Madara's Name

More than a year has passed in the blink of an eye. With the joint mediation of Itachi Uchiha and Yamakaze, the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha seems to have gradually subsided. However, everyone involved understands that this is just the calm before the storm.

During the year that Setsuna Uchiha held absolute power, he outwardly appeared to be completely subservient to Konoha. However, behind the scenes, every member of the Uchiha Clan was racing against time to strengthen themselves and silently accumulate power. The lower-ranking members might have only felt a slight sense of tension, but the core members all knew that a war with Konoha was about to begin...

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō were also relentlessly clipping the Uchiha Clan's wings during the same year. Members of the Uchiha Clan in various core departments were transferred away one after another, and the slightly famous Uchiha Clan Jonin passively assigned to various dangerous missions in the village. Only half of them ever returned, and whether they died in the missions or at the hands of Root, no one knew...

Konoha and the Uchiha Clan have been one entity for many years, their relationships deeply intertwined. Even in this tense atmosphere, they cannot act like they did during the Warring States period, where the two clan heads could decide a battle with a single word, forming an army the next day to fight to the death, with the victor reigning supreme and the loser being condemned...

Konoha needs time to minimize this impact and cause as little Konoha as possible, while the Uchiha Clan waits, waiting for a certain moment to arrive...

Even eight-year-old Sasuke Uchiha seemed to be affected by this atmosphere, and was infected by the sudden rise of self-improvement in the clan. He noisily ran to the river with Itachi Uchiha to learn the Fireball Jutsu.

The gentle breeze from the riverbank caressed Sasuke Uchiha's cheeks, his face filled with seriousness and anticipation. He swiftly Hand Seals, and Chakra instantly gathered in his throat.

Everything seemed to be in order. Sasuke suddenly shouted, but contrary to his expectations of a massive fireball appearing abruptly, the river rippled gently, its surface shimmering. Only when he slightly opened his mouth did a wisp of smoke slowly drift out...

"Brother... I... failed again..." Sasuke Uchiha after failing several times, but looking at Itachi Uchiha was quietly smiling at him, a determination to succeed resurfaced in his heart. How could he let his brother down...?

This past year has been the happiest time for Sasuke Uchiha. Itachi Uchiha seems to have become a different person, no longer busy with things Sasuke couldn't understand, but spending all his time with him, taking him to and from school, practicing Ninjutsu with him, and teaching him how to throw Kunai...

"Sasuke very talented, he'll definitely succeed next time..." Itachi Uchiha smiled, but couldn't help sighing inwardly. This kind of carefree life sometimes felt like a luxury to him; he longed for life to stay like this forever, peacefully forever...

But ultimately it's impossible...

Just a day ago, he received news from Yamakaze that the plan had officially begun... and he was the very first link in the entire plan.

"Sorry Sasuke, I won't be able to see your success. I have to go now..." He gently patted Sasuke's head and placed two fingers on his forehead.

Perhaps it was because of Itachi Uchiha's changes over the past year that Sasuke had become accustomed to Itachi Uchiha's constant presence by his side. Upon suddenly hearing these familiar words, Sasuke paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something and nodded hesitantly.

"Brother, I'll wait for you to come back. I'll definitely learn the Fireball Jutsu when you come back!"

"Okay, I'll be back soon..."

On the banks of the river northwest of the Uchiha Compound, watching Itachi Uchiha's figure gradually disappear, for some reason, young Sasuke Uchiha felt a sudden emptiness in his heart, as if something was about to leave him completely...

"I'll definitely learn it! When my brother comes back, I'll give him a surprise..." Shaking his head to shake off these inexplicable thoughts, Sasuke Uchiha's gaze hardened once more.

At this moment, Itachi Uchiha quietly arrived at a secluded forest. A scroll suddenly appeared in his hand. Looking at the scroll that Obito Uchiha had once given him, Itachi Uchiha smiled slightly.

But this smile was completely unlike the original Itachi Uchiha; instead, his eyes shone with a faint, eerie blue light...

"Is it... already completely assimilated?" A strong soul fluctuation suddenly emanated from Itachi Uchiha's body, and his entire brain began to ache intensely. Fine beads of cold sweat involuntarily appeared on his forehead. The intense pain caused him to curl up on the ground, but he endured it without making a sound.

The intense pain came and went quickly; in just a moment, Itachi Uchiha stood up again. From his appearance alone, he didn't seem to have changed at all, but he had now become a complete fanatic of Kato Osamu.

The soul, existing independently as a person, has been completely devoured...

"Lord Kato!" Itachi Uchiha's face lit up with fervor as he knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with reverence. He could feel Kato Osamu's gaze fixed on him.

"Itachi, do you regret it?" The voice echoing in his mind was like heavenly music to Itachi Uchiha, filling him with ecstasy.

"No regrets... Becoming a follower of Lord Kato was the best decision Itachi ever made in his life..."

