Konoha.
That is to say, this hostage—worthless, disruptive, and blissfully unaware—had brought endless trouble to the team. The so-called rescue team really wanted to let him die quickly and be done with it.
Hand 040 Ju's eyes scanned over, and a jolt flickered through his gaze.
His already pale face turned an unnatural shade of green.
And then came the second, even worse, possibility...
He saw that, except for Konoha, the rest of the Ninja village tour group was staring at him like he was some kind of exotic monkey.
Looking around, he noticed that Ōnoki—the very same Tsuchikage he'd once threatened—was standing nearby.
Ōnoki's lips twitched, his eyes narrowed in disbelief as he scanned him from head to toe.
Still, two possibilities remained.
This man is a prisoner!
But Brother Cong clearly doesn't know that yet.
He's been through these spot checks countless times.
Back then, he'd had to kill his teammates—too weak, liable to get captured, too much risk they'd spill secrets under torture.
So—
Should he resist?
But what kind of rescue kills the hostage? How is that even rescue?
Still… Madara is Madara.
Of course, she and her two younger brothers had no idea.
The same brat who nearly pissed himself under Madara's gaze back then!
Ōnoki's scalp tingled as he stared at Brother Cong.
Today, has Uchiha Madara really become a zoo exhibit?
He basically said nothing under interrogation.
Why was such a powerful man content being a mere squad captain?
Ridiculous.
Pat—a hand slammed the coffin board.
His moment of glory… was just that. A moment.
Can he confess what lies inside his heart?
Why not just bring the old man here?
Madara turned around and left, but he paused, dazed, looking back.
Isn't this all… normal now?
"Are you sure that's your final answer?"
There were only five patrols scheduled for today, plus one in the early morning.
And clearly, Madara doesn't know.
Brother Cong's brows suddenly furrowed as he issued a stern warning.
"As a Konoha labor reformer, I declare proudly—Konoha's honor lies in struggle! Absolute obedience to orders!"
Kankurō shot Iruka a glare of indignation, holding up his exam sheet.
Could a mere Guard Team Captain of Konoha actually frighten Uchiha Madara?
It's still impossible for him to surpass Brother Cong. He was the one who got beat up and hung out to dry.
What did the youth named Uchiha Satoshi do to Madara?
Once Madara is officially released, she'll have an identity certificate as a Konoha shinobi. After passing the observation period, she'll be counted as one of their own.
In this Chūnin Exam, those outdated, formulaic written questions had long been tossed aside.
This phenomenon—
Now.
Absurd.
So what if he's a prisoner?
Still, one must admit—
Such leaves...
Even if Madara is a prisoner now, Ōnoki snorted and quickly regained his composure.
But—
"This is your first time putting on airs, so I'll let it slide. Next time, you'll regret it!"
"Understood! I'm here!"
A sharp whistle snapped him to attention.
The moment Bai Ye arrived—when Brother Cong realized he could never outshine the captain, no matter how hard he tried—and chose instead to follow the captain to unify the world… when that mental transformation happened, everything was already sealed in fate.
When will that flicker of emotion ever appear in Madara's eyes?
Brother Cong doesn't treat all prisoners the same under labor reform. Those who perform well receive varied rewards.
However, there are things outsiders can't comprehend or accept.
"Konoha's prisoners… are still Konoha's people. Don't forget that."
And now—
The real Uchiha Madara.
Temari rubbed her temples and sighed helplessly, worry glinting in her eyes.
Madara always received… special treatment after interrogations.
No one could fully follow Brother Cong's mental gymnastics.
Only, in the next second, Ōnoki's emotions took another hit.
Why code names?
On the two coffins: one was labeled "First," and the other "Second."
He hung his head and closed his eyes.
The old man had actually been scared pissless by this person?
"You know how poor our Sand Village is. Surely you understand, right?"
"What's the rule for ninja infiltration? Kill all witnesses—no one lives to talk."
Kill all witnesses, and you'll never be found out.
If you didn't know him, just by his current look—
Madara's instincts kicked in.
"My guard team would never allow one of our own to be wronged!"
That whistle—it meant Uchiha Satoshi was calling for him personally.
There was a gleam of respect in his eyes.
Brother Cong scoffed, slapped Madara on the shoulder, and told him to keep working hard.
"So the so-called former Ninja World's Shura is nothing but this?"
"Captain Madara! These bricks can't be moved!"
That question…
Then, when Madara greeted him, he was even more horrified.
"In other words… he's under protection by my Konoha Guard from now on."
With the Chūnin Exams approaching—
Entire facilities were cleared to build a massive library inside.
"That being the case, I'll be sure to leave you an intact corpse next time."
Anger. Panic. Fear!
The old man couldn't utter a word with his typical sarcasm?
