Madara Breaks Down: I Dominated an Era, Yet I Was a Fool?

Madara Uchiha was completely dumbfounded.

The mind hailed as the finest in the Ninja World seemed to have stopped functioning at that moment.

He stiffly turned his withered neck and stared in disbelief at the pitch-black thing that had emerged from his shadow and was now trembling violently.

Black Zetsu!

The being that claimed to be the "product of his will," the one that had continuously spoken with him during his long slumber and strengthened his resolve to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan.

It actually... wasn't something he had imagined!

It had actually... been forcibly dragged out of his shadow by this mysterious brat before him!

What the hell was going on?!

"L-Lord Madara... don't listen to his nonsense!"

Seeing the shock in Madara's eyes, Black Zetsu was nearly frightened out of its wits and hurriedly tried to argue.

Its shrill, grating voice was full of panic.

"I... I am your will! The pure will born from your despair toward this world! It's him! That brat who came out of nowhere is trying to drive a wedge between us!"

It tried to make one last struggle.

However, Xuan Uchiha gave it no chance to defend itself.

"Still putting on an act?"

Watching Black Zetsu continue its performance, Xuan revealed a smile more cruel than a demon's.

He knew that merely dragging Black Zetsu out would not be enough to completely shatter Madara's deeply rooted convictions.

He had to let him see the "truth" with his own eyes!

"Lord Madara, since you don't believe me."

Xuan turned toward Madara Uchiha, who was still overwhelmed by shock.

"Then I'll let you see exactly what your loyal 'will' has been doing behind your back."

As his words fell, the pupils in Xuan's eyes, burning with golden flames, suddenly erupted with incomparably brilliant light!

Illusion Technique: Golden Flame Mantra!

Buzz!

A terrifying ocular power that could not be resisted, one that even surpassed the Rinnegan, instantly locked onto Madara Uchiha!

Madara could not even form the slightest thought of resistance before his consciousness was forcibly dragged into an illusion space made of golden flames!

Then—

Scenes of history buried for over a thousand years flashed frantically before his eyes like a film playing at high speed!

He saw a white-haired woman with twin horns growing from her forehead descend upon the earth like a goddess. She was the source of all chakra—Kaguya Otsutsuki!

He saw Kaguya turn against her two sons in order to reclaim chakra, only to be sealed away and transformed into the moon in the sky!

He saw that, in the moment before Kaguya was sealed, she exhausted the last of her strength to create a pitch-black creation that carried all of her will!

That creation was... Black Zetsu!

The scenes rapidly shifted.

He saw Black Zetsu, like a ghost hidden within the river of history, continuously instigating the reincarnations of the Sage of Six Paths' two sons, Indra and Ashura, making them fight and slaughter one another for eternity!

He saw how, beneath Naka Shrine, Black Zetsu had silently altered the stone tablet left behind by the Sage of Six Paths for the Uchiha clan!

It twisted the words that had originally recorded "unity and love" into a vicious curse guiding the Uchiha toward the pursuit of the "Infinite Tsukuyomi"!

Each revelation was like the sharpest blade, viciously carving into Madara Uchiha's proud soul!

He saw how, after he faked his death at the Valley of the End, Black Zetsu had appeared hypocritically, claimed to be his "will," and guided him step by step onto the wrong path.

He saw how he had been played like a puppet on strings by that "black lump of coal"!

The ideal he had pursued all his life!

The wisdom he had been so proud of!

The grand plan he had spent his entire life scheming for!

Before these bloody truths, they had all become a... complete and utterly colossal joke!

"No... no...!!!"

Within the illusion space, Madara Uchiha clutched his head and let out a beast-like howl of agony!

His mental world completely collapsed at that moment!

In the real world.

Madara Uchiha's body suddenly shuddered atop the stone seat, and two trails of bloody tears streamed from his Rinnegan.

Puh!

He suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a huge mouthful of blood!

That blood was not from physical injury, but from extreme fury, humiliation, and unwillingness driving the blood to his heart!

His body swayed violently like a dying candle in the wind, as though it could go out at any moment.

"Lord Madara!"

Seeing this, Black Zetsu let out a terrified scream. It knew everything was over!

It wanted to flee, to merge back into the shadows.

But Xuan Uchiha merely cast it a cold glance, and invisible ocular power firmly imprisoned it in place, leaving it unable to move.

"I..."

Madara Uchiha slowly and laboriously raised a hand trembling violently with rage.

He pointed at Black Zetsu, trembling on the ground, then pointed at himself.

For the first time, his withered old face revealed a smile uglier than crying, filled with boundless self-mockery and sorrow.

Using every ounce of strength in his body, he let out a despairing roar from the depths of his throat, like a wounded beast!

"I... Madara Uchiha..."

"I dominated the Ninja World and schemed my entire life..."

"I danced with gods and looked down upon all living beings..."

"And in the end..."

"I was used as a pawn by this... piece of shit?!"

"I... I was fucking... a complete and utter fool!!!"

As his words fell, he violently spat out another mouthful of blood.

The convictions he had held so proudly throughout his life were, at that moment, shattered in the cruelest possible way by Xuan Uchiha.

"Lord Madara! Calm down! It's all an illusion! It's that brat's illusion!" Black Zetsu was still making its final struggle.

"An illusion?" Madara Uchiha slowly turned his head, his Rinnegan streaming with bloody tears as it fixed itself on Black Zetsu.

The killing intent in his gaze was enough to freeze the entire cavern!

"Then tell me..."

His voice was hoarse, like a demon from hell whispering.

"My stone tablet, my plan, my... everything—was it all... a joke?!"