Madara Uchiha

Night fell. A white-haired old man stood atop a small hill, gazing at the lights of Uzushio Hidden Village in the distance.

"Hashirama, this is the world you created. As expected, it is wrong!"

The old man sighed. Back then, he had known that the ninja village system was flawed, and now it had all been proven true, tragedy after tragedy unfolding.

Even the Uzumaki clan, which had once stood alongside the Uchiha and Senju Clan, was about to be exterminated, and Konoha was even involved in it.

And this was not the end. More tragedies would occur in the future, without end.

That was right—the old man was Madara Uchiha. Though he had remained hidden in the shadows all these years, he had continued to watch the Ninja World. Such a major event in the Land of Whirlpools naturally warranted a visit.

Back then, he had ostensibly lost to Hashirama, but in truth, he had lost to the husband-and-wife pair of Hashirama and Mito. Both the Sealing Scroll Hashirama had used and the formula for sealing the Nine-Tails had come from Mito.

The Uzumaki clan's Sealing Technique was indeed formidable!

"How exactly can I obtain the Power of All Creation?"

Lowering his gaze to his withered palm, Madara Uchiha could not help but feel lost.

According to the records on the stone tablet, two opposing forces united as one would give birth to the Power of All Creation. Yet although he had mastered Wood Release after transplanting Hashirama Cells, the powers had not fused, nor had he gained that Power of All Creation.

Instead, the struggle against Hashirama Cells within his body had rapidly drained his vitality and accelerated his aging.

He could feel that he did not have much time left. At most, he could hold on for another year. If he could not give birth to that Power of All Creation within a year, he would have to go see Hashirama.

"What must I do?"

Madara Uchiha was deeply confused, unable to figure out how to fuse the two powers and obtain the Power of All Creation.

It was not only Madara Uchiha who was confused. Black Zetsu, hidden in the shadows, was equally bewildered.

"Why hasn't he awakened the Rinnegan yet? Could it be that Madara Uchiha lacks that aptitude as well?"

Black Zetsu watched Madara Uchiha in the distance, at a loss over the awakening of the Rinnegan.

In this world, Mother had been the first to obtain the Rinnegan, but she had acquired it through the God Tree Fruit.

Hagoromo had been the second to obtain the Rinnegan, but he had inherited it from Mother. Creating a third pair of Rinnegan was far too difficult, mainly because there was no reliable precedent.

Mother's case offered no basis for reference. He could only use Hagoromo's Rinnegan as a slight reference.

He could only place his hopes on the Uchiha. For thousands of years, he had continuously guided and experimented upon them, and Madara Uchiha was the experimental subject who had come closest.

Yet even so, he was still far inferior to Hagoromo of old.

"Could it be because he lacks Uzumaki Chakra?"

Turning his gaze toward Uzushio Hidden Village in the distance, Black Zetsu considered the possibility.

Although Hagoromo had only had two sons, they had merely inherited the Sage Eyes and Sage Body respectively. His Chakra itself had been passed down separately, forming the present-day Uzumaki clan.

To some extent, the Uzumaki clan was even more compatible with the God Tree. Their Adamantine Sealing Chains, capable of binding Tailed Beasts, originated from the Ten-Tails.

Moreover, Hagoromo's greatest strength had been Sealing Technique. Strictly speaking, the Uzumaki clan were the most orthodox inheritors of the Ninshu Sect.

Their Chakra was highly unusual. Calling it Sage Chakra would not be an exaggeration. Perhaps adding the Uzumaki clan's Chakra was necessary to awaken the Rinnegan.

"I can collect their Chakra through this war."

Having made up his mind, Black Zetsu decided to use this war to collect the Chakra of the dead Uzumaki clansmen. Afterward, he would find a way to let Madara Uchiha acquire it. Perhaps that could further stimulate those eyes and evolve them into the Rinnegan, allowing the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan to begin.

"They've taken the initiative?"

Black Zetsu suddenly sensed something and looked once more toward Uzushio Hidden Village. He sensed several individuals with immense Chakra leaving the village and heading for the Kirigakure Ninja Army's encampment.

Though surprised, Black Zetsu did not dwell on it. He merged into the earth and swiftly infiltrated the area, preparing to collect corpses from the shadows.