…
The initial infiltration code made some sense.
"Old man, be careful."
"Uchiha Madara will be released soon. He'll be one of Konoha's shinobi."
"Did you notice? Ever since Father came to Konoha, he's been acting… weird."
What did he glimpse in Madara's eyes?
He's not the kid from decades ago anymore!
With his impeccable disguise, he thought he had no weaknesses.
But Bai Ye had completely outplayed Tsunade—and none of these narratives came from truth. They were all fabricated.
Naturally.
Since when did Konoha's prisoners deserve Iwagakure's mockery?
"A real shinobi would never allow themselves to become a hostage. This question is flawed from the start."
Even if he said it—would anyone even believe him?
Holistic thinking?
When Uchiha Madara wheeled his shovel toward the coal pile, he planned to let out all his frustration.
The tour group moved on.
As he turned his head—as though singled out by Brother Cong—Ōnoki shivered.
If not for his faith in Infinite Tsukuyomi and his decades of endurance, anyone else would've lost it long ago!
Madara wanted to cry but had no tears. She bowed her head to Brother Cong in silence.
First—
…
Shouldn't Uchiha Satoshi follow up with a sarcastic jab?
A question meant to be answered with depth.
That was Ōnoki.
It's over, right?
So cruel.
That whistle wasn't just a routine one. It was Uchiha Satoshi's personal whistle for Madara's call-up.
Ōnoki glared at Uchiha Satoshi—his expression accusing him of blatant favoritism.
Who's going to believe a lunatic who dreams of unifying the world through some infinite illusion?
Temari was left speechless.
Ninja Academy.
Isn't this insulting everyone's intelligence?
Play zones and commercial hubs—those were the key developmental projects now.
Beside her, Ōnoki muttered with his trademark sarcasm. Madara shot him a chilling glance.
And who exactly are you, Ōnoki?
She was right.
The sightseeing continued.
Give him some respect!
Even if he'd been resurrected in his prime—
Someone like this in Iwagakure? He'd be Anbu Commander, minimum!
"From Lord Bai Ye's perspective, this question forces self-reflection, challenges the respondent to grow stronger to avoid such situations!"
"A true divine vision!"
"Forget it—don't sweat the details."
No need to ask.
Madara inhaled deeply and calmed himself.
Just the way Uchiha Bai Ye narrated with that self-assured tone could stir people's emotions.
That's the sub-commander's style—he knew what he wanted to hear.
The Laogai zone was just the tip of the iceberg.
But when he came—
Was this really something the Sand Village could handle?
He reacted purely out of habit.
Iruka's mouth twitched slightly as he continued leading Genin in their exam prep.
"Sarah, begin."
Resist?
It took Uchiha Satoshi six whole years to make Madara understand: some things just couldn't be resisted. Physical pain was nothing compared to psychological collapse.
It's all meaningless now!
Was this really the same proud Madara, arms crossed in old Konoha, declaring how Iwagakure was beneath them?
Ignoring Ōnoki and the shock of the tour group shinobi, Brother Cong spoke confidently.
He never thought, in this kind of scenario, that Brother Cong would be the one to speak on his behalf.
It really made people stop and think.
Are you proud of being strong?
And what disgusted him even more—
Konoha, and even the Genin across the ninja world, were deep into review sessions now.
"Recite Article 3, Clause 7 of the Reform through Labor Act!"
"What logic is this—capture the hostage, then kill them to solve the crisis?"
Yet you were just showing off your strength earlier?
The current Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had long been replaced by Orochimaru.
"What if the hostage was caught on purpose? What if he was bait, working with the rescue team to draw the enemy out and destroy them?"
Labor reform camp.
The psychological pressure had made obedience his default response.
"He even locked himself in his room the whole night yesterday."
If Kisame were here, he'd have taken this result to heart.
Orochimaru stood, cold and smiling, before the two coffins.
Why?
That old, arrogant Uchiha Madara seemed to return. A single word decided life or death.
Temari, beside him, suddenly understood after nervously checking her answer sheet.
After understanding this truth, Ōnoki was left dazed.
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This… this is the reality of the shinobi world.
"Isn't that obvious?"
Orochimaru formed a seal.
Madara's face turned dark. Dropping the shovel, she bolted—arriving before Brother Cong in less than sixty seconds.
PS: Half a month of daily updates, 24k words a day… I'm exhausted.
To ensure fairness, Konoha allowed other Genin time for final exam prep.
You wouldn't understand.
Time passes.
Kankurō raised an eyebrow. "Maybe Dad's just a bit stunned by what Konoha's become."
"What are your orders, sir?"
Konoha now… was absurdly massive.
Temari frowned, leaned toward Kankurō, and whispered.
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