At this moment, the southern region of the village had turned into a battlefield.
The Uchiha clan's territory, located in the southern district of Konoha, was adjacent to a military-controlled zone. This meant that if the enemy wanted to invade through the southern gate, they first had to breach the high walls and engage in battle with the Uchiha clan.
Currently, the main forces of the Police Force had gathered here. Ninjas from the Uchiha, Hyūga, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans were engaged in fierce combat against the invading Kiri ninjas.
Despite being outnumbered, the high-quality training of the Konoha Police Force during the Fourth Hokage's era allowed them to hold their ground against the Kiri ninjas, who were several times their number.
The battlefield stretched across the plains north of the high walls and south of the Uchiha territory, an area designated as prison grounds.
Here, the Uchiha clan was fighting like madmen.
Two fully manifested Susanoo warriors were cutting through the enemy forces like a scythe through grass, pushing the Kiri ninja army back toward the high walls. A tailed beast stood its ground before the Uchiha territory, unleashing waves of fire upon the approaching Kiri ninjas who dared to invade.
"Damn it! These monsters!" The Kiri ninjas were in disbelief. They had never seen chakra being used like this before.
The Uchiha clan had always been known as the greatest warrior family in the shinobi world, famed for their combat talent and vast chakra reserves. But this? This was on another level.
During the last war, the Uchiha ninjas didn't fight like this!
"Mizukage-sama! The frontlines can't hold any longer!"
"I can see that," replied Yagura, as he listened to his subordinate's report. "That's Fugaku and Shisui… The Uchiha clan truly is terrifying."
"Mizukage-sama, will you step in?"
"Masashi hasn't shown up yet. Those two… someone else will handle them."
As soon as he finished speaking, several ninja clad in black robes with red clouds appeared on the battlefield.
One of them rapidly swelled in size, transforming into a black monstrous figure. In an instant, he launched hundreds of punches at one of the Susanoo warriors, successfully halting its advance.
Meanwhile, the other Susanoo was intercepted by a Kiri ninja who had transformed into a giant slug-like creature.
With this, the Kiri ninja army's retreat slowed down, and their morale somewhat recovered.
However, the sheer size of the four colossal combatants forced other ninjas to retreat, reducing the intensity of combat for those on the sidelines.
The Kiri jonin reporting to Yagura let out a sigh of relief, though he remained puzzled.
"Akatsuki? Is Ame involved as well?"
"Of course not. Kiri has never officially acknowledged any ties with Akatsuki. They are still, at least on paper, an independent mercenary organization. Since they are mercenaries, they naturally accept our employment."
Yagura continued, "Pass down the order, if we manage to breach the Uchiha territory, under no circumstances should civilians be harmed."
"I don't understand…"
"If our plan succeeds and Konoha collapses, we may have the opportunity to invite the Uchiha clan to join Kiri. Battle casualties are inevitable, but attacking civilians is another matter. For the future of Kiri, we must consider this carefully."
After explaining his reasoning, he waved his hand dismissively. "Go. Send in the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. If we can break into the Uchiha territory, we can force them to divert their forces. I can't act yet. If Masashi appears, I'll have to handle him myself."
"Yes!"
The Kiri jonin took his orders and left to summon the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Where are you? You sure are patient.
Yagura watched the battlefield carefully, calculating where Masashi might appear.
However, what he didn't know was that Masashi was still within the Uchiha compound, surrounded by a crowd of worried Uchiha clansmen.
"Where are the medical-nin? They haven't arrived yet?" Mikoto called out anxiously in the clan's shelter.
Beside her, Masashi lay motionless. Hikari, Saeko, and Yosuke stood nearby. Yosuke kept his small face tense, not panicked like his sister, but clearly worried.
Even though he didn't know how to help his father, he stood guard at Masashi's side, determined.
His father's condition was strange.
He had no visible injuries, his breathing was steady, as if he were merely sleeping.
The incident had occurred when he returned home to tell Hikari and Pakura to take the children to safety.
