However, the man's regenerative ability was astonishing. His wounds were healing at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Half of Obito's body was made from White Zetsu. As long as his head wasn't blown apart on the spot, he could recover and be back on his feet in no time.
Still, he genuinely cared about Kakashi. When he emerged, he even made sure Madara wouldn't casually cut Kakashi down, thoughtfully sending him over to Makoto and Shisui.
He himself appeared beside Madara, looking at Kakashi with open mockery.
Just like Madara, his heart was now completely set on creating an ideal world. No matter how eloquently Kakashi argued, he would never shake his resolve.
Talk no Jutsu only worked when the right person used it. Kakashi clearly wasn't gifted in that department.
Madara glanced at Obito's wounds but paid little attention to his small scheme.
At this point, Obito's usefulness to him had already diminished. Whether the Cursed Seal on his heart remained or not no longer mattered. Nagato's situation was what truly concerned him now.
"Let's go. We'll head back first."
Obito said nothing. He simply placed a hand on Madara and activated Kamui, and the two vanished.
Seeing that Makoto made no attempt to stop them, Kakashi and Shisui merely remained on guard instead of attacking again.
After the pair disappeared, Kakashi asked, "Did you let them go because you couldn't stop them... or was there another reason?"
Makoto replied, "There was no need to stop them. They've spent so many years working on their plan. How could we possibly ruin it for them? That would just be too cruel."
Kakashi: "..."
Yeah, right. As if I'd believe that.
Shisui asked, "Makoto, what exactly is written in the latter half of the Uchiha stone tablet? Is it Madara and Obito's plan?"
The stone tablet left behind by the Sage of Six Paths had been tampered with by Black Zetsu. Unless one possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan or power on the level of Yin-Yang Release, it was impossible to read its entire contents.
Shisui had been stopped at the very last section and only learned the part concerning the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Unfortunately, he didn't have a foolish little brother.
Itachi met the requirements, but the Uchiha Clan had already embarked on a far more stable and powerful path of training. There was no chance they would enhance their dōjutsu by following the method described on the tablet.
Makoto nodded.
"That's right. The tablet contains a method supposedly left behind by the Sage of Six Paths—a way for those who reach the required level of power to bring everlasting peace to the world."
Shisui's eyes widened.
"Makoto... are you sure? What method?"
Makoto: "..."
How is this guy still so innocent?
Kakashi frowned, realizing something was off.
"Shisui, don't be so naïve. Think about it. If such a method really existed, why didn't the Sage of Six Paths do it himself?"
"He was even more powerful than anyone else. Why leave it for future generations to solve? Doesn't that strike you as contradictory?"
Shisui lowered his head.
"Sorry... I got carried away. Kakashi-senpai is right."
Makoto smiled faintly.
"Shisui, to be honest, with my current strength, I could completely alter the contents of that stone tablet."
"So here's the question: over the course of several hundred—perhaps even nearly a thousand—years, who can say for certain that no one has ever changed what was written on it?"
"Are the words on that tablet really the Sage of Six Paths' original message?"
Kakashi asked, "So that's why you let them go?"
"Exactly. Think about it. According to Orochimaru's intelligence, the true masterminds behind the Akatsuki were Obito and that black-and-white fellow. And behind them, as it now appears, stands Madara."
"From what we learned during our fight just now, the Akatsuki leader's Rinnegan actually belonged to Madara."
"So here's the real question..."
He paused briefly.
"Is there someone else pulling Madara's strings from the shadows?"
"I believe we'll have the answer very soon."
"More importantly, if we're going to reshape the shinobi world, then we need this war."
"We need every last schemer to reveal themselves."
Kakashi and Shisui asked no further questions.
They trusted both Makoto and the Fourth Hokage.
With the enemy gone, the crisis had passed, and Konohagakure had narrowly escaped disaster.
But when Kakashi and Shisui reported that the one who had appeared in the village was Uchiha Madara, Hiruzen and the other two elders, who had remained behind in the Fourth Hokage's stead, were utterly shaken.
To them, that name was nothing short of a nightmare.
Fortunately, Konohagakure was far stronger than before, and Madara hadn't managed to cause any real damage.
Even so, to be safe, the Third Hokage immediately decided to dispatch additional elite shinobi to reinforce the front lines.
If Madara had returned to the world of the living this time, it certainly wasn't to sightsee. He had to be planning something enormous.
The one chosen to lead the reinforcements was Tsunade.
Even the village's greatest medic couldn't stay seated after hearing Madara's name.
As for Kakashi, because of Obito, he volunteered to accompany the force, leaving the ANBU's affairs in the village to Shisui.
