Chapter 701: Talk w/ Madara

Chapter 701: Talk w/ Madara

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"This is my new friend, Madara Uchiha."

The words sent a shockwave through the immediate area. Itachi and Shisui's eyes widened in awe and disbelief. Teuchi and Ayame, who were working in the stall, froze as they heard that name. The same reaction rippled through some of the nearby citizens who were simply walking by, unaware of the situation.

"""?!"""

Both Itachi and Shisui scrutinized Madara for a moment before turning back to Peter. "That isn't Madara Uchiha," Shisui declared confidently.

"Yeah, it can't be," Itachi added, his tone calm but firm. "Madara Uchiha is dead. We're from the Uchiha Clan. We should know about our own ancestor."

They both looked at Peter with concern. "Are you getting scammed by some old conman, Teacher?" Shisui asked, tilting his head.

Hearing his descendants call him a conman, Madara felt a strong urge to beat the two kids in front of him. His hands twitched slightly, but he knew better than to act with Peter there.

The nearby civilians, overhearing the exchange, began to murmur amongst themselves. "That's supposed to be Madara Uchiha? He looks like an old beggar," one whispered.

"He must be joking," another chuckled. "Or maybe he's gone crazy."

A few even laughed openly, pointing at Peter. "What a ridiculous claim. Madara Uchiha has been dead for ages!"

Peter didn't blame these people for doubting him. After all, to the world, Madara Uchiha had been dead for a very long time. Many of them didn't even know what Madara looked like.

Of course, the surrounding ninja, who had come to watch, saw the scene unfolding and immediately got to work dispersing the crowd. They were fearful that these idiotic civilians would get themselves killed by unknowingly angering two very powerful beings.

"Move along, everyone," a Jonin ordered, waving his hands. "There's nothing to see here."

"This isn't a spectacle," another added sternly. "Go back to your homes."

The crowd began to disperse reluctantly, their curiosity unsatisfied. The whispers gradually faded as the civilians returned to their daily routines, leaving Peter, Madara, and the two young Uchiha alone at the ramen stall.

Madara glanced at the departing civilians, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "It seems the village has truly forgotten me."

Itachi and Shisui exchanged confused glances, still struggling to process the situation. Peter turned back to them with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, you two. Let's focus on your training later."

The two young Uchiha nodded, still puzzled but trusting their teacher. They moved to sit at a nearby table, keeping a close eye on Peter and Madara.

Glancing at Madara, Itachi mutters, "He does kinda look like him though..."

"Itachi," Shisui whispered, leaning closer to his friend. "You don't really think that's Madara Uchiha, do you?"

Itachi, his expression thoughtful, glanced over at Madara. "I don't know. At first, I thought he was just a scammer, like you said. But the more I look at him..." He paused for a moment, in thought. "You know, he kinda resembles the images I've seen of Madara in my family's library. He just looks older and his hair is white."

Madara scoffed, turning his gaze away. "Spare me your platitudes. The village will never change. They will always fear and distrust those they cannot control. Even today, they still ostracize the Uchiha..."

Peter leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Maybe you're right," he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "But what if, just maybe, there's a chance for something new? What if you could leave your past grudges behind and start over again?"

Madara raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "What do you mean by that?"

"I want to recruit you," Peter said bluntly.

Madara scoffed, a dry laugh escaping his lips. "Recruit me, a dying man? I won't live past the next few months, you know. Why waste your time? Besides, I'm not much of a follower."

Peter smirked. "What if I help you with your plans?"

Madara's interest was immediately piqued, though confusion clouded his features. "How do you know about my plans? Or that I have any to begin with?"

Peter shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course, you have plans. You kidnapped Obito for whatever reason and you have that plant thing skulking around everywhere." He looked Madara in the eyes, his expression serious. "Simply tell me your end goal, and I'll get it done. Once it's finished, you can let go of your past, start over, and work for me. How does that sound?"

Madara's eyes narrowed, suspicion mingling with temptation. "Even if I wanted to, this doesn't change the fact that I won't live past the next few months."

Peter waved his hand dismissively. "That's easy. I'll just make you young again."

Madara's eyes widened in shock. "Y-You can do that?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah, it's easy. Just tell me your end goal, and I'll get it done. Then you can join me, and I'll make you young again. After all, I can't have my newest recruit dying of old age right after he joins me."

Madara fell silent, the weight of Peter's offer settling over him. He had spent so long chasing his dream, fighting against the world, that the idea of starting over seemed almost impossible. Yet the allure of a second chance, of seeing his plans come to fruition, was too tempting to ignore.

After a moment, Madara made up his mind. "My goal is to create a lasting peace for this world. I want to free the world from pain and suffering."

Peter smirked, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I don't believe a truly peaceful world is possible, but I think I can create something pretty damn close, as long as you're willing to follow my lead. Can you do that?"

Madara hesitated. "I already have a plan in motion..." he revealed.

Peter shrugged. "Plans change. If you want my help, which is invaluable, you'll need to follow my lead and adapt to my methods. Besides, I'm pretty sure your plans have already failed. I have Obito, that plant thing, and you. How can you expect to complete your plans like this? Aren't you dying soon?"

"..." Madara turned silent and studied Peter for a long moment, his eyes narrowing as he weighed the options. Finally, he let out a slow breath and nodded.

"You make a compelling argument," Madara admitted, his voice tinged with reluctant respect. "Perhaps my plans do need to adapt if we are to succeed... Very well, I'll follow your lead..."

"Good," Peter smirked victoriously. "Now, tell me all about your plans so far..."

A/N: 2000 words :)

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