That morning, Uchiha Rokuro was eating breakfast when the so-called filial son showed up at his door without warning.
"Itachi? You're openly showing your face now?" Rokuro asked, raising a brow.
"Aren't you worried about blowing your cover as an infiltrator?"
Without wasting words, the filial son pulled out a scroll and tossed it over.
Rokuro caught it, unsealed it—and a corpse appeared before him.
A White Zetsu.
"This is…?"
"This is the Akatsuki's true trump card," Itachi said calmly.
"A humanoid weapon created using the Outer Path Demonic Statue. They're called White Zetsu."
Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Ashikaga immediately gathered around. Both were experts in biology, and they quickly brought over instruments to perform an on-site examination.
"There's residual chakra inside the body…"
"What a bizarre structure…"
"They don't even have human organs?! And their blood—it's not even red!"
Izumi exclaimed in shock after shock.
Rokuro, of course, already knew what White Zetsu were. He turned to Itachi.
"Are these things powerful?"
"Not particularly," Itachi replied.
"About the level of an average chūnin. The problem is their numbers."
"How many?"
"…Around one hundred thousand."
"One hundred thousand?!"
The entire family froze in disbelief.
Rokuro's shock was an act.
Izumi and Ashikaga, however, were genuinely shaken.
"One hundred thousand chūnin-level soldiers…" Izumi muttered.
"That is terrifying. Even if Konoha could defeat them, the casualties would be catastrophic."
Itachi continued, his tone grave.
"Akatsuki is already preparing to attack Iwagakure to capture the Four-Tails Jinchūriki.
The Four-Tails is the hardest to seize after the Nine-Tails. Once they succeed, Akatsuki will move directly into an all-out war against Konoha. When that happens, those one hundred thousand White Zetsu will flood into the Land of Fire."
Rokuro turned to Izumi.
"Izumi, inform Lady Tsunade. And take this White Zetsu corpse with you—her professional insight far surpasses ours."
Izumi resealed the body into the scroll and immediately headed toward the Hokage Tower.
Rokuro then looked back at Itachi.
"You're openly appearing today… so you're not planning to return as a spy anymore, huh?
That's fine. With a war looming, there's no need for undercover games anymore. Come on—haven't eaten yet, right? Sit down and eat."
Itachi didn't move. He simply stood there, staring at Rokuro.
Rokuro instantly knew—there was something he wanted to say.
He gestured for Ashikaga to step away. Soon, only the two of them remained in the courtyard.
"Say it," Rokuro said. "What is it?"
Itachi suddenly pointed toward a building over a hundred meters away.
"Can you see what's on the roof of that house?"
Rokuro blinked, then turned to look.
"A paper pinwheel?"
"Who stuck that there—some kid's prank?"
"I did."
Rokuro turned back slowly, his expression resembling that famous 'old man staring at phone' meme.
"…You're telling me your undercover work stressed you out so much that you're now coping in creative ways?"
"Let me give you some advice—if a man wants to relax, the most effective method is finding a nice young lady. Konoha's been developing rapidly these past few years; merchants from everywhere have settled in. Among them are plenty of… broad-minded young women. Why don't you give it a try? With your looks, you might even get it for free."
Even after years of cultivating a perfect poker face, Itachi nearly cracked.
"I was testing whether your eyesight had deteriorated," he said flatly.
"And your reaction just confirmed my suspicion."
Rokuro raised a brow.
"Your eyes aren't ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan.
They're Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—eyes that will never lose their light."
"And?" Rokuro said lazily. "What are you trying to say?"
Itachi took a deep breath.
"I know there's blood-soaked hatred between our families. I know you will never truly trust me or Sasuke. Even taking Sasuke as your disciple was nothing more than a transaction.
So… let's make another deal."
Rokuro already knew where this was going—but he was more than happy to play along.
"What kind of deal?"
"And what's the price?"
"I'll trade you the hiding locations of all one hundred thousand White Zetsu," Itachi said.
"In exchange for a pair of Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. That seems fair, doesn't it?"
Rokuro thought for a moment.
"Your vision has deteriorated badly, hasn't it?"
"So you want me to restore your eyesight—and upgrade your Mangekyō into an Eternal one?"
"…Not for me," Itachi replied.
"For Sasuke."
"Oh?" Rokuro said softly.
"You're not going to reconsider? Ordinary Mangekyō lead to blindness. Excessive use causes severe physical damage—shortened lifespan, to put it bluntly.
Itachi, you're not terminal yet, but you're already riddled with internal injuries. If you give up this chance, you won't live more than a few years."
Itachi smiled.
"So my illness comes from these eyes?" he murmured.
"…Heh. Forget it. I've been exhausted these past few years. If this is how it ends, it's not a bad ending."
"You're giving up?" Rokuro frowned.
"Did you forget what you once told me? That when the Uchiha rule the entire shinobi world, you would come to settle the score for your father's death?
