Konoha: Rebuild the glory of the Uchiha!

Chapter 113 Konoha, I, Uchiha Madara, have returned as king!

Evening

As the sun slowly sank below the horizon, it painted the sky with a gentle orange-red hue.

"Konoha... I truly miss it."

"I, Madara Uchiha, have returned!"

Madara Uchiha stood on a high ground, looking at Konoha Village not far away, and couldn't help but sigh.

Since faking his death and escaping after his battle with Hashirama, Madara Uchiha has never returned to Konoha, focusing solely on awakening the Rinnegan and implementing his Eye of the Moon plan.

"Third Hokage of Konoha, Uchiha junior, I hope you won't disappoint me."

Madara Uchiha formed hand seals and used the Transformation Technique. After disguising himself, he slowly walked towards Konoha Village. This time, he returned to the village specifically to investigate Uchiha Nan, find an opportunity to let Uchiha Nan see the truth of this ninja world, and then persuade Uchiha Nan to join the great plan of the Eye of the Moon!

"Is Konoha really that good now? We haven't even entered Konoha yet!"

Madara Uchiha walked on the hard concrete road. Although the sun had not yet completely set, the streetlights on both sides were already on, and there were vendors hawking their wares on both sides of the road, selling simple rice balls and tea.

Once you enter Konoha Village to buy food, the prices will be a bit higher. Shops and street stalls all charge you money. Outside the village, which is still a no-man's-land, you can save money and the food will be cheaper.

Workers finishing their night shifts at sweatshops often frequent this place. They get tired of eating protein cubes all the time and need a change. This roadside stall is cheap, plentiful, and filling. It's great!

Has Konoha become so wealthy that they've even built roads outside the village?

And this light is really bright!

The cries of roadside vendors attracted a group of workers who had just finished their night shift. They bought dinner and squatted in small groups by the roadside, chatting and joking under the streetlights while eating heartily.

Madara Uchiha looked around at the scene, his heart stirred with emotion. Any ordinary person who came to Konoha for the first time would be amazed by this scene.

Madara Uchiha slowed his pace involuntarily, perhaps because he was getting old. He was now enjoying the atmosphere—peaceful and harmonious.

"This is...my statue?"

Upon reaching the entrance to Konoha, two enormous stone sculptures stand on either side of the gate, guarding Konoha like gatekeepers.

Madara Uchiha was a little curious. He knew very well his identity in Konoha. He would definitely be labeled a rogue ninja by Tobirama Senju. Of course, he did indeed defect from Konoha. Despite bearing the title of rogue ninja, his statue was placed at the main gate of Konoha just like Hashirama's.

"A tribute to Uchiha Madara, the uncrowned shadow of Konoha."

A line of red characters was engraved on the base of the statue, and after reading it, Madara Uchiha's emotions were instantly stirred.

As the founder of Konoha, Madara Uchiha passed the position of First Hokage to Hashirama Senju. According to their plan, Madara Uchiha would become the second Hokage of Konoha.

It was only because of a certain treacherous villain that the Second Hokage of Konoha was unable to meet Uchiha Madara, which later became the opportunity for Uchiha Madara to resolve to open the Rinnegan according to the method under the stone tablet and realize the Eye of the Moon Plan.

On that day, Madara Uchiha was betrayed; the Senju clan did not accept the Uchiha. Suspicion and jealousy still lingered between people.

Nevertheless, Madara Uchiha still harbored a desire within him to become the Hokage of Konoha. Though faint, it was real.

"The Uncrowned Shadow. The Uncrowned Shadow sounds pretty good."

Madara Uchiha murmured to himself, immediately guessing who was behind all this. The only person in Konoha who could clear his name and have the authority to place his statue at the gate of Konoha was Uchiha Nan.

This is truly interesting. Uchiha Nan is becoming increasingly curious about Uchiha Nan.

Even before entering the village, Madara Uchiha had a premonition that this return to Konoha would bring him some interesting discoveries.

"stop!"

"What's your name? Age? Gender? Where are you from?"

The ninjas guarding the gates of Konoha stopped Uchiha Madara, who was trying to enter the village.

