Madara stood up and said to Ryou and the others, "I now announce that the Eye of the Moon Plan has officially begun."
He pointed at Ryou and said, "You go to Konoha to capture the Nine-Tails."
"＼(º□ºl|l)/." Ryou looked at Madara in panic. Did Madara see his 'ambitious and treacherous' look and decide to send him to his death?
Ryou quickly lay down and rolled around forcefully, "No, no! My 'great uncle' is visiting, I need to take care of my body, I can't go out!"
"Useless trash of the Mist!"
Madara directly shocked him with electricity. Ryou immediately howled in pain, while Konan and Nagato watched in fear.
They already felt like retreating. Madara's organization didn't seem to be for peace, but rather a terrorist organization.
How could Tailed Beasts be so easy to catch?
Every Tailed Beast possessed world-destroying power, and their basic killing move, the Biju Bomb, could easily wipe out ordinary Ninja units.
If it were a wild Tailed Beast, it might be manageable; even with world-destroying power, it could be captured with proper planning.
But where are there any wild Tailed Beasts left? They are all 'greenhouse' Tailed Beasts now.
Tailed Beasts were distributed across the world by Hashirama when the Ninja Villages were first established, intended to use these powerful weapons to balance the Five Great Nations and reduce war.
Unfortunately, his vision was never realized.
Hashirama left in the morning, and the First Ninja World War broke out that afternoon.
Tailed Beasts are strategic weapons of a Ninja Village, symbolizing the Village's deterrent power. Capturing a Tailed Beast is equivalent to declaring war on the entire Ninja Village.
When the time comes, one would not only face the Tailed Beast and its Jinchuriki but also the elite Ninjas of the Village: the Kage, the Anbu, and the Jonin units.
Even if Ryou had a hundred lives, it wouldn't be enough!
Moreover, the strength of each Ninja Village varies, and at this stage, Konoha is the strongest.
Madara letting Ryou capture the Nine-Tails is like the Nine-Headed Bug sending a minor demon to eliminate the Tang Monk and his disciples.
This is a total idiot of a boss!
Ryou cried out in pain from the shock and quickly begged for mercy, "Ancestor, Ancestor, the Nine-Tails won't work. How about the Three-Tails? I'll be responsible for the Three-Tails."
Madara stopped the discharge and looked at Ryou, "No, the Three-Tails won't do. Neither the Three-Tails nor the Six-Tails will work."
Ryou chose the Three-Tails for a reason, because in the original story, Madara made Nohara Rin the Three-Tails Jinchuriki.
This proved that the high-level officials of Kirigakure were likely controlled by Madara.
Maybe it was the Third Mizukage, or maybe the Kage Assistant.
Kirigakure is isolated overseas; such a closed-off Ninja Village is the easiest to control.
But looking at Madara now, it's clear Kirigakure is already his backyard.
Madara directly assigned Ryou a task: "The One Tail. You will be responsible for capturing the One Tail!"
"Fine!"
Ryou nodded and accepted.
There is a saying that the more tails a Tailed Beast has, the more powerful it is. That the Nine-Tails is the strongest is beyond doubt.
But one cannot say the One Tail Shukaku is the weakest. Although it can't even use a Biju Bomb, in the desert, Shukaku can easily defeat the Three-Tails Isobu.
Shukaku also knows Ninjutsu and sealing, making it a Tailed Beast that keeps up with the times.
But compared to Konoha's Nine-Tails, Kumogakure's Eight-Tails and Two-Tails, or Iwagakure's Four-Tails and Five-Tails...
Shukaku is relatively easy to deal with.
First, Sunagakure is ranked last among the Five Great Ninja Villages in terms of strength. At this time, Granny Chiyo has already retired, leaving only Rasa and Pakura to lead the way.
Rasa and Pakura are political enemies; Rasa would love to get rid of Pakura. Before long, Sunagakure will perform the most idiotic operation in the history of the Village's founding.
Namely, treating Pakura, the hero of Sunagakure, as a sacrifice for reconciliation with Kirigakure.
Such a Sunagakure is the easiest to deal with.
But Ryou also seeks stability. No matter how bad Sunagakure is, it is still one of the Five Great Ninja Villages and the military stronghold of the Land of Wind.
Rasa's Magnet Release is also a large-scale AOE Ninjutsu. Once Ryou is caught, no matter how many lives he has, it won't be enough!
