At the moment Yusuke mentioned Madara Uchiha, Madara was at his base, undertaking the most crucial step of his "Infinite Tsukuyomi" plan.
"Almost ready. Once I become the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, I'll launch a full-scale war on the ninja world! Luckily, I spared Orochimaru; his improved Edo Tensei is remarkable!"
Summoning the Gedo Mazo, Madara Uchiha addressed Zetsu.
Following the contest between the three great ninja villages and Konoha, Madara's plan to ally with the three villages to attack Konoha had significantly weakened. In his view, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure possessed insufficient strength to be of any real use.
After instructing Zetsu to make tentative contact with the Kage of these three villages and discovering that none of them possessed the resolve to become enemies of Konoha, Madara Uchiha abandoned his plans to enlist their aid.
In Madara Uchiha's estimation, the true key to the successful completion of the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan lay in his ability to defeat the current Konoha, or more specifically, Yusuke Uchiha!
For his army, he could mass-produce White Zetsu.
His core fighting force would be created using the Edo Tensei technique he'd obtained from Orochimaru.
Madara Uchiha began forming hand seals, initiating Orochimaru's latest and improved Edo Tensei technique.
This refined Edo Tensei technique allowed the resurrected individuals to retain nearly 90% of their original strength. Even a peak-level powerhouse like Hashirama Senju could exert almost 80% of his full power!
Upon completion of the jutsu, the numerous sacrificial offerings before Madara Uchiha instantly transformed into the reincarnated forms of past jinchuriki, as well as the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers, who had once been consumed by the Nine-Tailed Fox and thus retained a portion of its chakra.
Following their resurrection via the Edo Tensei technique, all of these individuals had their minds immediately subjugated by Madara Uchiha's control, with the exception of Mito Uzumaki, the former jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox from two generations prior to the current era.
"You are Madara Uchiha! The Edo Tensei technique? What in the world is going on here?"
Mito Uzumaki, upon opening her eyes, immediately locked her gaze upon Madara Uchiha.
After briefly surveying her surroundings, she swiftly concluded that she was currently situated within the ninja world and that she, along with numerous other ninjas, had been resurrected through the Edo Tensei technique.
Mito Uzumaki's appearance was not that of a frail, elderly woman on the brink of death, but rather that of a vibrant young woman in the prime of her life.
"Mito," Madara Uchiha chuckled, addressing his former acquaintance, "it has been a considerable time. I must confess that I find it rather unexpected that our reunion should transpire in such a manner."
Mito Uzumaki, however, maintained a grave expression. Before her stood Madara Uchiha, seemingly unchanged from his appearance in his twenties, his eyes bearing the unmistakable aura of the legendary Rinnegan.
The presence of such a formidable and dangerous individual, possessing such immense power, coupled with the resurrection of a multitude of ninjas via the Edo Tensei technique, unequivocally indicated that Madara Uchiha harbored a purpose of extraordinary significance.
"What is your objective in resurrecting me?" Mito Uzumaki inquired.
Directing her gaze towards the numerous individuals who had been resurrected by the Edo Tensei technique, Mito Uzumaki quickly discerned a common thread among them. She could sense that all of these individuals were former jinchuriki, their bodies still retaining the power of the Tailed Beasts.
"Naturally, it is for the sake of my grand design!" Madara Uchiha declared. "However, we can discuss the specifics of this at a later time."
Madara Uchiha once again initiated the Edo Tensei technique, but on this occasion, he resurrected only a single individual: Hashirama Senju, his destined rival.
Given Hashirama Senju's immense power, Madara Uchiha deemed it necessary to perform the Edo Tensei technique separately in order to maximize the degree to which his resurrected form could inherit its original strength.
Following his resurrection, Hashirama Senju's expression was one of utter bewilderment.
However, much like Mito Uzumaki, he quickly pieced together the circumstances of his situation, realizing that he had been resurrected within the ninja world via the Edo Tensei technique. He also noted that Madara Uchiha, for reasons unknown, appeared to have retained his youthful vigor and was clearly undertaking actions detrimental to the ninja world.
