Uchiha Madara felt a sense of urgency from the bottom of his heart.
Since the day he met Kazuki, he had witnessed his explosive growth in strength. Now, this young man had reached the point where taking out a Kage-level shinobi single-handedly was something he accomplished with ease.
What's more terrifying is that Kazuki is still in the period of explosive growth.
But what about Uchiha Madara?
At his age, even if he takes good care of his body, he will not be able to avoid the deterioration that time brings with it.
How could he appear before Kazuki like this?
A charismatic young man, full of vigor, who mastered almost all of his opponents' ninjutsu, faced with an old man weakened by the years. Would they sit down to talk on equal terms?
Madara can't accept it. As a former Shura of the Shinobi World, his pride prevented him from presenting himself to Kazuki in an inferior position. No, he had to do so as a superior, someone worthy of respect.
However, for someone like Kazuki, only the Rinnegan could accomplish it.
At this moment, Nagato, as the vessel to nurture the Rinnegan, has begun to lose more and more meaning.
With Kazuki on the scene, what need was there for Nagato?
"The Rinnegan... I have to get it back. To make sure everything goes as planned, I'll need an ally..."
Madara slowly made a seal and contacted Black Zetsu...
"Black Zetsu, it is time for Uchiha Obito to lose all traces of love. Only then will he gain enough strength. From now on, all White Zetsu will be under your command. Handle this matter carefully and do not disappoint me. It is the most important task."
After finishing the conversation, Madara began searching for some ninjutsu or tool that could, at least temporarily, give him back some of his youth or at least make him look a little more dignified.
...
Tobirama raised his eyebrows and questioned Kazuki: "You brat! Why the hell did you make the Steaming Danger Tyranny look like me?"
He couldn't hold it in any longer.
He had been known as a handsome and cold man. But that technique had turned him into a chubby, cartoonish version of himself, who also jumped around in ridiculous ways. The shame he felt was incomparable.
He even went so far as to wonder how Gengetsu had endured the humiliation of creating this technique in the first place.
Especially when Chibi Tobirama exploded, it not only produced steam, but also sprayed out a special sealing ink, causing Tobirama's mouth to twitch wildly.
Although this technique has impressive power, but the comic effect is too...
He couldn't help but imagine how that bastard Izuna would have reacted if, in the middle of a fight, Tobirama had summoned that chubby version of himself to explode in front of him.
"Hey, how can you say that, Tobirama?" Kazuki waved his hand innocently, tilted his head and said: "Don't you think that doll is cute?"
Then he added with a wicked smile. "I've even thought that if we manage to bring peace to Kirigakure... it could become its official mascot."
"The puppet is plump, adorable, and hides incredible power! Isn't it the perfect representation of the will of fire?" he continued, pointing excitedly. "And look, it also looks like you as the Second Hokage. It's ideal!"
Tobirama's mouth twisted again, could this also be related to the will of fire?
Before, Tobirama thought that Kazuki's will of fire was not flexible enough, but now he found that it seemed to be too flexible!
"Kazuki, what do you plan to do with the Kirigakure shinobi?" Tobirama asked, changing the subject with a sigh and assuming a more serious tone. "This could be a great opportunity."
"You killed the Third Mizukage using the Second Mizukage's techniques, and at the same time, some Kirigakure shinobi joined you. Not to mention, you also have the iconic Boil Release, Lava Release, and the Shikotsumyaku..."
Tobirama paused before continuing firmly. "This is the perfect time to seize the momentum, wipe out those who still resist you, and turn this village into your base."
Tobirama looked at Kazuki expectantly, his tone laden with subtle persuasion.
Kazuki wanted to laugh when he heard Tobirama. But he still looked at him hesitantly and, after a long silence, nodded. "You're right, Tobirama."
"Since the war has reached this point, there is no turning back."
"Kirigakure is a place full of divisions, with disunited clans and unstable hearts. Unlike Iwagakure, which has a clear ideology, or Kumogakure, which is completely united, Kirigakure, with its Blood Mist is like a pile of scattered sand... It is the perfect place to plant and grow the will of fire."
Tobirama nodded in satisfaction and emphasized several key points with Kazuki.
First, he needed to eliminate the surviving elders of Kirigakure. Do it discreetly, pretending that they died in the war. This will prevent them from acting hypocritically and hindering his plans.
Tobirama particularly stressed the importance of eliminating Elder Genji, warning that the man would be a great threat if left alive.
Kazuki began to give orders. "Kisame, Jinzaburo, Mei, Zabuza, you are responsible for checking the prisoners and talking to them..."
At the same time, Kazuki channeled his chakra to give instructions to the aerial troops. "Take back the Tobirama Fortress and await further orders. The battle is over, and everyone did an excellent job."
"Kazuki-sama, what is the next step?" Hizashi asked, smiling as he watched Kisame, and the others happily chat with the Kirigakure shinobi.