"That's it... Proceed according to plan..." After a brief silence, Kato Osamu's voice echoed in his mind again.

Sensing that Kato Osamu's gaze had disappeared, Itachi Uchiha was stunned for a moment before regaining his usual coldness and rationality. Looking at the scroll in his hand, a smile flashed across his face once more.

Meanwhile, Kato Osamu, far away in Hidden Spirit Village, shook his head slightly; Itachi Uchiha's reaction was not unexpected.

But precisely because of this, he would almost never fully activate those hidden Soul Seed throughout the Shinobi World unless absolutely necessary, but rather selectively use them as tools for gathering intelligence...

"Bang..."

After Kato Osamu left, Itachi Uchiha activated the scroll left behind by Obito Uchiha.

After a cloud of smoke dissipated, the pale White Zetsu Spores appeared before Itachi Uchiha.

In just a moment, the spores took root in the soil. After receiving the gift from Kato Osamu's soul, Itachi Uchiha vaguely sensed something different for the first time—a subtle Chakra fluctuation seemed to be transmitted along the underground plant roots at an extremely fast speed. In the blink of an eye, the strange fluctuation had disappeared into the distance.

After waiting for a short while, the space in front of him suddenly distorted slightly, and Obito Uchiha, wearing the Spiral Mask, reappeared in front of him.

This time, however, Itachi Uchiha's feelings were completely different...

"Itachi Uchiha, it seems you've made up your mind..."

'Obito Uchiha seems to be in a good mood...' Suddenly, Itachi Uchiha felt as if he could hear the emotions in the words of the person in front of him.

'A gift from Lord Kato...' A flicker of respect rose in Itachi Uchiha's heart once again.

"I can join Akatsuki, but you must guarantee that this Uchiha Clan coup must succeed..."

"Of course, we will..."

"Huh? What? Itachi Uchiha, do you know what you're saying?" It seemed like a path he'd never considered before. Obito Uchiha paused, a flicker of disbelief crossing his single eye through the hole in his mask...

"Yes, Mr. Madara Uchiha, my answer is... I support a military coup! To completely change the current state of the Uchiha Clan!"

"As a member of the Uchiha Clan, I cannot stand by and watch the Uchiha Clan be slaughtered by Konoha..."

A hint of doubt arose in Obito Uchiha's heart. How long ago was it that he had personally witnessed Itachi Uchiha make up his mind to side with the Third? How could Itachi's attitude have changed so drastically?

As for Obito Uchiha, he had no goodwill towards the Uchiha Clan, and even harbored some resentment towards them. Now, he was actually going to support the Uchiha Clan in seizing power in Konoha...

Obito Uchiha hesitated slightly...

"Besides this, does the Uchiha Clan have any other options?"

"Itachi, your idea is truly surprising..."

"Mr. Madara Uchiha, is there a problem? You were once a member of the Uchiha Clan, don't you want the Uchiha Clan to gain power in Konoha?"

Seeing the obvious suspicion in Itachi Uchiha's eyes, Obito Uchiha hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding. He then spoke again in Madara Uchiha's voice, "If my former clansmen had thought like you, why would I have left the clan..."

Itachi Uchiha simply nodded expressionlessly, seemingly acknowledging Obito Uchiha's explanation, but having already known Obito Uchiha's true identity, he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

"With Madara's help, all we need to do is invoke Madara Uchiha's name, and Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō will be nothing but chickens and dogs..."

"Hmm?" Obito Uchiha paused slightly upon hearing Itachi Uchiha's words, his face darkening beneath his mask. He looked at Itachi Uchiha with a hint of exasperation; why was Itachi Uchiha acting so unpredictably today?

"Now... now is not the time for the organization to be exposed..." He could impersonate Madara Uchiha to fool people, but where did he find Madara Uchiha's strength? Perhaps with Kamui's power Obito Uchiha could remain invincible, but his past encounter with Minato Namikaze had taught Obito Uchiha a lesson. Facing Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō two-on-one, he might very well be caught off guard and suffer an unexpected defeat...

Thinking this, Obito Uchiha somewhat regretted getting involved in this troublesome matter, and his gaze towards Itachi Uchiha held a hint of resentment...

Why not just be a traitor and deal with the elderly, weak, women, and children of the Uchiha Clan? Why resort to a violent coup...?

Shaking his head slightly, Obito Uchiha, determined to shirk his duties, couldn't help but think of Deidara from the Land of Earth. He should have gone to recruit the 11-year-old Deidara, who had been forced to leave his village due to his frequent terrorist attacks, instead of this 13-year-old Itachi Uchiha...

Kids these days are so hard to fool...

"Itachi Uchiha, I will appear when the coup takes place..." Before Itachi Uchiha could say anything more, Obito Uchiha's figure suddenly disappeared into the forest. Looking at Obito Uchiha, who was leaving in a slightly hurried manner, a smile appeared on Itachi Uchiha's face.

'Lord Kato will be satisfied, right...'