Awaken the Sleeping Legend!

"Legendary quest?"

Uchiha Xuan's eyes instantly lit up, and even his breathing grew a little hurried.

He immediately sank his consciousness into his mind and entered the familiar System Space.

At the center of the space, a golden scroll radiating an overwhelming aura floated silently in the air.

Phantom dragons and phoenixes seemed to circle the scroll, and the pressure it exuded was even greater than that of all his previous quests combined!

This was definitely a big one!

With a trace of excitement, Xuan reached out and gently touched the golden scroll.

"Buzz—!"

The scroll unfurled at once, blazing with radiant light!

Lines of epic-sounding quest descriptions branded themselves deeply into his mind.

[Legendary Quest: Awaken the Sleeping Legend!]

[Quest Background: Beneath the dust of the ages, a legend who once stood shoulder to shoulder with gods lies slumbering in the dark underground. He harbors a twisted dream and has strayed ever farther down the wrong path, soon to become a pawn in another's resurrection. His power should have been used to restore the Uchiha clan's glory, not for some illusory dream.]

[Quest Description: Find and persuade the "Legendary Ninja"—Madara Uchiha!]

[Detailed Requirements: The host must infiltrate the secret base in the Valley of the End and find Madara Uchiha, who is barely clinging to life. Through your wisdom and strength, reveal the truth behind the Eye of the Moon Plan, crush Black Zetsu's conspiracy, and persuade him to abandon that false dream. Fight alongside him for the Uchiha clan's future in the real world!]

[Quest Difficulty: Nine deaths and one life!]

[Quest Reward: Legendary Gift Pack x1!]

When he finished reading the final word of the quest description, Uchiha Xuan's entire body trembled slightly from sheer excitement.

Uchiha... Madara!

The man who had nearly overturned the entire Ninja World through his strength alone!

The legend who, later on, could casually beat the Five Kage like five babies!

The System actually wanted him to... dig this old ancestor out?!

"Ha... Hahahahahaha!"

Xuan could not help bursting into laughter, his voice filled with boundless ecstasy and fighting spirit!

He had been worrying that even with the Sage Body and Golden Flame Divine Eyes, relying on himself alone to safely make off with several thousand clan members while escaping Konoha's pursuit and establishing an entirely new nation would still be far too difficult.

He needed an assistant.

Someone who could hold the fort, a top-tier combatant whose very name could make the entire Ninja World tremble—a stabilizing pillar!

Who could be more suitable than Madara Uchiha?!

This was like being handed a pillow just when he was sleepy—except it was a dragon-and-phoenix pillow studded with gold and jade!

"How is this a nine-deaths-and-one-life quest? This is clearly the System delivering a cheat right to me!"

Xuan's lips curled upward wildly.

Persuade Madara Uchiha?

For others, that might be harder than climbing to the heavens. With Madara's stubbornness down to his bones, once he set his mind on something, not even nine oxen could pull him back.

But for a transmigrator like him, who knew the entire plot and even knew about the existence of Black Zetsu, that ultimate scheming bastard, would it not be effortless?

All he had to do was lay out the truth: Black Zetsu had altered the stone tablet and intended to use Madara as a tool for resurrection.

With Madara's pride towering into the heavens, it would be a miracle if he did not explode with rage on the spot and grind Black Zetsu's bones to dust!

"Let's do it!"

Xuan accepted the quest without hesitation.

He knew this was the most important and crucial link in his entire Genesis plan!

If he succeeded, he would gain the strongest ally—someone capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage!

Then, Senju Tobirama, Konoha's higher-ups—under the combined force of him and Madara, they would all be nothing but clay chickens and porcelain dogs, utterly vulnerable!

He immediately left his room and summoned his two most trusted confidants, Uchiha Setsuna and Kagami Uchiha.

"I need to leave the village for a while."

Xuan looked at the two of them and issued his orders in a tone that brooked no objection.

"While I'm gone, continue the asset transfer plan. Inabi will be fully responsible for it. The clan's daily affairs and military preparations will be jointly managed by the two of you."

"Lord Xuan, where are you going?" Kagami Uchiha asked with some concern. "Right now, outside the village, there are the Hokage's informants..."

"I'm merely going on a secret training trip to seek an opportunity for a breakthrough."

Xuan casually made up an excuse.

He patted their shoulders, his gaze becoming incomparably deep.

"Remember, before I return, no matter what happens, endure it. Everything can wait until I come back."

"Yes!"

Though Setsuna and Kagami were puzzled, they accepted the order without hesitation.

Late that night.

Uchiha Xuan once again used a Shadow Clone to deceive every watchful informant.

Like a phantom, he silently left Konoha.

Without pausing for even a moment, he raced at full speed toward that place steeped in fate and legend in the history of the Ninja World.

Several days later.

At the border of the Land of Fire.

Two enormous stone statues, so colossal they nearly reached the sky, faced each other across an endlessly surging waterfall.

On the left stood the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, clad in armor, hands forming seals, his expression gentle.

On the right stood Madara Uchiha, the former leader of the Uchiha clan, with long hair flying in the wind, a war fan in hand, and an arrogant gaze.

This was the fated place that had ended the Warring States Era and buried the friendship of two legends—the Valley of the End.

Uchiha Xuan's figure silently appeared atop the head of the massive statue of Hashirama Senju.

The fierce wind whipped his black robe, making it snap loudly.

Looking down at the roaring waterfall below, which seemed to tell the tale of that earth-shattering battle from long ago, he slowly closed his eyes.

Golden Flame Divine Eyes, activate!

The immense sensory power granted by the Sage Body spread like an invisible spiderweb, instantly covering the entire valley.

Very soon, deep beneath the valley, he caught a faint chakra fluctuation filled with decay and evil.

Found him!

Uchiha Xuan abruptly opened his eyes. Excited light flashed in those pupils burning with golden flames.

Looking at the bottomless pool below, a teasing smile curved across his lips. In a nearly playful tone, he murmured to himself.

"Madara."

"I'm here... to pick you up after work."