Danzo did not hide his intentions; this was also a blatant warning.
"You claim to have no interest in the Rinnegan and that you are unfit to wield it, but if you secretly returned to the Land of Rain, who could stop you? I must ensure you will not do such a thing."
Danzo walked ahead, his voice cold.
Kaede Tsukasa followed closely. Occasionally, villagers and shinobi glanced their way; upon recognizing the two, they immediately displayed expressions of respect.
To them, these two seemed solemn, speaking in hushed tones. Clearly, they were high-ranking members of the village and geniuses engaging in a serious discussion—perhaps dealing with a difficult mission?
Kaede Tsukasa smiled. "I see. But choosing to do this may not be a good idea. You might permanently lose your chance to lay hands on the Rinnegan."
Mito Uzumaki, although rarely mentioned in village propaganda or public discourse, seemed deliberately downplayed in her role as the First Hokage's wife.
This was understandable; after all, Mito Uzumaki was the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki. The village tried to minimize her presence to protect her—but those who knew the truth understood that although Mito was aged, she was still a fearsome warrior who did not need protection.
Mito may not have been interested in the Rinnegan, but she would certainly take an interest in Nagato simply because he was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan.
"Speaking of which, the village must have exerted great effort to obtain Kushina Uzumaki. Descendants of the Uzumaki clan are incredibly precious, and high-quality Uzumaki offspring, with vitality surpassing ordinary clan members, are even rarer."
Nagato was the ultimate Uzumaki, with life force likely stronger than Kushina's—Mito Uzumaki would not overlook him.
Danzo snorted coldly. "Good that you know. If she acts, you will have no chance of stealing the Rinnegan behind my back. Better to abandon such reckless thoughts entirely."
Danzo walked away without another glance at Kaede Tsukasa.
Kaede Tsukasa stroked his chin, pondering for a long moment, realizing things were about to get complicated.
If Mito Uzumaki intervened in Nagato's affairs, Madara Uchiha was no fool and would never stand idly by.
"The Land of Rain is truly plagued with disasters… but at this point, I can do nothing extra. Let these old-era people decide for themselves."
Kaede Tsukasa shook his head and returned to his residence, organizing his current powers, particularly scrutinizing Terai and his group in detail.
Terai and Araki were both valued allies—one excelling in solo combat, the other in area attacks, perfectly complementary.
"When the next Great Ninja War breaks out, I can bring an entire zombie army into battle, hunting the strongest of other villages to further expand my power." The more Kaede Tsukasa thought, the more satisfied he became.
Life was starting to look promising. The blessings of this ninja world would only increase… right?
…
Training Ground No. 34.
Mito Uzumaki had been training Kushina for some time.
Over the years, she had rigorously guided Kushina, watching her grow stronger step by step, mastering nearly all of the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, now capable of standing her ground in this world.
The only thing left was the Zombie Release technique. This jutsu was so arcane and abstract that even if one barely understood it theoretically, no one dared to test it during practice.
As a result, Kushina could never be certain of her progress or whether she could execute the technique successfully, only struggling forward according to Mito's guidance.
Until someone slowly approached the outskirts of the training ground, observing the two amidst a cluster of wooden posts.
"Lady Mito, Danzo Shimura requests an urgent audience," Danzo said in a grave tone.
"I am busy and do not involve myself in Konoha's affairs. Leave." Mito Uzumaki didn't even spare a glance. Her powerful sensory abilities allowed her to perceive the outside world without relying on eyes or ears.
"Lady Mito, I won't trouble you without reason. What I have to say will surely interest you… By the way, that young girl is practicing the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, right? I happened to recognize her hand seal sequence."
Danzo Shimura fixed his gaze on Kushina. He had always valued the next jinchuriki, but according to the Third Hokage's orders, his faction was forbidden from contacting Kushina.
Now, he valued it even more. Who knew why the Rinnegan would appear in a descendant of the Uzumaki clan? There was definitely something suspicious.
Mito Uzumaki finally looked Danzo in the eye.
"Your chakra has been severely depleted. Though you've tried to recover and hide traces of battle, you cannot fool me. And that Sharingan of yours—how dare you appear before me without replacing it with ordinary eyes?"