"Hey! Run Er, be nicer, don't scare the old man."

"Don't take it personally, sir. This is a routine check. There have been far too many merchants coming to Konoha to do business lately, so there's a new rule that everyone entering or leaving Konoha must register here."

The ninja standing next to Run Er spoke in a much gentler tone. After explaining Konoha's new regulations to Uchiha Madara, the ninja guarding the Konoha gate led Uchiha Madara into a room next to the gate.

The room contains a genjutsu specially designed by Konoha, which is specifically used to identify spies from other ninja villages with ill intentions. Even weaker Jonin can fall into it.

"Spotted column"

"56 years old"

"Coming to Konoha to do business."

Madara Uchiha naturally noticed the genjutsu in the room. However, this level of genjutsu had negligible effect on Madara Uchiha. He casually revealed his false identity and passed the check smoothly.

"Grandpa Madara, welcome to Konoha."

"This is a poster for immigrating to Konoha. Buy a new house in Konoha. It's fully equipped with amenities, including electricity and a water heater. All the food, drinks, and entertainment options nearby are available. Just buy a house in Konoha and live there to obtain a Konoha resident ID card."

"If you want to buy a shop in Konoha to do business, what's the current policy?"

"This is a map of Konoha, marking the village's most bustling commercial street and entertainment district, which is brightly lit even at night."

As instructed by Uchiha Nan, the ninja on duty promoted Konoha's new policies to merchants traveling to and from the village, encouraging businessmen from across the ninja world to establish themselves and invest in Konoha.

He also handed Madara Uchiha a map of Konoha, welcoming merchants visiting Konoha to spend money there.

"Okay. I understand."

Madara Uchiha watched as the ninja on duty, acting like salesmen, tirelessly promoted Konoha's new policies, highlighting which shops were worth investing in and which commercial street was the most fun.

I'm a bit out of touch with the times.

After putting away the promotional posters on the table, Madara Uchiha realized that it had been too long since he had returned to Konoha. The current Konoha was so different from what he had imagined that Madara decided to tour Konoha according to the map given to him by the ninja on duty.

On the map, a ninja wearing a green vest from Konoha is uttering a string of bold, elongated red characters.

"When you come to Konoha, you have to explore."

Let's check this place out first. Listen to advice and you'll eat your fill. Since Konoha is promoting this commercial street so much, this place must be worth a visit.

Soon, Madara Uchiha entered Konoha. He strolled through the streets of Konoha, enjoying the streetlights, the passersby, the chirping of insects, and the cool evening breeze. This was a wonderful experience for Madara Uchiha, a lonely old man who had spent most of his life in a dark underground cave.

This kind of life is really nice. Speaking of which, why do you need to hide in an underground cave to activate the Rinnegan?

I am Uchiha Madara. Hashirama is already dead. Although I am old now and my life force is still being drained by my eyes, so what?

There is still no one in the entire ninja world who can rival him!

It's about having a bright future, buying a new house in Konoha, and living there. What's the difference between trying to awaken the Rinnegan in Konoha and trying to awaken it in an underground cave?

The moment this thought arose, it lingered in Madara Uchiha's mind like a spell, taking root and sprouting in an instant.

Madara Uchiha was enjoying his leisurely stroll as an elderly man, and not far behind him, a dark creature followed his steps.

"What's wrong with Madara Uchiha lately?"

"You just watched a movie, why can't you suppress your loneliness? Wouldn't it have been better to stay in the underground cave and activate the Rinnegan?" "And now you've even managed to get involved with Konoha!"

"What a terrible thing to do!"

Black Zetsu was filled with sorrow; his long-planned opportunity, which he had been working on for a thousand years, was finally making progress.

The fact that Madara Uchiha, a member of the Uchiha clan, possessed the Rinnegan and believed the story he left on the stone tablet, made him the perfect tool that God had given to Black Zetsu.

It's a pity. That "tool" guy has recently developed new ideas and become restless. He even dared to show his face and run back to his old employer, Konoha! What if he gets discovered? Will he just smash through Konoha and overturn the entire ninja world?

Black Zetsu kept complaining about Madara Uchiha in his heart, but his legs followed him closely, fearing that something might happen to Madara Uchiha.

