Deep underground, Uchiha Madara lay on a cold, damp rock. His whole body ached, yet his lips stretched wide in a silent, wild laugh.
Escape from death? A miraculous survival? He didn't see it that way.
Though the price was higher, unlike Orochimaru, Nagato hadn't fought his way through battles. His methods and resolve were too immature. Such minor tricks couldn't possibly have countered him.
Uchiha Madara wasn't surprised by this turn of events.
"Environment shapes personality." Possessing his Rinnegan meant jumping from ordinary ninja to god-tier overnight. How could that foster insight beyond his eyes?
"Madara-sama, I never expected to see you again in the ninja world."
Black Zetsu emerged halfway from the ground, a flicker of joy in his usually dull, lifeless eyes.
Even with two backup plans, altering the Stone Tablet in the Naka Shrine to guide Nagato down Madara's old path, Black Zetsu still preferred the latter option: someone already completely convinced of the 'Moon's Eye Plan'.
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Madara's smile vanished, replaced instantly by a dark expression. "What exactly happened in the ninja world? Why has it collapsed to this state? Explain it to me properly!"
According to his plan, he just needed to wait for Nagato to grow up and then force him to use the 'Reanimation Jutsu' to revive him.
To ensure all of this went smoothly, he had also left Obito as part of his contingency.
With the help of that special Mangekyo Sharingan, why couldn't Nagato have used his eyes to revive him? And why did he end up with only one eye? Where was the other one?
Madara had many questions.
"That, well... it's a long story."
Black Zetsu's expression remained unchanged as he calmly recounted the major events of the ninja world in recent years. The collapse of the original Akatsuki organization, the aftermath of the Third Great Ninja War, Obito's Nine-Tails Rampage, and the subsequent Battle of Kumogakure and Konoha...
Uchiha Madara's face was initially cold, then gradually became silent. After hearing about the recent battle outside the Hidden Rain Village, he interrupted Black Zetsu's narrative, his eyes glistening. He let out a long sigh, "Orochimaru... that guy."
Black Zetsu's account was quite objective, devoid of emotional bias, but in this story, whose figure appeared frequently, who played the leading role, was all too obvious.
Whether it was bridging the gap between the Uchiha and Konoha, single-handedly turning the tide of the Battle of Kumogakure and Konoha, or later developing some kind of enhancement surgery... the ever-changing landscape of the ninja world was inextricably linked to him.
"No wonder he has that kind of strength..."
Uchiha Madara frowned.
"Madara-sama, have you met Orochimaru?"
Black Zetsu, sensing the implied meaning in his words, felt his heart skip a beat.
"More than that. I was able to escape the Pure Land and return to the living world, largely thanks to him and his fight with that strange snake."
Uchiha Madara glanced at Black Zetsu, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He had been too busy fighting to think deeply about it before. Now that he was calm, he realized he still had some sort of connection to that strange snake. In other words, if it ran into another fight, it could potentially summon him.
'Contract Seal' couldn't sever his connection to the Gedo Statue, and it might not solve this problem either...
Thinking this, Uchiha Madara perked up, suddenly standing despite his pain, a purple glow flickering in his eyes.
"Madara-sama, what's wrong?"
Black Zetsu asked casually, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He wondered what kind of strange snake could actually fight Orochimaru.
Uchiha Madara did not answer. He used what little power he had left to place heavy seals on himself, restricting the power of the fungal spores themselves and his own Chakra. Only then did he feel a modicum of relief and let out a slight breath.
Even though his already insufficient strength was now even more concealed, he was not willing to face Orochimaru again yet.
His gaze shifted to Black Zetsu. Uchiha Madara said sternly, "Prepare a new body for me as soon as possible."
Perfect revival was out of the question in the short term, but perhaps possessing a living body in a spiritual form could help him escape his current predicament.
Black Zetsu replied, "I understand, Madara-sama. I will find a way to prepare the best body for you using the technology developed by Orochimaru."
Uchiha Madara nodded slightly. "Now, take me to see Obito."
"Yes!"
