The border of the Land of Fire was marked by a deep, rushing river.
On one side lay the dense forests of the Land of Fire. On the other stretched the rolling hills of the Land of Rivers.
At the final moment—
Uchiha Madara appeared across the river.
White hair. Calm presence. Ancient killing intent.
In this life, Yako had shown far more killing intent than before. The pressure had forced Guruguru into desperation… and desperation had drawn out Madara himself.
Madara's long-handled scythe flashed through the air.
Fast.
Yako had never seen a blade that fast.
He withdrew his hand instantly—yet even so, the scythe grazed his arm.
A burst of bronze light erupted around him. Absolute Defense.
The black scythe was deflected.
But cracks spread across the bronze sheen covering his arm.
Madara's eyes sharpened.
"My, my… so it's you."
He remembered now.
This ANBU who had repeatedly stirred trouble in the Land of Rain.
No time.
Yako retreated even as his hands formed seals.
"Explode."
The wooden spear that had pierced Uchiha Toka's forehead detonated violently.
Wooden spikes burst outward from skull to brainstem, shredding the inside of his head.
Two splinters punched straight through both Mangekyō.
The eyeballs burst from their sockets, hanging grotesquely.
Island of Miasmic Collapse did not matter.
He possessed the Eternal version—stronger.
But Pillar Leech…
That eye technique had to be destroyed.
Yako would not tolerate a more slippery ocular technique existing in this world.
Toka had stalled him for far too long using it.
Like an unfilial son—too dangerous to strike hard, too risky to leave alive.
If Madara obtained it—
Trouble.
Toka's last thought before death:
We were wrong.
Head Clan was right.
Awakening the Mangekyō… does not make one invincible.
A month ago, it had felt like a dream.
His brother awakened first.
They thought they could trample the world.
His brother died.
Nearly lost his eyes to Shimura Danzō.
Then he died.
Eyes gouged.
The Sharingan was a curse.
A curse.
Above—
A terrifying cutting wind roared.
Susanoo's sword descended.
Yako flickered backward again and again.
Toka was dead.
At least he would not die twice to him.
Guruguru detached from the corpse and crossed the river, landing beside Madara.
"The Copper Fox chased too closely. I had no time to transplant the Eternal Mangekyō," Guruguru said.
"If he had possessed it… perhaps we could have reversed the outcome. He was exhausted at the end."
"Madara-sama, I only secured one pair. Uchiha Gogo's Mangekyō."
"Left eye — Ame-no-Mihashira. Right eye — Island of Miasmic Collapse."
Two small wooden tubes appeared in his hand.
Inside rested the eyes.
Madara gestured.
A White Zetsu rose from the ground.
Without hesitation, Madara tore out its eyes.
White fluid streamed down its face.
It made no sound.
Then he implanted Gogo's Mangekyō into its sockets.
The White Zetsu blinked.
Adapted.
Yako stared.
It can be done like that?
White Zetsu truly were universal tools.
Edo Tensei vessels. Spare limbs. Endless vitality.
Madara spoke calmly.
"Guruguru. Wear this one from now on."
"I had thought Toka might become a useful subordinate. But he was never part of the true plan. An incidental ripple."
"Strengthen yourself. Konoha is becoming troublesome."
He looked toward the distant ANBU.
"Konoha's power must be reduced. Before I die… the Nine-Tails must be collected."
Guruguru's spiraled wood enveloped the Mangekyō-bearing White Zetsu.
In the distance, Yako frowned.
Good.
Let Guruguru and Zetsu bear the name.
If he used Eternal Mangekyō Island of Miasmic Collapse in the future, suspicion would fall on them.
They were too similar.
Wood Release. Island of Miasmic Collapse.
Who would guess it was him?
Another shadow identity.
The more identities one had, the thinner the risk.
White Zetsu had once killed him.
He had gained the Myfly Technique from them.
There were too many to eradicate.
To solve the White Zetsu problem permanently…
The Divine Tree must fall.
Yako's heart skipped.
No one guided him.
Yet somehow—
He was being pushed toward destroying the Divine Tree.
Was he—
The Child of Prophecy?
Madara cast him one final glance and departed toward the Land of Rain.
Only after they vanished did Yako approach Tako's corpse.
Both brothers had been unworthy of the Mangekyō.
He shrank the wood spikes until only holes remained in the skull.
He retrieved the ruined eyes.
Even broken, they would not go to Danzō.
They returned to Konoha.
In the Hokage's office—
"I have eliminated S-rank missing-nin Uchiha Tako."
Shimura Danzō stepped forward and unzipped the corpse bag.
Empty, blood-caked sockets.
His expression darkened.
"Where are the eyes?"
Yako spoke calmly.
"I engaged him across the Land of Fire and killed him at the border."
"Uchiha Madara arrived personally."
"I could not seize the Mangekyō in front of him."
"So I destroyed them."
"Madara implanted Uchiha Gogo's Mangekyō into a White Zetsu."
"Spiral Zetsu now possesses both Wood Release and Mangekyō."
"I advise elevating Spiral Zetsu to S-rank assassination priority."
Silence.
Then—
A new crisis.
A messenger burst in.
"The Grass Country Guardian Ninja Captain, Shimura Kōrin, was assassinated two and a half days ago!"
The office fell still.
Three successive Shimura captains dead.
If the Grass Daimyō withdrew mission contracts—
Ten percent of Konoha's mission revenue would vanish.
Danzō's face grew colder by the second.
After a long pause:
"We must either regain trust… or replace the Daimyō."
"Harming a Daimyō is unacceptable!" Hiruzen snapped.
Tension thickened.
Who to send?
Only one young ninja could guarantee survival.
The Fox.
But Danzō refused.
"No. Hold a Jōnin Assembly. Public selection."
Water dripped in silence between the advisors.
They understood.
Hatake Sakumo would volunteer.
White Fang.
Strong enough.
Visible enough.
Disposable enough.
Later—
Yako stood before the Uchiha clan compound.
Leaf Monkey Squad carried Tako's corpse.
The street was silent.
Windows full of red eyes.
Fear.
Resentment.
ANBU masks glared under eaves.
Yako waited until Uchiha Kagen descended the steps of the clan hall.
He spoke clearly.
"Clan Head Kagen."
"Uchiha Tako murdered Uchiha Gogo and stole his Mangekyō Sharingan."
"He was declared S-rank missing-nin."
"ANBU has executed him."
The white cloth was removed.
Gasps.
Yako continued.
"Madara seized Gogo's Mangekyō."
"The Hokage has a message."
Kagen's eyelid twitched.
He nodded.
"Speak."