Even if the Will of Fire was wrong, its architect never could be

Sage Fukasaku and Jiraiya's brainstorming drew Sage Shima in as well.

She ventured her own opinion. "I've heard that the human world has an underworld shinobi world, where all sorts of villains, missing-nin, and bounty hunters gather.

"People who spend their lives in the shadows shouldn't necessarily fear exposure. They might even crave fame. Do you think it's possible that his true identity is something he absolutely cannot let become public?"

"Once it's revealed, everyone would turn on him?"

Fukasaku looked at his wife in surprise. Since when had she become so wise?

Swept along by her reasoning, Jiraiya exclaimed in realization, "There were traces of Fire Release at the scene, too. Could that person actually be Madara Uchiha or Uchiha Yan?!"

Given Madara's reputation in the shinobi world, the Five Great Ninja Villages would surely unite against him if they knew he was still alive. The same applied to Uchiha Yan. Besides, Madara also fit the Great Sage's prophecy of "someone wearing a Konoha forehead protector."

"No, it wasn't Madara Uchiha!"

Unexpectedly—

Fukasaku instinctively spoke up in Madara Uchiha's defense. He hadn't known before, either, but the Great Sage's final words had explained that Madara Uchiha and Senju Guijian were reincarnations of the Sage's sons from a thousand years ago. The Sage Talismans were to be used on them.

Yet after speaking, Fukasaku felt that Shima's analysis did make some sense.

The Great Sage hadn't explicitly said that the reincarnations of the Sage's sons could necessarily be trusted.

"You're right. That was foolish of me. Madara Uchiha was killed by the First Hokage long ago."

Wrong again. Madara Uchiha wasn't dead. Even now, he was lurking somewhere in the shinobi world.

Fukasaku didn't reveal that on the spot.

He planned to send out large numbers of toads to scout,