Her tone wasn't exactly angry. In fact, she would not have long to live and couldn't be bothered with the petty affairs of Konoha's leadership.
Even during the era of Hashirama Senju, Konoha had a small population and few shinobi. Political disputes weren't as severe as they are now. With the chaos Madara Uchiha caused, let alone the present day, she had no control—and no desire to participate.
Kushina was the focus of all her care and effort.
Kushina looked at Danzo with curiosity. Her instincts told her this man was not to be trusted; otherwise, Lady Mito wouldn't be treating him this way.
Also… Sharingan? This man has a Sharingan? Is he from the Uchiha clan?
"Impressive, Lady Mito. Your sensory abilities are as terrifying as ever. Even if I had replaced my eyes, you would have discovered it. And the Sharingan is a minor issue."
"You just witnessed the Dead Demon Consuming Seal from the Book of Seals?"
"No, I just saw someone in the Land of Rain use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Quite a spectacular display. Afterward, he even personally escorted me back to the village," Danzo said in as calm a tone as possible.
This finally piqued a spark of interest in Mito Uzumaki.
The Land of Rain? Dead Demon Consuming Seal…
"Kaede Tsukasa? He learned the strongest secret of the Uzumaki clan in such a short time?" Mito was genuinely surprised.
"That's impossible!"
Kushina shouted, forgetting all manners. "I've been trained by Lady Mito and have only just begun mastering it after so long! Lady Mito even said I'm very gifted. How could he possibly have learned it on his own? And this jutsu is a suicide technique—if he used it, he should be dead!"
Mito Uzumaki stroked Kushina's head, looking at the flustered young girl. She said gently, "There are always geniuses in this world. And what he calls 'learning it' may not be the same step-by-step process as you. He may have used another method… right, Danzo?"
Mito did not believe Kaede Tsukasa had truly mastered Zombie Release through normal means; it defied logic.
Danzo said in a grave tone, "I don't know the specifics, but he did successfully perform the technique… twice! Even forcing Salamander Hanzo to retreat."
Mito listened quietly, her hand unconsciously stroking Kushina's head, as if calming an irritable little kitten—something Kushina truly enjoyed. She had come to Konoha alone, and only Lady Mito made her feel the warmth of family.
But Danzo's words made her want to leap up, and Mito gently pressed her down. Even in old age, the Uzumaki bloodline is distinguished by life force—her strength far exceeded that of ordinary people.
As Danzo recounted the story, Kushina widened her eyes and looked up at Mito Uzumaki, filled with confusion—using corpses to perform Zombie Release? How could that be possible?
Why would corpses have souls? Why would the Shinigami respond to their summons?
"I see… what an interesting idea. Using the Zombie Release secret technique to perform Dead Demon Consuming Seal—it never occurred to me that one could circumvent the fatal risk in this way."
Mito nodded with a smile. She was genuinely surprised, even a little delighted. In the final years of her life, she never expected to witness someone performing Zombie Release in such an ingenious way.
From now on, no enemy would dare underestimate Kaede Tsukasa. In front of this time-space ninja, even the slightest delay could result in a disastrous end.
Although Mito Uzumaki understood that this version of Zombie Release had been significantly weakened, essentially turning it into a crippling sealing technique, its usage and effects still left her in awe.
She knew this wasn't the true reason Danzo Shimura had come.
"Kaede Tsukasa and I nearly came to blows—for the wielder of the Rinnegan, Nagato Uzumaki," Danzo recounted in a calm tone.
Mito's movements froze suddenly. Her kind expression hardened, and her hunched form straightened abruptly.
"How is he now, Nagato Uzumaki… still in the Land of Rain?"
"He should be. He is now Jiraiya's student. Jiraiya hasn't returned to the village in these years to keep the Rinnegan hidden, but I discovered it—that's why I came to see you. The Rinnegan belongs to Konoha, and the Uzumaki descendant belongs under your guidance."
Danzo spoke, knowing Mito had already resolved to bring Nagato Uzumaki back to Konoha, no matter what.
A Hokage's student's student not returning to the village—is that acceptable? A descendant of the Uzumaki not staying in Konoha—is that reasonable?
If Mito intervened, she could settle it with a single strike; no one could stop her.
