"Then, I'll leave it to you."
Sasuke turned his head and looked at the black-robed figure.
The black-robed figure nodded slightly. She approached the decaying corpse, and extended a delicate hand from beneath her robe.
A faint green glow emanated from her palm. As her fingers curled slightly, the insects infesting the body instantly perished. A fragment of bone, along with rotted flesh, was pulled into the air.
Then, the green light in her hand grew brighter, and mysterious, intricate green runes began to form, spiraling around the extracted tissue.
Sasuke, though unable to comprehend the technique, felt an inexplicable pull, as if something deeper, perhaps a fragment of his soul, was being disturbed.
Sasuke instinctively stepped back a few paces. Though he trusted the black-robed figure, it was better to be cautious and avoid the risk of getting caught in the process.
Time ticked by. Sasuke didn't dare interrupt, as he noticed fine beads of sweat beginning to form on the black-robed figure's slender hand.
'The technique to extract a fragment of the soul seemed extraordinarily taxing.'
The best Sasuke could do was to wait silently, taking care not to disrupt her work. He even held his breath to avoid unnecessary movement.
"You don't need to be so tense. It won't affect me. I'll be done soon."
The black-robed figure caught Sasuke's restrained breathing from the corner of her eye and said with a soft chuckle.
Sasuke said awkwardly, "It's better to be cautious."
"Okay!"
The black-robed figure flipped her wrist, and a faint blue orb of energy was extracted from the decayed flesh and bone.
When her green-glowing hand enveloped the orb, the rotting tissue fell to the ground with a dull thud.
"Is it done?"
Sasuke inquired.
The black-robed figure nodded slightly, "This is a fragment of Uchiha Madara's soul. While it lacks consciousness, if Madara is resurrected, this fragment will be drawn to the location of his revival, completing the process. Under my control, we can track the soul fragment to find him."
"Perfect!"
Sasuke exclaimed.
His heart that had originally calmed down began to waver again.
Not long ago, he had given up seeking revenge on Madara. After all, revenge on a dead person was not realistic. Even if the black-robed figure had the ability to resurrect someone, it would probably be difficult. Just by extracting this soul fragment just now, he can see how complicated it is.
And now, because of Black Zetsu's actions, Sasuke has an opportunity.
As long as Madara is resurrected, the day of his rebirth will be the anniversary of his death again.
Not only that, Sasuke planned to have the black-robed figure extract Madara's memories to uncover the truth. Was Madara truly driven by noble ambitions, or were his actions selfishly motivated?
Sasuke could never accept someone slaughtering his entire clan for their own desires. Ancestor or not, no one had the right to take the lives of others.
After all, even beasts don't harm their own offspring. If Madara's actions were indeed for selfish reasons, then he was no better than a monster.
"We should leave. The stench here is unbearable."
Sasuke said, covering his nose and mouth, "Let's find a quiet place where I can train while we wait for Madara's revival."
Having relied on the black-robed figure's abilities to defeat both Nagato and Obito, Sasuke was determined to grow stronger.
The insights he gained from these battles inspired him to sharpen his skills.
If he could achieve a breakthrough, he might be able to take Madara down with his own hands.
…
Time passed day by day, and two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.
One night, as Sasuke was deep in meditation, the black-robed figure roused him.
"Sasuke, something's happening."
"So, he finally couldn't resist?"
Sasuke suddenly opened his eyes, a gleam of light flashing in his eyes.
His gaze, once brimming with youthful arrogance, had matured, exuding calm determination. However, if one looks closely, they can still find a faint trace of battle fervor in his eyes.
The two weeks of introspection and reflection on his previous battles had brought Sasuke a new level of understanding.
Of course, this growth wasn't entirely his doing, and it was aided significantly by the black-robed figure.
With her help, Sasuke had access to an array of rare medicines and premium healing tonics.
To be honest, the changes Sasuke underwent in just two weeks were so great that even he found them hard to believe.
It seemed the black-robed figure had sensed Sasuke's determination to rely solely on his own strength in battle, prompting her to bring out her most prized resources.
After all, the evolution of the Uchiha clan's Sharingan had always been thought to be impossible through external means. From awakening the Sharingan to the Mangekyo Sharingan, intense emotional stimuli were required.
Achieving the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan necessitated the transplantation of a blood relative's Mangekyo, and even then, success was only a slim possibility.
Yet, through the black-robed figure's array of miraculous medicines, Sasuke had attained the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan… a feat that defied all understanding and conventional wisdom!
Sasuke was at a loss for words to properly express his gratitude.
Perhaps, the best way to show his thanks was to defeat Uchiha Madara, proving that the black-robed figure's efforts were not in vain.
This time, Sasuke vowed to personally kill Madara, without any reliance on the black-robed figure… not even for reminders.
"I'm ready, let's go."
Sasuke said solemnly.
The black-robed figure nodded slightly and stretched out her glowing green hand from beneath her robe.
With a deft flick of her wrist, a faint blue orb of energy materialized out of thin air.
The moment the blue orb appeared, it immediately began to drift westward.
"Trying to escape? Not so fast!"
The black-robed figure swiftly tapped the orb several times, and green, mystical runes wrapped tightly around it. Though it continued to move, its speed was significantly reduced.
After a few more adjustments, she explained, "I've calibrated the speed to match yours. Let's go."
As she finished speaking, the blue orb shot forward at a steady pace, equivalent to the full speed of a skilled Jonin.
The chosen speed wasn't Sasuke's maximum but rather one he could sustain without overexertion, which allowed his stamina to balance between expenditure and recovery.
For Sasuke, this was a steady, sustainable pace, akin to jogging.
Following the orb for about three hours, with the moon hanging high overhead, the energy plunged into the ground.
"Another underground hideout? Do these people ever come up with anything new?" Sasuke muttered, rolling his eyes at the predictability.
Approaching the entrance of the cavern, Sasuke prepared to enter. However, just as he reached the edge, an intense force blasted him back several meters.
"What a powerful aura!"
Sasuke exclaimed in shock.
The sudden surge of power was overwhelmingly strong, far beyond anything he could generate himself!
And this was only the residual aura.
Before Sasuke could fully recover, a thunderous, arrogant voice echoed from within the cavern, "I, Uchiha Madara, have finally been resurrected!"
The moment the words fell, the ground trembled violently.
In an instant, the entire area collapsed with a deafening roar.
From the rubble emerged a towering figure, his long hair flowing as he soared high into the air.
It was none other than Uchiha Madara himself.