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"What? Why?"
Tobirama was shocked when he heard Yoichi's response, thinking he had misheard. But upon confirming that Yoichi indeed had no intention of dealing with Madara, Tobirama's expression darkened,
"Madara's Moon Eye Plan will destroy the entire ninja world. He could be resurrected at any moment. Isn't that enough to make you take this seriously?"
"Well, no, it's not enough. Konoha's next move is to annex Sunagakure and the Land of Wind. The entire village is focused on this goal. I'm aware of Madara, but that's all."
Yoichi replied calmly, his face expressionless. He hadn't been in a real fight for a long time, and with the Two-Tails and Nine-Tails in the village, Madara would have to confront Konoha if he wanted to collect the Tailed Beasts.
Given this, why bother actively pursuing Madara? Once Madara was done toying with Iwagakure and Kumogakure, he would undoubtedly turn his attention to Konoha.
"I have no objection to you reviving the First Hokage, but no Konoha ninja is to act without orders. This is the Hokage's command."
"You're not Hokage yet!"
"I will be in three days."
Yoichi stated. The village-wide election was over; only the inauguration ceremony, witnessed by the Daimyo and various nobles, remained. But Yoichi had already been exercising the authority of the Hokage for a long time.
"In short, Second Hokage, you may act on your own, but not with Konoha ninjas. Unless they voluntarily resign from Konoha."
This was Yoichi's final ultimatum, a message for Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Homura, and Koharu. If they chose to follow a previous Hokage, they should be prepared to be removed from the village.
Tobirama stood up, his voice icy,
"Brat, are you intentionally letting Madara go unchecked? For what? Is the Uchiha clan still in league with Madara?"
"Great-Uncle, what are you talking about!"
Tsunade stood up and shouted at Tobirama before moving between him and Yoichi.
"Yoichi must have his reasons. Don't jump to conclusions!"
"Tsunade..."
"That's enough, Great-Uncle. Nawaki came back today; why don't you come with me to see him instead of arguing with Yoichi?"
Tsunade realized that letting her great-uncle continue arguing with Yoichi would be futile. Both were stubborn and rarely heeded others' advice. Separately, they were reliable, but together they clashed.
But Yoichi was now Konoha's Hokage. After the inauguration in three days, he would hold the highest authority in the village. And in just a few years, Yoichi had developed the village to its current prosperous state, proving his capabilities surpassed all others.
Even if her grandfather had been the First Hokage, Tsunade would still feel this way. The changes in Konoha were undeniable. It had become the most desirable place to live in the Land of Fire, bar none.
"Alright, Great-Uncle, come with me."
Tsunade pushed Tobirama out of the Hokage building. She had grabbed his shoulders and wrist with such strength that he couldn't break free.
"Let's go, Great-Uncle. I'll show you around Konoha. Besides, I'm pregnant, so don't force me to take action. Yoichi, you go ahead with your work."
With that, Tsunade used her monstrous strength to drag Tobirama out of the office.
After Tobirama was led away by Tsunade, Yoichi turned to Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and the others,
"If there's nothing else, please leave. Remember what I said."
Hearing Yoichi's words, Hiruzen and the others left the room.
Once they had gone, Sakumo asked,
"Yoichi, what are you planning?"
"It's unnecessary to worry about Madara, Sakumo-senpai."
Yoichi replied bluntly,
"The Two-Tails and Nine-Tails are in Konoha. Madara can't execute his Moon Eye Plan without confronting Konoha. We'll wait for him to come to us. The Second Hokage is too focused on Madara, even wanting to use the entire village's strength against him. There's no way I can agree to that."
Yoichi was hoping Madara would go after the Eight-Tails first, crippling Kumogakure in the process. If Madara came to Konoha prematurely, Yoichi would simply drive him away, making him continue collecting the other Tailed Beasts.
Yoichi was eager to test his skills against Rinnegan Madara.
