On the border of the Land of Lightning, a secluded cave lay deep within a crevice between two steep mountain peaks.
Layers of vines and rocks concealed the entrance, but the interior was surprisingly spacious. Its smooth walls had clearly been worked by human hands.
Dim candles burned quietly in niches along the stone walls, bathing the entire cave in a dusky yellow glow.
Thud!
A figure slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Killer B's body struck the hard rock, his limp limbs falling helplessly at his sides. Blood that had yet to dry stained the corner of his mouth, and he had already slipped into a deep coma.
Inside him, the Eight-Tails, Gyūki, was suppressed by a powerful Sealing Technique, unable to release even a trace of chakra.
The other members of the Akatsuki stood silently around the cave.
Uchiha Madara stood in the center with his back to everyone. Without turning around, he spoke calmly, his voice echoing through the empty space:
"Zetsu, did you get them?"
The ground bulged slightly, and White Zetsu's head emerged from the rock. His white body then rose fully out of the ground, his trademark bizarre smile on his face. Two black coffins appeared on the ground after him, their lids striking the cave floor with dull thuds.
"Yes, Lord Madara. I found the bodies you wanted."
The lids of both coffins slid off at the same time, revealing the two corpses inside.
They wore ancient armor, their bodies marked by the passage of time and dried blood. Though their faces were withered, traces of their former ferocity remained recognizable.
A pair of sharp horns protruded from each of their heads.
Madara turned and walked up to the two coffins. His hands began forming hand seals, chakra gathering