At this very moment, deep within the mysterious psychic space, the legendary shinobi Uchiha Madara sat in silence. Though his expression remained impassive, his mind was in turmoil.
He had already accepted the truth of Shouta Kazuki's words, yet a part of him still refused to believe it.
The Uchiha Clan… was annihilated?
Even if they had turned against him in the past, they were still Uchiha—his kin, his bloodline, the clan that once stood proud at the height of the Warring States Period. A clan so powerful that even the Senju had to acknowledge their might.
And yet, they had been wiped out so easily?Gone, just like that?
Madara clenched his fists, his chakra subtly fluctuating with suppressed rage. The very notion that his clan had been completely exterminated filled him with an inexplicable sense of frustration, anger, and perhaps—though he would never admit it—grief.
His crimson Sharingan glowed ominously as he fixed his gaze on the boy before him.
"You," Madara's voice was deep and commanding, filled with an unspoken intensity. "You seem to know far more than you should, brat. So tell me… how did the Uchiha Clan meet its end? What happened during this time? And most importantly—who was responsible?"
As he spoke, an invisible pressure descended upon the psychic space. Though Shouta was merely a chakra projection here, he could still feel the suffocating weight of Madara's raw power pressing down on him.
It was like standing in the eye of a storm, knowing that at any moment, it could consume everything in its path.
However, Shouta merely sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he plopped down onto the ground cross-legged. "Man, you're really impatient. If I had a ryo for every time someone demanded the short version of a long story, I'd be richer than the Daimyo by now."
Madara's eyebrow twitched.
"Then keep it short!"
Shouta shrugged. "Fine, fine. If you insist." He leaned back slightly, resting his hands on his knees. "To explain the fall of the Uchiha Clan, we have to go back to the beginning—the Warring States Period."
Madara's face stiffened.
The Warring States Period?
Was this brat trying to lecture him about his own era?
"The Warring States Period?" Madara repeated, his voice dangerously low. "Brat, are you messing with me? I lived in that era! I know everything that happened during that time!"
Shouta merely smirked. "And yet, you still don't know what led to your clan's downfall, do you?"
Madara fell silent. His narrowed eyes scrutinized the boy before him, searching for deception.
"Fine," he said at last. "Speak."
Shouta grinned. "Glad we're on the same page. Now, let's start with the key players—two figures who shaped the entire shinobi world. One of them was Senju Hashirama, and the other..." He pointed directly at Madara. "You."
Madara frowned, an impatient look flashing across his face. "Enough of this nonsense! Why are you talking about events I already know? I asked you about the extermination of the Uchiha Clan, not about Konoha's founding!"
"Geez, you're really bad at hearing people out," Shouta muttered. "You wanted the truth, so listen. This all started when the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, took control of the village. That man saw the Uchiha as a threat, and he made sure they stayed under Konoha's boot."
Madara's expression darkened instantly at the mention of Tobirama's name.
"That bastard…!" he growled, his fists clenching. "I knew it! That vile snake never hid his hatred for my clan! His mouth always spewed venom, branding the Uchiha as dangerous and unstable!"
"Well, your instincts weren't wrong," Shouta said casually. "Tobirama's policies ensured that the Uchiha were kept away from power. Even after his death, his ideals lived on through his students. And guess what?" He smirked. "The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen? He was one of Tobirama's finest students."
Madara's Sharingan flared ominously. "Sarutobi Hiruzen..." he muttered, tasting the name as if it were poison.
"And he wasn't the only one," Shouta continued. "One of Tobirama's other disciples was Shimura Danzo—the guy you saw earlier."
Madara's eyes sharpened. "That man…"
"Yeah. That guy inherited all of Tobirama's paranoia. In his eyes, the Uchiha were nothing more than ticking time bombs. And so, he devised a plan… a final solution to the 'Uchiha problem.'"
Madara's voice was cold. "Tell me. Who carried it out? Was it the entire village?"
Shouta shook his head. "Nope. No one else was involved. Neither the Third Hokage nor Danzo personally raised a weapon against the Uchiha."
Madara's brow furrowed. "Then who?"
Shouta took a deep breath before delivering the final blow.
"Itachi Uchiha."
For the first time in a long while, Madara was stunned into silence.
"...What?"
"It was one of your own that carried out the massacre," Shouta said, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "Uchiha Itachi—one of the most talented Uchiha in generations—slaughtered the entire clan under orders from Konoha's higher-ups. And the worst part? He didn't just do it… he agreed to it."
A cold, suffocating silence filled the space.
Madara's fingers dug into his palm, his nails threatening to break the skin. "This… this is absurd. A mere child... carried out the slaughter of the entire Uchiha Clan?!"
"Believe it," Shouta said grimly. "With his own two hands, he cut down his parents, his relatives, his kin—everyone. And the only one he spared was his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke."
Madara exhaled slowly, his breath shaky with controlled fury. He could feel his anger boiling beneath the surface, an old, familiar rage that he had not felt in years.
A Uchiha… exterminating his own clan?
A true Uchiha would never…!
Madara's voice was dangerously low. "Brat… I assume you didn't tell me this for free."
Shouta smirked. "You're catching on. If you want more information, you have to pay up."
Madara scoffed. "And what do you want?"
"Simple," Shouta leaned forward, meeting the legendary shinobi's gaze head-on. "A favor. You help me once, and I'll tell you everything."
Madara's expression twisted into a scowl. "Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Why would I ever agree to such a deal?!"
Shouta grinned. "Because if you don't, I'll just go and summon Senju Hashirama instead. And wouldn't it be hilarious if he found out that Uchiha Madara, the great Ghost of the Uchiha, was a liar who doesn't keep his promises?"
Madara twitched. "You… brat...!"
Shouta stretched lazily. "Take your time. I'll be waiting for my lessons tomorrow, sensei."
With that, his figure faded from the psychic space.
Madara sat alone in silence.
And then…
"Heheheheh… heheheheheheheh…"
His shoulders shook as he let out a low, eerie chuckle.
"Damn brat… you really know how to get under my skin…!"