Recently, his genetic enhancement had been growing stronger. His clones constantly absorbed energy from the Ryumyaku in Roran and cultivated genetic energy to transfer back to him.
This had elevated Yoichi's physical capabilities to the level of a supreme war god. He had also advanced his Lightning Annihilation Mode to its second phase. With his current physical strength and refined medicinal pills, Yoichi could use the Thunder Flash technique over a hundred times consecutively.
He only feared that Madara wouldn't be strong enough!
"As long as you're confident, then it's fine. If you need my help, just call on me."
Sakumo said, his expression slightly more serious. Knowing Madara was still out there, he couldn't let his guard down.
"Sakumo-senpai, if you have the time, you should consider learning the Sage Mode from the Ryuchi Cave Snake Princesses. With your abilities, it shouldn't be difficult to master Sage Mode. It would significantly enhance your power."
Yoichi suggested. As the Fourth Hokage, Sakumo would be granted face if he sought training from Tagorihime or Ichikishimahime, who would likely guide him in learning Sage Mode.
Sakumo rarely used ninjutsu, but Sage Mode could enhance sensory abilities, physical traits, and chakra.
He might not need to face Six Paths-level opponents, but with Sage Mode, even Kage-level shinobi would find it challenging to stop Sakumo.
"I see. It looks like I can't afford to rest."
"Come on, your desk is already collecting dust!"
"Heh, Yoichi, don't spread rumors. I still come by sometimes."
Sakumo laughed as he left, pausing by the Hokage's office to peek inside, relieved to see no dust before he departed.
...
Outside the Hokage Building
"Great-Uncle, why would you say something like that to Yoichi? That was too much!"
After pulling Tobirama out of the Hokage building, Tsunade couldn't hold back her anger. She had forgotten how strict her great-uncle used to be when he scolded her.
"Tsunade, if Madara executes his plan, the entire ninja world will be destroyed. Do you not understand the gravity—"
Tobirama started, but Tsunade cut him off, hands on her hips,
"Alright, Great-Uncle, get to know the current Konoha first. I believe the reason Yoichi isn't agreeing with you is because Madara doesn't pose a threat!"
Tsunade sighed inwardly. She didn't know how powerful Madara was, but she knew Yoichi's strength well, as well as the improvements she had made after training with genetic enhancements.
In less than a year of training, Tsunade had felt her physical strength increase significantly from the genetic energy, even without practicing Sage Mode or injecting the Deadly Virus due to her pregnancy.
Yoichi had been training non-stop for a long time, using numerous wood clones to cultivate as well.
"Great-Uncle, let me show you around Konoha. A lot has changed since your time. Even Nawaki has died once, and Yoichi brought him back to life. Don't view Yoichi with prejudice. That little brat is a good person!"
As Tsunade spoke, she led Tobirama to other parts of the village. Tobirama, noticing her words, followed her.
Hiruzen had mentioned some of the village's affairs, but it seemed he hadn't said everything. Learning about it from his granddaughter would work too.
And the village indeed had changed drastically. It had expanded two to three times the size he remembered, with a significant increase in population. He would wait until evening to bring back his brother.
Whether or not Madara could control his brother, Tobirama didn't care. If he could meet the Sage of Six Paths, his brother, who was even stronger, should be able to as well.
"Tsunade-sama, please slow down. You're close to your due date."
Shizune, panting, caught up and nagged Tsunade. This was an S-rank mission assigned by the Fifth Hokage.
Tobirama frowned and scolded,
"Tsunade, you're about to be a mother. Act with more caution."
Tsunade groaned, covering her ears and quickening her pace,
"There you go again, Great-Uncle! Save your lectures for Nawaki. He's died once already!"
...
"Edo Tensei!"
Paper scraps gathered and covered a White Zetsu clone, slowly transforming into the form of Minato.
"Done. That's the tenth Edo Tensei combat unit. This should be enough, right?"