Black liquid surged from the ground, engulfing Uchiha Madara. Then, it sped through the earth in a peculiar manner.
A moment later, in a dark cave, two Uchiha, separated for years, reunited.
Uchiha Madara stared at Obito expressionlessly, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. He said coldly, "A good-for-nothing who acted on his own!"
Black White Zetsu monitored the entire ninja world, so he knew Obito's whereabouts better than anyone, almost to the exact minute, except for the Kamui dimension.
And after hearing Black Zetsu's description, it was not difficult for Uchiha Madara to see through the kid's little schemes.
Obito didn't want to revive him. Instead, he planned to let Nagato collect all the Tailed Beasts, and then he himself would be the executor of the 'Moon's Eye Plan'.
This was not a problem in itself. Madara had anticipated this and left many countermeasures, but what truly infuriated Madara was that this kid had messed everything up.
Stupidity was more annoying than malice. The latter could be dealt with, but the former could lead things in all sorts of unfathomable directions.
"Aren't you the same? To be defeated by a fake."
Obito was not provoked. His expression remained unchanged as he said slowly, "I saw the entire battle between you and Nagato. Admit it, Madara, you've lost control of the ninja world's situation."
A vein throbbed on Uchiha Madara's forehead, but he did not lash out. He looked at Obito for a long moment before speaking, "You're quite calm."
With most of the plan ruined and successive heavy blows, even he felt a sense of frustration, unable to muster the energy to consider countermeasures. Yet, Obito, whose hopes had also been shattered, was not like that.
It seemed he hadn't been moping around all this time.
Obito was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Some things, ultimately, must be done."
Since manipulating the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha, he had lost the freedom to stop. Otherwise, it would not only be a betrayal of himself but also render those lives meaningless.
As he spoke, Obito suddenly took off his shirt, slowly ripping the black, sticky substance attached to his chest. The pain made his face flush red, veins bulging on his forehead.
*Clatter!*
The mass of sticky substance was thrown to the ground and then engulfed by flames.
In the blazing fire, Obito's gaze turned to Madara. "Now that the thing you put on me is gone, we can try to cooperate again."
The monster created by White Zetsu and the negative emotions from the Paradox Box could enhance his strength, but the side effects were too severe and greatly affected his mind. Therefore, Obito had used its final value. With the immense mental power from the fusion of the two, he scanned his body inch by inch.
And upon discovering a creation similar to the Yin-Yang Release on Nagato's body, he induced them to devour each other, eventually merging into one mass.
He didn't know if that creation would still work in this state. But even if it didn't, he didn't want to leave such a thing behind.
In the years to come, he would no longer be the masked man 'Uchiha Madara', nor would he be influenced by anything else. Instead, he would be Obito himself, doing what he needed to do.
Uchiha Madara's eyes narrowed slightly. He scrutinized Obito for a long time, then his lips curled. "Years apart, it's not just Nagato, but you've also grown significantly."
The hot-headed, foolish boy from before could no longer be easily tricked.
"But even so, why do you dare to talk about cooperation with me?"
Uchiha Madara's expression was indifferent, his tone chillingly cold. "Do we still have any trust between us? Or are you asking me to pretend nothing happened and continue to be at my beck and call?"
Betrayed by Hashirama and his clan, Madara had become a lone wolf over the years. Even his helpers were made from First Hokage cells, with a clone possessing self-will created using the Outer Path Statue.
If he hadn't run out of lifespan back then, why would he have bothered cultivating Obito?
"Trust? We certainly don't have that."
A cold glint appeared in Obito's eyes. "But a common goal, common interests... can make us stand together for now."
"Before, I stalled for time and didn't give you a chance to revive because I needed Nagato, the weak one, more. But now..."
Obito pointed a finger in front of him, then at himself. "We are the weak ones. Cooperation between two weak individuals with a common goal is, at least for the short term, stable."
"..."
Inside the cave, Uchiha Madara was silent for a moment, then let out a self-mocking laugh. "Weak... but there's some truth to that."
He then turned his gaze to Obito. "Since you've thought so clearly, do you have any ideas now?"
