After shutting off Visual Sharing, Chinya was met with Kakashi's curious question: "Chinya-sensei, what happened to your eyes?"
Chinya casually replied, "Ah, it's just a jutsu of mine. It lets me share vision with my snakes. I was observing the surroundings just now."
Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "So that's it. You should rest for a bit, Chinya-sensei. Leave the vigilance to me."
Chinya nodded along with Kakashi's suggestion. "Alright then, wake me up when it's time."
...
A month flew by.
The situation within Amegakure once again settled into a tense standoff between three factions.
Nagato and Konan were laying low while gradually replacing Sanshouo Hanzo as rulers of Amegakure.
Everyone understood. The war wouldn't last much longer.
Yet it was precisely at times like this that carelessness couldn't be afforded—the enemy often struck unexpectedly when one was most vulnerable.
Whenever he had free time, Chinya would use Visual Sharing to observe Obito Uchiha and Madara Uchiha.
Obito had already started getting used to his new body. Although still unable to leave underground, he'd never abandoned his wish to return to Leaf.
As Chinya casually activated Visual Sharing during a break, the sight before him instantly sharpened his focus.
While Obito lay fast asleep on his bed, a White Zetsu emerged from the ground beneath.
"Madara, Minato Namikaze has gone off alone on another mission."
The closed eyes of Madara Uchiha slowly opened. "Is that so? Then let's move out."
Putting on the White Zetsu, Madara left behind a Shadow Bunshin before departing the cave.
At this point, Madara barely clung to life through the Demonic Statue. Wearing the White Zetsu allowed him limited mobility by borrowing its power.
Long ago, when Nagato summoned forth the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Madara had used this very method to remain alive until the statue's return.
Chinya's eyes narrowed with focus.
It looked like... Madara was going to control Mist's ANBU ninjas, capture Rin Nohara, and seal the Three-Tails—Isobu—inside her body.
Rather than accepting any new missions, Chinya chose to remain at base, monitoring how things unfolded.
Since all of Chinya's snakes were ordinary, they weren't fast enough to keep up with Madara and quickly lost track of him.
Thus, Chinya focused solely on Obito.
Four days passed.
Silently, Madara returned to the cave, dispelled the Shadow Bunshin, and reconnected himself to the Demonic Statue.
Suddenly, a White Zetsu emerged from the wall, informing Obito, "I just came back from outside. That girl Rin Nohara is in trouble!"
Obito anxiously asked, "What happened?!"
"She's surrounded by Mist ninja along with two other Leaf shinobi—Rin Nohara among them!"
Obito immediately leaped from his bed, slamming a fist against the rock wall.
However, his right hand simply crumbled like clay, falling limply to the ground.
The intense pain contorted Obito's face.
"With your current body, you can't even crush rock."
"Obito Uchiha said in pain, "I have to go save Rin!"
White Zetsu opened his body, saying, "Then wear my body."
The White Zetsu covered Obito Uchiha's body.
Obito Uchiha asked suspiciously, "Aren't you guys under Madara's command? Is this alright?"
"You're truly a good kid. Don't you want to save Rin?"
Obito Uchiha sincerely thanked them, "Thank you all!"
Obito Uchiha stood before a rock and punched through it.
Madara Uchiha opened his eyes, "Are you leaving?"
Obito Uchiha looked determined, "You saved me, and I'm grateful, but I must go! I absolutely have to leave!"
Madara stared at Obito's back, "You're too hasty. Now might be too early to thank me."
Obito turned toward Madara, "I think I won't return. Anyway, I've already thanked you. I'm leaving now."
Madara declared confidently, "You will return! Then I shall accept your true gratitude."
Ignoring Madara, Obito turned to White Zetsu, "White one! Where is Rin? Take me there immediately!"
[Bunshin]. The part attached to you is my clone. Within a certain distance, we can communicate telepathically, and other clones scattered underground also exchange information."
The White Zetsu clone on Obito pointed its tendril outward from the shattered rocks, "First go outside."
Obito casually grabbed a cloak and put it on before leaving the cave.
Madara gave Obito a deep look before closing his eyes again.
As they walked, Obito asked, "How is Rin's situation now?"
"From what my allies reported, things look dire. They mentioned something about 'test subjects from Kiri,' though I'm not sure what that means."
"Test subjects?" Obito questioned.
"In any case, Rin and two other Konoha ninja are surrounded by dozens of people — mostly powerful jonin and Anbu."
"What is Minato-sensei doing?"
"Who is that?"
"I asked where the Yellow Flash — Minato — is!"
"He seems to be on another mission."
Obito clenched his teeth, "Why now... What about Kakashi?"
"That idiot Kakashi you keep mentioning is fighting in the Land of Rain right now!"
Obito furrowed his brow, "So it really is like that!"
...
Shortly after Obito left, Madara suddenly stood up and walked toward the rocks Obito had shattered earlier.
Suddenly, Madara shot out his hand, grabbing something among the rubble.
When he withdrew his hand, a white snake lay within his grasp.
"You've been watching for long enough, Chinya."
Far away in the Land of Rain, Chinya's snake-like pupils suddenly constricted.
He found me?!
After calming down, Chinya suddenly felt there was no need to panic.
Right now, Madara was merely an old man nearing death anyway.
Soon, a snake slithered to Madara's side.
This wasn't like any ordinary snake — it had chakra.
Chinya leveraged this snake to communicate with Madara Uchiha: "Madara Uchiha, when did you discover me?"
"Not long ago — only four days ago. And not many people use summoning snakes like you do."
Madara's answer left Chinya briefly stunned into silence.
Was it when Madara was controlling the White Zetsu that he sensed it...
Madara's voice turned heavy: "You seem to have known long ago that Obito Uchiha wouldn't die. What exactly do you know?"
Chinya lied smoothly, "Knowing Obito wasn't dead was just a coincidence. I originally used the Summoning Technique to call forth some snakes, just to look for Obito Uchiha's corpse. I didn't expect to find the tunnel — or you. Since you noticed my spying four days ago, why didn't you expose me then?"
Madara countered, "Then what about you? Knowing that I'm still alive, why haven't you reported it to Konoha?"
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