The Past Cannot Be Retained, The Future Can Be Changed

Inside the home of Uchiha Sasuke...

The entire Uchiha Clan estate was vast, yet at this very moment, it was completely devoid of life.

The Konoha 12 were all aware of the situation, so they refrained from saying anything that might trigger Uchiha Sasuke.

Consequently, Uchiha Sasuke was the only one present in his home.

"Hey! I'm telling you guys!!! I landed a solid kick right on that guy's nuts just now!!!"

"Hahaha!!! Kiba! You really are despicable and shameless!!!"

"Tch!! Shino! Don't act like you're some kind of saint?! You've been playing dirty the whole time, haven't you?! You blasted all those guys' assholes! How dare you call me out?!!!"

"Bullshit!!! That move is called the Nut-Cracker Kick!?!"

"You're the one full of shit! Does a Nut-Cracker Kick involve blasting someone's asshole?! I think you're just despicable and shameless!!!"

"You're the despicable one!"

"You're the one who's despicable!!!"

"..."

"I say, you two need to stop bickering. I think the way Sasuke and Sakura handled things just now was truly ruthless!!!! One of those guys even had his front teeth knocked out!!!"

"Still, I never expected it, Hinata. You usually seem so soft and timid, but you were unexpectedly bossy just now!!!"

"Exactly! I didn't think Sakura had that much strength; she knocked a guy's front teeth out with a single punch!!!"

"Yeah, yeah, but I still think that line Ito Hirofumi said earlier—'My father is Ito Aoyama'—was more imposing. I even practiced it a little myself!!!"

"Indeed!!! My father is Nara Shikaku!!!"

"Hahahaha..."

"..."

The Konoha 12 chatted back and forth, making Uchiha Sasuke's home incredibly lively.

For a moment, Sasuke felt a sense of daze; how many years had it been since his home was this bustling?

This feeling was actually quite nice...

"Hey! Kid!!!"

Ito Hirofumi's mind stirred. Was that Uchiha Madara calling him from within the Summoning Space?!

He took the grilled meat Yamanaka Ino had prepared for him while simultaneously gathering chakra to enter the Summoning Space.

Seeing Yamanaka Ino grilling meat for Ito Hirofumi, Haruno Sakura followed suit and grilled a few pieces for Uchiha Sasuke.

However, Uchiha Sasuke didn't notice her at all, busy as he was fighting with Uzumaki Naruto over a piece of burnt meat.

The two of them were going back and forth—"Sasuke!" "Naruto!"—it was quite the scene...

Hyuga Hinata wanted to grill some meat for Uzumaki Naruto, but after thinking about it for a long time, she couldn't muster the courage. The aura of a gang leader she had displayed earlier had long since vanished.

Especially when she recalled how she had actually gathered the courage to stand in front of Uzumaki Naruto and even say those things to him, Hyuga Hinata felt her face burning intensely!

She ate her grilled meat bite by bite, stealing glances at Uzumaki Naruto all the while...

Inside the Summoning Space.

Uchiha Madara's expression was not particularly good at this moment!

Ito Hirofumi had already told him that the Uchiha Clan had been wiped out, so Uchiha Madara was more or less prepared for it.

But when he sensed how empty the Uchiha Clan grounds were, Uchiha Madara still felt a sense of hollowness in his heart.

Even though they were all people who had betrayed him...

They were still, after all, his former clan!

He truly never expected that the once-glorious Uchiha Clan would end up in such a state today!

In truth, Uchiha Madara understood the nuances behind this; he was no naive fool. The concept of "new emperor, new courtiers" was simple enough to grasp...

Moreover, Uchiha Madara had long since noticed one thing: there was no news of the Senju Clan within Konoha!

In other words, both the Uchiha and the Senju, the two clans that had once stood at the pinnacle and founded Konoha, had completely vanished!

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen!

What a cunning strategy indeed...

For some reason, Uchiha Madara found himself looking forward to seeing Senju Tobirama's reaction to this scene.

That man who was always spouting "Evil Uchiha" this and "Evil Uchiha" that!

What kind of expression would he have if he saw that the Senju Clan had also disappeared?!

"Yo! Madara! Why the sour face? In a bad mood?"

"Nonsense. Even though these fellows betrayed me, they still carried the reputation of the Uchiha!"

Ito Hirofumi understood that Uchiha Madara was referring to the fact that when he left Konoha, not a single person from the Uchiha Clan had followed him.

Thinking of this, Ito Hirofumi looked solemnly at the Uchiha Madara before him.

"The past is beyond recall, but the future can be changed..."

"Some exhaust their every effort yet fail to stir a ripple, while others, with a single stray thought, turn the world upside down..."

"Who can say for certain what the future holds?"

"Perhaps one day, everyone will reappear in this world..."

Uchiha Madara's pupils contracted slightly upon hearing Ito Hirofumi's words.

Uchiha Madara naturally understood what Ito Hirofumi meant; this peculiar method could resurrect the dead and summon the departed into the present world!

In fact, his current body was already in a state of perfect resurrection, and he only needed Ito Hirofumi to perform the Summoning Space technique to instantly manifest in the real world!

Therefore, Ito Hirofumi was telling him that these deceased individuals had a chance to return to the world of the living!

"You've got quite the ego, kid! Do you have any wine?!"

"Of course!"

And so, while Ito Hirofumi ate grilled meat outside, he shared a drink with Uchiha Madara inside the Summoning Space...

"Your summoning technique must come with a price, right?!"

After downing a cup of wine, Uchiha Madara looked at the Ito Hirofumi before him...

Ito Hirofumi nodded noncommittally.

"Of course! How could such a terrifying ability come without a cost?"

Uchiha Madara understood; indeed, how could such a terrifying ability be free of consequences?!

However, Ito Hirofumi continued...

"But then again... this price isn't really a problem for me!"

Uchiha Madara was taken aback by these words.

"What kind of price? Can you tell me? I've been thinking about an old friend of mine..."

Ito Hirofumi's eyes lit up slightly upon hearing this.

Thinking of an old friend, indeed—isn't he just missing his dear best friend, Senju Hashirama?!

Still playing coy and calling him an "old friend"!

But this was a good thing for him!

The only fear was that Uchiha Madara would have no desires; as long as he had a request, things would be easy to manage!

So you miss your old friend, do you?! Then shouldn't you help me go out and make some money?!

As long as you can help me bring back billions, I can summon every single one of your old friends for you!!!