Tsunade waved her hand and asked with a serious expression,
"Clan Leader Fugaku, I remember Takuya mentioning that every Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan has a unique pattern, correct?"
"…Yes."
Uchiha Fugaku hadn't expected such a question, but after a brief moment of surprise, he nodded and answered honestly,
"The Sharingan reflects the heart. The shape and abilities of the Mangekyō Sharingan vary depending on the emotions and circumstances under which it is awakened. I even sought confirmation from Lord Takuya regarding this."
As the Uchiha Clan Leader, it was frustrating for him that someone outside the clan—Takuya—knew more about the Sharingan than he did.
At least, unlike the Hyūga Clan, the Uchiha didn't have as many outdated customs.
And unlike Hiashi Hyūga, Fugaku was willing to swallow his pride and seek answers when needed.
"In that case, do you recognize these eyes?"
Tsunade wasted no time and handed him a detailed sketch of the stolen Mangekyō Sharingan, drawn by the ANBU based on intelligence reports.
Fugaku examined the illustration carefully, then shook his head in confusion.
"Hokage-sama, I hate to admit it, but as of now, I am the only member of the Uchiha Clan who has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
I do not recognize the owner of these eyes."
A clockwise, hooked pattern…
Who could it belong to?
Fugaku was just as curious.
His lack of knowledge left Tsunade somewhat disappointed, but she had prepared for this outcome—she hadn't expected too much from him.
While Konoha was still in the process of gathering information, the other villages were already in a state of panic—especially Kumogakure.
When the Third Raikage received the news, he nearly jumped out of his seat.
Two Rinnegan existed—one had already been stolen from Iwagakure.
That meant the next target was undoubtedly Kumogakure.
While the Five Kage scrambled in a frenzy, Takuya and his group had just arrived in the Land of Craftsmen.
After traveling through the Land of Water, it felt like a waste not to visit this place.
Takuya was also interested in seeing if there were any high-quality weapons available.
The craftsmen of this neutral country were notoriously secretive about their best creations.
Unless one visited in person and showed enough sincerity, they wouldn't reveal their finest works.
As they walked through the harbor, freshly stepping onto the land—
"Takuya-sama!"
A small, squishy creature suddenly leaped toward him.
Instinctively, Takuya grabbed a random piece of clothing from a nearby street vendor and flung it, wrapping up the incoming blob and tossing it away.
"Uh…"
That looked like a slug just now…
"Takuya-sama, I came under Lady Tsunade's orders!"
The little slug squirmed out of the bundle, looking visibly distressed as if afraid Takuya would throw it again.
Despite being the leader of one of the Three Great Summoning Lands, the Slug Sage had never understood why Takuya avoided it like the plague.
For some reason, he seemed more willing to deal with the snakes of Ryūchi Cave than the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest.
Kushina and Pakura exchanged awkward glances.
Takuya flexed his fingers, still feeling the lingering stiffness from his instinctive reaction.
"Just get to the point. Don't jump onto me. I really don't like soft, slimy creatures sticking to my body."
Was he afraid of slugs?
Not exactly.
He just found their texture unpleasant.
That was why he always kept his distance from them.
Tsunade had tried countless times to get him to sign a summoning contract, but he had no interest in Shikkotsu Forest or its leader.
"Oh…"
The slug, looking pitiful, jumped onto Kushina's shoulder instead.
She had no issue with it.
Now settled on her, the slug delivered its message.
"Iwagakure's Rinnegan has been stolen.
The thief had a unique Mangekyō Sharingan.
Lady Tsunade has ordered you to return to the village immediately."
"Looks like our trip is over," Takuya remarked, feeling a bit regretful.
He had grown accustomed to their travels.
But the loss of the Rinnegan was serious.
Even Tsunade was undoubtedly feeling the pressure.
The other Kage, especially the Third Raikage, were probably running around in a panic.
"Oh well, let's head back."
There would be plenty of time for leisure after this whole Madara and Black Zetsu situation was dealt with.
With that, Takuya, Kushina, and Pakura immediately set out, traveling at top speed back to Konoha.
Meanwhile, deep in the Land of Grass, in a remote and desolate area—
Black Zetsu, controlling Uchiha Obito, had captured a high-ranking jōnin from Kusagakure as a sacrifice.
Using Impure World Reincarnation, he prepared to bring Madara Uchiha back.
Rumble—!!!
The ground trembled violently.
A wooden coffin slowly emerged from the earth.
Bang!
The lid was forcefully pushed open from within.
A pair of cracked, aged hands gripped the sides of the coffin as a figure stepped out.
"Black Zetsu, have you not recovered the Rinnegan yet?"
Madara glanced down at his own hands, realizing that he had been revived through Edo Tensei.
This wasn't the revival he had wanted.
What he desired was true resurrection.
"Lord Madara, I have retrieved one Rinnegan from Iwagakure.
However, the villages will be on high alert now.
The remaining eye will be heavily guarded, and acquiring it will be much more difficult.
We need your strength to secure it… and to capture the Tailed Beasts."
Madara's raw power was undeniable, but Black Zetsu was still cautious.
Thus, he had used Edo Tensei to bring Madara back.
In this form, Madara had unlimited chakra and could not be killed, making him nearly unstoppable.
And without both Rinnegan and the Gedo Statue, they could not proceed with the final steps of their plan.
"Hmph."
Madara flexed his fingers, feeling out his new—but incomplete—form.
"Your plan is sound.
The Five Great Nations uniting could be a slight inconvenience…
But… hahahaha!"
A deep, chilling laughter erupted from his throat.
If they struggled more, the battle would only be more enjoyable.
A true war.
"Then let's start with Kumogakure."
"No, Lord Madara," Black Zetsu interrupted.
"We must retrieve the Gedo Statue first.
A group of pesky rats has already located its resting place in the Mountain Graveyard."
Madara's lips curled into a smirk.
"Fine. Make it quick."
Whether they found it or not was irrelevant.
They had no means to control it anyway.
Still, securing it in advance would make things easier when the time came to capture the Tailed Beasts.
A moment later, he sighed.
"What a shame. The world no longer has Hashirama…"
At that same moment, Jiraiya and his Special Task Force had finally unearthed one of Madara's old hideouts—hidden deep within the Mountain Graveyard.
"What the hell is that?"
Inside the cavernous underground lair, they found themselves staring up at a massive, grotesque figure—seemingly bound in place.
"It must be the Gedo Statue, the entity Orochimaru spoke of," Jiraiya muttered.
His gut told him that whatever this thing was, it was deeply connected to Madara's plot.
Standing before it, Jiraiya felt as insignificant as an insect.
Even while seated, this statue was enormous.
If it were to stand, just how massive would it be?
More importantly…
What were they supposed to do with it?
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING