Konoha was in chaos.
The towering Susano'o, standing dozens of meters tall, was impossible to ignore.
No matter how much they wished to deny its presence, the sheer size and familiarity of the blue Susano'o forced everyone in the village to acknowledge it.
"How is this possible?"
"Madara Uchiha's Susano'o?!"
"The First Hokage killed him—how can he still be alive?!"
"Madara Uchiha has returned!"
Cries of alarm echoed through the streets as fear gripped the hearts of Konoha's ninja.
Many of them had lived through the Warring States Period, and the sight of the blue Susano'o was all too familiar—a symbol of terror on the battlefield.
The stories were legendary: to face Madara's Susano'o meant certain death.
The Blue God of War, feared across the battlefield, had returned.
Of course, such tales were exaggerated.
Some ninja had survived encounters with Susano'o, but they knew all too well that their survival was the exception. Many more had perished beneath its overwhelming power.
For those who lived, the memory of Susano'o was etched in terror—a reminder of how fragile their lives were against its might.
Even so, the Susano'o looming over Konoha now was only in its third stage, far from Madara's peak power. Yet, it was still an unstoppable force for the average ninja.
"Inform the Hokage immediately!"
This was the first instinct of most Konoha ninja.
"Notify Lord Tobirama!"
This was the calmer response of a few experienced ANBU operatives.
But none of this was necessary.
In the Hokage's Office
Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, was already aware of the situation.
He had been attending to his brother's duties when the commotion erupted. Stepping to the window, he immediately recognized the blue Susano'o.
"So, it's him... Madara!"
Gritting his teeth, Tobirama's sharp eyes locked on the scene.
Despite his brother's belief that he had killed Madara, Tobirama had always been skeptical. Seeing the infamous figure's Susano'o now only confirmed his suspicions.
"Damn it... that bastard survived!"
Tobirama moved to act but froze. His hand fell to the black curse mark on his arm.
A cold sweat formed on his brow.
The curse mark prevented him from using chakra freely, and his attempts to control its power were still incomplete. If only he'd had one more day to master it! His haste in seeking ancient power had left him unprepared to defend the village.
He clenched his fists.
"I need to find Emiya Shigen."
The curse mark was his key to regaining his chakra. But the thought of Shigen's current location only deepened his anxiety—it was precisely in the direction where Madara's Susano'o had appeared.
"Why is he there?!"
Without hesitation, Tobirama gathered ANBU operatives and rushed toward the scene, studying Susano'o's incomplete form along the way.
"This version of Susano'o... I've seen it before. He can't even maintain this stage."
Madara's strength was clearly drained. Though he had escaped death, the toll of his battle with Hashirama had left him weakened.
Elsewhere in Konoha
Hashirama Senju and his wife, Mito Uzumaki, also noticed the commotion.
"Madara's appeared again?"
The First Hokage wasted no time. Despite his injuries, he and Mito hurried toward Madara's location. Hashirama didn't care about his condition, and Mito ignored her exhaustion from dealing with the Nine-Tails.
Inside Susano'o
From atop the colossal construct, Madara stood with gritted teeth, surveying the chaos below.
He could see the ninja of Konoha rushing toward him, each figure a potential threat to his escape.
But the greatest obstacle was the man standing directly before him—Emiya Shigen.
Madara's fury burned as he locked eyes with the enigmatic figure who had exposed his survival and ruined his plans.
"Susano'o..."
"I didn't expect to see such an impressive power in this era."
Shigen raised his head and addressed Madara with calm humility.
"I don't enjoy fighting, but isn't deploying only a third-stage Susano'o underestimating your opponent?"
"..."
Madara narrowed his eyes.
This man...
Not only did he know about Susano'o, but he also recognized its different stages. His calm dismissal of the third stage revealed an unsettling confidence.
Still, Madara's purpose for summoning Susano'o wasn't to fight—it was to break free of the curse marks and flee.
"You..."
"Who exactly are you?"
Madara's voice was low and cautious. For the first time in years, he felt an unfamiliar sense of unease.
The man before him had dismantled his genjutsu with overwhelming spiritual strength, something even Madara at his peak couldn't have overcome.
And yet, this man's identity was shrouded in mystery.
"I always believed only Hashirama could rival me. I never imagined someone like you existed in this small ninja world."
Madara's lone Sharingan focused on Shigen, trying to gauge his strength.
"Someone as powerful as you shouldn't be unknown."
"Those words..."
Shigen frowned, lost in thought for a moment, before raising his head with a calm expression.
"They remind me of the first Sharingan user I fought."
"...What?"
Madara's curiosity was piqued.
"Indra," Shigen replied, his voice steady. "If your clan's history is accurate, Indra is the ancestor of your Uchiha lineage."
"When I defeated him..."
Shigen spoke without a trace of deceit, as if recounting a simple truth. "He said something similar—that someone as strong as me shouldn't remain unknown."
This was no lie.
When Shigen first attempted to assassinate Indra, the Uchiha progenitor had been equally astonished, making almost identical remarks.
Naturally, Madara was skeptical.
"Don't mock me!"
His anger flared.
The notion of anyone defeating his ancestor was absurd.
Madara clenched his fists, driving Susano'o's arm to strike down at Shigen.
This insolent fool dared to toy with him!
Shigen shook his head at Madara's rage, remaining calm.
"I am Emiya Shigen," he said softly.
"I've never enjoyed lying."
As he raised his fingers, the ground beneath them trembled.
A massive stone arm erupted from the earth, meeting Susano'o's fist head-on.
Boom!
"What?!"
Madara's shock was palpable—not because his attack had been stopped, but because of the name Shigen had spoken.
Emiya Shigen...
He had heard that name too many times before.