In Amegakure, inside Black Zetsu and Tobi's secret base, Madara sat boldly in the seat of honor, gently stroking the Uchiha Gunbai that he hadn't touched in decades. Below him, Black Zetsu and Tobi showered him with flattery as if it cost them nothing.
Madara waved his hand dismissively.
"There's no need to talk about meaningless things. Tell me instead—how far has the plan progressed? With the two of you around, you must have made quite a bit of preparation already."
Black Zetsu and Tobi exchanged a glance, and Black Zetsu spoke first:
"Lord Madara, according to your instructions, we have already collected the first seven tailed beasts through the Akatsuki. The Eight-Tails managed to escape by sheer luck, but we obtained one of his tentacles.
As for the final Nine-Tails, we can use Edo Tensei to summon the Kumogakure's Gold and Silver Brothers. They once consumed the Nine-Tails' flesh, so allowing the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to absorb the chakra in their bodies should be enough to barely summon most of the Ten-Tails."
Hearing this, Madara frowned almost imperceptibly, but soon nodded in approval.
"That's acceptable. With only the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails remaining, it won't take much effort. Once the war begins, we can capture them on the battlefield."
After that assessment, Madara shifted his gaze to Tobi.
Tobi grinned ingratiatingly and said:
"Lord Madara, I've been in charge of producing White Zetsu using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and Hashirama's cells. Our current stockpile has already reached one hundred thousand White Zetsu.
With them, you won't be fighting alone at all. In fact, our numbers might even exceed the combined forces of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
In addition, we've collected the corpses of many so-called strong individuals, including former Kage from other villages and some famous fighters, as well as the bodies of the Akatsuki members themselves.
Once summoned through Edo Tensei, they'll also become powerful assets for us."
Madara showed little interest in the hundred thousand White Zetsu—he considered them nothing more than cannon fodder. However, the mention of those "strong individuals" did pique his interest.
Though he knew they were merely larger ants in the grand scheme of things, they should at least give Konoha's younger generation a real headache.
Madara casually planted the Uchiha Gunbai into the ground and said:
"Very good. Your preparations have not disappointed me. In that case, I don't have much else to busy myself with. I'll find a place to familiarize myself with this body.
Even though this is my own body and my own eyes, I haven't used them for decades. I'll need some time to readjust.
The preparations are nearly complete. From here on, Tobi, you'll be responsible for monitoring the movements of the major ninja villages. As for you, Black Zetsu—you'll serve as my steward.
After being revived after so long, I should at least enjoy the food of the living."
Black Zetsu sneered inwardly, but his face remained respectful. "It would be my pleasure."
...
Since Madara had already openly visited Konoha, Minato and the others had nothing left to conceal.
With all of Konoha's high-ranking officials present, Minato directly announced that Madara had single-handedly declared war on the entire shinobi world. He also introduced the true identities of the First and Second Hokage.
The shock was overwhelming. Jaws dropped across the crowd as everyone stared at Hashirama and Tobirama in disbelief.
However, one person reacted differently.
Hiruzen stepped out of the crowd, overcome with emotion, and dropped to his knees.
"Sensei—and Lord Hashirama… I never imagined that I'd have the chance to see you again in this lifetime."
Tobirama took a closer look, recognized him, and was visibly surprised.
"So it's little Saru? You've grown this old already? Time truly spares no one…"
Hashirama rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said from the side,
"Earlier it didn't really feel like that much time had passed, but seeing little Saru now makes it obvious. It really has been many years—he even looks older than us."
At that moment, Tsunade stepped out of the crowd with Ryūshin and Rinne, looking uncertainly at Hashirama and Tobirama.
"Grandfather… Grand Uncle?"
Hearing this, both Hashirama and Tobirama froze for a moment, then looked at Tsunade with uncertainty in their eyes.
"You are... Tsuna?"
The two exchanged glances, both feeling a bit stunned.
Hadn't they just been told Tsunade was already in her fifties?
Then who was this blonde, mature woman standing before them?
Tsunade paused, then smiled.
"Oh, that's thanks to Grandma Mito's Yin Seal. I made a few modifications so I can temporarily maintain a youthful appearance."
At those words, a trace of nostalgia flashed through Hashirama's eyes. He gently patted Tsunade on the head.
"Ah, yes. That mark on your forehead is exactly the same as your Grandma Mito's."
Hearing this, Tsunade couldn't help but think of Grandma Mito, and her eyes reddened slightly. But before she could dwell on it, Hashirama suddenly turned around and gave Hoshiyomi a thumbs-up.
"You're a lucky man, Hoshi-chan!"
Silence.
A deathly silence fell over everyone present.
Even Tsunade, rarely flustered, blushed slightly and hurriedly changed the subject, turning to Ryūshin and Rinne behind her.
"Ryūshin, Rinne, come here. This is your great-grandfather. And Nawaki, you bring your son Takehiko over too—let him meet Grandfather and Grand Uncle."
Nawaki, a little embarrassed, led his son over from the crowd and bowed respectfully to the two.
"Grandfather. Grand Uncle."
Hashirama and Tobirama looked at each other, disbelief written plainly in their eyes.
They had once thought the Senju clan would end with their generation.
But now, not only had it not ended—it looked like it was thriving.
...
After the lively scene of family reunions finally came to an end, the bustle at the village entrance gradually dispersed. With the joyful moments over, it was time to discuss serious matters.
After the five Hokage gathered in the Hokage's office, the massive machine known as Konoha officially began to turn.
Genin and Chūnin were organized into squads to help villagers with post-disaster reconstruction, while Konoha's jōnin were summoned to assemble at the Hokage Building.
The jōnin meeting was convened once again.
At the meeting, Shikaku explained everything that had happened to the assembled jōnin and formally announced that the Fourth Great Ninja War would begin in one month.
After the briefing, Minato stepped forward and began issuing orders in an orderly manner. First came the mobilization of Konoha's resources—naturally, all available resources would be fully committed to the coming war.
In addition, Minato dispatched the Flying Thunder God squad, tasking them with contacting the other major ninja villages to convene a Five Kage Summit. As for the meeting location, following Hoshiyomi's suggestion, it was ultimately set in the Land of Iron.
Once all the arrangements were complete, the Konoha shinobi dispersed to carry out their respective missions. Hoshiyomi and the other top officials, meanwhile, gathered at the Senju clan compound to hold a second round of discussions.
...
Read Advanced Chapters on : www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin
~ Every 100 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]