"Brat! What did you just say?"
Madara felt his heart churn with waves of shock upon hearing Hirofumi's words.
'What on earth is this brat's situation? How does he know so much about my affairs? Could it be that Uchiha Obito has failed? This useless piece of trash! If he has failed, then fine! But how could he expose my entire plan? And Black Zetsu… what is he doing? Useless! All of them are utterly worthless!'
As Madara gritted his teeth in frustration, Hirofumi could only respond helplessly, "You see? You're getting anxious again!"
"Brat, how did you find out about these things? Or is it that… my plan has already been exposed?"
"It hasn't. Your plan is still progressing in an orderly fashion. Though… it's just that an unexpected situation has arisen. After all, your current state can be considered a resurrection!"
"Then how do you know that?"
"Don't ask. Just know that I don't have the slightest idea either."
"Damn it!"
Madara felt a wave of helplessness, overwhelming helplessness. This brat named Hirofumi maintained a completely carefree attitude, which only heightened Madara's irritation. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something unnervingly familiar about Hirofumi.
Their conversation felt unusually casual, as if they were old friends catching up rather than a legendary ninja and a mere junior. Hirofumi didn't exhibit any of the tension one might expect from someone in his position, especially considering that Madara couldn't even lay a hand on him.
After all, he was now a summoned beast.
"Damn it all! Brat, what do you want from me?" Madara demanded, his tone sharp.
"I don't want anything! I've said it many times: I, and the spirit world…" Hirofumi began, but Madara cut him off.
"Stop, stop, stop! I don't want to hear this useless chatter! I just want to know what you mean to me!"
Hirofumi's eyes widened in surprise. "What do I mean to you? I have no intention of competing with Hashirama for men! My sexual orientation is completely normal. I'm a male who likes females!"
"Damn it! Are you done, brat? What I want to know is what exactly you intend to do?!"
Hirofumi was momentarily taken aback by Madara's urgency. What to do?
In truth, he had never really considered what he wanted to achieve. Before acquiring the system, his only thought had been to lie flat and avoid conflict. The waters of this world were far too deep, and a small family like the Itō clan couldn't possibly navigate them, nor could he!
With Obito, the Akatsuki, Madara himself, and that formidable Kaguya Otsutsuki, along with a whole host of alien threats, it seemed safer to simply experience the wonders of chakra, cultivate to the best of his ability, and wait for Naruto Uzumaki to save the world.
After that, he could find a beautiful wife and settle down. Yamanaka Ino would be perfect since she was beautiful, came from a respectable family, and most importantly, it seemed she had some feelings for him. But those were merely old thoughts!
Now that he had obtained the system, a powerful tool for growth, why couldn't he become the protagonist of Naruto?
He had always loved the series; the passion, the friendships, and the bonds in this world had resonated deeply with him. So, why couldn't he become one of the trendsetters?
Moreover, the system had previously indicated that the only spirits he could currently bind were from Konoha. Once he became the ruler of the ninja world, he would be able to summon spirits from the entire spirit realm!
The idea of becoming stronger and unifying the ninja world felt exhilarating.
Just thinking about it made Hirofumi swallow hard.
Madara's plan involved casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi after his resurrection, wasn't it? In that false illusion, he aimed to bring true peace to the entire ninja world!
'I have to admit, Madara's starting point is admirable, but his choices and outcomes are flawed. He was deceived by that cunning Black Zetsu! So now, with the system on my side, is it possible for me to bring about true peace in the ninja world?'
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Hirofumi looked at Madara, feeling a surge of determination. Tentatively, he suggested, "How about… we first unify the ninja world for fun?"
Upon hearing Hirofumi's words, Madara finally regarded the brat before him with a slightly more serious expression.
"Unify the ninja world? Just you?!"
"No! Not just me! There's you! And all of you!" Hirofumi clarified.
"All of you?! Brat, what do you mean by that?" Madara inquired, his brow furrowing.
"Apart from you, I can also contract other spirits. Just like you!" Hirofumi explained excitedly. "When that time comes, I can summon all the powerful beings that have died. Then, I can suppress the ninja world with absolute strength! We can unify the ninja world… and even bring true peace to it."
At Hirofumi's declaration, Madara's pupils trembled violently. The notion of bringing true peace to the ninja world had always been his dream. It was his aspiration when he initially established Konoha and remained the same when he later distanced himself from it.
The reason for his resurrection was to become the Jinchuriki of the Ten Tails, activate the Moon's Eye, and then finally achieve his vision of true peace for this world. But this brat had just claimed that apart from himself, he could resurrect other spirits—or summon them.
Could it be…
Might his brother also be resurrected?
The very thought made Madara's breath quicken with anticipation.
"Brat! You just said you can resurrect other spirits?!" Madara's voice was sharp, filled with urgency.
Seeing the anxious expression on Madara's face, Hirofumi's heart began to race with speculation. There were probably only two individuals in this world who could make Madara so flustered: one was his closest friend, Hashirama, and the other should be his brother, Izuna Uchiha.
However, Hirofumi knew that he shouldn't be able to resurrect Izuna just yet since he could only bind the spirits of Konoha. Izuna's death had occurred long before the village was established.
In other words, strictly speaking, Izuna didn't count as a spirit of Konoha.
Uncertainty loomed over Hirofumi.
"That's right… but there are some restrictions. Right now, I can only summon the spirits of Konoha, and it comes with a cost. However, if I can unify the ninja world, I will then be able to summon all the spirits from across the entire ninja world."
Upon hearing Hirofumi's words, Madara fell into deep contemplation, his silence heavy with thought.
"What a truly reckless brat… but…" He smirked, intrigue lighting his eyes. "It does seem interesting. Summoning the deceased and binding the entire spirit world is indeed a peculiar method. However… hehehehahaha… brat! Do you know? Why I want to do is also unify the ninja world!?"