Amenoyagōmimi no Mikoto, this Mangekyō Sharingan dōjutsu, genuinely stirred even Uchiha Madara with a sense of astonishment. With his vast experience and insight, he was able to judge its value almost instantly. This was a terrifying ability that grew stronger through battle, feeding on slaughter to continuously amplify both the user and their faction.
In theory,
this dōjutsu could be used to endlessly create one powerful "piece" after another.
If Uchiha Hatoha continued to develop smoothly,
it truly was possible that he could, by his own strength alone, stand against the Five Great Ninja Villages.
"...The core of the Eye of the Moon Plan is to gather the nine tailed beasts, revive the Ten-Tails, and then cast Infinite Tsukuyomi to create eternal peace. Everyone will live in a new world without war, without despair. As long as these goals are achieved, you may modify the specific execution of the plan however you wish."
Madara gave his instructions.
He had decided to let go.
He no longer intended to force Hatoha to follow the plan exactly as he had devised it. Madara acknowledged the sheer power of Hatoha's dōjutsu, Amenoyagōmimi no Mikoto. Possessing such an ability, and serving as the direct executor of the Eye of the Moon Plan, Hatoha was indeed qualified to alter its details.
Moreover,
even if Madara were unwilling, there was nothing he could do.
Because he was about to die.
If he were still alive, he would naturally have ways to restrain Hatoha and force him to act according to the original plan. But the problem was that he did not have long to live. Once he died… how could he possibly prevent Hatoha from modifying the Eye of the Moon Plan?
That was impossible.
Even leaving Black Zetsu behind to watch Hatoha would not suffice. Black Zetsu could never control Hatoha the way Madara himself could.
Therefore,
rather than insisting that Hatoha follow his original blueprint, it was better to loosen his grip and let Hatoha act freely. As long as Black Zetsu kept watch and ensured that the core of the Eye of the Moon Plan did not deviate, the rest… was never truly important.
"Oh, right. Since you can command the souls of those you kill, then… can you read the memories contained within those souls?" Madara suddenly asked.
"That can't be done."
Hatoha shook his head. "Amenoyagōmimi no Mikoto can only control the soul's power, ninjutsu, and combat experience. Memories… can't be accessed."
This was not a lie.
After awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, he had instinctively understood the nature of Amenoyagōmimi no Mikoto. This dōjutsu allowed him to command and wield the souls of the dead, turning their power into his own.
But that did not mean he possessed everything about the soul. The soul's consciousness merely fell into a dormant state, and its memories sank along with that consciousness. He could not read memories through this ability.
"What a pity."
Madara showed a look of regret, but inwardly he slowly let out a breath of relief.
If Hatoha's dōjutsu had also allowed him to read memories, then… pawns planted in places like Kumogakure, such as Mizushiro, would need to be dealt with properly, lest Hatoha uncover the truth behind Uchiha Tsuruha's death.
Still,
to be safe, it would be better to dispose of them using a plausible excuse.
After all, what if Hatoha was lying?
Madara had no way to verify whether Hatoha was deceiving him.
"Uchiha Hatoha."
Madara looked at the young man and asked solemnly, "I will ask you once more. Are you truly willing to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan in my stead?"
"Absolutely."
Hatoha nodded heavily.
"Then listen carefully. There are still many things I must entrust to you…"
Madara raised his hand, signaling Hatoha to step closer. Then, propping up his frail, aged body, he began to explain his own final arrangements and every remaining detail related to the Eye of the Moon Plan.
---
In an underground area of forested land in the northeast of the Land of Fire.
"Shibi, this is the place, right?"
Standing atop a tree branch, Minato braced one hand against the trunk and gazed out at the chaotic battlefield ahead.
"This is it. Kenshira and the others' chakra signatures… are scattered throughout this area."
Beside Minato stood a man wearing dark sunglasses and a high-collared dark green coat, with a massive container strapped to his back.
His name was Aburame Shibi.
He was the undisputed next head of the Aburame clan, and during the Third Great Ninja War, he had carried out numerous missions alongside Minato. His strength was formidable, having perfectly inherited the Aburame clan's insect-manipulation techniques. This time, Minato had brought him along to investigate the site where Sarutobi Takeo and the others had been killed.
"Then I'll be counting on you all next. Shibi, Gaku, Hizashi."
Minato turned around, looking at the elite shinobi he had carefully selected.
Because the Third Hokage had granted him the authority to requisition any jōnin in the village aside from ANBU, Minato made full use of that privilege without hesitation. He brought together Aburame Shibi, Inuzuka Gaku, and Hyūga Hizashi, three experts in tracking and reconnaissance.
The Aburame clan's insects could search every minute and hidden corner. The Inuzuka clan possessed a sense of smell comparable to their ninja hounds. As for the Hyūga clan's Byakugan, there was no need for explanation. Its insight was truly unrivaled in the shinobi world.
Minato had worked with all three of them before,
and he trusted their abilities completely.
Otherwise, he would not have chosen just these three from among so many jōnin in Konoha.
At the end,
Minato turned his gaze toward the young man in the group.
"Shisui, you should take a look around as well."
Since the one who killed Sarutobi Takeo and the others was an unidentified Uchiha, and at Uchiha Fugaku's request, Uchiha Shisui, the most promising genius in the clan with the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, had been sent along to the scene with Minato.
"Yes, Minato-senpai."
Shisui replied politely.
He had not interacted much with Minato before, and they were not particularly close.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Minato had mainly been active on the northeastern and northwestern fronts, fighting Kumogakure and Iwagakure, striking such fear into them that they fled at the mere mention of his name. The main force of the Uchiha clan, meanwhile, had been deployed to the eastern front to battle Kirigakure. It was there that Shisui had earned the title "Shisui of the Body Flicker" with the heads of Kiri ninja.
However,
in recent days, Shisui's relationship with Uchiha Obito had grown quite close, so Minato had learned more about this most celebrated prodigy of the Uchiha clan.
Shisui was one of the rare open-minded members of the clan. Unlike most Uchiha, who were arrogant and aloof, his demeanor was gentle and humble, almost unrecognizable as an Uchiha…
Watching Shisui's retreating figure, Minato pondered quietly.
If he were to secure the position of Fourth Hokage, then…
Shisui might become a bridge between the village and the Uchiha clan.
But in the next moment,
he set that thought aside.
Now was not the time to consider such matters. The top priority was to investigate the details behind Sarutobi Takeo and the others' deaths, and to track down that unidentified member of the Uchiha clan.