"So boring..."

Madara Uchiha muttered expressionlessly as he picked up his cup and took a big gulp of cola.

Immediately, the carbonation bubbled in his stomach, forcing out a burp that echoed through the roughly fifty-square-meter underground lair.

Not that it mattered—this place had its own advanced air purification system: the White Zetsu Filtration Network.

White Zetsu, being half-plant, loved carbon dioxide. They inhaled it and exhaled fresh oxygen, making the air here practically pristine.

Thanks to their natural filtration, Madara could enjoy the underground life without a hitch.

Ever since he'd moved beneath the arcade, his quality of life had drastically improved.

Uchiha Kei often had White Zetsu sneak in combo meals from the system's exclusive menu. On top of that, they handled all the trash too. It was safe to say that Madara now lived better than he had in decades.

Thinking back on all the suffering he'd endured, he couldn't help but feel more and more appreciative of this younger Uchiha.

His current life of luxury? All thanks to Kei.

That said, gaming was starting to feel stale.

The Hidden Leaf only had so many residents, and not everyone was a gamer. Those who made it to the arcade were even fewer.

So after a month of hardcore grinding, Madara had pretty much destroyed every opponent available. Most of them had taken beatings more than once.

His flawless victories and infamous catchphrase—"Care to dance?"—had earned him the nickname "The Dance King of the Leaf." Many came hoping to duel him, only to get crushed. His name had become synonymous with invincibility.

Now? People either forfeited immediately or treated him like some idol they'd been dying to meet. They'd pull stunts, joke around, but no one took battles seriously anymore.

Madara was not amused. He played to fight, not to be entertained.

The thrill was gone.

The proud rose of the ninja world had no patience for fanboy antics. He'd had his share of worshippers during his prime, so he hardly needed anyone feeding his ego now.

So he lay slouched in his chair, cola in hand, reflecting on the bittersweet irony of comfort.

Wait… was the chair getting smaller?

Madara glanced down. It still fit, but felt tighter.

He tilted to the side, leaned his head, and struck his usual intimidating boss pose.

Only now his hand didn't feel as bony. His face, too, felt firmer, tighter… like he was a decade younger.

Madara immediately noticed the difference. At his level, every subtle shift in his body was obvious.

No doubt about it—this was the cola's doing.

Ever since he started drinking it, his strength, chakra, even his ocular power had shown noticeable improvement.

That miraculous drink wasn't just tasty—it was packed with nutrients, revitalizing his aging body.

Sure, the other snacks White Zetsu smuggled in might've helped, but Madara firmly believed the cola deserved the credit.

Don't ask. The answer is always: Cola is king. Everything else is just background noise!

He raised his cup again and finished the drink in one go, letting out a satisfied burp. Then he leaned back and rubbed his stomach.

Hmm. A bit bloated. Probably drank too much.

At that moment, Tobi phased through the wall and shouted cheerfully, "Old man Madara! Big news! Super exciting news!"

"Hm?" Madara looked up with a hint of curiosity and gestured for Tobi to spill it.

Tobi didn't keep him waiting and explained the Leaf's new rollout of a genjutsu-based network.

Madara's brows rose. His interest ignited immediately.

So what if the current arcade couldn't offer him a challenge anymore? This new "Genjutsu Network" might change everything!

If the network reached the entire village, he'd have a massive new pool of opponents. New challenges, new battles—new dances.

Eager, he ordered the White Zetsu to get him connected. He wanted in—now.

And just like that, he was online.

Being directly beneath a game center had its perks, especially one run by the Konoha Gaming Association.

These networks were rolling out to game centers first, and Madara, already positioned underneath one, simply needed to piggyback.

Uchiha Kei had already given him access permissions. All he needed was a Genjutsu Network scroll to sync up.

No setup required.

As soon as he connected, Madara set down a freshly cracked soda can and dove into the game.

The number of active players brought a satisfied smirk to his face.

Whereas the local arcade barely maxed out at 250 players, today's online count shot past 2,000—eight times the usual. Even the official launch day hadn't reached that level.

And it was still rising. More players were joining by the minute.

With the Leaf's population nearing 70,000, and half of them into genjutsu gaming, Madara knew 2,000 was only the beginning.

Once the new district was complete and more people got online, hitting 10,000 concurrent players wouldn't be a stretch.

The numbers alone made Madara chuckle. He squinted with excitement and instantly queued into the 8-player battle royale mode.

After a month, everyone was already familiar with *Ultimate Storm's* gameplay. The 8-player free-for-all had gone from cautious curiosity to chaotic fun.

Big battles. High stakes. Full freedom to mess around.

Win or lose, it was a blast.

But for Madara, only serious fights mattered. He wanted to 1v7 the whole lobby, every time.

Once inside, he faced off against random players who didn't know who he was. They fought without hesitation—finally giving him the satisfaction he craved.

And yes, he asked them if they wanted to dance… right before crushing their throats.

Spoiler: They didn't want to dance.

And so, they died.

After one glorious stomp-fest, Madara let out a deep breath, satisfied. It felt better than a cold shower in winter—or slipping on new underwear on New Year's Day.

He couldn't wait to start another round.

But then—he paused.

His eyes widened, and then… he smiled.

Because *Ultimate Storm* had just rolled out brand-new game modes—16-player, 36-player, and even 72-player matches!

An in-game announcement had just gone live: the new modes were up, and anyone connected to the Genjutsu Network could join.

Madara checked the details immediately.

The update added three types:

1. Free-for-all – Everyone drops into the same map. Last one standing wins.

2. Team Battle – Players can form teams of 2 to 4. Teams queue and are matched randomly. You could go 2v4 or 4v4—your call.

3. Faction War – Balanced teams like 8v8, 16v16, or 32v32. Each side has a 'Reinforcement' counter. When you die, the team loses a number. If reinforcements hit zero and you're wiped, you lose.

There were also variations: point control, base destruction, etc. The mode was complex—and fascinating.

Naturally, Madara wanted to try the 72-player brawl. It sounded exactly like his thing.

But the reinforcement mechanic intrigued him. Could fights be even more thrilling with that kind of revival system?

He decided to try it.

He queued into Faction War mode.

Instant match. Clearly, this mode was already a hit.

In just one game, Madara saw the online player count exceed 3,000. Konoha's network deployment was clearly efficient.

Once inside, he found himself in a forest camp, surrounded by players with all sorts of gamertags floating above their heads.

Curious glances turned to astonishment as more players spawned in. And of course, the extroverts immediately went into networking mode.

Then came a voice beside him:

"You're... Radama? That's a weird name! Is that your real name, or just your handle? Ahaha! I'm Muzi! Just started playing today, please take care of me, senpai!"

Madara furrowed his brow and glanced over.

Standing there was a petite, straight-haired girl—somewhere between a pre-teen and a young teen—beaming up at him with a warm, goofy grin.

At first, Madara couldn't care less.

But then he took a second look… and froze.

Because in that innocent, silly smile… he saw a shadow of Hashirama Senju.