Madara Uchiha

They were already very close to the hidden fortress, yet there was still no one around. Kato Osamu vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

The entire front line was dotted with many such hidden fortresses, providing the Cloud Shinobi with ample sustained combat capability. It was also one of their standard tactics. These fortresses were generally hidden extremely well and were difficult to discover from the outside unless one was a Cloud Shinobi.

They generally had some kind of Sealing Jutsu and barrier technique, and even the worst of them would be filled with traps.

"Something's not right..."

Kato Osamu silently reduced his sensing range to two hundred meters. Within that range, his perception grew even sharper; no living thing could escape his senses. Yet there were still no hidden enemies as he had expected.

"It seems the Cloud Shinobi here are already gone..."

Kakashi Hatake slightly raised his brow. Though he believed he should place absolute trust in the village's shinobi, he knew what Root was. He remained wary of every word Kato Osamu said, though he knew Kato Osamu would not joke about something like this.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A wrinkled dog appeared before the three of them, looking rather lazy.

"Pakkun! Long time no see!"

"Rin, want to touch my paw pads? They're super springy!"

"Hehe..."

"Still, I seem to smell an unfamiliar scent... Is this Kakashi's new teammate...?"

"You'd better be careful. That guy might turn you into grilled dog meat!"

Obito Uchiha leaned close to Pakkun's ear with a sinister look, making Pakkun shudder all over.

"What a dangerous guy..."

"Obito, what nonsense are you talking about?" Rin turned and knocked Obito on the head. She glanced at the expressionless Kato Osamu, her brows knitting slightly.

"Pakkun! About three hundred meters ahead, there's a Cloud Shinobi hidden fortress. But it seems no one is there anymore. Go scout it out..."

"Please, Pakkun..."

"Leave it to me..."

For a shinobi, a few hundred meters was only a matter of several breaths. Pakkun was fast as well. Though he looked somewhat dull-witted, he was quite agile.

Pakkun vanished from sight. Kakashi also drew his short blade and slowly advanced, fully on guard.

Dim, bleak sunlight shrouded the forest. It was so quiet that everything seemed to be asleep in fear of death. Kato Osamu became alert as well, but he did not believe there was any problem with his senses.

"Kakashi... The Cloud Shinobi really are gone... But..."

Pakkun returned quickly, but his face was grim and heavy.

"Forget it. You should go take a look yourselves..."

Kakashi took the lead, with Obito and Rin following close behind. Kato Osamu tapped off the ground and disappeared into the forest as well.

The hidden fortress was not large, only around a dozen square meters, but many cloth sacks hung upside down inside. Kakashi sent out a shuriken, cutting the ropes suspending the sacks. The bloated sacks dropped to the floor.

The sacks that fell to the ground gave off the stench of rotten wood. Through the tears in the fabric, they saw decaying corpses, their skin long since rotted away.

The corpse's eyes were gone, leaving only two hollow sockets staring straight at them. Its mouth hung wide open, as though it had suffered unimaginable pain before death. A Konoha forehead protector hung around its neck, but it was covered in filth.

Its disheveled hair was matted with bloodstained mud, making it look incomparably miserable.

Kakashi silently tore open the sack completely. Only then did he see the wooden spikes piercing through the corpse's palms and soles, with only around ten centimeters exposed outside. Sharp triangular wooden stakes had pierced straight through all four limbs, emerging from the shoulders and hip bones.

Thick swarms of maggots filled the entire abdominal cavity and were slowly spreading across the body. White maggots writhed over the corpse like tens of thousands converging together, smearing clumps of thick white slime across it.

"Urgh..."

Rin had never seen such a scene before. She immediately began vomiting, tears flowing uncontrollably down her face.

"Th-these... They're all Konoha shinobi!"

Obito looked at the dozen or so cloth sacks hanging upside down against the hidden fortress's black walls. His whole body trembled as an uncontrollable fury filled his heart.

"Cloud Shinobi! I'll make you die!"

Obito's furious voice echoed throughout the hidden fortress. Even Kato Osamu felt sickened by the sight.

"They're all heroes of Konoha..."

Though he was clearly nauseated, Obito still took them down from the rock wall one by one.

He hesitated for a moment, then seemed to steel himself. With trembling hands, he reached for the forehead protectors around the corpses' necks and heads. The disgusting slime made him physically ill, but he endured it and removed their forehead protectors, clutching them tightly in his hand.

"Water Release: Water Flow Technique!"

Kakashi controlled a stream of water that swept over the bodies of the dozen or so Konoha shinobi, washing all the filth from them. Obito pulled the wooden spikes from their palms and soles one by one, then laid them out neatly together.

"I'm taking all of them back to camp!"

Obito's voice was not loud. It was as though he had suffered a blow, yet it was exceptionally firm.

"I'll come too, Obito..."

Rin looked at the corpses lying on the ground, her heart filled with bitterness.

"We should find the Cloud Shinobi from this hidden fortress and kill them. That is our top priority..."

"Kakashi! I said I'm taking them back first!"

It was the first time Obito had looked at Kakashi with such anger. His eyes seemed ready to spit fire, already bloodshot.

"Don't forget our mission! Shinobi must obey orders first and foremost. The mission always comes first for a shinobi!"

There seemed to be no emotion left in Kakashi's eyes as he silently faced Obito.

"Kakashi..."

Rin looked worriedly at the two of them, locked in confrontation, unsure how to persuade them.

"How foolish..."

Kato Osamu slowly turned and walked outside. He let out a quiet snort, though it was unclear whom he was calling foolish. He tossed out a scroll, which landed in Rin's arms.

"I made it myself. No guarantees it'll work..."

Rin gently opened the scroll. It was densely covered in unfamiliar seals, like chains, with a large character for "Seal" written in the center.

"Obito! It's a sealing scroll!"

"Kato is really dependable..."

Rin smiled as she placed the sealing scroll in Obito's hand. Kakashi also gave Kato Osamu a surprised look.

If he had heard correctly, that gloomy hooded boy had just said he made it himself. If that was true, then his skill with Sealing Jutsu was not low.

Obito's gaze also fell on Kato Osamu. He watched him for a long time, and the hostility and coldness in his eyes seemed to melt somewhat.

"Hmph, even so, I won't give up on defeating him..."

Seeing Obito stubbornly trying to save face with that haughty expression, Rin Nohara pursed her lips and chuckled.

A sudden boom rang out through the silent forest. The hidden fortress collapsed with a thunderous crash. A rabbit hiding behind the bushes peered around with frightened eyes, then seemed startled by the roar and quickly fled.

The four figures swiftly vanished into the mountain forest, leaving behind only scattered dust and smoke. The wind howled, sweeping it all away. The trees stood silently beneath the azure sky, welcoming the sunlight.

For some reason, however, the ground suddenly churned like quicksand. A gigantic pitcher plant burst from the earth with astonishing speed.

"Madara, is this the child you've taken a liking to?"

"He doesn't seem particularly talented..."

A shriveled old man appeared beside the pitcher plant. He looked as though he might die at any moment, but his gaze remained sharp.

"The Uchiha Clan is a clan of love. Only those who understand love can make the Uchiha name bloom into its most beautiful flower..."

"This child has immense power hidden within his heart..."

"He only needs an opportunity..."

"Cough, cough..."

As though his body could no longer bear the burden, Madara Uchiha could not help coughing. Feeling his body grow ever more decayed, Madara Uchiha's eyes became increasingly gloomy.

"Let's go, Zetsu. This is the last time I'm coming out. This body has already decayed too much..."

"Just like this world..."