"Hiruzen, in the end, I've won this time," Danzo thought coldly. After all, Mito was in the twilight of her life, and as the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, her constant efforts to suppress the Nine-Tails further drained her energy and chakra.
Even for the Uzumaki clan, such daily exertion would be unsustainable.
What Danzo needed most now was this few-year buffer period. Once he obtained the power he desired, his strength would skyrocket, allowing him to look down on every shinobi in the world.
"Kushina, return to the barrier. Do not leave without my permission. Outside the barrier, I will apply additional techniques to ensure no one can harm you."
Mito's gentle and unhurried demeanor vanished, replaced by sharp decisiveness.
This was her true self. The wife of Hashirama Senju, capable of treating the fully mature Nine-Tails like a brute beast—there was no way she had ever been a soft, gentle figurehead.
"I-I understand. I'll wait obediently for you to return!" Kushina stammered nervously. It was the first time she had seen Mito Uzumaki so serious.
Danzo said, "As expected of Lady Mito, the correct decision has been made. But Jiraiya likely won't agree and will resist to the death—he even dared attack me once."
"You need not worry about that. Whether Jiraiya agrees or not will not affect the outcome of bringing Nagato back to the village. No one can stop me," Mito Uzumaki said with unyielding authority.
Rinnegan? Uzumaki descendant?
Even with her experience, she had never thought to connect these two concepts. Yet compared to the Rinnegan, she cared more about Nagato himself.
Since the early days after the Second Great Ninja War, when the Uzumaki clan had been nearly wiped out, their bloodline had been dwindling. Learning that a descendant still existed, Mito would not let him go under any circumstances.
Konoha, though also rife with internal strife and darkness, was far safer than leaving the Uzumaki descendants to struggle for survival on their own.
Mito closed her eyes. When she reopened them, a massive surge of energy erupted from her, causing her white robes to tremble violently before settling.
She activated her powerful sensory abilities, long unused. In the next instant, her figure vanished—Danzo couldn't even see where she had gone.
"This speed…"
Danzo fell silent. Was this old woman really about to die? It had to be true—Mito had no reason to deceive the village, especially regarding transferring the Nine-Tails to Kushina before her death.
If she was this strong on the verge of death, what must she have been like at her peak? Truly a figure from the era of the First Hokage…
But where had Mito Uzumaki gone? At this speed, had she gone straight to the Land of Rain?
Neither Danzo nor Kaede Tsukasa had anticipated it.
He set down the freshly purchased, still-steaming dango in his hand and slowly stood up.
"We meet again, Lady Mito. But, barging into my house like this—don't you think it's a bit abrupt? This is the new house I just spent 1.5 million ryō on; I haven't even warmed the seat yet."
Kaede Tsukasa looked at the person before him, feeling as if he were staring into an abyss—completely unpredictable.
"I need to go to the Land of Rain as soon as possible."
"With your speed, it wouldn't take much time to get there on your own. Why come to me? By the way, want some dango?"
"No, thank you. I've heard the details from Danzo Shimura. Once it's over, Jiraiya will certainly take Nagato away quickly. If I go myself, it will waste more time—I don't like waiting," Mito Uzumaki said.
"So you're impatient… I haven't tracked Jiraiya's movements either, so I don't know which country he's hiding in with his student."
"They're still in the Land of Rain. I need you to take me there," Mito said calmly, her tone resolute.
Taking Mito Uzumaki directly from Konoha to the Land of Rain? That was no simple task for Kaede Tsukasa.
After becoming the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, Mito had also gained a malicious sensory ability, and her control over the Nine-Tails was even stronger than Karin.
Kaede Tsukasa said bluntly, "I can't do it. Your chakra is far too vast—it would be too much of a burden. Perhaps you should seek Minato Namikaze; his Flying Thunder God Technique is better suited for transporting someone."
"I will provide you with sufficient chakra. Do not waste my time. My patience is very limited."
"…Very well. Looks like I have no choice. I don't know why you trust me specifically, but I am willing to help."
Kaede Tsukasa extended his hand.
The moment Mito Uzumaki touched his hand with her aged palm, an immense surge of chakra flowed into Kaede Tsukasa's body.
A thick layer of tailed-beast chakra armor appeared over his body, and a chakra tail rapidly sprouted behind him.