At this rate, once Akatsuki falls, nothing in the world will be able to stop Uchiha supremacy."
Itachi's eyes were filled with decay, weariness, and something deeper.
"These past years in Akatsuki, I've done many things against my conscience.
I've killed people who didn't deserve to die. I've witnessed every kind of suffering the shinobi world has to offer."
He looked directly at Rokuro.
"Uchiha Rokuro… I don't want to admit it, but I must.
A divided shinobi world will never know true peace."
"Hashirama Senju was wrong. Hiruzen Sarutobi was wrong. Even my father—and Brother Shisui—were wrong."
"…And you," Itachi said quietly,
"are the only one who was right."
"I'm lost now. So I've decided to hand the choice over to Sasuke. I believe he'll make the correct decision."
Watching Itachi, who looked as if he had achieved sudden enlightenment, Rokuro secretly curled his lip.
"So that's your decision…"
"Fine. I won't say anything more."
"I accept the deal. Send Sasuke to me.
Within seven days, he'll have a pair of Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
"But from that moment on," Rokuro added calmly,
"our master-disciple relationship ends.
If he comes for revenge in the future, I won't hold back."
Itachi nodded slightly, then turned and left.
Half an hour later, Sasuke arrived.
Rokuro wasted no words—he injected him directly with Uchiha Genetic Enhancement Serum, then used an Eye-Awakening Ninja Tool to accelerate gene fusion, forcing rapid competition and evolution to hasten the awakening of the Eternal Mangekyō.
As Sasuke lay unconscious, Uchiha Izumi's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Rokuro… this should do it, right?"
"Indra's chakra will appear soon, won't it?"
Rokuro smiled.
"It should. Indra's limit was always the Eternal Mangekyō anyway.
The hardware requirements are already met. If this still doesn't force his chakra out, then it just means Sasuke is too mediocre to be worth the effort."
"We'll just wait."
"Oh, right—what's Tsunade planning to do?"
Izumi looked away from Sasuke.
"Lady Tsunade is studying the White Zetsu corpse with Shizune and the others.
At the same time, she's dispatched envoys to every major village to convene a Shinobi World Conference."
"All shinobi village leaders—large and small—will gather in the Land of Iron, the neutral state, to discuss a joint response against Akatsuki."
"All village leaders?" Rokuro asked.
"Not just the Five Great Nations?"
Izumi shot him an exasperated look.
"Do the Five Great Villages even exist anymore?"
"Besides Konoha and Kirigakure, the other three are barely functioning—especially Kumogakure. It's not much stronger than a minor village like Kusagakure anymore. Keeping the 'Five Great Villages' title would just invite ridicule."
"Fair enough," Rokuro nodded.
"Then let's share the White Zetsu location data as well. Leave the rest to Tsunade."
"This will be the final war. Anyone who still can't see the situation clearly… doesn't deserve to exist."
After Itachi's grand self-sacrificial speech, Sasuke was finally about to step onto the peak of his life.
Yet neither he nor Naruto—the two designated tools chosen by Rokuro—understood that their lives were nothing more than keys enabling Rokuro to activate his ultimate cheat.
Just as Rokuro was making final preparations for the war of gods—
Uchiha Madara finally met Black Zetsu.
"Lord Madara, the situation is dire," Black Zetsu said with an awkward chuckle.
"If Obito weren't so confident, I'd already be planning to take your eyes and hide—waiting to outlive Uchiha Rokuro before returning."
The joke fell flat.
Madara had no sense of humor.
"So Uchiha Rokuro learned this so-called 'technology' from Orochimaru to steal Uchiha power?"
"No," Black Zetsu replied.
"I investigated afterward. It seems more like Rokuro guided Orochimaru into doing all of this. But regardless of who led whom, the result is the same."
"The Uchiha clan has never been stronger—not even during your era, Lord Madara.
There are already dozens of Mangekyō users… and their Mangekyō may not even lose their light."
Madara snorted.
"I've fought Orochimaru myself. His ocular power does reach the level of an Eternal Mangekyō—though still far inferior to mine."
"If Uchiha Rokuro is only at that level, then he's nothing to fear."
"The problem," Madara continued,
"is their numbers."
One-on-one—or even one-on-two—Madara was confident he could match Rokuro.
But dozens of Eternal Mangekyō at once?
Even the founding father of acting invincible couldn't dance on that battlefield.
"Only by becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki can they be eliminated."
"Lord Madara," Black Zetsu said cautiously,
"there's another problem. Nagato and Obito have already moved against Iwagakure. The Four-Tails should be captured without issue. The Five-Tails through Eight-Tails won't pose much trouble either."
"But the Nine-Tails… that will be difficult."
Madara already knew—the current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was Uchiha Rokuro's disciple.
Striking him would be extremely difficult.
"Do you have a solution?" Madara asked.
