Chapter 89: I'll Give You a Simple Explanation
In real life, you might be bullied, but in dreams, you can do whatever you want.
In reality, you might be treated worse than a dog, but in dreams, you stand high above everyone else.
In reality, you might be dirt-poor and down on your luck, but in dreams, you are unimaginably wealthy.
In reality, you might be nothing more than an unappreciated Genin, but in dreams, you are a respected Hokage.
When every living being in the shinobi world experiences unprecedented beauty in their dreams, sees scenery they have never seen before, and experiences the wonderful feeling of standing above others, how many people will still choose to stand with Hashirama?
How could he make these pitiful people give up the comfortable life they dream of and return to the cruel reality, where they work like livestock?
In the face of Infinite Tsukuyomi, Hashirama's ideals held no appeal whatsoever.
"Old man."
"Old man."
Uchiha Madara was immersed in fantasies about his future life when he suddenly heard a familiar voice calling him.
He slowly opened his eyes and came back to reality from his dream.
He looked up at the ceiling, his vision gradually shifting from blurry to clear.
Madara moved his eyes slightly and looked at Asuka, who had suddenly appeared beside his bed.
"You came quite early."
Asuka nodded, then handed him a tissue.
"Wipe your mouth. This is the only downside to getting old: your facial skin becomes loose, and your muscles aren't as easy to control."
Madara took the tissue, wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, and said expressionlessly,
"I've already grown accustomed to this increasingly decayed body that I can often no longer control."
Hearing a trace of exhaustion hidden beneath the old man's indifferent voice, Asuka secretly examined his body before shaking his head.
He was simply too old. All the organs throughout his body had already reached their limits.
If he didn't suddenly die from some unexpected cause, he should still have about ten days left to live.
It was already the end of June.
Seeing Uchiha Asuka slowly shake his head, Madara slowly stood up and said quietly,
"Looks like you know that I don't have much time left."
He then walked to the window, pushed it open, took a few breaths of fresh air, and admired the scenery of Konoha.
He and Hashirama had possessed remarkably sharp judgment back then, choosing this place as the site for Konoha Village.
Madara's gaze fell upon the Hokage Rock.
After lingering on Senju Tobirama's statue for a moment, his aged voice continued,
"I don't have much time left. How much you can learn from me now depends on your ability."
Asuka walked over to Uchiha Madara and placed both hands on the windowsill.
With a slightly embarrassed expression, he said,
"Old man, during this final stretch, could you teach me a little more?"
"I'll write it all down and study it slowly."
???
Uchiha Madara's brows furrowed tightly.
I might as well give you my head.
And this kid still wants me to teach him more.
At that moment, the door across the street suddenly opened.
Seeing a man and a woman emerge, Uchiha Madara shook his head and said,
"A shinobi shouldn't concern himself with matters between men and women. He shouldn't concern himself with love and romance."
Hearing the old man suddenly say something so inexplicable, Asuka followed Madara's gaze toward the other side.
When he saw Yūhi Kurenai limping out of her house while leading the limping [Uchiha Ri], an expression of realization appeared on Asuka's face.
He explained,
"Our relationship is completely pure. She accidentally kicked her thigh yesterday, which is why she's walking like that."
"Of course, she kicked me too."
Remembering the fight in the office yesterday, Asuka pouted and didn't continue.
If he hadn't suppressed his strength, he definitely wouldn't have been beaten yesterday.
Yūhi Kurenai had gotten off far too easily.
She had defeated him with Chūnin-level strength.
And he had suppressed himself all the way down to the level of a Genin.
"Of course I can tell that nothing happened between the two of you."
Uchiha Madara watched Yūhi's departing figure and said in a low voice,
"But what I want to say is that women sometimes can't help you. Instead, they are very likely to become obstacles to your plans."
Thinking of Obito's hesitation before losing the woman he loved, followed by how much stronger and more decisive he became afterward, Madara suddenly turned his head toward Asuka.
After looking him up and down, he asked,
"Is there also a woman in your heart who is beyond your reach?"
"The kind of woman you've always admired but can never touch?"
"A woman beyond my reach?"
Asuka muttered to himself for a while before an expression of realization appeared on his face.
Wasn't he talking about a [white moonlight]?
This old man really loves gossiping.
Thinking of this, Asuka shrugged and said casually,
"Does a rotten apple count?"
Madara's brows furrowed again.
"What do you mean?"
Asuka pointed toward the Hokage Rock and continued,
"I was young back then, and I greatly admired Tsunade's heroic bearing. Sometimes, I would even dream about her."
"But after I discovered her other side, she rotted in my heart."
"Then forget about it."
Uchiha Madara shook his head and also cast the thought out of his mind.
He had already investigated Asuka before.
He discovered that, unlike Obito, Asuka did not have someone he secretly loved or someone he felt was worth protecting.
After a brief silence,
Madara tapped his cane against the floor, his expression suddenly becoming serious.
"You want the current clan head to get divorced in order to resolve the clan's current predicament, correct?"
Resolve the clan's predicament?
At that time, he had been planning to defect and had blurted those words out.