"…So this is the Nine-Tails' chakra… I honestly don't know what to say. I can only work harder to repay this."
Kaede Tsukasa marveled, both at Mito's decisiveness and the Nine-Tails' overwhelming power.
At this time, the Nine-Tails was fully intact, not split into yin and yang halves by Zombie Release. Even though only one tail appeared behind Kaede Tsukasa, the sheer chakra alone was astonishing.
In the past, he had drawn life force from countless zombies, but never on this scale.
And this was only a fraction of the Nine-Tails' true power. Consider that Mito Uzumaki herself could suppress the fully matured Nine-Tails to the point it couldn't raise its head!
This was not entirely due to sealing techniques—the sheer magnitude of Mito's own chakra was terrifying.
Kaede Tsukasa now experienced a glimpse of a top-tier existence firsthand. Even when he faced Madara Uchiha before, Madara didn't leave him this shocked—having lost the Rinnegan and aged, his power had diminished.
Normally, Madara would soon have to rely on the Outer Path Demonic Statue to sustain his life.
"Then, Lady Mito, I'll begin the technique."
Kaede Tsukasa formed hand seals with one hand, and together with Mito Uzumaki, they were transported to the Land of Rain in a single motion.
Never before had a transfer left Kaede Tsukasa with such a heavy sensation. By the time they arrived, the tailed-beast chakra armor on him had thinned slightly.
Bathing in the rain, Mito Uzumaki fixed her direction, transforming into an afterimage and moving at high speed, leaving Kaede Tsukasa standing behind, watching her disappear.
She had no intention of retrieving the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Kaede Tsukasa naturally accepted this. He immediately pulled out a special sealing scroll, opening it with one hand while forming hand seals with the other, sealing the Nine-Tails' chakra inside.
Within the scroll, Kaede Tsukasa had left nine empty slots. In the fourth and ninth positions, the characters for "four" and "nine" appeared respectively.
"I didn't expect to obtain the Nine-Tails' chakra so easily—the very chakra that should have been the hardest to claim… Lady Mito, you are incredibly generous. This is precisely the composure a top-tier shinobi should have."
With that, Kaede Tsukasa now possessed the chakra of both the Four-Tails and the Nine-Tails, bolstering his confidence even further.
High-speed, Mito headed straight for the Land of Rain's border. She could, of course, sense all of Kaede Tsukasa's movements, but paid them no mind—after all, it was only a trivial amount of Nine-Tails chakra; if Kaede Tsukasa wanted it, he could have it.
Through her malicious sensory ability, she also faintly sensed the many White Zetsu scattered throughout the Land of Rain. Something about them felt off—vaguely reminiscent of her husband's chakra fluctuations. Yet this was unimportant; the ninja world was far too complex, and she was near death. Her priority now was Nagato.
"Heh heh heh, Mito, your heart is unsettled."
"Discovering that there are still members of the Uzumaki scattered in other countries has stirred something in your stagnant soul that should not exist."
"How pitiful—you, whose every light was once overshadowed by Hashirama Senju, would mobilize again in your twilight years for a reason like this."
The Nine-Tails' voice echoed in Mito's mind, dripping with mockery and sarcasm, infused with the collective hatred of all humanity, crashing into her psyche like a flood.
Make no mistake: the Nine-Tails was not deliberately trying to corrupt Mito—it had attempted similar things countless times before, all useless.
Mito suppressed it completely, leaving it no temper, no way to break free by itself.
Clang!
Chains of chakra erupted from nowhere, violently piercing the Nine-Tails' body. Already bound in layers of restraints, the Nine-Tails was subjected to even greater suppression.
"Quiet, you dead fox. If it weren't for the village needing you, I would have killed you long ago… Every time I sense your presence, I remember that annoying man. Without him, none of this would have happened," Mito said coldly.
"Hmph, but what of it? You can't kill me. Or are you planning to die with me? That would be most welcome," the Nine-Tails sneered madly.
In truth, it didn't want to die. Even if revived, it would take years, and who knew what other mishaps might occur during that time.
Mito said nothing more. She had no patience for this beast. Since the battle at the Valley of the End, after her husband captured the Nine-Tails for the village, she had endured her disgust and dealt with the beast within her all these years.
