I am Jinshan Youxia

He didn't care much about his reputation or status, but if he didn't, the fate of his people would probably not be optimistic.

Fugaku Uchiha may not have been that strong, nor was he particularly intelligent, but his sense of responsibility and love for his clan was genuine.

So he decided to take a roundabout approach, quietly getting closer to the village, gradually building ties, and joining forces with Itachi, Shisui, and the other village faction.

The friendly relationship between the second son and Naruto Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake is very important.

"Father……"

Uchiha Sasuke hesitated, but the 'Uchiha' he had found outside was actually doing quite well. Although they all obtained their bloodline and eyes by climbing the tower, if they didn't yearn for the Uchiha clan, why would they change their surname? They stick together for warmth, sharing the techniques for using the Sharingan, the strategies for climbing the tower, and the combinations of bloodline limits, ninjutsu, and ninja tools. It was a thriving community.

If I were to return to the village at this time, bringing a group of wandering ninjas from outside, would Konoha really accept me?

There are quite a few of Orochimaru's former subordinates and test subjects inside...

"Sasuke." Fugaku Uchiha reached out and pressed his second son's shoulder, his eyes full of sincerity. "You must become the bond between the clan and the village."

"..."

Sasuke Uchiha suddenly understood something, recalling that his father seemed to have said something similar to Itachi when he was a child.

There is no doubt that their father loved them.

But family is more important than loving one's son.

Everything seemed to have returned to his childhood. He took two steps back, looked at his astonished father, and left the illusory world.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Karin asked with concern.

Sasuke Uchiha opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Is the pride of the Uchiha clan truly more important than their clan members? What does the clan ultimately symbolize? Is it a person, or a symbol?

Why did a group of fake Uchiha bring him happiness, while the real Uchiha either fought for power or abandoned their emotions and families to join the village? The old fogies were even more ridiculous, putting family honor above everything else.

"Karin, what exactly is the Uchiha clan?"

Sasuke Uchiha turned his head to look at the girl who admired him, his voice a little hoarse.

Karin touched the Uchiha clan crest on her robe, not thinking much about it, and unable to understand the true meaning of Sasuke's words. She simply smiled and said, "Aren't we Uchiha?"

"..."

Sasuke Uchiha was initially taken aback, but then a relieved smile appeared on his face.

"Yes, we are the Uchiha."

He seems to have grown up a lot at such a young age.

Chapter 504 War Ready

Among the many incomprehensible things Zhang Chengyi said, there was one sentence that Uchiha Madara remembered very well:

Longing is the emotion furthest from understanding.

Back then, a group of Uchiha in Konoha Village, admiring him, inexplicably wanted to rebel, but they didn't even cause a ripple before being sent to Konoha Prison.

Going back further, to the era of war, Madara Uchiha was one of the strongest people in the world, and there were many who admired him and followed him.

But if we're talking about understanding, perhaps only Hashirama Senju could do it.

Even his father and brothers couldn't understand why he would befriend a Senju, or what he would feel joy, sorrow, struggle, and strive to become stronger for.

He never imagined that he would be the same.

"Madara, now that you possess the legendary Rinnegan, you should..."

Uchiha Tajima talked incessantly about his grand plan for the revival of the Uchiha clan, explaining how to gain more benefits and create a ninja village belonging to the Uchiha.

"And then there are those good-for-nothings who submitted to the Senju, impersonating the Uchiha and joining forces with the Senju..."

Then the other brothers and relatives started talking all at once.

Madara Uchiha listened in silence. His memories of his brothers and relatives had been idealized over a long period of time, turning into a kind of 'longing'. He only realized this when these people were actually resurrected.

It's not that the people have changed, it's that he has changed.

He became less proud than the Uchiha clan of the war-torn era, no longer pursuing glory, and no longer placing his clan at the top.

The initial yearning for peace was shared by Hashirama Senju, but now he has his own pursuits. Even knowing that the Eye of the Moon plan is a conspiracy, there is still a long way to go in the pursuit of peace.

One failure doesn't mean you'll always fail. Only a loser like Obito would give up after just one failure.

Zhang Chengyi's idea was good, but it was too long-term. He wanted to achieve it more quickly and create peace in the way he wanted to see.

He changed so much that he had absolutely nothing in common with his resurrected family members.

He even wasted his time going to find Hashirama to get his clansmen back.

boring.

"Madara!" Uchiha Tajima shouted in a deep voice. He looked at his absent-minded son and had a bad feeling in his heart.

Madara Uchiha and his father locked eyes, a smile on Madara's face that no one else could understand.

"Whoosh!" His chakra was released, and a gale swept through, causing the ground to crack.

The Uchiha clan members, who had been making a noisy discussion just moments before, suddenly fell silent.

"I am also a piece of trash who joined forces with the Thousand Hands."

