"What's wrong, Shane?"
Eno Uchiha found the boy a bit odd. He seemed worried about something.
As he asked, Madara glanced over as well.
Shane was Akaba's alias.
Madara looked at Akaba and noticed his emotional fluctuations.
"These guys are powerful."
Akaba whispered.
Madara turned his gaze toward that group of people. Naturally, they weren't ordinary—there was strange chakra within them, each possessing strength at the Jonin level.
Of course,
Jonin weren't particularly impressive in Madara's eyes. More importantly, most of these were hastily trained individuals who only gained such power through that special chakra—it wasn't worth paying attention to at all.
Still, for ordinary ninja, this would indeed be a formidable force.
Madara stopped watching Akaba and let his gaze sweep toward the pile of "Devil Fruits." Even without activating his Sharingan, with his understanding of chakra and the powers granted by his Eternal Kaleidoscope Sharingan, he could instantly see through the true nature of these Devil Fruits.
"So these legendary Devil Fruits are just fruits created from special chakra. How boring. We came all this way for nothing."
Madara felt dissatisfied, but had no intention of causing any disturbance. He turned around, preparing to leave.
However, at that very moment, he noticed one unusual fruit.
This particular fruit lacked the same aura as the others. Its patterns were also more ancient and complex. At first glance it seemed no different from the surrounding fruits, yet upon close examination, its internal essence was completely distinct.
Could that be the real thing?
Though he couldn't be entirely certain, this fruit was undeniably different.
Madara halted mid-step, staring fixedly at the platform.
He considered his options. Grabbing it directly was the simplest and quickest solution, but it might draw unwanted attention back onto him.
It would be foolish to act before fully merging the two sources of power within him.
Madara kept watch from below, waiting for the perfect moment.
Akaba didn't dare to openly observe this old man too much, but pretending to glance casually several times confirmed his suspicions—the old man was very likely Madara himself.
Although his appearance had changed significantly, his signature hairstyle remained unchanged.
It really was Madara!
Could Madara really take a bite of the Whispering Fruit?
He fell into deep thought.
If Madara did end up consuming this fruit, things would get interesting.
If Devil Fruit users were indeed vulnerable to seawater, imagine carrying sealed containers filled with seawater everywhere. When facing Madara, combine Water Release techniques with actual seawater.
Even if Madara could still summon Susanoo while soaked in seawater, forcing him to fight far inland would be worth seeing—especially since this is the Whispering Fruit we're talking about.
Unfortunately, each type of Devil Fruit could only be acquired once.
After exchanging for the Whispering Fruit, it immediately vanished from the Exchange List.
Therefore, if Madara obtained the Whispering Fruit, Akaba would need to exchange for another Devil Fruit in order to test how Devil Fruits functioned in the Naruto world.
He just didn't have enough points left for another exchange.
As for trying to test anything against Madara himself? Never once did he even think of it.
It was unclear who would end up testing whom. With Madara's ferocity—even having both the Kaleidoscope Sharingan and Flying Thunder God techniques wouldn't feel particularly safe.
Better not provoke. Definitely better not.
More people arrived by the minute, and the tension was rising fast. It was time. A member of the Yashin Cult stepped forward in front of the small pile of Devil Fruits.
"You're probably wondering if these Devil Fruits are real," he announced loudly, "but I want to assure you, these are genuine. They hold incredible power."
"What proof do you have?" someone challenged.
"Those 'Devil Fruits' look like normal fruit to me — probably just fakes meant to rip us off!" another voice added.
The hidden ninjas from various nations said nothing yet, but wandering ninjas and samurai started voicing their doubts. Some even stepped forward threateningly, clearly ready to snatch the fruits by force.
"I'd advise you not to try anything foolish," one man from the Yashin Cult warned.
"I am a Devil Fruit user — the user of the Da Da Fruit!"
A man from the Yashin Cult looked at them with disdain as strange markings appeared on his skin, and his body immediately doubled in size. He towered over everyone.
Da Da Fruit...
Only the Yashin Cult could come up with something like the Da Da Fruit — even the name sounds stupid.
"The Da Da Fruit?"
"So huge! So Devil Fruits really exist!"
"It's definitely some kind of Ninjutsu. I've heard that Konoha's Akimichi clan has techniques that enlarge the body. Your level is nothing special!"
While many gasped in shock at the sudden increase in size, not everyone believed it was the result of a Devil Fruit. Moreover, among those who did believe, some were likely planted supporters stirring up excitement.
Akaba and his group remained quietly in the crowd, watching without any intention to get involved.
In the next moment, the person who claimed it was simply Ninjutsu was sent flying through the air after a punch.
This power was undeniably real!
"You might not believe," the organizer continued calmly, "but it doesn't matter anyway — there are only so many fruits to go around, and we never intended for everyone to have a chance. No one's being forced."
The host smiled confidently as he neatly lined up all the fruits in a row.
"Just like in the Manga," he explained, "each Devil Fruit is one of a kind. Each grants entirely different abilities. Whether or not you buy one is completely voluntary. Even the prices are set by you."
He smiled slightly and signaled for someone to place a small sign in front of each fruit.
Each read: "100 taels."
