"So… Uchiha Ren knows our plan. And he even knows that Nagato and Obito were my pawns?"
After what felt like an eternity, Uchiha Madara finally spoke. His brows were drawn tight—half as if he were talking to himself, half as if he were interrogating the three before him: Black Zetsu, Obito, and White Zetsu.
"Madara-sama… Ren truly does know the details of our plan," Black Zetsu said, still struggling to believe it himself. "Before the night of the Uchiha massacre, Ren was utterly ordinary—no talent worth mentioning. But after that night… it was as if a hidden dragon burst from the abyss. Once he rose, nothing could stop him."
Madara went still, as if he'd been struck dumb.
"That's impossible…"
He had been revived expecting to seize the world the moment he opened his eyes.
Yet the shinobi world had produced a monster even he hadn't accounted for—one so absurd that it made the word unreasonable feel inadequate.
And as for whether the information could be false…
Madara didn't doubt it for a second.
White Zetsu and Black Zetsu were his creations. With a single thought, he could cause White Zetsu's countless clones to die instantly.
They could not betray him.
That silence spread like a weight.
Black Zetsu had long since learned to hide his emotions.
But Obito… Obito had to suppress the hatred boiling in his chest so hard his face nearly twisted beneath the mask. If he weren't wearing it, Madara would have seen everything.
"…Interesting," Madara murmured at last. "This is getting more and more interesting."
Then—just like that—Madara returned to calm.
Yes, he had been startled that Ren appeared out of nowhere and even defeated an Edo Tensei version of Hashirama Senju.
But surprise was all it was.
After all…
Madara now possessed the Rinnegan.
Crushing Uchiha Ren should be effortless.
The only thing that truly puzzled him was how Ren had grown so quickly—and how Ren knew so much about the Eye of the Moon Plan.
"You were too impatient," Madara said coldly. "Nagato still had value. If you had waited for the right moment, the Rinnegan would have naturally led to the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique."
As he spoke, Madara stepped forward without hesitation.
He crouched beside Nagato's corpse and ripped out the Rinnegan cleanly.
Then he plucked out his own Sharingan and implanted the Rinnegan into his own sockets.
Buzz—!
The moment the Rinnegan settled into place, an aura surged from Madara that made the air itself feel heavier—like the heavens pressing down.
"This… is Six Paths-level…?" Obito's scalp tingled. He forced himself not to flinch, but his insides tightened.
He realized then that he had underestimated Madara.
The elderly Madara from the past and the newly revived Madara standing here now—were not the same existence at all.
Especially after the Rinnegan returned to him…
Madara's presence underwent a qualitative transformation.
A complete rebirth.
"…Excellent." Madara breathed, savoring the power humming through his body. Then he raised his gaze, voice steady and arrogant. "Ren is said to be the strongest beneath Six Paths. I wonder how long he can last against me."
Black Zetsu immediately bowed. "With the Rinnegan, Madara-sama is unquestionably invincible in this world."
White Zetsu nodded rapidly. "Yes, yes! Once Madara-sama acts, it'll be over in no time!"
Madara's eyes flicked to Obito.
"Obito," he said calmly. "Do you hate me?"
Obito's heart lurched.
He forced his voice to stay even. "I'm grateful, Madara-sama. Without you, I'd still be a useless dead-last. All I want now is to help you complete the Eye of the Moon Plan."
Madara studied him for a moment—then gave a small nod.
"Good."
He didn't truly care about Obito's feelings anymore.
But he needed a posture.
A posture of submission.
Only then would Obito remain useful.
Obito exhaled inwardly.
That single exchange felt like he'd walked through the gates of death and come back.
"I've only just returned," Madara said a moment later. "I need to fully understand the shinobi world as it stands."
He paused, then added with utter certainty:
"Once I do, we'll decide our next move. Since I'm alive again… this world will be thrown into chaos."
"Yes!" Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, and Obito answered together.
Meanwhile—the Land of Rain, the Hidden Rain Village
After Konoha annexed the Hidden Rain Village, supplies and resources poured in.
Within days, the ruined village—once reduced to rubble—was rebuilt.
Rain shinobi still maintained their own designation and structure, but they were now under the direct authority of the Fifth Hokage.
The Rain shinobi had little reason to object.
And as for the civilians…
They welcomed Konoha's presence even more—especially after learning that the Fifth Hokage himself was in the village. The excitement was unmistakable.
At the village center, atop the tallest tower—
Inside the office, Uchiha Ren sat back comfortably, sipping tea with a satisfied expression.
Behind him, Konan stood in silence—hands placed on his shoulders, massaging with controlled, steady pressure.
Ren narrowed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying himself.
System… sign in at the Hidden Rain Village.
He issued the command in his mind.
One second…
Ten seconds…
Thirty seconds…
Finally, after a full minute, the system's crisp notification rang out.
Ding… Congratulations, Host. You have annexed the Hidden Rain Village and refreshed the Hidden Rain Village map.
Ding… Congratulations, Host. You have successfully signed in at the newly refreshed sign-in location: Hidden Rain Village.
Ding… Reward obtained: Yin-Yang Release. Fire Release: Explosive Flame Formation.
Ding… Rewards have been stored in system space. You may retrieve them at any time. Once integrated, you may cast them by bringing your hands together.
Ren's smile deepened slightly.
The hunt was far from over.
But the world had already begun to move in the direction he wanted.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios