Hearing Uchiha Madara's murmured words, the Uzumaki clanspeople present finally snapped out of their shock and instinctively followed his line of sight.
They lifted their heads—
And what they saw was a man wreathed in crackling lightning.
To the Uzumaki clan, this figure was all too familiar.
Just moments ago, it was him who had saved their entire clan from annihilation.
It was him who had stood alone and stopped an allied army of more than twenty thousand.
The newcomer was Arata Itsuki.
And the one Madara had been waiting for all along… was also Arata.
Seeing Arata arrive, White Zetsu immediately began hopping about in excitement.
"Oho~! You're here already? How thrilling! Uchiha Madara versus Arata Itsuki—this is going to be good!"
Arata's emotions, however, were anything but excitement.
He had just finished saving the Uzumaki clan—
Only to find that the two most important figures of the clan were already dead.
Uzumaki Mito aside—she was Tsunade's grandmother.
Arata had no idea how he was supposed to face Tsunade after this.
And Uzumaki Suigetsu—she had been the single most crucial figure in bringing the Uzumaki clan under his banner. With her relationship to Mito, combined with Arata's status as Tsunade's husband, recruiting the Uzumaki clan would have been effortless.
Yet now—
Both of them were dead.
How could Arata possibly accept this?
From the moment he set off to the moment he arrived here, barely any time had passed.
And yet, two shinobi of at least Kage-level strength were already gone.
That alone showed just how terrifying Madara's speed and decisiveness were.
What infuriated Arata the most was this—
They didn't have to die.
They had him—a Super-Kage–peak powerhouse backing them.
Yet because of a moment's negligence, both had lost their lives.
No matter how rational he tried to be, Arata couldn't stop blaming himself.
He knew, logically, that this wasn't his fault.
The one who struck was Madara, and the timing had been chosen perfectly—when Arata was out of reach.
But still… guilt gnawed at him.
Mito had treated him exceptionally well. She had constantly helped him plan his path toward becoming Hokage.
Even earlier, when facing the Monkey Sage, if not for Mito exhausting herself to use Adamantine Sealing Chains, that enemy would not have gone down so easily.
At that thought, the look Arata gave Madara was filled with naked killing intent.
If any other Uzumaki clansman had heard the name "Uchiha Madara," they would have been scared out of their wits—let alone standing before him.
Their earlier frozen reactions were proof enough.
If Madara had wanted their lives just now, it would have been as easy as plucking fruit from a tree.
But Arata showed not a shred of fear.
The murderous aura rolling off him made it clear—he wanted to kill Madara with his own hands.
Suppressing the last of his rationality, Arata turned to the remaining Uzumaki and said firmly,
"Leave. Get as far away from here as possible. What comes next is not a battle you can take part in."
As much as he wanted to tear Madara apart right now, the Uzumaki were still here.
If a battle truly broke out, Arata would have no time to protect them.
At this level—Super-Kage peak—shockwaves alone could erase Kage-level shinobi in an instant.
If they stayed, they wouldn't even know how they died.
And if they all died here, how could the Uzumaki ever join Konoha? How could his objective be completed?
Hearing his words, the Uzumaki clan—still trembling with fear—finally regained a sliver of clarity.
Facing Madara head-on would be suicide.
Even in rage, they weren't foolish.
One by one, they retreated, clearing the battlefield.
Madara didn't bother stopping them.
In his eyes, the lives of Uzumaki clansmen were hardly worth noticing.
After all, he hadn't even spared a glance at the Uzumaki sealing scroll lying at his feet—the very thing over which tens of thousands had fought to the death.
Looking into Arata's murderous gaze, Madara raised an eyebrow.
That alone earned his acknowledgment.
Back then, Ōnoki had lost all will to fight from a single glance at him.
Even a young Hiruzen Sarutobi, now the Third Hokage, hadn't dared speak with confidence in his presence.
Yet Arata—only nineteen years old—stood completely unfazed by Madara's pressure.
And Madara knew Arata had to recognize him.
White Zetsu had already made it clear: Uchiha Madara versus Arata Itsuki.
Even knowing who he was… Arata showed no fear.
Taking a step forward, Madara casually kicked aside the Uzumaki sealing scroll that countless people had fought over, his face lighting up with excitement.
"At least that look in your eyes…. That's something."
Arata stared at Madara, utterly baffled.
He genuinely couldn't understand—what had he done to provoke this lunatic?
Wasn't Madara supposed to have already transplanted his Rinnegan into Nagato and gone into hiding?
Why jump out now and pick a fight with him?
If Madara had suddenly killed Mito and Suigetsu, then stood here waiting—
And the one he was waiting for wasn't Arata—
Arata wouldn't believe it even if beaten to death.
Which meant one thing:
There was something about Arata that had drawn Madara's attention.
But after thinking it through, Arata was certain—no one should know about his Uchiha bloodline.
That alone shouldn't be enough to interest Madara… right?
Facing Madara's excited expression, Arata said coldly,
"Care to explain why you're targeting me?"
Madara, ever arrogant, scoffed.
"Perhaps… I was simply bored."
That answer made it clear—there would be no reasoning with him.
This was a fight.
And behind Madara, the Nine-Tails had already risen to its feet, clearly ready to fire off a Tailed Beast Bomb at the slightest provocation.
The fox was pitiful, really.
After being sealed away for decades, finally regaining freedom—only to once again face its greatest nightmare.
Seeing the three-tomoe Sharingan reflected in the Nine-Tails' eyes, Arata knew the truth.
The poor beast was under control again.
When it came to genjutsu, Uchiha Madara was unquestionably the strongest shinobi alive.
At last, Arata spoke—his voice cold and heavy with killing intent.
"In that case…
I'll beat it out of you until you talk."
Madara's expression instantly darkened.
"An ignorant brat… Allow me to show you what a true powerhouse looks like."
As he spoke, Madara's eyes shifted from black to crimson, three black tomoe spinning within.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan of the Uchiha.
Arata knew Madara's true Rinnegan was currently with Nagato.
This pair of eyes had clearly been taken from somewhere else.
But even so—
He dared not underestimate him.
After all, Uchiha Madara was a man who had once activated Complete Susanoo without eyes at all.
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