The Crooked-Mouthed Dragon King vs. The Demon of the Ninja World

Although Uchiha Madara found Shouta Kazuki's words intriguing, deep down, he still viewed the boy as nothing more than an inexperienced child—weak and fragile, a mere ant compared to himself.

Even if Shouta's words resonated with his own ideals from long ago, that did not change the fact that Madara had his own plans. Plans he had crafted over the years, refined through countless battles, betrayals, and revelations. Even if he had been deceived in the past, that did not mean he would simply abandon his dream.

After all, a dream that can be discarded so easily is no dream at all.

If he were the kind of man to waver in his convictions, then he would not be Uchiha Madara.

Still… this child was interesting.

Not only did he possess a sharp tongue, but he also spoke of uniting the ninja world with a confidence that made even Madara hesitate for a moment. His words, his ideals—there was something strangely familiar about them. Something that made Madara remember himself in his younger days, standing side by side with Hashirama, dreaming of a peaceful future.

For a fleeting moment, as if caught in a genjutsu of his own memories, Madara saw his past self in Shouta Kazuki's place.

The corners of Madara's mouth curved slightly—barely noticeable, but enough to betray his amusement.

Without further hesitation, he reached forward, grabbed a plate of food, and began to eat without another word.

Shouta nearly choked on his drink.

The Crooked-Mouthed Dragon King had returned!

His grin widened as he watched one of the greatest shinobi of all time munching away on a pig's trotter, looking as if he hadn't eaten in days.

However, just as Madara was about to take another bite, a strange voice echoed through the air.

It was a deep, powerful voice—one that carried an undeniable presence.

And yet…

It was his own voice.

Madara's eyes narrowed. His instincts screamed that something was wrong.

The words sounded strangely familiar. And the next moment, his bad premonition turned into reality.

"Do you think you can make me grateful to you with some strange food?!I tell you! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!I will jump off the villa today and fall to my death before I ever eat a bite of your food!"

Madara froze.

The pig's trotter in his hand suddenly felt like a thousand-pound weight.

A deadly silence filled the room.

Shouta Kazuki turned his gaze toward him, his expression unreadable, but the amusement in his eyes was undeniable.

Madara's face began to change colors. White. Blue. Purple. Red. And then back to white.

A true masterpiece of colorful emotions.

"Damn you, brat!"

The legendary Uchiha's roar shook the villa.

Shouta feigned surprise, gasping in mock shock. "Oh my god! Where did that voice come from?! How strange! And why does it sound so familiar?"

He furrowed his brow, stroking his chin in exaggerated thought. "Hmm… I swear I've heard that voice somewhere before. Madara, what about you? Doesn't it sound familiar to you too?"

Bang!

Madara hurled the pig's trotter across the room with all his might, his face dark with humiliation. He didn't want to throw it away, but he had no choice.

Because, damn it, the pig's trotter was actually delicious.

"You brat!! Didn't you want me to teach you how to fight?! Fine! We'll see if you're still laughing after I'm through with you!"

Before Shouta could react, Madara grabbed him by the collar and dragged him outside.

Shouta was stunned for a moment.

Then he grinned.

Wasn't this exactly what he wanted?!

Getting Madara to work for him outright was impossible, but this—this was perfect.

The furious Uchiha was about to give him a hands-on, no-holds-barred training session!

Madara wouldn't hold back. He would be ruthless, relentless. And that was exactly what Shouta needed!

Even if it meant getting beaten black and blue, it would be worth it.

Because strength could only be forged through struggle.

And, if he was lucky, he might even awaken his Sharingan in the process.

After all, he did have Indra's chakra…

Thinking of this, Shouta decided to pour fuel onto the fire.

"Madara, don't disappoint me now!" he taunted. "Didn't you say you'd teach me? Don't tell me that after all this, I'll still be weak? That would be embarrassing for you!"

A smirk spread across his face. "The great Uchiha Madara… worse at teaching than a simple Chūnin instructor? I mean, even Iruka-sensei managed to teach Naruto, you know!"

Madara's eye twitched violently.

"Hmph! You dare compare me to a mere Chūnin?! Watch closely, brat!"

Madara's figure flickered, vanishing in an instant.

Before Shouta could blink, he felt himself being launched into the air!

The next second, Bang!

A fist slammed into his stomach, sending him flying.

Shouta crashed into the ground, coughing violently.

Madara's cold voice rang out. "A ninja must be fast! Precise! Ruthless!"

Shouta barely had time to get up before—

Bang!

Another punch.

"Too slow! Your reaction time is garbage!"

Bang!

"Your footwork is a joke!"

Bang!

"Even a six-year-old Uchiha would be stronger than you!"

Each attack came faster than the last, leaving Shouta no room to breathe.

But even as he was being battered around like a ragdoll, his eyes burned with determination.

He clenched his fists. This is exactly what I wanted.

I will become stronger. No matter what.

His lips curled upward in a crooked grin.

"Madara! Come on! Don't hold back just because I'm a delicate flower!"

Bang!

Madara's fist smashed him into the dirt.

"Brat!! Your expression is disgusting!!"

Shouta coughed, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. But he was still grinning.

Because this pain…

This pain was proof that he was growing stronger.