Ryoma was very satisfied with himself.
At the same time, though, he couldn't help feeling puzzled.
"Why is my similarity only fifty percent? I swear I nailed the performance!"
[Ding! The biggest difference lies in the hair!]
"…Huh?" Ryoma blinked, thinking for a moment.
Then it hit him. "Wait—what the hell!? That actually makes sense!"
Senju Hashirama had long hair, while Ryoma's hair was short.
Yep, fair point. Totally reasonable.
"In that case…" Ryoma rubbed his chin. "What if I try playing Uchiha Madara next time? His hairstyle should be easier to match!"
Having made up his mind, Ryoma decided he'd go to Kumogakure while disguised as Uchiha Madara.
But for that, he'd need to prepare the proper outfit—Madara's iconic red armor.
He checked the "Uchiha Madara (Edo Tensei)" character card in his system. If he remembered correctly, this was the reanimated version—complete with Senju cells and clad in that full red armor.
"Red armor, huh… where could I get something like that?" Ryoma muttered.
"Wait a second—doesn't that look a lot like samurai gear?"
He snapped his fingers. "Perfect! I'll just head to the City of Fire and buy one."
After all, that place had the most samurai merchants in the entire Land of Fire—surely someone there sold armor.
The next day, Ryoma left behind a clone to continue "working" in Konoha Village, while he himself slipped away to the City of Fire in disguise as a traveling merchant.
He visited several samurai shops and was surprised to actually find armor that looked exactly like Madara's.
There were even street vendors selling it—advertising it as "Same model as Uchiha Madara!"
Ryoma couldn't help but laugh. Even in this world, there are businessmen who'll sell anything for profit.
Unlike the militarized Konoha, the City of Fire was thriving with trade and commerce. It suddenly made sense—Konoha represented the Fire Country's military strength, while the City of Fire handled its economy. The two complemented each other perfectly.
"Boss, I'll take one of those Uchiha-style armors," Ryoma said.
The fat merchant's eyes lit up. "You've got a good eye, sir! Where should we deliver it? We offer free home delivery—only twenty ryō extra per floor if you live upstairs!"
Ryoma waved his hand. "No need. I'll take it with me."
The merchant blinked. "Sir, are you sure? That Uchiha-style armor weighs a full hundred kilograms! Are you strong enough to carry it?"
"No problem," Ryoma replied casually.
And just like that, he handed over ten thousand ryō and took the armor.
But before he could walk far, shouting erupted behind him.
"Hey! Who authorized your stall here?!"
The merchant paled, snatched Ryoma's money, and bolted—only to be instantly tackled by the Fire City guards.
"You're selling counterfeit gear without a license! Arrest him!"
Ryoma just stood there, speechless. "...So that was an illegal stall?"
The poor merchant was hauled away, still clutching the ten thousand ryō he'd scammed.
Ryoma could only laugh helplessly, then quietly slipped away with the hundred-kilogram armor still in hand.
Later, at a small inn, Ryoma finally donned the red armor.
The vendor had even thrown in a replica Gunbai—Madara's signature war fan. Supposedly a one-to-one imitation. Ryoma didn't bother checking how authentic it was.
While adjusting the armor straps, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"Wait a sec… why didn't Madara ever use his Gunbai during that final battle with Hashirama?"
Could it be that Madara had faked his death again?
No… that didn't make sense. Ryoma had personally captured Madara's body and sealed it in a barrier array. Even if he were revived somehow, he couldn't escape.
"Unless…" Ryoma's eyes narrowed. "Black Zetsu's involvement?"
He shrugged. Whatever the case, he'd deal with it when it came.
If Madara really was revived, so what? Once Ryoma's Six Paths Fusion reached 100%, even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki herself would be no match for him.
[Ding! Role-playing as Uchiha Madara—similarity: 10%.]
"…Ten percent?!" Ryoma's eyebrow twitched.
Apparently, this was going to take some work.
Ryoma recalled everything he knew about the Uchiha clan — their glory, their pride, and their tragedies.
He remembered Madara's youth, training with his brother in the clan's domain, practicing shuriken throws side by side.
Then came his fateful meeting with his greatest friend — Senju Hashirama. The two would compete at everything… even ridiculous things like who could pee farther.
And then, tragedy struck.
Madara's younger brother died.
Madara, defeated by Hashirama's subordinates, was ultimately moved by the Senju's dream of peace. Together, they founded Konohagakure.
But history repeated itself — trust crumbled, ideals clashed, and eventually, the two stood opposed at the Valley of the End.
All these memories flashed through Ryoma's mind in an instant. He could almost feel Madara's thoughts… his pride, his pain, his burning conviction.
