[55] Panic

In the secret basement of the Naka Shrine.

Fugaku's face was pale, his breathing heavy and ragged, his eyes dulled by exhaustion. The Tsukuyomi attack had ravaged his spirit.

Had the figure claiming to be Madara not held back, the damage would have been far worse.

"Why have you returned?" Fugaku asked, his voice hoarse.

"Just to see Konoha, to visit the Naka Shrine." Tengen replied coolly. "Things have changed a great deal. I've seen what I came for, so I'll take my leave."

"Are you plotting something in secret?" Fugaku pressed.

"Who knows?" Tengen flashed an enigmatic smile.

With that, he slowly ascended the basement stairs.

Seeing this, Fugaku hurried after him. He couldn't allow this figure to harm the Uchiha clansmen outside.

Knowing this person might truly be Madara, Fugaku had no desire to continue the fight.

The gap between the Mangekyo Sharingan and his own abilities was simply too vast.

In the main hall of the Naka Shrine.

The Uchiha Jonin stationed there had sensed the intense battle below, though it had ended quickly. As he considered descending to investigate, he felt two presences approaching.

"How can this be?" The Jonin's eyes widened in surprise. Did the two know each other?

A stranger's face appeared before him.

"Who are you?" The Jonin gripped a kunai, ready for combat.

"Stand down." Fugaku's voice called out, prompting the Jonin to lower his weapon.

"I hope the next time I visit Konoha, I'll see a different Uchiha." Tengen said. His body transformed into a streak of black light, vanishing swiftly before Fugaku and the others. The guards outside barely registered his departure.

Crucially, Fugaku signaled them not to pursue.

"Patriarch, who was that?" The Uchiha Jonin asked.

"Madara." Fugaku gazing into the dark sky.

"What?" The Jonin's face contorted in shock.

Madara? Impossible. He had perished in the battle against Hashirama at the Valley of the End.

"He's dead, isn't he?" The Jonin couldn't help but blurt out.

"Whether it's truly Madara or not, he possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan. Besides, there's no point in impersonating Madara." Fugaku said slowly.

"Then it's highly likely…" The Jonin trailed off.

"Summon the Uchiha Jonin. We need a clan meeting to discuss this." Fugaku ordered.

Such a significant event, the appearance of Madara, required deliberation on its implications for the clan.

...

Meanwhile.

After leaving the Naka Shrine, Tengen headed straight for his residence.

With the Mangekyo Sharingan now in his arsenal, few could track him without being detected. He returned home effortlessly.

Closing the door, Tengen dispelled his Transformation Jutsu, reverting to his youthful appearance.

"This was a major haul." Tengen said, a smile spreading across his face. With the Mangekyo Sharingan, he now had the means to escape or even defeat an average Kage.

Though his Mangekyo was exceptionally powerful, encompassing abilities he'd known from other Mangekyo variants, likely due to system optimization, Tengen wouldn't use it lightly. His current Mangekyo wasn't the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

The system couldn't grant him that, not unless he obtained the Eternal Mangekyo in the future.

Using Tsukuyomi once had strained his eyes, though for Tengen, with his robust physique, a single use was manageable.

He could withstand the toll better than most.

"The Uchiha must be in chaos right now." Tengen said with a smirk.

Anyone would be rattled to learn that Madara, the clan's greatest warrior, had returned.

Madara was a man who could stand toe-to-toe with Hashirama.

Hashirama, with his Wood Release, had dominated an entire era.

Tengen's actions were a whim, nothing more. With the Mangekyo Sharingan, he now had a foothold in Konoha.

Neither Orochimaru, Danzo, nor anyone else could easily overpower him. At worst, Tengen could flee the village.

"But some things still can't be revealed." Tengen mused, thinking of the Mangekyo.

Though his strength was formidable, taking on the entire Uchiha clan would be a stretch.

"It's the 46th year of Konoha. The Third Shinobi World War is approaching." Tengen said, a smile forming. The war would be his chance to shine.

…

Time passed swiftly. After Tengen departed from the Naka Shrine, Konoha remained largely unchanged.

Tengen suspected Fugaku and the Uchiha had decided not to inform Hiruzen for now, uncertain whether the figure was truly Madara.

In the past half-month, numerous ninja and civilians had flowed in and out of Konoha as the Chunin Exams drew near.

Genin aiming to pass the exams trained relentlessly, pouring their efforts into preparing for the event.

Konoha's security forces were on high alert. This Chunin Exam was a rare occasion, with the five great nations and their hidden villages all participating.

It was a spectacle seldom seen in the ninja world.

The day before the Chunin Exams.

"Tengen, I've gotten really strong!" Anko exclaimed, brimming with excitement. Orochimaru's training over the past half-month had noticeably improved her skills.

"You're definitely impressive." Tengen glancing at Anko.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anko demanded.

"Nothing." Tengen replied, his gaze shifting to a spot nearby.

There, two groups faced off, neither bearing Konoha's emblem.

Kumo-nin and Kiri-nin, perhaps?

***

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