Pakura was a jonin, but even she had no idea how to handle this situation. She had immediately rushed next door to seek help.
Mikoto, though a skilled ninja, was not as strong as her eldest son, let alone able to diagnose Masashi's condition.
With the battle raging outside, there was no choice but to move Masashi to the shelter. As a precaution, Fugaku, Shisui, and Pakura had gone to the battlefield, leaving Itachi behind to guard the family.
After all, besides Masashi, Fugaku, and Shisui, Itachi was currently the strongest in the clan.
"Mother, the medical-nin are all on the battlefield now," Itachi informed her.
His expression was calm, but his heart was far from at ease.
In his mind, this could only mean that Masashi had been poisoned, likely due to exhaustion.
He clenched his fists tightly.
Masashi clearly favored Sasuke, but he never resented that.
After all, aside from that, Masashi had always been a good teacher, one who had taught him many valuable things.
Rage simmered inside him. If not for his duty to protect the family, he would have charged into battle to take revenge.
Bai and Sasuke were also present. Earlier, Masashi had personally carried them back to safety.
"Nii-san! Take me to find Matatabi!" Sasuke suddenly said. "If we can push back the enemy, the medical-nin will be able to come! I don't have enough chakra to summon my friends, but if I had her chakra..."
"Sasuke, the tailed beast's chakra is too much for you to handle right now," Itachi shook his head. "Trust in the village's strength. Masashi has already prepared for this situation. It's only a matter of time before we repel the enemy."
"But..."
"I know you and Haku are both excellent ninjas. Just wait a little longer. Soon, I'll go out to look for help. When I do, you and Haku must take responsibility for protecting everyone. Understood?"
"I… I understand…"
Mikoto, ignoring her sons' discussion, turned to Hikari.
"Hikari, you've been with Masashi for years. Tell me, is there anything unusual about him right now?"
"N-No… He taught me how to check physical conditions. I just examined him, and everything seems normal…"
Mikoto gazed at the unconscious Masashi.
Everything seems normal… which means something is definitely wrong.
Masashi, you better not be in trouble!
She understood all too well.
Right now, the Uchiha clan was flourishing. But with or without Masashi, the clan's fate would be completely different.
He had drawn too many powerful allies to their cause. Without him, everything could fall apart.
"Move aside." Suddenly, a voice spoke beside her. Mikoto instinctively frowned, then turned sharply.
A dark, shadowy figure stood right next to her.
"Ah!" She let out a startled scream.
A blade was already at the throat of the intruder.
It was Itachi.
"Don't move." His voice carried a chilling killing intent.
It was only then that everyone else realized an unknown figure had appeared next to Masashi. A chorus of delayed gasps followed.
Huh? This thing… is it even human?
"Ah! Black Zetsu!" Sasuke exclaimed in both shock and delight. "Are you here to help us? Nii-san! He's Black Zetsu! Masashi said he's his best friend!"
"Is that so?" Itachi was skeptical.
Masashi had… quite the unique taste. Because honestly, this thing… does not look trustworthy at all.
"Hmph!" Black Zetsu completely ignored the blade at his throat and turned to glance at Sasuke. "Kid, just call me Zetsu. Don't be like that bastard Masashi call me 'Black' because I am black!"
"Can you all move aside?" he turned to Mikoto and Hikari.
These two were such a hassle. They clearly didn't understand anything, so why are they hovering around?
Itachi hesitated. This thing's tone of voice did suggest it was acquainted with Masashi, but trusting an outsider so easily was unwise.
"You…" He was about to question further when Sasuke suddenly lunged forward, latching onto Black Zetsu with a loud PIA.
"Black Zetsu! Please save Masashi-nii!"
Itachi hastily withdrew his blade, he had almost cut them both by accident!
Black Zetsu stared at Sasuke, who was tightly hugging his waist.
"Let go, let go! Stop clinging to me." he resisted the urge to curse, struggling to pry the boy off.
Then, he turned his focus to Masashi's condition.
His chakra… seems fine. Damn, his chakra levels really are approaching Indra's.
