After seeing this scene unfold, Ito Hirofumi was finally convinced:
Uchiha Madara truly couldn't harm him.
A slow grin spread across his face, and the corner of his mouth lifted in triumph—
especially when he saw the legendary Madara Uchiha frozen mid-strike, eyes wide with disbelief, his hand trembling in the air.
Beautiful, Hirofumi thought. Utterly beautiful.
"Uchiha Madara," he said with a confident smirk, "didn't I already explain it to you?
I signed a contract with the World of the Dead. After paying a price, I gained the ability to summon departed shinobi as my own summoning beasts.
And you—you're my first summon. My golden-tier summon, no less!"
Madara's face darkened. The veins on his temple twitched.
"Arrogant brat!!!"
His voice boomed through the space like thunder.
"Do you even comprehend who I am?! How dare you refer to me—a man feared across five nations—as a summoning beast?!
Not a single soul in this world has ever dared to speak to me like this!!"
Hirofumi spread his arms, a mock expression of innocence on his face.
"Of course I know who you are!" he declared. "Uchiha Madara—former Uchiha clan leader, known as the Shura of the Shinobi World!
The man who once stood at the top of the ninja system! The one who dueled Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, and co-founded Konohagakure to end the Warring States Period!
You're a legend, a force of nature, the man who once dominated the battlefield with your Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku alone!"
Madara, despite himself, looked… pleased.
There was a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes—he had expected the boy to be ignorant, but this brat had done his homework.
But then—
"The King of Konoha Dance, master of fiery flair, and the man of the God of Shinobi…"
Madara's smile froze.
"…What did you just call me?"
"I said you're the man of the God of Shinobi—that's what people called Hashirama Senju, right?"
Madara's eye twitched.
"The God of Shinobi is Hashirama. That fool had all the admiration of the world. I never wanted that title."
"I know," Hirofumi said, shrugging, "Hashirama is the God of Shinobi, but you were always by his side, weren't you? The man of the God of Shinobi!
It's a compliment, really!"
"Ugh…"
Madara faltered for a moment. Hirofumi wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he swore he saw a faint flush rising on Madara's cheeks.
Was that… embarrassment?
No way. No freaking way.
Did he just stumble on some kind of secret?
He'd said it as a joke—after all, in his previous life, fans were always pairing up historical rivals:
Hashirama and Madara,
Tobirama and Izuna,
Minato and Fugaku,
Naruto and Sasuke,
even Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura.
Konoha was practically filled with "intense friendships."
It was all in good fun.
But now, seeing Madara's reaction…
Wait… could it be…?
"Hold on—are you telling me there was really something going on between you and the First Hokage?!"
Madara's eyes widened in absolute horror. His blush deepened to a crimson shade.
"WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU SPEWING?!
What kind of degenerate talk is this?!
I—Hashirama and I—WE WERE RIVALS!!" he bellowed, voice rising an octave higher than usual.
Hirofumi tried not to laugh, but it was too late. The image of the terrifying Uchiha Madara losing his composure like a flustered schoolboy was too hilarious.
He could practically hear the gears turning in Madara's head, trying to process what just happened—and failing spectacularly.
"Don't be ridiculous!!" Madara snapped again, pointing an accusatory finger. "I would never…!"
But Hirofumi was already chuckling.
It didn't matter how furious Madara got. The system's safeguards were solid—he couldn't touch him.
And for once, Hirofumi felt he had the upper hand over the man once known as the incarnation of Indra Ōtsutsuki.
Still, somewhere deep in that fierce chakra, Hirofumi swore he felt a tiny ripple of shame and… regret?
Man, he thought, this is going to be fun.
What could I possibly have with a fool like him?!"
Madara's face twisted in outrage. "That guy's got something wrong with his head!
He used to sneak out at night just to drag me along—to play with stones, of all things!
What kind of normal person does that?!
What could I possibly have with someone like that?!"
