Chapter 214: Tremors, A Mother's Decision
Despite the roughhousing, Genichi got his wish and was treated to the sight of Tsunade with her hair in a high ponytail. It was a different, captivating look. After having her way with him, however, she unceremoniously kicked him out of bed. Ina is definitely the gentle one, he thought with a sigh. He returned home and slipped into Ina's bed, where she held him as he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, after breakfast, Genichi first went to his study to jot down the inspirations he'd had the night before regarding the Wood Release Kekkei Mōra, then proceeded to his meditation room for his daily Sage transformation training.
Around that same time, a frantic Kabuto rushed into the Hidden Leaf Village.
Hokage's Office
Having finally mastered Wood Release, Tsunade had allowed herself a brief moment of respite, but now she was finally back to tackling the mountain of paperwork that came with being Hokage.
Suddenly, an Anbu operative rose from the floor, kneeling before her. "Lady Hokage, a man named Kabuto, claiming to be an assistant to Lord Orochimaru, is requesting an audience. He says he has information vital to the survival of Konoha."
Tsunade looked up, confused. "Kabuto?"
"He's the young man who came with Lord Orochimaru last time," Shizune reminded her from the adjacent desk.
The memory clicked, and a knot of dread formed in Tsunade's stomach. "Send him in immediately!" she ordered.
A few minutes later, Kabuto entered the office. "Lady Hokage."
Tsunade got straight to the point. "You said you have urgent news. Is it about Orochimaru?"
Kabuto bowed his head slightly, his voice grave. "Yes, Lady Hokage. I regret to be the bearer of this news, but… Lord Orochimaru is dead."
Tsunade shot to her feet, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What did you say? That bastard Orochimaru… is dead?"
"But Lord Orochimaru is one of the Sannin," Shizune gasped. "There can't be many people in the world strong enough to kill him."
The sheer force of Tsunade's presence made Kabuto take an involuntary step back. "It's true," he stammered, swallowing hard. "The one who killed him was Uchiha Tekka, wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Impossible!" Tsunade slammed her hand on the desk, though it remained intact. "Uchiha Tekka is dead! Not even Izanagi could have fooled Genichi!"
"Lord Orochimaru… resurrected him himself," Kabuto said, shrinking back.
Tsunade's pupils contracted. "That idiot…" she seethed through clenched teeth. "Was it that forbidden jutsu? Impure World Reincarnation?"
Kabuto nodded. "Yes, Lady Hokage."
CRASH!
Tsunade's rage finally boiled over, and she shattered her desk with a single punch. In an instant, the office was filled with Anbu operatives.
"Stand down!" she roared, and they vanished as quickly as they had appeared. A moment later, Minato Namikaze flickered into the room.
"Lady Hokage, what happened?" he asked, taking in the scene.
Tsunade took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Minato, go and inform the Third. And find a way to get Jiraiya back to the village. Tell him Orochimaru is dead."
Minato's face became grim. "Understood." He disappeared in a yellow flash.
"Shizune, go get Genichi," Tsunade ordered.
Once they were alone, she fixed her cold gaze on Kabuto. "Tekka was strong, but knowing Orochimaru, he should have been able to escape. Who else did he resurrect?"
"Madara Uchiha," Kabuto said, his voice barely a whisper. "And he… he has the Rinnegan."
The name Madara was a shock, but the real bombshell was the Rinnegan. How could Madara have the Rinnegan?
"Lord Orochimaru discovered Madara's body," Kabuto explained, his words tumbling out. "His research led him to theorize that the Rinnegan could be awakened by combining the cells of the First Hokage with a Mangekyō Sharingan. He believed that was Madara's true goal at the Valley of the End. And… our theory was correct. Which means there's another possibility: Nagato's Rinnegan originally belonged to Madara Uchiha."
The revelation struck Tsunade with the force of a physical blow.
"What's wrong, Shizune?" Genichi asked, seeing her panicked expression.
"It's Orochimaru," she said, catching her breath. "He's dead. He used the Impure World Reincarnation to bring back Uchiha Tekka, and he was killed."
Genichi sighed. "He finally reaped what he sowed." He wasn't surprised. In a way, he had even helped push Orochimaru down this self-destructive path. But Black Zetsu must have had a hand in this, he thought. Tekka alone couldn't have killed Orochimaru. So, Madara was resurrected as well.
"Let's go," he said, taking Shizune's hand and teleporting them to the Hokage Tower.
In the small meeting room, Tsunade, Hiruzen, Minato, and Genichi took their seats. Tsunade grimly relayed the news.
"That fool, Orochimaru…" Hiruzen muttered, his face pale.
The revelation that Madara possessed the Rinnegan, and the theory of its origin, sent another shockwave through the room.
