"It's right ahead! It's right ahead!"
A White Snake, as long as an arm, lay atop the head of a giant flower snake.
Madara Uchiha stood on the giant snake's head with a cold expression, letting the passing wind whip his wild, long hair.
The giant flower snake rampaged through the forest, smashing trees that would take several people to encircle into pieces.
Its constantly flicking forked tongue reveals the flower snake's inner turmoil.
The White Snake peeked out, looking at the wooden house that was vaguely visible in front of it.
" Lord Madara, we've arrived."
Madara Uchiha leaped up from the snake's head and landed on the ground.
Before us was a small wooden house.
Ban glanced at it and frowned. The wooden house was crooked and leaning, the door was half-open, and the inside was empty.
The straw was spread on the ground, covered with a thick layer of dust.
This is not where Kushinadahime Kushinadahime is hiding. This is just one of the mazes she has set up.
Ban's face darkened. He turned his head and looked at the White Snake.
The White Snake shrank its neck, and before it could speak, Ban had already raised its hand.
The Amenonuhoko materialized from his palm, the jet-black spear crackling with dark lightning.
" Lord Madara, please give me another chance."
Madara Uchiha did not answer, but simply held up the Amenonuhoko with a cold face.
The White Snake flicked its tongue, then bit its tongue with its sharp teeth.
After a puff of white smoke, a Aoda more than three zhang long appeared in the forest.
Madara Uchiha turned to look at the green Aoda following behind him.
Before the Aoda could react, the Amenonuhoko had already left its hand and pierced through its head.
The snake's head exploded with a bang, bursting into a cloud of blood mist.
The Aoda's body twitched a few times, then Fudo.
"For every wrong place I go, I will kill a snake from your Ryūchi Cave. If I still can't find it, I will wipe out your entire clan."
The White Snake trembled all over and nodded hurriedly.
It coiled atop the snake's head, its antennae reaching wildly into the air.
Suddenly, its body stiffened abruptly. It had sensed something.
This time it was more intense than ever before.
" Lord Madara! This time it's for real! I can guarantee it! It's in the east! In the direction of Yomi-tsu!"
Ban gave it a cold look and said nothing more.
He jumped onto the snake's head, and the snake immediately changed direction and sped off to the east.
This time the snake ran even faster, breaking more trees than before.
Ban stood on the snake's head, his fingers slightly clenched. He couldn't wait much longer.
It's been almost a month since Kushinadahime left.
Her belly must be even bigger now. She should be expecting the twins soon.
She's all alone outside, with no one to take care of her.
It was early morning.
A sliver of gray-white appeared on the eastern horizon.
The flower snake passed through the last patch of withered wood and stopped in front of a valley shrouded in mist.
The air here is much colder than outside, and the fog is much thicker.
The ground was covered with grayish-white rocks; there was no grass or trees.
In the distance, there was an extremely narrow crack, from which a faint light shone through.
The White Snake spoke cautiously.
" Lord Madara, this is Yomi-tsu, the legendary land of death in Takamagahara. Living people generally don't come here."
Ban ignored it; his gaze was drawn to the small wooden house beside the crack.
It was smaller and more dilapidated than the previous one. The door, made of vines, was ajar.
Ban walked over and pushed the Gate of Opening.
The cabin was dark, with hay spread out in the corner and two small figures lying on it.
The two children, the boy with his eyes closed, were breathing evenly.
The girl also had her eyes closed, her small hands clenched into fists.
Kushinadahime sat on the edge of the straw mat, leaning against the wall. When she saw Madara enter, she neither hid nor panicked.
She simply looked at him, a strange calm on her face.
Madara's gaze first fell on the two children. His Rinnegan swept over their meridians and the faintly flowing power within them.
He couldn't mistake that blood connection; this was his child.
His son, his daughter.
" Kushinadahime."
Kushinadahime raised her head.
"Long time no see, Ban."
Why did you leave without saying goodbye?
Kushinadahime did not answer.
She lowered her head and looked at the little girl in her arms.
She gently parted the girl's eyelids. The girl had ordinary, brown eyes.
Since breaking through to his current level, Madara Uchiha possesses extremely powerful sensory abilities.
He could clearly sense the strong Uchiha bloodline emanating from the little girl.
But her eyes were ordinary eyes, not the eyes of any Uchiha.
Even though his daughter hadn't awakened her Sharingan yet.
What's even more familiar is that these eyes once belonged to someone else.
The person who left an indelible mark on her heart is also the mother of the daughter before her.
Kushinadahime!
His gaze returned to Kushinadahime's eyes.
