"By the way, that night, there was a masked guy who helped Itachi slaughter the rest of the Uchiha clan!"
Seeing that Tsunade was beginning to believe him, Kiyoshi added, "One of my Wood Clones overheard a conversation between Itachi and this masked man. Itachi called him Madara."
"What?"
Shizune, standing beside them, was utterly stunned.
Could Uchiha Madara—the man once renowned as a ruthless shinobi in the ninja world—still be alive?
"Are you telling me you actually saw a man claiming to be Madara Uchiha that night?" Tsunade's shock was written all over her face as she stared intensely at Kiyoshi.
"You brat, why didn't you say this sooner!"
Kiyoshi shrugged. "His chakra wasn't weak, but I doubt he's the real Madara. Most likely, he's some guy hiding behind Madara's reputation, pulling strings."
"No… maybe not," Tsunade's expression shifted.
She recalled Kiyoshi's logical reasoning and thought about the incident eight years ago that forced the Fourth Hokage to sacrifice himself to contain the Nine-Tails.
The Third Hokage had once told her that someone attacked Kushina, the Fourth Hokage's wife, just as she was giving birth.
Taking advantage of her weakened state and the instability of the seal, the attacker released the Nine-Tails and controlled it with the Sharingan.
With suspicions falling squarely on the Uchiha, even their annihilation didn't yield any solid answers. At the time, Shisui and Itachi were too young to be the masterminds.
So, could it truly have been Madara?
Driven by hatred for the First Hokage, it would make sense for Madara to exact revenge.
"I've heard that before parting ways with the First Hokage, Madara wanted to lead the Uchiha clan away from Konoha. But, having found peace, they didn't want to follow him," Tsunade said with a deep frown.
"To someone as proud as Madara, that rejection must have felt like a betrayal.
He's probably harbored that resentment all these years, making the idea of him destroying the Uchiha clan not so far-fetched."
The world of ninjutsu is filled with endless, strange techniques. If anyone could prolong their life, it would be Madara Uchiha.
Even if he did survive until now, his strength would likely have diminished. But with his overwhelming power, he wouldn't need schemes.
No one in Konoha could stand in his way if he were truly at full strength.
"But it doesn't matter whether that man truly is Madara or not." Tsunade pushed down the shock she felt, trying to regain her composure.
"We can't do anything about it right now."
It was best to leave such matters to Hiruzen. Even if Madara were alive, she lacked the means to take any real action.
And even if she tried warning those in power, those corrupted by authority, like Danzo, would never listen and might even treat her as alarmist.
If Kiyoshi's abilities were exposed, those same people would likely target him, especially the scheming Danzo.
"Anyway, even if you're training, do you really have to push yourself this hard?" she scolded him.
The possibility of Madara's survival was unsettling. A man as dangerous as him could be plotting anything from the shadows.
Knowing Madara, he would never accept losing his power willingly.
And then, there was that stone tablet Kiyoshi mentioned—the one in the Uchiha clan's Naka Shrine, supposedly left by the Sage of Six Paths.
The idea of Madara returning to his full power was terrifying. But if anyone could stop him, it might just be Kiyoshi, his Uchiha and Senju bloodline made him bound for greatness.
She couldn't even imagine how far Kiyoshi might go. Perhaps he really could attain the divine powers described on that tablet.
"I have no choice, Lady Tsunade," Kiyoshi replied seriously. "I need to push myself… because the Uchiha tablet holds even more shocking information!"
"More shocking information?" Tsunade and Shizune's eyes widened with surprise.
Kiyoshi explained, "According to the tablet, combining the powers of Senju and Uchiha can awaken god-like abilities.
Anyone who brings together all the tailed beasts by summoning the Gedo Statue could revive the Ten-Tails and become its Jinchuriki.
Then they'd be able to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi, trapping the entire ninja world in a dream to achieve true peace."
"What? The Gedo Statue? The Ten-Tails? Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Tsunade and Shizune were visibly shaken, their faces pale with horror.
Kiyoshi shrugged, "If it's a dream, people could have whatever they want, feeling satisfied within it.
For some people, given the choice, they might prefer Infinite Tsukuyomi's dream world, where everything feels real, and all desires and ambitions are fulfilled."
"Using Infinite Tsukuyomi to put the whole world into a dream is not peace!" Tsunade snapped, frustrated.
But then, with a stern expression, she turned to Kiyoshi, "Don't tell me you believe that to be true peace?"
If Kiyoshi had indeed been swayed by the tablet's words, things would become very troublesome. At his age, his mind was impressionable and easily influenced.
"Of course not," Kiyoshi replied without hesitation, looking straight into Tsunade's eyes. "I'm no savior. I only want to keep you,Tsunade-sensei, and those who care for me safe."
The intensity in his gaze was unwavering as he said, "But… not everyone sees it that way."
"Are you referring to Madara?"
Both Tsunade and Shizune felt a chill as they realized the gravity of what Kiyoshi was saying. If Kiyoshi could decipher the tablet, then Madara certainly could as well.
Having endured the chaotic Warring States period and helped the First Hokage establish Konoha, Madara might have turned to the tablet's plan if he had grown disillusioned with the constant wars.
"Is that why you're pushing yourself so hard?" Tsunade finally asked, her voice quiet, eyes focused on Kiyoshi.
This boy, so young, was bearing all of this alone?
"Yes… and no," Kiyoshi said firmly. "Please forgive me, Tsunade-sensei. I'm no hero. I only want to protect those I care about."
"You brat, thinking so far ahead…" Tsunade muttered, knocking him lightly on the head.
But in the next moment, she pulled him into a fierce hug, holding his head against her chest, her eyes glistening with tears of gratitude.
She knew she was one of the people he wanted to protect.
Shizune, standing beside them with a warm smile, sensed that she, too, was part of that circle of care.
"I understand. Next time you train, make sure to tell me," Tsunade said, looking down at him with fondness. "It's too dangerous to do it alone."
"Alright, Tsunade-nee but can you let go? I can't breathe!" Kiyoshi protested, both in discomfort and joy.
No doubt about it, her embrace was indeed overwhelming in every sense of the word.
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