"You…"
"You really are…"
"Impossible! That person can't be alive, and he definitely couldn't be as young as you!!"
Hatake Kakashi's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he stared at Leo, his voice trembling.
Yuhi Kurenai, Asuma, Might Guy, Nara Shikaku, and several other elite Jōnin were all caught off guard by Kakashi's unusual reaction. They exchanged puzzled glances, watching as Kakashi grew increasingly agitated—murmuring words that made no sense to them.
At that moment, the atmosphere turned tense.
"Kakashi…" Nara Shikaku furrowed his brow. He knew Kakashi well—something was clearly wrong. Kakashi wasn't someone who acted irrationally.
Reexamining Leo, Shikaku's expression suddenly froze. Leo, clad in traditional red Sengoku-style armor, had just been interrupted while attempting to sit down.
And then it struck him.
"Wait…"
"You…you…"
Like a thunderclap exploding in his mind, Nara Shikaku was hit with a realization. His face turned pale, eyes wide with disbelief. He looked at Leo, his gaze filled with the same mixture of shock and fear that Kakashi had just shown.
"Shikaku? What's gotten into you?"
Akamichi Choza stared at his long-time friend, utterly confused. Shikaku's reaction mirrored Kakashi's perfectly—stunned and trembling.
Yuhi Kurenai, Mitarashi Anko, Asuma, Yamanaka Inoichi, and even the ever-cheerful Might Guy all began to notice that something wasn't right. The energy had shifted.
Suddenly—
"Hmph."
Leo, still standing and having been interrupted mid-motion, let out a quiet chuckle. There was something eerie about the way he laughed, something that unsettled everyone.
"So… you recognized me, didn't you?" he said calmly, his voice echoing slightly.
His gaze turned sharp, dark eyes locking onto Kakashi and Shikaku.
"Everyone," Kakashi finally spoke, his voice low and urgent, "stay alert. We need to be on guard. This man… he might be the legendary—"
"Kakashi!"
"What's going on between you and Shikaku? Why are you so tense around this guy?"
Might Guy stepped forward, his eyebrows furrowed. Though confused, he trusted Kakashi more than anyone.
"But I believe in Kakashi," he said resolutely.
Then, flashing his trademark smile and clenched teeth, he turned to Leo. "So, my friend, please reveal your identity!"
Guy's stance shifted slightly—ready for combat. As Kakashi's eternal rival, he trusted his instincts without hesitation. If Kakashi was on edge, that was all he needed to know.
On cue, the others followed suit—Asuma, Kurenai, Inoichi, Choza—they all turned their eyes toward Leo, ready for anything.
"Hey, hey… what's going on with you people?" Anko asked, still unsure what was happening.
Until—
"Oh, so you want to know who I am?" Leo said, smirking. "I didn't expect that in just seventy or eighty years, Konoha would completely forget the people who lived in the Sengoku era."
There was bitterness in his voice, a subtle resentment.
"But no matter. You want to know my name? Fine."
"In this world," Leo said, with a cruel glint in his eyes, "you may call me—"
Before he could finish his sentence—
"As expected… You're Uchiha Madara!!" Kakashi suddenly shouted, cutting him off.
Leo: "...???"
The room fell into complete silence.
Mitarashi Anko, who had just picked up a pair of chopsticks, dropped them in shock.
Yuhi Kurenai, Asuma, Choza, Might Guy—everyone froze. Their faces were filled with disbelief, their minds unable to process what they'd just heard.
Even Nara Shikaku and Inoichi, who had already begun to suspect the truth, were momentarily stunned by Kakashi's direct declaration.
"U...Uchiha Madara?!" Kurenai gasped. "You're saying he's…"
She couldn't even finish the sentence.
But then something else clicked in her mind.
"That posture…"
Through the name "Uchiha Madara," Kurenai suddenly realized the truth that had eluded her earlier. Leo… looked exactly like the giant stone statue at the Valley of the End.
She hadn't noticed it before, but now the resemblance was impossible to ignore.
The red Sengoku armor. The long, flowing hair. The calm yet oppressive aura.
It was like the stone statue had come to life.
"That statue… It's him! That's Uchiha Madara!"
Leo: "…"
And she wasn't the only one to realize it.
One by one, the other Jōnin began to connect the dots.
Even Asuma, Guy, Anko, and Inoichi—all of them recognized the similarities.
"No… that's impossible!"
"The legendary ninja Uchiha Madara died years ago in his final battle against the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama!"
Asuma stepped forward, vehemently denying the possibility.
Might Guy, Kurenai, and Anko nodded in agreement. It was inconceivable.
The dead couldn't return. Could they?
"Hashirama…"
Leo's lips trembled slightly.
The moment he heard that name, a terrifying shift occurred. His expression darkened, and the atmosphere grew colder.
Within Leo's mind, a surge of chaotic memories ignited. Uchiha Madara's memories—his anger, his pride, his obsession with power—erupted like a volcano.
"Not good! Everyone, retreat!!" Kakashi shouted, realizing something terrible was about to happen.
Luckily, the surrounding Jōnin were seasoned veterans. Though startled, they obeyed Kakashi's command instantly.
"Don't mention that person's name in front of me!!"
BOOM—!!
An earth-shaking explosion of chakra burst from Leo's body.
Even though the Jōnin had already leaped away, the sheer force of the chakra wave shattered the walls around them. The shockwave sent everyone flying, smashing through walls and furniture.
"Aaargh!"
The entire barbecue restaurant was torn apart, and the Jōnin were thrown into the streets outside.
"This chakra…!"
"It's monstrous!"
After tumbling into the street, Shikaku steadied himself and looked back toward the ruins of the restaurant, his voice trembling.
Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and the others joined him. Their faces were pale, their bodies tense.
"This is… unreal. That chakra… it's far beyond anything I've ever felt before."
"Kakashi!" Might Guy shouted, his voice filled with panic. "He… he really might be…"
Kakashi didn't reply. His grip on his kunai tightened, and his eyes focused on the building that had just collapsed.
Chaos erupted on the streets. Diners and pedestrians screamed and ran, convinced it was an earthquake or a terrorist attack.
Even the restaurant owner and staff had fled, abandoning everything.
And then—
"HASHIRAMA!!"
"I have already… reached the other side!!"
Leo stood inside the shattered remains of the restaurant, his voice echoing with rage and pain. He was no longer simply Leo.
Uchiha Madara's consciousness had begun to take over.
His chakra surged violently, overflowing with unrestrained power.
The air grew dense. The sky darkened. Time seemed to slow.
ROAAARRR—!!
A monstrous roar echoed through the village.
BOOM—!!
From within the ruins, a towering blue figure burst through the roof. Leo had summoned Susanoo—Stage Three—a giant armored warrior made entirely of chakra, easily dozens of meters tall.
The creature let out a furious howl as it crushed the remains of the restaurant beneath its feet.
Kakashi stared at it, then looked at the kunai in his hand.
Compared to the being before them, it felt like a toothpick.