-In Drama?

Meanwhile, Graveyard Mountains.

In the dim underground chamber, Madara Uchiha sat quietly in a massive wooden chair with his eyes closed.

Countless tubes behind him connected to the Demonic Statue, supplying the chakra and life force needed to keep his aged body functioning.

White Zetsu had just emerged from the ground, half his body still buried in the soil, when he transmitted the scene of Qingyu's battle with Kakashi through the Yin Release Secret Technique.

Madara Uchiha slowly opened his eyes.

He was still recalling Qingyu's figure as he swung his blade, as well as that winding, slithering serpent of flame.

Fire Release.

Swordsmanship.

The corners of Madara Uchiha's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a long-lost expression of satisfaction.

Now that was more like it.

Madara Uchiha nodded inwardly.

Playing around with Water Release every day—what was the point of that?

In Madara Uchiha's eyes, the Uchiha were a clan that wielded flames.

Water Release was the sort of thing only treacherous people like Senju Tobirama enjoyed messing with.

Thinking of that man who displeased him, Madara Uchiha's mood turned several degrees colder.

He had once wanted to drive a ninja blade through Senju Tobirama's head to vent the hatred in his heart.

Unfortunately, he had never gotten the chance while he was alive.

Madara Uchiha shook his head and continued watching the images White Zetsu had sent back.

His younger brother, Izuna Uchiha, had likewise excelled at Fire Release and been equally obsessed with swordsmanship.

During the Warring States Era, Izuna often dueled Senju Tobirama with samurai swords, and the two had clashed countless times amid flashing blades and sword shadows.

If Izuna Uchiha had not died at Senju Tobirama's hands back then, perhaps everything would have been different.

Madara Uchiha closed his eyes.

Within the Uchiha Clan, the bond between brothers surpassed everything else.

He and Izuna had supported each other since childhood, fighting side by side through the sea of blood that was the Warring States Era.

Izuna had been steadier and calmer than him, yet he had always stood behind him as his most steadfast support.

Even before his death, Izuna Uchiha had given him his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Without those eyes, Madara Uchiha would have gone blind long ago.

Even if he transplanted the eyes of another clansman, at most he could only obtain a Three-Tomoe Sharingan. He could never possess the power he had now.

"That child Qingyu has Izuna's shadow."

Madara Uchiha opened his eyes again.

Of course, he knew Izuna was dead.

However, the stone tablet passed down through generations of the Uchiha Clan recorded many secrets beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Each time one's ocular power increased, one could see more of its contents, as though solving a puzzle.

The Uchiha Stone Tablet also vaguely mentioned that the Pure Land truly existed.

After death, souls would travel to that world.

Though it did not explain in detail, if souls could continue to exist, did that mean...

Reincarnation?

Madara Uchiha fell into contemplation.

Vaguely, he had always felt an indescribable connection with Hashirama.

Then what about others?

Could Qingyu possibly be Izuna's reincarnation?

The moment that thought surfaced, Madara Uchiha was startled by his own bold idea.

That was too far-fetched.

It had to be because he missed his younger brother too deeply.

Madara Uchiha shook his head and temporarily suppressed that absurd speculation.

Still, regardless of whether Qingyu was Izuna's reincarnation, that child was indeed worthy of his special regard.

Madara Uchiha summoned White Zetsu and decided to take a different approach with Qingyu than he had with Obito.

Obito was a chess piece.

Qingyu, perhaps, could become something else.

Meanwhile, at the Ninja Academy.

[Collectible trait detected: Madara's Phantom Vision]

[D-rank Trait: Madara's Phantom Vision]

[Effect: Obtain Madara Uchiha's Fire Release talent from his youth.]

Qingyu stared at the prompt that had suddenly appeared before him and was momentarily speechless.

Madara Uchiha was here?

No, it was probably White Zetsu.

Madara had seen the battle through White Zetsu's vision, just like Sarutobi Hiruzen peeped with the Telescope Technique.

But the problem was...

Phantom Vision?

The corner of Qingyu's mouth twitched slightly.

A Naruto-style case of presbyopia?

The trait's effect, granting him Madara's Fire Release talent from his youth, was undeniably powerful.

But its name was "Phantom Vision." Did that mean Madara had imagined him as someone connected to Madara Uchiha?

Swordsmanship and Fire Release—there was only one person in Madara's past whose experience fit that combination.

Izuna Uchiha.

"Seriously? It was bad enough that the Third Hokage used a Crystal Ball to spy on people every day. Why are you into that too, Madara?"

Qingyu complained inwardly.

This was bad.

Madara Uchiha hadn't mistaken him for a replacement for his little brother, had he?

What kind of stand-in drama was this?

Without showing it, Qingyu looked around, but found no trace of anything unusual.

White Zetsu's Mayfly Technique could perfectly blend into the earth and vegetation. With his current sensory abilities, there was no way he could detect him.

But this also proved one thing: Madara Uchiha had already taken an interest in him.

That was both dangerous and an opportunity.

From Orochimaru to Sarutobi Hiruzen, then to Madara Uchiha, Qingyu had discovered a pattern.

The stronger the person, the better the traits they dropped.

The prerequisite was that he had to form some sort of connection with them and meet the system's criteria.

Someone like Madara Uchiha, the Asura of the Ninja World, was undoubtedly a walking treasure trove of top-tier traits.

Since Madara Uchiha had developed this "Phantom Vision" toward him, that at least put him a level above being a mere chess piece.

This might not be an opportunity he should pass up.

Izuna...

Qingyu rubbed his chin, his thoughts turning.

Tsunade had once told him about some events from the past.

Back then, his Senju mother had learned some little-known matters from his Uchiha father.

After Izuna Uchiha died, he had also left behind a sword.

Qingyu's father had once used that sword, but after he died in battle, the Uchiha Clan took it back.

Since Madara was seeing things, Qingyu did not mind making this stand-in drama more convincing.

Could he get his hands on that sword?

Qingyu silently weighed the possibilities.

But for now, he still had an exam to finish.

Kakashi formed the Seal of Reconciliation, and Qingyu returned the same gesture.

"Qingyu is really impressive."

Umino Shika spoke to Kite.

The result of that battle quickly spread throughout the Ninja Academy.

The undefeated myth of the genius Kakashi had been shattered, and the one who shattered it was another, even more dazzling genius.

After school, Tsunade appeared before Qingyu unusually early, before the sun had even set.

"Brat, come with me."

She gave no explanation and turned to leave.

Qingyu followed her. The two passed through Konoha's streets and headed all the way to the Hokage Building.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was already waiting in his office.

Thin smoke curled up from the pipe on his desk.

"You defeated Kakashi?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen went straight to the point, surprise in his voice.

However, he had also watched the entire match live.

Although he had seen the full battle through the Crystal Ball, witnessing it with his own eyes and observing it through a ninjutsu were ultimately two different experiences.

He knew exactly how strong Kakashi was. Qingyu defeating him in a head-on battle showed that his rate of improvement had far exceeded expectations.

"It was just luck, Lord Hokage."

Qingyu answered modestly.