"The Great Panda Sage told me there's a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan in Kusagakure," Seisui said. "I'll go and bring her back."
Jiraiya nodded without the slightest doubt. If the Great Toad Sage could foresee a "Child of Prophecy" destined to bring peace to the ninja world, then it wasn't far-fetched for the Great Panda Sage to know where an Uzumaki survivor was.
Minato shared the same thought, not questioning it in the least.
Only Uchiha Haru gave Seisui a suspicious glance—but said nothing.
As for the so-called Great Panda Sage—the one who always acted all high and mighty—whether that panda could really see the future...
Seisui could only think: He doesn't know crap.
That panda was nothing more than a swaggering mob boss.
Still, he made for a perfect cover story.
If the old toad could "foretell destiny," then why couldn't a panda sage who could actually fight make predictions too?
"Since that's the case," Jiraiya said, "your mission is to go to Kusagakure and locate the Uzumaki descendant."
The old man had told him to hand out the next assignment, so this was it.
Hearing that, Seisui instinctively asked, "What rank is the mission?"
"And how much does it pay?"
Jiraiya: "…"
You're being a little too realistic, aren't you?
Still, he replied, "B-rank mission. Find and retrieve the Uzumaki descendants."
"Payment will follow standard B-rank rates."
"Good." Seisui nodded, then turned to Minato and Uchiha Haru. "Let's move out now. The sooner we go, the sooner we get back."
"Right." Both nodded, and the three of them departed together.
Watching their retreating backs, Jiraiya rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Did I… forget something?"
He thought for a long moment, then shook his head. "Eh, whatever."
With the strength those three possessed, finding someone in Kusagakure—or even wiping the entire village off the map—wouldn't be difficult.
One blast of that explosive clay and the whole place would be gone.
Just thinking about that clay gave Jiraiya a headache.
"I wonder… could chain detonation tags work on that clay?"
Meanwhile, underground, White Zetsu slipped away to report.
"They're going to Konoha?!" Uchiha Madara froze in surprise when he heard the report.
"Yes," Hei nodded. "Is Konoha crowded with people? Do crowds make people… feel the urge?"
Madara fell silent for a few seconds. "Let them go. The more bonds they form, the easier it'll be for them to understand our plan later."
Then he turned toward the direction of Kusagakure, muttering, "Kusagakure, huh…"
"Let me witness this so-called 'Unified Theory' for myself."
"Konoha's genius… hmph."
Madara stood up as he spoke.
His hair had long since turned white, but his body was still strong and steady.
He hadn't yet grown too frail to fight—after all, Obito had only just been born.
Battling would be difficult, perhaps, but moving freely was no issue.
He looked down at the Gunbai Uchiwa lying nearby, picked it up, and strapped it to his back before heading toward the exit.
"Madara-sama, your body isn't fit for battle," Black Zetsu warned.
"I know," Madara said with a satisfied glance. He was quite pleased with this manifestation of his will, born from Yin–Yang Release.
"I'm only going to take a look."
At that same time, Seisui, Minato, and Haru were racing full speed toward Kusagakure.
"Seisui, are you sure there's really an Uzumaki descendant in Kusagakure?" Minato asked, uncertain.
"There is," Seisui replied flatly.
He was about to continue when his sensory field picked up a presence.
"So you've finally come," he murmured.
He wasn't simply going to Kusagakure.
He knew full well that Uchiha Madara was watching Nagato.
That was why he'd brought up his Unified Theory and split off from Jiraiya's group—to draw Madara out.
Of course, the trip to Kusagakure was a real objective too.
Truth mixed with lies, lies mixed with truth—that's how information should be used.
He wasn't some born genius—just someone who could make use of foresight and insight to set things up in advance.
As long as the results were right, that was all that mattered.
"Minato, leave a kunai here," Seisui said after scanning the area and sensing no hidden traps or chakra signatures.
Though puzzled, Minato tossed a kunai into the nearby grass.
"There's a powerful enemy ahead," Seisui warned. "Be ready to teleport us out at any moment."
He wasn't afraid of Madara.
Worst case—he'd just use Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyo experience card.
Old Madara's power might surpass that of a normal Kage, but it was nowhere near Eternal Mangekyo Sasuke's level.
The reason he wanted Minato ready to escape was because… old Madara didn't play fair.
Minato and Haru were both strong—but compared to that Madara, they were nothing.
This was a man who could summon Susanoo without even using his eyes.
That alone spoke volumes. Even old and weathered, he was far beyond the reach of ordinary shinobi.
Seeing Seisui's serious tone, Minato and Haru both tensed, growing solemn.
They pressed forward cautiously, every sense on alert. Haru even drew his sword.
Before long, they saw him—Uchiha Madara—standing in the middle of the road.
"This is—?!" Haru's eyes widened as he spotted the fan on Madara's back, and his Sharingan flared to life.
"The clan fan that Madara-sama took with him?!"
"Oh?" Madara smiled faintly at the words. "You still address me as 'Lord Clan Head,' do you?"
"Who is your elder?"
Haru's eyes widened in disbelief.
"M-my grandfather… was Uchiha Setsuna."
"Uchiha Setsuna?" Madara murmured, recalling the name.
A supporter of his—but one who had ultimately chosen not to leave Konoha.
A disappointment.
Then Haru stammered, eyes filled with shock, "Y-you—you're Madara-sama?!"
Madara threw his head back and laughed loudly.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"I—Uchiha Madara—have been waiting for you!"
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