Inside the Underground Chamber
In the underground chamber, Orochimaru lay dead with a gaping wound in his chest, his blood pooling beneath him. His golden serpent-like eyes stared lifelessly, a picture of finality.
Beside his corpse stood Madara Uchiha, arms crossed, exuding an aura of power with his Rinnegan eyes.
Even through the Reanimation Jutsu, Madara retained some of his original power, including the use of his Rinnegan, which he had transplanted to Nagato before his death. However, this was far from enough for Madara.
“Where are my Rinnegan?” he demanded. Since Nagato had failed, it was time to reclaim his Rinnegan and plan his next move.
Black Zetsu quickly responded, “They are with a young man named Naruto Uzumaki. He was Konoha’s Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and defected from the village. After Nagato’s death, he inherited the Rinnegan. Currently, Naruto leads the Akatsuki, opposing Konoha and the Uchiha clan.”
“The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and related to Nagato… Naruto Uzumaki, interesting,” Madara mused, absorbing the information. “Where is this Naruto now?”
Despite the enhanced Reanimation Jutsu and the high-grade White Zetsu as a vessel, Madara would not be satisfied until he achieved a perfect revival, restoring himself to his prime. For that, he needed Naruto to perform the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu.
Black Zetsu could only shrug helplessly, “Naruto has been hiding for years, evading Konoha’s pursuit. No one knows where he is.”
Through further explanation from Black Zetsu, Madara gained an understanding of the current state of the ninja world.
The four great ninja villages were irrelevant in Madara’s eyes, mere supporting characters with no real threat. The true powerhouses now were Konoha and the Akatsuki, or more specifically, Uchiha Dan and Naruto Uzumaki.
Dan had awakened the Rinnegan and controlled six Tailed Beasts, aiming to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki. Meanwhile, Naruto controlled the Gedo Statue and the remaining three Tailed Beasts, including the most powerful Nine-Tails he had tamed.
This setup meant that Dan would inevitably need to find and kill Naruto to extract the Nine-Tails from him, setting up an inevitable clash between the two.
However, as things stand, Naruto and the Akatsuki are the underdogs compared to the powerful Uchiha clan led by Dan. Therefore, Naruto had to stay hidden to avoid direct confrontation.
But a new player entered the game with Madara’s resurrection, changing the dynamics.
“Madara-sama, what are your next steps? Will you seek out Naruto Uzumaki or…” Black Zetsu asked cautiously.
Madara pondered for a moment, then noticed the Konoha news playing on the nearby television. Two familiar faces appeared on the screen.
“What is this?” he asked, learning from Black Zetsu that Hashirama and Tobirama Senju had also been resurrected ahead of him.
“These two look quite pathetic, being chased and labeled as criminals by Konoha. The First and Second Hokage being hunted by Konoha… How amusing,” Madara chuckled with a hint of schadenfreude.
“They didn’t have high-grade White Zetsu as vessels, so they couldn’t retain most of their original power like you,” Black Zetsu added, noting the irony.
“Hmph, even if Hashirama had been revived like me, it wouldn’t matter. Since I awakened the Rinnegan, he has not been on my level,” Madara declared arrogantly.
In the past, Hashirama had always overshadowed Madara. But after the battle at the Valley of the End, where Madara faked his death and gained Hashirama’s cells, he finally awakened the Rinnegan, tipping the scales in his favor.
“Of course, the First Hokage is a thing of the past. Even at his peak, he cannot compare to you now, Madara-sama,” Black Zetsu flattered, although it was the truth.
If Madara could achieve a perfect revival and fully utilize his Rinnegan, even ten First Hokages wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
“Let’s go to Konoha and meet this Uchiha Dan,” Madara decided, intrigued by another who had awakened the Rinnegan.
Black Zetsu was startled and quickly advised caution, “Madara-sama, Uchiha Dan’s Rinnegan is the real deal, and the Uchiha clan has produced many strong members over the years. Perhaps you should reconsider…”
“Do you think I will lose?” Madara snorted coldly. “I’m not some useless fool like Hashirama. Even without my full power, destroying Konoha will be easy. Once I cause enough chaos, that Naruto kid will likely show himself.”
Realizing Madara’s plan, Black Zetsu nodded. By attacking Konoha, Madara would weaken the Uchiha clan and force Naruto and the Akatsuki to reveal themselves.
Additionally, Madara harbored a deep grudge against the Uchiha clan for not supporting him during his split from Konoha. Seeing the Uchiha prosper under new leadership, including a Hokage from their ranks, only fueled his desire for revenge.
Knowing Madara’s determination, Black Zetsu ceased further objections and pointed behind him, “Madara-sama, please look behind you.”
Madara turned to see a row of coffins, all closed and arranged neatly along the wall, seemingly containing deceased individuals.
“What is this?” Madara frowned.