At the same time, Kumogakure also launched its assault on the Kirigakure Ninja Army's encampment after nightfall as agreed. Over a thousand elite Cloud ninja marched at top speed without regard for Chakra consumption, crossing dozens of li in no time and arriving at the Kirigakure Ninja Army's camp.

Kirigakure Ninja Army sensory ninja naturally detected the arrival of both sides, and they were greatly puzzled, especially by Kumogakure's appearance.

Hozuki Jagetsu, commander of the ninja army, looked in the direction of the Cloud Ninja Army, unable to determine whether Kumogakure had come for the Uzushio Hidden Village experts who had taken the initiative, or for the Kirigakure Ninja Army.

Or whether they had come with hostile intentions or goodwill.

"Immediately notify the Sand Ninja Army and Iwagakure Ninja Army. Tell them Kumogakure has joined forces with Uzushio Hidden Village and have them come reinforce us at once. We'll join hands and wipe out the Cloud ninja."

Making a swift decision, Hozuki Jagetsu ordered someone to immediately request aid from the Sand Ninja Army and Iwagakure Ninja Army.

No matter what Kumogakure intended, Kirigakure would not face this battle alone.

After all, they might soon face a joint assault from the Cloud Ninja Army and Uzushio Hidden Village, which would put them at a severe disadvantage.

That was the worst-case scenario, but he was not afraid. Though the two sides together were powerful, it would be impossible for them to wipe out Kirigakure.

At worst, they could retreat into the sea. That was their true home ground.

However, that very confidence cost them their final chance to retreat and survive. The Uzumaki clan had never intended to let them escape.

The four Uzumaki Family elders who arrived first positioned themselves in the four directions. Releasing their Chakra, they joined forces to construct a crimson barrier that enclosed the entire Kirigakure Ninja Army.

It was the Four Red Yang Formation, the ultimate barrier that required four Kage-level Experts to cast together, with both offensive and defensive capabilities.

Those four Old Guys might not have excelled at much else, but they certainly had Chakra to spare.

Uzumaki Ashina did not remain idle either. Once the Four Red Yang Formation took shape, he refined an enormous amount of Chakra and poured it into the Bashosen. With a swing of the fan, he unleashed a sea of flames that first engulfed the area occupied by the Yuki Clan ninja.

"What kind of Fire Style ninjutsu is this?"

"How could there be a Fire Style technique with such a vast range?"

"How is this possible?"

The Kirigakure Ninja Army was stunned by the eruption of that sea of flames. The Yuki ninjas caught within its range were especially terrified.

The sea of flames covered too wide an area, and its temperature was far too high. They simply could not use Ice Release, and even Water Style was extremely difficult to perform.

Moreover, even if they used Water Style, it would only be scorched and evaporated into high-temperature steam, which was equally devastating to them.

This was not the end. After Uzumaki Ashina unleashed all his Chakra, he handed the Bashosen to an elderly clansman. The old man had likewise refined an enormous amount of Chakra beforehand and poured it into the fan. With a fierce swing, he made the sea of flames even larger and denser.

Afterward, several others took turns wielding the Bashosen, fanning out powerful Fire Style and Wind Style techniques. The two enhanced each other, causing the scale and temperature of the flaming sea to soar without end.

"This is probably no weaker than the Great Fire Annihilation used by Reanimated Madara!"

Tamura Hiroshi, who had arrived outside the Four Red Yang Formation with the group, could not help but marvel at the sea of flames within. The immense Chakra of the Uzumaki clan combined with the Bashosen was simply too powerful.

Every swing was no weaker than Madara Uchiha's Great Fire Annihilation. After ten consecutive swings, even a Kage-level Expert would be unable to withstand it.

Not to mention the Wind Style reinforcement, which further amplified the Fire Style's power.

It was outrageously extravagant—and utterly lethal.

And this still was not the end.

The Uzumaki Ninja swung the Bashosen again, but this time, what it unleashed was not a sea of flames, but countless bolts of lightning.

Most Kirigakure ninjas specialized in Water Style ninjutsu, and Lightning Style and Fire Style countered them most severely. The Hozuki Clan, in particular, was completely suppressed by Lightning Style.

The Kaguya Clan fared no better. This wave of attacks left them with devastating casualties.

Just then, a streak of lightning suddenly descended from the sky and landed at the very front of the Cloud Ninja Army. As the electric light faded, it revealed a burly figure.