Eye of the Moon Plan

Five years later.

Land of Lightning, on a platform high in the mountains.

"Careful, don't look into their eyes!"

Three Cloud Ninja were fleeing frantically. The sharp whistles of projectiles rang out one after another as a dense barrage of shuriken swept toward them like bullets, driving them into a corner.

Opposite them stood a handsome young man and woman in high-collared black clothes atop the sandstone. Two pairs of scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan glimmered with a soul-stirring light.

At their feet lay the bodies of more than a dozen Cloud Ninja, strewn haphazardly across the ground. Charred corpses covered the area, blood flowed like a river, and the air was thick with the stench of scorched flesh and blood.

"Tell us where the Nine-Tails is, and we'll spare your lives." The girl's voice was cool and clear, tinged with impatience. "Otherwise, don't blame us for doing this ourselves."

Her skin was fair as snow, made even paler by her glossy black hair. Her slender brows curved like crescent moons, and her exquisitely beautiful face seemed veiled in frost. Her Bright Eyes resembled a pool of autumn water, yet they held undisguised killing intent.

"You're going too far!" one Cloud Ninja roared. "The Nine-Tails' whereabouts are a Hidden Cloud Village secret. Why would we ever tell you!"

"So you've chosen death?" The girl slightly raised her eyes. Her Pupils instantly transformed into Mangekyo, Ink-colored patterns swirling within them like three swallows circling freely high in the sky.

A chilly Chakra presence spread outward, making all three men shudder.

"Damn Uchiha! Are you trying to start a war between Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Leaf Village?!" The Cloud Ninja who appeared to be their captain gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "You entered our country and slaughtered Hidden Cloud Village ninja without restraint. Did Hashirama approve of this?!"

"Watch your mouth. We have nothing to do with the Hidden Leaf Village." It was the youth on the left who spoke.

His face was handsome and refined, his features delicate. His short, pitch-black hair fell naturally around his head, and although a faint smile rested at the corners of his lips, his cold, aloof eyes carried an overbearing edge.

"...And don't mention that person's name in front of us."

The instant he finished speaking, his body blurred without warning, and he appeared between the three men in a flash.

"Shhk!"

A flash of light streaked through the air. It was an icy blue Chakra Blade. Blood sprayed as a head with a blank expression flew into the sky.

"What?!"

"Captain!"

The remaining two were horrified, but as battle-hardened veterans, they reacted immediately despite their panic. They drew their blades and thrust fiercely, attacking the youth's back and ribs at the same time.

With a sharp crackle, dazzling Electric current flickered along the blades. This was Hidden Cloud Village's secret technique, the Supersonic Quake Lightning Release Blade.

At that moment, the youth's cheeks puffed out slightly. "Fire Style: Dust Concealment Technique."

An enormous cloud of dust completely engulfed them. The dust was filled with unimaginable heat. The two Cloud Ninja instinctively shut their eyes, but their airways were still burned, leaving them coughing violently where they stood.

One Cloud Ninja endured the discomfort and immediately retreated in the opposite direction, only to be struck head-on. A hand like an iron clamp seized his throat!

Wind Sound howled beside his ears, and the air became cool again. It seemed someone had carried him beyond the dust cloud.

He instinctively opened his eyes and immediately met a pair of eerie, brilliant Sharingan!

"Demonic Illusion: Puppet Technique!"

The three Tomoe rotated slightly, and his expression went blank as he became completely lost in the Illusion Technique.

On the other side, explosions rang out from within the churning dust. Firelight rippled outward, and after a scream, the dust dispersed, revealing a blackened corpse.

"Your Body Flicker Technique is getting more and more unpredictable, Shin'yu." The girl leaped down, her black clothes fluttering like a butterfly.

"You're not bad yourself. Whether it's Taijutsu or Shuriken Technique, you've surpassed the level of an ordinary Jonin." The youth smiled faintly and gave her a thumbs-up.

The young man and woman were naturally Shin'yu and Uchiha Hikari, who had made great progress in their training.

And the reason they had appeared here...

"Tell me where the Nine-Tails is," Shin'yu ordered.

The Cloud Ninja looked dazed, his lips opening and closing. "I don't know."

"How is that possible? Didn't Hidden Cloud capture the Nine-Tails three months ago?"

"That operation ended in failure. We lost many people," the Cloud Ninja answered obediently.

Shin'yu's gaze shifted slightly. "Who knows the Nine-Tails' whereabouts?"

"Lord Gold and Lord Silver might know. They were swallowed by the Nine-Tails while trying to capture it, yet they returned safely two weeks later and obtained Nine-Tails Chakra."

"I see..." Shin'yu stroked his chin and looked at Hikari beside him. "Looks like we need to make a choice."

"What choice?"

"Either we obediently head back and leave this matter for Lord Madara to decide, or... we press our advantage and interrogate Gold and Silver for information before returning."

