Uchiha Xiao could tell from Uzumaki Mito's expression that she had heard of it. Tsunade and Nawaki, on the other hand, looked completely baffled. He shook his head.
"Izanagi, the Uchiha Clan's forbidden technique, was once all the rage among the clan. Back then, the Uchiha were in complete chaos," Uchiha Xiao murmured.
"Izanagi is also known as the technique that twists reality. It can alter reality after someone has died, allowing them to return from death." Uchiha Xiao sighed as he said this.
Tsunade and Nawaki's eyes widened. Twist reality? Reverse life and death? Wasn't that a little too absurd? If the Uchiha had an ability like that, they could have become the foremost ninja clan long ago!
"Don't believe it?" Uzumaki Mito asked her grandson and granddaughter. "It's all true. There aren't many records of it in the Uzumaki Clan, but it seems using the technique comes at a tremendous cost, doesn't it?"
Uchiha Xiao nodded. "Lady Mito is right. The cost is indeed enormous." As he finished speaking, his eyes instantly changed from black to blood-red, three Tomoe spinning within them.
Once Uchiha Xiao activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Tsunade and Nawaki first froze in surprise. Then a wave of pressure swept over them.
At the time, there was only one person in Konoha with a Mangekyō Sharingan: Uchiha Hirotomo. But he preferred to keep his true strength hidden, so he also showed himself using a Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
In the eyes of Konoha's villagers, the Uchiha's Three-Tomoe Sharingan was the strongest form of the eye.
Tsunade, a powerful fighter who was already halfway to Kage Level, had seen plenty of Three-Tomoe Sharingan. But this was the first time she'd encountered one as oppressive as Uchiha Xiao's.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan of others looked much like Uchiha Xiao's, yet somehow the pressure she felt from his was different.
It wasn't surprising that Tsunade felt this way. Uchiha Xiao currently had the chakra of an elite jonin, and all of it was natural chakra.
Natural chakra was stored in the body, constantly improving Uchiha Xiao's physique. As one of his organs, his Sharingan had naturally been strengthened as well.
In terms of ocular power, his current Three-Tomoe Sharingan was already on par with an ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan—in other words, with Kage Level ocular power.
So it was perfectly normal for Tsunade to feel pressured.
Back to the point.
"The price of Izanagi is one Sharingan," Uchiha Xiao said calmly. "After activating Izanagi, the user can twist reality, returning from the state of having been killed to their original, unharmed condition. At the same time, one Sharingan loses its pupil, leaving only the white of the eye. It becomes useless."
Tsunade and Nawaki sucked in a sharp breath. Didn't that mean he'd gained two extra lives?
"So you mean Madara Uchiha really did die back then? He calculated the timing and prepared to activate Izanagi in advance?" Uzumaki Mito asked gravely.
"Yes. Madara Uchiha must have been taking a gamble. He bet that Hashirama wouldn't let anyone touch his body or take his eyes. Luckily for him, he won." Uchiha Xiao chuckled.
"Madara Uchiha is still alive! What are we supposed to do?" Tsunade asked anxiously.
Uchiha Xiao just smiled. "So what if he's alive? The outside world thinks he's dead, and he hasn't come out to correct them. That means that although he's still alive, his strength has greatly diminished. We should just carry on as usual. He won't make a move."
Uzumaki Mito gave a slight nod, agreeing with Uchiha Xiao.
After all, Madara Uchiha's fearsome reputation as the Asura of the Ninja World was well earned. Compared with Senju Hashirama, who was simple and kindhearted and had been called a "foolish sweetheart," Madara Uchiha was decisive and never hesitated. He was a truly ruthless man.
Back at the first Five Kage Summit, Madara Uchiha had yet to leave the village. At the time, Senju Hashirama had actually planned to distribute the Tailed Beasts among the various countries to maintain what he called peace.
But when Madara Uchiha heard the proposal, he bluntly objected on the spot. "Give them out? Hashirama, you can't be serious!"
Surprisingly, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, who usually disagreed with Madara Uchiha, sided with him for once.
Unfortunately, Senju Hashirama was stubborn. Ignoring everyone's objections, he insisted on carrying out his plan. In the end, he even did something astonishing—he bowed to the other four countries, asking them to listen to his suggestion.
If Madara Uchiha, with his fiery temper, had been handling things, he would probably have roared, "You bow to me, and we'll call it even!" He would never have swallowed his pride the way Senju Hashirama had.
Returning to the matter at hand, Uzumaki Mito sighed softly and shook her head helplessly. "It seems Madara knew Hashirama's temperament like the back of his hand."
Uchiha Xiao nodded thoughtfully and added his own theory. "Madara must have manipulated Nawaki into going to the front lines because there's something about him that Madara desperately wants."
Tsunade shook her head hard, unable to believe it. "Nawaki is just a little Genin. How could someone like Madara possibly take an interest in him?"
Clearly, Tsunade couldn't accept the idea at all.
Uchiha Xiao merely replied, "Don't forget, he has Hashirama's bloodline—in other words, Hashirama Cells."
At that, Uzumaki Mito's face instantly turned ashen.
It was true. Although Nawaki had yet to awaken Wood Release, the blood flowing through his veins was the closest to that of the First, Senju Hashirama. Even Tsunade, his own older sister, couldn't compare.
Seeing everyone fall silent, Uchiha Xiao continued. "If that happens, and Nawaki gets into trouble while Madara's subordinates are lying in wait nearby... then I'm sure I don't need to spell out what might happen to him next."
His words struck Tsunade like a clap of thunder.
A horrifying image involuntarily surfaced in her mind—Nawaki being brutally killed by the enemy. For an instant, Tsunade felt the world spin and her vision darken. Her whole body began to sway.
She staggered backward, her steps unsteady. In her panic, Tsunade reached for the table beside her, trying to steady herself.
But she was so terrified and distressed that her arm wouldn't obey her. Only after considerable effort did she manage to support her body and keep herself from collapsing to the floor.
Tsunade's eyes reddened as she turned to Nawaki. "You brat, could you please not go to the battlefield this time? Go tell Orochimaru you're not going out this time, all right..."
Tsunade's voice trembled as she pleaded.