As a master of chakra, he could analyze a person's physical and mental state through it. With just a quick probe, he got a rough understanding.
Masashi had truly awakened the hidden power within the Uchiha bloodline. However, one thing was certain, his body was perfectly fine. There was no poison, nor any external injury.
He began reviewing all the jutsu he knew.
Every anomaly had to be chakra-related. Since chakra was derived from both physical and spiritual energy, it could, in turn, affect both body and soul.
No way, could it be his soul?
A possibility crossed his mind.
The Pure Land governed by Hagoromo was a realm where souls gathered.
Though Black Zetsu despised him, he had to admit the man was formidable.
The Pure Land functioned like a hall of heroes, collecting the greatest souls across generations. However, entry into the Pure Land required one thing, chakra.
Only those who possessed chakra in life could ensure their souls remained intact upon entering.
In this world, if a soul could not enter the Pure Land and lost its chakra, it would eventually dissipate.
Tobirama's Edo Tensei was designed to retrieve souls only from the Pure Land. If someone had failed to enter it, the jutsu couldn't summon them at all. As for how souls were guided into the Pure Land, it was through their chakra signatures from when they were alive. Souls without chakra would become lost, wandering aimlessly until they were drawn to a familiar chakra.
Even Hagoromo himself had to rely on his own chakra to maintain consciousness after death.
Wait a minute… Edo Tensei?
The only thing around here related to souls… was that?
No way…
For the first time in a thousand years, Black Zetsu felt genuinely shocked. He had been disappointed countless times before, but his moments of true surprise were rare.
Madara had shocked him.
Obito had also frequently given him "surprises," out of all the Uchiha he had manipulated into villainy, Obito was the only one who regularly messed with his plans.
And then there was Masashi.
Black Zetsu had witnessed his steady growth into another Indra. More importantly, he was the first Uchiha to genuinely treat him as a friend.
But even that wasn't as shocking as this.
How is this even possible? Hagoromo and his brother never managed it. Even Indra… only left behind chakra…
He felt like his mind wasn't processing fast enough, though, technically, he didn't even have a brain.
No, I need to go check this myself.
"He's fine. The problem isn't with his body. Just keep an eye on him, he'll wake up."
He threw out a half-hearted explanation to pacify the worried crowd, then prepared to leave.
He had to verify his suspicions.
If they were true… this would be monumental.
He began sinking into the ground.
Suddenly something latched onto him again.
Sasuke had tackled him around the neck this time.
"???"
"Black Zetsu! Black Zetsu!" Sasuke's eyes were teary. "What's wrong with Masashi-nii? Why are you just saying 'keep an eye on him'? How long do we have to wait? Will he be dumb when he wakes up?"
"Can you let go first? I'm stuck."
"I feel like if I let go, you'll run away."
"Fine, just let go, and we'll talk."
Sasuke stared into Black Zetsu's soulless golden eyes for a moment before reluctantly releasing his grip.
Black Zetsu pulled himself back out of the ground with a disgruntled sigh. "What else do you want?"
"Bl—"
"You call me Zetsu first!"
The crowd silently took note of this particular demand from the strange entity.
No wonder, really. It was probably due to some secret ninja technique. It made sense that he wouldn't like it. And Sasuke, that kid… Where did all his usual cleverness go? Always saying the one thing he shouldn't.
"Huh?" Sasuke recalled that Masashi had indeed called him "Black Zetsu" before.
"Huh, what?" Mikoto was getting impatient. "Call him Zetsu!"
Itachi silently sheathed his blade on the side.
"Zetsu." Sasuke called out begrudgingly.
"Mm, remember that. If you're gonna call me, this is the only way," Black Zetsu said, satisfied.
"Your teacher's body hasn't suffered any harm. The problem is with some ninja technique cast here, it affected him, making him lose consciousness. Right now, he's just gained the strongest Yin Release power of the Uchiha clan, so his mental state is already unstable. He just needs time to get through it."
He felt he was being very patient. Even if he was making stuff up, he was making it up quite sincerely, wasn't he? But seeing that everyone was about to ask more questions, he lost his patience.