Shin'yu extended a hand toward Uchiha Hikari, looking as though he would let her choose. "What do you think? Stay unknown, or become famous throughout the world? I'll listen to you."

Hikari looked thoughtful. "Gold and Silver... are those two strong?"

Shin'yu spread his Hands. "As far as I know, they're descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. They can freely wield the Sage of Six Paths' Five Ninja Tools and already possess Tailed Beast-level Chakra. Now they've also gained Nine-Tails Chakra, so they're definitely troublesome."

"But what worries me more is Hidden Cloud Village." His tone shifted. "Those two hold extremely high status in Hidden Cloud and count among its High-level figures. If we just charge in without a care, we might cause Lord Madara quite a bit of trouble."

"Wouldn't it be fine as long as we aren't discovered?" Hikari raised her brows at him, a hint of confusion in her eyes. For some reason, Shin'yu found the expression deeply provocative.

"I'm only stating the facts. If we're exposed, this will definitely cause an uproar across the ninja world. If the Hidden Leaf Village finds out and delays Lord Madara's plans, that would be bad." Shin'yu glared back at her.

He was a little annoyed. He was already thirteen, yet he was still half a head shorter than Uchiha Hikari.

Hikari thought seriously for a moment. "I choose to become famous throughout the world!"

"All right, then. I'll risk my life to accompany you." Shin'yu clapped his hands with considerable elegance.

"Wait, why do I get to make the final decision? Come to think of it, it was the same during the last few missions..." She finally caught on.

"Why bring that up..."

Within the Land of Fire, on a barren plain.

"Uchiha Reflection!"

A hurricane swept through the area, shattering the formation of dozens of Hidden Leaf Village ninja and sending them crashing to the ground like dumped dumplings. Everything within several hundred meters ahead was plowed flat by the gale.

Uchiha Madara put away his war fan and gazed toward the Hidden Leaf Village. The coldness in his eyes gradually softened.

"Now Hashirama will have no choice but to act."

Over five years of wandering, he had traveled through nearly the entire ninja world. Whether great nations or small ones, every country with even a little strength was imitating Hashirama Senju's ninja village system, establishing one ninja village after another.

But he had gradually come to understand that this peace was like duckweed floating on a calm Water Surface. The moment someone stirred the water, countless chaotic ripples would inevitably rise.

The ninja world appeared stable, yet nearly every ninja village was actively building up its strength. Some countries had even petitioned their Feudal Lords for funding, secretly amassing Troops. Their swelling ambitions were obvious for all to see.

This so-called peace is nothing more than a product of Hashirama's military deterrence. Once the restraint of supreme power is gone, this false peace will quickly be shattered.

As time passed, Madara increasingly came to hold this view.

Especially after the First Mizukage learned that he had left the Hidden Leaf Village and secretly invited him to join the Hidden Mist Village, that view became utterly unshakable.

Hashirama, you were wrong. As long as people exist, this world will never be free of conflict. He had become completely disappointed in Hashirama's way.

The Eye of the Moon Plan began from that point onward!

The first step of the plan was to awaken the power of the Rinnegan.

According to the Stone Tablet, he first needed to obtain Hashirama's cells and unite the powers of Indra and Asura. Only then could he awaken Yin Yang Release and open those legendary eyes.

That made a battle with Hashirama unavoidable.

Thinking of his crushing defeat last time... Madara decided that before their final battle, he would first capture the strongest among the Nine Tailed Beasts to make up for his weakness in prolonged combat.

It would also slightly increase his chances of victory... Ahem, it was to guard against that scheming Tobirama.

That was also why Shin'yu and Hikari had appeared in the Land of Lightning.

The second step was to use the Rinnegan to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, the shell of the Ten-Tails.

The third step was to gather the Nine Tailed Beasts, revive the Ten-Tails, then use Six Paths: Ten-Tails Coffin Seal to become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki.

He had calculated that awakening the Rinnegan would be a long process, and he had also calculated that he might lose his ability to fight after battling Hashirama. That was why Shin'yu and Uchiha Hikari were especially important now.

For this reason, he would spare no effort in training them and have them inherit his ideals.

From then on, the two would act in the outside world under his name and gather the Nine Tailed Beasts before he awakened the Rinnegan.

The final step was to approach the moon with Six Paths Power, awaken the Rinne Sharingan, and release Infinite Tsukuyomi to control everyone in the world, unify the world, and create eternal "peace" within an illusion!

After Infinite Tsukuyomi was released, the God Tree would Descend and seal the people of the world into tree cocoons. Their bodies would receive nourishment from the God Tree, ensuring they would not die.

Their souls would forever remain immersed in the Illusion Technique of Infinite Tsukuyomi. Everyone would live in the ideal world of their own dreams.

Reality and falsehood no longer mattered. Sunlight would shine across the earth, and the world would fall silent, never again seeing war or smoke.

And Madara himself... would become its guardian and bear that eternal loneliness alone.