"Found them…"
Mito's gaze fell on a few figures ahead.
She was about to accelerate, but sensed a large number of White Zetsu blocking her path.
"Stop. I cannot let you pass."
"Ah, a member of the Uzumaki… rare indeed. Pity your age is so advanced."
The White Zetsu wore grotesque, twisted smiles as they launched their attack on Mito.
"What exactly are these white things…"
Mito halted, flicking her hand forward. From her sleeve, countless chains of chakra shot out, instantly binding all the White Zetsu.
Through the chains, her chakra directly penetrated their bodies, quickly assessing their condition.
"As expected, they aren't normal humans. No organs—completely constructed from Hashirama's cells. Who could have done this…"
Mito frowned. Why were so many complicated things happening in this tiny Land of Rain? Rinnegan, Uzumaki descendants, Jiraiya from Mount Myoboku, and Kaede Tsukasa—so complex, unlike any humans she knew…
Someone was scheming to obtain Hashirama Senju's power. That was normal. There were people in the village secretly attempting the same, and Mito had never bothered to concern herself with them.
But now it was different. These mature creations weren't from Konoha? In the world, besides Konoha, who else could have had the skill—or the chance—to study Hashirama's cells to such an extent…?
Still, compared to Nagato, these things didn't matter. Konoha itself was up to all sorts of shady dealings; if others did the same, there was even less reason to worry.
Mito was delayed for a few seconds. She had intended to continue tracking Nagato, but the moment she saw the figure before her, her expression stiffened.
Standing opposite her was another elderly figure—no, his decay was even more exaggerated than hers. Bent over, walking with the aid of a scythe, he looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Yet Mito furrowed her brow tightly, observing repeatedly, maximizing her sensory ability, and finally fell silent for a moment.
"So it's you… That explains everything. You actually used Hashirama's cells to this degree… Uchiha… Madara!"
A bolt of lightning tore across the sky of the Land of Rain, briefly piercing the gloomy darkness with light.
Nagato suddenly turned his head and instinctively reached to touch his own eyes.
"What's wrong, Nagato?" Jiraiya asked cautiously.
"Nothing… I just felt something was off, though I can't put my finger on it…" Nagato murmured. His intuition told him something was happening in that direction, something his eyes should pay attention to.
But what could it be? They had already escaped from Hanzo's grasp—who else in the world could absolutely overwhelm someone hailed as a demi-god like Hanzo? Almost impossible…
At the same time, Hanzo, having just returned to Amegakure, was evaporating the rainwater from his body using chakra and issuing orders to a group of kneeling Amegakure shinobi.
"…Yes, that's right. In the towns you're stationed in, spread the name of 'Konoha Eater,' just like the propaganda for the Legendary Sannin back in the day. I want the entire ninja world to recognize me, Hanzo the Salamander, in the shortest time possible—what's this?"
Hanzo shivered, muscles tense, glancing nervously around, then back at his subordinates.
"Lord Hanzo, what's happening?" one loyal follower asked, unaware anything was amiss.
"Something's wrong. I can feel it… this overwhelming sense of oppression. Could some unknown calamity be about to occur?"
Hanzo thought it through and concluded that must be the only possibility. But the Land of Rain was surrounded by three major countries and wasn't coastal—so it couldn't be a tsunami. Could it be an earthquake?
"Never mind, it doesn't affect things. You go carry out my orders… scatter!"
Numerous Amegakure shinobi rushed to towns throughout the Land of Rain, beginning to publicize the name "Konoha Eater." Soon, spies from other villages would hear the name and realize that Kaede Tsukasa and Hanzo had acted in the Land of Rain and even earned the acknowledgment of the demi-god Hanzo!
However, since Hanzo had isolated the village and enforced strict border policies since the mid-war period, the spread of this name wouldn't match the pace of the Legendary Sannin back in the day.
This was one of Hanzo's few pleasures. Using this method, he indirectly declared to the ninja world that he still existed, still powerful and confident. Anyone wanting to challenge him first had to consider the gap between their strength and that of the Sannin and the Konoha Eater before daring to bring trouble to him, the demi-god of the ninja world, in the Land of Rain.
