The cave was as bright as daylight, yet dampness filled every corner.
Water droplets slowly dripped from the walls, producing faint echoes.
"Lord Madara."
In this eerie environment, Zetsu suddenly let out a sharp gasp.
His voice trembled with terror and despair.
At this critical moment, he seemed left at the mercy of fate, as though all hope had already vanished.
"Hmph. You can't rely on him anymore."
Kawaki's expression hardened, his eyes revealing boundless indifference.
His tall, upright figure stood out starkly in the cave, his blade slashing across Zetsu's throat like a bolt of lightning.
The sharp edge, surrounded by arcs of electricity, glinted with a deadly gleam.
In an instant, a pale head soared skyward, tracing an arc through the air.
"Ahh~"
White Zetsu's mouth hadn't even fully closed when that piercing scream tore through the cave, reverberating endlessly.
Kawaki returned to his calm demeanor, slightly frowning as he flicked the blade with regret.
The glow along its length faded, and the now-dull steel seemed to mourn its failure to completely eliminate the enemy.
One could only say the dream was grand, but reality was harsh.
Black Zetsu, lacking a physical form, was indeed slippery like an eel.
Abandoning a single host meant nothing to him.
He escaped today—but who knew when they'd finally eliminate this menace?
At this moment, the atmosphere within the cave grew heavier, more stifling.
"Lord Kawaki."
Obito's voice shattered the silence.
He realized too late—only now understanding that a fight had been unavoidable.
Obito rose unsteadily and stumbled toward Kawaki's side. Madara watched in silence, making no move to stop him.
He knew any attempt would be pointless, so he could only watch helplessly as events unfolded.
"Don't ask questions. I'll send you away first."
Kawaki saw the doubt clouding Obito's mind, but what followed wasn't something he could take part in.
Before the words could settle, Kawaki vanished with Obito, only to reappear alone the next moment.
To Madara, it looked as if Kawaki had flickered like a shadow.
"So this is the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path?"
"The original body of the Ten-Tails, summoned solely through the Rinnegan."
Kawaki studied the massive creature deep within the dark cave with keen interest.
"You certainly know your stuff."
Madara didn't understand why Kawaki knew so much, but under the current circumstances, it no longer mattered.
"I also know Nagato received his Rinnegan from you."
"You wanted him to resurrect you using the Rinnegan after your death."
"Right?"
Kawaki looked toward Madara but avoided meeting his gaze directly.
Even though those were only three-tomoe Sharingan, he couldn't be sure he wouldn't fall prey to some illusion technique.
After all, this was a guy capable of summoning a Gundam without even needing eyes.
Who knew what kind of genjutsu those three tomoe could trigger?
"Correct."
"Once I'm revived and reclaim the Rinnegan, no one will be able to oppose me."
"Not even you."
"When that time comes, the Moon's Eye Plan is destined for success."
Madara replied frankly. He knew by now there was no need to hide anything anymore.
"Pity, but the situation you mentioned can never happen."
Kawaki softly chuckled. A Rinnegan Madara was indeed almost unstoppable.
If it weren't for Black Zetsu's scheming interference from the shadows, who would actually win between Madara and the overpowered Naruto and Sasuke combo would have been uncertain.
"You've ruined my carefully arranged plans repeatedly."
"There were times I seriously wanted to march straight into Konoha and kill you myself."
Madara shook his head helplessly. If he could have done so, he probably would have already rushed straight into Konoha long ago.
"No choice, but holding onto my wife still brings me warmth."
"I don't like things within illusions—those aren't real."
"Although I don't know how much of your power remains now,"
"This fight will ultimately leave me unsatisfied."
Kawaki helplessly spread his hands, then slowly stepped toward Madara. An overwhelming pressure surged forward.
His voice dripped with unmistakable killing intent.
"You're different from him."
Madara watched Kawaki stop a few meters away and suddenly laughed out loud.
Decades of planning may finally meet their end today.
When he thought about it being a pity, Madara surprisingly didn't feel nearly as frustrated as he'd expected.
Perhaps this young generation might fulfill the dream he once shared with Hashirama.
Hashirama had been far too kind and dangerously idealistic, while Madara himself had been harsh and consumed by obsession.
This kid seemed to balance their personalities perfectly.
Even so, if given another chance, Madara would still choose the same path without hesitation.
After all, he was Madara Uchiha!
"I shall remain who I am."
Kawaki knew precisely who Madara was referring to. Only Hashirama Senju could leave such deep memories in Madara.
"What's your plan?"
Madara gathered his scattered thoughts and looked at Kawaki steadily.
"Unify the Ninja World."
Kawaki didn't hesitate. The answer came swiftly.
"Will unification guarantee no more wars?"
"You might keep things in check during your reign, but you won't stay forever."
"You must understand—humans are inherently greedy beings."
Madara had no doubt about whether Konoha possessed the strength to unify the Ninja World, but he didn't believe such peace could last eternally.
"You're absolutely right."
"After unification, I also have thorough follow-up plans."
"I wouldn't claim it fixes everything forever, but it's undeniably superior to your Moon's Eye Plan."
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Kawaki didn't argue. Human hearts were unpredictable beyond measure.
But what did he care about the chaos left behind after his death?
Once the Moon's Eye Plan succeeded, everyone within the Ninja World would gradually become White Zetsus.
What true meaning could such peace possibly hold?
"When you gain victory, there will always be those who lose."
"Your idea of peace will never truly be peace in their eyes."
"When hatred reaches its breaking point, war will rise anew."
"Your perfect utopia remains nothing more than an ideal."
Madara wasn't trying to brainwash Kawaki. He was simply expressing his convictions.
"I won't deny that there's some truth in what you say."
"But once I've made up my mind about something, no one can shake it."
Kawaki didn't become angry either. He didn't deny that what Madara described might happen in the future. So what if it does?
As long as the overall environment of the ninja world remains peaceful, minor rebellions could never escalate into all-out war.
When people can live in peace and prosperity, rebellion will never arise.
Madara will never grasp the old saying: "Water may carry a boat, but it can also overturn it."
Peace cannot truly be achieved through sheer personal strength alone.
Perhaps, in time, even the ninja profession will be crushed beneath the wheels of history.
"You have your way of seeing things, and I have mine."
"Then let's see if the new God of the Ninja World truly deserves the title."
[Body-Flicker Technique]
Madara instantly appeared beside the stone bench, snatching up a massive scythe, then yanked out an armored war fan from behind it.
"It's been a while since I last used these."
As he spoke, Madara began assembling the scythe's chain with the war fan.
Clink!
With a crisp sound, the two combined into one.
"Those are quite the weapons."
Kawaki had only ever seen this weapon in the Naruto anime. Aside from knowing the war fan could reflect ninjutsu techniques, he didn't know much else about them.
"But in the end, they're still just external tools."
With the scythe in one hand and the war fan in the other, Madara straightened his back and radiated an intense, razor-sharp aura.
Even in his aged and frail state, few were worthy of his full attention.
And clearly, in Madara's eyes, Kawaki was one of them.
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