Chapter 323: The Fall of a Legendary Power
"Lord Madara, this is Obito's other Sharingan. What should we do with it?"
White Zetsu approached, holding a freshly extracted, blood-covered two-tomoe Sharingan—Obito's right eye, which had been removed back when Zetsu rescued him after the accident.
Sharingan works best as a pair. There was no way White Zetsu would let one go to waste.
"Hide it inside your body for now. Let's see what kind of abilities Obito awakens before we decide," Madara replied calmly, glancing at the eye.
"Understood, Lord Madara."
White Zetsu nodded, then inserted the eye into the socket of another Zetsu that emerged from the ground.
As a lifeform made from Wood Release cells, White Zetsu was the perfect host for storing Sharingan. No medical ninjutsu was needed—the eyes could be installed and used instantly. It was that convenient.
The Zetsu carrying Obito's eye slowly sank into the earth, heading to a sealed underground chamber.
The chamber's walls were completely lined with sealing techniques, blocking all forms of perception.
Only Madara and Black Zetsu were aware of its existence.
Why go to such lengths to seal away Obito's eye?
Because Sharingan—especially once it evolved into the Mangekyō—could resonate with each other.
If kept nearby, Obito could potentially sense its presence.
Since his encounter with Li Yao, Madara had grown much more cautious.
This time, he deliberately withheld Obito's right eye, refusing to implant it back.
Madara's reasoning was simple: if Obito awakened an overpowered Mangekyō Sharingan ability, this right eye would be the key to countering—or even killing—him.
He didn't want another "Li Yao situation."
If Obito's power turned out to be underwhelming, or at least no threat to Madara's plans to awaken the Rinnegan—
Then he could just make up an excuse and return the eye later, strengthening Obito so nothing went wrong during Madara's downtime.
Especially with that damn brat Li Yao still out there!
Madara swore that once he was revived in his prime, he'd tear that brat to pieces.
Li Yao's space-time abilities were indeed troublesome, but Madara's Rinnegan powers were more than enough to kill him.
The mere thought of Li Yao got Madara riled up. All these years, no one—not even Hashirama—had ever humiliated him so completely.
Only Li Yao.
But now that Li Yao had vanished into the Dragon Vein, Madara could only sigh with a feeling of uselessness.
"Enough… stay focused on the plan. I'll activate Infinite Tsukuyomi and bring true peace to the world. I'll prove Hashirama was wrong—and that I was right."
Madara shook his head, temporarily setting aside his hatred for Li Yao. The plan had to take priority. He would prove that his version of peace was eternal.
"There's not much time left…"
He sighed inwardly, then slowly raised his hands.
Clap!
Madara completed a hand seal. Behind him, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path extended a black rod, piercing his body and drawing out a portion of his chakra—then returning a portion of Six Paths–level chakra back to him.
"Come here."
Still holding the hand seal, Madara called out to White Zetsu.
"Yes, Lord Madara."
White Zetsu's expression grew serious.
Clap!
Once White Zetsu stood beside him, Madara placed both hands on his right shoulder, transferring the Six Paths–level chakra into his right half.
Soon, that half turned black.
"From… this day forth… you are Black Zetsu. Guiding… Obito… is now your duty…"
Madara's voice trembled, weakened.
The technique had drained the last of his life force. His death was imminent.
"Leave it to me, Lord Madara," Black Zetsu replied in a hoarse voice.
"Mm." Madara nodded slowly. He then turned to White Zetsu and said, "Black Zetsu is the embodiment of my will. From now on, the plan follows his lead."
White Zetsu grinned and said cheerfully, "Understood, Lord Madara."
He had fully returned to his "Tobi" persona, acting playful and innocent—not the cold or goofy version, but fully in character.
"Poor Madara. Can't even tell the connection between Black Zetsu and White Zetsu... still thinks Black Zetsu is his will. He really is old and confused now."
Hidden within the walls of the underground base, Li Yao's Water Release Clone watched silently—and almost laughed aloud.
Looking back on Madara's life, it was filled with tragedy. A genius, yes—but always someone else's pawn.
As a child, he was a tool of the Uchiha Clan—fighting for their glory.
As a young man, he became Hashirama's pawn—sacrificing hatred for peace, only to be betrayed by his own people.
Now? He was Black Zetsu's pawn—manipulated without even realizing his "will" wasn't his own.
Even Li Yao found it pitiful.
To live your whole life as a proud man, only to be someone else's piece on the board… how tragic. How sad.
"But it's alright. I'm here now—so you don't need to be anyone's pawn anymore."
Li Yao's Water Clone smiled and remained hidden.
With Madara's death imminent, and Obito's Kamui eye soon within reach, Li Yao would eliminate both Obito and Black Zetsu.
There would be no need for Madara to return. Let him remain a legend in history.
Inside the base, after finishing his final instructions to Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, Madara reached his end.
But just as he was about to breathe his last, a thought struck him. He forced his body to stir one last time and asked:
"Are you sure… Li Yao entered the Dragon Vein?"
"Ah, yeah—!" White Zetsu blinked, then nodded rapidly. "Definitely, Lord Madara! I swear on my… bowel movements! I personally saw Li Yao get sucked in by the Dragon Vein's power."
"Hah… good… then that's… fine…"
At last reassured, Madara gave a faint smile—and passed away peacefully.
In his final moments, his only lingering concern had been the man who humiliated him—Li Yao.
Thankfully, Li Yao had been swallowed by the Dragon Vein and would never return to this world. Madara could now rest... ahem... could now look forward to his resurrection with peace of mind.
After Madara's death, his body was taken over by a White Zetsu and reanimated—not as Madara, but as a disguise for Black Zetsu's clone to continue leading Obito.
Unlike the original story, where Madara guided Obito into darkness and died afterward—
This time, the Madara that died was real. And the soul of his clone, consumed in battle with Li Yao, had taken a toll on him too.
Now, he couldn't even wait for Obito to wake up. The task had to fall to his so-called "will"—Black Zetsu.
"A legend has fallen."
Li Yao's Water Clone smirked, then quietly retreated, just as silently as he had arrived.
Neither Black Zetsu nor Madara noticed a thing.
Moments later—
A transparent figure emerged from the ground and soared into the sky.
(END CHAPTER)
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