Madara's face darkened completely.
He had once been disappointed in the Uchiha Clan.
Disappointed that they did not understand him, that they had chosen to stay in Konoha, and that they could not see the dangers ahead.
But disappointed as he was,
they were still Uchiha.
They were his clansmen.
A clan that had bled and survived all the way from the Warring States era.
And now, they had been wiped out.
Wiped out in Konoha.
Wiped out in the village Hashirama had always insisted on protecting.
Madara slowly raised his head and looked at Hashirama.
"Hashirama."
Hashirama's expression had also grown unusually grave.
"Madara, calm down first."
Madara let out a cold laugh.
"Calm down?"
"The Uchiha Clan was wiped out, and you want me to calm down?"
Hashirama opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Madara's voice was chillingly cold.
"Just wait."
"I'm going to have a word with that fine student of yours, Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"If he can't explain himself, you can collect his corpse."
The moment he finished speaking, Madara vanished from the spot.
Hashirama's expression changed.
"Madara!"
He immediately gave chase without hesitation.
Only the three stunned members of Team 7 and a deeply shaken Kakashi remained at Training Ground 3.
After hearing Madara's parting threat, Kakashi knew that Konoha's peace was about to be shattered completely.
Zhang Yu sat behind the bar, watching a scene floating before him that only he could see.
In the scene, Madara Uchiha had stopped on a rooftop, the oppressive aura around him erupting in full.
"The Uchiha Clan was wiped out?"
Madara's voice was low, but chillingly cold.
"Konoha wiped out the Uchiha until only one brat was left?"
Hashirama caught up behind him, his expression grim as well.
"Madara, calm down first. We still need to get to the bottom of this-"
"Investigate?"
Madara whipped around, his voice suddenly rising.
"What else is there to investigate?! Konoha is right there, and so is the Uchiha Clan Compound. Their Chakra signatures are practically nonexistent. You think I could be mistaken?"
"Hashirama, this is the village you fought so hard to protect back then?"
"The Uchiha are all dead, except for Sasuke Uchiha!"
Hashirama opened his mouth, but for a long while, he could not say a word.
Madara had already turned away. Chakra surged beneath his feet, and he was about to charge toward the Hokage building.
"I'm going to find Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"If he can't explain himself, I'll tear Konoha apart."
In the tavern, Zhang Yu watched the scene, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"That temper really hasn't changed one bit."
He had wanted to see whether Madara would catch the Third, but on second thought, he pushed the idea aside.
This was not the time.
The tavern had only just gotten started. The primary task of the undead under him was to work and earn money, not run around Konoha changing the plot.
Revenge could wait.
When the time came, he would naturally arrange for Madara to meet Itachi and Danzo and settle every score, one by one.
But not now.
"Come back to work first, Brother Shura."
With a thought, Zhang Yu activated Undead Recall.
The space above the rooftop rippled slightly.
Madara and Hashirama both froze, and before they could move again, they vanished from the spot.
The next second, the two appeared together in the main hall of the Undead Tavern.
Madara had just landed, his hand still held in the motion of stepping forward.
Hashirama was startled as well, but he quickly recovered and forced a smile onto his face.
Both men turned to look at Zhang Yu behind the bar.
The air fell silent for two seconds.
The chill on Madara's face slowly faded. Hashirama chuckled awkwardly twice and spoke first. "Boss, the task went very smoothly."
Madara folded his arms, his tone subdued as well.
"We've finished watching Team 7's trial."
Zhang Yu looked at the two men, who had just been about to charge into Konoha and fight it out, and nearly burst out laughing.
Pretending, are you?
Keep it up.
But he could not be bothered to expose them, so he simply nodded.
"All right, as long as it's done."
"Don't go running around today. Get to work and behave yourselves."
Hashirama immediately replied, "No problem!"
Madara snorted coldly but said nothing more.
Both men breathed a sigh of relief.
The moment they were forcibly pulled back, they had remembered.
They were employees of the Undead Tavern now, not free to go wherever they pleased.
If they really upset the boss, they could forget settling scores with Konoha. They would be sent back to the Pure Land the next second.
They were lucky to have gotten away with it.
Soon, the tavern was bustling again.
Plenty of customers came to buy drinks during the day: Konoha villagers, passing merchants, Genin, and Chunin alike.
At the entrance, Hashirama continued welcoming customers with his harmless-looking smile.
"Welcome."
"Our newly arrived beer and drinking snacks are both good. Would you like to try them?"
A fat merchant scratched his head and muttered to his companion.
"That big guy's pretty friendly."
The other man glanced at Madara beside the counter and lowered his voice even further.
"The one in red armor is a little scary, though."
"Scary or not, he's quick with the drinks."
"Right, right. I called out once, and he slammed the drinks on the table with a bang. Nearly scared the soul out of me."
No one recognized who they were.
To ordinary people, this was just a slightly eerie little tavern with genuinely good drinks.
Madara walked back and forth carrying a drinks tray, his face still cold, though his movements were anything but slow.
Hashirama welcomed customers at the entrance and occasionally helped carry jars of wine.
Tobirama sat at one end of the bar, keeping accounts and collecting money. His hands moved astonishingly fast, and he never miscalculated even a single coin.
The whole tavern was busy but orderly, and business was steady.
Izuna had been tidying up the kitchen, but seeing that Madara had been scowling ever since he returned, he could not help walking over.
"Brother."
Madara stopped and looked at him.
Izuna lowered his voice. "What happened?"
Madara was silent for a moment before he spoke.
"The Uchiha are gone."
Izuna froze.
"What?"
Madara's voice was heavy.
"The Uchiha in Konoha were wiped out."
"The only one still alive is Sasuke Uchiha."
Izuna went rigid, all the color draining from his face.
"Only... one?"
Madara nodded.
Izuna opened his mouth, his breathing turning uneven.
The Uchiha of the Warring States era had seen far too many deaths.
But when something like the destruction of an entire clan happened to his own family, it still left him dazed for a moment.
He looked at Madara and saw no fury on his brother's face. Instead, his expression was deeply grave.
That gravity was harder to bear than anger.
Izuna stepped forward and grabbed Madara's arm.
"Brother."
"I'm back."
"You're not alone."
Madara went still and looked down at Izuna. The cold hardness on his face finally softened a little.
The next second, the brothers embraced.
Not far away, Hashirama was carrying out a plate of grilled skewers. When he saw the scene, he stopped in his tracks.
He stood there watching them for a moment, looking moved at first and then a little envious.
"Tobirama."
He turned to the white-haired man by the counter.
Tobirama did not even look up.
"What is it, brother?"
Hashirama set the plate aside and walked over with his arms spread.
"We brothers haven't seen each other in so many years. How about we-"
"Don't come any closer."