Madara's Confidence: Risks and Rewards Were Equally Great

Underground space.

Madara's partial consciousness controlled the White Zetsu Original to return.

Following closely behind was Tobi, whose body had been destroyed by Kushina, leaving only his upper body.

"That was close! I almost died. It would have been such a waste if I had died without even seeing my own poop!" Tobi said in a very frightened tone. However, he looked rather comical at the moment. With only his upper body left, Tobi was slumped on the ground, supporting himself with one hand and patting his chest with the other, as if he was comforting himself.

However, it seems he sought comfort from the wrong person.

After Madara's consciousness returned to his body, he coldly said, "If you tell that kind of lame joke again..."

"I'm sorry, Lord Madara!" Sensing the terrifying aura emanating from Madara, Tobi immediately covered his mouth. He only wanted to see poop, not to be turned into poop by Lord Madara.

"It's all your fault, you idiot! That Jinchuriki was obviously unfamiliar with the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. If you had used Wood Release from the start, you wouldn't have given her a chance to build up her Chakra!"

The White Zetsu Original reprimanded him, then looked at Madara with a worried expression.

"Lord Madara, what should we do now? If those two find out we're hiding here, will it affect our plans?"

Compared to Tobi, White Zetsu is more measured in many ways.

Although he usually acts lively and playful in front of Madara, he knows that if he interferes with Madara's plans, he will witness Madara's cold and terrifying side.

"This base is covered by the Six Paths Barrier, so even the Mind's Eye of the Kagura of the Uzumaki Clan and the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan cannot detect it. This time I underestimated the power of the Jinchuriki. I didn't expect that she could use the Nine-Tails Chakra to this extent at such a young age."

Ban said calmly, his words full of confidence, while making no attempt to hide his mistake.

Failure is not shameful; only incompetent people like to shirk responsibility after making mistakes.

Throughout his life, the only opponent that Madara truly acknowledged and respected was that man.

Hashirama Senju!

Apart from that, Uzumaki Mito could only be given a slightly respectable look by him.

Aside from her strength, the main reason was that she was Hashirama's wife, so she was at most a half-opponent.

In the vast Shinobi World, he didn't take anyone else seriously.

Even if the capture of the Kurama fails today, it's because he disdains encirclement and ambush.

If he had joined forces with Tobi to fight the Jinchuriki from the beginning, or had seized an opportunity to launch a sneak attack, the outcome would have been uncertain.

However, if he did that, he wouldn't be Uchiha Madara.

Because of his weakened power, he will resort to cunning to accomplish his plans.

However, attacking the enemy from behind in a frontal battle violated his principles.

Only after the Jinchuriki defeated Tobi's Wood Human Technique did Madara become slightly more serious and remember to use the Summoning Technique to summon the Kurama.

However, the seal left by Mito was extremely powerful, actually suppressing his Summoning Contract.

"Lord Madara, what should we do next?"

"Everything is as usual. For now, don't provoke those two."

Ban said calmly.

The White Zetsu Original countered, "But what if they come back looking for us on their own? Even with the Six Paths Barrier, if they search little by little, they'll eventually find this place."

"Even a dying lion will not tolerate a hyena's provocation. Even though I don't have even a tenth of my full strength now, there are still Demonic Statue of the Outer Path here, which is more than enough to deal with them. Besides, with the Kurama ' courage, it won't dare to come back."

Ban's expression was resolute.

It's clear that the Jinchuriki to utilize the Kurama ' power is still very immature. Unless they are the Perfect Jinchuriki of the Kurama, they have little power to resist the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Given Kurama's terrible personality, it's impossible for it to reconcile with humans. After all, it's just an animal; how could it understand humans?

If they back down and hide their tracks, they are showing weakness, which will only embolden others to take advantage of them.

Keeping everything as it is is the smartest thing to do.

Both sides had a basic understanding of each other's strength, but it was unclear whether the other side had used its full power.

A foolish person might gamble on the unknown, but a wise and rational person will consider the gains and losses.

This gives both sides time to prepare.

Clearly, Kushina and Shiraha belong to the latter category.

"I understand, Lord Madara! I will do my best to carry out the plan from now on!"

Tobi, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in.

"Hmm." Spot nodded, then formed a hand Hand Seals, and the chest cavity of the White Zetsu Original opened.

Immediately afterwards, a black sphere flew out and landed in Ban's hand.

Madara used Yin-Yang Release to open the black sphere, from which a torrent of crimson Chakra surged forth.

From the enormous shadow behind the stone throne, it seemed as if an invisible hand was grabbing the crimson Chakra.

"It's not that we gained nothing at all."

In the darkness, Ban's calm voice rang out.

The emergence of such a figure among Mito's descendants makes things increasingly interesting.

The Land of Fire, its capital.

Shiraha and Kushina checked into the inn.

Kushina slept for a day and a night, while Shiraha carried her all the way to the Fire Capital, intending to rest before returning to the village.

This is the first time the two of them have come here since the Uzumaki Industries was returned to Kushina by the Konoha High-Level.

