"Madara-sama..."
At the moment his body was half blown apart by Takeshi, tears welled up in Setsuna's eyes as he looked toward Uchiha Madara seated on a massive throne.
At this moment, Madara had severed his connection with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. To Setsuna, the man looked like a dead, withered tree—decayed and fragile.
Even so, Madara was still holding on with his last breath, just to give Setsuna his final instructions.
Seeing Setsuna before him, half of his body covered by Hashirama cells, Uchiha Madara was deeply satisfied.
He hadn't expected that Setsuna, standing on the brink of death at his age, would awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan from the shame of failure and the stimulation of the Hashirama cells.
With this, he had enough of a contingency to hinder Uchiha Yōwan's growth.
"You've done well. It was indeed a mistake not to bring you along back then."
Madara's face was expressionless, but his tone had softened significantly.
"I failed to live up to your expectations… I let the wicked Tobirama gain the upper hand!"
Seeing Madara so self-effacing, Uchiha Setsuna couldn't bear it anymore. Ignoring the searing pain from his wounds, he scrambled forward on all fours to Madara's side.
"Madara-sama, only you—only you can save the Uchiha clan!"
As Setsuna clutched tightly to his leg, refusing to let go, a brief sneer flashed across Madara's face.
Save the Uchiha clan?
What a pity. At this point, he had no feelings left for the clan that had once abandoned him.
Back then, he led them in war only for the sake of his younger brother, Izuna.
His ambition extended to the entire shinobi world—not just a single clan.
But—
Sensing that his vitality was nearly gone, Madara leaned forward, placing his shriveled right hand on Setsuna's shoulder.
"My time is short. There are a few things you must remember."
Forcing Setsuna to look into his eyes, Uchiha Madara spoke his final words.
"Black Zetsu is my will. If Uchiha Yōwan or Nagato ever stray from my plan, seek him out. He'll assist you in regaining control over them."
"Although it lacks a brain, Black Zetsu is loyal to me. Remember—never let the Rinnegan fall into another's hands."
With those words, Madara could no longer muster any strength. He slowly withdrew his hand, gasping for breath.
"Hah... hah... hah... Go. Go fulfill my will. I'll be waiting for the day you awaken me..."
Without waiting for Setsuna's reply, Madara slowly closed his eyes.
In the end, just before the darkness took him, a familiar figure appeared in his vision.
"Hashirama..."
...
"Black Zetsu."
Watching Madara breathe his last before his eyes, Setsuna had no time to mourn. Appearing now was the very irritated Black Zetsu.
He had been hiding underground just to personally witness Madara's death, hoping to finally vent some long-harbored resentment. Instead, he found himself seething again.
Even on his deathbed, Madara hadn't forgotten to call him brainless!
You're brainless! Your whole family's brainless! You and your buddy Hashirama are both brainless!
Despite all the resentment boiling in his heart, Black Zetsu had to keep a blank expression, dutifully playing the role of Madara's will.
"Where is Yōwan?"
Setsuna gave Black Zetsu a quick once-over, silently marveling at how Madara's 'will' turned out to be such an ugly thing, then asked about Yōwan's whereabouts.
"He said he wanted to take a look around the shinobi world to better plan his next move."
Black Zetsu replied in a flat tone, carefully masking his inner fury.
"Hmph. What's so great about the shinobi world?"
Snorting at Yōwan's idea, Setsuna knelt beside Madara's corpse due to his injuries, trying hard to stay calm.
"What about Nagato?"
"Same as always."
"I see..." Resting his head against Madara's throne, Setsuna looked like a helpless child at that moment.
Yōwan's actions had given him a new idea. If he could turn a loyal Konoha ninja into Madara's proxy, then surely he could also make the peace-loving Nagato understand pain... and fall into despair.
"Stay with Yōwan for now. Monitor his movements. As for Nagato, once I recover, I'll find a way to reach him."
Setsuna gave Black Zetsu an order without the slightest courtesy.
"Understood."
Black Zetsu nodded, then glanced at Madara's corpse.
Although he longed to take out his anger on that body, it was obvious that Setsuna wouldn't give him the chance.
Not to mention, there were still many White Zetsu clones in the cave—if any of them tattled, that'd be troublesome.
With that in mind, Black Zetsu decisively slipped underground, beginning to carry out Setsuna's commands.
...
Amegakure.
"Nagato, here you are."
It was mealtime, and when Konan couldn't find Nagato anywhere, she followed the stairs up to the rooftop—only to find him standing alone by the railing.
"Konan... what's wrong?"
Letting the rain drip freely down his face, Nagato turned his head slightly and forced a weak smile.
"Thinking about what Takeshi said?"
Konan had lived with Nagato for years and could instantly tell from his expression that he was feeling down. She stepped out from the dry spot and came to stand beside him.
Faced with her question, Nagato opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. Under her gaze, he slowly nodded.
Takeshi's words had been too shocking. Even after all this time, Nagato still couldn't let them go.
His eyes weren't a gift from the shinobi world, as Jiraiya-sensei had told him, but part of a conspiracy—a manipulation designed with cold calculation.
And the only reason... was that he had Uzumaki blood.
"I'm just a paw—"
Nagato raised his voice, trying to vent his frustration, but suddenly felt Konan grab his right hand tightly.
He immediately realized the situation and stopped himself mid-sentence.
Of course. There was a strong chance they were being watched by whoever was pulling the strings. Speaking out would only put his comrades at risk.
"It's okay. What he said might not all be true."
Unsure how to truly comfort him, Konan could only say that much to help him regain his spirit.
"Look, isn't our most important task right now to realize our beautiful dream?"
She pointed to the streets below, now more prosperous than when Takeshi last came. With Konoha's loans, Yahiko and the others had successfully revitalized the area under Akatsuki's control.
Shabby buildings had been renovated. Akatsuki members were now equipped with standard Konoha ninja tools. Supplies like explosive tags, ninja swords, and armor—once scarce—were now readily available. Compared to Hanzo's jurisdiction, the areas under Akatsuki brimmed with new life.