chapter 86 part 4
Tobi exclaimed, "You really don't hide anything, you're excessively frank! So, in the end, two powerhouses of the old era perished together, and you eliminated all obstacles, becoming the ultimate victor?"
"It was purely a coincidence; I never expected such an outcome from the beginning. This is also Madara's fault. He could have directly killed Danzo and Hanzo at the very start, but he didn't, in order to conceal himself, which ended up ruining things. What could I do? It's all his fault for insisting on hiding and looking for some meaningless successor. How boring. With my help, acting early would have been no problem at all," Tsukasa Kaede said.
Anyone unaware would have thought Tsukasa Kaede was bothered by Madara's death.
From Black Zetsu's perspective, this was a good thing—regardless of whether Tsukasa Kaede was acting out of pride or some other reason, as long as he was willing to walk this path, it was enough.
Anyway, Tsukasa Kaede would eventually show flaws; it was impossible for him to do everything perfectly.
Black Zetsu felt he could gain more of Tsukasa Kaede's trust, and then backstab Tsukasa Kaede at the crucial moment of his Mother's Resurrection...
Of course, it would be best to get the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu first, so even if the Resurrection failed, he could make a comeback.
Tsukasa Kaede continued, "However, this time, being killed by Mito Uzumaki, he'll probably learn his lesson. He's so old, yet he insists on being strong, as if he's still in his youth? With my help, he could have acted personally, but he was too proud to accept my assistance."
In essence, besides the reason of concealing himself, Madara also disliked appearing in the Shinobi World in his aged, dying state—that fellow was too proud and arrogant, refusing to show any weakness. This was definitely one of the important reasons; he hoped to become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki in a young, strong state.
This would require someone to perform the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu to revive him.
Black Zetsu suddenly said, "Lord Tsukasa Kaede, are you saying that Lord Madara is not completely dead yet?"
"Of course not. Even the First Hokage couldn't kill him, and Mito Uzumaki wouldn't have absolute certainty. The only question is, which is stronger: the Izanagi, the Resurrection method he prepared for himself, or the Reaper Death Seal?"
Tsukasa Kaede was very interested in this as well. He had been contemplating it ever since Madara's Soul was captured by Mito Uzumaki.
Izanagi can transform real damage into illusion, a Forbidden Jutsu that reverses truth and falsehood. The Reaper Death Seal, on the other hand, seals the enemy's Soul within the Shinigami's body, with no escape other than breaking the Seal by "suicide" using a Shinigami Mask.
So, if a Transfer Seal was used to delay Izanagi for a period, could it rewrite the reality of the Shinigami devouring the Soul into an illusion?
"Izanagi?"
"A Sharingan Dojutsu that rewrites reality unfavorable to oneself into an illusion. Madara must have used it to deceive the First Hokage back then," Tsukasa Kaede replied.
Black Zetsu said, "I see. This is truly a gamble: either enter the Shinigami's body to suffer eternally, or return resurrected with the achievement of having eliminated Mito Uzumaki. But judging by Lord Madara's demeanor, he seems very confident that he can break free from the Shinigami's restraints and return."
"He had no choice. Don't really think of him as an exceptionally wise strategist. Even members of the Nara Clan wouldn't dare claim their calculations are foolproof."
Tsukasa Kaede squatted down and placed a hand on Madara's chest.
Corpse Release: Zombification Jutsu!
A large amount of Chakra surged from Tsukasa Kaede's body into Madara's Corpse, causing the Zombie Virus to proliferate rapidly.
"Madara had to die once, and he absolutely had to be killed by Mito Uzumaki. Otherwise, news of his survival would eventually leak, and the Hidden Leaf Village people would frantically search for him and kill him at all costs, which would introduce unpredictable risks to many of Madara's plans."
Even in the current Hidden Leaf Village, there was no Super Kage-level Combat Power capable of suppressing everything; the strongest were merely Kage Level. But Madara's margin for error was equally low.
Perhaps in the future, when Nagato grows stronger and is willing to follow the path Madara wished for him, the Moon's Eye Plan might proceed a bit more smoothly.
"How complicated. Because Mito Uzumaki killed Madara with the Reaper Death Seal, and confirmed it through the Shinigami, that's why you're inclined to conceal the news of Madara still being alive?" White Zetsu felt like he was starting to grow a brain.
"People of the old era had old era concerns. The Rinnegan side has Jiraiya as a fallback. Kushina has successfully become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and was brought back to the Village by me. Everything that needed to be done has been done, and all intel that needed to be relayed back to the Village has been. It can also be confirmed that Madara is dead. All of this has exceeded the expected battle results," Tsukasa Kaede said.
Again, Mito Uzumaki was already a dying woman. Using her one life to uncover so many things, and most importantly, eliminating the sinister Madara, was incredibly worthwhile.
Perhaps Mito Uzumaki herself thought the same, exchanging a few remaining months of her Lifespan for so many achievements...
Tsukasa Kaede raised his hand, and the deceased Madara now opened his eyes again. His black pupils had turned somewhat greyish-white, and when they became Three-Tomoe Sharingan, they were no longer as vibrant red as normal eyes.
Everyone watched Madara stand up again. With such a simple movement, this Zombie almost failed to do it, struggling several times before he could stand steady.
"Lord Madara would be furious if he knew his Corpse was being played with like this," White Zetsu's smile became somewhat strange. For someone so proud and arrogant, being played with like that, his expression would surely be magnificent.
"I suspect he can successfully break free from the Shinigami's restraints, but who can say for sure? What if he really died? Wouldn't it be a pity not to utilize him? His remains can bolster my strength and aid in advancing the Moon's Eye Plan. I imagine he would be very happy."
"Happy...? What an unfamiliar adjective."
Tsukasa Kaede ignored these Artificial Beings, carefully sensing the elderly Madara's power.
The battle with Mito Uzumaki seemed to have further damaged the elderly Madara's body. A large amount of flesh and blood was destroyed, and countless nerves were damaged.
"Susanoo is truly a dangerous Forbidden Jutsu," Tsukasa Kaede commented.
He recalled Sasuke's attack on the Five Kage Summit, where he used Susanoo for the first time, his body in agonizing pain, every bone feeling like it would break. This indicated that Susanoo's burden on the user wasn't just on the eyes; the entire body became the price for activating Susanoo.
Madara was already extremely old, yet he still used a Susanoo far more powerful than a normal one, making the burden even heavier.