Perhaps, Kazuki-sama will try to be the Mizukage before becoming the Hokage...
"First we must treat the wounded. Then, we will conquer Kirigakure." Kazuki smiled. "I think this village has a special destiny with me. It also seems to be perfectly aligned with the Will of Fire. Don't you think so, Hizashi?"
Hizashi smiled. "You are right…"
While the Kirigakure battlefield was reaching its final conclusion, on other battlefields the clashes were barely entering the initial testing stages.
Elsewhere, Black Zetsu, having received Madara's orders, frowned deeply and let out a long sigh, feeling a slight pang of resentment for his hard work.
It was always the same…
Every time Madara slapped his thigh in excitement after coming up with some 'brilliant' plan, Black Zetsu had to take charge of executing it, and not just in any way, but with impeccable precision.
"Rin, are you okay?" Obito asked, immediately noticing Black Zetsu's strangeness.
"It's nothing, I just… feel a little nervous about it being my first time on the battlefield." Black Zetsu shook his head, but deep down he was feeling really irritated.
Inside his mind, Black Zetsu cursed Madara with repressed fury.
'What's the rush? Weren't you the one who said you could convince Uchiha Kazuki? And now it turns out that everything is urgent!'
'You've been locked up in that cave for years, and your ideas are rotten. Stay at home waiting for news, why do you come now to give me your annoying orders?'
Black Zetsu took a deep breath and suppressed his anger.
If it weren't for the fact that Madara is the best vessel for the Eye of the Moon Plan and the most suitable to revive his mother... Black Zetsu would have abandoned him long ago!
But the reality was that there was no one else in the entire shinobi world who could compete with Madara as the perfect vessel. There were no alternatives.
Sighing in resignation, Black Zetsu could only continue serving with apparent obedience, while silently complaining.
'Madara always has mediocre and obvious plans, but he executes them with such confidence… Without me cleaning up his messes, he'd be sleeping in the Pure Land already!'
After venting his thoughts, Black Zetsu focused on Madara's recent movements. "He wants to corrupt Obito quickly… He also mentioned retrieving the Rinnegan. I assume he's noticed how quickly Uchiha Kazuki's power is growing and is afraid he won't be able to control him. Is this a contingency plan?"
Thinking of Kazuki's performance, Black Zetsu's mood was a bit complicated.
Due to the barrier and confidentiality measures, the flying units of the Root could not even be infiltrated by White Zetsu, which was a secret among secrets.
After appearing in the battlefield of Kirigakure, not only was Uchiha Madara shocked, but even Black Zetsu, who had been in the shinobi world for a thousand years, was touched...
This type of war had a scent of revolution that could not be ignored.
An Uchiha like Kazuki, with such innovative ideas, strategic thinking, and impressive execution ability, couldn't be someone without character or ideology. To Black Zetsu, it was clear that Kazuki wouldn't be the type to simply listen to the Eye of the Moon Plan and follow it without question.
Furthermore, Kazuki's power had already far surpassed that of an Uchiha with a common Mangekyo Sharingan.
Black Zetsu, on more than one occasion, had thought about how he could corrupt Kazuki, leading him towards darkness.
But after much thought, he came to a conclusion: Kazuki's multiple layers of skills put him in an extremely safe position. As long as he didn't want to look for trouble, virtually no one could harm him.
There was no angle to catch or manipulate it.
In this sense, Madara's concerns were not entirely unfounded.
But Black Zetsu was very upset. It was definitely not an easy task to blacken Uchiha Obito.
If it was Madara's plan, the process would have to start by setting up an ambush in which Obito would end up seriously injured and cornered. Then, rescue him and send him to Madara to begin the indoctrination and the first steps towards his transformation.
During that period, his body would be modified. White Zetsu cells would be used to increase his strength, along with a seal on his heart that would guarantee his absolute control.
Later, the crucial moment would come showing Obito the tragic death of Uchiha Rin. That extreme trauma would trigger a drastic emotional change that would allow him to open the Mangekyo, this would also facilitate the brainwashing and complete acceptance of the Eye of the Moon Plan.
If it was an ordinary shinobi war, then Black Zetsu might be better able to find a similar opportunity.
But the reality was very different: Konoha was facing four large villages simultaneously. On the front against Iwagakure, Black Zetsu was faced with two perfect Jinchuriki, the experienced Onoki with his Dust Release, and an army of twenty thousand well-trained shinobi.
With only a fifth of that force, Konoha was bearing the weight of a village that had been preparing for war for twenty years. The pressure was enormous.
In this case, even Black Zetsu cannot guarantee the smooth progress of the script.
If there is some mistake, Uchiha Obito may really die in the hands of the Iwagakure shinobi.
War was merciless, especially for those fighting from a position of disadvantage.
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