Lord Madara Arrives at Amegakure, First to Shave Nagato's Head!

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood alone amidst the ruins for a long time.

The wind poured in through the massive hole blasted out by "Shinra Tensei," fluttering his tattered Hokage haori and whipping up the dust covering the ground.

"Lord Hokage!"

Several Anbu appeared in a flash, rendered speechless as they looked at the devastation that appeared as if a meteorite had struck.

Hiruzen did not turn back; his voice was as raspy as two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.

"Seal off the Hokage Building and announce that it is undergoing emergency repairs. Everything that happened here today is classified as an S-rank top secret. Anyone who leaks this information will be treated as a traitor to the village."

"Yes!"

"Furthermore," Hiruzen paused, "keep a close watch on Danzo for me. From this moment on, no members of the 'Root' are permitted to leave their base without authorization. Those who violate this order are to be executed on the spot!"

The order was delivered with ironclad resolve, without a hint of hesitation.

The Anbu acknowledged the command and departed, leaving Hiruzen alone in the ruins once more.

He walked slowly to the shattered window, looking down at the village below, which had regained its order but still had many people pointing toward the Hokage Building.

Amegakure... descendant...

These two words circled incessantly in his mind.

A descendant of Lord Madara? What other Uchiha clansman could be referred to as a descendant by him?

A terrifying thought emerged uncontrollably.

Could it be... Obito, who sacrificed himself during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge?

No, that was impossible!

He shook his head, forcibly suppressing the absurd notion.

Yet, another question surfaced.

Lord Madara had returned.

Should he tell the Uchiha clan this news?

Should he tell them that their legendary ancestor had returned, and that he was as powerful as a god?

That would be no different from throwing a torch into a pile of dry firewood.

The Uchiha clan was already seething with resentment from being excluded from the core of power for so many years.

Once they learned of Lord Madara's existence... the consequences would be unimaginable.

But if he didn't tell them, how long could he keep it hidden?

What happened here today could not be kept under wraps forever.

Hiruzen felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

As the Third Hokage, who had governed Konoha for decades, he realized for the first time that he had lost control over the village's future.

Meanwhile.

In a dense forest hundreds of miles away from Konoha.

Space distorted, and a figure stumbled out of a vortex, landing hard on the ground.

"Ow, damn it!"

Lin Feng winced as he rubbed his backside, the "Lord Madara" who had been exuding such dominance moments ago now completely devoid of his image.

"System, what the hell are you doing! This space transfer is like riding a tumble dryer; I almost threw up my breakfast!"

[Simulating Kamui space transfer consumes massive energy; minor side effects are normal.]

The cold, mechanical voice of the system rang out.

"Minor side effects?" Lin Feng stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes. "You call this minor? If you do this again, I'm filing a complaint!"

He grumbled while quickly scanning his surroundings, letting out a long sigh of relief only after confirming it was safe.

He leaned back against a large tree, finally relaxing completely.

"Whew... exhilarating, that was fucking exhilarating!"

Recalling the scene of him wreaking havoc in the Hokage's office, Lin Feng's heart was still pounding.

That wasn't a game, nor was it a movie.

It was the real Third Hokage, real Anbu, and real S-rank ninjutsu!

If he had flubbed a single line or failed to keep his expression in check, he likely would have been erased by the laws of the world.

[Host acting evaluation: S-rank. Character consistency: 98%. Reward: Chakra recovery speed increased by 10%.]

[Highlight reel review:]

[1. 'Monkey brat': Precise character-based strike, instantly establishing psychological dominance.]

[2. 'Shinra Tensei': Perfect display of combat power, violent breakthrough, establishing a tone of absolute suppression.]

[3. 'Wood Release Throne': Burst of satisfaction, completely shattered Danzo's psychological defenses, highly effective.]

[4. 'Amegakure': Excellent long-term foreshadowing, successfully diverted the ninja world's attention, buying the host time to develop.]

Looking at the string of positive reviews provided by the system, Lin Feng laughed out loud in triumph.

That's right, just look at who I am—a hardcore Naruto fan with a flair for performance. Playing Lord Madara is a piece of cake, isn't it?

"But then again," Lin Feng rubbed his chin, "that improvised line about 'Amegakure' at the end... did I go a bit too far?"

He had said it on a whim just to muddy the waters and dig a pit for Obito.

But now that he had calmed down, he realized Amegakure was no place for the faint of heart.

That place was currently the territory of the "Demigod" Hanzo of the Salamander; it rained year-round, the country was closed off, and the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

More importantly, the young Akatsuki organization—Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan—should be active there.

If he went there in the guise of "Lord Madara," he might accidentally run into Nagato's genuine Rinnegan.

