Uchiha Madara used his own body to shield Estelle.
"What, are you playing the hero to save the damsel?"
The female sky bandit named Josette—the "young lady" they had seen before—laughed. "Joshua, being so protective of that brainless woman is going to hurt your popularity with the girls!"
During that meeting at the mayor grandpa's house, Josette had already met Uchiha Madara and Estelle, so she naturally recognized them. She was not someone with a poor memory. Besides, the aura of the boy before her... Uchiha Madara had long since been deeply imprinted in her eyes.
Not to mention, his willingness to stand up for others was truly manly, and it secretly stirred Josette's heart. But the one he was protecting behind him was Estelle, with her tawny hair—a brainless girl in Josette's eyes. That saddened her somewhat!
"Joshua, you may be strong, but there are so many of us. If you don't hand her over, you won't be leaving here in one piece!" Josette taunted again. She was right. Aside from the three leaders, the sky bandits had five or six lackeys as well! Eight or nine people against two—wasn't that more than enough?
A voice suddenly rang out in Uchiha Madara's mind:
"Remember... remember... release your memories..."
He felt something he had never felt before, as though... some memory was about to tear through his body...
"Remember... use your sealed power to win this battle..."
Uchiha Madara felt as though his head were about to explode! A powerful fighting aura suddenly erupted from him, startling the sky bandits!
"Remember... use your power to save this girl..."
Several words suddenly came from his lips...
"I am... Uchiha Madara... not... Joshua?"
"My... chakra... the fighting aura within me..."
"Erupt!"
That powerful fighting aura instantly enveloped the entire Mysterious Forest! The