Akaba glanced around. With so many people gathered, these fruits wouldn't appeal to village ninja supported by their nations. But for minor villages and wandering ninjas? That was an offer too good to pass up.
As ninja, they weren't short on cash — wealthy merchants often funded them based on the idea of taking from the rich and giving to the poor.
However...
They desperately craved techniques and power.
Most powerful secret arts and Ninjutsu were monopolized by the major villages. What little they received was weak, incomplete, and usually just second-rate copies they tried to teach themselves.
Any means of gaining strength—even slightly—was invaluable to them.
Soon enough, the bidding war drove the price of each fruit into the thousands.
Akaba knew exactly how this worked — some bidders were certainly plants, and for the Yashin Cult, making money wasn't the main goal. Spreading the faith of Jashin-sama came first.
Unlike Akaba and the others who were only watching, those rogue ninja were truly fighting over the item, offering extremely high prices. Some had given up on buying it outright and instead planned to steal it from others later.
Finally, someone successfully acquired one and excitedly swallowed it in one bite.
Then he let out a roar as his body swelled to twice its normal size, shouting excitedly, "So strong! So much power!"
The rest of them quickly devolved into chaos, scrambling to grab what they could.
Madara originally intended to continue observing, but seeing them eat it immediately after purchase, if he waited any longer, the real one would probably be gone.
Thus, he didn't hesitate further.
Madara activated his Genjutsu.
A Yashin Cult member on stage looked momentarily dazed before suddenly grabbing the fruit and fleeing outward.
At that moment, the earth rumbled violently.
[Earth Release: Great Swamp Torrent!]
An Earth-style Ninjutsu, wide-ranging and terrifying in power, instantly threw the entire venue into disarray. The Yashin Cult members were furious, yet faced with the surging mud, they lacked the ability to pursue.
"Such a powerful Earth-style technique. This guy's mastery of Earth Release rivals that of the Third."
Eno Uchiha's expression changed abruptly.
"Retreat!"
After Akaba spoke, he casually grabbed two Uchiha clansmen and used Flying Thunder God to teleport them away.
The Flying Thunder God coordinates were located outside the dock, from where they could observe the situation inside.
Akaba took his stance and began searching for Madara among the crowd. With just one sweep of his gaze, he couldn't spot him at all, but such a level of Earth Release must have been Madara's doing.
After leaving the crowd, Madara immediately located the Yashin Cult member under his Genjutsu control, retrieved the Whispering Fruit from him, and then killed the cultist.
"This is a Devil Fruit?"
Madara examined the strange fruit carefully.
Devil Fruits can only be eaten once. Although manga has alluded to illustrated Devil Fruit guides, the actual contents of those guides have never been revealed.
Moreover, Madara had never even finished watching One Piece.
He learned about this event midway through reading a woodsman's memories, so he left his original base and came to the Land of Water out of curiosity, without knowing much about the story afterward.
To Madara, these powers were insignificant. No Devil Fruit could rival the power of the Rinnegan. What truly intrigued him was whether Devil Fruits really existed.
Therefore, after only a second or two of hesitation, he decisively took a bite.
It tasted terrible—and even Madara couldn't help but gag.
"What an idiot! I never expected him to actually be foolish enough to eat this stuff!"
Behind Madara, Black Zetsu was filled with anxiety. He clearly knew Madara hadn't completely fused with Hashirama Cells yet.
Consuming unknown substances recklessly would definitely affect his body, and he didn't know what to do. Whether to reveal himself or not seemed equally problematic.
However, he didn't realize Madara wasn't having physical problems—the Devil Fruit was simply too disgusting.
After biting into it, Madara sharply sensed some kind of change within himself. Though he couldn't specify exactly what it was, he confirmed he had gained the corresponding ability of the Devil Fruit.
Then,
he flung the remaining portion of the Devil Fruit into the sea.
"It's indeed fake."
Seeing this scene, Black Zetsu became increasingly convinced that Devil Fruits didn't exist in reality at all.
Then, Madara leisurely made his way out of the town. He didn't seem to have any physical issues, so Black Zetsu relaxed as well, sinking into the earth to continue tailing him.
The two traveled all the way to a remote mountain village when Madara suddenly stopped and sat down there for quite a while.
Black Zetsu hid behind a tree far away from him. Occasionally birds flew over his head, but he didn't care since he was in shadows. With the wait dragging on, he even pulled out a manga and began reading beneath the shade.
At this moment, Madara stood up again.
Madara soon arrived at a secluded spot. He stopped, turned around, and looked directly at where Black Zetsu was hiding.
"Come out. I've already noticed you."
What?
Black Zetsu was stunned. How did Madara discover him?
"You managed to conceal yourself in the shadows — truthfully, I had to employ certain measures to even become aware of your pursuit. Come out now, or else I'll take drastic measures."
Madara said while clapping his hands together. His eyes immediately transformed into the pattern of the Eternal Kaleidoscope Sharingan.
Fury surged within him.
And yet, someone had shadowed him completely undetected?! He was none other than Uchiha Madara himself — Black Zetsu might have been trailing him for a considerable stretch, and he hadn't noticed at all.
Now that his stealth abilities had been uncovered, Black Zetsu realized Madara had truly pierced through his concealment methods. He couldn't help but question why everything had gone so wrong for him lately.
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