Madara Uchiha

They were already very close to the hidden bunker, yet there was still no one around. Kato Xu faintly sensed that something was wrong.

The entire front line was dotted with many such hidden bunkers, providing the Cloud Shinobi with ample capacity for sustained combat. This was also one of their standard tactics. These bunkers were generally concealed extremely well, making them difficult to discover from the outside unless one was a Cloud Shinobi.

They were usually protected by some kind of Sealing Jutsu and barrier technique. Even at the very least, they would be packed with traps.

"Something isn't right..."

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

"The Cloud Shinobi here seem to be gone..."

Kakashi Hatake raised his brows slightly. Though he should have absolute trust in ninjas from the village, he knew what Root was. He remained wary of every word Kato Xu said, even though he knew Kato Xu would not joke about something like this.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A pug appeared before the three of them, looking somewhat lazy.

"Pakkun! Long time no see!"

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

"Hehe..."

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

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

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

"What a dangerous guy..."

"Obito, what nonsense are you saying?" Rin Nohara turned around and knocked Obito on the head. She glanced at the expressionless Kato Xu, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Pakkun! About three hundred meters ahead, there's a Cloud Shinobi hidden bunker. It seems to be empty, but go scout it out..."

"Please, Pakkun..."

"Leave it to me..."

For a ninja, a few hundred meters was only a matter of several breaths. Pakkun was fast too. Though he looked a little slow-witted, he was quite agile.

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

Dim, bleak sunlight shrouded the forest. It was so silent that everything seemed to be asleep beneath the fear of death. Kato Xu became vigilant too, but he did not believe there was anything wrong with his senses.

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

Pakkun returned quickly, yet his face bore a grim and solemn expression.

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

Kakashi Hatake took the lead, with Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara close behind. Kato Xu pushed off the ground and vanished into the forest as well.

The hidden bunker was small, only a dozen or so square meters, but many sacks hung upside down inside. Kakashi Hatake sent a shuriken flying, severing the ropes holding the sacks. The bloated sacks fell to the ground.

The sacks that hit the ground gave off the stench of rotting wood. Through the tears in the cloth, they saw decomposing corpses, their skin already utterly rotten.

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

Its disheveled hair was matted with blood-soaked dirt, making it look exceptionally desolate.

Kakashi Hatake silently tore the sack completely open. Only then did he see the wooden spikes piercing through its palms and soles, with only about ten centimeters exposed outside. Each sharp triangular spike had run straight through its limbs, emerging from its shoulders and hips.

A thick mass of maggots filled its entire abdominal cavity and had begun slowly spreading across its body. White maggots writhed over the corpse as though tens of thousands had converged together, smearing clumps of thick white sludge across it.

"Urgh..."

Rin Nohara had never seen such a scene before. She immediately vomited, tears spilling from her eyes.

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

Obito Uchiha looked at the dozen or so sacks hanging upside down from the hidden bunker's black walls. His entire body trembled as an uncontrollable fury filled his heart.

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

Obito's furious voice echoed through the entire bunker. Even Kato Xu felt sickened by the sight.

"They were all heroes of Konoha..."

Though it was revolting, Obito Uchiha still took them down from the rock wall one by one.

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

Water Release: Water Flow Technique!

Kakashi Hatake controlled a stream of water that swept over the bodies of the dozen Konoha ninjas, washing all filth from them. Obito Uchiha removed the wooden spikes from their palms and soles one by one, then laid them neatly together.

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

Obito's voice was quiet, as though he had suffered a blow, yet it was extraordinarily firm.

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

Rin Nohara looked at the corpses lying on the ground, her heart filled with an indescribable feeling.

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

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

It was the first time Obito Uchiha had looked at Kakashi Hatake with such fury. His eyes seemed ready to spew flames, bloodshot veins filling them.

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

It was as if all emotion had vanished from Kakashi Hatake's eyes. He merely stood in silence, staring at Obito Uchiha.

"Kakashi..."

Rin Nohara looked anxiously at the two confronting each other, not knowing how to persuade them.

"How foolish..."

Kato Xu slowly turned and walked outside. He gave a soft snort, though it was impossible to tell whom he was calling foolish. He tossed out a scroll, which landed in Rin Nohara's arms.

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

Rin Nohara gently opened the scroll. It was covered in incomprehensible seals, like chains, with a large character meaning "seal" written in the center.

"Obito! It's a sealing scroll!"

"Kato is really dependable..."

Rin Nohara smiled and placed the sealing scroll in Obito Uchiha's hand. Kakashi Hatake also looked at Kato Xu in surprise.

If he had heard correctly, that gloomy hooded boy had just said he made it himself. If that was true, then his mastery of Sealing Jutsu was no small matter.

Obito Uchiha's gaze fell on Kato Xu as well. He stared at him for a long while, and the hostility and coldness in his eyes seemed to melt somewhat.

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

Seeing Obito Uchiha stubbornly putting on that proud act, Rin Nohara pursed her lips and chuckled softly.

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

The four figures swiftly disappeared into the mountain forest, leaving only dust scattered across the ground. The wind howled, sweeping the dust away. The trees stood quietly beneath the azure sky, welcoming the sunlight.

Yet for some reason, the ground suddenly began to surge like quicksand. A gigantic pitcher plant burst from the earth at an astonishing rate of growth.

"Lord Madara, is this the child you have chosen?"

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

A completely shriveled old man appeared beside the pitcher plant. He looked as if he might die at any moment, yet 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 harbors tremendous power within his heart..."

"He only needs an opportunity..."

"Cough, cough..."

As though his body could no longer bear the burden, Madara Uchiha coughed. Feeling his body grow ever more decayed, the darkness in Madara Uchiha's eyes deepened.

"Let's go, Zetsu. This is the last time I will come out. This body has become too decayed..."

"Just like this world..."