Inside the room.

Kushina leaned back on the bed, her back supported by soft pillows.

Shiraha sat on a small stool by the bed, holding a bowl of freshly made congee with preserved egg and lean pork, feeding Kushina by spoonful.

Kushina unleashed her full power with the "Crimson Dragon Armor" and used a large amount of Nine-Tails Chakra, while also fighting a powerful enemy head-on. As a result, she only suffered minor damage to her meridians and was almost completely unharmed.

However, aftereffects have also appeared; she has no strength left and will need to rest for at least a few days to fully recover.

Of course, only Kushina's special physical attributes allowed her to do this.

If Shiraha had done that, he would probably be finished by now.

Knight Breathing Technique are inherently explosive training methods that greatly exploit the body's potential. Therefore, while knights can typically achieve rapid progress in their training, they are also prone to having short lifespans.

"Crimson Dragon Calamity" is the most advanced Breathing Technique, pushing the body to its absolute limit.

Fortunately, Kushina has amazing recovery abilities.

Shiraha also possesses the Mental Power and Magic Power power of Third-Class Apprentice, which allows him to repair his damaged body with Magic Power after using the burst skill "Crimson Dragon Armor".

"Are you full?" Shiraha asked with a smile when he saw that the bowl in his hand was empty again.

"No, I'm only half full." As she spoke, Kushina stuck out her pink tongue and licked her lips.

"Then you eat by yourself, otherwise when will you ever get full?" Shiraha went to the table next to him to get some porridge. There was a big pot on the table, full of preserved egg and lean pork porridge.

"Your food tastes better."

Kushina chided. She wasn't so weak as to be unable to get out of bed to eat; she just occasionally wanted to enjoy some intimate moments with her lover. After all, she'd secretly been taking extra lessons to get along with Shiraha, and that's what the books said. Even if she was stronger, she couldn't always appear assertive; that would make her more likable.

"Okay." Upon hearing Kushina's words, Shiraha sped up his porridge serving.

"Come on, ah~" Shiraha sat directly on the bed.

"Don't treat me like a child!"

As she spoke, Kushina obediently opened her mouth.

Shiraha put the spoon into Kushina's mouth and watched her obediently finish eating, licking every grain of rice off the spoon with her tongue.

The meal took almost an hour to eat.

Shiraha finished the remaining half bowl of porridge in his hand, then helped Kushina lie down and tucked her in. "You should rest well. Anyway, they didn't say when we'd go back this time. We can go to the Land of Hot Water Springs to soak in the hot springs after you've rested."

"Mmm." Kushina nodded obediently. "When I wake up, will I be able to see you?"

Perhaps it's because people become weak when they're not feeling well, Kushina has become increasingly dependent on Shiraha these past two days.

"Of course, I'm just going out for a walk. Besides, you just finished a whole pot of porridge, while I only ate half a bowl. I'm starving now."

Shiraha said with a smile.

"Then you should go eat." Kushina blushed.

"Okay, get some rest."

Shiraha got up and left, gently closing the door behind him. Before leaving, he set up a Warning Barrier outside the room. This basic barrier didn't have any defensive effect, but he could sense if anyone touched it.

Although Kushina had the Kurama with her, making this seem somewhat redundant, Shiraha was merely giving himself some psychological comfort.

As Shiraha stepped out of the room, the smile on his face faded, and his expression became serious.

This was far too dangerous!

Uchiha Madara is still alive?!

If I told you, probably no one would believe it.

However, these words came from the mouth of Kurama (the Nine-Tails). Apart from Uchiha Madara, it would be difficult for anyone else to use Kurama as Summoning Beast.

After all, according to Kurama, while the First Hokage's Wood Release could counter its power, it could only suppress it at most. Only Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan could make it lose consciousness and fall under his control.

Risks come with rewards.

This was a very fruitful experience!

Not only did they learn that there was a terrifying figure like Madara hiding in the shadows in the Shinobi World, but they also obtained the body tissue of another White Creature that could use Wood Release Ninjutsu.

Although Shiraha hadn't had time to study the White Creature's body tissues yet, the fact that he could summon a hundred-meter-tall giant using Wood Release alone showed how close his cellular activity was to that of the First.

Moreover, the appearance of the White Creature completely confirms that the First Hokage's cells were not impossible to transplant, and Wood Release was not impossible to reproduce; rather, it was because Shiraha's previous technology was insufficient.

"I thought it was a ninja story about five villages fighting each other, but suddenly two Gundams appeared. The art style has turned into Star Wars."

As Shiraha walked along the road, he sighed inwardly.

After Kushina successfully used the Nine-Tails Chakra, he thought that was the world's top combat power, but he didn't expect there to be something even more exaggerated.

Although he had heard about how powerful the First Hokage was at his peak, nothing was as direct as seeing it with his own eyes.

It's important to understand that without the "Crimson Dragon Calamity," a powerful Knight Breathing Technique that amplified Kushina's physique in a short period, the outcome of her encounter with Uchiha Madara would have been truly unpredictable.

