Chapter 170: Madara's New Script and a New Mangekyō
Mountain's Graveyard.
Aloe White Zetsu's head emerged from a stone wall, calling out to Madara Uchiha, "Lord Madara, I have some not-so-good news. It seems Konoha and Iwagakure are about to end their war! That Kinoshita Genichi appeared on the battlefield, and he actually used the same ninjutsu as the Third Tsuchikage!"
Aloe White Zetsu's tone was filled with shock. He wasn't specifically assigned to watch Genichi; there was no need. The only reason he had seen the great battle was in service of their future plans.
Madara opened his eyes. Spiral Zetsu also appeared beside him, chattering, "Lord Madara, the situation seems a bit tricky. If the war ends, it will be difficult to make arrangements, won't it?"
But Madara was calm. "The same ninjutsu as the Tsuchikage? Dust Release?"
"Not just that," Aloe White Zetsu said. "He could fly too. Kinoshita Genichi is getting stronger and stronger. Speaking of which, will Nagato be a match for him in the future? That guy… probably only you, Lord Madara, can take care of him personally, right?"
Madara frowned. This was indeed a problem. Someone in the ninja world surpassing the Five Kage was not conducive to his plan. As for Nagato, although his legs had been healed with White Zetsu cells, and the Hashirama cells would allow him to better control the Rinnegan's power, he still couldn't bring out its full potential. He should have no problem dealing with the Five Kage individually, but Genichi…
It wasn't a problem now, but the kid was growing too fast. The success of his plan now depended on whether the next phase was perfect enough. If it reached his expectations, Genichi would not be a concern. If not, then he would have to act himself.
Although Madara looked down on the world, he was not a blind fool who would underestimate someone with such obvious, astonishing potential. If it were the Five Kage, he wouldn't even bat an eye.
"Let's finish the original plan first." Madara stood up, trembling slightly.
Spiral Zetsu immediately moved forward, enveloping his body and unplugging the tubes.
Although they had officially entered the peace negotiation phase, the war had not yet come to a complete stop. Talks were talks, and fighting was fighting. It was just that the intensity of the war had plummeted.
At the end of the day, Iwagakure was still unwilling to concede, especially on the issue of the Land of Birds and the Land of Grass. So, while they engaged in verbal sparring at the negotiating table, they also secretly found the remnants of the Hidden Grass Village and, under the banner of restoring their village, started causing trouble. Whether they were really remnants of the Grass didn't matter. And in the Land of Birds, there was also still fighting, as Iwagakure tried to break through by influencing the Daimyō.
And so, the war began to revolve around the Daimyō of the Land of Grass and the Land of Birds, with assassinations and counter-assassinations, and the clashes in the shadows grew increasingly intense.
The Land of Grass.
Uchiha Tekka was fleeing, gritting his teeth. He had been ambushed, and all his comrades were dead. But there were too many enemies. Even with his three-tomoe Sharingan, he couldn't handle them all. And he had discovered a crucial piece of intelligence, one that was very important to the Uchiha: Iwagakure was planning to collect Sharingan! They were going to hunt the Uchiha clan!
He had to escape, to report this to the clan head, Fugaku Uchiha.
But suddenly, the ground in front of him rose up. To his left and right, Iwa-nin appeared. He was surrounded.
"Damn it…" Tekka gritted his teeth and charged, his sword ready.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
BOOM!
Swords clashed, fire jutsu raged, and the earth rose and fell. He fought with all his might, but the Iwa-nin's ability to change the terrain made it difficult for him to break out.
In the end, he was trapped in a huge pit created by them. As he was about to charge out, the earth above closed in. A violent tremor, and the sealed earth cracked, turning into countless rocks that rained down on him.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
One rock after another smashed into his body, quickly burying him underground.
One day later, at the Mountain's Graveyard.
Uchiha Tekka slowly opened his eyes. The dim light made him think he was in the Pure Land. "Is this the afterlife? Damn it, I failed to stop the conspiracy against my clan. Iwagakure… if there are any Iwa-nin here, I will kill them all…"
His heart was filled with hatred. His Sharingan activated involuntarily, its crimson light flickering in the darkness. His dōjutsu power had increased, but it had not undergone a fundamental transformation.
Just then, an aged voice sounded. "This is not the Pure Land. It is the layer between the real world and the Pure Land. It is hell."
"Who? Who's speaking?" Tekka cried out in alarm.
The light gradually brightened, and only then did he realize that this place seemed to be a cave.
"Hehe, I'm not a person? No, I am a person, but I am an artificial human!" Spiral Zetsu appeared beside him, giggling. "Do you know what an artificial human is? It means you don't need to eat or poop. Speaking of which, what does it feel like to poop?" He pinched his chin in thought.
"What… what the hell is this thing?" Tekka was completely bewildered.
Just then, Aloe White Zetsu appeared to his left. "Uchiha Tekka, we saved you. Of course, it was all a coincidence. The tunnel we were digging just happened to be under your battlefield."
"Who… who are you?" Tekka struggled to turn his head.
"This guy was right about one thing," Aloe White Zetsu said, pointing to Spiral Zetsu. "We are artificial humans. And the master who created us, his name is Madara Uchiha!"