White Zetsu said. Controlling these ten Edo Tensei bodies required ten special clones. However, White Zetsu clones had limited combat awareness, forcing them to either rely on the combat instincts of the reanimated or erase their consciousness altogether.
Both choices had drawbacks. Removing the consciousness left only basic combat instincts, allowing the Edo Tensei bodies to perform at half their former strength. If they issued orders, the reanimated might reveal information.
"Where's Madara-sama?"
"He'll be back soon."
White Zetsu had barely finished answering Black Zetsu's question when Madara walked in.
Returning, Madara looked over the Edo Tensei bodies and, seeing no sign of Hashirama, asked,
"Isn't Hashirama here?"
"Not just Hashirama; no other villages' First or Second Kage are reanimated. With you gone, if something happened like last time, we wouldn't be able to handle it."
Black Zetsu explained. They had only reanimated the Third Mizukage, Third Kazekage, Minato, and a few other recent deaths. Unfortunately, the Third Raikage's body couldn't be found.
After hearing the name Hagoromo, Black Zetsu had grown wary. They feared the revived Kage might have been warned or aided by Hagoromo, foiling their plans.
"Madara-sama, is it time to move now?"
Madara replied,
"Let's move. Black Zetsu, come with me. White Zetsu, take these Edo Tensei bodies and capture the wild Three-Tails."
"Madara-sama, are you planning to be revived?"
"Yes, Nagato hasn't made a move recently. Counting on him to collect the Tailed Beasts is unrealistic. Better for me to take the lead."
Black Zetsu added,
"Hehe, after using that technique, Nagato might still survive, but he's of no use now. Madara-sama, what about the other members of the Akatsuki?"
"Fugaku and that kid? Let them be for now. They can still be of some use!"
With that, Madara walked outside, and Black Zetsu disappeared into the ground.
Both moved swiftly. As an Edo Tensei, Madara didn't need to worry about chakra. Compared to his living state, he only had less chakra, but it regenerated quickly.
In the underground, Black and White Zetsu moved like fish in water, faster than Madara. And since Nagato was already under surveillance by White Zetsu clones, Madara soon located him.
Nagato was currently resting, returning with Konan and Fugaku Uchiha after leaving Kumogakure. The three had just secured an alliance agreement with the Fourth Raikage, thanks largely to Fugaku's eloquence. If Nagato or Konan had gone alone, they might have angered the Fourth Raikage instead.
"Fugaku, after we return, Akatsuki should—"
Nagato began discussing Akatsuki's future with Fugaku when he sensed a powerful chakra approaching. His expression changed as he said,
"Someone's coming. Their chakra is extremely strong. Prepare for battle!"
Nagato used the Summoning Jutsu to call forth the Six Paths of Pain.
Konan and Fugaku readied themselves. If Nagato mentioned a strong chakra, the enemy must be formidable.
With a boom, a figure landed from the sky, kicking up a cloud of dust. As the figure emerged, Fugaku recognized him immediately.
Though he looked younger, Fugaku could tell it was Madara.
Nagato stared coldly at Madara, asking,
"Who are you, and what do you want with us?"
"Nagato... You've experienced the power of the Sage. Now it's time to repay me."
Madara stood with arms crossed, looking down at Nagato, Konan, and Fugaku, paying no heed to the battle-ready Nagato and Konan.
"I am Madara, the one who gave you the Rinnegan, Nagato. Now is the time for you to repay me."
"Another Madara? What nonsense... Konan!"
Before Nagato could finish, Fugaku's Susano'o materialized, its skeletal hand grabbing Konan in a chakra grip.
"Fugaku, what are you doing!"
Nagato's voice was filled with rage. This was the second time Konan had been captured, and both times right beside him.
(End of Chapter)
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"As you can see, Nagato."
Fugaku spoke without any hint of apology on his face. "I've told you many times, don't trust anyone."
Whoosh!
