Inside the tent, Jiraiya's face was swollen like a flattened pumpkin. His eyes were bruised, his nose bridge crooked, and even his lips had split open.
He winced as he applied ointment to his face, yet still couldn't help but press for the result of Setsuna's pursuit.
"Although I severely wounded that monster, it still escaped." Setsuna shook his head slightly, seeming quite dissatisfied with the outcome.
However, everyone in the tent felt a sense of respect.
A monster that nearly ten thousand of them couldn't defeat had been severely wounded by Setsuna alone.
Jiraiya clicked his tongue, speaking unclearly: "Really hard to kill..."
He paused, suddenly straightening his back, a look of righteous determination on his face: "But don't worry, I've resolved to overcome the fear in my heart. Next time we encounter that thing, I definitely won't let you face it alone."
Setsuna glanced at him: "So, you really confessed to Tsunade-sama?"
Jiraiya's expression instantly froze. He chuckled awkwardly twice: "Th-that, wasn't it all to overcome fear?"
Setsuna looked at his 'barely human-shaped' face and sighed: "Seems I don't need to ask about the result."
Meanwhile, underground in the Land of Grass.
Inside a dark, damp cave, only a few flickering candles provided weak illumination.
Fugaku followed Black Zetsu's lead through winding, twisting caverns.
Water droplets fell from stalactites, emitting crisp echoes in the silent space.
"We're here." Black Zetsu's raspy voice sounded.
Fugaku looked up. The scene before him made his pupils contract sharply.
A gaunt, emaciated old man sat on a stone chair. Pale, disheveled hair hung down. Several life-sustaining tubes were connected to his body.
Especially the old man's Sharingan… they were deeper than any pair Fugaku had ever seen, as if they could penetrate the darkest depths of a person's heart.
"You are Uchiha Madara?" Fugaku's voice trembled slightly.
The old man on the stone chair slowly raised his head, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile: "Oh? You actually brought a Mangekyo."
Black Zetsu said respectfully: "Madara-sama, this is Uchiha Fugaku, the current head of the Uchiha Clan."
Madara's gaze lingered on Fugaku for a moment, then turned to Black Zetsu: "Your efficiency is unexpectedly good."
Black Zetsu grinned, revealing an eerie smile: "Not only that. Nagato has also fully awakened the Rinnegan and even successfully performed the Rinne Rebirth once."
Madara's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly: "He didn't die?"
"Perhaps because... his vitality is strong enough." Black Zetsu evaded vaguely.
Madara was silent for a moment, not pressing further.
Although he was the true master of the Rinnegan, he had never actually used the Rinne Rebirth. He wasn't entirely sure of the technique's cost.
Black Zetsu continued: "However, we can't let Nagato waste the Rinnegan's Ocular Power anymore. I suggest capturing and sealing him. When Madara-sama truly needs revival, I can control him to perform the technique."
Madara nodded slightly, seeming to approve of the proposal.
But Fugaku could hold back no longer.
"Madara-sama." He stepped forward, his voice carrying suppressed urgency. "Can you really help me revive Itachi?"
Madara's gaze shifted to Black Zetsu, waiting for its explanation.
Black Zetsu explained in detail about Itachi's death and Fugaku's purpose in coming.
"One year old on the battlefield..." Even Madara, born in the Warring States Era, couldn't help but twitch his mouth upon learning Fugaku's methods for nurturing his descendant.
At this moment, he even somewhat agreed with Tobirama's theory, 'Aside from myself, there really weren't many normal people among the Uchiha.'
"Reviving someone whose body doesn't exist at all?" Madara's voice was low and calm. "Unless someone can travel through time and space, it's impossible."
Fugaku's body swayed, his face instantly turning deathly pale.
He clenched his fists, nails digging deep into his palms, blood trickling between his fingers.
He had risked betraying the village, clinging to a final shred of hope to come here. And the result... was still nothing?
"But-" Madara's voice rang out again. Fugaku abruptly looked up. "I can create a world for you where Uchiha Itachi exists."
Fugaku's breath hitched: "What do you mean?"
The corners of Madara's mouth slowly curved upward into an almost mesmerizing smile: "I will gather the power of the Rinnegan and all Tailed Beasts, project the ocular power onto the moon to cast the [Infinite Tsukuyomi], placing a Genjutsu on all people on earth. I will control all of humanity within the illusion, unifying the world into one… a world without barriers or conflict."
Even Fugaku, whose mind was already not entirely sound, couldn't help but be shocked upon hearing this plan.
'It seemed the ancestor was indeed even more unwell than I was.'
Madara's voice was low and filled with temptation: "A dream world without war, without pain, without regrets. There, your son will be alive. The Uchiha Clan will prosper. Even everything you desire will come true."
Fugaku's voice trembled slightly: "But that's ultimately false."
"False?" Madara sneered. "How can you be sure the world you live in now... isn't false?"
Fugaku was stunned. He had indeed wished everything before was just a dream.
Madara slowly stood up. Though his body was aged, the oppressive aura still made Fugaku instinctively tense.
"Back then, I foresaw the Uchiha's situation." A flicker of mockery flashed in Madara's eyes. "I wanted to lead the clan away from Konoha, to seek true freedom. Unfortunately, they were blinded by the false 'peace' and chose to betray me."
"And now, history repeats." Madara's voice grew even lower. "The Konoha's elders' suspicion of the Uchiha has never ceased. Your son died on the battlefield. And your clan will eventually follow my footsteps."
Fugaku's pupils contracted slightly. What Madara said was true.
The Uchiha Clan's situation in Konoha… he understood it better than anyone. The elders' subtle exclusion, the Anbu's surveillance of the Uchiha, even the younger generation of Ninja within the clan beginning to be influenced by the village's public opinion...
It was precisely because of this that upon discovering Setsuna's sudden rise and his relatively friendly relationship with Obito, he immediately decided to bet on Setsuna, showing him the Uchiha's value.
But this same reason also led him to make the most regrettable decision of his life.
Madara whispered: "I give you a choice. Will you choose to sink gradually in this cruel reality, or... personally create a perfect world?"
Fugaku stood in place, his heart fiercely struggling.
Finally, he slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his Mangekyo Sharingan slowly rotated.
"I... choose to follow you."
The corners of Madara's mouth lifted in a satisfied curve: "A wise choice. After I help you eliminate the threat of Chiaki Setsuna, you will inherit my name and become the new Uchiha Madara."