The emergence of Madara Uchiha was a monumental event for many. The core members of the Akatsuki, to a man, had returned to the Hidden Rain Village upon hearing the news, engaging in a heated debate over their next course of action.
Among them, the defiant Deidara shouted boastfully, "So what if it's Madara Uchiha! If he dares show his face, I'll show him what ultimate art truly is. I've learned new formulas and demolition techniques from Allen; I guarantee he won't be leaving in one piece!"
"I'm sorry, and I hate to rain on your parade, but I have to say this: with your reaction speed, you'd likely be killed by Madara instantly before you could even detonate a bomb. He is fast, so fast the naked eye can't even track him." Kisame spoke up, describing Madara's terror.
As an eyewitness, he would never forget the sensation of his hair standing on end the moment they crossed paths. Compared to the eerie intangibility of Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan, the true Madara radiated a blood-drenched aura unique to the powerhouses of the Warring States period. It was a murderous aura forged only by slaughtering thousands with one's own hands!
This was a presence that had also manifested in Allen before.
"Is Madara Uchiha truly as strong as you say?" Sasori frowned instinctively.
While Deidara wasn't the strongest among the core members, he certainly wasn't the weakest. His oversized clay bombs could often level an entire village in a single strike. While perhaps not comparable to the nuclear warheads Allen had once used, they were easily second in line. Even Sasori wasn't sure if he could survive the intense explosion if Deidara went completely mad and used his own body as a bomb.
Kisame, sensing Sasori's thoughts, nodded without hesitation. "Yes. His strength is far beyond our imagination. Even the Leader's Six Paths of Pain and the Rinnegan might not be a match for Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
"After all, he is the Ashura who fought the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, to a standstill! I once saw Hashirama Senju, even fought him. His power is beyond anything you can imagine. Therefore, no matter how strong Madara is, it wouldn't surprise me."
The Akatsuki's resident elder, Kakuzu, finally stepped forward to offer a sober perspective.
Although many joked that his encounter with the First Hokage involved throwing a shuriken from eight hundred miles away, the reality was different. Kakuzu had engaged him head-on and even forced the man to use Wood Release before finally suffering a crushing defeat. If Hashirama hadn't been merciful, feeling it wasn't easy for a small village to produce an elite shinobi like Kakuzu and choosing to let him go, the grass on Kakuzu's grave would be several meters high by now.
"Kakuzu is right. We cannot afford to be too cautious when dealing with Madara Uchiha. Furthermore, as events unfold, the things Allen predicted are becoming reality one by one. For the sake of safety, we should proceed according to his plan," Itachi stated, making his stance crystal clear.
As his health continued to decline, the former genius and pride of the Uchiha clan knew his time was short. He was preparing to find a moment to settle things with his beloved younger brother and leave his eyes to Sasuke as a parting gift.
Regarding Madara's sudden return via the Reanimation Jutsu, Itachi's attitude remained firm: ensure the man followed the script Allen had written to the letter. After all, compared to the others here who were more or less being played like fiddles by Madara and Black Zetsu, he preferred to trust Allen, the man who had turned the tables and held both masterminds in the palm of his hand.
Furthermore, Allen had already demonstrated that he possessed the power of the Rinnegan, Yin-Yang Release, and Truth-Seeking Balls.
"I agree with Itachi. It is safer to follow Allen's plan than to rush into temporary countermeasures. If Madara becomes impatient and tries to control me to perform the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu, none of you should interfere. As long as we can liberate this world from the Progenitor of Chakra and allow humanity to decide its own future, my sacrifice will not be in vain."
After a long silence, Nagato finally made his decision.
Like Itachi, he knew his body was failing under the constant drain of the Rinnegan. He did not fear death; in fact, he looked forward to that day. He desperately wanted to meet the man who, even in death, could manipulate his fate, Madara Uchiha.
"Since Nagato has said so, we have no reason to keep arguing. However, Itachi, have you decided when you'll settle things with Sasuke? Madara's appearance doesn't just mean the Eye of the Moon Plan is starting; it means the world is entering a state of unprecedented peril. Only by obtaining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan will your brother be qualified to stand on the final stage," Obito reminded him with a meaningful tone.
"I am already preparing. And before that moment arrives, I wish to meet with Allen privately. Can you arrange that for me?" Itachi raised his head, probing cautiously.
"I can," Obito agreed without hesitation. "But you'd better not harbor any untoward intentions. He has mastered the Six Paths power; theoretically, any Ninjutsu based on the Chakra system is useless against him… including Shisui's eye."
"Don't worry, I simply wish to make a trade with him. That is all," Itachi responded calmly.
With that, the core members of the Akatsuki dispersed to continue their respective missions.
…
Meanwhile, deep within Mount Myoboku, Fukasaku stood before the Great Toad Sage, asking respectfully, "Have you foreseen the future of the shinobi world again?"
"Yes... I have foreseen it. The outsider sealed within the moon will eventually be slain by a scorching demonic sword and consumed by a red dragon that blots out the sun. The gods shall eventually fall, and the world will usher in the age of mortals," the ancient Gamamaru answered in a halting voice.
"But I don't understand. Why did you order Mount Myoboku to be sealed off from the outside world? Even Jiraiya-boy has been abandoned," Fukasaku said, his voice tinged with confusion.
Since the birth of shinobi, no Sage Region had ever unilaterally torn up a summoning contract. This would severely damage the reputation of the Toad Clan among humans.
"Because that human's threat is not merely a bluff. If we continue to interfere, he will deploy that weapon of immense power upon Mount Myoboku. When that happens, perhaps Sages like you and I might survive, but the place where toads have lived for generations will be completely destroyed. As he said... let the affairs of humans be settled by humans themselves."
Having spoken, the ancient Gamamaru could no longer stay awake and drifted back into a heavy slumber, leaving Fukasaku standing there in a daze.
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