"No, I don't know who caused this phenomenon. I don't know him, and I don't want to know him!"
Uchiha Madara's reaction struck everyone as very strange. Kevin Graham in particular seemed to have guessed what Uchiha Madara was thinking. "Mr. Uchiha Madara, it seems you don't intend to cooperate with everyone properly. But I understand—this is perfectly normal. You must have gone through something terrible, something you cannot accept and cannot bring yourself to speak of. Still, we won't force you. If you're willing to tell us, that would be best. But if you aren't, then during our future adventures, you'll surely have no choice but to tell everyone eventually."
Uchiha Madara was startled. "Kevin, what nonsense are you talking about?!"
He really did have something on his mind, and he truly did not want to tell the others. It was enough for him to know about it alone—enough for him to bear it alone. Why should so many people have to bear so much because of him? He had gradually come to understand what this world really was, and why it reflected the deepest thing in his heart. That softness was something he had not felt for a very long time. He knew that for the rest of his life, he would never be able to let it go, nor could he change it.
Uchiha Madara walked alone to one side of the garden. There was a beautiful little pond there, filled with water and even fish. He casually picked up a small stone and tossed it into the pond. The stone disturbed its tranquility at once, sending ripples spreading outward.
One, two, three... six, seven...
Seven skips in all. It seemed his stone-skipping skills had improved again.
But at that moment, he had no desire to think