“How is it?
Delicious, right?”
Kiyoi Gen laughed.
He finally saw Lord Madara show an expression of surprise.
These meat granules were one of his trump cards.
“The raw materials and the processing method for this cured meat are a secret; only my Village has it.”
It was indeed impressive.
But to a powerhouse of his level, it was useless.
Uchiha Madara inexplicably thought of his Uchiha clansmen again, and his mood grew even more depressed.
Favorability -1
Damn!
Kiyoi Gen’s heart skipped a beat again.
Why did the favorability drop by one point!
It wasn’t until three seconds later, when the favorability returned to 50, that Kiyoi Gen felt less nervous.
He dared to swear.
Lord Madara was currently the only man he cared about so much that even when treated with cold eyes, he couldn’t help but want to constantly fuss over him.
He had already eaten such delicious meat.
Not even a single point of favorability increased—that was just (damn) ridiculous!
How was his strategy—bah!
How was his grand plan of smooth-talking supposed to succeed?!
Wasn’t Lord Madara only in his thirties right now?
Having just left the Village, his personality shouldn’t be that cold-blooded, right?
Surely he wouldn’t refuse to give any chance at all?
Could he have changed so much just because he and Senju Hashirama had become strangers?
“What is your name?”
Dark eyes looked over.
This time, Uchiha Madara’s expression held a hint of loneliness.
The firelight illuminated both their faces, and Kiyoi Gen tried to speak to him as calmly as possible.
“Kiyoi Gen.”
Madara paused for a second, then asked directly.
“Why did you seek me out?”
Chapter 3: Churi Village
Here it comes!
Kiyoi Gen remained calm and composed.
He had already guessed this question.
“There are many purposes.”
“The most important one is to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with Lord Madara and strengthen my territory.”
Uchiha Madara’s expression did not change.
“You know of me, then.”
“I do.”
Kiyoi Gen said resolutely.
Ever since he reincarnated into this Ninja World and learned the plot before Naruto became Hokage, he had been preparing since childhood.
How could he not pay attention to Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, who stood at the pinnacle of the Ninja World?
Coming to Konoha Village alone—wasn’t that to take the most important step in his plan?
He had even staked his life on it!
“Whether it is Lord Hashirama or Lord Madara, I have studied both in depth.”
“To realize my goal, Lord Madara’s assistance is necessary!”
Goal.
Uchiha Madara recalled his original goal.
To end this chaotic world.
Then, what kind of purpose was this youth harboring to want to unify the Ninja World?
“Lord Madara.”
“To understand a person, simple conversation is not enough.”
“Why not see the Village I have built with your own eyes!”
Seeing Kiyoi Gen’s smile and eyes, Madara was stunned for a moment.
This gaze, it was very similar—truly very similar.
And, full of confidence.
It had been a long time since he had seen someone show this expression in front of him.
Only the one friend who could stand behind him.
His empty left hand tightened involuntarily.
Favorability +1
!!
What?!
Kiyoi Gen, who had kept the character panel open to monitor the other party’s movements, was overjoyed.
Had he finally gained a little bit of Lord Madara’s recognition?!
But why hadn’t he spoken for so long?
Uchiha Madara simply closed his eyes and crossed his arms.
He had no intention of putting down the gunbai on his back.
Fine, it seemed Lord Madara had no intention of replying to him.
Kiyoi Gen was not discouraged.
As the reincarnation of Indra, it would be strange if Madara could easily get along with him…
Without patience, one shouldn’t dream of pulling Lord Madara into their own camp.
After hurriedly finishing the remaining meat granules and tidying up, Kiyoi Gen took a blanket from his backpack and covered himself.
He was getting used to sleeping outdoors.
It had taken over a week to travel from his Village to Konoha, but at Lord Madara’s pace, he estimated they could reach it by tomorrow afternoon with him in tow.
Before sleeping, Kiyoi Gen specifically took a look at Lord Madara.
The face hidden beneath that long hair appeared somewhat cold and gloomy.
They were facing each other, with their backs to the cave wall, and the flames before them were about to go out.
‘Given Lord Madara’s personality, since he agreed to escort me, he will surely protect me.’
‘I wonder when I will be able to become the person who can stand behind him.’
Thinking of the fact that Uchiha Madara’s only two deaths were both caused by being backstabbed, Kiyoi Gen shook his head.
Forget it, it’s better to just stand by his side.
He slowly closed his eyes.
He hadn’t slept well for many days, and even with the system’s assistance, he couldn’t keep going.
After three seconds, Kiyoi Gen fell into a deep sleep, and a very faint snoring sound echoed in the cave.
At this moment, Uchiha Madara opened his eyes.
‘He actually fell asleep so quickly.’
He had absolutely no vigilance, as if he trusted that he could protect his safety.
Perhaps it was because he was the third son of a daimyo, and he was accustomed to this.
Uchiha Madara didn’t quite dare to believe his own guess.
The youth in front of him seemed to truly harbor a strange, inexplicable trust in him.
This kind of trust.
He shook his head and wiped the faces of two people from his mind.
Sincere, heartfelt trust.
Hashirama, you are too naive.
The next morning, Kiyoi Gen was woken up.
Then, he was once again lifted by his collar and flown between the tree branches.
If they reached an open area, Lord Madara would directly increase his speed.
The speed was so fast that Kiyoi Gen’s feet couldn’t even touch the ground.
Regarding this, Kiyoi Gen decided he would just have to get used to it.
Lord Madara, with his abundant stamina, probably wouldn’t even be tired after running like this for a day.
After all, he was someone who could fight high-intensity battles with Hashirama for three days and three nights.
Just carrying him, a single person, probably felt like nothing.
Finally, near dusk, the two reached their destination.
Accompanied by the sound of landing, Kiyoi Gen steadied his body and stood on the ground.
Lord Madara was much gentler this time.
He was quite happy that his backside didn’t have to suffer.
At this moment, they were at the edge of a forest; further ahead, one could see a relatively wide meadow.
Uchiha Madara’s eyes suddenly changed into the scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan, directly capturing a figure darting through the grass.
This is…
“Lord Madara, once we reach this point, there are reconnaissance guards I sent to set up.”
Kiyoi Gen also saw the shadow that flashed by and explained to Uchiha Madara with a smile.
“There are Ninjas I support in the Village, so basic safety can be guaranteed.”
“Hmm.”
Uchiha Madara gave a simple grunt of acknowledgment.
These guards were quite interesting; were they summoning beasts?
“I’ll have to trouble Lord Madara to accompany me for a while longer.”
“The reward will be presented when I return to my residence.”
Seeing that Uchiha Madara did not speak, Kiyoi Gen was not surprised and walked straight out of the forest edge.
The view opened up suddenly, revealing large stretches of hills and meadows.
In the distance, there was a ten-meter-high wooden wall; it wasn’t considered high, but it was very long.
The wooden wall enclosed a cluster of buildings, and only a few very tall structures could be seen from the outside.
Standing on a slightly higher hill and looking into the distance, one could vaguely see the ocean.