When Madara spoke those words, Obito's expression turned ghastly.
If Shigure's plan had succeeded as intended, the Eight Tailed Beasts would already belong to the Akatsuki—not to Shigure. The organization would not have been nearly annihilated, nor reduced to its current, broken state.
Rage churned in Obito's chest.
He wanted nothing more than to tear Shigure apart—skin him alive, grind him to dust. But fury did not blind him to reality. If he confronted Shigure now, the one who would die miserably would be himself.
There was no escaping this failure.
The only person who could turn the tide… was Madara.
Madara stepped forward—
—and suddenly stopped.
Orochimaru was still controlling him through the Impure World Reincarnation.
"Oh?" Orochimaru smiled faintly. "I almost forgot. I haven't released Madara-sama from my control yet."
Even a legendary shinobi could only obey while bound by his Edo Tensei. To control Uchiha Madara himself—what greater assurance could there be?
"No need."
Madara smiled calmly.
"Do you really think you can restrain me with this technique?"
"Impure World Reincarnation…"
"Release."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Orochimaru's pupils shrank. He stared at Madara in disbelief.
Worthy of a legend.
He had undone the contract of the Impure World Reincarnation on his own—breaking free from control entirely.
Madara flexed his hands, examining his resurrected body.
"Though I am free… this body feels nothing at all."
Orochimaru quietly stepped back.
A liberated Madara, even in an Edo Tensei body, was effectively immortal. Unless sealed with a powerful fūinjutsu, he could not be killed. And sealing Uchiha Madara was not something one or two shinobi could accomplish.
In an instant, the balance of power reversed.
The one in control… was now Madara.
"Hmph."
Madara glanced at Orochimaru.
"Your Impure World Reincarnation is quite impressive. It has restored about ninety percent of my strength."
Orochimaru froze.
Ninety percent?
He had deliberately refined the technique—strengthening the binding control and maximizing the restored power. In his estimation, Madara should have returned at full strength.
And yet… even so, it was only ninety percent.
"If I failed to restore your full power," Orochimaru said lightly, "then my technique still has room for improvement."
"It is sufficient," Madara replied.
Then he turned to Obito.
"According to what you said… the Rinnegan fell into Shigure's hands?"
Obito swallowed.
"No… It was most likely destroyed by him."
The temperature in the cave seemed to plummet.
Even though Madara's killing intent was not directed at him, Orochimaru felt his back prickle with cold sweat. He watched Madara carefully, a trace of unease flickering in his golden eyes.
"You've done well, Obito," Madara said coldly as he walked forward. "To think you allowed even the Rinnegan to be destroyed."
Obito abruptly lifted his head.
"It may not be completely lost!"
"There are still two possibilities!"
Madara paused.
"If I can… awaken the Rinnegan myself, then everything can still proceed according to plan."
"Or—"
"There is still another Uchiha survivor. Uchiha Sasuke. His talent is exceptional. He may also have the potential to awaken the Rinnegan."
Obito spoke plainly, holding nothing back.
Because at this point, concealment was meaningless.
Only power… could salvage what remained.
Madara's expression shifted repeatedly, yet his voice remained calm.
He spoke so openly in front of Orochimaru for a reason. Madara trusted only Obito—for now. As for Orochimaru, he would never place his faith in someone so slippery.
At the same time, Obito's plan still revolved around awakening the Rinnegan.
And that meant one thing—
Obito could not be allowed to die so easily.
Madara smiled faintly.
"Obito… you've changed. You've grown more mature."
He turned his gaze toward Orochimaru.
"And you, Orochimaru. Would you care to join us? Help us realize our ambitions?"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a thin smile.
"Of course."
The three men exchanged glances and smiled.
On the surface, it appeared they had formed an alliance. But in truth, each harbored his own agenda.
Madara sought to transcend even the Sage of Six Paths and become an existence beyond all shinobi.
Obito wished to create a world where Rin still lived—a false paradise free of suffering.
Orochimaru desired knowledge. By harnessing the power of the Ten-Tails, he intended to unravel the mysteries of life, death, and chakra itself.
Their goals were different.
But for now, they shared a common enemy.
Shigure.
Faced with someone of that caliber, they had no choice but to cooperate.
Elsewhere.
Shigure looked at Sasuke, whose condition had nearly stabilized.
"Well? Do your eyes feel different?"
Sasuke nodded slowly.
"They're completely different. My ocular power has increased significantly… and the strength of my dōjutsu has grown as well."
"The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan," Shigure said calmly, "is obtained by transplanting the Mangekyō Sharingan of a blood relative. Once awakened, you no longer risk blindness from overuse."
Sasuke's eyes flickered.
"So what's next?"
Shigure smiled faintly.
"Next? We pay a visit to Konoha."
"Visit Konoha? Who's going?"
"Of course—me."
Sasuke frowned slightly.
"You want to steal the Sealing Scroll. Even with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, infiltrating Konoha alone isn't realistic. Don't forget—Senju Hashirama is still there."
If Hashirama were present, the risk would be enormous.
"As the Mizukage, if I openly steal Konoha's Sealing Scroll, it could spark a war between the two villages," Shigure continued. "I'm not afraid of war—but I have no intention of provoking one needlessly."
He looked directly at Sasuke.
"I will formally visit Konoha under diplomatic pretenses. Whatever excuse we use, the village will have to prepare to receive me. I'll arrange to meet the Hokage outside the village proper."
"In that case, Konoha's internal defenses will be slightly loosened."
"And you can use that opportunity to infiltrate and retrieve the Sealing Scroll."
Sasuke considered it carefully, then nodded.
"I understand. That does increase the chances of success."
"There's more," Shigure added. "While you're there, go to the former Root base."
"Root?"
"Shimura Danzō may be dead, but the underground base should still exist. It's likely been taken over by the ANBU by now."
"There are numerous Sharingan stored there—eyes taken from the Uchiha clan."
Sasuke's pupils sharpened.
"To reclaim the eyes of our clan…"
The thought alone stirred something deep within him.
"You can retrieve them," Shigure said. "They belong to the Uchiha."
Sasuke lowered his head slightly.
"Thank you, Shigure. I don't know how to repay you."
"There's no need," Shigure replied lightly. "We're allies. Helping you also serves my own goals."
Sasuke looked at him.
"Even so… I'm grateful."
Shigure smiled faintly.
"In fact, I'm also interested in the Impure World Reincarnation."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
Shigure's tone remained casual, but his intent was clear.
He had no desire to revive the dead for sentimentality.
His target… was the Fourth Hokage.
By resurrecting Namikaze Minato through Impure World Reincarnation, he could seize the chakra of the Nine-Tails.
Everything Shigure did was for power.
(End of Chapter)
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