Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 71: Madara Surprised
It had been too long since he was living in this cave. His body had grown so old that even simple movement had become difficult. His joints ached, his body was weak, and loneliness surrounded him like a suffocating fog.
For a long moment, there was only silence, casually White and Black Zetsu will relay some new to him, he was in this moment until a familiar voice broke it.
"Madara-sama," came White Zetsu cheerful tone, half-muffled as he emerged from the stone ground like a plant sprouting from the soil. "It's been quite a week for Konoha. You might want to hear this."
Madara eyes opened slowly, the Sharingan spinning faintly within the gloom. His voice, though frail with age, still carried the same commanding tone he had in his youth.
"Speak. I assume it's more than the usual political nonsense. How about the Uzumaki Clan?"
"Oh, definitely more," White Zetsu said, a grin forming. "The Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, finally got tired of Danzo secret experiments. He kicked him out. permanently."
Madara tilted his head slightly and smirked. "He finally did it, hm? How poetic. Tobirama disciples are destroying each other. How amusing."
"That's the best part," White Zetsu continued eagerly. "He replaced the old system with a new one voting system. Now, the council decisions aren't made by power or experience, but by majority approval. There's a mix of shinobi and civilians in this new lineup, even some young faces."
Madara chuckle was low, dark, and almost pitying. "A democracy within a village built on strength and obedience? Foolish. Hiruzen has doomed his own legacy. Consensus only breeds weakness."
Black Zetsu emerged beside his pale counterpart and spoke in a calm, analytical tone. "It seems the Will of Fire has now been reduced to mere paperwork and votes. Hiruzen has forgotten that peace without fear is only temporary."
Madara leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful. "Without Danzo, there is no shadow. No one left to stain his hands for the village's sake. Konoha will rot from within, slowly, beautifully."
But White Zetsu wasn't finished. "There's more, Madara-sama. Something... unexpected."
Madara gaze sharpened. "Go on."
White Zetsu raised a hand dramatically, his grin widening. "The Uchiha are using Wood Release now."
Madara's Sharingan glimmered in surprise. It had not been long since they obtained the White Zetsu body, Raiken had expected experiments eventually, but he didn't expect they manage to experiment it so fast, he still remember it took him 2 years before he decided to inject Hashirama cells inside his body.
"What did you just say?"
"It's true," White Zetsu confirmed quickly. "A clan leader, Uzumaki Raiken, has been experimenting with my clone body. I didn't know what happened at first, but when I observed from afar, I saw Uchiha shinobi training with Wood Style."
Black Zetsu voice turned low and tense. Though Madara had once desired to test whether others could awaken the power of wood style, the fact that the Uchiha had succeeded unsettled him.
"That's... impossible," said Black Zetsu.
"What is impossible?" asked Madara, narrowing his eyes.
"Madara-sama, we need to stop them," Black Zetsu urged. "I've told you before, it was a mistake to give them access to Wood Release sample. They will become too strong." He had proposed many times to steal back the cells from the Uzumaki Clan, but Madara had always rejected the idea.
"Do not worry," Madara said calmly. "Even if they possess Wood Release, it is not comparable to mine. I took it directly from Hashirama himself."
"Understood, Madara-sama," replied Black Zetsu reluctantly, though frustration was evident in his tone.
Madara looked at him, satisfied with his obedience, before continuing, "Raiken... yes, that man. The Uzumaki Clan leader, correct?"
"Yes," Black Zetsu answered.
"I'm too old.... I have to repeat his name just to remember it," Madara muttered, letting out a slow, deliberate breath.
White Zetsu tilted his head. "You don't look angry, Madara-sama. Shouldn't you be furious?"
Madara's expression turned unreadable, a faint smirk curling his lips. "Anger is for those who fear loss. What I feel... is amusement. Hiruzen removes Danzo to preserve morality, only for the Uchiha to wield the power of Wood Style. Konoha's balance is collapsing faster than I anticipated."
Black Zetsu crossed his arms. "But if the Uchiha grow too strong, it could disrupt your plan. The Infinite Tsukuyomi requires them to remain under control."
"I'm not afraid of the Uchiha gaining the Mangekyō Sharingan," Madara said firmly. "The deeper the power they touch, the colder they become. That means they will not be controlled by Konoha but by us. Power does not change the cold chakra that lies in their hearts, it only amplifies it. The more they gain, the more they desire. It is in the blood of the Uchiha to crave understanding, to seek love, and to destroy everything when that love is denied."
He looked down, his gaze distant yet sharp. "Raiken may have given them strength, but he has also given them a reason to be feared again. Fear breeds suspicion, and suspicion breeds conflict. The seeds of their downfall have already been sown."
White Zetsu scratched his chin. "Still, you've got to admit, it's impressive. That Uzumaki guy figured things out fast. He found a way to adapt your cells safely."
Madara's voice deepened, quiet but filled with weight. "No experiment is ever truly safe. If he believes he has mastered Wood Release, he is mistaken. What they possess is a crude imitation, mere fragments compared to Hashirama's true power."
White Zetsu grinned. "So you're not going to stop Raiken?"
"Stop him?" Madara's tone darkened, amusement flickering in his eyes. "No. Let him think he is helping his people. The more he plays with my gift, the deeper he digs Konoha's grave."
He closed his eyes and leaned back once again. "Soon, the world will remember why fear exists. Konoha has forgotten the meaning of strength. I will remind them."
White Zetsu chuckled. "Heh, poetic as always, Madara-sama. So... what's next?"
Madara's eyes opened once more, glowing faintly red in the darkness. "Next? We watch. We wait. Let the Uchiha grow more powerful. Let Hiruzen grow old. Let Raiken believe he has surpassed danger. When their fragile tower of peace begins to crumble... we will move."
He raised a frail hand toward the statue, its hollow eyes gleaming faintly.
"And when the world lies in despair once more... the Infinite Tsukuyomi will save them."
Author Notes: To read advanced chapter you can go to my patreon.
Chapter 99: Emergency
Chapter 100: Strongest Hokage
Chapter 101: Forced
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