Seeing that Nagato had fully submitted, Uchiha Yoru gave a slight nod. His gaze was deep as an abyss, as if he were already plotting the next grand game.
Nearby, Orochimaru stared intently at the aura surrounding Nagato, his eyes burning with fervor. It was utterly different from Impure World Reincarnation—it was pure life force, carrying the warmth and pulse of the living, with none of the chill or sluggishness of the dead.
He licked his lips, madness flickering in his eyes.
"Black Zetsu... He can actually do something like this? That black sludge... It's practically the source code of life." Orochimaru murmured, unable to hide his greed. "I need to get a sample and study it properly... If I can unravel its secrets, I can throw out all my previous research on immortality and start over."
At a signal from Uchiha Yoru, he swiftly formed a hand sign and dispelled the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
At the center of the battlefield, Senju Hashirama's form dissolved into specks of light and scattered on the wind.
"Hashirama!!"
Uchiha Madara strode forward, flames seeming to dance in his Rinnegan. "Go in peace to the Pure Land. Keep your eyes wide open... I'll reshape this Ninja World with my own hands!"
Hashirama's final words of regret came from among the fading motes of light:
"True peace doesn't come from oppression, but from understanding... Madara, I'll always be watching you..."
"Hmph. The words of the dead are worthless." Madara snorted, his back as steady and resolute as a mountain.
A brief silence settled over the battlefield.
In the next moment, Madara's gaze fell on a body lying on the ground, its mask shattered—Uchiha Obito.
His Rinnegan flickered, and fragmented memories flooded into his mind like a tide:
—Obito had infiltrated Kirigakure and controlled the Bloody Mist alone, bringing the entire leadership under his control;
—but his personal vendetta had made him lose control, turning Kirigakure into a living hell. The name "Bloody Mist" spread far and wide, and the plan was stained.
"Hmph... What a useless fool," Madara said coldly, his voice full of disappointment and scorn.
"You were supposed to follow the plan I laid out, and you still managed to screw it up."
He slowly approached the body and looked down at the familiar yet unfamiliar face.
"You said it was for that girl... but you never understood the meaning of her sacrifice, either."
"The New World isn't for mourning."
"It's for reshaping."
Madara's gaze was as cold as a blade. He swept his sleeve and turned away.
"What a waste... If you'd been more like me, you might have been worth something."
Two days later.
Amegakure, the Akatsuki base.
The once-hidden, grim base now looked as if it had endured an apocalyptic disaster. The ground was broken and caved in, mud mingled with scorched earth, and fragments of ruined buildings littered the area, like a battlefield swept by a wild beast.
At first, Nagato and Konan looked pained, but once Yamato—the head of Konoha's reconstruction team—arrived with his crew, their spirits gradually settled.
Uchiha Yoru had secretly used the Yin-Yang Release power granted by Black Zetsu to quietly enhance Yamato's abilities, enabling him to reshape the terrain in short order.
In just two days, the base's main building had already been rebuilt. Yamato stood silently nearby, sweat on his forehead, continuing to perform the technique.
The efficiency left the returning Akatsuki members utterly astonished.
"Hey... Sasori, what happened here? Hmm!"
Deidara folded his arms and looked around, his eyes filled with incredulous surprise.
"A battle."
Sasori's voice was as calm and cold as ever. His gaze lingered on the scorch marks across the ground. "A fierce battle."
"Heh heh heh... This much destruction... Is the leader that powerful?"
Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, his sharklike teeth glinting coldly.
"Ehehehe! What a lively place! Lord Jashin will surely love the smell of blood here!!!"
Hidan clutched his triple-bladed scythe and paced excitedly along the edge of the ruins, like a beast that had caught the scent of its prey.
"Shut up. You're annoying."
Kakuzu frowned and shot Hidan a cold look.
Just then, a low voice came from nearby:
"It seems... only the leader can avenge this blood feud for me."
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a new face among them, his expression dark.
He was none other than Sarutobi Asuma, once one of Konoha's elite.
"Well, didn't expect to see you here."
Kisame grinned. "A survivor of the Sarutobi Clan?"
"Survivor?"
Asuma clenched his teeth, fury and murderous intent surging in his eyes. "I was outside the village on a mission... When I returned, my clan had been slaughtered, and I was branded a wanted criminal..."
"And all of it was because of that bastard, Uchiha Yoru!!!"
The atmosphere froze.
"Don't worry,"
Juzo Biwa said slowly. "The current leader is stronger than any shinobi you've ever seen. His goal reaches far beyond revenge."
Asuma fell silent for a moment, emotions swirling in his eyes. At last, he slowly nodded.
"Then let me see whether the path he's taking is worth following with my life."
Nearby, Kakuzu had been staring intently at Asuma the whole time. He had long memorized that face, which had appeared near the top of the black-market bounty list.
"That guy's bounty is no small amount..."
He considered the thought, his gaze turning slightly cold. If he hadn't been trying to recruit Hidan, he would probably already have killed Asuma and taken his head to claim that hefty bounty.
"Hmph... There'll be a chance sooner or later."
A murderous glint flashed through Kakuzu's mind, then he returned to normal.
Just then, scraps of paper fluttered down from the sky.
Konan descended slowly from above, standing tall. Her paper wings gleamed like snow in the sunlight, and her bearing was cold and austere.
She landed and calmly surveyed everyone before asking, "Is everyone assembled?"
Several of the new members looked surprised.
"She's... the leader?"
"A woman?"
Hidan grabbed at his hair in surprise, while Deidara stared wide-eyed at Konan, confusion in his voice.
"No, the leader should be arriving any moment, right, 'White Tiger'?"
Juzo Biwa spoke respectfully, lowering his head slightly.
Konan didn't reply. She merely nodded, then slowly turned and looked toward a raised platform in one corner of the base.
"He's here."
Clop—clop—clop—clop—
The footsteps drew closer, steady and forceful, like war drums pounding at their hearts.
Everyone turned to look.
Two figures emerged slowly from the shifting light and shadow.
The one in front wore a black robe, its high collar slightly raised. His face was as sharp and cold as a blade, and he carried himself with an air of arrogance.
Beside him stood a man clad in red armor, his hands behind his back. His black hair flowed like a waterfall, and his disdainful gaze seemed to look down on all creation.
"That's..."
"You... You're—?!"
Kakuzu's pupils contracted, and his voice wavered.
"Uchiha... Madara?!"
The shocked cry made many of the new members' expressions change. Even Sasori and Kisame furrowed their brows slightly, astonishment in their eyes.
That name had vanished from the legends of the Ninja World long ago, but the terror attached to it remained impossible to erase.
"How can this be... Wasn't Madara supposed to have...?"
Uchiha Madara stepped forward slowly, his expression disdainful. "So weak..."
"You should be grateful—you're on the right side now."
His voice was calm, yet his oppressive presence crashed over them like a mountain and sea collapsing. Everyone fell silent at once.
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