After hearing the intelligence on Yagyu, Uchiha Madara looked very favorably upon him becoming his spokesperson.
After all, Yagyu's abilities were even more broken than Uchiha Obito's in the original story. If he could become his spokesperson, he would surely execute the Eye of the Moon Plan exceptionally well.
Madara estimated that even Uchiha clan members who had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan would only get thrashed when facing Yagyu.
Because that ability to turn oneself into light was simply too disgusting; it basically placed him in an invincible position.
Tobi shouted in his comical voice, "Madara-sama, are we going to make a move on Yagyu?"
"Yagyu is currently in Kirigakure and shows no signs of leaving anytime soon."
"If Madara-sama can control him, I definitely want to ask him what it feels like to poop."
"Since he can turn himself into light, his bowel movements must be unique too, right?"
White Zetsu Tobi's focus was always so... refreshingly unique. He pondered seriously, "When he excretes, does he excrete a beam of light too?"
Another White Zetsu emerged from the rock wall nearby, staring at Tobi and scolding him grumpily, "Tobi, shut up!"
Yet another White Zetsu emerged from the wall, chuckling as he smoothed things over, "Don't be so strict. Tobi is a good boy!"
Madara pondered for a moment, glanced at the noisy White Zetsus beside him, and shouted irritably, "Shut up, all of you."
Madara was helpless regarding these White Zetsus. He believed they were clones he created, but unfortunately, they were all defective products.
However, although these White Zetsus had various flaws, they were cultivated using Hashirama cells.
Their abilities were still quite good.
With decent combat power plus elusive infiltration and escape abilities, they could probably be rated as Special Jonin.
"If I remember correctly, I should have a few controlled pawns in Kirigakure, right? Make contact with them and see if there's an opportunity to ambush Yagyu."
Madara mused for a moment and decided to let his pawns test the waters first.
Yagyu's special ability was certainly important, but his status as the successor to the Mizukage was equally useful.
Secretly knocking Yagyu out with poison and then controlling him—that was the way to maximize his value.
...
Kirigakure.
After finishing a day's work, Ringo Shichirou returned home and brewed a cup of clear tea to relax.
Suddenly, a White Zetsu appeared, emerging straight out of his floorboards.
"You again?"
Ringo Shichirou's expression changed. His hand unconsciously gripped the teacup tighter as he stared at the White Zetsu with a dark gaze.
During the Second Ninja World War, he had been injured and fell into a coma. When he woke up, he found himself in a dim cave.
An old man appeared before him and placed a cursed seal on him, saying he would assign him tasks irregularly.
Ringo Shichirou had resisted immediately, but the old man activated the cursed seal, instantly subjecting him to a fate worse than death.
Later, he was thrown out, successfully reunited with the main Kirigakure forces, and worked his way up to become a high-ranking official.
However, the old man's messenger—White Zetsu—would visit him periodically to obtain intelligence from Kirigakure.
White Zetsu's elusive abilities made him wary, and the cursed seal inside his body left him helpless.
As a high-ranking official of Kirigakure, Ringo Shichirou could mobilize vast resources to try and break the cursed seal.
But he dared not make it public. He could only operate in secret, and in the end, all attempts failed.
The cursed seal inside him was extremely high-level; he had no way to break it, which made him somewhat resigned to his fate.
"The master has new orders for me to convey to you."
White Zetsu looked at Ringo Shichirou with a grin.
Ringo Shichirou felt helpless inside but kept a poker face. "What intelligence do you want me to get for you this time?"
White Zetsu chuckled lightly. "This time, we don't need intelligence! Yagyu of Kirigakure—you shouldn't be unfamiliar with him, right?"
Ringo Shichirou frowned. "He has already been designated by the Third Mizukage and has a ninety percent chance of becoming the next Mizukage. What do you want? He's not easy to deal with."
White Zetsu smiled. "Don't worry, we won't ask you to fight Yagyu. You have zero chance of winning against him; sending you to your death isn't worth it."
Ringo Shichirou felt annoyed but spoke coldly, "Cut the crap. What exactly do you want me to do?"
White Zetsu said, "The master is very interested in Yagyu and hopes he can work for him."
Ringo Shichirou sneered. "You want me to recruit him for you? I don't even know who you people are; how am I supposed to recruit him?"
White Zetsu grinned. "That's simple! Just like you, we just need to place a cursed seal inside him."
"As long as he has the master's cursed seal inside him, anyone has to obey. Isn't that right?"
Ringo Shichirou's eyelid twitched. Suppressing the urge to kill White Zetsu, he took a deep breath. "You're talking nonsense!"
"If you want to plant a cursed seal on Yagyu, then go do it! I'm not stopping you. Why don't you go?"
White Zetsu shook his head and said very honestly, "I can't! I can't beat Yagyu. Going to him would be suicide."
"That's why I came to you. Take this. It's a knockout drug developed by Sunagakure. One dose will make him sleep for a day."
"There is no antidote for this; you just have to wait for the effects to wear off naturally. It works perfectly on Yagyu."
White Zetsu took out a porcelain bottle from his body and handed it to Ringo Shichirou. "Find an opportunity and drug Yagyu!"
...
On a building 800 meters away.
Yagyu sat cross-legged on the roof, pinching the bridge of his nose with a troubled expression.
Hearing the sound of White Zetsu appearing, Yagyu had run here intending to give White Zetsu a taste of a one-shot kill from 800 meters away.
But the conversation he subsequently heard with his Observation Haki stunned him, allowing White Zetsu to live a bit longer.
"Time spares no one!"
"Madara!"
"The Dancer of the Battlefield, the Shura of the Ninja World from back then... has now fallen to the level of using knockout drugs."
Yagyu sighed leisurely, hesitating whether to play along and go meet the Dancer of the Battlefield from the past.
"Forget it!"
"I have no resistance to knockout drugs. It would be bad if I really got taken advantage of."
"Uchiha Madara's cursed seals are pretty formidable."
After hesitating for a moment, Yagyu decisively abandoned this suicidal idea.
Even if he wanted to meet Uchiha Madara, there was no need to make it so troublesome.