Uchiha Madara.
An uninvited guest had arrived.
Emiya Shihara knew some things about Madara, but he couldn't show this knowledge in front of Black Zetsu. He looked at Black Zetsu with subtle surprise, silently hoping the puppet could provide some insight into the intentions of this dangerous intruder.
"Black Zetsu… do you know him?"
Black Zetsu paused, caught off guard. After all, Madara was the newest pawn in his plan to resurrect Kaguya—a carefully prepared trap. Yet now, faced with Emiya Shihara, Zetsu had planned to discard him immediately.
"I know him," Black Zetsu finally replied, though he could not reveal the full truth. Time was short.
"Emiya," Zetsu said urgently, "when you gained the power of the Six Paths… are the Rinnegan you transplanted still in this world?"
The Rinnegan—the key to Zetsu's resurrection plan.
"Those Rinnegan…" Emiya Shihara rubbed his brow, as if struggling with a particularly troublesome memory. "The slug destroyed them. I removed my Rinnegan after returning to the Wet Bone Forest to prevent anyone from using them to harm the ninja world. I transplanted my own eyes instead."
Black Zetsu remained silent. The Six Paths Sage's eyes were gone, just as he had feared, but he had to act quickly.
"Forget it. It doesn't matter," he said, trying to reassure both himself and Emiya. "Though the Samsara Eye's birth is troublesome, it is not unsolvable. And the person who arrived… they are the one who can truly awaken it."
Zetsu sensed Madara's approach, his presence growing closer, yet hidden. He left Emiya with one urgent warning: "Do not reveal our secrets, and do not harm him. Observe carefully first."
Emiya's eyes twitched. This was a challenge. Being inherently honest and straightforward, he could not lie recklessly to Madara without raising suspicion—yet hiding the truth could compromise Zetsu's trust. Any misstep could endanger both parties.
Madara, of course, was no ordinary opponent. Emiya Shihara's power, restricted by his Impure World Reincarnation body and under Zetsu's supervision, could not be fully utilized. His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Samsaragan powers remained inaccessible. If Madara sought trouble, Emiya would be at a disadvantage.
And it seemed likely he did.
---
A window quietly slid open.
Emiya instinctively turned—and found a scarlet eye staring at him.
The crimson Sharingan, like a full moon, reflected three jet-black magatama in a sinister pattern.
"Hmph… addicted to illusions of the Sharingan," Madara sneered, standing confidently by the window. Fingers together, he unleashed a genjutsu, attempting to control Emiya.
It was a simple, effective, and safe method for Madara. He did not wish for noise or resistance—he sought to abduct Emiya quietly. His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan gave him the power to easily dominate even tailed beasts, assuming only one eye remained to cast Izanagi.
"Except Hashirama," Madara thought, confident that no one else could resist him.
Emiya fell into the illusion—but only momentarily.
The battle of illusions hinges on mental strength. As Madara's will pressed into Emiya's mind, intending to mark it for control, Emiya sensed an anomaly.
Something… unexpected… appeared: a calf.
---
Normally, the Uchiha would manifest as a godlike figure within the opponent's mind, overwhelming their spiritual energy. But here, Emiya's mental presence was unlike any Madara had encountered. A towering figure, many times Madara's spiritual height, emanated immense energy.
"What…?!" Madara's Sharingan widened in shock.
A thunderous voice echoed through the spiritual realm—Emiya's palm descended from the void, pressing onto Madara's spiritual shoulder, shattering his control.
"How… is this possible?" Madara groaned, clutching his head.
Only Hashirama had previously been able to resist his illusions. Yet now, this unknown figure had done it effortlessly.
Before he could react further, Emiya appeared in person. A black curse seal manifested on his fingertips, striking at Madara's arm.
"Curse seal?!" Madara dodged—but too late. His chakra was nearly depleted.
The seal took hold, infused with natural energy, a force unfamiliar to him. Madara's mind raced. Who is this man? Where did Senju Tobirama find such a doctor?
The answer was clear—Emiya Shihara was no ordinary medic.
---
Madara's previous plans had relied on stealth and his Sharingan's dominance. But now, forced into open confrontation, his chakra-depleted body could barely maintain a third-stage Susanoo. Any further struggle could reveal his faked death and alert Konoha to his presence.
The worst-case scenario was unfolding. He had underestimated Emiya, and his stealthy abduction had failed.
Grimacing, Madara summoned every ounce of his remaining power. Only Susanoo could break the cursed seal.
Boom!
A towering blue Susanoo erupted, roaring thunderously. Though incomplete, lacking full armor and partially humanoid in form, its presence alone shook Konoha.
From every corner of the village, ninja gazed skyward.
"Is that… Madara's Susanoo?"
The entire village felt the tension ripple through its streets. Konoha seethed, alive with alarm, as the legendary power of Uchiha Madara revealed itself once more.
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