At this moment, Madara was beginning to believe what Hirofumi said, but he still struggled to accept it fully.
Even though the Uchiha clan had betrayed him years ago, they were still his clan—his former family. A clan that had been so prestigious during the Warring States Period.
And now, they were just… wiped out? Gone, just like that?
Madara's heart was in turmoil.
"Kid, I know you're aware of many things. So… how exactly did the Uchiha clan get wiped out? What happened during that time? Who was responsible?"
As he spoke the words "who was responsible," the chakra within Madara flared, becoming oppressively intense. Even though Hirofumi was only a chakra clone in this summoning space, he could still feel the overwhelming pressure.
Seeing Madara's demeanor, Hirofumi decided to sit down as well.
"This is a long story… like a kid with no mom, it's a long tale."
"Then make it short," Madara ordered.
"The whole thing starts from the Warring States Period…"
Hearing this, Madara froze.
The Warring States Period? Wasn't that his era? Back then, the Uchiha clan was at its peak. How could the clan's destruction have anything to do with that time?
Hirofumi continued, "You see… during the Warring States Period, two incredibly powerful ninjas emerged. One was named Senju Hashirama, and the other was Madara…"
The more Madara listened, the weirder his expression became. Was this brat really going to retell the story of the Warring States Period and the founding of Konoha?
"Kid, I'm asking you why the Uchiha clan was destroyed. Who wiped them out? Why are you talking about the Warring States Period? I lived through that time; do you think I don't know what happened?"
"See… there you go again, getting all impatient…"
"Ahhhhh… brat. My patience has limits! Keep stalling, and you can forget about me teaching you anything in the future…!"
"Fine, fine, Jesus. I'll make it short. Basically, after the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, took power, he started suppressing the Uchiha clan."
"That much I know. That wicked Tobirama. Always calling the Uchiha evil. From what I've seen, that bastard Tobirama is the most treacherous guy in the world…"
"Yep, and the current Third Hokage of Konoha was once Tobirama's disciple. The same goes for the Danzo Shimura you saw today—they were both his disciples. Once they came into power, they inherited Tobirama's brilliant mindset:
'The Uchiha clan is evil.'
'The Uchiha clan is unstable.'
So, under the tacit approval of the Third Hokage and the schemes of Danzo, the Uchiha clan's massacre began. Eventually, the Uchiha clan was slaughtered to the last, leaving only Uchiha Sasuke as the sole survivor in Konoha. As for the rest, you can probably guess. All the dead Uchiha had their eyes dug out, and that old schemer Danzo transplanted a bunch of Sharingan onto his arm."
After hearing this, Madara's expression darkened.
"Kid, so the masterminds behind this were Hiruzen and Danzo?"
"That's right."
"Then who carried out the massacre? Was it the entire village that attacked the Uchiha clan? The Uchiha were strong, right? I refuse to believe those two alone could wipe out the Uchiha."
"Well, that's where you're wrong. No one else from the village got involved. In fact, neither Sarutobi Hiruzen nor Danzo lifted a finger themselves."
"Then who did it?"
"It was Itachi Uchiha."
"What???... Itachi Uchiha? The same Uchiha you mentioned earlier as one of the last survivors outside of Konoha? But isn't he an Uchiha himself? Why would he massacre his own clan?"
Madara was taken aback, struggling to process this information. It was unthinkable for him that an Uchiha would be responsible for wiping out the Uchiha clan. This was harder to believe than Hashirama suddenly becoming clever.
"I only promised to tell you about Danzo's eyes, nothing more. If you want the rest of the story, it's going to cost you extra." Hirofumi's smirk returned.
"You little brat. What do you want this time?"
"More payment…"
"And what would that be?"
"I want you to help me in a battle."
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible…"
Hearing Madara's rejection, Hirofumi felt a pang of disappointment. He knew that a single piece of information wasn't enough to make Madara fight for him.
But what if?
It seemed that even Madara wasn't willing to go that far.
"Well, never mind then. I've already told you what I promised. From today on, you better start teaching me properly. I'm sure someone as mighty as the 'Shinobi Shura' wouldn't go back on his word, right? After all, I might just have the ability to summon Hashirama Senju someday. You wouldn't want him to find out that Madara is a man who breaks promises, would you? Kekekekekekekeke…"
"Hmph! You wretched brat! What kind of man do you think I am? I've already agreed to teach you, and I will honor that promise. But let me warn you… my training is harsh. I hope you can withstand it…"
"Good. As long as you've agreed, that's all that matters. Well, I'm almost home, so we'll talk later."
With that, Hirofumi's chakra clone vanished from the summoning space, leaving Madara alone, his expression unreadable.
The destruction of the Uchiha clan weighed heavily on Madara. Though they had betrayed him, they were still his clan—his former family. It was unsettling to think that his once-great clan had been wiped out.
After sitting for a while, Madara pushed thoughts of the Uchiha clan aside.
"Hmph. That infuriating brat… He wants me to train him properly? Oh, I will… That strange contract prevents me from harming him, but during training… I can definitely put him through the wringer… Kekekekekekekeke…"
After letting out that eerie laugh, Madara quickly covered his mouth.
"Damn it. That awful laugh is way too strange. How did I get infected by that annoying brat? But… it does feel oddly satisfying… Kekekekekekeke…"
(AN: Kekekekekekeke)