Although he had already discarded the Flying Thunder God Kunai in advance, his perception was solid and real.
His sensing range was vast, able to clearly detect any movement around him.
Back then, White Zetsu couldn't escape his perception; today, Madara Uchiha was no different.
Within Uchiha Hikaru's perception, he could arrive in time wherever he was needed.
Moreover, he had made multiple preparations—he had already engraved the Flying Thunder God mark on those close to him, so no matter where they were, as long as Uchiha Hikaru needed them, he could instantly appear by their side.
Thinking this, he snorted coldly, and his figure vanished from the spot.
Let's rewind time a few minutes.
At this moment, Madara Uchiha's main body was swiftly leaving Konoha with Tsunade, Uchiha Chiri, and Nonō Yakushi.
But suddenly, he stopped.
It turned out that at this time, his Elephant Transfer Technique clone had already realized that Uchiha Hikaru wasn't actually using Flying Thunder God.
So, he understood that this plan was very likely to fail.
Moreover, judging by the combat strength and abilities of Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Hikaru in this battle, once he was caught, escape would be basically impossible.
Uchiha Hikaru's power was too troublesome, even making Madara wary.
In fact, what happened today was all a plan Madara had devised only after arriving at Konoha last night with the Mizukage.
At that time, from the participation personnel of the Mizukage, he learned that Uchiha Hikaru had not only awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan but was also very young.
The talent this represented wasn't something Madara ignored, but Uchiha Hikaru's age made him perfectly suited to be the player in his death, thus seamlessly connecting to the Eye of the Moon Plan.
This led him to investigate Uchiha Hikaru's information overnight.
As a member of the Uchiha clan, no one knew the clan's distorted craving for love better than himself.
Therefore, he formulated this plan to abduct the three closest peers as leverage.
As for whether Uchiha Hikaru would disobey afterward, Madara was not worried, because once he sealed him, he believed his jutsu would have no flaws.
Furthermore, to ensure the plan's success, Madara even stole the Eight-Tails from Hidden Cloud and the Seven-Tails from Hidden Waterfall.
The Four-Tails jinchūriki, Roshi, was simply unlucky—he happened to appear at the wrong place at the wrong time.
In Madara's calculations, these four tailed beasts were enough to hold back Uchiha Hikaru, while his Elephant Transfer Technique could hold back Uzumaki Mito.
He even factored in Uchiha Ang, personally acting to ensure the plan's infallibility.
However, what caught him off guard was that Uchiha Hikaru's strength exceeded his imagination.
If not counting the Rinnegan which hadn't yet awakened, Madara himself was not confident he could decisively defeat Uchiha Hikaru.
What shocked him even more was that the space-time ninjutsu Hikaru used was unprecedented—a technique without startup, without rigidity, and without limits—leaving Madara amazed.
To him, this jutsu was too perfect; it could even be called unsolvable.
Therefore, Madara decided to temporarily leave the battlefield.
The Eye of the Moon Plan ranked first in his mind; he could not afford to have problems here.
He knew that if anything happened to him, the Rinnegan would never manifest.
Thus, he had to stay vigilant and ensure his own safety.
At the same time, he was amazed and wary of Uchiha Hikaru's strength and potential.
He knew this person might become the greatest obstacle to his future plans.
After much thought, Madara ultimately decided to retreat.
Although he deeply wanted to fight Uchiha Hikaru, he understood that the most important thing now was advancing the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Having made his decision, Madara no longer hesitated and abandoned the three burdens.
He split off several wooden clones, holding them hostage to buy time for his main body.
After all, though these clones were not as powerful as the original, they were more than enough to delay.
Madara's main body cast a long, complex glance toward Konoha.
His eyes were full of complicated emotions—nostalgia for the past, anticipation for the future.
But he did not stop; instead, he swiftly left the battlefield.
He knew this was not the time for sentimentality—he needed to return and carefully plan.
Minutes after Madara's departure, Uchiha Hikaru suddenly appeared in the same spot, as if materializing out of thin air.
His appearance surprised even Madara's clone, as this technique, no matter how many times seen, was still incredible.
Yet, the clone also expressed admiration for Uchiha Hikaru.
"Uchiha Hikaru, you are truly formidable. Neither Hashirama nor I could match you," the clone sincerely said.
Uchiha Hikaru glanced lightly at the clone but said nothing.
After all, anyone who held hostage those close to him was his enemy.
Since they were enemies, granting them death was the greatest respect.
Listening to them speak now only meant he wasn't entirely confident he could rescue Tsunade and the others in an instant.
Still, Uchiha Hikaru showed respect for that.
At this moment, Madara's clone continued:
"Though you might already know the outcome, I still have to ask.
How about joining me? If it were you, you could bring eternal peace to this world."
Hikaru sneered, his eyes full of disdain and sarcasm.
"Is that how you invite others to join you?"
As he spoke, he pointed toward the three unconscious figures of Tsunade and the others, their faces still marked by confusion.
Madara's clone was slightly stunned, but he did not get angry—instead, he smiled gently.
"You…"
He spoke only this one word, but just as he distracted himself to say it, Uchiha Hikaru's body suddenly blurred.
Everything happened so fast, almost in the blink of an eye.
To ensure the rescue's success, Uchiha Hikaru activated his Mangekyō Sharingan ability—the power of Candle Dragon.
This ability, after the Sharingan evolved into the Eternal Mangekyō, had quadrupled in effect.
When Uchiha Hikaru unleashed Candle Dragon, time around him seemed to slow down, like thick syrup.
Before this power, Madara's clones were like insects trapped in amber.
Though they struggled desperately, they could not escape the bonds of time.
They only felt a slight abnormality, as if the air thickened and their thoughts dulled.
In that daze, Tsunade and the others had already been successfully rescued by Uchiha Hikaru.
Madara's clones stared in shock, hardly believing their eyes.
Tsunade and the others had clearly been under their control, yet in an instant, they had been saved.
Such power exceeded their imagination.
After rescuing Tsunade and the others, Uchiha Hikaru no longer held back.
Seeing Tsunade and the others attacked filled him with rage.
He no longer restrained his strength and decisively unleashed Flame Release.
A massive fire dragon tornado swept across the sky, with waves of heat surging as if to consume the entire world.
The roaring of the fire dragon was deafening, sending chills down the spine.
Uchiha Hikaru stood before the fire dragon, his face slightly reddened by the heat waves, looking even colder and more resolute.