Chapter 223: Ridiculous Stone
"Onoki's age now is seventy-four.
In the current era of continuous warfare, he is undoubtedly the oldest.
In the entire ninja world, there are hardly any who are older than him.
However, now, someone addresses him condescendingly as a 'kid.'
If one were unaware and saw that the so-called 'kid' was actually an old man with white hair and a feeble body, one might not be able to resist laughing, thinking it was an intentional insult.
Given Onoki's usual demeanour, encountering someone so disrespectful of elders would surely result in him using his Dust Release jutsu to eliminate the offender.
But at this moment, to everyone's surprise, the usually stern and unyielding Onoki actually trembled for a moment upon hearing those words.
That familiar voice, that arrogant tone, even after all these years, he remembered them vividly.
That year, he and his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage, had sincerely requested the Konoha Village Alliance. However, they were met with intense humiliation.
The person not only insulted his teacher and him with disdainful words but also used actions to make him realize that his unwavering Rock Will was worthless in the face of power.
To this day, Onoki had not forgotten the last moment when he struggled to stand up, holding a randomly grabbed stone to strengthen his resolve, only to be brought down by a genjutsu from the Sharingan.
This experience was an unforgettable shame for Onoki, a constant whip that drove him to improve himself. He eventually mastered the Second Tsuchikage's Dust Release and became the Third Tsuchikage.
But upon looking back, he found that the person who had humiliated him back then was long gone.
However, today! Right now!
He heard that familiar voice once again!
How could this be?
Disbelief filled Onoki's face.
But eventually, he slowly turned around, and upon seeing the person sitting on the beam above, a person who matched his memory perfectly, his pupils constricted, and he spoke with great seriousness:
"Uchiha... Madara!"
"Uchiha Madara? How is that possible?"
A, Chiyo, Roshi, Sanshō, and the other guards immediately thought they were hearing things.
They knew who Uchiha Madara was, but wasn't he supposed to have died long before Onoki? Furthermore, this new arrival seemed to have the vital signs of a young man, nothing like the aged Madara.
At this moment, Onoki had no mood to answer the confusion of the others. His gaze was fixed on Madara, who appeared ageless.
At the same time, sitting on the house beam, casually supporting his chin, Madara's gaze finally fell on Onoki among the crowd of younger individuals.
For the younger generation, he didn't pay much attention.
But the young man who used to follow Oonoki all those years ago, who could control him with just a glance, piqued his interest.
"I never expected that the useless kid who once followed Tobirama could become the Third Tsuchikage and is still alive," Madara said indifferently.
"Hey hey hey! Who are you calling a kid with his nose in the air? Who are you calling useless?" Onoki hadn't reacted yet, but Deidara, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but speak up and was even ready to take action.
Despite his dislike for his own teacher's discipline, he was still not pleased when someone insulted him.
Onoki stopped Deidara's actions.
At this moment, Onoki, who had barely suppressed the surging waves in his heart, ignored Madara's mocking words and asked with great seriousness, word by word:
"Are you really Uchiha Madara?"
He shared the same doubts as Ei and the others.
After all, the person in front of them looked much younger!
"Are you still holding onto that ridiculous stone and your so-called Rock Will?" Madara responded.
As if struck by lightning, Onoki's hands trembled.
The unforgettable scene came to mind once again.
"Indeed... it's you!"
Onoki took a deep breath and clenched his hands tightly.
It was indeed Madara, just as he remembered.
"So many years have passed, but have you truly not aged at all?" Onoki couldn't help but ask again.
He was on the verge of saying, "This is impossible!"
Upon hearing this, Madara looked at the familiar faces that had aged considerably compared to his memory. Then he looked at his own skin, free of wrinkles and full of elasticity, and said with a slight smile:
"When can you reach my level and discuss this topic again? As for now..."
Madara descended from the beam, his feet touching the ground as he surveyed the people below and continued, "Let's talk about business. Such as... the Konoha Village."
At this moment, A and the others, who had been shocked by the exchange between Onoki and Madara and were now even more surprised by Madara's proposal, had varying reactions.
