Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

Despite his advanced age, Uchiha Madara had a habit of addressing others—especially those younger than him—with a condescending, almost fatherly tone. Normally, this made sense. But when two older men engaged in such a conversation, the dynamic seemed... odd.

Madara, a man in his fifties, looked at Onoki—an equally aged but shorter figure—as though addressing a naive child.

"Uchiha Madara, I am not the same person I was decades ago!" Onoki snapped, furious at Madara's tone. Hovering in the air, he leveled his gaze with Madara's to avoid being looked down upon, literally and figuratively.

"Oh? Really?"

Madara's response was calm, almost indifferent. He didn't bother commenting on Onoki's claim because, in his mind, it was unnecessary.

Even if Onoki had improved over the years, Madara believed he could still overpower him—even without using the Rinnegan. The confidence in his abilities was absolute.

"You…!" Onoki's anger boiled over.

Though Madara hadn't outright insulted him, his dismissive tone and the faint smirk on his face felt more cutting than any insult.

"Ahem, Tsuchikage, calm yourself," the Third Raikage said, somewhat exasperated. While he didn't particularly like Onoki, this overreaction was embarrassing.

Madara shifted his gaze to the Raikage.

"You are stronger than the two previous Raikages," Madara commented, his tone neutral but tinged with recognition.

The Third Raikage puffed his chest slightly, taking the remark as a rare compliment.

Madara's gaze moved on, sweeping over the Third Kazekage without much interest.

"Kazekage?" he muttered, skipping him entirely before landing on Yagura.

Here, his tone shifted to one of disdain. "And this... person can be Mizukage?"

Yagura's face darkened.

What was that supposed to mean? He had dealt with plenty of disdain from the other Kage, but this blatant dismissal from Madara felt especially cutting.

Even Shinki, who had been silently observing, couldn't help but stifle a laugh. The legendary "Dance King" of the ninja world, known for his grace and style in combat, had unexpectedly revealed a sharp, biting tongue.

"Uchiha Madara, what are you trying to do? Sow discord?" Onoki asked, clearly irked but also defending Yagura as an ally.

"He doesn't deserve it," Madara replied flatly, before turning his full attention to Shinki.

For the first time, his tone carried something other than disdain.

"I didn't expect someone like you to appear in the Hyuga clan's branch family. You're stronger than the former Hyuga Tennin."

Shinki raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Within the Hyuga clan, the title of Hyuga Tennin was reserved for individuals of unparalleled strength. Though not a personal name, it represented the highest honor a Hyuga could achieve.

"It's a shame," Madara continued, "that you're part of a branch family. An arrogant, decaying clan like the Hyuga doesn't deserve your loyalty or protection."

He extended a hand toward Shinki. "Join me. Together, we can create a world without war, without pain, where peace reigns eternal. A world that belongs to us."

Madara's pitch was grand, and his gaze intense. He intended to pull Shinki into his consciousness to explain further—a tactic he had perfected to break down mental resistance. But as he tried to establish the connection, nothing happened.

His eyes narrowed.

What's this?

Madara, with all his mental prowess and the Rinnegan at his disposal, had never encountered resistance like this before.

Shinki stood firm, unaffected. His mental strength was not only comparable to Madara's but nearly equal, an impossible feat in Madara's eyes.

"Your eyes... they're special," Madara remarked, scrutinizing Shinki.

"I think so too," Shinki replied with a calm smile. He shook his head, rejecting the offer outright. "While your vision of a new world sounds appealing, I'm not interested in creating such a place. As long as humans have emotions and desires, war will always exist.

"A world without war cannot exist."

Shinki's tone was resolute, his words like steel. "This utopia you describe is nothing more than a dream—one I have no intention of pursuing."

Madara frowned but remained composed.

"Uchiha Madara," Shinki continued, "what you see, I see too. And I want no part of it."

Shinki's rejection was firm and final.

Madara, rather than growing angry, studied Shinki with newfound curiosity.

"So, the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan can also decipher the Uchiha Shrine's stone tablet?" Madara mused.

This revelation surprised him. He had always believed the stone tablet's secrets were exclusively for the Uchiha clan, passed down by the Sage of Six Paths himself.

But how could a Hyuga comprehend its contents?

Madara's gaze sharpened. "Your eyes... they're not Byakugan, are they?"

Shinki smiled faintly and reached for his forehead protector, removing it.

For the first time, Madara saw the absence of the caged bird seal, confirming what he already suspected.

"You're right," Shinki said. "I've worn this forehead protector for years, but it seems the time has come to show what's underneath. These eyes are not Byakugan—they're Tenseigan."

"Tenseigan?"

Madara froze, his expression faltering. He had never heard of this before. His eyes locked onto Shinki's forehead, disbelief etched into his face.