The surrounding Uchiha reacted before Madara did.
"Even if you are an Uchiha, you cannot speak to the lord like that."
"Are you trying to challenge the clan itself?"
Several of them glared at Jie, ready to move if Madara gave the order.
Madara did not speak immediately.
At first, he had also planned to teach this unknown clansman a lesson and then bring him back under control. A powerful Uchiha appearing at a time like this was too valuable to waste.
But when Madara focused on Jie, his expression slowly changed.
He could not read Jie's strength clearly. At first glance, Jie's chakra seemed calm and perfectly restrained, but when Madara looked deeper, he sensed something vast hidden beneath the surface.
The pressure was faint, but unmistakable.
So that was why Jie dared to challenge him the moment they met. The others only saw an arrogant stranger. Madara saw someone powerful enough to make that arrogance feel natural.
Even so, he felt no fear. If anything, sensing that strength only made him more interested.
Jie also had no killing intent.
His words were provocative, but Madara could tell that he had not come as an enemy of the clan. There was curiosity in him, and perhaps the desire to test something, but not hostility. After a short silence, Madara laughed.
"Good."
The Uchiha around him froze. Madara looked at Jie with clear interest.
"Not many people in the ninja world would dare say that to me. Fewer still would have the strength to make me take it seriously."
Jie's expression did not change.
"I accept your challenge," Madara said.
The surrounding Uchiha were stunned, but no one interrupted.
"However, you have travelled all the way here. Come back to the compound first. Once you have rested, we will see about that challenge."
Jie looked at him for a moment, then nodded. At least this version of Madara still had the courage to face a challenge directly.
"Lead the way."
Madara turned toward the compound, and Jie followed beside him.
The Uchiha around them exchanged uncertain looks. A moment earlier, they had been ready to treat Jie as a threat. Now their clan leader had accepted him as a guest. No one understood what Madara had sensed, but no one questioned his decision.
"Jie Uchiha, was it?"
"Yes."
"You look younger than me, so I will call you Jie."
"Do as you like."
Madara glanced at him.
"You say you are an Uchiha, and your Sharingan proves it. But I have never seen you in the clan. Where did you come from?"
Jie had expected the question.
There was no way Madara could recognise him. In this era, even his father had not been born yet, let alone Jie himself.
Explaining time travel would only create more trouble.
"It is difficult to explain in a few words," Jie said. "You only need to know that I am indeed an Uchiha."
Madara studied him for a moment, then turned around.
"Let's say that is enough for now."
He did not fully believe Jie, but the Sharingan was real, Jie had shown no hostility, and the coming conflict with the Senju made a powerful Uchiha too useful to reject. If Jie was willing to stand with the clan, Madara could use his strength in the next battle.
The Uchiha compound soon came into view.
Compared with the Konoha compound Jie knew, this one felt sharper and more guarded. Watchtowers stood near the outer walls, patrols moved through the entrances, and many buildings showed signs of repair.
Everything about it looked built for a clan that expected another attack at any moment.
The Uchiha who remained inside the compound quickly noticed Madara returning with an unfamiliar young man. Word spread almost immediately, and curious eyes followed Jie from every direction.
A strange Uchiha with a mature Sharingan... A man the clansmen did not know... Someone Madara personally brought back.
That was enough to draw attention.
Jie also noticed that there were far more women, children, and elderly people in the compound than adult male fighters. The reason was obvious... Years of war had taken most of them from their families.
Madara briefly introduced Jie to several elderly clan members, then arranged a room for him in the guest quarters. After that, he left to prepare a welcome gathering.
Jie had no particular interest in the formality, but he did not refuse.
That evening, the Uchiha clan held a small banquet for him.
It was called a welcome, but Jie could feel the testing beneath the surface. Some wanted to know where he came from. Others wanted to see how Madara treated him. A few simply wanted a closer look at the young three-tomoe Uchiha who had appeared from nowhere.
After dealing with the banquet for as long as he could, Jie found an excuse to slip away to a quieter place outside.
He had only been alone for a short while when Madara arrived with two bottles of wine.
"Not used to this kind of scene?" Madara tossed him one of the bottles.
Jie caught it and looked back toward the lively hall. "Are Uchiha people always this enthusiastic?"
Madara laughed once, but the sound soon faded.
"The war has gone on for too long."
He sat down nearby and opened his bottle.
"Too many people have died. Those who remain have to keep living, keep the clan going, and find some way to cover the pain. Sometimes that turns into laughter. Sometimes it turns into desperation."
Jie did not answer immediately.
He had seen war, but not the kind Madara had grown up with. In his era, Konoha's strength had ended most conflicts quickly. Madara had lived in a world where children were sent to fight and every victory only led to another feud.
Madara took a drink, then looked at Jie seriously.
"Help me."
Jie turned toward him.
"I still do not know your full strength," Madara said, "but I know you are not weak. You may even be stronger than I think."
He paused.
"...In the next battle with the Senju, help me hold back Tobirama."
So that was his plan.
"If you can keep Tobirama occupied, I can fight Hashirama without interference. Once Hashirama falls, the Senju clan will lose its pillar."
He tightened his grip around the bottle.
"When the Senju are defeated, no clan in the Land of Fire will be able to resist the Uchiha. We can bring them all under one order and end this endless fighting."
Madara's voice carried certainty. Not doubt.
"Only then can there be real peace."
Jie looked at him for a moment, then smiled faintly.
Madara had not changed as much as the stories made it seem.
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