In the summoning space, Hirofumi's chakra clone stood facing Madara.
"What's the matter, Madara?" Hirofumi was as nonchalant as usual. Though the word 'usual' ages for few hours as not even a day passed since he met Madara.
"Oi, brat, you're rather casual in how you address me. It seems like the real you only shows up when you're in my presence, huh? Anyway, I must say, your performance earlier was terrible—especially in front of that Hiruzen, pretending to be all innocent. It made me sick just watching it," Madara scoffed.
Hirofumi regarded Madara with exasperation. Did this guy summon him just to hurl insults?
"So how should I address you then? How about 'the man who's the god of shinobi'? as for the second part, my strength isn't that great right now, so I need to tread carefully. What if I end up dead one day? If you were truly willing to listen to my commands like a summoning beast, I'd kick Hiruzen's ass right now and make myself Hokage..."
"Shut up... brat. Don't spout nonsense. I have serious business to discuss with you," Madara replied, his tone turning grave.
Madara was beginning to feel a twinge of apprehension toward Hirofumi. This kid kept referring to him as "the man who's the god of shinobi," as if there were something clandestine between him and Hashirama.
"What is it?" Hirofumi inquired, noticing that Madara's expression had grown increasingly serious.
"That Danzo Shimura —who is he?" Madara asked, his eyes narrowing.
Hirofumi raised an eyebrow at that question, surprised that Madara was inquiring about Danzo. Could it be that Madara had sensed the presence of Sharingan within Danzo?
"Him? He's a member of the current Elder Council of Konoha and the leader of Konoha's Root division—a total schemer…" Hirofumi explained.
Although Madara wasn't entirely sure what "schemer" meant, he could tell it was not something positive.
"Shimura, huh... but why does he possess the Uchiha clan's Sharingan energy? And even…" Madara's frown deepened.
Earlier, when he sensed Danzo, it wasn't just Sharingan energy that caught his attention; there was also a more familiar presence—something Madara himself possessed.
It was Hashirama's chakra...
"That schemer having Sharingan energy is no big deal. After all, he's got an armful of Sharingan," Hirofumi said casually.
Madara was left completely stunned.
In Hirofumi's summoning space, Madara could perceive what was happening outside. As long as Hirofumi didn't seal the space from the outside world, Madara could clearly sense the events unfolding beyond it.
He had indeed sensed the chakra fluctuations of the Sharingan earlier and noticed that Danzo had one eye sealed shut.
But this kid was claiming that Danzo had an armful of Sharingan...
Since when had the Uchiha's Sharingan become so trivial? And that bandaged arm—there was clearly Senju Hashirama's aura emanating from it.
"Kid, what's going on? What do you know?" Madara pressed, his curiosity piqued.
"I know a lot. What do you want to hear?" Hirofumi responded with a hint of mischief.
"What's this you said about an armful of Sharingan?"
"Well... I know, but why should I tell you?" Hirofumi teased.
"You… brat… don't push your luck," Madara warned, irritation bubbling beneath the surface. This insufferable brat was becoming bolder, fully aware that Madara couldn't physically harm him. Since the Warring States Period, no one had enough balls to speak to him this way, except for that fool Hashirama. Those who had previously tried had paid dearly for their insolence.
"How about this, Madara? I'll tell you everything I know, but in exchange, you teach me. What do you say?"
Hirofumi realized that getting Madara to follow his orders was an impossible task since, after all, Madara was far too prideful. Thus, he figured he'd change his approach and offer a trade instead.
Madara's strength was undeniable, both in combat experience and in jutsu proficiency. Most importantly, Hirofumi now possessed Indra's chakra. If the reincarnation of Indra—Madara—could teach him, his growth would accelerate significantly. Furthermore, having Indra's chakra meant he was effectively the origin of the Uchiha clan's bloodline, making him more than capable of unlocking the Sharingan.
"You want me to teach you? Brat, you've got some nerve. I've never taken a disciple in my life," Madara replied, astonished.
"Are you going to teach me or not? If not, I'm leaving. As for the truth, you can take your time guessing…" Hirofumi said, turning to leave.
"Damn it... Did I say I wouldn't teach you? Fine, I'll guide you. Now hurry up and tell me about this Danzo," Madara relented.
Upon hearing Madara's agreement, Hirofumi couldn't help but smirk. "Heh!"
"You annoying brat. That disgusting look is back on your face," Madara grumbled.
"You don't get it. This expression is called the Great 'According to the cake' Anya face," Hirofumi replied playfully.
"Great 'According to the cake' Anya face? All I see is punch-able face. And I really want to slap you right now," Madara shot back.
"Do you want to know the truth or not?" Hirofumi countered, his tone challenging.
"Fuck it... Yes…!" Madara growled, grinding his teeth in frustration.
"The truth is actually quite simple: the Uchiha clan was wiped out, and all their eyes were taken. The Danzo you encountered today has a Mangekyō Sharingan sealed away, and his arm is covered with an armful of Sharingan," Hirofumi revealed nonchalantly, dropping the bombshell about the Uchiha clan's massacre.
Madara was utterly shocked by what he heard.
"What did you say?... You're telling me the Uchiha clan was wiped out? Impossible. Absolutely impossible... How could the Uchiha clan be destroyed? Kid, I'm warning you, don't talk nonsense..."
Hirofumi looked at Madara, exasperated.
"See? You asked me to tell you, and I did, but now you don't believe me. How about I take you to the Uchiha district right now? It's nothing but a ghost town."
"Impossible. You're lying to me. Didn't you just say the Uchiha clan was wiped out? But I saw a Uchiha in your class today."
"You're talking about Sasuke Uchiha, right? He's the only Uchiha left in Konoha. There's one more outside the village—his brother, Itachi Uchiha."