Year 2 of Konoha. A man walked alone out of the village gates.
Dressed in black, with a long cascade of dark hair, a scythe and a war fan strapped to his back, he strode toward the golden sunset. His silhouette was proud and solitary-yet tinged with desolation.
He was Uchiha Madara.
Three days ago, he lost the election for Hokage. Senju Hashirama had won by a landslide.
The outcome was nothing like what Hashirama had promised. Not only had Madara failed to become Hokage, but the villagers had also begun to look at him with even more suspicion and disdain.
He had once believed that founding Konoha would bring true peace-but the rift between the Uchiha and the Senju hadn't vanished. The streets were full of laughter, yet all he could feel was estrangement and isolation.
So it had all been an illusion.
From that moment on, he understood: prejudice in the human heart is a mountain too steep to climb. As long as the divide remained, peace was nothing more than a fleeting mirage.
In the long run, the Uchiha would be swallowed by this so-called peace.
He saw it clearly-and urged his clan to leave the village with him.
But not one person followed.
He had lost not only his brother, but his people. Now, he was someone with no admiration, no recognition, no place in either the village or his own clan.
A lonely breeze blew past as the setting sun faded. His long hair fluttered gently. Where no one could see, his eyes dimmed with sorrow.
Then-
A young, urgent voice rang out behind him.
"Madara-sama!"
Madara paused. The bitterness in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by his usual cold dignity.
He turned around.
A boy was running toward him.
Delicate features, fair skin, clad in the high-collared uniform of the Uchiha clan. His short black hair was neat, long lashes gave him a gentle air, and his clear black eyes glimmered like polished ink.
Despite the distance, the boy reached him within seconds-far too fast for someone his age.
"It's you," Madara recognized him.
Uchiha Kamiyo-a young ninja who had caught his attention years ago. Four years prior, the boy had fought on the front lines against the Senju, earning the nickname "Phantom Speed."
"Madara-sama, I didn't expect you to remember me," Kamiyo said sincerely. He stood tall behind Madara. "I am Uchiha Kamiyo. I wish to follow you."
"What?" A ripple passed through Madara's heart. His pupils trembled. "You... want to leave Konoha with me?"
Kamiyo bowed respectfully, voice firm. "Yes. I'm not like those foolish clansmen. I want to go with you."
Madara's gaze turned complex. He scanned the boy from head to toe, then let out a cold snort.
"Hmph. Are you here to pity me?" he said, turning away.
"Go back. I may no longer be your clan head, but I-Uchiha Madara-do not need anyone's sympathy."
Kamiyo tilted his head, confused. "Pity?"
But he noticed-Madara's body hadn't moved. He was still standing there.
So deep down, he wanted Kamiyo to stay.
Kamiyo smiled inwardly. "So stubborn, like every Uchiha," he thought.
"Madara-sama, I truly want to leave Konoha," Kamiyo said. "There's no meaning left in staying here."
"Why?" Madara asked, still facing away.
Kamiyo let out a breath of relief. That question meant he was listening. Earlier, when Madara dismissed him outright, his heart had sunk-he really didn't want to go back.
Because he wasn't from this world.
Kamiyo was a transmigrator, born into this life before Konoha was even founded. He remembered everything-the Warring States Era, the formation of the village, and the tragedy that would befall the Uchiha.
More than that...
His young face darkened with grief.
"The Senju murdered my parents." His voice dropped. "They weren't even ninja-just civilians trying to heal the wounded. But the Senju... still slaughtered them."
"That kind of hatred-I will never let go."
Madara nodded slightly. "So, we share the same pain. But that alone isn't reason enough for me to bring you with me. You still have a younger brother, don't you?"
Kamiyo's eyes turned sharp. "Yes. But that idiot has already been brainwashed by the Senju. All he cares about now is 'the Will of Fire.' He's completely forgotten our hatred. He wants to make peace with the enemy-how laughable."
"Uchiha Kagami has betrayed me. He's no longer my brother."
Madara fell silent. Kamiyo's words clearly struck a chord.
"Ever since you lost the election, I knew-if even you couldn't become Hokage, then no Uchiha ever would," Kamiyo continued. "This false peace was bought with our submission. And those pitiful clansmen... they actually believe the village will accept them?"
"Just like Kagami, they're being slowly boiled alive like frogs. What awaits them is only death by stagnation."
His every word was a blade, cutting deep.
Madara didn't reply, but Kamiyo could see him trembling.
Now was the moment to strike.
"Living there, surrounded by blind fools... sometimes, I forget who I am. I'm done with this clan's ignorance. I'm utterly, completely... disappointed."
Finally, Madara was moved.
He looked up at the sky and exhaled deeply. Though Kamiyo couldn't see his face, the sunset painted his back with an even lonelier hue.
They were both outcasts-two souls who had lost their place in the world.
Kamiyo knew full well that his words wouldn't win approval from anyone else-but to Madara, they were deadly in their truth.
Madara spoke, his tone still proud. "I don't need weak followers."
Kamiyo smiled.
He closed his eyes for a moment, and when they reopened-his black pupils had turned a deep crimson. Three tomoe spun in each eye, swirling with eerie beauty.
"Three-tomoe Sharingan..." Madara finally turned, intrigued. "No wonder you made it to the battlefield so young."
He folded his arms.
"With this level of power, you may... just barely qualify to follow me."
Kamiyo's smile deepened.
Then-
The tomoe in his eyes began to shift and twist, merging into a pattern of gears, like an intricate seal-a breathtakingly flawless Mangekyō Sharingan.
"You've awakened the Mangekyō...?" Madara's expression froze, shaken for the first time.
Only a handful in history had ever reached this point. Even Madara himself had seen only two others.
And now, this boy-this boy-possessed the third.
Though not as strong as Madara's, his eyes gleamed with refined clarity, brimming with potential.
"A fate like mine... the Mangekyō... you might really be able to carry out my will."
Madara had already made up his mind when Kamiyo declared his disappointment with the clan.
But this... this was an unexpected gift.
"A true Uchiha does not bow to false peace. Only those who awaken the Mangekyō can truly see this world for what it is-because they have tasted the deepest pain and despair it holds."
Madara's eyes burned as he locked onto Kamiyo's.
"So tell me... what is your Mangekyō's ability?"
***
Credit to original author.
Raw Title - 开局万花筒,随斑爷出走木叶
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