"Uzumaki Heiyan might be Konoha... no, scratch that—he's likely the strongest genius in the entire history of the world of shinobi. That guy possessed the same Sage Transformation as you, Hashirama—and by his teens, he was already stronger than even your prime."
As a solitary old man, Madara Uchiha seldom saw two familiar faces from the past—it was only natural he wanted to prolong the conversation for a while longer.
He showered Heiyan with the highest praises, narrating the young genius's deeds to the pair. He especially emphasized battles like the one in Uzugakure, his winds of reform, and the intense showdown at the Five Kage Summit—important events Heiyan had personally participated in—all of which moved these two former Hokage—the men who had once commanded grand spectacles.
"However, even such a genius eventually fell beneath the power of my Rinnegan. In this world, I now have no equal."
After talking so much, Madara steered the conversation back around to himself. His real purpose all along had simply been to boast.
"The Rinnegan... this is the pair of eyes you schemed so hard and long to obtain?"
Hashirama Senju asked seriously, staring fixedly into Madara's eyes.
"Aniki, these eyes... they seem exactly like the legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths," Tobirama whispered cautiously beside Hashirama.
"Exactly! Let me tell you another secret," Madara declared proudly. "The Uchiha clan and the Senju clan are both descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. The difference is that the former inherited the Sage's eyes, while the latter received the Sage's physical remains.
But I," Madara stretched his arms wide as he spoke, "after obtaining your cells, gained the powers of both the Uchiha and the Senju clans simultaneously. When those forces fused, they birthed the power of all creation—which led to my awakening of the Rinnegan, making me one with the Sage of Six Paths himself!"
He spread his arms wide, proclaiming triumphantly before the Senju brothers that he alone had won their bitter struggle.
"So then... what do you intend to do now? Take revenge on Konoha?"
Hashirama frowned as he asked.
"Hmph. Hashirama, your vision is too narrow," Madara replied coldly, shaking his head with disdain. "Now that I stand at the same level as the Sage of Six Paths, looking down upon this world, what I aim to do is save all beings suffering endlessly from war and bloodshed—to achieve true peace!"
As Madara finished this dramatic declaration, Black Zetsu seized the moment to flatter further:
"Such lofty ideals lie far beyond the grasp of we mortals—our limited minds simply cannot comprehend them."
Meanwhile, the young Nagato looked up at Madara with shining eyes, brimming with pure admiration.
"Enough already," snapped Tobirama impatiently, making a chopping motion with his hand. He locked eyes with Madara coldly. "You didn't resurrect us simply to show off to our faces or keep us standing around watching you try to fulfill this so-called 'true peace,' did you?"
"Of course not." Madara settled back onto his chair lazily, looking between Hashirama and Tobirama. "Our idle chatter ends here. Now it's time for you two to carry out your orders. I command you—immediately set off for Konoha and bring back to me the Jinchuriki of Nine-Tails and Two-Tails."
"What?!"
Hearing this, both of them changed expressions instantly.
Ten minutes later.
Bound by Madara's threats, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju had no choice but to leave Kirigakure, heading toward Konoha.
Thus, except for the still-missing Six-Tails and Seven-Tails, all other Tailed Beasts had been assigned specific personnel for capture by Madara.
Inside the hidden chamber.
"Where exactly did things go wrong?"
Leaning back against the tall stone chair, Madara stared at Heiyan inside the coffin, whose eyes remained tightly shut. Frowning, he fell into deep thought.
The cellular tissue originated from Heiyan—stolen by Danzo from Konoha—so it should have been correct.
Could it be that...
Suddenly, a possibility crossed Madara's mind.
According to intelligence sent back from Danzō in Konoha, Gamamaru from Mount Myoboku was also attempting to resurrect Uzumaki Heiyan—this time using the Immortal Sage Talisman in pursuit of a perfect resurrection.
Had the Impure World Reincarnation failed because Heiyan had already been revived?
Realizing this, Madara felt a sudden jolt in his heart.
He indeed held Gamamaru, the Honorary Elder of Konoha, in high regard; after all, this ancient toad had lived for over a thousand years and had once stood side by side with the Sage of Six Paths.
For this very reason, during the past four years, Madara had maintained a low profile and kept quiet without provoking Konoha even once.
Gamamaru seemed to share similar thoughts, creating an unspoken understanding between them—they kept clear of each other's business and remained at peace.
But now the situation had changed.
If Gamamaru truly had resurrected Heiyan and the two attacked Kirigakure together, even Madara wouldn't feel confident about standing against them.
If that happened, he might not make it out alive—and just as the Moon Eye Plan was about to succeed, it could all fall apart.
Therefore, sending Hashirama and Tobirama to Konoha wasn't just simply about capturing Jinchuriki hosts for the Tailed Beasts; it was also meant to provoke significant commotion—to test the waters.
Meanwhile, Madara had already prepared an escape route long ago.
Bang!
He lifted his foot and slammed it down onto the floor. The moment he did, a massive transportation array erupted around the stone chair, quickly spreading across the entire underground chamber.
This transportation array had been created by Madara using Rinnegan's power over the past few years.
Once danger arrived, he could activate his ocular powers and transport everything within the chamber—including the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—to a remote island far across the ocean, thousands of miles away.
There, hidden underground, was an even more secretive base constructed by Black Zetsu—a final retreat.
Then, Madara formed the hand seal for Impure World Reincarnation for the third time, summoning yet another set of coffins.
These individuals within the coffins weren't at the Kage-level like before, but during their lifetimes, they had been elite ninja from different villages—more than forty in total.
Following Madara's command, they walked out of the chamber blankly and dispersed into every corner of Kirigakure village, acting as guards ready to defend against incoming enemies.
After completing all of this,
Madara slowly closed his eyes.
He used the power of the Impure World Reincarnation to remotely observe every move of the undead puppets he had summoned.
Although he retained the consciousness of individuals like Hashirama, allowing them to better utilize their former strength, should anyone attempt to break free from the bonds of the Impure World Reincarnation or slack off in their duties, he would erase their consciousness remotely without hesitation and take over their body.
One day later.
The sea stretched endlessly before them.
The Land of Water was home to countless large and small islands, many of which had remained uninhabited for years due to remote geography, harsh climates, or a lack of resources.
At this moment, on an uninhabited island located southeast of Kiri.
A loud buzzing sound rang out.
Space here suddenly erupted with violent ripples, bursting forth dazzling light. Nearby trees and vegetation were shredded into pieces by the distortion of space energy.
As the light finally faded.
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