Konan suddenly transformed into countless pieces of paper, scattering from Susanoo's skeletal hand and reassembling next to Nagato. The now human-shaped Konan only had a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth and some minor injuries from being squeezed, but nothing too severe.
Konan rarely made a move in front of Fugaku, so the Shikigami no Mai technique had not been exposed. Fortunately, she had just gathered chakra; otherwise, it would have been difficult to escape.
"Konan, are you okay?"
Nagato, his eyes fixed on Madara and Fugaku, asked the question to Konan behind him. If Fugaku had betrayed them immediately, then the other person's words might indeed be true.
Konan, watching the enemy cautiously, replied, "I'm fine, Nagato, but these two won't be easy to deal with."
On the other side, Fugaku stepped back to Madara's side. Black Zetsu emerged slowly from the ground, saying, "It seems we've failed. Looks like we need to take action to obtain the Rinnegan, Madara-sama."
"No problem, it'll just take a little effort," Madara said nonchalantly. In his eyes, Nagato's strength was insignificant. The fact that Nagato managed to develop the Rinnegan to this extent, despite not being from the clan, was a sign of some talent.
However, Madara only acknowledged Nagato because he used the basic abilities of the Rinnegan to create puppet clones through the use of the Transcription Seal.
"Just watch from the sidelines."
After saying that, Madara leaped forward, instantly charging towards Nagato and Konan.
"Konan, be careful."
Nagato formed hand seals and controlled the Six Paths of Pain to protect himself, with the strongest Deva Path leading the charge.
Seeing Madara rushing over, the Deva Path also charged forward, raising its hand and shouting, "Shinra Tensei!"
A powerful repulsive force instantly erupted, sweeping away everything with terrifying power, with the Deva Path at the center.
As the force exploded, Madara smirked. His Sharingan briefly transformed into the purple Rinnegan, and an equally powerful repulsive force appeared.
Boom! Rumble!
The two nearly identical invisible forces collided with a massive explosion. After a brief standoff of a few seconds, one figure was suddenly sent flying.
Thud, thud, thud.
The Deva Path was sent flying, rolling several times on the ground before being caught by the Asura Path.
"Impossible, you have the Rinnegan too?"
Nagato was shocked as he stared at the armored Madara before him. This person had just used Shinra Tensei, and his Sharingan had also transformed into the Rinnegan.
"The Rinnegan is the final evolution of the Sharingan. You're just an orphan of the Uzumaki clan, surviving this long by relying on the Rinnegan I gave you. You should be satisfied, Nagato."
Madara spoke slowly, with no trace of pride in having just sent a damaged puppet flying.
As soon as the exchange was over, he realized that Nagato lacked true combat awareness. During the standoff of identical forces, Nagato didn't even know to stabilize his footing.
He had actually expected this child to surprise him. It seems he was asking for too much.
"Asura Path!"
"Animal Path, Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Nagato formed hand seals and controlled the two Paths.
One made hand seals and summoned powerful summoned creatures. The other shed the Akatsuki's black cloak, revealing various weapons.
Roar!!
Boom, boom, boom!
The summoned creatures roared, and the Asura Path launched missiles from its arms, attacking Madara.
Fugaku, watching from a distance, couldn't help but be impressed. The Rinnegan's abilities were diverse, with few obvious weaknesses when used together. Additionally, Nagato's main body was protected by Konan, allowing them to escape into the sky at any time.
Fugaku then offered, "Do you need my help? Perhaps I can distract Konan, leaving Nagato's main body unprotected."
"No need. Madara-sama doesn't like others interfering in his fights. Besides, anything Nagato can do, Madara-sama can do better, and with more elegance," Black Zetsu replied. To him, Nagato's abilities were not even worthy of being Madara's opponent. They just needed to wait for Madara to half-destroy Nagato and then proceed with Madara's resurrection.