Madara Uchiha did not want to cover up his act of surrendering back then. Too many people died and were injured. One by one, his clansmen surrendered. He was the last 'Uchiha' still fighting after being defeated.

His surrender and his collaboration with Hashirama in building Konoha was never a sign of subjugation, but a friendship that his clansmen could never understand. It was a feeling of mutual understanding and shared interests, not for the sake of the 'clan'.

In the end, the clansmen who were forced to submit turned their backs on him and did not leave Konoha with him. Therefore, he had a clear conscience about the clan that his younger brother had entrusted to him before his death.

But at this moment, as the strongest fighter with the Rinnegan, his words caused all the Uchiha present to change their expressions.

“Narrow-minded, ignorant, foolish…” Madara Uchiha’s cold gaze swept across everyone’s faces, finally settling on his younger brother’s astonished expression.

He ultimately didn't say anything to his brother and quietly left the virtual world.

"..."

Uchiha Izuna was speechless. He could tell that his brother had changed, but he never expected that he had become almost a completely different person.

Putting aside his family, he still loved his brother from the bottom of his heart, yet his family was something he had sacrificed his life to protect.

To become a powerful being who awakens the Mangekyou Sharingan, there must be something they absolutely must uphold and protect. A ninja is someone who must endure everything.

He remained silent for a long time, and as the second strongest fighter after Madara, he said nothing more.

"Let's go, let's leave Konoha Village first."

Uchiha Tajima remained silent for a moment before issuing the order.

Madara brought them out from a place not far from Konoha Village. They were determined to fight to the end and restore the glory of the Uchiha clan, so they certainly couldn't just take action like before.

To figure out what happened in the past, what exactly this illusionary space called the virtual world is all about, who exactly is the 'Sage of Six Paths of the New Era' mentioned by the traitor, and what about climbing the tower that represents infinite possibilities...

No matter who is gone, the Uchiha clan can still stand at the top of the ninja world.

-----------------

In the woods not far from where the Uchiha were plotting.

"Tobirama, what do you think the world will become next?"

Hashirama Senju watched the departing ancient Uchiha clan members with a very complex expression.

He understood Madara all too well, because the Senju clan members he resurrected were also very dissatisfied with the current state of their clan after the virtual world underwent an update, and resisted the village's sharing of clan profits.

In the eyes of those old-fashioned tribesmen, he was the strongest and should 'own' the village, not just a guardian of the village, nor the only guardian.

Fortunately, most of his brothers listened to him. Even if they had a grudge against the Uchiha, they could accept it. Many of his brothers died young, when they were still children, so it was easy to comfort them.

The troublesome ones are the older generation of the Thousand Hands who were resurrected because of his longing.

Ban was able to give up many things for peace through his own will, but he firmly believed that peace needed to be created together with those around him. Because of this belief, he could not unilaterally exclude certain people.

If he can abandon even his own ideals and ideas, how can he create true peace?

Tobirama Senju stood beside him and said softly, "Brother, too many dead people have been resurrected. The hatred has formed new chains that cannot be broken without killing each other for some time."

Not everyone can accept being killed. Some powerful people do not die in battle normally. Even if they die in battle, they will still feel resentment, hatred, and want to fight again.

He paused, then concluded: "The wars of this world..."

"It's coming."

This is just a glimpse into the bigger picture. Besides the mutual hatred, even Konoha Village was plagued by major conflicts between ninja clans and different factions. If it weren't for his ruthless methods, they would have already gone into internal war.

Some village conflicts simply cannot be resolved through words and politics; they must be resolved through combat, as dealing with external threats is always better than dealing with internal ones.

"Really..."

Hashirama Senju knew perfectly well that what his brother said was the truth. He closed his eyes and said, "Tobirama, it's up to you here."

"Hmm." Tobirama Senju's expression remained as calm as ever. "The real-world issues are up to you, brother, to handle."

What Hashirama Senju did was both difficult and simple—

It would be good if the war in the virtual world didn't spread into reality.

Chapter 505 I'm thinking...

In the real world, in Sunagakure (Hidden Sand Village).

"Get out of the way, Chiyo!"

The Third Kazekage's expression was serious, and his tone was low, "You know what he did, so don't try to defend him anymore."

Chiyo stood silently before her grandson, her face appearing much older. "Third Hokage, he—"

"Alright, Grandma." Scorpion pressed on his grandmother's shoulder. After entering the virtual world and finding his parents, he had regained the emotions of a normal person.

Having the opportunity to make up for everything he lost in the past, he no longer needs to use eternity to escape death.

The Second Kazekage watched Sasori approach and said with some regret, "This kid is truly a genius. He's developed puppetry to a level that even amazes me. What a pity..."

The village couldn't accept him.

Sunagakure is considered one of the more harmonious of the five great ninja villages, mainly because poverty forced them to unite.