"From this moment forward, until I have truly achieved the unification of the ninja world," Madara Uchiha announced, his voice resonating with heightened intensity, "I shall ensure that you witness every event with your own eyes, Hashirama Senju!"
With the appearance of Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha's demeanor appeared to undergo a noticeable shift, his emotional state seemingly elevated. His voice was louder than usual.
Exchanging a meaningful glance with his wife, Mito Uzumaki, Hashirama Senju addressed Madara Uchiha in a firm and measured tone, "While I remain uncertain of your intentions, we are both deceased individuals who have passed into the annals of history. Your attempt to forcibly reverse the natural cycle of life and death in pursuit of your ambitions is destined to fail."
"Every era produces a leader who guides that era. Our time has passed."
Madara Uchiha responded to Hashirama Senju's words with a sardonic laugh, "I place no faith in the concept of eras. I believe only in the power I wield!"
"Your efforts to maintain a balance of power among the five great nations have proven to be a complete failure. Following our deaths, the ninja world has been embroiled in incessant warfare. Within a mere few decades, two world wars have erupted, engulfing the entire ninja world. And now, it is my intention to rectify the errors that you have committed!"
At this point, Madara Uchiha proceeded to provide Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki with a detailed explanation of his "Infinite Tsukuyomi" plan.
Upon hearing Madara Uchiha's exposition, both Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki expressed their astonishment at the immense power of the Six Paths of Pain, as described by Madara Uchiha, and their utter disbelief at the sheer audacity and madness of his proposed plan.
"Hashirama," Madara Uchiha declared, his voice booming with laughter, "no one in this world can prevent me from achieving my objective. You are intimately familiar with the extent of our power. You shall witness with your own eyes the ninja world brought under my complete control, where eternal peace will be realized within the confines of a genjutsu!"
It is undeniable that a profound and enduring animosity existed between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. As destined rivals, they had once been the closest of friends, yet they also represented the most diametrically opposed ideologies.
Upon encountering Hashirama Senju, even the supremely aloof Madara Uchiha exhibited a noticeable transformation in his demeanor, his facial expressions becoming far more varied and expressive, as if he had become an entirely different person.
After a moment of silence, a surprising expression spread across Hashirama Senju's face—a broad, joyful smile. This unexpected display of mirth left not only Madara Uchiha, but also Mito Uzumaki, utterly perplexed.
"You imbecile, have you lost your mind?" Mito Uzumaki exclaimed, her voice laced with exasperation, directing a sharp glare at Hashirama Senju. "Even in the face of such dire circumstances, you still find cause for merriment?"
Hashirama Senju, in response, merely chuckled and scratched the back of his head, "My apologies, I simply found myself recalling a rather amusing incident."
Madara Uchiha's expression darkened considerably. His intention in resurrecting Hashirama Senju was not to witness his amusement, but rather to confront him with the stark reality of his failures and to compel him to witness Madara Uchiha's triumph in a state of utter despair.
With a cold snort, Madara Uchiha stated in a low, menacing tone, "What could possibly be so amusing?"
"Those individuals bound to the stakes over there are the four remaining jinchuriki, are they not?" Hashirama Senju inquired, his eyes gleaming with a shrewd intelligence, directing his gaze towards the ninjas whose powers had been sealed and bound to four wooden stakes.
These four jinchuriki were Yagura (the jinchuriki of the Three-Tailed Beast), Rōshi (the jinchuriki of the Four-Tailed Beast), Han (the jinchuriki of the Five-Tailed Beast), and Utakata (the jinchuriki of the Six-Tailed Beast), representing the entirety of the Tailed Beast power remaining under Madara Uchiha's control.
Madara Uchiha responded with a sardonic laugh, "Indeed, that is correct. But what could possibly be so amusing about that?"
Hashirama Senju, maintaining unwavering eye contact with Madara Uchiha, declared with absolute certainty, "As I have previously stated, every era gives rise to a leader who guides that era. I suspect that the strongest individual in the ninja world at this very moment is not you."
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