Night.
Uchiha Ren returned to his residence and collapsed onto the soft mattress, his exhausted body finally beginning to recover.
"Kuro, right there!"
"Harder!"
"No need to hold back!!!"
Kuro worked diligently, paws pressing into precise acupoints with practiced skill. The soft pads kneaded his muscles, easing the tension built up from the day's battle.
Pure bliss.
Top-tier service.
And incredibly cheap—
Just one bottle of cat grass.
Half-asleep, Ren began reviewing everything that had happened.
After receiving the magatama and officially becoming clan head, the elders had wasted no time.
They held an immediate inauguration ceremony.
At Naka Shrine.
In that cramped inner chamber—
Packed to the brim.
So crowded that many had to stand outside just to witness it.
The process itself had been tedious.
But that didn't matter.
What mattered—
Was the stone tablet.
The one that had led Uchiha Madara astray.
Ren already knew the truth.
The so-called "Eye of the Moon Plan"—
Was nothing more than a trap.
A scheme.
A resurrection ritual for Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
But still—
He wanted to see it for himself.
To see exactly how Black Zetsu had written it.
—
"The continent once gave birth to a beautiful goddess—the Rabbit Goddess…"
The text unfolded.
A tale of war.
Of suffering.
Of a benevolent deity who brought peace.
Of her sons—
Hagoromo and Hamura.
Of chakra.
Of hope.
Of failure.
Of war returning, again and again.
Of a desperate search for true peace.
And finally—
A forbidden technique.
One that could envelop the entire world.
A path to eternal peace.
But—
The ending was incomplete.
Blurred.
Only those with the Eternal Mangekyō could read it fully.
Ren smirked faintly.
Black Zetsu had done a brilliant job.
It was persuasive.
Too persuasive.
Madara's entire life—
Mirrored that story.
War.
Peace.
Failure.
Despair.
Hashirama's ideals—
Idealistic, but fragile.
Temporary.
Madara knew it.
Once they died—
War would return.
And worse than before.
Because now—
Wars were no longer between clans.
But between villages.
Larger.
More destructive.
More absolute.
And so—
Madara walked away.
Chasing the same answer as the Sage of Six Paths.
Step by step—
Into the trap.
"…Pathetic."
Ren muttered.
Somewhere, in the darkness—
Madara was likely still clinging to life.
Struggling to awaken the Rinnegan.
Completely unaware—
He had been played from the start.
Ren closed his eyes.
Amused.
Black Zetsu's scheme—
Targeted exactly what defined the Uchiha.
Pain.
Loss.
Disillusionment.
Anyone who reached the Eternal Mangekyō—
Had already lost faith in the world.
And that plan—
Was the perfect bait.
A guiding light—
Leading straight into the abyss.
"…But not me."
Ren smirked.
If he ever got lucky—
Pulled something truly powerful—
A chakra fruit, perhaps—
Then everything would change.
Black Zetsu?
He'd crush him.
As for Ōtsutsuki Kaguya—
Pale skin.
Horns.
Cold temperament—
…
Ren's thoughts drifted into dangerous territory.
His body relaxed completely under Kuro's massage.
His mind wandered.
And soon—
He fell asleep.
—
Elsewhere in Konoha—
Lights still burned.
In the Hyūga compound—
Hyūga Takuma sat awake, unable to rest.
He was anxious.
Deeply anxious.
Tobirama Senju's death—
Confirmed.
The six who returned—
Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Akimichi Torifu, Shimura Danzō—
Had all been questioned thoroughly by their respective clans.
Information—
Was already circulating.
And now—
Another storm.
The Uchiha had changed leadership.
Silently.
Completely.
And the new clan head—
Uchiha Ren—
Had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Another Madara.
In Konoha.
Takuma's chest tightened.
Konoha felt like a powder keg.
One spark—
And everything would explode.
Even the Hyūga—
Would not escape.
But within crisis—
There was opportunity.
He refused to sit still.
"Any news from Mito-sama?"
He turned slightly.
"I visited before—she claimed illness. Has anything changed?"
Beside him, Hyūga Kunihiko bowed respectfully.
"No, Clan Head."
"Mito-sama remains in seclusion. The Senju have released no information."
Takuma frowned.
He had hoped to meet her.
To discuss Konoha's future.
The next Hokage.
But she had given him nothing.
And now—
Even with the Mangekyō in play—
Still no response.
What was she planning?
Silence lingered.
Then—
He made a decision.
"…Prepare for tomorrow."
His voice was low.
"I will meet the new Uchiha clan head."
A pause.
"Discreetly."
Kunihiko nodded.
"As you command."
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read chapters ahead on Patreon → patreon.com/c/MythArcStudio