"There are so many people!"

Madara Uchiha followed the light and walked forward until he arrived at the commercial street marked on the map. This was the most prosperous street in Konoha. The wealthy merchants and nobles of the Land of Fire, as well as the ninja clans of Konoha, had all invested heavily in this street. It was the most active free market in the entire ninja world.

The nobles who moved to Konoha loved to spend money lavishly on this street. They would shop like mad, buying all sorts of luxury goods. Konoha even launched luxury items specifically for them. For example, bags and perfumes were all branded with the Konoha logo, and the prices skyrocketed afterward.

To enter Konoha's luxury boutiques, one must possess a Konoha-specific black card, a symbol of status and wealth. Apart from the first batch of black cards issued to nobles by Konoha, other black cards are obtained through a referral system, requiring recommendations from two black card holders and approval from Konoha before one has a chance to obtain a black card.

This status-conscious purchasing method precisely targets the wealthy aristocrats who have nowhere to spend their money. This has also attracted a large number of wealthy merchants from the ninja world to open shops here, making outstanding contributions to Konoha's GDP.

Madara Uchiha wandered through the streets, with pedestrians passing by like a tide. The bustling commerce dazzled Madara, an old man who had lived since the Warring States period, and he wandered around like a curious child.

His long-dormant heart was nourished by the popularity of Konoha, and he temporarily forgot about the Eye of the Moon Plan that he had been thinking about all along. The prosperous and peaceful world was exactly the ideal world that Madara Uchiha had always pursued, and all of this was right before his eyes.

I'm a little hungry.

Madara Uchiha wandered around for a long time, and his stomach began to protest. Even Madara Uchiha was ultimately made of flesh and blood and needed to eat human food.

Candied hawthorn berries.

Stinky tofu

"Mom, I want to eat roasted sweet potatoes, fragrant and sweet roasted sweet potatoes!"

Madara Uchiha followed his instincts and arrived at the food street. The whole street was filled with the temptation of delicious food, a forbidden place for people who were trying to lose weight by running, an area they could not touch.

Considering his teeth, Madara Uchiha thought for a moment and then chose a food that was easy for him to chew—roasted sweet potato.

Madara Uchiha walked to the roasted sweet potato stall. The stall owner was not an adult, but a little boy who was sitting on a stool, engrossed in doing his homework.

"Kid, I want to buy two roasted sweet potatoes."

Madara Uchiha had been hiding in an underground cave for most of his years. The last time he interacted with children was probably ten years ago. He spoke with some stuttering and a smile on his lips, trying his best to make his expression as kind as possible. He, Madara Uchiha, was always very gentle with children!

"Okay, grandpa!"

When the little boy saw a customer coming in, he immediately put down his pen and skillfully took two roasted sweet potatoes out of the stove.

After Madara Uchiha paid, the little boy saw Madara standing there eating sweet potatoes and kindly lent him a stool before going back to writing diligently.

"sweet"

Madara Uchiha sat on a small stool, peeling open a sweet potato to reveal its yellow flesh. He took a bite, and the sweet, soft flesh was delicious. Watching the bustling crowd, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

"Hashirama. This kind of life."

Madara Uchiha's old habit resurfaced; he became lost in everyday memories, muttering incoherently to himself.

"Grandpa, if you're thirsty, there's water here, it's free."

The little boy pointed to the teacups on the stall. Free boiled water was provided here, and this thoughtful and humane service was what attracted more customers.

"Little boy, what's your name?"

"Sosuke. Sosuke Ito."

Madara Uchiha's thoughts were interrupted. He slowly stood up, walked to Sosuke's side, and looked at Sosuke's notebook—Chakra is the body.

"You're a student at the Ninja Academy, aren't you?" Madara Uchiha became somewhat interested, carefully examining the child before him. The faint fluctuations of chakra, the obscure flow of which were being manipulated.

Madara Uchiha, with his sharp eyes standing at the pinnacle of the ninja world, immediately saw Ito Sousuke's talent—that he would be a weak genin in the future, a nobody who could be killed by a simple shuriken on the battlefield.