Chapter 58: My Name is Uchiha Madara!

Late at night, Uchiha Itachi stood silently at the edge of the cliff where he and Shisui used to secretly meet. Staring into the abyss, his heart was filled with sorrow. Since returning from his break, Itachi had discovered that much of what he once knew had drastically changed.

First was Shisui, the man he regarded as an elder brother, who had taught and helped him from a young age, advocating for peace between the village and the clan. But Shisui had changed. He had become a stranger, and his new ideas shattered Itachi's beliefs. Itachi never wanted to oppose the village. He always viewed matters from the Hokage's perspective.

The village was in a dire state. The actions of the Hidden Cloud Village had severely damaged Konoha's credibility, causing a sharp decline in mission assignments. If the clan clashed violently with the village or staged a coup, the consequences would be catastrophic. Regardless of who won, the village's weakened state would be exposed, inviting attacks from other villages still harboring grudges from the Third Great Ninja War. The Leaf Village would be annihilated.

"This cannot happen!" Itachi vowed internally. For the sake of the village, his clan, and his brother, he could not allow conflict between the clan and the village. Shisui's words had deeply shaken him, and Shisui's transformation made Itachi feel as if the Shisui he knew had died.

This emotional turmoil caused Itachi to sense a change in his eyes, but the transformation was incomplete. He still clung to a sliver of hope. However, that hope was extinguished last night when Shisui intercepted him, preventing him from attending the clan meeting. Shisui feared Itachi would report to the Hokage. This indicated that the clan was resolved to commit a terrible act.

Realizing this, a chilling despair gripped Itachi, triggering the awakening of his Mangekyo Sharingan.

"But this is not enough..." Itachi sighed. Though he had obtained the Uchiha clan's strongest power, he wasn't the only one. Shisui also possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, and for a longer time, mastering it more thoroughly. Itachi knew he couldn't defeat Shisui. Excluded from the clan meeting, he had no knowledge of the clan's next moves, leaving him feeling lost and helpless.

"Who's there?" Itachi's voice suddenly turned cold as he sensed a strange and unfamiliar chakra nearby. His hand slipped behind his back, gripping a kunai. In this tense environment, he had to remain vigilant.

A ripple in space appeared, and a mysterious figure in a black cloak emerged. The stranger wore a hood, and under the moonlight, Itachi could only see a yellow mask covering the lower face.

"First time meeting, let's not make this tense, right, Itachi?" The man's voice was light, almost amused.

"Answer my question," Itachi demanded, his eyes now a vivid red, his Sharingan fixed on the stranger, seeking an opening to attack.

"The young ones are overly cautious these days," the man muttered, removing his hood to reveal a patterned mask with a hole for his right eye, where a three-tomoe Sharingan gleamed.

"I am a member of Akatsuki. My name is Uchiha Madara..." Before he could finish, Itachi attacked, his kunai flashing in the moonlight, aimed at the man's throat. But nothing happened. The masked man turned calmly, his Sharingan staring emotionlessly at Itachi.

"Such tricks are pointless. I mean no harm. Pushing me to the opposite side would be a regretful decision," the man stated, his calm demeanor and authoritative words exerting a pressure that even Shisui had never managed to impose on Itachi.

Itachi glared at the man claiming to be Madara. "If so, we must be transparent. Your claim of being Madara is unbelievable. Remove your mask if you mean no harm."

The man chuckled softly. "Ignorant Uchiha descendant, you are as narrow-minded as the rest. People believe Madara is dead, but they cling to their ignorance, mistaking it for truth. I am Uchiha Madara, and I need not prove it to you. The real crisis lies on your side."

"Even if you are Madara, why seek me out?" Itachi asked after a long silence.

"Purpose... I merely came to see you. Your distress is evident, but the Uchiha's plight doesn't interest me, nor do I care about Konoha's stance. We have no direct conflict, at least not now," the man explained, his tone indifferent.

Itachi remained silent, uncertain of the man's true intentions, especially after their brief exchange left him at a disadvantage.

"Your wariness is understandable," the man continued, smiling slightly. "But that's good. If you trusted easily, you wouldn't be worth my attention. It's late, let's end today's conversation here. Remember, the Uchiha and even this world are on the brink. If you find yourself cornered or make a significant decision, seek my help."

As he spoke, the man's figure began to fade, leaving Itachi with a final, weighty message: "I will find you again. Tell whomever you want, but next time, give me a satisfactory answer. Remember, my name is Uchiha Madara!"