Then, Ryoma raised his head and spoke those legendary words:
"So… do you also wish to dance?"
A grin tugged at his lips. Those words perfectly captured Madara's essence.
[Ding! Role-playing as Uchiha Madara — similarity 30%!]
Encouraged, Ryoma struck a few of Madara's signature poses.
[Ding! Cosplay similarity — 50%!]
He could feel it — the resonance between him and the character card. The synchronization rate was rising rapidly, numbers flickering upward before his eyes.
5%, 5.1%, 5.2%… soon surpassing 10%.
It seemed that confronting the real thing—playing a role directly in reality—accelerated fusion even faster!
Ryoma smirked. "In that case… why not strike first?"
His eyes gleamed. "Let's hit Kumogakure today—catch them completely off guard."
His shadow clone in Konoha could maintain his cover. The real Ryoma would bring Madara Uchiha to life on the battlefield.
Wearing the crimson armor, Ryoma vaulted over the walls of the City of Fire and made for the Land of Lightning.
At this time, Kumogakure's defense line had long since retreated deep into the Land of Lightning. The village's strength had been crippled.
They no longer dared to deploy troops near the border — only defensive patrols remained near the outskirts. The once-mighty, militarized shinobi village now had barely enough power to protect itself, let alone control the Land of Lightning.
The borders were now guarded mostly by samurai.
As Ryoma crossed the frontier, he was suddenly surrounded by a squad of armored warriors.
"Hey! Who goes there?" one of them barked.
They eyed Ryoma warily. His bright red armor instantly drew suspicion — in the Land of Lightning, red symbolized the Land of Fire. It was practically an insult to wear it here.
The corners of Ryoma's mouth curled into a cold smirk.
"I…" he declared, his voice echoing across the mountains, "am the undying of the Uchiha clan!"
His hands blurred into seals. Fire-natured chakra surged, condensing in his lungs before erupting outward.
"Katon — Gōka Mekkyaku!" (Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!)
A roaring inferno swept forward like a tsunami, engulfing the entire border camp.
BOOM!
Screams echoed for only a heartbeat before everything was reduced to ash. Hundreds of samurai vanished into blackened dust carried by the wind.
[Ding! Role-playing as Uchiha Madara — similarity 60%!]
Ryoma's synchronization climbed again. His Madara character card was now fused to 20%.
Even at this stage, that power alone rivaled a typical Kage-level shinobi. After all, Edo Tensei Madara had once crushed the Five Kage simultaneously.
At twenty percent… Kumogakure was nothing to him.
Soon, he encountered a patrol of Kumo-nin.
They froze when he appeared — a tall man clad in blood-red armor, spiky black hair bristling upward like a hedgehog, his presence suffocating.
Even without looking too closely, he looked exactly like Uchiha Madara.
"An intruder!" one shouted.
The patrol immediately surrounded him, ready to attack.
But before they could even move—
"Katon — Ryūen Hōka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song Technique!)
Four blazing fire dragons erupted from the ground, spiraling into the sky before crashing down on the Kumo-nin.
In seconds, the entire patrol was incinerated.
Only one figure remained — a trembling female ninja kneeling amid the scorched earth.
Ryoma tilted his head slightly, recognizing her face.
"…Isn't that A's secretary, Mabui?"
His grin widened.
The real performance was just beginning.
"Mabui?" Ryoma frowned slightly.
But the trembling kunoichi before him shook her head.
"My name… is Misami."
Ryoma's expression shifted. Misami… could she be Mabui's mother?
Judging by her youthful appearance and the fact that she was still serving on active duty, this was clearly an earlier generation — likely before Mabui's time.
He smiled faintly. "I see. Then, Misami… show me the way to Kumogakure."
Her face hardened instantly, filled with defiance.
"Never!" she snapped, gripping her kunai tightly. The next moment, she raised it toward her own throat — prepared to end her life rather than betray her village.
But before she could move—
Ryoma's eyes spun.
The Mangekyō Sharingan unfolded in a swirl of crimson light.
"Genjutsu — Confusion."
Misami froze. The defiance in her eyes faded, her pupils dilating as her will dissolved under the hypnotic power of the Sharingan.
In an instant, her expression softened into empty obedience.
"Yes… my lord," she murmured, voice hollow. "Misami will lead you… to Kumogakure."
Ryoma's lips curled into a calm, dangerous smile.
"Good. Let's not waste any time."
With that, the crimson glow in his eyes faded, and the "Ghost of Uchiha" began his march toward the hidden fortress of thunder.
...
TN:
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