Shouta Kazuki's grin widened as he watched Madara's stunned expression, his amusement barely contained.
The great Uchiha Madara—once feared as the Demon of the Battlefield—was now frozen mid-action, unable to lay a finger on him.
At that moment, any lingering fear Shouta had was replaced with exhilaration.
He had absolute proof now.
Madara really couldn't harm him.
A chuckle escaped his lips, his smirk growing more pronounced.
"Didn't I already tell you, Madara? I formed a contract with the realm of the dead. By paying a certain price, I can summon the souls of the departed and make them my… well, let's call it what it is—my summoned beast."
Madara's face darkened instantly.
"Arrogant brat!" His voice boomed, fury seething beneath every syllable.
"Do you have any idea who you're speaking to?! You dare—you dare to call me a mere summon?!"
His chakra flared violently again, but it was meaningless. He knew it. Shouta knew it.
And Shouta, ever the opportunist, only fanned the flames further.
"Oh, I know exactly who you are." He spread his arms in mock innocence, tilting his head slightly as if indulging a child's tantrum.
"Uchiha Madara. Former leader of the Uchiha Clan. The Shura of the Shinobi World. A man who once stood at the pinnacle of all shinobi, capable of wiping out entire armies with a single fire jutsu. The one who fought alongside Senju Hashirama to bring an end to the warring era, founding the Hidden Leaf Village…"
Madara narrowed his eyes slightly.
He didn't expect a mere boy to know his history so well.
But as Shouta continued, Madara's irritation grew.
"…also known as the Konoha's Dance King."
Madara's eyebrow twitched.
"…and a man so powerful that he was once referred to as the God of Shinobi."
Silence.
A single vein pulsed on Madara's forehead.
"Brat." His voice was dangerously low. "It was Hashirama who was called the God of Shinobi."
"I know, I know." Shouta waved dismissively, completely unfazed. "Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, the God of Shinobi… and you, Madara, you're the man of the God of Shinobi."
Madara's expression stiffened.
Shouta's eyes flicked toward him, and for just a second—just one second—he swore he saw the legendary Uchiha's face turn slightly… red?
No way.
No way, right?
Shouta had just been joking, throwing out random nonsense for fun. After all, in his past life, people loved to make wild pairings—Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara being a prime example.
Even Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Izuna.
Hell, even Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Fugaku had been thrown around in theories.
And, of course, the infamous friendship between Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke.
Konoha was practically built on… close friendships.
But Madara's reaction…
Shouta couldn't stop the mischievous grin from forming.
"No way… Was there really something between you and the First Hokage?!"
Madara's entire body stiffened.
"What nonsense are you spewing, brat?!" he barked, his Sharingan spinning wildly. "There was NOTHING between me and that idiot!"
"Oh, really?" Shouta raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you look so flustered?"
"I am NOT flustered!"
Madara looked absolutely furious now, but his words lacked their usual confidence.
"That fool was a complete idiot! Every single night, he'd pester me to go outside and—" Madara abruptly shut his mouth, realizing he was about to say something compromising.
Shouta's grin only widened.
"Every night? You two? Alone? Outside?" He let the implications settle, watching as Madara's expression contorted into something that looked dangerously close to panic.
"You're twisting my words, brat!"
"Am I?"
"Enough!" Madara's chakra flared again, but this time, he didn't even try to attack. "I swear, if I wasn't bound by this contract, I'd—"
"Oh, please." Shouta cut him off, crossing his arms. "Haven't you figured it out already? You can't touch me. Even if you try, the contract won't allow it. You've been resurrected, but only as my summoned beast."
Madara's glare was sharp enough to cut steel, but he said nothing.
And then, as if the universe decided to twist the knife deeper, Shouta added, "Honestly, I don't know why you're so mad. At least now you're alive again. Or would you rather rely on that unreliable Uchiha Obito to bring you back?"
Madara's entire body went still.
His Sharingan spun rapidly as his mind raced.
"…What did you just say?"
Shouta tilted his head. "Which part? The part where I said Obito was unreliable? Or the part where I mentioned the plan he's supposed to use to revive you?"
Madara's expression turned cold.
"Brat." His voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "How do you know about Uchiha Obito?"
Shouta smirked.
"Oh, I know a lot more than just that."
He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice like he was letting Madara in on a secret.
"I know that Obito is supposed to bring you back. I know that you manipulated him, fed him lies about a dream world. I even know about the Eye of the Moon Plan."
Madara's pupils shrank.
"…Impossible."
"But the best part?" Shouta chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"I know that, in the end—you were just as much of a pawn as he was."
Madara's Sharingan spun wildly, his breath hitching for just a fraction of a second.
And in that moment, for the first time since he had been summoned—
The great Uchiha Madara felt uncertainty.