"Before Orochimaru joined the Akatsuki, he was already researching one of Konoha's forbidden techniques.
It was a jutsu that could pull the dead back from the underworld.
Uchiha Madara also knew of that forbidden technique, though it was never truly perfected. But the Impure World Reincarnation in Orochimaru's hands was very likely already a completed version!"
Obito's idea was simple: if his brain wasn't enough, then he'd just bring out someone whose brain was enough.
And as luck would have it, Obito felt that Uchiha Madara's brain was more than sufficient.
"Bring Madara-sama back with Impure World Reincarnation?"
White Zetsu thought Obito's idea was brilliant. He was just a White Zetsu who didn't understand anything—why should he be the one expected to come up with ideas for Obito? He didn't even have brain cells, so what great plan was he supposed to think of?
"That's right. For the next while, send the White Zetsu army to search for Orochimaru's research bases.
Oh, right—I remember Orochimaru also had an assistant. Kabuto, wasn't it?
Look for him too while you're at it. I suspect the Impure World Reincarnation technique in his hands might be even more complete. And if it still isn't complete enough, then make him keep refining it.
When the time is right, I'll bring Madara-sama back."
Obito's eyes began to sharpen with sudden intelligence. At this moment, he genuinely felt like a genius.
"They say you, Uchiha Chizumi, can stand alongside Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama—but Uchiha Madara himself has never acknowledged that claim.
If you really want to stand shoulder to shoulder with Madara and Hashirama, then at the very least you should go up against one of them first!"
A fierce glint flashed through Obito's eyes. It was true that he no longer dared show himself in front of Uchiha Chizumi—after all, Black Zetsu's fate had left him with a genuine psychological scar.
But Obito refused to believe that Uchiha Chizumi could use that bizarre ability on the dead as well.
At this point, Obito still didn't know that when Danzō Shimura had been brought back by Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation, his body had still been burning with the Flames of Judgment. If Obito had known…
He probably still would've chosen to make Uchiha Madara clash with Uchiha Chizumi.
After all, even if someone got hurt, it wouldn't be him getting hurt, right?
And besides, when it came to the Eye of the Moon Plan, Obito wanted to control everything himself. Creating a world where Rin existed was what mattered most to him. If he handed it over to Uchiha Madara, what if Madara thought his wish was childish?
"Huff… n-no… don't disturb Madara-sama!"
"The… the plan hasn't reached that point yet!"
Unexpectedly, Black Zetsu—who had been writhing and screaming in the Flames of Judgment the whole time—suddenly spoke up.
The flames were still burning on his body. Even Obito could tell Black Zetsu was enduring unimaginable pain, yet somehow, he still managed to speak.
It could only be said that Black Zetsu was truly the ultimate dutiful son—on the level of a legendary filial hero who could move the entire shinobi world.
He really had not escaped the pain of the Flames of Judgment. And since Black Zetsu himself was a creation of Yin-Yang Release, he didn't even possess a normal concept of death. That meant even dying had become an impossible luxury.
Once Black Zetsu realized that, he endured the agony of the Flames of Judgment by sheer force of devotion.
"Black Zetsu, you…"
Obito stared at Black Zetsu's flame-covered body and couldn't help marveling at the sheer toughness of his will.
Even at a time like this, Black Zetsu was still worried about Uchiha Madara. For the first time, Obito felt genuinely envious—what had Uchiha Madara ever done to deserve a subordinate like Black Zetsu?
"I'm fine!"
Black Zetsu practically squeezed the words out through clenched teeth—if he'd actually had teeth, that is.
"Don't concern yourself with Uchiha Chizumi. Let him do whatever he wants. Everything he does will amount to nothing in the end!
Remember this: our one and only goal is the Eye of the Moon Plan!
Only the Eye of the Moon can bring true peace to the shinobi world, and only the Eye of the Moon can create the world you desire!"
Black Zetsu endured the agony wracking his body and forced out those words between ragged breaths, trying to drill them into Obito's head.
He admitted that the power of Uchiha Chizumi's Sharingan was strange, but so what?
Over the past thousand years, the Uchiha clan had produced who knew how many strange and terrifying Sharingan abilities. Those powers had also been capable of threatening Black Zetsu—but in the end, their wielders all still died, didn't they?
Black Zetsu had absolute confidence in his mother, Princess Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. As long as Kaguya was revived, then no matter how bizarre an ability was, it would be meaningless in front of her.
Did they even understand what it meant to be the progenitor of chakra?
"But what if Uchiha Chizumi sets his sights on the tailed beasts?"
Obito admired Black Zetsu's willpower, sure—but he was still worried that one day Uchiha Chizumi might suddenly decide to target the tailed beasts.
Because in Obito's eyes, that guy was insane—a lunatic waving the banner of justice.
Even Senju Hashirama had once pinned the Nine-Tails down with one hand and declared it too dangerous. If Uchiha Chizumi went mad enough, what if he just killed the tailed beasts outright and declared their existence itself an obstacle to justice in the shinobi world?
"If he shows even the slightest intention of making a move against the tailed beasts, then we immediately bring Madara-sama back with Impure World Reincarnation."
Black Zetsu actually felt a little gratified. During the time he'd been suffering like this, the useless Obito had finally started using his brain a little.
"Doesn't that still mean we have to go search for Orochimaru's legacy, and look for Kabuto while we're at it?"
Obito let out a cold, contemptuous laugh. He had thought Black Zetsu might have some brilliant insight, but in the end, Black Zetsu was still pinning all his hopes on Uchiha Madara too. Looking at it that way, Obito figured their intelligence levels really weren't all that different after all.
…
Ryūchi Cave.
Ever since Ryūchi Cave had been ravaged by a certain man who claimed to act in the name of justice, the White Snake Sage had never once returned there.
After all, Ryūchi Cave's location had already been exposed to Uchiha Chizumi. If Chizumi ever suddenly felt like paying it another visit, wouldn't the White Snake Sage just end up dying for it?
To be safe, the White Snake Sage had dug himself a new hole some distance away from Ryūchi Cave.
Kabuto, however, had not been so fortunate.
Ever since the White Snake Sage took him away, Kabuto had been dumped directly into Ryūchi Cave. Officially, it was said that this was the White Snake Sage testing Kabuto's capacity. In reality, he was just using Kabuto as a guinea pig to see whether he could master Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode.
If Kabuto really succeeded in learning Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode, then even if he couldn't defeat Uchiha Chizumi, the White Snake Sage felt that the next time Chizumi came knocking, Kabuto could at least buy enough time for him to make a strategic retreat.
"White Snake Sage, I think there may be someone else more worthy of your attention than me!"
Kabuto, a little helpless, reverse-summoned himself into the White Snake Sage's new cave.
The moment he had confirmed Orochimaru's death, Kabuto's first thought had been to hurry off and inherit Orochimaru's legacy. But unfortunately for him, his luck had been terrible—he had run straight into the White Snake Sage instead.
And with his attempts to grasp Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode dragging on without results, Kabuto felt that the first thing he needed to do now was fight for Orochimaru's inheritance.