"Have you asked anything about Kakashi's situation?" Tianyuan asked Minato Namikaze.
"I have," Minato replied. "While they were on their mission, they encountered Mist Ninja, and Rin Nohara was taken prisoner. She managed to escape, but... she ended up dying by Kakashi's own hand."
"She died at Kakashi's hand?" Tianyuan was taken aback for a moment.
"Supposedly, those Mist Ninja sealed the Three-Tails inside Rin and even placed a Forbidden Individual Curse Tag on her heart, intending to use her as a weapon to destroy the Leaf," Minato said, shaking his head. "But Rin... why was she so foolish?"
Minato sighed. If Rin had simply come back to the command center, they could have discussed a solution. At the very least, they wouldn't have brought her into the village. In Minato's mind, with Tianyuan aroundsomeone capable of suppressing a Tailed Beasteven if the Three-Tails had been unleashed, it wouldn't have been a disaster.
"And what of the Three-Tails?" Tianyuan's eyes narrowed. He understood everything now; this was undoubtedly Madara Uchiha's conspiracy. It was all a ploy to drag Obito Uchiha into hell and force him to embrace Madara's ideology.
"We examined Rin's body, but the Three-Tails was no longer within her," Minato lamented. "I'm afraid it left her body once she died."
This followed logic. When a Jinchuriki dies, the Tailed Beast leaves and returns to a wild state.
"Alright, Minato. You should go rest. Don't let yourself get too exhausted," Tianyuan said, looking at the weary man.
Minato Namikaze was doing as much as Tianyuan to support this battlefield, and now, in this Shinobi World War, he had lost two of his disciples. It was a massive blow to him. Fortunatelyor perhaps because he had witnessed so much deathhe was able to suppress his grief. He knew that if the other villages weren't defeated, more people would die, and more shinobi would suffer. Ending this war was the absolute priority.
"Then I'll head back, Tianyuan." Minato bid him farewell and left the tent. He needed sleep, as it was still the middle of the night.
"Madara Uchiha, is it?" Tianyuan mused. It seemed likely that the Hidden Mist Village was also being manipulated by Madara.
"Perhaps it's time for me to finish my task." Tianyuan looked toward the distance. The mission to destroy the Hidden Mist Village within ten days was drawing near its deadline.
The next day.
Tianyuan had planned to destroy the Hidden Mist Village on this day, but to his surprise, his Media Player received a signal. It was an Ultra-Clear signal, and its source was right at the border of the Land of Fire, likely where the Mist Ninja were stationed.
"An Ultra-Clear video? It actually exists." Tianyuan smiled. This was exactly why he hadn't rushed to annihilate the Hidden Mist Village; he hadn't expected something to actually appear.
Tianyuan spoke with Minato and the others. He didn't mention anything about receiving a signal, only stating that he had matters to attend to outside. Minato and the others nodded in understanding. As one of the commanders of this battlefield, Tianyuan enjoyed a great deal of autonomy.
Minato and the others simply urged Tianyuan to return as quickly as possible. If the Hidden Mist Village launched a sudden attack, the Leaf's forces would suffer greatly from his absence. Of course, such an event was unlikely. Lately, the Mist Ninja had only been conducting small-scale probes; they hadn't made any major movements. The idea of a sudden total offensive was unrealistic.
Soon after, Tianyuan used the Sky Dancing Technique and flew straight toward the source of the signal. As he drew closer, he used his Qi perception and felt a familiar auraone he had encountered not long ago.
"Madara, don't disappoint me," Tianyuan chuckled softly.
At the border of the Land of Fire, near the coast, it was only a short trip across the sea to reach the Hidden Mist Village. The Mist Ninja had established a station here.
"There are no issues. The Three-Tails has been sealed within your body. From now on, you only need to familiarize yourself with its power," Madara Uchiha said, looking at the Fourth Mizukage.
"Thank you, Lord Madara." Yagura smiled. With the help of the Three-Tails, his strength would grow even more formidable. This would make dealing with the Land of Fire much easier.
"Then I shall take my leave." Madara bid Yagura farewell and left the room with White Zetsu.
A short time later, within the border of the Leaf.
"Zetsu, everything is finished now. It's time for us to return." Madara took a deep breath. Fortunately, nothing had gone wrong. His final chess piece was finally complete.
"I have a feeling I'm going to be very busy later," White Zetsu grumbled.
Just as Madara was about to leave, his expression suddenly changed. "An old friend is here."
"An old friend?" Several question marks appeared in White Zetsu's mind.
"It's been quite a long time, Madara Uchiha." A clear, bright laugh rang out as Tianyuan dropped straight from the sky.
"Tianyuan." Madara took a deep breath as he stared at the man. He was well aware of how terrifying Tianyuan was.
"Tianyuan?" White Zetsu looked at him with curiosity. He had heard of Tianyuan's prowess from Madara. Like Madara, Tianyuan possessed the power of the Rinnegan and even the Wood Release of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
"How did you find me?" Madara asked, watching Tianyuan closely. He was very wary of this man who carried the Uchiha bloodline.
"How did I find you? Well, it was as simple as that," Tianyuan laughed. "However, Madara, you're looking quite young right now. I suspect this isn't your true body."
"And what if it isn't?" Madara said indifferently.
In reality, this body was not Madara's original self; it was a clone he had created, which was distinct from a standard clone.
"Well then, Tianyuan. Since you've found me, what do you plan to do?" Madara asked coldly.
"What do I plan to do?" Tianyuan's smile widened. "I'm going to kill you."
He spoke the words with such ease, it was as if he were simply saying good morning.
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