"I suggest preparing two contingency plans."
"Two?" Madara narrowed his eyes.
Black Zetsu raised his hand and gestured—
"First—before the final battle against Konoha—we have Nagato activate Samsara of Heavenly Life in advance to truly revive you. After that, you reclaim the Rinnegan. With the power of the Rinnegan in your hands, Lord Madara, defeating the Uchiha should no longer be a problem."
"Hmph," Madara snorted.
"There's no need for 'should.' Once I am truly revived, the Rinnegan's power will sweep aside everything. Even hordes of Eternal Mangekyō will be nothing before me!"
Madara planted his hands on his hips, activating his ultimate bluff technique!
"The second plan," Black Zetsu continued, unfazed,
"is to use Edo Tensei to summon Kinkaku and Ginkaku."
"These two once survived inside the Nine-Tails' stomach for a time. By consuming its flesh, they inherited a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra. Though it isn't a true Nine-Tails, it should be enough to temporarily revive the Ten-Tails."
"With the Ten-Tails' assistance, defeating the Uchiha is also possible. However, Obito is obsessed with activating Infinite Tsukuyomi. When the time comes, he will certainly become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki, which means Lord Madara would then need to find a way to weaken Obito first."
"However," Black Zetsu added carefully,
"regardless of which plan we choose, Edo Tensei will be required."
"Uzumaki Naruto only possesses half of the Nine-Tails. The other half remains sealed inside the Fourth Hokage. His soul is trapped within the Shinigami's stomach, and the seal can only be undone with Orochimaru's expertise."
At the mention of Orochimaru, Madara's expression subtly shifted.
"By the way, Lord Madara," Black Zetsu asked cautiously,
"you mentioned earlier that you fought Orochimaru… you didn't happen to kill him on the way, did you?"
"Cough… cough," Madara cleared his throat.
"Are you saying that in this entire world, only Orochimaru knows how to perform Edo Tensei?"
"…Lord Madara, you really—forget it," Black Zetsu sighed inwardly.
"In theory, Orochimaru's assistant, Yakushi Kabuto, should also be capable of Edo Tensei…"
"…You didn't kill him too, did you?"
"Who?" Madara asked flatly. "Yakushi Kabuto?"
Black Zetsu hurriedly described Kabuto's appearance.
After listening, Madara silently let out a breath of relief.
"He was rescued by snakes from Ryūchi Cave. He should still be alive," Madara said.
"Black Zetsu, find his location immediately. I will control him with the Sharingan and make him serve me alone."
"Leave it to me."
Black Zetsu immediately activated his technique, linking with all White Zetsu units to locate Kabuto. Once found, he would lead Madara there to seize him.
Just as Akatsuki and Uchiha Madara began their respective movements—
A Shinobi World Conference, convened by Tsunade in the Land of Iron, officially began.
Because the shinobi world had already been utterly reshaped by Rokuro's interference, even the Five Great Shinobi Villages could no longer be fully assembled. As such, Tsunade directly called for a conference of the entire shinobi world.
Large nations or small—any country with a shinobi village was required to send representatives.
Anyone who failed to attend would face severe consequences afterward.
In recent years, Konoha had become the undisputed hegemon of the shinobi world.
With Sunagakure and Kirigakure taking the lead in responding, even minor villages such as Kusagakure sent delegates to participate.
In terms of scale, this conference far exceeded the original Five Kage Summit.
Naturally, Tsunade assumed leadership of the meeting.
When she produced the White Zetsu corpse, representatives from every village were stunned—and unanimously agreed to the formation of a Shinobi Allied Forces.
However, when it came time to discuss troop contributions—
The mood changed.
"Lady Tsunade," the representative from Kusagakure said with a pained expression,
"our village has not been doing well these past few years. Many of our businesses were taken over by the Uchiha. Our total ninja count is now under a thousand, so…"
He began crying poverty the moment he spoke, subtly smearing the Uchiha in the process—hoping to sow discord between Tsunade and the clan.
In his mind, with the Uchiha dominating everything, the Hokage must surely be dissatisfied. If he could provoke internal conflict between Tsunade and the Uchiha, then smaller villages like his—whose livelihoods had been squeezed—might finally see an opportunity to rise.
Unfortunately for him
The current Tsunade was Rokuro's number-one fan.
…Or perhaps number-one-plus.
Either way, his attempt at poisoning the well had zero effect.
Seeing this, other villages quickly followed suit, each crying poverty in turn.
This, perhaps, was also one of the reasons why in the original timeline only the Five Great Villages sent troops—bringing smaller villages along was not only troublesome, but they might even drag the alliance down.
Just as Tsunade grew increasingly irritated and was preparing to force compliance—
An urgent report arrived at the conference hall.
"Everyone," the messenger announced, voice shaking,
"we've just received confirmation—Iwagakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, has been completely destroyed."
END OF CHAPTER
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