The Asura Path's missiles completely missed Madara, and the summoned creatures were nothing more than a heavy burden in his eyes. With the Rinnegan, he could easily see that Nagato controlled the creatures through the black rods embedded in them.
Knowing this, Madara used the Shunshin no Jutsu to leap onto one of the creatures, forming a black rod in his hand, and then stabbed it into the creature's body.
One by one, the remaining creatures were pierced by Madara's black rods. He then jumped down, forming hand seals to transmit chakra.
The four summoned creatures suddenly stopped moving, and Nagato was shocked to realize that he could no longer control them.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu, Kai!"
After forming seals, Madara sent the four creatures back.
Whether it was the Six Paths of Pain or the summoned creatures, they were all corpses controlled by the Rinnegan. Once pierced by Madara's black rods, they could be rendered completely useless by another source of chakra.
For others, as long as they controlled a Pain and removed the black rods from its body, they could also strip Nagato of his control over it.
"It seems you've understood. With no legs, you can only rely on these few corpses. Once you lose control, you're powerless. I was too serious to expect anything from a kid, even though the Rinnegan you have was given to you by me!"
Madara's tone was filled with disappointment. This kind of battle couldn't even stir his interest.
"Let's end this quickly."
Crack, crack!
Massive amounts of chakra surged from Madara's body, rapidly forming bones and muscles. Soon, a sixty-meter-tall Susanoo materialized before Nagato.
This Susanoo, however, had only two faces and four arms, without armor, representing the third stage of the Susanoo.
For dealing with Nagato's counterfeit Rinnegan, it was more than enough.
In the ninja world, only a few people wouldn't feel fear when facing a Susanoo, and Nagato wasn't one of them.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Susanoo's hands formed massive chakra blades, which then slashed towards Nagato.
Seeing this, Nagato controlled the Deva Path to leap forward, "Shinra Tensei!"
Boom!
The repulsive force clashed with the chakra blades, creating a terrifying impact. The chakra blade seemed to strike a transparent, spherical barrier. After a few seconds of standoff, the Deva Path suffered the same fate as before, sent flying and rolling backward. This time, the powerful impact also sent Nagato's main body, along with the other Pain bodies and Konan, flying.
Madara had the Susanoo anchor itself to the ground, so he only staggered back a step before resuming his advance, intending to finish Nagato off.
"Nagato, are you okay?"
Konan, after getting up, rushed to Nagato's side. However, Nagato pushed her away, his expression grave as he said, "Konan, find a chance to escape on your own. This enemy is even more terrifying than before; he might really be Madara."
After saying that, Nagato didn't have time to say anything else. He continued to gather chakra, preparing to use the Deva Path for one final jutsu.
"Gathering chakra for a final struggle? Don't even think about it!"
Seeing Nagato attempting to gather chakra in the Deva Path, Madara controlled the Susanoo to slash down with its blade.
Rumble!
The blade carved a trench several hundred meters long and twenty or thirty meters deep into the ground. Nagato didn't even have time to use Shinra Tensei to deflect it.
The terrifying shockwave sent Nagato's main body and Konan flying, unable to withstand the destructive power that seemed to crush everything.
Even though the third-stage Susanoo's destructive power wasn't as strong as a Bijuu Bomb, it was still beyond Nagato's ability to withstand up close. If it had been the fully-formed Susanoo, Nagato might have died from the full-force impact.
It's time to end this!
Madara thought to himself, controlling the Susanoo to approach Nagato, then having the Susanoo grab Nagato and lift him up. Afterward, he turned and walked towards Black Zetsu.
"Let go of Nagato!"
Konan, enraged, used the Shikigami no Mai to form paper wings on her back and gathered numerous paper shuriken and explosive tags, hurling them at Madara's Susanoo.
However, the third-stage Susanoo, with its two faces and four arms, didn't even need to turn around. It simply swung one arm backward.
Thud!
Konan dodged the first strike but was hit hard by the second punch, sent flying into a crater where she lay motionless.
