"How many patients are in Konoha Hospital?"
Senju Tobirama tapped on the table, whether intentionally or not.
"There are still dozens of seriously ill patients…" his assistant replied.
The assistant, who had been observing Shihara Emiya's medical work, could not hide his admiration. "With Lord Emiya's skills, these patients will soon be free of their suffering."
Tobirama narrowed his eyes, speaking to himself. "If the hospital is empty, someone like him cannot stay in Konoha forever. He will likely wander, curing illnesses and saving lives, just as in the old times…"
"And…" he continued, voice low, "…he must also want to witness this era firsthand."
The sound of Tobirama's fingers tapping on the table punctuated his thoughts. Considering the ninja world and Konoha's troubles, he reflected: "If he leaves Konoha…"
"Lord Tobirama means…" the assistant hesitated.
Tobirama waved him off. "Konoha would never imprison Lord Emiya. My concern is only for his safety. Not everyone in the ninja world respects him as much as our village does."
For instance… Uchiha Madara.
Tobirama rested his chin on his palm, eyes glinting dangerously. He contemplated a plan to fully utilize Emiya Shihara.
"Tomorrow morning," he commanded, "have Hiruzen and the others gather at the training ground. I will begin special training and select suitable candidates for a critical mission. Gather the ANBU as well—I will select the best among them."
He considered his plans cautiously, aware that even a minor mistake could jeopardize them. "I must also meet with my brother soon…"
If nothing went wrong, once Emiya Shihara left Konoha, Uchiha Madara would surely act. Tobirama understood Madara's mindset: he would attempt to use Emiya's skills to restore the eyes he had lost—the eyes of his deceased brother, Uchiha Izuna.
Tobirama's thoughts were precise. "Those eyes bear the legacy of Uchiha Izuna. The clan's power rests on the Sharingan. It is only natural that Madara would seek to restore them. Once Emiya leaves, it will be his best opportunity… and ours to strike again."
And indeed, Tobirama's assumptions were mostly correct.
Yet Madara's intentions were not entirely as expected. He did not aim to heal his blindness with Emiya's skills. Instead, he sought to learn secrets from this legendary medical ninja.
In the Land of Fire, at an Uchiha stronghold known only to him, Madara rested. Lacking a medical expert, he had attempted a crude transplant of Hashirama's flesh and blood, hoping to acquire the Senju's power.
Against the odds, the transplant succeeded. Hashirama's cells rapidly integrated with Madara's body, controlled by his chakra.
"Success…" he murmured, eyes closed in satisfaction. He felt the surge of chakra and regeneration. His body healed wounds at an unprecedented speed, and a vine sprouted from his arm—a manifestation of Hashirama's Wood Style Kekkei Genkai.
A strange mark formed on his chest, resembling Hashirama's visage—a permanent reminder of the price he had paid.
"But…" Madara frowned. "It's far from enough."
According to Uchiha clan inscriptions, the union of positive and negative forces should yield the power of the universe. Despite his enhanced strength, the cost—losing an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Izuna's eye—felt disproportionate.
Madara pondered deeply. "The power of the universe… what does it truly mean?"
He noted that while his Mangekyō Sharingan consumed less chakra, it was not a qualitative change. The stone tablet of his clan still held messages he had yet to decode. If interpreted correctly, the tablet hinted that the universe's power could save the world.
"This may not be urgent now," Madara thought, recalling the medical ninja and the man who had feigned death. A small smile crept across his face. "Perhaps Emiya Shihara knows something."
Determined, he grabbed a short sword. "I will lurk near Konoha and find an opportunity to meet him. That man knows how to unlock the power of all things—perhaps I can gain even greater knowledge."
Beneath the stronghold, Black Zetsu moved silently. Unlike Madara's confidence, Zetsu's thoughts were complicated. Madara's expected rapid awakening of the Rinnegan had not occurred.
"I must meet Wei Yuan," Zetsu thought. "Only he can help Madara awaken the Samsara Eye. But first, we must teach Wei Yuan deception…"
Zetsu's plans were tangled. "Madara is too unpredictable. He has seen the stone tablet left by the Sage of Six Paths. We must ensure he does not learn of the deception directly from Wei Yuan…"
A headache of strategy weighed on Zetsu's mind. How could Wei Yuan be trained to lie effectively? How could he understand that sometimes concealing the truth is not a betrayal?
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