Madara Uchiha! Tekka was stunned, then subconsciously retorted, "Impossible! He… he died a long time ago. You must have been deceived."
"Oh?" Madara's voice came. "Is someone impersonating me?"
Spiral Zetsu helped the bandaged Tekka up. He finally saw the aged, tubed Madara, and his three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Are you really a member of the Uchiha clan?" Tekka was still suspicious. After all, Kinoshita Genichi also possessed a Sharingan and could control it freely.
Madara didn't bother to explain. "Your injuries are not very serious. You can leave in two days." He then slowly closed his eyes.
But the Zetsus began their performance.
"Speaking of which, the Uchiha outside don't seem to be in a very good situation," Aloe White Zetsu said.
Tekka's attention was immediately caught. "What's going on?" he said anxiously. "Didn't the clan head notice the situation?"
"We've discovered that another group of people is also hunting your clan," Aloe White Zetsu waved his arms. "And they seem to be from Konoha."
"Impossible," Tekka froze, then decisively denied it. "It must be Iwa-nin in disguise!"
"Perhaps," Aloe White Zetsu shrugged. "But that doesn't seem very important, does it?"
Not important? A strange panic rose in Tekka's heart. He looked at Madara and said, "Um, senior… if you are a senior of the Uchiha clan, since you saved me, can you save the others?"
"Save the others?" Madara opened his eyes. "Why? To me, they are all traitors. And it wasn't I who saved you, but this disobedient artificial human."
"Lord Madara, they are still your clansmen," Aloe White Zetsu immediately argued. "It's only reasonable for me to save them when I encounter them."
"Traitors?" Tekka was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"You don't know?" Madara's voice was full of scorn. "Heh, it seems they have all forgotten me."
"I know about this," Aloe White Zetsu immediately raised his hand and smiled at Tekka. "Have you heard of the Valley of the End? It's said to be the site of the final battle between Lord Madara and Hashirama Senju."
"I know about that," Tekka nodded. It was a taboo topic in the Uchiha clan, but he did know something about it.
"When Lord Madara left Konoha back then," Aloe White Zetsu smiled, "he wanted to take his clansmen with him, but unfortunately, they all chose to stay. They betrayed their own clan head."
"You talk too much," Madara reprimanded.
Tekka was taken aback. This was something he really didn't know. For a moment, he felt a little awkward, although deep down, he still had some doubts about Madara's identity. Madara closed his eyes, and he didn't dare to ask again.
Two days passed quickly. His injuries had mostly healed, and his bandages had been removed, revealing an upper body covered in pale white skin. Although he wasn't as seriously injured as Obito had been, Madara had still taken the opportunity to implant a large amount of Zetsu cells into his body. Otherwise, even with a Mangekyō, it would be difficult for him to monitor and suppress Nagato and collect the Tailed Beasts.
With his body mostly recovered, Tekka hesitated for a moment, then came before Madara. "Senior, thank you for saving me. My clan is in danger. I must leave. If… if you want to return to Konoha, I can ask the clan head on your behalf."
"There's no need," Madara opened his eyes. "The Uchiha of Konoha are not the Uchiha of the past. And… they are heading for destruction. If you stay here, you can at least leave some of the Uchiha bloodline behind."
"Heading for destruction?" Tekka was shocked. "How is that possible? In the village, the Uchiha are the strongest clan, the number one noble family!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Madara's expression was flat. "Has the Uchiha clan not been excluded from the core of Konoha's power? That guy Tobirama Senju didn't have any good intentions when he made you the masters of the Police Force. And it's not just outsiders who are coveting the Uchiha's dōjutsu."
Tekka's pupils constricted, and he subconsciously swallowed. "Are you talking about Kinoshita Genichi? His Sharingan was a gift from Namiichi before he died, not stolen."
Although Tekka was an Uchiha-first person, a hardliner, he still had a sense of belonging to Konoha. Most importantly, the rift between Konoha and the Uchiha was not nearly as large now as it would be after the Nine-Tails attack, which was the fuse that would gradually lead the Uchiha toward a coup. However, with the Uchiha growing stronger and stronger, even without the Nine-Tails attack, as their demands for interests grew stronger and they were unable to obtain a corresponding political status, a coup would still happen. It was only a matter of time.
Madara, as an observer, saw this clearly. Or rather, from the moment Tobirama had denied him the position of Second Hokage, he had already seen the end. That was why he had wanted to take the Uchiha with him when he left. Unfortunately, the clansmen who were content with peace had betrayed him. So what did their life or death have to do with him? Now, they were just pawns. Besides, as long as he, Madara Uchiha, lived, the Uchiha clan existed. He was the true Uchiha.
So, he did not directly point out Tekka's rebuttal, but said coolly, "Go. I believe you will come back. But you had better be prepared to face the cruel reality."
Just as Tekka was about to speak, Aloe White Zetsu popped up again. "Tekka, some very bad news. Your clansmen are being hunted."
