Two hours earlier.
Outside Takigakure, in a dense forest left muddy by the rain.
Black Zetsu, the pitch-black creature who claimed to be Madara Uchiha's will, was attached to a woman's body. She had long, blood-red hair and was clearly a survivor of the Uzumaki Clan.
At that moment, however, her body stood eerily upright. One eye socket held a scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan, while the other held a purple Rinnegan covered in strange concentric rings.
At his feet lay two unconscious Takigakure shinobi, expressions of pain still lingering on their faces.
Controlling the woman's body, Black Zetsu dragged one of the shinobi onto the clearing before him.
"The sacrifice is in place, and the stage is almost ready." Black Zetsu let out a chilling cackle and whispered in a crazed tone, "Mother, you will soon descend upon this world once more."
His hands rapidly formed hand seals.
Impure World Reincarnation
With a low shout, he slammed both hands onto the ground!
The Takigakure shinobi on the ground instantly turned to ash, as though every last bit of his vitality had been drained away. Pale dust and runes spread across the ground, swiftly enveloping the Takigakure shinobi offered as a sacrifice!
The shinobi let out an agonized scream, but the gathering dust soon swallowed his voice.
Rumble!
A wooden coffin covered in inscriptions burst out of the muddy ground.
The lid slowly opened. Oppressive chakra, steeped in death and war, surged through the gap, sending the surrounding trees thrashing wildly.
A figure clad in dark red armor from the Warring States period, with long, wild black hair, slowly stepped out of the coffin. His eyes were shut, and the cracks characteristic of Impure World Reincarnation still marked his face, yet his commanding presence had already silenced the entire forest.
"At last... I can smell this world's air again." Madara Uchiha slowly opened his eyes. One scarlet Sharingan and one impassive Rinnegan surveyed the world before him, at once familiar and strange.
"Is it time for me to take the stage again?"
"Lord Madara, welcome back." Controlling the woman's body, Black Zetsu bowed respectfully.
"What's the situation?" Madara rolled his neck, producing a series of sharp cracks. He relished the feeling of having a body again, even if it was only a cold shell made of dust.
"Everything is under control," Black Zetsu reported. "The allied forces of the Five Kage have assembled in Amegakure, and the White Zetsu we planted there have finished analyzing the combat data of Akatsuki's core members.
"The chakra of eight Tailed Beasts has already been gathered in Amegakure. And the last one, the Nine-Tails... no, the Seven-Tails, is right here in this village."
"Good." A cold smile curled Madara's lips. "It seems all the actors have taken the stage."
"Once you capture the Seven-Tails, we can head straight to Amegakure, take over the battlefield, and gather all Nine Tailed Beasts." Black Zetsu's tone grew increasingly fervent. "Then I will use this Uzumaki woman as a sacrifice to perform Rinne Rebirth for you, truly resurrecting you in your most perfect state!"
"Then you will summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and have it devour the Nine Tailed Beasts to become the Ten-Tails. After that, you will become the new Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, the only god in this world!"
Madara Uchiha listened quietly, his face expressionless. He lowered his gaze to the sacrifice on the ground, which had fulfilled its purpose and turned to ash, then glanced at the living sacrifice beside Black Zetsu, who would soon be the key to his resurrection.
"It's not enough." He suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse and imperious.
"Lord Madara?" Black Zetsu sounded puzzled.
"Resurrecting like that alone would still fall short of perfection." A desire for absolute power flashed in Madara's Rinnegan. "I need greater power. Enough to handle any unforeseen developments."
He turned his gaze to the unused Takigakure shinobi lying on the ground, the reserve sacrifice.
"Bring Hashirama back with Impure World Reincarnation too."
"What?!" Black Zetsu froze. "The First Hokage? But Lord Madara, with your current strength..."
"I don't need him to fight." Madara interrupted Black Zetsu, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes. "I only need something he has. Hurry up and do it. Keep him under control."
Though puzzled, Black Zetsu immediately complied.
The same ritual played out again. Another coffin broke through the earth, and the man who emerged was none other than Hashirama Senju, hailed as the God of Shinobi.
At that moment, however, the First Hokage's eyes were vacant and his movements stiff. He was clearly under Black Zetsu's complete control through Impure World Reincarnation.
"Have him enter Sage Mode," Madara ordered.
Black Zetsu immediately made Hashirama form hand seals. A moment later, an immense yet gentle surge of natural energy began gathering around Hashirama, and deep red sage markings appeared around his eyes.
The instant Hashirama entered Sage Mode, a spark of awareness suddenly flashed in his vacant eyes! His powerful will allowed him to break free of Impure World Reincarnation's restraints for a moment!
"Madara?! You...!"
Hashirama had barely tried to speak when a hand clamped around his throat like an iron vise.
It was Madara Uchiha.
At some point, he had appeared before Hashirama. His Rinnegan stared intently at him, and a wicked smile curled his lips.
"It's been a long time, Hashirama. I'll gladly take your chakra."
Before he had finished speaking, a terrifying suction erupted from Madara's palm! The senjutsu chakra inside Hashirama surged uncontrollably into Madara like water through a broken dam!
"Senjutsu chakra... this power is nothing special." Feeling the new power within him merge perfectly with his own chakra, Madara wore a satisfied expression.
"Madara... you bastard..." As his senjutsu chakra drained away, the light in Hashirama's eyes rapidly dimmed.
"You've outlived your usefulness."
With a casual flick of his hand, Madara flung Hashirama aside like trash.
Black Zetsu immediately understood and released Hashirama's Impure World Reincarnation. The former God of Shinobi never even managed to leave behind a complete sentence before dissolving into a cloud of dust that scattered in the cold rain.
From beginning to end, Madara Uchiha had never truly regarded his former archnemesis as worth his attention.
With all of that done, Madara Uchiha turned his gaze toward the peaceful Takigakure nearby, surrounded by waterfalls.
A wicked smile curled his lips.
After a rampage whose outcome had never been in doubt.
Madara Uchiha walked out of Takigakure without a scratch. In his hand, he carried a green-haired girl with butterfly wings on her back, long since unconscious-the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, Fū.
Behind him, the once-peaceful village had become a sea of fire, filled with piercing screams and the crash of collapsing buildings, as thick black columns of smoke rose into the sky.
"All Nine Tailed Beasts are ours." Black Zetsu followed behind him, his voice filled with fervor.
"Let's go."
Madara Uchiha casually tossed Fū to Black Zetsu and looked up toward the Land of Rain.
"Now, it's my turn to dance."