"Rinne Rebirth!"
A powerful white light flew out of Nagato's body, passed through the giant tree made of paper, and sped into the distance.
Nagato felt utterly drained and panted:
"Huff... huff... Black Zetsu, you... you actually used my body to perform Rinne Rebirth. Just who... are you trying to revive?!"
"My dear Lord Madara, of course~ I used every bit of chakra in your body to revive him alone. Tsk, tsk, that should bring him back in his prime..."
"Madara? Isn't he... still alive? Could it be that he isn't...?!"
Nagato was stunned. If Black Zetsu was telling the truth, then the masked Uchiha man who had always called himself Madara was not Madara!
Then who exactly was he?
All these years, he had been kept in the dark.
He had been played for a fool.
Sensing Nagato's anger and resentment, Black Zetsu grinned and offered some "comfort":
"Relax, I'll remember your contribution. I'll take care of that child, Akatsuki, for you and Konan as repayment-provided he lives long enough. Hehehe..."
Inside a cave on the border of the Land of Fire.
The white light drifted into the cave.
Ten seconds later.
Boom!
The cave exploded from within, turning into rubble in an instant.
Amid the billowing dust, a figure slowly emerged.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"I, Madara Uchiha, have finally returned to life! This feeling of being alive, this real body of flesh and blood..."
"What a rush!"
Madara stretched his stiff limbs, his face filled with feverish excitement.
"Long time no see, Lord Madara." White Zetsu emerged from the ground beside Madara's feet.
Madara glanced at him and replied coldly, "Oh, it's Zetsu. Where's that brat Obito?"
"Hehe, he's having a grand time on the battlefield~"
White Zetsu told Madara everything about the current situation and how it