"The Rinnegan is an evolution of the Sharingan, brought about by the fusion of its power with my grandfather's Yang Release," Tsunade explained. "It's highly likely that Nagato's eyes were originally Madara's."
She turned to Genichi. "Genichi, you're the only one here who has fought Madara. How strong will he be in his reanimated state?"
"The reanimation is never as strong as the original at their peak," Genichi stated calmly. "However, given Orochimaru's expertise with Hashirama's cells and the quality of the sacrifice he must have used, this version of Madara will be very close to his prime. Nagato's use of the Rinnegan was likely limited, as it wasn't his own. But even in his reanimated state, Madara will be a formidable opponent."
"If Madara is revived with the Rinnegan Outer Path…" Tsunade began, but Genichi cut her off.
"Nagato will not revive him," he said, his calm voice a soothing balm. "Not now that this information is out. He won't trust Madara."
"Could we perhaps reason with Nagato?" Hiruzen suggested. "He was Jiraiya's student."
"We can try, but don't hold your breath," Genichi replied. "His goal is to use the Ten-Tails to enforce peace upon the world. He won't be easily swayed."
"Then we must prepare for war," Hiruzen said, his voice heavy.
"I've already summoned Shikaku, Sakumo, Fugaku, and Hiashi," Tsunade said. "We're formulating a plan. Genichi, do you have any suggestions?"
"Their primary target will be me, for the Nine-Tails," Genichi said. "They will likely use the village as leverage. Only a handful of us will be able to participate in a battle of that scale."
"Then we'll form elite Jonin squads," Tsunade declared. "All others will be evacuated. We'll set up a sensory network to monitor the Land of Rain and give us an early warning."
"There's also the matter of the Impure World Reincarnation itself," Genichi added. "According to Kabuto, Madara has broken Orochimaru's contract, meaning he is now a self-sustaining reanimation. The only way to defeat him is with sealing jutsu."
"Then we'll form a sealing corps," Tsunade said. "Ina will lead it."
"Standard sealing jutsu won't be enough," Genichi countered. "Leave that to me." He then offered a reassuring smile. "But don't worry too much. Even if Madara is resurrected, he's not necessarily my match. And Konoha has its own trump cards."
"You mean… the First Hokage?" Hiruzen asked, his eyes widening.
Genichi nodded, looking at Tsunade. "If worst comes to worst, I can use a White Zetsu as a sacrifice to reanimate the First and Second Hokage. No one is destroying this village on my watch."
Tsunade hesitated for only a moment before her resolve hardened. "Then… prepare to bring back my grandfather and great-uncle."
After the meeting, Genichi followed Tsunade to her office. "Don't worry," he said softly, revealing his Mangekyō Mirror Eye. Its pattern had evolved, becoming more intricate and beautiful. "It has evolved. Like the Mangekyō Sharingan, it grants me a unique dōjutsu in each eye. I've been training for this. I will protect you."
His words, and the sight of his newfound power, finally seemed to soothe Tsunade's frayed nerves.
The news of Madara's return sent tremors through Konoha's leadership. Fugaku Uchiha, in particular, felt the weight of his ancestor's legacy settle upon him like a shroud. The village mobilized with grim efficiency, and dispatches were sent to the other Great Nations. Jiraiya returned, his heart heavy with the news of his old friend's death and the looming threat.
In the Hidden Sand Village, Kakashi delivered Tsunade's letter to Pakura. The news was met with chaos in the Suna council. The reanimation of their own Fourth Kazekage and his swift defeat at Madara's hands was a particularly bitter pill to swallow. They were torn. To entrust their jinchuriki to Konoha felt like a surrender of their power, but to face Madara alone was suicide.
Then, a clear voice cut through the noise. It was Karura, Rasa's widow and Gaara's mother.
"Lady Kazekage," she said, her voice trembling but firm, "I will take Gaara to Konoha myself."
The room fell silent.
Before anyone could object, Pakura gave a single, decisive nod. "So be it. If we cannot guarantee Gaara's safety here, then we will entrust him to our allies."
"But what if even Konoha cannot stop Madara?" an elder protested.
"Then we certainly cannot," Pakura retorted coldly. "And all the Tailed Beasts will fall into his hands." She turned to Karura. "I will ask Lord Genichi of Konoha to personally oversee Gaara's training and protection."
The name hung in the air. Karura's expression was complex—this was the man who had killed her husband. But for her son, she would do anything. "Thank you, Lady Kazekage," she said, bowing her head. In this new, terrifying world, she knew that Kinoshita Genichi was likely the only one who could keep her son safe.
As Kakashi's team began their journey back to Konoha with Suna's reply, the news of Madara Uchiha's return was already spreading like wildfire across the shinobi world.
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