chapter 104 part 1
**Chapter 104: Konan, You Don't Want To...**
"..."
Madara woke up with a start from his sleep.
As he aged, and after participating in several high-intensity battles not originally in his plans over the past few years, the burden on his body had further increased.
Madara hadn't had a good rest in a long time.
"...That Nagato kid, he actually took the Gedo Mazo. Too early."
Madara looked back at the empty space behind him, somewhat puzzled.
It was indeed too early. Given the current situation, what kind of enemy had Nagato encountered that made him so desperate to take the Gedo Mazo, that giant thing, away? It wasn't that he was reluctant to lose the Gedo Mazo; it simply messed up Madara's plans again.
As for why "again"... well, one only needed to look at what had happened in the past two years to know.
"Lord Madara, the situation has been confirmed. Nagato and his group are under attack. Shimura Danzō, Orochimaru, and Tsukasa Kaede, who was resurrected by Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation, are currently trying to annihilate Nagato."
Black Zetsu and White Zetsu could sense things through the plant root systems in the earth, which also made it convenient for the White Zetsu to move and transmit Intel. At this moment, White Zetsu was relaying the latest information.
Tobi dramatically recoiled three steps: "Huh? Isn't this terrible? Tsukasa Kaede has been resurrected again. Lord Madara spent so long preparing, and finally managed to kill him... but he really *was* dead after all."
"It's just Impure World Reincarnation, a little trick developed by Tobirama Senju." Madara genuinely looked down on Impure World Reincarnation. The resurrected Ninja were pitifully weak; their greatest value was for deploying Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags.
However, using it to resurrect a Ninja like Tsukasa Kaede seemed just right, because Tsukasa Kaede didn't need to fight personally. He could Summon a large number of Zombies to battle, which was enough to provide Orochimaru and Danzo with immense, unearned assistance.
Tobi bit his finger, thought for a moment, then suddenly shrieked: "Oh no! Nagato took the Gedo Mazo! Doesn't that mean Lord Madara can't use the Gedo Mazo to prolong his Life Force anymore? What will we do? Lord Madara looks like he could kick the bucket any second!"
"You'd better say less. I feel like Lord Madara might kill you..." White Zetsu felt a chill run down its spine, secretly observing Madara's expression.
Hmm, as indifferent as ever. He didn't seem angry or impatient about it.
Madara slowly said, "I have already acquired Obito. He is very talented. Once I transplant White Zetsu Cells into him, it will further accelerate the awakening of his Rinnegan. By then, whether I live or die won't matter."
If not for Obito, and if Nagato had taken the Gedo Mazo, Madara would indeed have been anxious. How could he allow himself to die without having made proper arrangements for his succession? But now he wasn't worried, especially with the confirmed news of Tsukasa Kaede's death and subsequent Impure World Reincarnation resurrection, which only improved his mood.
"Next, we wait for Nagato's performance. This is his first dance into the Shinobi World. This world will remember this moment forever," Madara said.
Black Zetsu remained silent throughout, only reacting slightly when Tsukasa Kaede's name was mentioned. This fit his persona as Tsukasa Kaede's Will Incarnation.
...
Danzo charged forward.
"Whether it's Orochimaru or Tsukasa Kaede, these two are no different from dead men, whether alive or dead. In the end, it's up to this old man to settle everything."
Danzo watched as the Baku he had Summoned was about to be killed. The Zombies were even more fragile, dying in droves with just a few swats from the Gedo Mazo.
He naturally blamed Orochimaru for preserving his strength.
Using Impure World Reincarnation to control Tsukasa Kaede, yet Tsukasa Kaede could only display such meager strength? Was he trying to fool a ghost? It would have been better not to resurrect Tsukasa Kaede at all. If Orochimaru had gone in personally, the effect would have been much stronger than this pathetic Corpse Release! But never mind, Danzo hadn't relied on Orochimaru from the start; he only trusted his own eyes.
"Hmm?"
Danzo raised his head slightly, watching as the Gedo Mazo suddenly let out a howl, and a translucent... Dragon! flew out of its mouth.
"So that's it. I was wondering, a Rinnegan Dojutsu shouldn't be an ordinary Summoning Jutsu. So the true Dojutsu is here."
Danzo secretly nodded. This made sense.
He recalled the Intel on Hashirama Senju and Madara. It was said that during the Valley of the End battle, both of them fought with "Giant Beasts" — the Nine-Tails, Susanoo, Wood Golem, Wood Dragon, True Several Thousand Hands, and so on.
According to Danzo's understanding, to reach the level of those who pacified the Shinobi World, one must at least master a top-tier Summoning Beast. This way, one wouldn't be at a disadvantage when an enemy Summoned a colossal creature without any means to counter it.
"Indeed, it's the Rinnegan. It also has a Dojutsu that Summons giant creatures to fight. This further confirms it as a signature ability of powerful Ninja, and it can also control this ugly Summoning Beast to use special powers."
Danzo completely ignored the perilous situation of his own Summoning Beast. If he could glean useful Intel by sacrificing a giant Baku, it would be well worth it.
*Swish!* The Phantom Dragon charged out, immediately pouncing on the Baku, which was firmly pinned down by the Gedo Mazo. Like an intangible entity, it instantly passed through the Baku's body. But when it flew out of the Baku's body, its mouth clearly held a phantom Spirit Body.
"...A Soul? With just a touch, it bit out the Baku's Soul. Is this a Sealing Jutsu similar to the Reaper Death Seal?"
Danzo's expression remained unchanged. In essence, it was just a Sealing Jutsu, nothing major.
But then, he frowned, because this Dragon didn't return to the Gedo Mazo's body. Instead, it moved even faster, darting across the battlefield.
The Zombies, lacking Souls, merely had a portion of their Chakra drained, causing their movements to distort.
"Aaaahhhh!"
Nagato's body became even thinner. He controlled the Sealing Jutsu: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals to swiftly lunge towards Danzo, causing Danzo to hesitate for a moment and quickly retreat, just barely avoiding the phantom Dragon.
But Nagato's target was never Danzo, or even Orochimaru, but... Tsukasa Kaede!
Tsukasa Kaede watched the Dragon coming straight for him, his expression calm: "If I get hit by that thing, the consequences will be dire."
Sealing Jutsu: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals, if one disregarded its ability to extract Tailed Beasts, and only considered its practicality, was indeed superior to the Reaper Death Seal. At the very least, Nagato wouldn't die from using Sealing Jutsu: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals, and could Seal the Souls of numerous enemies in one go.
"Tsukasa-kun." Orochimaru looked at Tsukasa Kaede.
Tsukasa Kaede formed a single Hand Kaedegn, about to use Spatial Rift Jutsu to escape. Of course, he definitely wouldn't take Orochimaru with him; he didn't believe Orochimaru would die so easily.
"Don't even think about escaping!"
Nagato roared, unleashing the Dōjutsu Power of his Rinnegan.
In Tsukasa Kaede's perception, everything in his vision seemed covered by endless spirals. Both his physical body and his Spirit felt as if they were bearing the weight of a mountain, unable to move.
"Dōjutsu Power suppression... a truly useful ability."