Although Uchiha Madara was reluctant to admit it, he truly did not want to end up within Orochimaru's hunting range. If his presence were exposed, there would be no second chance to escape like when he had faced Nagato.
Yet at this point, there was no choice but to target the Nine-Tails. All the other tailed beasts had already been sealed into the Gedo Statue as planned. For the first time, Madara felt like a spider trapped in his own web.
Sensing Madara's troubled expression, Hiruko spoke up again. "Don't worry, Your Excellency. The Nine-Tails doesn't exist only in Konoha."
Madara's gaze sharpened. "You mean the half that was sealed away by the Fourth Hokage?"
"Exactly. While the Dead Demon Consuming Seal is incredibly powerful, it's not without a countermeasure." Hiruko retrieved a scroll and opened a document detailing the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques.
He had been researching ways to retrieve the Nine-Tails for some time. Unlike others, he didn't rely on brute force; knowledge was his weapon. Even now, with Madara and others supporting him, he preferred using intellect to win.
With Orochimaru already breaking past the limits of the ninja world, Hituko was aware—more than ever—of what it meant to fall behind. Was he, once nearly invincible, now surpassed?
"According to this," he continued, "there's a high probability of undoing the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. With your Rinnegan, it should be even easier—though that's only my theory."
Madara scanned the document. He understood the technique but frowned. "You want me to become the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki?"
Using a tailed beast's chakra for growth wasn't simple. If he had his prime body, he could have drawn on the chakra with his Rinnegan. But in this soul-bound state within a clone, attempting such a feat would likely destroy the host body.
"Of course not," Hiruko replied. "There are ways to utilize the chakra without housing the tailed beast."
He looked toward the entrance. "I've already asked Obito to retrieve someone. If the timing is right, he should be here soon. Ever since Akatsuki allied with Konoha, that man hasn't been having an easy time."
"…You're thorough," Madara nodded, returning to the document. Hiruko began prepping for the operation. Success wasn't guaranteed, but the experiment had to proceed.
A day passed quickly.
Obito returned from the Land of Rain—but not alone. Aside from the person he was meant to retrieve, he had brought an unexpected guest.
"Shinno. I didn't think I'd see you again so soon…" Hiruko smirked, mockingly. "Honestly, I thought Orochimaru would've already dissected the last of the Sky Ninja."
"Hmph. He thinks too highly of himself," Shinno replied, eyes shadowed. "There's no way he'd bother noticing me."
Though he wore a kind face, his voice was bitter. The recent alliance between Akatsuki and Konoha still baffled him. After all that bloodshed, how could those two sides bury the hatchet so easily?
Hiruko didn't press further. He turned to the second person Obito had brought. "And who's this?"
The man looked ordinary—young, gray-haired, with no strong chakra signature. But something about him felt… off.
"I don't know," Obito said. "I caught him trying to send a message to Orochimaru. He resisted my Sharingan illusions."
"…What?" Uchiha Madara looked up from the scroll.
Obito's illusion skills weren't top-tier, but with a Mangekyō Sharingan and Hashirama's cells, he should've had no trouble overwhelming an average target.
"If you don't believe me, try it yourself," Obito said.
Madara walked over, eyes flashing as his Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō. A red wave of pupil force surged and locked onto the gray-haired man.
But… nothing.
No feedback. No illusion. Just blank resistance.
"…Interesting." Madara smirked. "The harder it is now, the more important this message must be."
Without hesitation, he activated his Rinnegan and unleashed a more powerful genjutsu.
Just before the illusion hit, the gray-haired man suddenly spoke:
"Be careful… Otsutsuki… Don't make a deal with him…"
Then, as if his purpose had been fulfilled, the man collapsed. His body rotted rapidly, disintegrating into dust within seconds.
Everyone was stunned.
"Otsutsuki…? That sounds like a family name," Hiruko muttered. "But are they even qualified to cooperate with Orochimaru?"
He paused—then noticed the deep shock on Madara and Obito's faces.
Madara, who hadn't even flinched when Orochimaru's name was mentioned before, was clearly shaken.
This wasn't a trivial matter.
Madara took a breath and turned to Obito. "Come with me."
The two walked through the underground waterways until they reached a quiet chamber.
There, Black Zetsu emerged from the floor, silent and watchful.
"What do you think?" Madara asked.
"…Otsutsuki. It must be referring to Kaguya's clan," Obito said. "They're the only ones powerful enough to negotiate with someone like Orochimaru."
"But that name hasn't existed for centuries," Madara frowned. "Senju, Uchiha, Uzumaki—even the Kaguya Clan of the Mist Village… they're all distant branches at best. None of them even know the Otsutsuki name."
Black Zetsu remained silent, but his thoughts aligned. Only Kaguya and her sons—Hagoromo and Hamura—were true Otsutsuki. Everyone else were shadows of their lineage.
A true Otsutsuki appearing in the ninja world? One powerful enough to rival Orochimaru?
'Could it be that Hamura's descendants from the Moon have returned?' Black Zetsu thought grimly.
Madara spoke again. "This needs to be investigated thoroughly. That man used his last breath to warn Orochimaru. This wasn't casual gossip."
Amador, the real sender, had used clone tech to deliver the message covertly. But he had no idea it would be intercepted by others with Rinnegan and Sharingan.
"This isn't just a warning," Obito added. "It might explain Orochimaru's sudden power leap."
He didn't believe Orochimaru had grown this powerful alone.
"If the warning was, 'Don't cooperate with Otsutsuki,' then Orochimaru has likely already begun doing so."
Obito paused. "But why deliver the message near Amegakure?"
"Perhaps Nagato is involved in the deal too," Madara muttered. "But who was that messenger? He clearly knew too much."
"I have a theory," Obito said. "He was probably one of Otsutsuki's subordinates—but didn't agree with everything his master was doing. So he tried to warn Orochimaru."
"…Like you," Madara smirked. "A traitor to his cause."
Obito ignored the jab. "The key now is finding out whether Nagato knows about this deal."
"If only he and Orochimaru know, we're stuck. But if Konan knows too…"
Madara grimaced. "I don't have the Rinnegan chakra left for another battle."
"You can still buy me time," Obito replied. "That's all I need to capture Konan."
"That blue-haired woman?"
"Don't underestimate her. More than anyone else, she's Nagato's closest confidant. His secrets are her secrets. If we get her, we get the truth."
Companionship wasn't just about sharing peace—it was also about sharing burdens. Obito had seen that closeness firsthand.
And now, both he and Madara had the power to rip it apart.
"…So that's why you didn't use the Rinnegan to revive Rin?" Madara asked. "Worried she wouldn't understand what you've done?"
Obito's voice turned cold. "I'm not like you."
"Your friend—Hashirama—turned on you because he didn't understand. Rin wouldn't do that to me. And I won't make her suffer."
Madara's eyes narrowed, then softened slightly. "Hmph. Sharp-tongued brat. Say what you want. Either way, we move forward with the plan."
He turned to Black Zetsu. "Go investigate."
"Yes," Zetsu replied, sinking back into the earth.
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