Madara's eyes were bloodshot, his chakra flaring uncontrollably.
"Brat! I warn you—stop spouting nonsense!!!"
Watching Madara's wild reaction, Ito Hirofumi couldn't help but smirk.
The more Madara denied it, the more suspicious it looked.
"Damn… don't tell me you two were still going on nightly strolls?" he teased. "Sounds like a date to me."
"AAAAAARGHHH!! Brat!!! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
"Come on now," Hirofumi said calmly, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve. "Have you already forgotten your situation?
Like I told you before—I've signed a summoning contract with the entire World of the Dead.
You, Uchiha Madara, are now my summoned beast.
You literally can't lay a finger on me."
Madara ground his teeth, fists clenched.
"And let's not forget," Hirofumi continued, "you've been revived in a flesh-and-blood body. That's not something to scoff at.
If I die, the contract will dissolve, and you'll return to your Ethereal Fire form—trapped in the World of the Dead like before."
He leaned in just a little.
"So tell me… what's so bad about having a second shot at life, Madara?
Or do you prefer being a floating will-o'-wisp with delusions of grandeur?"
"Arghhh!! Why do I want to PUNCH YOU every time you open your mouth?!"
Madara trembled with rage, but couldn't act. The summoning contract was real.
As much as it wounded his pride, he truly couldn't attack Hirofumi.
Even now, he could feel the tether of chakra between them—faint but undeniably there.
That was the same kind of bond a summoner shared with their Kuchiyose no Jutsu.
The Shura of the Shinobi World… reduced to a summoned beast?!
It was too humiliating to accept.
With a bitter grunt, Madara retracted his hand and folded his arms across his chest.
Oddly enough, as soon as the killing intent vanished, he felt control of his body return.
So it's real. The contract suppresses hostile action…
Damn it… This hurts worse than losing to Hashirama.
What the hell is Obito doing?! Wasn't he supposed to revive me through the Rinne Tensei?!
And now I've been summoned by some brat with a big mouth?!
Madara exhaled sharply.
"Listen, kid. I don't care how this happened, or what you signed.
So I've become what you call a summoned beast—fine.
But don't even dream of commanding me."
Hirofumi raised his hands in surrender.
"Hey, I get it. I never expected to give orders to the legendary Uchiha Madara.
You're the Shura of the Shinobi World, the man who once stood alongside the God of Shinobi!"
"SHUT UP, KID!!!"
Madara's face twitched again, and a faint blush crept up.
The mention of that man—Senju Hashirama—was clearly still a sensitive topic.
Hirofumi grinned. He knew he was playing with fire, but it was hard to resist.
"I dunno, Madara. Something about your tone makes it sound like you miss him.
And that blush—you sure there wasn't something more between you two?"
"Kid, there's something wrong with your mouth!! If I could move my hands right now, I'd smack you into next week!!"
"Hey now, don't be like that," Hirofumi laughed. "Sure, you became my summon, but in exchange, you've been brought back to life!
You're in your prime form, with a real body. That's not bad, right?
And really… you were gonna sit around waiting for Obito to maybe revive you? That guy couldn't even keep track of his own plans."
Madara froze. His Sharingan eyes narrowed dangerously.
"…Kid. What did you just say?"
Hirofumi blinked, tilting his head innocently. "Hmm? Which part are you referring to?"
"Don't play dumb," Madara growled. "You mentioned Obito.
How do you know about him? That wasn't common knowledge—not even in my time!"
"Oh, that?" Hirofumi said casually. "I know a lot more than that.
I know Obito's the one you're counting on to cast the Rinne Tensei no Jutsu.
I know you manipulated him using Rin's death and a fake identity.
I know about the Moon's Eye Plan, the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the Ten-Tails, the whole thing.
And more importantly…"
He pointed directly at Madara.
"…I know that you were fooled, too. Just like Obito."
Madara's expression twisted in shock