After seeing Ito Hirofumi's gesture, Uchiha Madara snorted and quickly left the villa.
Meanwhile, Ito Hirofumi took his time savoring all kinds of delicious food...
There was no denying that this space was truly amazing. Every dish he had conjured out of thin air was top-notch in appearance, aroma, and taste!
Truthfully, Ito Hirofumi hadn't known what to make at first.
He'd simply recited a string of foods from memory...
Steamed lamb, steamed bear paws, steamed deer tails, roast duck, roast chicken, roast goose, braised pork, braised duck, soy-braised chicken, cured meat, pine-flower eggs, pork tripe, dried meat, sausages, assorted cold dishes...
And then all of them had appeared!
Uchiha Madara moved quickly. Before long, he returned carrying a leg of lamb that had already been prepared.
There was no denying that being powerful sure was convenient. Judging by the lamb leg, Uchiha Madara had even roasted it with Fire Release Ninjutsu before carrying it back.
He looked at the spread of all kinds of food on Ito Hirofumi's table, then at the lamb leg in his own hand, blackened by his Fire Release.
For a moment, Uchiha Madara felt like throwing the thing away!
Damn it!!!
Why hadn't I learned to cook back then?!
Back in the Uchiha Clan, servants had always taken care of him. During his time in Konoha, he'd never set foot in a kitchen, either. The servants prepared his meals, and whenever he had nothing else to do, he'd go mooch a meal at that blockhead Senju Hashirama's place.
Senju Hashirama might have been a blockhead, but there was no denying that Uzumaki Mito was a good cook...
Back then, it wasn't just him—even that evil Senju Tobirama often went over to mooch meals.
Remembering those old days, Uchiha Madara took a fierce bite of the roasted lamb leg in his hand...
Ptooey!!!!
Damn, it was burnt!
"Pfft!!!! Hahahahahaha..."
Ito Hirofumi was gnawing on a bear paw, but he couldn't hold back his laughter.
"You little brat! What the hell are you laughing at?!!!"
"Madara, quit acting all tsundere. I just wanted to invite you to dinner. Why make things difficult for yourself?!
"And I never expected a meal to make you do anything for me. To be honest, I really admire you—not just because of your strength, but also because of your ideals..."
Ito Hirofumi truly meant what he said. When he'd watched the Naruto anime, he'd really liked Uchiha Madara as a character. There was something uniquely compelling about him!
It wasn't just because he was powerful and imposing. It was also because of some of his ideas!
Anyone who'd watched the anime knew that Uchiha Madara had longed for peace. Otherwise, he wouldn't have worked with Senju Hashirama to end the era of chaos and establish Konoha Village!
When they were young, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had dreamed of creating a peaceful village!
A place where young children wouldn't have to go to war anymore!
A place where ordinary people could live in safety!
Ito Hirofumi sometimes wondered: if Uchiha Madara had been the First of Konoha, would all those ridiculous things that came later have been avoided?
For all he knew, the Ninja World might even have been unified completely in that era!
After all, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had possessed both the ability and the strength to crush the entire Ninja World.
All they'd have had to do was kill everyone who refused to obey, then unite all the villages and countries. Who could have stood against a Susanoo-clad Buddha?!
What a pity that Senju Hashirama had been far too kind—or, rather, far too much of a blockhead...
He'd thought that kindness and compromise could bring peace. That was utterly ridiculous!
If Senju Hashirama's ideals had really worked, how could there have been so many more wars afterward?!
And even though Uchiha Madara had been plotting his own resurrection, his ultimate goal had only been to bring lasting peace to the Ninja World...
It was just a shame that Black Zetsu, that old schemer, had tricked him!
When Uchiha Madara heard Ito Hirofumi's words, he froze for a moment and looked at him with an unreadable expression...
"You're talking about my ideals?! Heh... You know what my ideals are?"
Hearing the faintly mocking tone in Uchiha Madara's voice, Ito Hirofumi didn't rush to argue. He opened a bottle of soda, took a small sip, then looked at Uchiha Madara and spoke softly.
"People should not regard only their own parents as parents, nor only their own children as children. The elderly should have a peaceful old age, adults should have opportunities to serve, and the young should have the means to grow. Widowers, widows, orphans, the childless, and the sick and disabled should all be cared for..."
Ito Hirofumi didn't answer Uchiha Madara's question directly. Instead, he quoted a passage from the Book of Rites about the Great Way.
As Ito Hirofumi recited those words, Uchiha Madara's expression shifted. The disdain in his eyes gradually turned to surprise, and then that surprise became shock!
Even the hand holding the roasted lamb leg trembled uncontrollably...
The brat had said earlier that he intended to unite the Ninja World, but at the time, Uchiha Madara had thought he was just being arrogant.
Although Uchiha Madara had no idea how the brat could summon the dead, why would these departed spirits obey some kid's orders?
Why would these former powerhouses take orders from a mere brat? What gave him the right? Was it because he had a big head?
So back then, Uchiha Madara hadn't taken Ito Hirofumi's words seriously. He'd assumed the ignorant brat had gotten lucky and become arrogant.
But after hearing those words, Uchiha Madara felt something inside him tremble. He began to take the boy standing before him—Ito Hirofumi—seriously.
Especially the words the boy had just spoken. They were exactly the dream he and Senju Hashirama had shared when they were young!!!
Even though he'd left Konoha Village, he'd never forgotten the dream he'd shared with that blockhead Senju Hashirama in their childhood!
Could the vision this boy had described... really become reality?!!!
While Uchiha Madara was still reeling, Ito Hirofumi's voice sounded beside him again...
"Madara, what do you say? Care to join me for a meal now?"
Looking at Ito Hirofumi, Uchiha Madara clicked his tongue...
"Tch... You really are an interesting brat!"
With that, Uchiha Madara tossed the roasted lamb leg aside, then walked over and sat down in front of Ito Hirofumi.
Before you continue