"Akatsuki was practically wiped out while capturing the tailed beasts. After Nagato failed in Konoha and died, Konan was the only one left. Later, Obito dealt with Konan, successfully found Nagato's body where she had hidden it, and transplanted one Rinnegan."
Lying inside the temperature-controlled tent, Lin Xiaoran quietly recounted the Shinobi World's subsequent developments.
"Hmph. If Obito hadn't transplanted Hashirama's cells, forget two Rinnegan-he might not even have been able to withstand one!" Madara snorted.
He was very dissatisfied with Obito's actions now. He was dragging things out far too much!
Clearly, once Obito grew up, he had developed ideas of his own and might not have wanted to revive him anymore.
But Obito could never have imagined that he would be brought back to the Shinobi World in another form through Impure World Reincarnation!
Still, it didn't matter. Obito had a seal Madara had placed inside his heart, so he could control him completely when the time came.
"By the time Obito transplanted the Rinnegan, the Fourth Shinobi World War had already broken out. Apart from the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, all the other tailed beasts had been successfully captured. That was when you were brought back through Impure World Reincarnation," Lin Xiaoran continued.
"Who is this Kabuto? How does he know Tobirama Senju's forbidden technique?" Madara asked in confusion.
"He's Orochimaru's disciple. During the Second Shinobi World War, Orochimaru witnessed so much death that he developed the idea of immortality. He wanted to live forever and keep exploring the mysteries of ninjutsu, so he learned many forbidden techniques.
"After Orochimaru died, Kabuto inherited his mantle and continued developing Impure World Reincarnation. Not only did he revive you, he also reincarnated all the dead members of Akatsuki, including Nagato. Oh, right, there were also the Second and Third Kage from other ninja villages, all sorts of powerful, deadly ninja, and so on.
"These were his preparations for the war. But judging by your situation, the war should have only just begun."
Lin Xiaoran revealed more information.
"What about Hashirama Senju? Was he reincarnated too?!" This was still the question Madara cared about most.
"Yes, but not by Kabuto. Orochimaru did it."
"Wasn't he dead?"
Lin Xiaoran explained, "That guy Orochimaru has some talent. While researching senjutsu and natural energy, he developed the Cursed Seal. Combined with the forbidden technique he created himself, [Living Corpse Reincarnation], he split his soul into several pieces and sealed them inside cursed seals. As long as someone used natural energy to trigger one, he could revive again through a fragment of his soul."
"Oh? That is rather impressive, coming up with something like that." Madara couldn't help raising his eyebrows. He sensed a trace of Tobirama Senju in Orochimaru.
"After Orochimaru revived, he retrieved his arms and the souls of the first four Hokage from the Uzumaki Clan's forbidden technique, [Reaper Death Seal], and used Impure World Reincarnation to revive them."
"Wait! Another forbidden technique?! You said before that the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had his soul devoured by the Reaper because he sealed half the Nine-Tails. What happened to Hashirama and Tobirama?!" Madara was utterly bewildered.
He remembered that Hashirama and Tobirama had both died natural deaths. How had they ended up swallowed by the Reaper?
"Huh? Didn't I mention it?" Lin Xiaoran asked in confusion. "During Konoha's Chunin Ninja Exams, Orochimaru revived Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju once before. Then, to seal them, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi used the Reaper Death Seal, taking them all into the Reaper's stomach along with Orochimaru's arms."
Madara looked speechless. "You never mentioned that!" Then he laughed. "Haha! Tobirama really reaped what he sowed! His own disciple's disciple summoned him with the forbidden technique he developed and used him against Konoha!"
"Heh. Students testing their teachers-a Konoha tradition~" Lin Xiaoran sneered.
"..." Madara had no answer.
Because Lin Xiaoran was absolutely right!
Minato Namikaze had died at the hands of his own student, Obito.
Jiraiya had died at the hands of his own student, Nagato.
Who else was there?
Oh, the Uchiha Clan had died at the hands of one of their own, if that counted too.
Thinking of this, Madara grew increasingly disappointed in the present Shinobi World.
After all the hardships they had endured to end the chaotic Warring States Period, peace had lasted only a little over a decade before one great war after another broke out. How was that any different from the Warring States Period?!