In this way, many potential problems were filtered out in advance, and his rule over the Land of Rain would be absolutely secure—no one could threaten him.
Thinking of this, Hanzo's mood was extremely pleasant. Though he had suffered some setbacks at Kaede Tsukasa's hands, it didn't really matter.
Until he heard a terrifying roar and hurriedly looked into the distance, shocked to see the celestial patterns in that area changing—the thick, dark clouds tearing apart, accompanied by a horrifying roar that shook the entire Land of Rain.
At first, Mito restrained herself. She hadn't immediately acted, for she had too many questions that needed answers.
"Of course, you recognized me at a glance… Mito. To see an old friend in this era is truly wonderful," Madara said calmly, speaking like an ordinary elderly man.
But Mito Uzumaki was very well aware of just how terrifying the power of the man before her had once been. In that battle against Hashirama Senju, the Tailed Beast Bombs had rained across the ninja world, relentlessly devastating the terrain and permanently altering countless locations.
"The chakra inside you seems to have undergone subtle changes. No wonder when I was sensing the ninja world earlier, I didn't recognize you immediately… You've survived until now because, by chance, you obtained Hashirama's cells during the battle at the Valley of the End—and you even made full use of them," Mito asked.
Madara spoke slowly, "Yes, I obtained them. But you've got some things wrong. It wasn't mere luck that I got his cells. One of the purposes of my challenge against Hashirama was precisely to acquire his cells. Even my eventual defeat and feigned death were within my expectations."
Of course, had he been able to defeat Hashirama outright, collect all the Tailed Beasts, and execute the Eye of the Moon Plan according to his own design, that would have been even better.
Alas, he had fallen just a little short—only by the smallest margin.
"That's just an excuse to save face after losing to Hashirama," Mito said coldly, giving Madara no quarter.
Madara shook his head lightly. "I obtained some invaluable intelligence and planned a course of action based on it. At the time, I already controlled the Nine-Tails. I could have gone to control the other eight Tailed Beasts, then returned for a final battle with Hashirama. Do you know why I didn't?"
"You needed all the Tailed Beasts for your plan? You wanted to revive the Ten-Tails?"
"You're perceptive. Hashirama never had that kind of foresight. He always preferred the most straightforward, honest method to solve problems. Coincidentally, I wanted honesty in battle as well, so I brought the Nine-Tails straight to him… He had no choice: either compete with me, or I'd find a way to obliterate Konoha remotely with a Tailed Beast Bomb. He couldn't defend against that every single time."
In other words, Madara wanted to test his own limits—and prove that even without extensive preparation, he could defeat Hashirama. Unfortunately, he failed.
He had unleashed all his strategies: summoned the Nine-Tails, Hashirama countered with the Wood Dragon; summoned Susanoo, Hashirama deployed the Wooden Man; activated armored Susanoo, Hashirama instantly entered Sage Mode and unleashed the Great Senju Buddha. Madara still didn't understand how Hashirama had prepared so many jutsu.
How could every powerful technique perfectly counter his own, and always seem to have the edge at the most critical moment?
During their battle, it seemed evenly matched—he used ninjutsu, Hashirama used ninjutsu; he used taijutsu, Hashirama used taijutsu. And yet Hashirama gave him a strange feeling, as if there were more techniques he hadn't yet used, deliberately held back for the right moment.
This frustration lingered in Madara's mind. Late at night, he even wondered: if he had captured all the Tailed Beasts and challenged Hashirama with a fully revived Ten-Tails, could Hashirama have instantly countered the Ten-Tails' techniques?
But that was all in the past. Hashirama was dead, and he was still alive.
Mito Uzumaki said coldly, "If this were a few years ago, I would have asked you the purpose behind reviving the Ten-Tails. Surely it wasn't just about destroying the ninja world… It must have been related to the Rinnegan. But none of that matters now. I'm going to settle you, completely eliminating the lingering threat Hashirama left behind."
"Very well. In the old era, only one of us should have survived. Otherwise, things would become very complicated. I won't let you take Nagato; he is far too important to me."
Madara spoke slowly. The three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun once—a peak that was insurmountable to ordinary shinobi, but pitifully weak against Mito Uzumaki.
Madara was well aware that, with his eyes gone, he could not defeat the current Mito.
Even though Mito had little time left in her life, she could still keep the Nine-Tails firmly under control!
"Madara… that damn bastard! I will kill him! I must kill him!"
Mito slightly loosened her restraint on the Nine-Tails, allowing it to sense the outside situation. True to form, the Nine-Tails became enraged.
In the battle at the Valley of the End, the one who suffered the most wasn't Madara or Hashirama—it was the Nine-Tails, relentlessly controlled and beaten throughout.
Those two fought each other without ever considering the Nine-Tails' feelings.
"One Madara… and you, Mito Uzumaki… my two most hated humans are finally together! Wahahaha! How amusing! One of you has to die today, right? Better yet, both of you! I'll kill you both!" the Nine-Tails roared.
It hesitated and fell silent, though, because normally, this behavior would trigger a surge of chakra chains to restrain it—but not this time.
"Nine-Tails, I need your power. Give me all your chakra," Mito said.
"Didn't you already take away a large amount of my chakra? You can also enter a special chakra mode...."
"Not enough," Mito Uzumaki said.
Madara noticed and rolled his eyes. "The Nine-Tails, huh? Looks like you've raised that beast well. I'll have to take some action myself."
He had no choice—he hadn't expected Mito Uzumaki to suddenly appear in the Land of Rain. He had to intervene personally, using many of his backup strategies immediately.
Whoosh!
Tobi emerged from the ground behind Madara, gradually enveloping him as a continuous flow of Wood Release chakra surged into his body.
This was Tobi's ability: massively enhancing the physical strength of a target.
"Lord Madara," Tobi said, "if you want to use that jutsu, it might be a bit difficult. With just the two of us, I can't guarantee it will succeed."
Madara replied, "I have a plan. If it comes to that, I'll tell you what to do."
"Understood. So a combat plan was already set. As expected of Lord Madara. I hope you don't die at the hands of that old woman."
"Hmph. Hashirama couldn't kill me; his wife certainly can't," Madara snorted coldly.
"That may be true, but no matter how you look at it, your condition is far worse than that old woman's. And you only have a single three-tomoe Sharingan," Tobi noted.
Madara ignored him. He saw Mito Uzumaki performing a technique aimed at his abdomen, her palms rotating clockwise and counterclockwise as if twisting something inside him.
Eight Trigrams Seal: Release!
Suddenly, a massive number of chakra chains erupted from his abdomen, and a gigantic creature wrapped entirely in chains burst out with a roar, collapsing onto the ground.
The Nine-Tails' enormous tail whipped violently, capable of destroying mountains and stirring the air into terrifying shockwaves. Each strike against the ground carved deep trenches and cracks.
The strongest Tailed Beast—the Nine-Tails—had returned.
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Madara! I'll kill you!" the Nine-Tails yelled, eyes blazing.
Old enemies never fail to ignite hatred.
"So you've already been tamed by Mito, huh," Madara said.
"Bullshit! I'm only going to kill you first, then her!"
"No difference. You'd better be careful. Already sealed, you might fall for my genjutsu next. Beasts are beasts, only swaying between different masters," Madara said coldly.
The Ten-Tails might be impressive, but these nine extracted beasts were no better than wild dogs—they could be beaten with a few kicks.
Buzz!
The Nine-Tails immediately condensed a Tailed Beast Bomb. Its size quickly surpassed the one the Four-Tails had produced in the Land of Hot Water, packed with immense chakra. Even without detonating, the nearby air trembled and twisted.
A hurricane rose out of nowhere, forced outward by the chakra sphere in all directions.
"Finally, it begins. This could be called a twilight battle between elders—a peculiar kind of pinnacle clash,"
Kaede observed Mito Uzumaki carefully, directing the many zombies scattered across the Land of Rain to follow her movements.
As he expected, Madara would never tolerate Mito taking Nagato. If the Rinnegan fell into Konoha's hands, he would be at a severe disadvantage.
"Mito Uzumaki controls the Nine-Tails; Madara has nothing. Big trouble… What is he planning? Rush to me and make me use a horde of zombies to cast the One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu for him? Or…"
Kaede stood atop a mountain, gazing at the center of the storm. "He plans to take the Rinnegan back from Nagato?"