"Damn it, the higher-ups must be afraid that we Uchiha will control the Nine-Tails, which is why they're suppressing information about it."
Tekka shouted.
Shisui quickly explained, "It's not like that. Only the village higher-ups know about the Nine-Tails; the Village even kept it from the Senju Clan."
Tekka roared, "I don't care! The higher-ups are specifically targeting us Uchiha. They don't want the Uchiha to know about the Nine-Tails, so they're keeping everyone in the dark."
Shisui felt helpless, thinking that the Uchiha truly suffered from a persecution complex.
If they weren't being targeted by the higher-ups, they'd actually feel uncomfortable, thinking the higher-ups were looking down on them.
Fugaku spoke again, "Shisui, is there anything else?"
Shisui took out a letter of commission from the Hokage and handed it to Fugaku, asking, "Lord Fugaku, did the people from Kirigakure have no reaction after learning about Uchiha Madara?"
Fugaku took it and replied while opening it, "There was some reaction. Kirigakure forces have withdrawn to their defensive lines and stopped engaging; they're likely out gathering information."
The Third Hokage's secret letter detailed the contents of the Eye of the Moon Plan, intelligence on the Rinnegan, and the identity of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Shisui had just mentioned these things.
The Third Hokage wanted Fugaku to act as an envoy to inform Kirigakure's front-line commander.
To stop the internal conflict and unite against the external threat.
"Shisui, let's head over to Kirigakure together!"
"Understood, Lord Fugaku!"
...
The next day.
As soon as the villagers of the Hidden Rain Village woke up, they saw the morning sun, and many of them broke into smiles.
It was a rare sunny day in the Land of Rain.
The Ninja Cat began distributing flyers door-to-door, announcing the grand wedding of Ryou and Tsunade.
Today, the entire Village would have a paid day off with double wages.
Immediately, the villagers and Ninjas of Amegakure were overjoyed.
Today is a good day!
The villagers and some local Ninjas of Amegakure were quite unfamiliar with Ryou and thought he was quite absurd.
He promoted a stray cat to Jonin and even dragged the Daimyo of the Land of Rain to the Village for interrogation.
Are these things a normal leader would do?
Fortunately, Ryou's handshake with the Daimyo of the Land of Rain yesterday put everyone at ease.
They were just afraid Ryou would suddenly say: "Folks, stop working the crops; Uncle Dong is going to lead you in planting something good."
What good stuff? The kind of good stuff that lets people ascend.
That wouldn't be so bad; at least he'd be leading them to wealth. If they encountered the kind of Village chief who "doesn't eat beef," they'd really have to restart their lives.
The Ninja Cat, wielding batons, were explaining the rules: "Listen up! When you see the General later, you must cry—you have to jump up and cry."
"It's only because the General came to Amegakure that we have peace; it's only because he came to the Land of Rain that we have justice."
"This is a debt of gratitude you can never repay in a lifetime."
"If anyone doesn't cry later, our batons will teach them how."
"∑(￣□￣;)."
The villagers were instantly speechless.
Then, the Ninja Cat led Ninjas from Amegakure and Kusagakure out of the Village to the towns of the Land of Rain to notify the nobles and the Daimyo.
The General is getting married; they'd better prepare eight hundred thousand or a million to join the celebration.
Don't know him?
It doesn't matter if you don't know him. As the saying goes, "no discord, no concord"—after a good beating, you'll know him well.
Once you know him, you're friends, and friends give gifts.
The General doesn't care how much you give, but if anyone doesn't give anything, the General will start shocking people.
Amegakure Central Building.
Konan, Nagato, and Tsunade didn't dare sleep in the building where Ryou was in seclusion.
Because the massive Chakra reaction emanating from within was like a Tailed Beast's rampage; the villagers around the central building were so startled they couldn't sleep at all last night.
Gradually, that Tailed Beast-like Chakra reaction subsided.
Tsunade and the others became even more uneasy, and they all approached the laboratory where Ryou was in seclusion.
Tsunade said worriedly, "What is Ryou doing? Is he practicing some Forbidden Jutsu?"
Fish Ball shook his head, "I don't know. He's not even watching his 'films' anymore. Is he dead?"
Tsunade gave Fish Ball a knock on the head.
Konan suddenly noticed vines on the wooden windows in the hallway: "Look! Leaves are growing out of those wooden planks!"
Everyone looked in the direction Konan was pointing.
It wasn't just the wooden windows; every wooden structure was sprouting branches and leaves, and some were even blooming with flowers.
This scene of vibrant vitality and everything flourishing was unfolding right before their eyes.
Tsunade's pupils slowly constricted as a suspicion formed in her mind.
"Rumble, rumble—"
Suddenly, Chakra so massive it had turned physical burst through the laboratory doors like a sweeping storm.
Fish Ball was sucked right in.
The Ninjas present focused Chakra on the soles of their feet, anchoring themselves firmly to the floor.
Konan shielded Tsunade, blocking the storm created by the Chakra pressure, and struggled to look at the situation inside the laboratory.
Inside, a black, half-bodied skeletal giant stood, and within the skeletal giant was a vibrant, massive flower bud.
The powerful coldness and evil radiating from the skeletal giant made everyone breathless, yet the flower bud within it provided a sun-like comfort.
One evil, one sunny; Yin and Yang, yet they were able to fuse together.
It was truly hard to believe.
Madara's figure, clad in red armor, slowly appeared, and Tsunade and the others were instantly unable to breathe.
A hint of surprise appeared in Madara's eyes: "Susanoo... it seems he has awakened the Mangekyo!"
Slowly, the flower bud bloomed, and a handsome youth with a bare torso slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes instantly turned blood-red, with three comma-like tomoe around the pupils.
Each tomoe was rounded at the head and tapered at the tail, extending outward.
These tomoe spun rapidly, looking as if they were about to connect and form the Mangekyo pattern, but they just couldn't quite link up.
Madara was somewhat disappointed: "Still not quite there. He's still lacking an emotional catalyst."
Madara glanced sideways at Tsunade, Konan, and the others, his fingers beginning to tap.
But Ryou's Sharingan looked toward Madara, who then stopped tapping his fingers.
Wait a bit longer!
Ryou felt his own body and Sharingan.
Fusion doesn't happen overnight; for Ryou to completely master Madara's and Hashirama's cells, he had to let his own cells devour them.
Instead of letting their cells control him.
This made the difficulty of the fusion increase significantly.
Ryou went through eight lives and absorbed about twenty White Zetsu clones to ensure the fusion of Madara's and Hashirama's cells.
Though the process was arduous, and he had no energy left to watch his 'films' in the latter half.
But after the fusion, his condition was better than ever.
By fusing Hashirama's cells, Ryou had obtained Hashirama's powerful physique—or rather, the physique of the Asura Sage, the ultimate power of Yang Release.
The pinnacle of vitality and physical energy.
Monster Strength was no longer a Secret Technique but a normal state, and his recovery ability far exceeded that of his original White Zetsu cells—healing without hand signs, a passive treatment.
Even if Ryou's heart were pierced, he could regenerate rapidly.
So, Hashirama's attempt to commit suicide with a Kunai back then was definitely a lie.