Madara nodded. In truth, he had no recollection of the current Uchiha clan.
If it weren't for the secret concerning the young man before him, he might never have returned here until the end of his life.
On the way to Uchiha Tanaka's mansion, Uchiha Chiba kept pondering.
Who exactly was this man behind him? Though he gave off a familiar feeling, Chiba was certain they had never met before.
A thought crossed Chiba's mind—perhaps this "Uchiha Izumi" was a character from the original Naruto series. However, the name didn't match any he could recall.
His thoughts were a tangled mess.
Since he couldn't make sense of it, he decided to let it go for now. "Izumi, is it alright if I call you that?"
"You may do as you please," Madara replied, his gaze never leaving the boy.
"You claim to be a descendant of the Uchiha who lived outside the village. So why return to Konoha now? Where are your relatives? Aren't they coming back with you?"
Relatives?
At the mention of that word, a flicker of memory passed through Uchiha Madara's eyes.
"They're all dead. I'm the only one left."
"…I'm sorry," Chiba apologized, then continued, "Could you tell me more about your circumstances? That way, I can help you when we meet with the clan leader."
"My situation?"
Madara was silent for a moment before answering, "There isn't much to say. My parents and younger brother were killed, and I avenged them. Before my brother died, he told me to return to the Uchiha clan."
What he said was mostly true. His parents had perished during the Warring States Period, and he had avenged them upon reaching adulthood.
As for Senju Tobirama, who took the life of his younger brother, Uchiha Izuna—
He had died indirectly by Madara's hand.
Although someone who could use the Flying Thunder God Technique was nearly impossible to capture, Madara had his ways. By having Black Zetsu destroy all of Tobirama's pre-arranged teleportation marks, the Second Hokage found himself trapped, surrounded by Kumogakure forces, and ultimately fell in battle.
But there was no need to tell the boy any of this.
Chiba, however, found the man's words oddly brief.
And his temperament was far from pleasant.
From his statement, though, one thing was clear: this 'Uchiha Izumi' harbored a much deeper bond with his brother than with his parents.
As expected of the Uchiha clan, famous for their brotherly devotion.
Upon arriving at Uchiha Tanaka's mansion, they happened to run into Uchiha Fugaku, who was just about to leave.
"Huh? Chiba, what brings you to my house?" Fugaku asked, then turned to Madara. "And who is this?"
Chiba explained Madara's situation and his reason for returning.
After listening, Fugaku gave Madara a sympathetic look. "My condolences."
Then he turned back to Chiba. "Go on inside. My father is home. I have something to take care of, so I'll be on my way."
"Understood, Brother Fugaku. Take care."
Once Fugaku left, Chiba led Madara inside.
After meeting Uchiha Tanaka, Chiba once again recounted Madara's situation.
Tanaka studied Madara for a moment before speaking. "So, you're saying you're the only survivor in your family and wish to return to the Uchiha clan?"
"That's right." Madara's words were as concise as ever.
Hearing this, Tanaka nodded. This was not the first time a displaced Uchiha had sought to return. Over the years, several members of the clan, having struggled to survive outside, had come back seeking refuge.
Tanaka was accustomed to handling such cases.
However, he always evaluated each individual before making a decision. Those lacking ninja talent would be placed in the Uchiha clan's business affairs. Those with potential would be allowed to serve within Konoha.
"How strong are you? Have you awakened the Sharingan?" Tanaka asked.
"My strength is decent. And yes, my Sharingan is active."
To prove his point, Madara activated his Sharingan once more.
Seeing the fully-developed three-tomoe Sharingan, Tanaka nodded in satisfaction. A three-tomoe Sharingan was already a mark of an elite Uchiha.
"Excellent. In that case, you'll serve in the police force. We happen to be short on personnel."
Hearing this, Chiba decided his role here was complete. The matter was now in Tanaka's hands.
"Uncle Tanaka, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I have other things to attend to."
Both Tanaka and Madara turned to look at him.
Tanaka nodded. "If you have business to handle, go ahead."
"Goodbye," Madara said.
With that, Chiba nodded and walked away.
As he walked through the village, Chiba muttered to himself, "Izumi… Izumi… Izuna… Izuna!?"
His steps came to an abrupt halt.
That's why he seemed so familiar!
Although Uchiha Izuna had only appeared briefly in the anime, as a devoted Naruto fan, Chiba knew all the characters well.
And after arriving in this world, he had once seen old photographs of past clan members in his grandfather's study.
Among them had been a picture of Uchiha Izuna.
That explained why 'Uchiha Izumi' seemed so familiar.
"But logically speaking, Uchiha Izuna is already dead… so this man must be—"
Chiba's mind raced as he reached a startling realization. This person had Uchiha blood, was intimately familiar with Izuna, and had spent years outside Konoha.
When all these conditions were put together, the truth became evident.
"But why would Uchiha Madara return to Konoha now? What's his objective?"
Chiba was perplexed.
The current situation had spiraled far beyond his expectations. While he had anticipated some divergence from the original timeline due to his presence, everything until now had remained within his control.
But this was different. The return of Uchiha Madara threw the entire story off course.
Considering this, Chiba resolved to investigate when he had time.
After all, he wasn't about to die anytime soon.
And with his current strength, he could at least hold his own against Madara for a while.