"In short, he's too strong. That's the price!"
"Ohhh~~!"
"You are truly amazing!"
"Thank you so much! Now that you've explained, we feel reassured!"
"…"
Forget it. The Uchiha clan… they all had a few screws loose.
"Alright, I'm leaving. I need to find out which technique affected him." After saying this, he prepared to sink into the ground. But before he did, he glanced at Sasuke.
Sasuke stood there obediently. No sudden pouncing.
Relieved, Black Zetsu used his fastest underground movement technique, swiftly vanishing into the earth.
As soon as he was fully underground, he hurried in the direction of Orochimaru.
He had a hunch, the answer was there.
---
At that moment, in the commercial district, two resurrected figures had stepped out of their coffins, now exposed to broad daylight.
Under Edo Tensei, they had regained consciousness.
However, their movements were stiff, their skin devoid of vitality, like centuries-old dried meat just clawed out of a coffin.
"Hmm? I don't quite recognize this place…" Among them, one man wore deep red armor, his long hair cascading down his back. Even with his back turned, a group of Kumo ninjas felt a deep sense of dread just looking at him.
They didn't recognize this person, but the sound of his voice alone made them uneasy. It was an instinctive rejection of the dead returning to the world of the living.
"I see… It's this technique." The man turned around, looking at Orochimaru. "Hmm, an unfamiliar face. I thought he broke our agreement. Kid, you've got guts."
"Oh, not at all," Orochimaru said with his hands forming seals. "I wouldn't dare control you. Once I restore your vitality, you can do whatever you want."
"Hmph, seems like you're sensible. Fine, I'll spare you." The red-armored man nodded, not even glancing at the Kumo ninja behind Orochimaru. Instead, he looked at the other resurrected figure. "Seeing you like this is honestly quite satisfying."
He let out a cold laugh. "You damn Senju brat."
The other resurrected figure, clad in brown armor, turned his head with a creaking sound.
His face, still somewhat youthful, was filled with confusion.
"…Madara?"
This expression, this devious smirk, who else could it be but Madara?
He remembered now. He had charged into the Kumo ninjas, unleashed a giant chain-explosion of explosive tags, then he looked ahead, eyes locking onto a wide-eyed Hiruzen. At the same time, white vapor began rising from his body.
Like steam seeping out.
The red-armored man was the same.
They were rapidly regaining their vitality, becoming just like they had been in life. Except for their eye sockets, which still lacked whites.
"Hm? Is this… the village?"
"You still haven't realized?" Madara scoffed. "You don't recognize your own favorite technique?"
"Muzo-sensei!" Hiruzen finally called out, his emotions a complicated mess. This shock was just as great as seeing the First and Second Hokage revived.
The brown-armored man was none other than Muzo.
"…Who are you?" he frowned.
This old man looked vaguely familiar.
"It's me! I am Hiruzen!"
Muzo's eyes widened.
"Huh? Impossible! He was a little pervert, but at least he was kinda handsome. You're way too ugly—"
Hiruzen's excitement immediately died down. Yep. This was definitely Muzo.
The moment he spoke, all nostalgia vanished.
"Please don't say such things. Besides, everyone has missed you greatly since you've been gone."
"Ugh, that's gross. I don't need a bunch of rough men missing me. Where's Koharu?"
"She's an old lady now."
"Oh, then never mind." Muzo turned to look behind him.
His gaze passed over Orochimaru, whose hands were still forming seals, and landed on the Kumo ninjas behind him.
"You guys are from Kumo?"
"Yes. Who are you?" Fumiki subtly signaled his subordinates to prepare for battle.
That first guy, he didn't recognize.
But this one?
He knew.
Every aspiring Raikage knew.
They had all seen his portrait hanging in the Raikage's office.
The Hollow!
"So, you're from Kumo?" Muzo smiled, a warm, gentle smile.
"Please die."
After he even finished speaking, he was already among the Kumo ninjas.
---
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80 Advance Chapters!
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