Although Uchiha Madara had learned everything about the ninja world from Black Zetsu, it would take some time to fully process this information.
In such a situation, if Obito had ideas, it would be a good reference.
This was no longer the impulsive, reckless youth from before. With such a clear understanding of his own position, any plan he considered would carry some weight.
"Rinnegan, it's the key to controlling the Gedo Statue and activating the 'Moon's Eye' plan..."
Obito, looking at Uchiha Madara, slowly said, "But it's unrealistic to snatch that eye from Nagato now. And with only one eye, it's uncertain if the 'Moon's Eye' can be activated."
"Whose fault do you think this is?"
Uchiha Madara snorted coldly but didn't press further. Obito, as if he hadn't heard anything, his eyes glinting red, stated firmly, "So we should abandon Nagato's eye and instead create a pair... new Rinnegan!"
Hearing this plan, Uchiha Madara's expression darkened. "Do you think this is child's play?"
It had taken him decades to transform his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan into Rinnegan.
And even if he knew the principle, setting aside the time required, where would he find another pair of Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan?
Obito's eyes? Don't be ridiculous. The power difference between them was too great.
"...I still have hidden connections within the Akatsuki organization."
Obito did not respond to Uchiha Madara's doubt, merely saying slowly, "After I destroyed one Rinnegan, they are trying to restore it."
"The outcome is predictable, it will fail. But there's one point that I'm particularly interested in..."
Obito's gaze turned serious as he looked at Uchiha Madara. "They are using your eye cells to create a body exactly like yours in the near future. If you enter it in spiritual form, is there a possibility of activating the Rinnegan?"
When discussing how to restore the Rinnegan, Orochimaru's disciple Yakushi Kabuto had proposed an idea: 'Only the Rinnegan in Nagato's body is the Rinnegan.' In Obito's view, Nagato could be replaced by Uchiha Madara.
Because it was a restoration from the Rinnegan's cells, the physical differences between them were very small. Even if he couldn't awaken it immediately, what would happen after some training?
At least the probability would significantly increase, especially if Uchiha Madara still retained some Rinnegan power.
"..." After hearing such a bizarre idea, Uchiha Madara remained silent, contemplating the possibilities.
Even if it failed, having a new body to escape his current predicament would be acceptable.
On the ground, Black Zetsu's eyes flickered, and he suddenly said, "Actually, it might not necessarily fail."
"Huh?!" Both Obito and Uchiha Madara's gazes shifted downwards. Madara frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Madara-sama's original body is essentially no different from a copy. It just lacks years of training and development..."
Black Zetsu's expression was blank, his tone devoid of any fluctuation, as if he were mechanically stating a fact. "The only difference in their performance is the amount of Chakra."
"If Madara-sama entered the immature body during the initial cultivation process and then absorbed a large amount of energy until it grew into a complete form, it might greatly increase the probability."
Both Obito and Madara fell into thought. Especially the latter, as his mind recalled past events.
The reason it took him so long to transform from Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to Rinnegan was not just to recover the Chakra after using 'Izanagi', but more importantly, to accumulate the 'Power of All Things'.
Obtaining the latter was no longer difficult. If, as Black Zetsu suggested, he continuously absorbed energy and grew, the probability of the copy developing Rinnegan after it grew might truly increase.
Snapping back from his thoughts, Uchiha Madara suddenly frowned. "Zetsu, how do you know something like this?"
Even he hadn't thought of this method. Black Zetsu, born from his will, had no special abilities beyond concealing his presence and his peculiar Earth Release jutsu. How could he have thought of this?
Facing their questioning gazes, Black Zetsu's face remained expressionless. "I learned this from Yakushi Kabuto."
"Yakushi Kabuto?" Uchiha Madara frowned slightly upon hearing the name and turned his gaze to Obito.
"He is Orochimaru's disciple. Due to some grievances, he defected from Konoha to the Akatsuki. He possesses some of Orochimaru's knowledge, so the method he proposed has some feasibility..."
Obito paused here, then turned his gaze to Black Zetsu. "Why have you never mentioned this before?"