"Since it's over, let them come forward."
Madara sat cross-legged, his layered armor clanking as he moved, his gaze cold. "I want to hear exactly what happened after I died."
"Not so fast. There's one more issue to resolve first."
With that, Sogetsu summoned Susanoo and, with a single strike, forced out White Zetsu who had been hiding nearby. "Over here, there's a little bug too."
"You actually found me?"
White Zetsu was slightly surprised, but thinking of these two, he wasn't truly shocked.
"White Zetsu?!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya trembled inside. Despite all their precautions, White Zetsu had still infiltrated the village!
"Heh heh heh, I've got the intel," White Zetsu's cold eyes locked onto Naruto, a sinister smile on his face. "The Nine-Tails is indeed in Konoha. Now I just need to report back to the 'Holy Son'!"
With that, his figure merged into the shadows, preparing to flee.
"Not good! Stop him!"
Tsunade knew very well that under no circumstances could she let White Zetsu escape, or the consequences of leaked information would be unimaginable.
Sasuke and Naruto were equally aware that if White Zetsu managed to flee, he would inevitably reveal the intelligence here, allowing Iwagakure and the Aurora Order to prepare in advance.
But just as the two of them were about to give chase, they saw Uchiha Madara sitting cross-legged on the ground, letting out a cold snort. "Trying to run?"
The shadow that was about to escape suddenly felt a massive force pulling from behind.
"Universal Pull!"
Boom!
The ground tore apart under the gravitational pull, massive rocks being ripped from the earth itself.
Even White Zetsu's hiding place was violently dragged out by Madara.
Madara sneered. Having witnessed his disgraceful moment, and still thinking of running, was simply delusional. "White Zetsu, the one I created dares to betray me?"
He watched White Zetsu struggle fiercely, then suddenly closed his fingers.
"Since you like staying in the earth so much, then stay in it forever."
The surrounding rocks were torn apart and rained down on White Zetsu like a torrential storm.
Soon, under the gravitational force, a tens-of-meters-wide rock sphere formed, hovering silently in midair.
Do you think Madara was satisfied now?
No.
His expression turned even colder. "Roll into space and regret betraying me for the rest of your life!"
Chibaku Tensei!
A tremendous repulsive force struck a single point, sending the massive rock sphere soaring high into the sky.
It raced toward the horizon at an astonishing speed, tracing a perfect arc before disappearing from sight completely.
If nothing unexpected happened, this "White Zetsu" would spend the rest of his life drifting endlessly in space, becoming a wandering meteor.
"Quite the vengeful spirit," Uchiha Sogetsu said oddly, watching Madara and laughing quietly.
Then he turned his gaze to the wary Konoha shinobi and smiled. "Come closer. The battle is over."
"Fourth Hokage… there's something I want to ask you."
Tsunade stared at him seriously, lightly biting her lip. "Back then, how exactly were you assassinated by Danzo?"
"That matter… let's leave it for later."
Uchiha Sogetsu smiled and shifted the topic to another person. "I suppose what you're most curious about is Uchiha Madara, right?"
"Coincidentally, I also have many questions for you." Uchiha Madara's gaze swept over everyone before finally settling on Sogetsu.
"What exactly happened with the Eye of the Moon Plan? Why are you standing with Konoha? What occurred after my death? Why did White Zetsu betray us? And where is Black Zetsu?"
Eye of the Moon Plan?
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged a shocked glance as they looked at Uchiha Sogetsu. "Y-You were Madara's man?"
"Yes."
Sogetsu gave a faint smile and nodded. "In a way, I did participate in Madara's plan, but unfortunately, I died early. I don't know what happened after that."
He spoke so openly that Madara, standing beside him, glared in anger. "You're this strong… how did you die?"
"This is not the place for such a discussion."
Kabuto Yakushi awkwardly pushed up his glasses. "Also, so much happened after your deaths. I suggest you rest first, then I can tell you carefully about everything that has happened over these years. How does that sound?"
Madara suppressed his curiosity and reluctantly agreed. "Fine."
Iwagakure.
After two days, Onoki finally got what he wanted and summoned tens of thousands of ninja forces.
With Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, and Kitsuchi as commanders, they each led a ninja squad toward the front lines in the Land of Fire.
"How are your preparations coming along?"
Onoki turned to Black Zetsu, asking sternly, "I've already given the order for Iwagakure to attack Konoha. The rest depends on you."
"Rest assured, we are ready."
Black Zetsu smiled coldly. "The hundred-thousand-strong White Zetsu army has already advanced toward the four great ninja villages: Suna, Ame, Kumo, and Kiri. Once you cut off Konoha's communication with them, we will quickly eliminate those four villages."
"Suna, Kumo, and Kiri… you don't need to worry too much about them."
Ōnoki knew what the most important issue was, so he paused for a moment before saying, "The most important thing should be the Village Hidden in the Rain. Don't underestimate its power."
"Are you worried about Nagato's Rinnegan?" Black Zetsu asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Nagato? Rinnegan?"
Ōnoki let out a cold laugh, his tone full of disdain. "A mere Rinnegan doesn't concern me. What I care about most is that organization."
"You mean… they're going to join the fight too?" Black Zetsu's heart skipped a beat, a wave of tension rising.
"Hmph. They already have!"
Having once been a member of that organization, Ōnoki knew them well—especially Orochimaru. He warned cautiously, "Besides the Village Hidden in the Rain, you must also be careful of the Village Hidden in Sound. And watch out for Orochimaru. That guy is probably plotting something."
If there was anyone in the Twilight Hermit Order he couldn't fully trust, it was Orochimaru.
"I'll send someone to help you."
Ōnoki spoke, then turned to the shadows. "Now, it's your turn to step out."
With that, an old man wearing a floral shirt and slippers stepped out of the shadows, scratching his head. He looked at Black Zetsu and grinned. "Yo, this thing is kind of scary, huh?"
"Who is he?" Black Zetsu asked, staring at the man in surprise.
"Uesugi Koeru."
Ōnoki's lips curved into a slight smile. "You don't need to know where he comes from. All you need to know is that I trust him completely."
*******
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