After witnessing that scene, Ito Akira finally confirmed something beyond any doubt—
Uchiha Madara truly could not attack him.
The tension that had been coiled in Akira's chest loosened instantly. A smile crept onto his face, slow and uncontrollable, and before he realized it, the corner of his mouth had tilted upward.
Then it tilted higher.
Especially when he saw Madara standing there with his arm frozen mid-motion, surprise clearly written across his face, Akira felt that smile stretch almost beyond control.
"Uchiha Madara," Akira said calmly, though the satisfaction in his voice was impossible to hide,"didn't I already explain this to you?"
"I signed a contract with the world of the dead. After paying a certain price, I can turn the deceased into my own summons."
He paused, then looked Madara straight in the eye.
"And you—right now—you are my summoned being."
Madara's expression darkened instantly.
"Insolent!"
His voice thundered through the space.
"Do you even know who I am?!"
"How dare you call me a summoned beast?!"
He stepped forward, fury blazing in his eyes.
"Brat! No one in this world has ever spoken to me like this!"
Akira raised his hands in a perfectly innocent gesture.
"Of course I know who you are," he replied easily."Uchiha Madara."
"The former head of the Uchiha clan. The Shura of the ninja world. The man whose Fire Release dominated battlefields."
He continued smoothly, as if reciting from memory.
"You stood alongside the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, pacified the Warring States era, and helped establish Konohagakure."
"You're also closely associated with the man known as the God of Shinobi."
Madara felt a flicker of satisfaction at first.
The brat knew his history.
But the longer Akira spoke, the more something felt… off.
"The Shura part is correct," Madara muttered. "But—wait."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Since when am I the 'God of Shinobi'? That title belongs to Hashirama!"
"I know," Akira replied without missing a beat."Hashirama Senju is the God of Shinobi—the First Hokage."
"And you," he added thoughtfully, "are the man of the God of Shinobi."
"I don't see a problem there."
"..."
For a moment, Madara said nothing.
Akira blinked.
Was it his imagination, or had Madara's face gone slightly red?
No way, Akira thought. No way.
Is there actually something going on between those two?
He hadn't meant anything by it. In his previous life, people paired historical figures together all the time. Hashirama and Madara. Tobirama and Izuna. Even combinations like Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Fugaku weren't unheard of.
Konoha was practically overflowing with complicated relationships.
Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke.Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō.
It was all just idle speculation.
But Madara's reaction…
Akira couldn't help himself.
"No way," he said slowly. "Are you actually involved with the First Hokage?"
Madara's face flushed instantly.
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
"What kind of ridiculous talk is that?!"
"Me? With that idiot?!"
His voice rose sharply.
"That man has something wrong with his head! He used to drag me out in the middle of the night just to skip stones!"
"What could I possibly have with someone like that?!"
"Brat," he snapped, "I'm warning you—stop talking nonsense!"
Akira stared at him, then nodded solemnly.
"…You two even went out together at night?"
"AHHHH—!"
Madara exploded.
"Enough! I'll kill you!"
"Come on," Akira said casually. "You know very well what state you're in right now."
"I already told you—I hold a contract with the world of the dead. You're my summon. You can't do anything to me."
He leaned slightly forward.
"And no matter how you look at it, your current condition counts as resurrection, doesn't it?"
"If I die, the contract dissolves. You'll return to being nothing more than soul fire in the world of the dead."
Akira tilted his head.
"So tell me—what's better? A body of flesh and blood… or going back to that?"
"You don't want to return to being soul fire again… do you, Uchiha Madara?"
"…Damn it," Madara growled. "Why do I want to punch you even more after hearing that?"
He was furious.
And completely helpless.
There was nothing he could do.
He had already sensed it—his chakra was undeniably bound by a summoning contract linked directly to Akira.
Which meant that he, the Shura of the ninja world…
Had truly become a summoned being.
Madara drew his hand back and crossed his arms. To his surprise, once he let go of the intent to kill, his body immediately returned to his control.
"…Tch."
It hurt.
It hurt badly.
Obito, he cursed silently. What are you doing?
Why haven't you revived me yet?
How did things end up like this?
"Kid," Madara said at last, his voice heavy,"I don't know why I've signed this so-called summoning contract with you."
"Or why I've become what you insist on calling a summoned beast."
"But if you think that means you can command me…"
He looked down at Akira coldly.
"You're delusional."
"That's fine," Akira replied easily. "I don't expect to command you."
"After all, you're the Shura of the ninja world."
"The man known as the God of Shinobi."
"Shut up!" Madara snapped.
Every time he heard that title now, Hashirama's foolish grin flashed through his mind.
Akira's smile widened again.
"Kid," Madara said darkly, "is there something wrong with your mouth? You look like you're begging to be beaten."
"If I could touch you, I'd slap you flat."
"Madara," Akira said calmly, "don't be so angry."
"Whatever the circumstances, you have been resurrected."
"Were you really planning to rely on Uchiha Obito—that unreliable one—to bring you back?"
Madara's expression changed instantly.
"…What did you just say?"
His brows drew together sharply.
"How do you know about that?"
Akira blinked."Which part?"
"Don't play dumb," Madara snapped. "How do you know about Obito?"
"Oh, that?" Akira said lightly.
"I know a lot more than that."
"I know you needed Obito to revive you."
"I know you manipulated him."
"I even know about the Eye of the Moon Plan."
Akira looked directly at Madara.
"And I also know this—"
"You and Obito… were both deceived."