Shisui raised no objections. Although he wanted to go as well, Konohagakure's safety would always come first in his heart.
...
After spending most of the day accomplishing nothing in Konohagakure, Madara and Obito took some time to return to their own base.
It was also located in the Land of Rice Fields, not far from the Akatsuki's hideout, courtesy of Orochimaru.
The snake might not rank among the strongest shinobi anymore, but when it came to the number of hideouts scattered across the shinobi world, no one could rival him.
He was a snake with the survival instincts of a rabbit.
Black Zetsu had already been waiting there.
When he saw his nominal boss return, he first reported on the Akatsuki and Nagato's situation before asking, "It seems you didn't accomplish your objective. You weren't able to capture the complete Nine-Tails?"
Madara remained silent. Failing to achieve his goal left the proud man in an extremely foul mood.
Obito replied, "The Nine-Tails' jinchūriki is the Fourth Hokage's son. He's currently on the front lines."
Black Zetsu nodded.
"Konohagakure really is cautious. It's probably because you released the Nine-Tails back then. They deliberately threw everyone off by making the world believe the jinchūriki had always been that woman."
Madara frowned.
"You never managed to uncover the truth?"
Black Zetsu answered, "White Zetsu has been unable to approach Konohagakure for a long time now. The moment they enter, they disappear. Higashino Makoto's abilities are an almost perfect counter to us."
"Does he possess some special bloodline? Why has someone so young already surpassed the limits of what a shinobi should be capable of?"
Black Zetsu replied, "According to our investigation, Higashino Makoto doesn't possess the bloodline of any powerful shinobi clan. His ancestors were nothing more than ordinary civilian shinobi from Konohagakure. Everyone knows that."
"As for his strength, that's no secret in the shinobi world either. It's said that, through talent alone, he created an entirely new Senjutsu system, fundamentally different from the Senjutsu of the Three Great Sage Regions."
"It's a form of Senjutsu perfectly suited for humans. The people of Konohagakure call it the 'True Sage System.' Unfortunately, aside from Konoha's own shinobi, no one else knows how to practice it. Even those who've obtained the method have never managed to get past the very first step."
Madara nodded.
"The True Sage System... What an impressive junior. I never expected that after Hashirama and me, the shinobi world would produce another genius of this caliber."
Black Zetsu asked cautiously, "You didn't run into that man in Konohagakure, did you? He should've been on the front lines."
Obito answered, "We did. But it was only a clone."
Black Zetsu wanted to ask how it had gone, but one look at Madara's expression told him everything.
The outcome had clearly not been favorable.
Even Impure World Reincarnation Madara, armed with the Rinnegan, couldn't do anything to Higashino Makoto?
A sense of urgency welled up inside him.
The plan had to move forward faster.
Since Madara had managed to return, that meant Higashino Makoto's strength still had its limits. Once Mother emerged, she would undoubtedly sweep everything aside.
Madara turned to Obito.
"You were captured by that youngster once, weren't you?"
Obito's face darkened.
I almost ruined the company's biggest project. What do I do if the boss finds out? Waiting for answers online!
Waiting my ass.
Obito wasn't afraid in the slightest. He considered his relationship with Madara one of partners, not superior and subordinate. Why the hell would he be afraid?
"There was an accident during a probing operation a few years ago."
"Obito... don't tell me you surrendered to save your own life and betrayed our plan back then?"
"Relax, Madara. I have no attachment whatsoever to this reality. But he didn't kill me either. He simply let me leave."
"Oh? And what exactly did he say?"
"As long as we stayed out of Konohagakure and didn't cause trouble there, he wouldn't interfere with our plan."
Madara laughed arrogantly.
"Heh... What an arrogant and selfish brat. Is Konohagakure really the only thing he cares about? His vision doesn't measure up to Hashirama's—not even close."
Black Zetsu asked, "Madara, what should we do now?"
"Let Nagato play with the Five Great Shinobi Villages for a while. Guide him into fully releasing the Ten-Tails. Then we'll choose the right moment to strike and take control of the battlefield."
"Since that brat wants to watch us carry out our plan, then we'll let him watch closely as I sever every chain of cause and effect in this world and bring all chaos to an end."
"Understood!"
Black Zetsu turned and left. The corners of his pitch-black mouth curled into a grin no human could ever imitate as he corrected Madara excitedly in his heart:
My plan! It's my plan!
After plotting for a thousand years...
The final moment had finally arrived.
Time continued to flow as always, and the night quickly passed.
On the morning of the fourteenth, a terrifying beast's roar echoed across the Land of Rice Fields, completely shattering the peace the shinobi world had enjoyed for more than a decade.