He needs to upgrade.
Ryou knelt on one knee before Madara and pleaded, "Ancestor, I stalled Minato this time and saved your Rinnegan. That is a very significant contribution."
"Shouldn't I be rewarded with a dozen Mangekyo?"
Madara tapped Ryou's head, "A dozen Mangekyo? Do you think the Mangekyo Sharingan are cabbages? You can just open them whenever you want?"
"If you want a Mangekyo, go resurrect your own blood relatives and sacrifice them yourself!"
What Ryou feared was that even with a blood relative sacrifice, he wouldn't be able to awaken it!
Ryou then said, "Ancestor, if the Mangekyo won't work, can you give me some Hashirama cells?"
"Hashirama cells?!"
Madara's expression turned serious, and Ryou's heart jumped into his throat.
The White Zetsu cells in Ryou's body are derivatives of Hashirama cells, support-oriented Hashirama cells.
But how could they compare to the all-purpose Hashirama cells?
Ultimately, what Ryou craved was Wood Release!
At this stage, since his Sharingan hasn't evolved into a Mangekyo, Ryou can only set his sights on Wood Release.
There are currently two channels for Hashirama cells: one is through Konoha, where Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo both have stock.
The other is through Madara's channel. When Madara fought Hashirama at the Valley of the End, he bit a piece out of him and obtained Hashirama cells.
He later transplanted them into his own body to gain the power of Wood Release.
Madara's Wood Release isn't the low-grade kind like White Zetsu's; it's proper Wood Release Ninjutsu. If he had Senjutsu in his body, he could even summon the Senju Great Buddha.
Madara glanced at Konan and Nagato, and the two immediately and sensibly moved far away from them.
"You want Hashirama's power?"
Madara asked Ryou.
Ryou nodded: "Ancestor, it's only been a few months since I resolved my hereditary disease. My current strength is not enough to help you."
"I hope you can grant me Hashirama cells. Once I obtain Hashirama's power, I can take over all the tasks of capturing the Tailed Beasts."
Madara stroked his chin, slowly weighing the idea in his mind.
What Madara feared was that if Ryou obtained Hashirama's power and combined the Senju and Uchiha forces to awaken the Rinnegan, it would affect his plans.
Black Zetsu sneered from the side. Madara's understanding of the Rinnegan was all based on what Black Zetsu had left on the Uchiha stone tablet.
What he didn't know was that the Rinnegan can only be opened by combining the most primal Chakra of Asura and Indra.
Ryou is not Indra's reincarnation, so it's impossible for him to awaken the Rinnegan.
The Rinnegan is a matter of destiny as much as it is a matter of chance.
Black Zetsu had planned for over a thousand years, instigating conflict between countless generations of Indra's and Asura's reincarnations; those who devoured each other's power were not few.
But so far, only Madara has successfully opened the Rinnegan.
Even Madara didn't open the Rinnegan immediately after obtaining Hashirama's power; he only awakened it in his old age when he touched the boundary of death.
This final step depends purely on luck.
Madara reconsidered; Ryou's eyes were still only three tomoe, and there was no sign of the Mangekyo Sharingan yet.
Furthermore, his whole family was dead, so there was no hope for the Eternal Mangekyo.
Therefore, even if Ryou transplanted Hashirama cells, it would be impossible for him to awaken the Rinnegan.
"Fine, I will give you the Hashirama cells."
Ryou was overjoyed: "Thank you, Ancestor!"
Madara pushed aside the armor plate on his chest. There was the outline of a face on his chest—it was Hashirama's face.
Ryou looked on in shock: "Ancestor, why do you have Hashirama tattooed on your chest? Is that your Lust Mark?"
"Ancestor, you've already signed a contract with Hashirama!"
Madara was furious. He suddenly shoved the armor plate back and kicked Ryou away.
"You still want Hashirama's cells? Go eat shit!"
"No, Ancestor!"
Ryou really wanted to slap his own mouth shut.
Madara put his Ninja armor back on and looked toward Konoha, a cruel smile curling his lips.
Nine-Tails, come into my bowl obediently!
Madara was in no mood to wait for the Five Great Ninja Villages to slowly finish gathering and form a Shinobi Alliance to crusade against him. He was going to Konoha right now to capture the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, the Nine-Tails.