War had broken out in every region. The sounds of battle and cries of agony echoed across the field as the First through Fifth Divisions engaged the enemy. Fires raged everywhere.
Suddenly, at the Allied Shinobi Forces Headquarters, Ao looked at the others, cold sweat beading on his brow.
"I've detected a new enemy."
"It's only a small group, but the chakra volume is extraordinary!"
"It's... Madara!"
The Raikage gasped in shock. "What?!"
"Madara has appeared with a squad! Can you identify who is with him?!" the Raikage demanded.
"This chakra... it's the Fourth Mizukage!"
"The former Jinchuriki?" The Raikage grit his teeth.
"There's no mistake, the others are all Jinchuriki as well!"
Deep within a forest, the masked man made his move. He wore a blue coat with a white sash, and on his back rested a massive Gunbai. His white mask, adorned with tomoe patterns, only served to emphasize the terror he radiated.
Back at the command center, Shikaku Nara spoke with a heavy expression: "To think they still had such powerful pawns in reserve."
Tsunade looked toward Naruto's position with concern. "Hasn't Naruto arrived yet?"
In that same forest, the real Naruto and Killer Bee were racing forward at top speed.
"Naruto, what's the status of your other clones?"
"They should be arriving at the various front lines just about now."
"Expose the fakes and knock the big villains down, yeah!" Killer Bee shouted.
"Let's hurry up too."
Indeed, across the various battlefields, with the support of Naruto's clones, the White Zetsu were being systematically crushed.
At the Fourth Division's battlefield, after Naruto and the others had dealt with A and Gengetsu Hozuki, Mu split and appeared beside Kanon.
Kanon remained seated on the massive boulder, legs crossed, leaning back slightly with her hands supporting her weight. She looked at Mu beside her with a hint of confusion.
"What is it?"
"I don't know. My body is moving on its own."
True to his word, Mu slammed his palm against the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Abruptly, a wooden coffin emerged beside Kanon. The casket shattered instantly with a violent force. Mu leaped back to avoid the shockwave, but Kanon remained unmoved; the impact passed right through her body, leaving her completely unharmed. Her expression remained utterly indifferent.
From within the coffin, a figure stepped out.
"Finally, the day has come."
"That brat Nagato has finally grown up."
Mu was visibly stunned. "To think the one summoned this time would be..."
"And you are...?" The man looked at Mu with slight curiosity. "The caster of this Reanimation Jutsu understands war quite well to have utilized even you. Does this feel a bit nostalgic?"
"Not at all." Kanon didn't even turn her head, acting as if the commotion behind her was beneath her notice.
"Reanimation? Is this not the Gedo Art: Rinne Rebirth Jutsu?"
"Nagato-senpai is dead. There is no Rinne Rebirth for you to use," Kanon said coldly.
"Nagato is dead? What happened?" the man asked, puzzled. "Your aura feels very familiar. Are you an Uchiha as well?"
"I am," Kanon replied flatly. "And the rest of the clan?" Madara asked.
Seeing that Kanon had no intention of entertaining him, Madara chuckled. "Hmph, quite the arrogant girl, aren't you? Won't even turn your head? Fine, then I'll be the one to take a look."
Kanon turned her head slightly. Madara himself stood towering behind her. With that single glance, Madara's eyes widened in surprise.
"A bone age of fifteen... and yet you possess such eyes?"
"Your Mangekyo... it's a straight-pattern, and a rare heterochromia at that."
"No wonder you look down on me. To possess those eyes proves that you have lost much and endured a great deal up until now."
"We should be able to understand one another."
Madara activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, confronting Kanon's gaze. Kanon stood up, her expression unchanging, and cast Tsukuyomi on Madara.
In the next moment, Madara saw everything from the night of the massacre, the hopeless memories. Even Madara was momentarily stunned. As the founder of Konoha and a member of the Uchiha, he looked at Kanon with genuine shock.
"You speak of mutual understanding, yet you make such a face after seeing only a fraction of my memories. Madara Uchiha is nothing special after all," Kanon said coldly.
Madara looked at her, his expression turning solemn. "It seems your goal is indeed the same as mine."
"How about this? We are both survivors of the Uchiha clan. Let us join forces."
"Don't misunderstand. We were already on the same side," Kanon said dismissively, showing no reverence for the legendary shinobi.
"Sigh." Madara let out a soft breath. The Tsukuyomi in his mind continued, the tragic deaths of the clansmen, the assassinations carried out by Kanon, the masked man, and Danzo. He saw every dark facet of Konoha. Even Madara found himself at a loss for words.
He and Hashirama had created Konoha to protect their kin and comrades, but Hashirama had put the cart before the horse. Madara watched the life of the girl before him, losing her parents and clan, being hunted by the village, abandoned by her comrades, and driven into a corner step by step. From age six to fifteen, her journey was one of pure isolation. Even he felt a sense of helplessness; she was only fifteen.
Thinking of the Uchiha massacre and Izuna's dying wish, Madara's expression darkened.
"Hashirama, is this the Will of Fire you spoke of!" Madara roared in fury. A terrifying surge of chakra erupted, forming a pillar of light that pierced through the clouds.