Sure enough, only by relying on him to cast [Infinite Tsukuyomi] could this false peace finally be brought to an end!
"All right, that's enough for today. I'll tell you everything else tomorrow night." Lin Xiaoran had grown sleepy as she spoke.
"Understood."
Madara sat before the fire, thinking over what Lin Xiaoran had said.
"It seems I'll be seeing quite a few 'old friends' after I return."
He had thrashed the Hokage from the various ninja villages before. They weren't worth mentioning.
Then there was that fellow Hashirama Senju.
Madara hadn't expected him to appear once more in such a way, then come to stop him again!
Yes, Madara was absolutely certain that he would have to fight Hashirama Senju when the time came. Persuasion would never work.
Fortunately, he had already awakened the Rinnegan, putting his strength ahead of Hashirama's.
Also, although Impure World Reincarnation provided infinite chakra and allowed shattered bodies to reform, those bodies weren't truly alive, which still placed some limits on the strength they could exert.
Madara had already sensed this.
However, those limitations would only become obvious to him after he activated the Rinnegan.
Besides, two of the nine tailed beasts still remained. If Obito couldn't capture them, he would simply do it himself. It would only take a little effort at most.
That way, he could become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki as he wished, then become the second Sage of Six Paths!
Then he would possess the power to change the entire Shinobi World! No one could stop him!
The fourth day.
Lin Xiaoran and Madara continued grinding maps without any other unexpected incidents, so Lin Xiaoran earned another huge haul of points, along with quite a few D-rank, C-rank, and B-rank treasure chests. Through the ten-thousandfold return, many people obtained plenty of good things as well.
For everyone in Country L, the entire day was happy, joyful, and filled with rewards, leaving people from other countries drooling with envy.
Six in the evening.
This was the final night inside the game.
Lin Xiaoran planned to tell Madara everything she knew and complete their final transaction.
"I'll tell you through genjutsu. I can't be bothered wasting my breath."
Lin Xiaoran activated her Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and cast a genjutsu, bringing the unresisting Madara into an illusion space.
"Prepare yourself mentally," Lin Xiaoran warned him.
"Hmm?? Does it end badly?" Madara asked with a frown, feeling that something was wrong.
"See for yourself."
As Lin Xiaoran finished speaking, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed. She brought Madara into an immersive "firsthand experience" of the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Roar!
The first scene they appeared in showed the Ten-Tails throwing back his head and roaring.
He and Obito were standing atop the Ten-Tails' head.
Thanks to Madara's instruction and her Mangekyō Sharingan, Lin Xiaoran had constructed the genjutsu quite well. It was extremely realistic, making Madara feel as though he were truly there.
As events sped up, the Allied Shinobi Forces' battle against the Ten-Tails began.
Afterward, Madara saw Hashirama Senju and the others. He also saw Obito actually make himself the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, becoming the second Sage of Six Paths!
At this point, Madara's expression grew grave.
In the end, although events took a slightly unexpected turn, his Black Zetsu still succeeded, possessing Obito and casting Rinne Rebirth to complete his revival.
Then he reclaimed his Rinnegan and, under the gazes of Naruto Uzumaki and Obito Uchiha, flew into the sky toward the moon and opened his Rinne Sharingan!
However!
Just when Madara thought he had succeeded!
Someone plunged a hand through his heart from behind once again!
Last time, it had been Hashirama Senju!
This time... it was actually Black Zetsu!?
"How could Black Zetsu betray me?!" Madara erupted in fury, but even more than that, he was bewildered!
"Keep watching and you'll find out." Lin Xiaoran offered no explanation.
Afterward, Madara got his answer.
He saw Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the mother of the Sage of Six Paths!
And Black Zetsu was actually Kaguya's child!
He had already lived in the Shinobi World for thousands of years!
He had instigated the conflict between the Sage of Six Paths' two sons, altered the Uchiha stone tablet, and used Madara as a pawn, all to revive Kaguya Ōtsutsuki!
The so-called Infinite Tsukuyomi was nothing but a deception!!
"No wonder you said..."
Madara watched it all in disbelief, finally understanding why Lin Xiaoran had said he would lose.
He hadn't lost to Hashirama Senju, but to Black Zetsu, to this great schemer who had spent a thousand years laying his plans in the Shinobi World!
So what meaning had anything he had done actually held?