"Things are different now," said Uchiha Fuli, eyes gleaming with intensity.
Indeed.
The world had changed.
And that's why he dared speak so boldly now.
"The ninja world has changed. The Senju have drawn the wrath of nearly all the Five Great Nations."
"Sooner or later, they'll clash with our former clan head, Uchiha Madara. Everyone knows he's collecting the Tailed Beasts. Once he kills the Senju, even if we remain neutral, we'll be labeled as part of his faction."
"So we need to act now."
"Even if we take no action, we'll still be targeted."
"If this continues, the clan will be ostracized again!"
A hard truth.
Just look at how the people of Konoha treated the Uchiha.
But… Naruto…
Fugaku gave a bitter smile.
Becoming Hokage wasn't as simple as making a wish.
Everyone's attitude toward the Uchiha made it almost impossible. Who would support his candidacy?
"I understand what you're considering, Clan Head. But I don't think a lack of support should stop us."
Fuli smiled.
"As I said earlier, the situation has changed—because of Madara's return."
"He's a man who once stood toe-to-toe with Senju Hashirama. With his backing, who would dare oppose us?"
Uchiha Madara.
Once again, they returned to the root of the matter.
This man had rekindled hope within the Uchiha.
His appearance had stirred something deep in their bloodline.
But they forgot something crucial.
Fugaku's expression darkened.
It was the Uchiha who had abandoned Madara. They didn't follow him when he left Konoha.
And now they dared seek him out?
Where was their pride?
Even if Madara acknowledged the current leadership, it didn't mean he'd accept their authority.
Would he even care about the clan anymore?
Could he truly lead them to survival?
Madara was insane.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi plan was ludicrous—doomed to be rejected by the world.
The current war had erupted because of it.
Would Madara even survive? Was it too early to take sides?
"Clan Head!"
A scout suddenly arrived.
"From the front lines—Uchiha Madara has engaged all four of the Great Ninja Villages at once... and he's dominating them singlehandedly!"
"He's using the legendary Uchiha power—Susanoo!"
"He's crushing the allied forces!"
Gasps spread through the shrine.
This news shook every Uchiha present.
Madara vs. the world—and he was winning.
The complete Susanoo was mythic. Until now, it had only existed in scrolls and whispers.
They said anyone who had witnessed its power… had never lived to speak of it.
Just how strong was Uchiha Madara?
"Did you hear, Clan Head?!"
"This is our moment. Madara is one of us—he'll fight beside us."
But what did that have to do with being Hokage?
Fugaku looked helplessly at his father, who only shrugged.
He was leaving the problem to his son.
After all, he had always believed in restraint and survival above all else.
Now, that approach would be rejected.
Sometimes, reason didn't work with the clan.
They didn't realize Madara had long considered the Konoha Uchiha no longer worthy of the name.
A toothless tiger? Useless. Even a cat could still climb.
Madara wasn't bound by a single village.
Hokage?
A joke.
His ambition stretched across the entire shinobi world.
Sadly, no matter how many times Fugaku tried to explain, it wouldn't reach them.
All they cared about was the battlefield.
Their clan was in control.
And they wanted to leverage that for power.
"You're being too aggressive."
Suddenly, the Third Elder—Uchiha Mikoto's father—sighed and spoke.
He had remained quiet ever since his daughter had been romantically linked to Senju Yukika.
He knew better than to say too much, lest he be accused of bias.
In the clan's eyes, he was already siding with outsiders.
"Why stay in Konoha?"
He shook his head.
"If we truly want growth, we should follow the Senju's example. Leave the village. Avoid conflict."
"If you want to reach out to Madara, at least understand his stance first."
"You don't know Uchiha Madara."
"If he cared about the clan, he would've come back long ago. Not chosen to fight the entire world alone."
"And even if he agreed to lead us, all we'd be getting is a dreamworld created by the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"Is that the life you want?"
"An old man like me sure doesn't."
It was harsh. But true.
The facts were right in front of them.
Yet the Uchiha still couldn't see clearly.
Madara hadn't paid attention to them in years.
And yet, they still wanted to use his power.
"Your father was wise," someone muttered as the debate raged on.
In the skies above, unbeknownst to the Uchiha below, Yukika held Mikoto in his arms while Tsunade and Kushina followed close behind, keeping watch over every move.
They could fly now.
Hollow's transformation was complete.
But the Uchiha...
Just the name alone made people wary.
Yukika had picked up on the clan's changes during a recent visit to a young Sun-like spirit.
Madara's return had bloated the Uchiha with false confidence.
Minato was speechless, unsure how to deal with it all.
He had developed a habit of asking Yukika for advice daily.
And now Yukika wanted to see with his own eyes what these ridiculous Uchiha were planning.
They didn't disappoint.
They actually wanted to use Madara to become Hokage.
Mikoto sighed, her face full of concern.
Only by staying with Yukika did she begin to understand how small families, villages—even the entire shinobi world—really were.
"I have a way to wake them up."
Yukika gently set Mikoto down and slapped the air beneath him.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
At the same moment, far away on the battlefield, Madara—still encased in Susanoo—froze.
Then vanished.
The mighty Susanoo disappeared in an instant.
When he opened his eyes again, Madara found himself staring at the man who infuriated him most.
"You?"
He glared coldly at Yukika, visibly annoyed.
His arm twitched—but beneath the anger, there was a hint of shock.
A summoning technique?
How had this man summoned him?
Yukika smiled, patting Madara's shoulder warmly.
"As I thought—you were using the Nine-Tails' chakra just now."
"Let me put it simply: the moment you linked chakra with the Nine-Tails, you became my pet."
"Senju Madara, I signed the contract. Its strength is beyond your comprehension."
Senju Madara? Pet?
What in the world was happening?
Madara scoffed.
"What do you want? I was just getting into the swing of things."
"Just a small matter," Yukika replied, "your clan wants your help... to make their leader the next Hokage."