“These are the remains of some of the most famous and powerful shinobi in history, including the Gold and Silver Brothers, who perished with the Second Hokage, the Third Raikage, who fought a thousand Iwagakure shinobi, and the Second Tsuchikage, who invented Dust Release, among others,” Black Zetsu explained.
Orochimaru and Kisame had collected these bodies over the years, and they were capable of forming a powerful Reanimation army.
“With the Reanimation Jutsu, controlling these resurrected warriors would be easy for you, Madara-sama. This army would make your destruction of Konoha even more certain,” Black Zetsu suggested.
However, Madara simply sneered, “A bunch of burdens. I can destroy Konoha with one jutsu. I don’t need these flashy extras.”
With that, he ignored Black Zetsu’s advice and strode out of the chamber.
Watching Madara’s departure, Black Zetsu shook its head helplessly. Though Madara dismissed the coffins, Black Zetsu instructed Kisame to take them along, just in case they might be useful.
As they left, the chamber fell silent, leaving only the static-filled television and Orochimaru’s lifeless body.
Suddenly, Orochimaru’s corpse moved.
His mouth opened wide, like a snake’s jaws, stretching to an unnerving angle. From within, a wet, new Orochimaru emerged, gasping for air.
It was like a snake shedding its skin.
The Orochi Substitution Jutsu.
A perfect substitution technique developed by Orochimaru, allowed him to escape fatal attacks, which had saved his life numerous times.
“What a disgrace,” Orochimaru muttered with a self-deprecating smile, his face pale.
Years of meticulous preparation had made him confident in controlling Madara, but Madara turned the tables immediately upon his revival, effortlessly breaking free and killing him.
Orochimaru felt like a clown.
Now, he had lost almost everything, even his precious resources taken by others.
However, he had overheard Madara’s conversation with Black Zetsu, especially Madara’s plan to destroy Konoha.
Orochimaru’s eyes gleamed with determination. He would head to Konoha as well, not just to watch but to seize an opportunity to turn the tide.
Immortality was a dream for many in the ninja world, and a few had achieved it, like Kakuzu, who extended his life by stealing hearts, and Sasori, who turned himself into a puppet.
Though both had failed, proving their methods were flawed.
Orochimaru also pursued immortality, using the forbidden Living Corpse Reincarnation to transfer his consciousness into other bodies, maintaining eternal youth through repeated possession.
His current body, acquired five years ago, was deteriorating, especially after being pierced by Madara. The substitution technique had further strained his life force.
He needed a new host soon.
This time, he had his eyes on a member of the Uchiha clan.
Having been tormented by the Sharingan numerous times, starting with Shisui Uchiha’s Kotoamatsukami, which left him with irreversible soul damage, Orochimaru was now obsessed with obtaining the Sharingan.
He vowed to join them if he couldn’t beat them.
Becoming a true Uchiha with the power of the Sharingan would change his fate, turning misfortune into fortune.
Orochimaru had already identified his target—Uchiha Sasuke, Konoha’s top genius.
According to Kabuto’s information, Sasuke, now fifteen, had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan. With immense potential and the right age, he was the perfect host.
Orochimaru planned to take advantage of Madara’s attack on Konoha, using the chaos to possess Sasuke’s body and escape to refine his new abilities.
“Poof!”
Orochimaru summoned a small white snake, sending it ahead to relay information to Kabuto in Konoha, instructing him to prepare for the mission.
Konoha, I’m coming back.
And Uchiha Sasuke, your body and those eyes are mine.
Akatsuki’s Secret Base
“Naruto, look,” Konan said, frowning at the Konoha news broadcast. “The First and Second Hokage causing trouble in Konoha must be Sarutobi Hiruzen’s doing. It seems he couldn’t wait after Jiraiya’s failed attempt to form an alliance. But this move didn’t seem to go well.”
“Fools, they have no idea about the power of the Rinnegan,” Naruto remarked, glancing at the rain-covered Konoha on the screen. “Uchiha Dan has already deployed the Rain Tiger at Will Technique to monitor the entire village. This Chūnin Exam was just a trap set by him.”
Konan’s concern shifted, “Then Gaara should be safe, right?”
Naruto reassured her with a smile, “Konan-sensei, do you think I’d let Gaara take such risks? Don’t worry, under the protection of the Elephant Transfer Jutsu, his real body is perfectly safe.”
“That’s a relief,” Konan nodded, then hesitated before adding, “Naruto, there’s another issue. I’m worried that Sarutobi Hiruzen or the Uchiha clan might use the Reanimation Jutsu to revive your parents and use them against you…”
Naruto’s father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, and his mother, the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki Kushina Uzumaki, were formidable in their own right, aside from being Naruto’s parents.
If they were revived and turned into enemies, how would Naruto handle it?
To Konan’s surprise, Naruto smiled mysteriously.
“Konan-sensei, I was going to tell you after it succeeded, but since you brought it up, I’ll share my plan with you now…”
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