Tekka was shocked. He forgot about Madara and immediately went to Zetsu's side. He then smashed the stone door, snatched a black robe and a ninja sword, and hurried out. Aloe White Zetsu followed closely, giving him directions.
Beside Madara, Spiral Zetsu said, "Lord Madara, what if he doesn't come back? What if he awakens the Mangekyō Sharingan and goes straight to Konoha for revenge? What if he doesn't awaken the Mangekyō?"
"Are you doubting your master's judgment?" Madara huffed.
Was it possible that he wouldn't be able to awaken the Mangekyō? There was indeed that possibility. After all, Tekka was not as naive as Obito, and he had already awakened the three-tomoe. He had experienced several spiritual shocks and had a high resistance. The deaths of ordinary clansmen and comrades would definitely not be enough to make him awaken it. Of this, Madara was very certain.
However, he also understood Tekka. This was a man who was calm on the outside but fiery on the inside, a staunch nationalist who was dedicated to the Uchiha clan and saw its glory as the highest ideal. At the same time, he had also conscientiously dedicated himself to Konoha. Whether in ordinary missions, as a member of the Police Force, or in the war, he had made great contributions.
And under such circumstances, when he saw the truth, Madara believed that the cruel reality would touch his soul. And if even that was not enough to awaken the Mangekyō, then what about when the Uchiha clan was destroyed?
Of course, perhaps he would switch to another target. The Uchiha had many good pawns. He had already waited for so long; he didn't mind waiting a little longer.
On the other side, Zetsu led Tekka through an underground tunnel at high speed. When they arrived at the scene in the Land of Grass, the battle had just ended, and the enemy was currently collecting the eyes of the dead Uchiha.
Seeing his clansmen's eyes being gouged out, Tekka's anger soared.
"Bastards! Die!" he roared. The ground beneath his feet cracked, and with terrifying strength, the ground shook as he charged at the Iwa-nin who were collecting the Sharingan.
With Hashirama's cells, his strength, speed, and dōjutsu power had all been enhanced. Soon, he had slaughtered the few Iwa-nin. But the bodies on the ground suddenly burst into smoke. Tekka's pupils constricted. The bodies had turned into masked ninja. And this attire, he was all too familiar with.
"An… Anbu!" His voice was hoarse. His heart pounded violently, and blood rushed to his head. Madara's words echoed in his mind.
Then, his vision was filled with a sea of red. In a daze, he saw the destruction of the Uchiha clan. He saw a person, slaughtering wantonly in the Uchiha's residential district. It was… Kinoshita Genichi, who also had the Sharingan.
"Hah… hah…" Tekka's breathing was ragged. A special Yin-natured chakra appeared in his brain and then acted on his optic nerves.
Then, opposite him, Aloe White Zetsu saw his Sharingan spin at high speed, finally forming a new pattern. A swastika-like pattern formed by black tomoe.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
A look of shock appeared on Zetsu's face, then he smiled and sighed to himself. As expected of Lord Madara.
After burning the bodies of his clansmen and the Anbu, Uchiha Tekka followed Zetsu back to the Mountain's Graveyard.
"Lord Madara, come back to Konoha with me," he said, getting straight to the point. "Together, we will get rid of the Konoha leadership and take control of the village."
Looking at his Mangekyō Sharingan, Madara said calmly, "So you've awakened it. And you think you have the strength to overthrow Konoha?"
"I can feel the power of these eyes," Tekka said, touching his own. "I believe that not even the Hokage will be my opponent."
"Do you think the Uchiha of Konoha will stand on your side?" Madara asked noncommittally.
Tekka was taken aback, then said, "Of course. As long as the ugliness of the Konoha leadership is revealed."
"That is probably not the case," Zetsu said. "According to our observations, this is not the first time the Konoha leadership has stolen the Sharingan. You know Danzō, right? He has had a Sharingan for a long time."
Hearing this, Tekka gritted his teeth, his fists instantly clenching. "Damn it! Danzō, that bastard!"
"And do you think the Uchiha leadership doesn't know about this?" Madara said coolly.
Tekka was taken aback again, his heart instantly turning cold. Could they not know? Clansmen had disappeared. Were there no suspicions? There had to be.
"Is there really no hope for the Uchiha?" he looked at Madara. "Are we really going to be slaughtered and destroyed by Konoha?" He was not willing to accept this. He had already awakened the Mangekyō. Could he still not change the fate of the Uchiha? Damn it…
"The Uchiha?" Madara said coolly. "Are you not an Uchiha? The Uchiha of Konoha have long forgotten their origin and their spirit. They have been tamed by the Leaf. You want to save them? Do they need you to save them?"
Tekka's face was miserable. Yes, did the Uchiha still have any spirit? The powerful Uchiha did not have a corresponding status in Konoha, yet they did not resist. At this moment, the dissatisfaction hidden in his heart was brought out.
He looked at Madara. "Lord Madara, what should I do?"
"Follow your own ideas," Madara said flatly. "Establish a powerful, eternal Uchiha clan."
As he spoke, he cast a genjutsu, pulling Tekka into a pure white world of illusion. And so, a plan called the Eye of the Moon slowly unfolded before him.
(End of Chapter)
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 400 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you!