Her eyes changed; they became bright red Mangekyō, the patterns resembling a flower blooming from blood.
Madara was stunned. Those were Sharingan. They were the eyes of the Uchiha Clan!
It's still Mangekyō!
The bright red patterns resemble a flower blooming in blood.
A flood of memories suddenly erupted in Madara Uchiha's mind.
Everything about Kushinadahime suddenly connected in an instant.
He suddenly understood why Kushinadahime had left without saying goodbye.
Madara Uchiha's tone was somewhat low, and his voice became hoarse.
"You changed it."
Kushinadahime looked up at him. She did not deny it.
"You gave her eyes to yourself. For the sake of the Uchiha Clan's eyes."
"Yes," said Kushinadahime.
Ban remained silent for a moment.
His fist clenched and then relaxed. Surprisingly, he didn't go berserk.
He just stood there, looking at Kushinadahime and the two children.
His gaze was calm, so calm that it surprised Kushinadahime.
"You've broken free from my influence," Kushinadahime said. Her tone wasn't a question.
Ban looked at her, his voice as cold as endless ice.
"You underestimate the Uchiha Clan. You also underestimate the resistance these eyes can show to willpower."
Kushinadahime remained silent for a moment. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, as if in a smile, yet also as if in regret.
"I wanted to see if this kind of stimulation would cause your Rinnegan to evolve further. Now it seems I was too greedy."
She lowered her head and looked at the girl in her arms.
The girl was still asleep. Her fingers gently stroked the girl's cheek.
"Blemish," Kushinadahime suddenly said, "What are the conditions for Mangekyō to evolve into Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Ban did not answer.
"You always avoided this topic before," Kushinadahime said. "It seems we're cursed. Are we going to lose loved ones?"
Ban's expression didn't change. But his silence itself was the answer.
Kushinadahime looked at him and suddenly smiled.
She slowly reached out and peered into the boy's eyes, her fingers resting just above his eyelids.
"If I were to give him his eyes back to me, would my eyes become eternal Mangekyō?"
Madara Uchiha didn't move, but the surrounding air suddenly became suffocating and viscous.
Kushinadahime looked at Madara Uchiha Chakra, which was as vast as an abyss, like a volcano quietly waiting to erupt.
She looked at Ban, her smile deepening.
"I guessed right," Kushinadahime said. "It really is related to the other pair of eyes."
Madara's Rinnegan was fixed on Kushinadahime.
"So, you were able to get close to me, and everything you did was for these eyes?"
Kushinadahime nodded matter-of-factly, her tone carrying a sense of relief and nonchalance.
"Of course, Madara, you don't actually think that a blockhead like you would attract women, do you?"
Madara Uchiha silent at first, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha..."
The laughter faded, and there was no trace of laughter left; instead, it sent chills down one's spine.
Kushinadahime was not intimidated by Madara Uchiha's smile.
"Ban, you should thank me. If it weren't for me, who would have given birth to your child?"
Madara Uchiha stared intently at Kushinadahime with his Rinnegan, his gaze gradually turning cold.
Suddenly, an invisible figure appeared behind Kushinadahime.
He stretched out his arm, pierced through Kushinadahime's heart, and grabbed it hard.
Kushinadahime looked surprised for a moment, then gave a mocking smile.
"Ban, now is not the time for us to meet."
Her silhouette rippled like water, blurring from the edges.
"Ban, I should go."
Kushinadahime's body completely vanished. The boy's body vanished along with it.
Her voice still echoed in the air, growing softer and softer.
"You can have your daughter. I'm taking my son."
Is it an illusion? Is this also the power of a god? Even my own Rinnegan couldn't see through it.
Ban stood in the empty wooden house, his head bowed.
The girl was still asleep on the straw mat.
The boy is gone. Kushinadahime is gone too.
Only that Flower of Life remained on the straw mat, its black and white petals trembling slightly.
Ban crouched down, crushed the Flower of Life in one swift motion, and then picked up the girl.
The girl was very light, her small lips pursed slightly. As if sensing something, she reached out her little hand and made a grasping motion in the air.
Ban looked at her without saying a word for a long time.
Then he put his fingers into that tiny palm.
The little girl grabbed her finger and then instinctively put it in her mouth.
Madara Uchiha withdrew his finger.
The little girl's wish was not granted. She opened her eyes and looked at Madara Uchiha with some curiosity.
Perhaps they were frightened by Madara Uchiha's serious and ferocious expression.
Suddenly, her lips trembled, and she burst into loud sobs.
Madara Uchiha's expression froze, and he quickly forced a smile.