Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 182: Uchiha Madara
It had been too long. His body had aged beyond measure, and now, at last, his eyes had evolved into the Rinnegan.
"Hahahahahaha!" he laughed, his voice echoing with madness and satisfaction.
Zetsu grinned with delight. He had waited for this moment for what felt like an eternity. Finally, Uchiha Madara had awakened the Rinnegan.
Madara took a step forward, then began forming a series of hand signs with steady precision.
Boom! Zraghhhh!
The ground trembled as the chakra tree emerged from the ground. After nearly a century, it had awakened, and from its roots emerged an old batch of White Zetsu.
Not wanting to miss the perfect opportunity, Black Zetsu revealed himself before Uchiha Madara.
Madara, still fascinated by the power surging through his newly awakened dōjutsu, was startled by the sudden appearance of the black shadow who stood infront of him.
"Who are you?" Madara demanded, eyes narrowing even if he is old standing against another shinobi is nothing infront of Madara. He could fight a few before his body collapsed.
"Madara-sama, I am your will," lied Black Zetsu without hesitation.
"My will?" Madara repeated in disbelief.
"Yes. Those eyes you possess… they do more than grant power. They also manifest a will. I am that will," said Black Zetsu smoothly.
"Interesting," Madara smirked. Though the explanation was hard to believe, he saw no immediate threat from the strange entity. What could such a puny being possibly do to me? he thought.
"Do you have a name?" Madara asked, amused.
"We do not have a name," Black Zetsu answered.
"We?" Madara raised a brow.
"The white cocoon in front of you is part of the Rinnegan abilities. I am the will created by that power. Together, we exist as extensions of your eye. We will answer to any name you choose to give us," said Black Zetsu.
Madara stepped forward, intrigued, and approached the large cocoon pulsing before him. With a few hand seals, the wrapping began to loosen. The mass of chakra slowly unfurled, and from within emerged one of the White Zetsu.
The pale figure opened its eyes and stared at him.
"Are you the one who released me?" asked the White Zetsu. "Do you have any orders?"
He had just awakened, his mind still forming. But the first thing he saw was Uchiha Madara—the man who had Rinnegan and possibly his new master. And so, without question, he followed him.
---Zetsu Army---
With the inclusion of Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, Madara's work became much easier. Unlike before, when he was completely alone, his network had been small, and he couldn't even get close to Konoha to steal information.
But now, things had changed. White Zetsu and Black Zetsu could handle the dirty work for him. White Zetsu's abilities turned out to be far stronger than he had expected. Each one was at least as strong as an elite Chūnin, and their numbers were overwhelming. With an army like this, Madara could build his own force from the shadows.
He also learned something else—these creatures were extremely stealthy and even better at escaping. If their stealth could be rated at level 100, then their ability to flee was easily at level 1000. It made his job easier in many ways.
However, despite all the advantages, one problem remained—his body.
It had become far too weak. Even with the power of the Rinnegan, he could not offset the toll of old age. He could still fight a few opponents, but with this frail and aging body, he wouldn't last long in extended combat. Like an old baby—slow, fragile, and vulnerable—his time was limited.
"Troublesome," Madara muttered.
Just then, White Zetsu and Black Zetsu materialized in front of him.
"Any news for me?" Madara asked.
"Yes, Madara-sama. According to the latest reports, all five major villages are preparing to attack Konoha," said Black Zetsu.
"What? Even Konoha wants to destroy Uzushiogakure?" Madara asked in surprise.
"Yes. The Fire Daimyō ordered the operation. It's due to the actions of the Uzukage in the past," Black Zetsu replied. "Apparently, the Uzukage killed several nobles from the Land of Fire. He was found guilty of slaughtering people indiscriminately, so the Daimyō forced Konoha to hand over a sealing scroll to the other four villages and stay out of the subjugation of Uzushiogakure."
"Haahhh... Hashirama, look at what's become of your village," Madara said mockingly. "The village of your dreams has turned into a tool for that student of Tobirama to run wild."
He turned to White Zetsu.
"What about you? Have you found a way to enter Uzushiogakure?"
"No, Madara-sama. We tried to force our way in, but our Zetsu were attacked by a sealing barrier. It prevents us from entering the village," White Zetsu explained.
"How could they have known about you?" Madara asked, narrowing his eyes but his question left both Zetsu and Madara lost.
The information shocked him. If Uzushiogakure had developed a seal specifically to keep White Zetsu out, did that mean they had known about his existence from the start?
"I'll go near the barrier myself and try to reverse the seal," he said coldly.
If he could—then everything would change.
---Problem---
"Father," said Setsuna to the Uzukage.
"Yes, Setsuna," the Uzukage replied.
"Do you think we should leak our new sealing method to Konoha?" Setsuna asked. "I mean… to Hiruzen."
"If you still want to see them attack Konoha, then we should proceed with what you've prepared," the Uzukage replied. "But I have a better plan."
Setsuna was surprised. He turned and looked at his father-in-law with interest.
"What is the plan?" he asked.
"We will use the old seal, and temporarily deactivate the new one," said the Uzukage.
"This…" Setsuna paused, surprised he hadn't thought of it sooner.
"It could work. I can deactivate the new seal and allow anyone to enter Uzushiogakure. But how should we leak the sealing technique?" Setsuna asked.
"Hm… should we ask Mito?" the Uzukage replied.
"How about we call a few Senju or Konoha shinobi and hand them the sealing method directly?" suggested Setsuna.
"Sounds good," the Uzukage responded with a nod.
Author Notes: There are 30 advanced chapter, feel free to visit my patreon.
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