"Uchiha... Madara, are you suggesting that we join forces to take on the Konoha Village?" Gaara asked, pausing slightly when saying, "Uchiha Madara."
"Indeed. The goals of Akatsuki have been explained before. I believe that with me here, you should have enough leverage to cooperate with you," Madara replied.
The Four Kage remained silent.
People of Name, Tree, and Shadow.
Once on par with Hashirama Senju, they were ultimately defeated in the battle at the Valley of the End. However, they could not underestimate Madara, who had pushed the God of Shinobi to such an extent.
Especially now, after so many years, his miraculous return to the world in such a young form made them even more wary.
However, Mei Terumī stepped forward and asked sternly, "Madara, why do you want to go against the Konoha Village?"
"It's for the same reason as the battle at the Valley of the End," Madara replied calmly.
"That's not right! If you really wanted to go against the Konoha Village, you could have done so after the First Hokage's death," Ai interjected with scepticism.
"I've paid a price since I faked my death and survived under Hashirama's nose. I'm not interested in explaining what happened in between, but just understand that I only regained the ability to act recently," Madara explained.
The Four Kage's expressions turned grim.
Clearly, Madara's explanation did not reassure them.
As leaders, they could not believe that someone who had come from the Warring States era established the Konoha Village and then betrayed it would cooperate with them out of goodwill without seeking any returns.
Seeing the sceptical attitudes of everyone present, Madara chuckled and shook his head, "Do you still have a choice now? Remember that the current Fourth Hokage is no weaker than Hashirama Senju. Do you think you can take him on with just the Four Kage? It's a joke! Even if you add tens of thousands of people, it's
still just a gift to the Konoha Village in front of Wood Release."
"Now, your only choice is me! Only with me can you deal with Senju Tsunade. And the Four Nations Alliance has a chance of success."
Madara's words, full of contempt for everyone, angered them.
"Don't underestimate the power of the Four Kage!" Ei exclaimed angrily, enveloped in chakra that was comparable to the tail beasts.
Roshi, who had been considering cooperating with Madara, was also incensed by Madara's dismissive attitude.
Onoki was not to be outdone.
And Mei Terumī gave a cold smile and said, "I recall that the battle at the Valley of the End ended in the First Hokage's victory. When facing Senju Tsunade, what ability do you have to deal with him?"
As if oblivious to the tense atmosphere that had arisen, Madara, with his hands still crossed, pointed at his eyes without hiding anything, "With these eyes, which surpass even the Mangekyou Sharingan."
"Eyes?"
Ei, Mei Terumī, Roshi, and the others were puzzled.
They had not had any contact with the Rinnegan before, and for the moment, they did not understand what Madara meant.
On the other hand, Ao, who had transplanted the Byakugan from the Hyuga clan and had a keen interest in various eye techniques, was shocked when he saw the eyes on Madara's body, which contained an unprecedented and formidable power.
Through the Byakugan, he suddenly thought of an eye that had only been rumoured and never confirmed, and it bore a striking resemblance to what he saw on Madara.
Upon comparing, he found that the eyes on Madara's body were indeed similar.
Just when Ao was about to share his speculation with the Four Kage, Madara revealed everything, "These are the Rinnegan, surpassing both the Mangekyou Sharingan and the Rinnegan of the Sage of the Six Paths, as the legends say."
"Sage of the Six Paths? Rinnegan?"
The Four Kage, who had already been shocked too many times today, were somewhat numb when they heard about the eyes of the legendary Sage.
But then Madara dropped another bombshell:
"I have fought against Senju Tsunade before, and in the end, it was a draw. With him and many Konoha Village shinobi present, it's challenging for me to realize my plan to destroy the village. That's why I've come to you for an alliance."
Although they couldn't confirm the truth or falsehood of Madara's words at this moment, they were leaning towards believing him.
Seeing this, Madara concluded, "Let me deal with Senju Tsunade, and you can handle the Konoha Village shinobi. We have a good chance of eradicating the Konoha Village."
"So, join forces with me!"
"As for the laughable plan of the Four Kage to confront Senju Tsunade, let's discard it now!"
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