"Lord Madara!" Zetsu looked at the aged Madara before him and spoke respectfully.
"What is it? Cough!" Madara, awakened by Zetsu, coughed twice and asked, "Why wake me up suddenly?"
"That child has reached Kage-level," Zetsu said.
"..."
Madara froze for a moment upon hearing Zetsu's words. "Cough." He slowly stood up and asked, "How long have I been asleep?"
"Less than half a year!"
"...So fast?" Even Madara was shocked. It hadn't even been a year, and he had already grown so strong?
If he remembered correctly, when Zetsu last reported, the boy was still a jonin, albeit exceptionally powerful due to his space-time ninjutsu. And...
There were suspicions that the Daimyo of Uzushiogakure had been cuckolded, because that Uzumaki child also possessed Magnet Release!
Now, he had already...
"Yes, Lord Madara," the White Zetsu on the other side nodded. "He's like a monster!"
"His presence is overwhelming!"
"Wow! Seven years old... no, he must be eight now. To become so strong already, he's definitely future God Of Shinobi-level!" Tobi scratched his bald head in frustration.
"It's unbelievable!"
"Lord Madara, should we kill him?"
"Hahaha!" Madara suddenly burst into laughter. "Kill him? No, there's no need!"
"After Hashirama's death, I never expected such a powerful figure to emerge again. The shinobi world is truly fascinating."
"Why would I kill him?"
"But Lord Madara..." Tobi hesitated before cautiously adding, "You've grown old. You can barely lift your sword anymore."
"Soon, you won't be able to kill him!"
"..."
The entire cave fell into silence.
Zetsu stared at Tobi, wondering if he should use Wood Release to craft a coffin for him...
This guy was really pushing his luck!!
"...Tch."
Madara, who had been laughing heartily, seemed choked by Tobi's words. He glared at Tobi and snapped, "Get lost!"
"Really, Lord Madara, don't deny it. You've gotten old," Tobi continued obliviously. "Look, your hands are shaking. You definitely can't lift your sword anymore."
"I..." Madara raised his hand, pointing at Tobi. For a moment, he wanted to incinerate this spiral-faced idiot with a Great Fireball Technique. But remembering that they were manifestations of his will, he silently reminded himself to stay calm. The peace of the shinobi world still required their cooperation. Don't get angry. He snorted, trembling as he sat back down on his seat. Breathe deeply. Stay calm...
"Lord Madara, what should we do?" Zetsu ignored Tobi's provocations and respectfully asked Madara, "Do we need to..."
"No need," Madara shook his head. "The strong have their own pride!"
"I hope he can bring more excitement to this shinobi world."
"Yes! Lord Madara!" Though Zetsu privately thought it would be better to eliminate the kid while he was still young—who knew if he might surpass Madara one day?—he still nodded in compliance with Madara's orders.
"While I sleep, continue stirring up war in the shinobi world," Madara leaned against the cave wall and closed his eyes. "This world has long been corrupted."
"I will create a better, more peaceful shinobi world."
"Tell Hashirama..."
"His methods don't work!!"
"Yes!" Zetsu nodded, hesitating before adding, "But that child..."
"Hm?" Madara exhaled through his nose, eyes still closed.
"He said if the shinobi world were at peace, it would be easier for us to gather the tailed beasts."
"..." Madara paused, then opened his eyes, narrowing them dangerously. "What do you mean?"
Sensing Madara's overwhelming aura, Zetsu quickly repeated Uzumaki Jun's words. "He said..."
"Hahaha!" Madara laughed disdainfully after listening. "Cough, cough—! How naive."
"This shinobi world is beyond saving. Ever since shinobi came into existence... cough."
"It was doomed."
"Only by destroying everything and starting anew can true peace be brought to this world!"
"He's as foolishly naive as Hashirama! Cough..."
"Trying to secretly gather the tailed beasts? Hmph!"
"A mere rat. I thought another hero had emerged in the shinobi world, but... cough... what a disappointment!"
He, Uchiha Madara, disdained such underhanded methods. Even if he were to find a successor in the future, he would make sure that successor acted under his name, declaring to the world...
That everything was done by Uchiha Madara!!
"Then should we..." Zetsu watched Madara, who was clutching his chest while laughing, and asked.
"No matter!" Madara waved his hand, catching his breath before calmly saying, "You probably can't kill him now anyway."
"..."
Ah—right!
Zetsu nodded. Though Madara's words were harsh...
They were the truth!!
As intelligence gatherers, it was best not to act recklessly.
Mother hadn't been rescued yet. Their top priority was ensuring their own safety!!
"Ignore him. If he doesn't interfere with our mission, leave him be," Madara said indifferently. "A seven-year-old prodigy... I hope he won't disappoint me when the time comes."
His pupils shifted, transforming into a mysterious pattern of concentric purple rings—
The Rinnegan!
"Leave," Madara closed his eyes again, exhausted. Age made even activating his eyes difficult. "Remember our mission. I hope this shinobi world can still provide some entertainment after Hashirama's passing."
"Yes!!" Zetsu nodded and slowly sank into the ground to continue his mission.
"I told you, Lord Madara is old," Tobi sighed as he watched Zetsu leave. "An old man refusing to admit his age. See? Just talking tired him out."
However...
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!!"
...
The White Zetsu heard the explosion behind them and shook his head. "Huh? What happened?"
Why did an explosion occur right after they left?
"Great Fireball Technique," the Black Zetsu said flatly. "What do we do now?"
Probably Tobi being an idiot again.
"..." The White Zetsu thought for a moment before sighing. "Let's go to Konoha first."
"And..."
"Complete that kid's task."
"Oh, right. You still have to help him with afforestation in Uzushiogakure," the Black Zetsu remembered and nodded.
"No problem. I'll just send a clone over. That damn brat..."
...
Uzushiogakure...
"Has anything happened recently?" Uzumaki Jun asked the Uzu-nin beside him, hands clasped behind his back. "If you notice anything unusual, report it immediately!"
With spies still lurking in Uzushiogakure, any troublemakers now would be troublesome.
"Everything remains stable," Uzumaki Hibiki flipped through his notes and replied. "Morale is high among everyone."
"They're all actively participating in Uzushiogakure's reconstruction."
"Good," Uzumaki Jun nodded. It seemed his previous speech hadn't been in vain.
After returning to Uzushiogakure, Uzumaki Hibiki resumed his role as Jun's secretary...
Sigh—having a male secretary instead of a beautiful woman was truly regrettable!!
As for Kai, he had been assigned with Komaki to train new shinobi. After all, Uzushiogakure currently only had one top-tier fighter—
Him.
Uzumaki Jun!!
But compared to the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the number of shinobi in Uzushiogakure was still pitifully small...
"I'll draft the military code of conduct later."
However, the mobility of shinobi in this world was too high. Unless it was a large-scale war, conventional military tactics might not be very effective...
For now, they could only focus on detailed divisions—a navy and land force were essential, along with specialized squads for smaller operations.
No matter what, they had to instill a new sense of military discipline—
A spirit of protecting the nation and its people!!
Walking along the newly built commercial street of Uzushiogakure, Jun observed the still somewhat desolate shops. Not many merchants had settled in Uzushiogakure yet...
"What a headache..."