"As I thought, there is no hope in this shinobi world, only despair. What reason do we have not to execute the Eye of the Moon Plan? Your name is Kanon, right? Join me. I will fulfill everything you desire," Madara declared, extending his hand to her.
Kanon nodded slightly. She understood that the man before her truly understood her pain. She raised her slender hand and bumped fists with Madara.
Madara nodded with satisfaction, truly coming to view Kanon as his successor.
"When a person inherits love, they must also carry the burden of hatred. Kanon, let's team up. Let's overturn this shinobi world!"
"That was my intention all along," Kanon agreed.
A legendary Uchiha duo was formed, the towering legend and the young girl with flowing black hair and a red Uchiha coat. At this moment, the strongest pair in the history of the shinobi world was born. Madara looked at Kanon; her face was calm, and her hairstyle bore a slight resemblance to his own. She was almost like his own granddaughter.
…
"Please wait a moment!" Ao shouted.
"What is it?!" Tsunade asked.
"An enemy has appeared at Gaara's Fourth Division..."
On the battlefield, the sensory ninja felt a disturbance.
"What happened?!" Gaara asked, having just sealed A and Gengetsu Hozuki.
"Over there!"
Everyone turned to look at the boulder where Kanon was. Mu stepped forward toward the front.
"That's the Second Tsuchikage!" Gaara gasped.
"Wasn't he sealed by you?" Naruto asked, confused.
"Did he manage to split himself in that situation?!" Onoki looked at Mu in disbelief.
"Split?" Gaara asked.
"Mu-sensei's body can create a double by splitting! No, rather than a clone, his actual body splits in two! However, his power is also halved," Onoki explained.
"It's not just him. Who are the others?"
"Is it Kanon?" Naruto asked the sensory ninja.
But soon, everyone saw the other two. Madara Uchiha and Kanon Uchiha stepped out with indifferent expressions. Kanon stood in the center, with Madara and Mu flanking her on either side.
"Hey, there's someone else next to Kanon!" Naruto shouted in shock.
"This... this is...!" Onoki was stunned.
"Who is that person next to Kanon?"
"He's here?!" Onoki frowned.
A gust of wind blew, tossing Kanon and Madara's long black hair. Both stood with their arms folded, looking down at the army.
"Madara Uchiha!"
"That guy is Madara? So that's what he looks like under the mask!" Naruto exclaimed.
"He looks exactly as he did back then," Onoki noted.
"Wait, what's going on? He was revived by the Reanimation Jutsu. Look closely at his eyes."
"The Reanimation Jutsu can only bring the dead back to this world. That means he was already dead!"
Naruto stared at the three figures looking down from the boulder. "Which means the one next to Kanon is the real Madara... and the one we thought was Madara is actually someone else?!" Naruto shouted.
"Yes, exactly," Gaara nodded.
Hearing the commotion below, Madara scanned the surroundings. "Headbands with the character for 'Shinobi,' but their gear is from all five nations. A new Allied Army?"
"I am the one who started this war," Kanon said coldly.
"Oh? You started it? Where is Obito?"
"Are you talking about the guy in the mask?"
"So it really was Uchiha Obito?" Kanon sneered. "His Sharingan ability is the same as Kakashi's; I already suspected it was him. It seems I wasn't wrong."
Madara nodded slightly, having no further thoughts on Obito. "I assume his plan didn't go smoothly, so he teamed up with you to start the war and revive me in this manner."
"Kanon, who is the caster of this Reanimation Jutsu?"
"My senpai, Kabuto Yakushi."
Suddenly, Mu's personality was suppressed. "I am Kabuto, Kanon's collaborator."
"Talking to me through the Reanimation Jutsu... how gloomy," Madara remarked.
"I've prepared a special Reanimation for you, specifically to assist Kanon. Your power now exceeds even your prime."
"You... have seen me in my prime?" Madara asked, displeased, looking at the Mu-controlled Kabuto.
"No. So now, please let me witness it. The legendary power of the Uchiha."
Suddenly, a wave of sand surged toward the three of them. Madara and Kabuto were about to jump, but pink eyeshadow appeared around Kanon's eyes. With a wave of her hand, the sand shattered instantly.
"Sage Mode? Kanon, you can even use Sage Transformation?!" Madara was genuinely surprised.
"Inorganic Reincarnation? Well used, Kanon," Kabuto praised.
Seeing his sneak attack fail, Gaara frowned. His sand couldn't keep up with Kanon. "I can't catch her easily."
Kanon and Madara landed on the ground simultaneously, triggering a massive explosion. The two walked calmly out of the sand and bumped fists.
"Can you still dance, brat? Do you want me to teach you?"
"Don't try to lecture me, you relic of the old era. Can those old bones of yours still keep up a rhythm?!"
"You certainly are arrogant," Madara said with a smirk.
"Just don't drag me down," Kanon said flatly.
The two were in perfect sync. Madara lowered his stance, while Kanon drew the Kusanagi Sword from her waist. The two Uchiha set their sights directly on the Allied Shinobi Forces.