Madara merely glanced back at her, then continued towards Black Zetsu, placing Nagato down.
"He's passed out. You handle it, Black Zetsu."
Madara said. Nagato's heart also had a seal, but in his current unconscious state, it didn't seem like he would wake up soon. It would be better for Black Zetsu to take control.
"I understand, Madara-sama."
Black Zetsu replied, slowly covering Nagato like mercury and then taking control to form hand seals.
"Rinne Tensei no Jutsu!"
As the final seal was completed, a demonic face appeared on the ground. A massive life force emerged from its mouth, flowing into Madara's body.
Hiss!
A massive aura and shockwave erupted from Madara, the chakra surge from his resurrection almost overwhelming Fugaku.
'What an incredible amount of chakra.'
"Hahaha..."
Madara's laughter echoed through the air as he felt the wind from his resurrection. Unable to help himself, he made a small cut on his arm, watching fresh blood flow out.
"Madara-sama, your Rinnegan."
After Madara's resurrection, Black Zetsu returned to White Zetsu and removed Nagato's eyes, presenting them to Madara.
After placing the eyes into his sockets, Madara felt a surge of immense power. Now he felt like he could accomplish anything.
'Next, I need to gather the Bijuu, become the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails, and find Hashirama to obtain the power of Sage Mode.'
Feeling the vast power within him, Madara thought to himself. With strength surpassing even his prime, not even Hashirama could stop him now.
Black Zetsu spoke up, "Madara-sama, what should we do next? Konoha likely knows about your resurrection by now. They have the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails and Two-Tails. They might even use the Edo Tensei to bring back the First Hokage to deal with you."
"Heh, if Hashirama could actually be revived, that would be interesting. But in his Edo Tensei state, he won't have his full power, which would make it less enjoyable," Madara laughed lightly. "Let's collect the Bijuu from Konoha last. Let them gather their forces. When the time comes, they'll learn the true meaning of despair!"
To revive the Ten-Tails, all that was needed was to collect the Nine-Tails. The order of collecting the other Bijuu didn't matter.
"We've already captured the Three-Tails. After that, we can send the Edo Tensei to the Sand Village to capture the One-Tail. Next are the Six-Tails, Seven-Tails, and Eight-Tails. As for the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, they'll need another two to three years to revive, Madara-sama," Black Zetsu reported.
Hearing this, Madara couldn't help but feel a bit irritated. They would still have to wait two more years.
"Then let's get started, Black Zetsu. You, along with Fugaku and the Edo Tensei bodies, go capture the remaining Jinchuriki."
Madara had no intention of taking action himself, but if there were any problems, he would intervene early.
Just as they were about to leave, Black Zetsu noticed that Nagato still had some life left in him and said, "Madara-sama, this guy isn't dead yet."
"After all, he's a carefully chosen member of the Uzumaki clan. If his life force weren't strong enough, he wouldn't have been able to wield the Rinnegan's power."
It was a matter of gradually adapting to wield the power of both Rinnegan. Obito, even at his peak, could only handle one. If he tried to use both, he would lose himself in the Rinnegan's power.
Madara said this and then left without looking back. Nagato no longer held any value in his eyes. To leave him there, like a withering weed, slowly losing the fire of life, would be his ultimate fate.
After Madara and Fugaku left, Black Zetsu glanced at Nagato and chuckled before sinking into the ground. "A barely useful puppet, it's time for you to leave the stage."
It was a while after Black Zetsu had disappeared that Konan slowly regained consciousness.
"Nagato…"
The first thing she did as she came to her senses was to search for Nagato.
As nightfall approached Konoha, in the Uzumaki household's bedroom, a barrier was set up to isolate sound and sight.
Breathing slightly heavily, a figure spoke, "Kushina-san, you've heard the news, haven't you? Jiraiya is returning to the village after completing his mission."
(End of Chapter)
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