Furthermore, if Shiraha doesn't learn a few auxiliary Sealing Jutsu, and neither he nor Kushina knows how to perform a ' Contract Seal,' then he'll have to use the last chance left by Uzumaki Mito to Chakra and help Kushina break the Summoning Contract between Kurama and Madara.

"Above the Sharingan, there's even a Mangekyou Mangekyo. The Uchiha Clan is truly outrageous. To be able to control Super Radiation Creature like the Kurama, comparable to a 'half- Fourth-Level,' is an astonishing ability."

Shiraha suddenly felt that all the caution he had shown before was worthwhile.

Kushina increase in strength only made him feel much more relaxed, but he never let his guard down.

As it turns out, keeping a few cards up your sleeve and being cautious is a very wise choice.

"That Uchiha Madara summoned 'Gundam' with only Three-Tomoe. Can all Uchiha with Three-Tomoe do that? But when I captured the White Creature last time, he didn't make a move, which means he either didn't take me seriously or his power was limited."

"He didn't chase after them out of the Land of Grass, probably not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't."

Shiraha thought of more.

Even Uchiha Madara, who is now nearly eighty years old, has definitely lost the strength he possessed when he fought against the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

After all, he was a ninja who could severely injure the First and cause the God of Shinobi to suffer a relapse and die. Obviously, he wouldn't have let them go just to play with them.

"That means he can't leave the Land of Grass, or even leave the vicinity of that mountain range. What is his purpose? He's alive, yet he's hiding in the shadows. And that White Creature is with him, which means there's a research expert in his team who has pushed the study of Wood Release to a whole new level."

Shiraha arrived at the High-Class Restaurant across from the inn.

During the meal, he took out Blank Scroll and pen and listed out all the possibilities.

To be honest, he was very interested in the technology that Ban possessed.

If they could obtain this technology from Ban, it would probably save him a lot of time in his experiments.

The next focus will be on studying the White Creature that can use Wood Release.

Although Kurama said that the White Creature's Wood Release was not even one-tenth the level of the First and was a complete imposter, the fact that it could First Shinobi World War Kushina at full power meant that it must be at the top level in this ninja world.

Shiraha now wishes he could split himself into eight pieces to do scientific research.

While Shadow Clone can be used to assist in cultivation, their thinking lacks strong creativity, making them unsuitable for assisting in experiments, which is a great pity.

As for Kurama and Kushina, although they are not stupid, their immediate reaction of scratching their heads in disbelief when faced with topics related to advanced mathematics, Biomedicine, and Pharmacology suggests they are unlikely to be able to assist him.

After Shiraha was promoted to Third-Class Apprentice, he tested Kushina's talent and found that she did indeed possess Wizard Talent.

However, this was within his expectations. After all, most people would have mutated long ago if they could withstand the radiation from a "semi- Fourth-Level" creature like the Kurama.

The main reason Shiraha didn't teach Kushina the Wizard Meditation Method was that she clearly hadn't reached the end of the path of Chakra. If she turned to Meditation Method, even if she became First-Level Wizard, it wouldn't significantly increase her current strength.

After all, she Qidian a very high level!

The training of Wizard is extremely long and requires the accumulation of knowledge. This alone could probably drive two academically challenged individuals like Kurama and Kushina crazy.

As for the path of the Bloodline Warlock, it is still very dangerous.

Kushina without the "Book of the Ancient Warlock" might not be a good fit.

Shiraha planned to scout ahead on his own, and then decide what to do next depending on the situation.

Anyway Kushina and he are still young, and they have plenty of time to improve, so there's no need to rush her to learn Meditation Method as well.

Finding someone who is intelligent, studious, treats scientific research as a hobby, possesses Wizard Talent, and is absolutely loyal to Shiraha is quite difficult, unless he advances to the next level as a "Spirit Summoning Warlock".

Currently, although Shiraha and Orochimaru have a good relationship, apart from the experiments they conduct together, they are both carrying out their own secret experiments, and they do not share the core secrets with each other.

There are too many uncertainties, so he will not share the Wizard's knowledge.

After finishing his meal, Shiraha left the High-Class Restaurant.

Thinking that Kushina hadn't slept for long and that going back so early would easily wake her up, Shiraha decided to wander around.

Among the Great Nations, the Land of Fire is the strongest, and its capital, the City of Fire Capital, is quite prosperous.

The utility poles and streetlights along the road gave him the feeling of watching a modern movie in his first life; the technology tree in the Hokage era was really crooked.

Even though there is electricity now, the main mode of transportation is still horse-drawn carriages.

I wonder where all the geniuses who invented computers and Microscope are. If they could all be gathered together, wouldn't they be able to spark an industrial revolution in the Naruto World?

Feeling bored, Shiraha decided to go to a nearby izakaya for a couple of drinks.

As soon as he entered the izakaya and sat down, he heard familiar voices coming from the seats next to him. When he got up to look, he found that they were all acquaintances.

"Chiho? Hideto?"