A fake Edo Tensei version facing a real Rinnegan wielder—if his cover was blown...

"No, I have to get there immediately!"

Lin Feng suddenly jolted.

His current persona was Uchiha Madara!

He was the mastermind who had "bestowed" the Rinnegan upon Nagato!

According to the original plot, Madara had awakened the Rinnegan himself before his death and transplanted them into the young Nagato as a pawn for his resurrection plan.

Now that he was posing as Madara and claiming he was going to Amegakure to see a "junior," to the Third Hokage and the others, that "junior" would almost certainly be interpreted as Nagato, the wielder of the Rinnegan!

It was a massive misunderstanding, but also a massive opportunity!

He had to reach Amegakure before anyone else could react, find Nagato, and cement this "misunderstanding" as fact!

He needed to change the script from "I gave you the Rinnegan" to "I've returned to check on how you're using the Rinnegan I gave you!"

As long as he played his cards right, he could not only bamboozle Nagato, a top-tier combat force, but also completely solidify his persona as "Lord Madara"!

Thinking of this, Lin Feng hesitated no longer.

He identified his direction, gathered massive amounts of chakra beneath his feet, and transformed into a blur, speeding toward the Land of Rain.

The Land of Rain was plagued by endless rain throughout the year.

Cold rain washed over everything on the ground, steel skyscrapers stood silently in the curtain of rain, and the entire country exuded a suffocating air that warned strangers to keep away.

Amegakure, the secret base of the Akatsuki organization.

Inside an inconspicuous cave, candlelight flickered.

"Yahiko, are we really going to cooperate with Hanzo of the Salamander?" Konan looked at the red-haired youth sitting at the head of the table, her face filled with worry. "That man... I just don't feel like he can be trusted."

A confident smile graced Yahiko's face: "Konan, don't worry. Hanzo has recognized our philosophy and is willing to support us in changing this country through peaceful means. This is the best opportunity to realize our dreams!"

He stood up, spread his arms, and looked full of spirit.

"As long as we get Hanzo's support, we can end the endless wars in the Land of Rain and bring peace! When that happens, Nagato won't have to use the power of those eyes anymore!"

In the corner, a thin, pale youth lowered his head silently upon hearing this. His purple Rinnegan looked exceptionally dim in the gloomy light.

His name was Nagato, the wielder of those eyes, yet he loathed the destructive power they brought.

Just then.

BOOM!!!!

An unprecedented, deafening roar erupted from outside the base. The entire cave shook violently, and gravel rained down from the ceiling.

"What's happening?!" Yahiko's expression changed.

"It's an explosion! Someone is attacking our base!" Konan's hands began to manifest countless sheets of paper, her expression vigilant.

The three of them immediately rushed out of the cave.

The sight before them made them gasp in unison.

High above the lake outside their base, a massive sphere made of rock was slowly floating.

Standing atop that rock sphere was a man.

With long black hair and ancient armor, his arms crossed over his chest, he stared down at them with cold indifference, as if looking at ants.

"Who... who is that?" Yahiko's voice was dry.

He could feel the faint, oppressive pressure radiating from the man—it was more terrifying than any powerhouse he had ever met, including Hanzo of the Salamander!

Konan's paper was ready to strike, but she hesitated to make a move.

A woman's intuition told her that the man before them was extremely dangerous!

Only Nagato, the moment he saw that man, stood as if struck by lightning.

He clutched his eyes, a searing, unprecedented agony radiating from those Rinnegan, as if they were resonating with something in the distance!

"This... these eyes..." Nagato collapsed to his knees in agony.

High in the sky, Lin Feng watched the reactions of the three below, his heart utterly unmoved.

The Chibaku Tensei was merely a little trinket he had whipped up on a whim to ensure a flamboyant entrance.

He had arrived.

He had come to see his "unpromising" descendant.

His gaze swept past the wary and bewildered Yahiko and Konan, landing directly upon the descendant of the Uzumaki clan kneeling on the ground.

Then, in a tone that brooked no argument—the tone of an elder scrutinizing a junior—he spoke slowly.

"Nagato."

"It seems you have not been using the eyes I bestowed upon you very well."

"As punishment..."

Lin Feng's voice paused, his Rinnegan narrowing slightly.

The next second, an invisible force instantly slammed into Nagato!

Snip!

Under the horrified gazes of Yahiko and Konan, Nagato's signature long red hair was shorn clean off, scattering across the ground.

Amidst the flying red locks, Nagato's pale, shocked face was laid bare.

Lin Feng looked at his handiwork, nodded in satisfaction, and, adopting the tone of Lord Madara, delivered his next line.

"We shall start from the 'head' first."