First Contact with Madara
After Chi Yu ended the visual link, Kakashi asked with curiosity, "Chi Yu-sensei, what's up with your eyes?"
Chi Yu replied casually, "Ah, one of my techniques. I can share vision through my snakes. I was just surveying the surroundings."
Kakashi nodded in understanding. "I see. Chi Yu-sensei, you should rest. I'll take over the watch."
Chi Yu gave a tired nod. "Alright. Wake me when it's time to switch."
---
A month passed.
Tension in Amegakure had reached a boiling point.
Nagato and Konan continued to slowly tighten their grip on the village, quietly dismantling Hanzō's authority from within.
Everyone on the ground understood—this war wouldn't drag on much longer. But it was precisely at times like these, with the end in sight, that vigilance was most critical. The enemy always struck when one let their guard down.
Whenever he had a spare moment, Chi Yu used his snakes' shared vision to observe the cave where Uchiha Obito and Madara resided.
Obito, who had barely survived the Kannabi Bridge mission, was now slowly adapting to his reconstructed body—Zetsu-based tissue created by Madara's experiments. Though he couldn't yet leave the cave for long periods, his obsession with returning to Konoha, and especially to Rin, never wavered.
One evening, as Chi Yu idly monitored the cave during rest, a sudden movement caught his eye.
Obito was asleep. A White Zetsu emerged from the stone wall beside the bed.
"Madara," it reported, "Minato Namikaze has just left on a solo mission."
Madara, previously resting with his eyes closed, opened them. "Is that so? Then it's time."
He rose, donned a humanoid White Zetsu suit to stabilize his aged, weakened body, and left a shadow clone behind as he exited the cavern.
Since Nagato had temporarily taken the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path for his own plans, Madara could only rely on the Zetsu's artificial body to keep him mobile—barely alive, yet still dangerous.
Chi Yu narrowed his eyes.
So it begins...
This must be the moment Madara begins orchestrating the capture of the Three-Tails—by manipulating Kirigakure's ANBU to forcibly seal the beast into Rin Nohara.
Chi Yu, sensing something critical was unfolding, ceased taking missions. He remained in his hideout, focusing entirely on surveillance.
But his snakes were ordinary—fast, quiet, but ultimately too limited. They quickly lost track of Madara once he left the cave.
All Chi Yu could do was refocus on Obito.
---
Four days later
Madara returned silently to the cave. His clone vanished with a puff of smoke. He reconnected to the Demonic Statue's life support.
A White Zetsu burst through the wall beside Obito.
"That girl you talked about—Rin—she's in trouble."
Obito's eyes snapped open. "What happened?!"
"She's surrounded. Hidden Mist ANBU—dozens of them. Two Konoha shinobi are with her, but it's not looking good."
Obito jumped out of bed and swung his fist at the stone wall. His arm crumpled uselessly—he still wasn't used to the artificial body.
Pain twisted his face.
"This body can't take that kind of stress," Zetsu noted.
"I don't care!" Obito hissed. "I have to save Rin!"
Zetsu's body peeled open. "Then wear mine. Take me with you."
Obito hesitated. "Aren't you Madara's subordinate? Is this really okay?"
Zetsu's voice was gentle, oddly compassionate. "You're a good kid. Go save her."
Obito stepped forward and merged with the White Zetsu, now reinforced.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Cloaking himself in a tattered black cloak, he walked toward the blocked exit—and punched through it with ease.
Madara's eyes opened from within the shadows. "You're going?"
Obito turned back. "You saved me, and I'm grateful—but I have to go. I won't just sit here while Rin dies."
Madara's voice echoed with quiet certainty. "You'll be back. That's when I'll accept your true gratitude."
Obito didn't respond. "Zetsu—where is she? Take me now."
"The one you're wearing is one of my clones," Zetsu explained. "We share a network of consciousness. I'll guide you through them."
The clone extended a tendril, pointing outside the cave. "Head that way."
Obito began running. "How bad is Rin's situation?"
"One of my others said it's dire. She's being used in some kind of experiment by Kirigakure… something about the Three-Tails. I don't get it."
"An experiment…?" Obito murmured.
"They've surrounded her. Powerful jōnin, ANBU. All of them Mist shinobi."
Obito gritted his teeth. "Where's Minato-sensei?"
"No idea who that is."
"The Yellow Flash! Where is he?!"
"Oh. He's off on another mission."
"Tch... What about Kakashi?"
"The 'idiot' you always mention? Still fighting in the Land of Rain."
Obito's hands clenched into fists. "Just as I feared..."
---
Back at the cave
Not long after Obito vanished into the distance, Madara stood and walked toward the rubble where the boy had broken through.
He reached into the debris—then swiftly pulled something out.
A small white snake squirmed in his grasp.
"So… you've been watching, haven't you, Chi Yu?"
Far away in the Land of Rain, Chi Yu's eyes widened.
He noticed?!
But he quickly composed himself.
Madara was barely clinging to life—he couldn't do much now, could he?
Still… something was unsettling about how easily Madara had identified him.
Moments later, a snake slithered into Madara's presence—this one infused with chakra.
Chi Yu spoke through it. "Uchiha Madara. When did you notice me?"
Madara responded with calm indifference. "Four days ago. Not many people use snakes. You're not hard to figure out."
Chi Yu was silent for a beat. Four days ago… was it when he put on the Zetsu suit?
Madara's eyes narrowed. "You already knew Obito survived, didn't you? What do you really know?"
Chi Yu lied smoothly. "It was pure coincidence. I sent out snakes to retrieve Obito's body. I found the tunnel by accident. And you."
"If you knew I was alive," Madara countered, "why haven't you reported me to Konoha?"
Chi Yu stared at him, speechless.
Madara's gaze was cold, unwavering.
"Just like I haven't exposed you."
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