It was only after the system appeared that his defection plan had been delayed by several years.
Now, hearing this old man describe him in such noble terms...
Asuka immediately put away his frivolous expression and said seriously,
"That's exactly what I think."
"Hmm!"
Uchiha Madara gave a soft grunt and said calmly,
"Since your goal is to help the Uchiha clan escape its predicament, then listen to me."
Bang!
Asuka moved a chair behind Uchiha Madara and sat down beside him, looking like a student prepared to listen attentively.
The entire Uchiha clan not only didn't support his proposal, but not even a single person had offered him advice.
The only one, Uchiha Kyūdai, sat behind him during the clan meeting because he disliked everyone else.
After sitting down, Uchiha Madara gazed at the white clouds slowly drifting across the sky.
A wise smile appeared on his face as he said,
"After giving it some thought, I've come up with a simple plan for you."
"It consists of three steps."
"Distance—separation—divorce."
Hearing this, Asuka looked at the old man before him with a strange expression.
Had this man come up with similar ideas before?
He sounded extremely experienced when talking about this.
Seeing him straighten his posture and sit beside him like a good student, Uchiha Madara couldn't help chuckling.
Wasn't he merely persuading someone to get divorced?
What was so difficult about that?
Back when the Senju and Uzumaki clans formed an alliance, how many methods had the Uchiha clan come up with to destroy that alliance?
Madara forcibly suppressed the smile on his face, rubbed his hands over his cane, and slowly said,
"Driving a married couple apart is actually very simple."
"You only need to make one side feel distant from and suspicious of the other."
"The simplest method is to [find an outsider]."
???
Asuka clicked his tongue and didn't accept the suggestion.
He always felt that this old man was plotting some terrible scheme.
He also knew that doing this would drive the couple apart.
But...
Who could seduce the head of the Uchiha clan?
Who could seduce the wife of the Uchiha clan head?
He knew that he was handsome, but Asuka didn't think he was suited for this job.
Uchiha Mikoto was currently looking at him with murderous intent.
How could he possibly seduce her?
"Heh heh~"
Madara chuckled softly and continued speaking to himself.
"Asuka, have you ever considered establishing connections between your clan head and the heads of other clans?"
"No!"
Asuka shook his head very sincerely.
At this moment, he heard Uchiha Madara continue,
"Konoha is ultimately a village of shinobi clans."
"If you don't improve the way the other clans view you, the Uchiha clan's situation in Konoha still won't be very good."
"Go."
"Create an opportunity for the clan head to interact and communicate with the heads of other shinobi clans."
"For example, hold a banquet."
"But..."
Asuka hesitated before asking in confusion,
"Old man, what you're saying doesn't seem to have anything to do with 'distance.'"
Uchiha Madara's smile froze.
He looked at Asuka's confused expression and couldn't help feeling somewhat puzzled.
What he had said wasn't that profound, was it?
It should have been easy to understand, right?
After a brief silence, he tightened his grip on his cane and said expressionlessly,
"People who drink heavily inevitably do things they regret afterward."
"Oh~~~"
Asuka drew out the word "oh" for a long time.
He understood now.
Find some older sister?
Seeing the old man looking at him like an idiot, Asuka's mouth twitched.
He silently said,
"Old man, anyone capable of becoming a clan head can't possibly be unable to control his lower half."
Uchiha Madara nodded in agreement.
"You're right."
Then he slowly stood up, his gaze falling upon the Hokage Building as he continued,
"The first time, perhaps because they aren't familiar with each other, they won't let their guard down."
"The second time, perhaps because they're cautious, they still won't let their guard down."
"The third time, perhaps because of pride, they still won't let their guard down."
"But the fiftieth time?"
"What about the hundredth time?"
Asuka stroked his chin with one hand and instinctively asked,
"What if they still haven't let their guard down by then??"
"Idiot!"
Madara looked at this foolish grandson with an expression of complete disappointment.
"Uchiha Fugaku has already eaten with the other clan heads a hundred times."
"He's long since become familiar with the other shinobi clan heads."
"If they've drunk together a hundred times and can still control themselves, then let them control themselves!"
"Your ultimate goal is to resolve the clan's predicament, not to make all the heads of Konoha's shinobi clans collectively commit adultery."
Hearing this, Asuka immediately gave the old man two thumbs up in praise.
"So that's how it is."
"Hmph!"
Uchiha Madara snorted coldly inwardly and turned his head away.
As for how to arrange for so many clan heads to eat together, that was something he needed to consider.
He had merely given the other party a suggestion.
"However."
Asuka stood up and walked toward the door.
He suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at the old man standing inside.
"Is this the only way?"
Hearing the other's question, Uchiha Madara widened his eyes and sneered.
"If you really want them to get divorced, then let some toad attend the banquet."
"That's all."
The moment he finished speaking, Asuka saw a cane flying toward him.
He hurriedly shut the door and left.
Bang!
Looking at the cane lying on the floor, Uchiha Madara placed both hands on the windowsill.
Then he looked at Asuka running down the street and roared,
"Get lost!"
"Old man, don't be angry. I'll bring you some special ramen tonight."