Madara’s Pride vs. The Power of Good Food

Looking at the grand three-story villa that had materialized before his eyes, Uchiha Madara couldn't help but let out a deep sigh, his expression shifting ever so slightly. His sharp eyes flickered between the elegantly constructed house and the rough, makeshift foundation he had painstakingly crafted earlier using Earth Release Ninjutsu.

Damn it!

If he had known that this brat had the ability to summon an entire villa out of thin air, would he have wasted his precious time chopping wood like some lowly laborer?! Absolutely not! This was an insult to his dignity as the legendary Uchiha Madara!

His grip on his kunai tightened as he scowled. The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced—this kid, Shouta Kazuki, had deliberately waited until he was deep into the construction process just to humiliate him!

His scarlet Sharingan flickered dangerously as he cast an unkind glare at Shouta. If looks could kill, the young man would have been reduced to ashes on the spot.

Of course, Shouta remained completely oblivious to the murderous thoughts running through Madara's mind. Instead, he was basking in his own sense of accomplishment.

I built such a luxurious house for him. He should be grateful! Maybe now, he'll feel indebted to me and take my training more seriously!

Shouta confidently followed Madara as he stomped toward the villa and, with a single powerful kick, sent the front door flying open.

BANG!

Madara crossed his arms, his patience clearly running thin.

"Brat, what do you want now? If you have nothing important to say, get lost. I'm going to sleep."

Shouta, of course, wasn't going to let him off that easily. Madara had promised to teach him before, and there was no way he was letting the great Uchiha back out of that deal.

No matter how skilled his father, Haruto Kazuki, and his grandfather, Raiga Kazuki, were as Jonin, they were nothing compared to the powerhouse that was Uchiha Madara. Learning from him would be an opportunity of a lifetime!

Without hesitation, Shouta stepped inside the villa as if he owned the place.

The interior of the house was completely empty—no furniture, no decoration, just a hollow space. Seeing this, he casually snapped his fingers. In an instant, tables, chairs, sofas, coffee tables, and various household necessities began to materialize one after another, arranging themselves neatly throughout the villa.

Madara narrowed his eyes, watching the phenomenon unfold before him.

Not a single trace of chakra fluctuation…

These objects had appeared completely out of nowhere, with no hand seals, no effort—just sheer will.

This brat… was even more unfathomable than he had initially thought.

He didn't like that.

And yet…

Why do I feel such a deep connection with him?

Madara frowned as the unsettling thought surfaced in his mind.

If this kid bore the Uchiha name, perhaps this feeling would make sense. But his name was Shouta Kazuki, someone with no relation to the Uchiha clan at all.

So why did he feel like fate had woven their destinies together?

As he silently pondered, Shouta had already moved on to his next trick. With another effortless snap of his fingers, a dining table appeared in the center of the room. Plates and bowls of steaming hot food followed, filling the air with a rich and tantalizing aroma.

The moment the scent reached Madara's nose, his stomach let out a deep, rebellious growl.

"…You can create food too?" Madara scoffed, trying to mask his embarrassment.

Shouta simply grinned and waggled his eyebrows playfully.

"Mm-hmm."

"Tch."

Madara crossed his arms, turning his face away in annoyance.

Shouta, meanwhile, pulled out a chair and gestured toward the feast.

"Come on, Madara. Have a seat and eat with me."

"Hmph! Do you think you can win me over with mere food?!" Madara declared, his voice brimming with pride. "I am the great Uchiha Madara! The Ghost of the Uchiha! Do you really believe that I, of all people, would be swayed by something so trivial?!"

Shouta raised an eyebrow, not bothering to argue.

GURURURU~~~

Another loud grumble echoed through the room.

Shouta glanced at Madara's stomach, then back up at the man's face.

Madara clenched his fists, his entire being trembling with shame. His stomach had betrayed him!

Shouta chuckled. "Madara, don't be so stubborn. It's just a meal, nothing more. And for the record, I'm not trying to bribe you. You may not be happy about becoming my summoned beast, but it's not like I'm forcing you to do anything against your will.

"Our contract is simple—I summon you, and you decide whether you want to help. I have no control over you beyond that.

"And besides…" Shouta leaned back, his expression turning smug. "You may be Madara Uchiha, but right now, you're also a living, breathing human being. If you don't eat, you'll starve."

Madara scoffed, still trying to maintain his pride. "Starve? Me? Don't be ridiculous! There are plenty of wild animals in this space. I can just hunt my own food and have myself a proper meal—real warrior's food! Grilled meat roasted over an open flame! Not this… whatever strange cuisine you've laid out!"

Shouta simply shrugged and gestured toward the door.

"Well then, be my guest."

Madara hesitated.

Something about this food was different. The aroma alone was making his mouth water. He had experienced many meals in his lifetime, but he had never smelled anything quite like this.

What exactly had this kid cooked…?

Shouta leaned in, smirking. "What's wrong, Madara? You're not scared, are you?"

Madara's eyebrow twitched. This brat… is he taunting me?!

With an annoyed grunt, he pulled out a chair and sat down. "Fine. But only because I want to see what kind of ridiculous nonsense you've conjured up."

Shouta grinned. "Whatever you say, Lord Madara."

The battle was over. The legendary Uchiha had been bested… by the power of good food.

But this was only the beginning.

Shouta had much bigger plans—plans that involved taking control of Konoha, amassing an army of the greatest warriors in history, and one day… becoming the eternal ruler of the ninja world.