"Madara-sama, it's truly a pleasure to see you again after such a long time," Black Zetsu said, his voice tinged with a rare emotion that bordered on reverence. There was an unmistakable sense of relief in his words, as though the sight of Madara standing before him brought a comfort he hadn't felt in ages.
Madara, who was standing with his back turned to Black Zetsu, didn't immediately respond. After a brief moment, he finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying an underlying intensity. "It's only been a few hours since I was resurrected through the Edo Tensei," he began, his tone betraying neither satisfaction nor surprise at his return to the world of the living. "During those few hours, I encountered Jiryoku. We fought, and in the heat of battle, I learned a few unsettling things." He paused, as if weighing the significance of his next words. "For instance, Jiryoku seemed to know that I had lived for almost a hundred years."
With a swift motion, Madara turned to face Black Zetsu, his eyes narrowing as he fixed his gaze on him. His voice sharpened as he asked, "How could he possibly know such a thing?"
The question seemed to catch Black Zetsu off guard. He visibly flinched, his usually composed demeanour faltering as he struggled to process the implications of Madara's words. A deep frown creased his brow as he fell into silent contemplation, trying to unravel the mystery of just how much Jiryoku might know. The possibility of someone possessing such knowledge was unsettling, and the implications were vast and potentially dangerous.
Madara, noticing Black Zetsu's prolonged silence, grew impatient. His voice, now edged with irritation, broke through the quiet. "I asked you a question, Zetsu. I expect an answer. Speak."
His words snapped Black Zetsu out of his thoughts, forcing him to focus on the urgency in Madara's tone.
Black Zetsu, who had been lost in deep thought, suddenly snapped back to reality, visibly startled. "Huh, I apologize, Madara-Sama. I meant no disrespect," he stammered, his voice tinged with unease. "It's just that I was surprised. Jiryoku knew everything about the Akatsuki's plan, and this caused significant hindrances in our efforts to execute it. He was aware of every detail regarding each member of the Akatsuki, including their strengths and weaknesses. He even knew everything about Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko."
Hearing this, Madara's expression darkened as he squinted his eyes, his mind racing with the implications. "Has Obito betrayed us?" he asked, his voice carrying a cold edge.
"No, I don't think so," Black Zetsu quickly replied, shaking his head. "As I mentioned, Jiryoku knew everything about the Akatsuki members, including Obito's true identity. He also understood how Obito's Kamui works, knowledge that Jiryoku later shared with others, which ultimately caused Obito to lose his strategic advantage."
Madara nodded slowly, absorbing the information. He seemed to agree with Black Zetsu's assessment, though his expression remained unreadable.
Black Zetsu, sensing Madara's approval, continued, "However, I do have my doubts about Obito's eagerness to resurrect the Ten-Tails. His intentions in that matter are questionable."
Madara remained calm, his gaze steady as he processed Black Zetsu's words. Although he didn't voice it, he could somewhat guess what Obito's true intentions might be, but he chose not to comment on it just yet.
After a brief pause, Madara spoke, his voice commanding and direct. "You must have conducted an investigation. Did you find anything that could explain how exactly Jiryoku knew of our plans?"
"Yes," Black Zetsu replied, nodding. "And there is only one reasonable explanation for this: Jiryoku possesses the ability to predict the future. Although during battle, he can only see a few seconds ahead, no one knows the full extent of how his abilities work."
Madara's eyes widened in surprise at this revelation. While fighting Jiryoku, he had never seen any indication of such abilities, which meant that Jiryoku had not been fighting at his full strength.
Black Zetsu then proceeded to describe Jiryoku's immense power in detail, recounting the entire process of Jiryoku's battle with Asura. He painted a vivid picture of the fight, highlighting Jiryoku's overwhelming strength and cunning strategies.
As Madara listened, he was utterly shocked by the description. His mind raced as he considered the implications. "Did the Sage of Six Paths or Asura discover anything unusual? Did they uncover any clues about our plan?" Madara asked urgently, his voice tinged with concern.
"No, nothing like that happened," Black Zetsu responded confidently. "They were too preoccupied with dealing with Jiryoku to notice anything else."
At that very moment, the battlefield was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of Gaara and Onoki, who appeared with incredible speed. The air around them seemed to hum with energy as they joined the fray. Terumi Mei soon followed, arriving on the battlefield with the aid of the Flying Thunder God technique. Raikage and Tsunade were not far behind, their presence solidifying the gathering of the Five Kages.
It seemed as though fate itself had orchestrated this moment—a confrontation between the Five Kages and Uchiha Madara. The tension in the air was palpable as the stage was set for an epic battle. Finally, the long-anticipated clash between Uchiha Madara and the Five Kages was about to begin.
On the other side of the battlefield, Obito found himself facing Kakashi and Naruto. With the Kages preoccupied with Madara, Obito now had to contend with less pressure, though the stakes were still incredibly high. Guy, who had fought valiantly alongside Kakashi and Naruto, was no longer in the fray, as Kakashi had sent him to rest. The exertion of opening the Seven Gates had taken a significant toll on Guy, rendering him unable to continue.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya was also taking a much-needed rest, having expended a great deal of strength while fighting Tobi. Despite his fatigue, Jiraiya remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on Tobi to ensure he stayed in check.
As the battle between the Five Kages and Madara commenced, Tsunade and Raikage launched a powerful joint attack. Both of them aimed devastating punches directly at Madara. But before their fists could connect, a half-body Susanoo materialized around Madara, enveloping him in its protective armour. Their punches landed with tremendous force on the outer armour of Susanoo, causing cracks to spiderweb across its surface.
Tsunade and Raikage were taken aback by the resilience of Susanoo's defence. They knew full well the sheer power behind their attacks, and yet, Madara's Susanoo had withstood them with only minor damage. This realization sent a wave of surprise through them, as they understood that they were facing an opponent unlike any they had encountered before.
The battle had only just begun, and already the Five Kages were acutely aware that defeating Uchiha Madara would be no easy feat.
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