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White Zetsu didn't need to elaborate further—Uchiha Madara could already piece together the rest.
It was clear that ANBU had been relentlessly pursuing the three children, while White Zetsu's clones, limited to mid- or high-chūnin-level strength at best, were forced to flee with them. The clones had likely been leading the kids on a desperate game of cat and mouse, hiding and running as they tried to evade capture.
Understanding the full scope of the situation, Madara let out a low, chilling laugh that echoed ominously through the underground chamber.
"Ho ho ho ho... So this is Konoha, and this is Danzō! Just as I was finalizing plans against the Leaf, they've decided to provoke me. No more delays—my plans for Konoha begin now!"
Without another word, Madara launched himself upward with incredible speed, leaving White Zetsu behind. He didn't even bother using the Mayfly Technique; instead, he relied purely on brute force, smashing through layers of rock and soil above him with unstoppable momentum.
White Zetsu quickly sank into the ground, darting through the earth to keep up with Madara's rapid ascent.
Aboveground, in the grand hall of Loulan's royal palace, the queen and her ministers were deep in discussion about how to deal with Uchiha Madara.
Just as they were at a loss for solutions, the floor suddenly exploded! A black figure shot skyward like a cannonball, shattering the ceiling of the hall before vanishing into the distance as a streak of light.
The queen and her ministers stared in stunned silence, utterly bewildered by what had just transpired.
"Was... Was that Uchiha Madara?!"
"It certainly looked like him!"
"Where did he come from?"
"He burst straight out of the ground and flew off without so much as a backward glance!"
"Why was he in such a hurry? Didn't he come to exact revenge on us?"
"I don't know, but it seemed like he was in an immense hurry—he didn't even leave a single threat behind!"
"So... Does this mean the matter is resolved?"
"If Uchiha Madara doesn't return to retaliate, then perhaps we can consider this over."
The queen and her ministers gathered together, staring up at the gaping hole in the ceiling and then down at the seemingly bottomless pit in the floor. They stood there, speechless and unsure of what to make of the situation.
Meanwhile, Madara pushed his flight speed to its absolute limit. With an almost inexhaustible supply of chakra, he moved like a bolt of lightning, tearing through the skies of the Land of Wind as nothing more than a blur. His destination? The Land of Rivers, where Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan were facing the greatest crisis of their young lives.
---
In a damp hollow within a massive tree somewhere in the Land of Rivers...
The interior of the hollow was dimly lit, filled with decaying wood and moisture from days of continuous rain. While far from an ideal shelter for humans, it served as a haven for creatures that thrived in such conditions—like snakes.
A grayish-green snake, roughly two to three meters long, slithered slowly through the hollow. Its degenerated eyes fixed intently on the slender leg of a blue-haired girl sitting nearby. Coiling its body, the snake prepared to strike.
Suddenly, the snake lunged forward like a coiled spring, its jaws opening wide to reveal two menacing fangs aimed directly at the girl's calf.
At the last possible moment, the blue-haired girl spun around with astonishing speed, her hand flashing out like lightning to grab the snake by the neck.
Konan held the writhing serpent in one delicate hand, its body coiling tightly around her arm in a futile attempt to escape. Despite her slender frame, her grip was unyielding, far stronger than the snake could ever hope to resist.
With a bright smile, she turned to her two companions.
"Nagato, Yahiko, look! I caught a snake! We'll have dinner tonight!"
Yahiko, the orange-haired boy, took the snake from Konan and examined it thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
"Hmm, it's been three days since we've had a proper meal. Tonight, we'll eat this. Konan, would you prefer roasted snake or stewed snake?"
Konan's bright eyes sparkled as she pondered the options, her expression torn between the two choices.
Beside them, Nagato—the quiet, red-haired boy—shook his head silently, saying nothing.
Just then, an unwelcome interruption arrived.
White Zetsu (a clone) emerged from the wall of the hollow, his voice as grating as a crow's caw. Without preamble, he launched into a tirade directed at the three children.
"You stupid brats! Did I teach you nothing?! We're in hiding! How can we possibly cook food? Whether you roast or boil the snake, you'll need fire—and smoke will expose our location immediately! ANBU has Hyūga clansmen with Byakugan; there's no way we can hide from them!"
Yahiko wilted under White Zetsu's lecture but stubbornly retorted, "If we can't start a fire, then fine—we'll eat raw snake! Sashimi-style snake meat! It might be a bit fishy, but it's edible, right?"
Furious, White Zetsu snapped back, "Idiot brat! You can't eat raw snake either! ANBU also has Inuzuka clansmen with ninja hounds that can smell blood from dozens of kilometers away! If you kill the snake, they'll find us in no time!"
Yahiko groaned in frustration, barely restraining himself from shouting.
"Fine, I won't eat the snake! We'll go back to eating bugs like we did days ago!"
"Bugs are out of the question too! Even seeing bugs should put you on high alert! ANBU has Aburame clansmen who control insects. For all you know, any bug you encounter could be under their command!"
Yahiko finally snapped.
"Damn it! This isn't allowed, that isn't allowed! I'm sick of living like this! Let's just go out there and fight ANBU head-on!"