Rin suddenly looked up.
Someone was sitting on the thickest horizontal branch of the camphor tree.
No—not someone.
It was White Zetsu.
He sat there swinging his legs back and forth, a huge exaggerated grin stretched across his pale face.
"When did you get here?" Rin asked, his hand pressing against his Ninja Tool Pouch.
"I've been here the whole time," White Zetsu said cheerfully. "From the moment that guy called 'Karasu' showed up. I heard everything you talked about."
Rin's heart sank.
He hadn't sensed White Zetsu at all—not once—without activating Yin Release Perception. That level of concealment was terrifying.
"Don't be nervous," White Zetsu said as he hopped down from the tree, landing without a sound. "I'm not here to cause trouble. Actually, I'm here to help."
"Help?"
"Yeah." White Zetsu leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "What you two were talking about—Danzo using dirty methods against you—I agree. That one-eyed old man is seriously nasty. So… want me to help you deal with the people tailing you?"
Rin froze. "What?"
"Right now, there are two Root members watching you," White Zetsu said casually. "I can make them disappear in an 'accident.' Falling into a river. Getting eaten by wild animals. No traces left behind."
His tone was so relaxed it was as if he were offering tea.
Rin stared at him. "Why help me?"
"Because it's interesting." White Zetsu tilted his head. "And because you can't die yet. You might be very important to the Plan."
That word again.
"What exactly do you want me to do?" Rin asked.
"You'll know when the time comes," White Zetsu said, stepping back. "So? Want help? Should I take care of the watchers?"
Rin thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"No need."
"Oh?" White Zetsu blinked. "Why not?"
"If they stay alive, Danzo feels secure," Rin replied calmly. "If they suddenly die, he'll grow suspicious and send people who are even more dangerous. It's better to let them watch—let them see me grow stronger right under their noses."
White Zetsu stared at him for a few seconds, then clapped enthusiastically.
"Interesting! That way of thinking is a lot like Madara Uchiha. Back then, he knew the Senju were watching him—and still deliberately showed his strength."
Rin didn't respond.
"Alright, suit yourself," White Zetsu shrugged. "But if you change your mind, just call me. I'll be nearby."
"How do I call you?"
"Say 'Zetsu' three times to the ground," he said lightly. "I'll hear it."
With that, his body began to sink into the earth, melting into the soil itself.
"Ja ne~"
Rin stood there, staring at the spot where White Zetsu had vanished, his brows tightly knit.
---
By the time he returned home, it was almost ten at night.
Rin lay on his bed, replaying everything that had happened.
Every event was dragging him deeper into dangerous waters.
But he didn't regret it.
Since he had chosen to walk the path of Uchiha Madara, he had already accepted that multiple factions would target him. What mattered was navigating between them—using their conflicts to carve out space and time to grow.
He closed his eyes and entered the system.
Today's gains were substantial. His synchronization rate had risen to 6.3%—slow, but steady.
[Memory Fragment Available]
[Uchiha Madara (Youth) — Confrontation with Senju Tobirama]
"Begin."
---
The scene shifted to a battlefield.
Not a large-scale war, but a sudden encounter.
Madara led a small Uchiha reconnaissance squad when they ran into an interception force headed by Senju Tobirama.
Equal numbers. All elites.
"Uchiha Madara," Tobirama said coldly, standing at the front. "Let's end this today."
"With just you?" Madara sneered. "Where's your brother? Call him out."
"My elder brother has more important matters," Tobirama replied as he formed hand seals. "I'm more than enough to deal with you."
The battle erupted.
Tobirama didn't rely on overwhelming Ninjutsu. Instead, he used Water Release for hit-and-run tactics—appearing for a single strike, then vanishing instantly. Uchiha after Uchiha fell, killed before they could even react.
Madara's fury surged.
His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, trying to track Tobirama's movements—but Tobirama was too fast. Even with fully awakened eyes, Madara couldn't keep up.
"It's useless," Tobirama's voice came from behind him. "Your eyes see the past—not the future."
A kunai stabbed toward Madara's back.
Madara didn't dodge.
He caught it with his left hand.
The blade pierced straight through his palm, blood pouring down—but he didn't flinch. His right hand flew through seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Flames exploded outward—not aimed at Tobirama, but blanketing the entire battlefield. Tobirama was forced to reveal himself, countering with Water Release.
Fire and water collided. Steam filled the air.
Madara's Chakra was monstrous. Fire Release techniques followed one after another without pause. Even Tobirama began to feel the strain.
Then—battle cries erupted from all sides.
Senju reinforcements poured in.
It was an ambush.
Distracted, Madara failed to protect his squad in time.
Seizing the opening, Tobirama formed seals at lightning speed.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
By the time the smoke cleared, only Madara remained standing.
Tobirama flicked the blood from his kunai.
"It's over."
Madara's Sharingan suddenly changed.
The three tomoe twisted together, forming a new pattern—
---
The vision shattered.
[Warning: Memory fragment involves Mangekyō Sharingan awakening]
[Synchronization Rate Insufficient]
[Required: 15%]
"Mangekyō…"
Rin gasped, sitting upright, his palms drenched in sweat.
For just an instant, he had felt it—that overwhelming rage, the desire to destroy everything, and the burning sensation deep within his eyes.
That was the prelude to awakening.
Madara awakened the Mangekyō after witnessing the deaths of his clansmen.
Sasuke awakened it after losing Itachi.
Obito after witnessing Rin's death.
Extreme emotional trauma—paired with a life-or-death situation.
Rin touched his eyes.
"It's not my time yet."
He exited the system and stared out the window.
The night was deep and silent.
What would tomorrow bring?
He didn't know.
But he knew one thing—
He was walking a path that was growing more dangerous… and more fascinating.
Just like Uchiha Madara once did.
---
Early the next morning, Rin found an unsigned mission scroll in his mailbox.
It hadn't come through official channels.
Mission Content:
2:00 PM today. Abandoned mine in the Konoha back mountains. Investigate abnormal Chakra fluctuations.
Classified mission. Do not inform anyone—including your Jonin instructor.
At the bottom was a seal Rin didn't recognize.
A snake coiled around a blade.
Rin's eyes narrowed.
Danzo had made his move.