Minato Namikaze did not stay any longer.
His heart was in turmoil.
Minato kept thinking and recalling every word that Uchiha Madara had said to him.
He even suspected if Madara had used the Sharingan to cast genjutsu on him, but his certainty in his own abilities made him dismiss this speculation.
However, the more he thought about it, the harder it became for his heart to calm down.
Just by using words and ideas, Madara had managed to shake Minato's heart. Honestly, Minato would prefer if Madara had used genjutsu. At least that would make things simpler, and he could directly view Madara as an enemy.
But now, things were different.
Minato inexplicably realized that he had begun to anticipate the world that Madara was trying to create.
Minato felt that he needed to think carefully about how he should make his choice.
After all, according to Nara Shikaku's judgment earlier, Minato needed to use the Flying Thunder God technique to return to the village and deliver the information. His attitude would play a significant role in determining how the village would treat Uchiha Madara.
Currently, although Madara's identity was indeed suspicious, and there might be other hidden motives, such as collecting tailed beasts, the words he spoke, which shook Minato, made him feel that Madara's ideology was not fake.
But how would the village perceive Uchiha Madara... that was truly uncertain.
After all, the power dynamics there were too complex. Besides the Third Hokage's decision, there was also Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane behind him.
Since the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, the village had always regarded the Uchiha clan as a ticking time bomb.
Now that the Uchiha clan's ancestor had returned, who knew how they would react? The Third Hokage might seek a peaceful resolution, given that Konoha couldn't afford any more harm. But what about the others? How would the Sarutobi clan and the Hyuga clan express their stance?
"Maybe I should go and ask Jiraiya-sensei..." Minato sighed, feeling the pressure. This was the first time he had been in such a dilemma.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Orochimaru secretly approached Fang Mo.
Although Orochimaru was still researching forbidden techniques, he wasn't as deranged as he would become later on. So, he still had some concern for the village. When he came to find Fang Mo, he had some selfish motives, but mostly, he wanted to know who this 'Uchiha Madara' really was.
But who was Fang Mo?
He was the king of enjoying the spectacle, who had seen the Naruto plot.
In just a few short sentences, Fang Mo had shifted the topic from 'his own objectives' to 'how to achieve immortality.'
Clearly, Orochimaru couldn't handle it. Having experienced so many separations and deaths during the war, he realized how fragile life was. Now, he was genuinely obsessed with achieving immortality, hence why he was secretly researching the Edo Tensei, right?
Fang Mo didn't lie at this point; he followed the original storyline and explained that during his decisive battle with Hashirama Senju, he bit off a piece of the latter's flesh and stored it in his mouth. Then, he used the Reaper Death Seal to delay the release of Izanagi, making himself immune to death. Afterward, he transplanted Hashirama's flesh into his body.
This process took several decades to fully integrate Hashirama's cells into his body, using the power of the Sharingan to suppress the physical strength of the Senju clan. Not only did it allow him to return to his youth, but it also granted him the Wood Release.
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru instantly believed it. After all, Fang Mo had indeed used Wood Release earlier. He saw it with his own eyes, and he had researched information about Hashirama's cells, knowing how difficult they were to control.
Moreover, using the Sharingan to suppress the activity of Hashirama's cells made perfect sense.
Orochimaru, as a scientist, had great confidence in himself. Fang Mo's explanation aligned with his speculation almost perfectly, leading him to fully believe Fang Mo's identity as Uchiha Madara.
Now that he knew Fang Mo's true identity, Orochimaru naturally had another question to ask.
"So... what is your purpose after being resurrected?"
Orochimaru nervously licked his lips.
Actually, he was quite afraid to ask this question, fearing that Fang Mo might react adversely. But he still cared about the village, as he was also a candidate for the position of Hokage. So, he had to ask.
"Exploring the unknown."
Facing a scientist like Orochimaru, Fang Mo couldn't use the same approach he had used with Minato. He was quite knowledgeable in this aspect, so he replied, "This world is too small for me to explore alone."
"But how does that relate to exploring the unknown?" Orochimaru asked in confusion.
"You insects and snakes, how could you comprehend the vastness of the heavens?" Fang Mo looked at Orochimaru and calmly said, "You... probably think I only want to conquer this shinobi world, right?"
"That is...?"
"With a divine body, I shall rule over the nine heavens and the stars in the galaxy."
Saying this, Fang Mo's mind moved, and several rocks of different sizes floated up from the ground. "This is the earth beneath our feet, this is the moon. All of these revolve around the sun. I call it... the solar system."
"Have you ever looked at the night sky?" Fang Mo asked.
"Those flickering stars are actually suns in other sollar systems, but they are so far away from us that their light appears weak."
"The more stars in the sky, the more unknown worlds await me to explore."
"I don't care about how the shinobi in this world live, whether they die, whether they fight, whether their hopes come true. I am indifferent to all their love and hatred."
"But if I want to traverse the stars, I must possess a complete and independent civilization. I need the best scholars to contribute knowledge, the best shinobi to contribute ninjutsu and chakra. Countless people must devote everything to this cause. Only by unifying everything in this world can I ascend to the highest heavens..."
"..."
Orochimaru stared at Uchiha Madara in front of him, feeling an unparalleled shock in his heart.
Before he came to see Fang Mo, he had considered countless possibilities. But what Fang Mo said now made him realize how shallow his own thinking was.
He never expected that someone in the shinobi world would already set their sights on the stars. Moreover, this person was the ancestor of the Uchiha clan, whom everyone believed to be long gone. Orochimaru felt that these shinobi were simply living their lives like dogs, as Fang Mo put it. They endlessly fought over petty benefits, which was laughable.
"So..."
At this point, 'Uchiha Madara' turned to look at Orochimaru and reached out his hand, "Would you be willing to be a part of this civilization and contribute your knowledge and wisdom?" Uchiha Madara asked Orochimaru.
Orochimaru couldn't help but smile in genuine excitement. "Hehehe... This is truly fascinating," he said. "I never imagined that there could be someone with such grand ambitions in the shinobi world. Count me in, Uchiha Madara! I'm eager to explore the unknown with you."
...
The next day, in the Hokage's office in Konoha Village:
"What!?" Hiruzen Sarutobi exclaimed with astonishment, dropping his pipe on the ground. "You're saying Uchiha Madara has been resurrected and is near the Camp at Mount Kikyo!?"
"Yes," Minato nodded.
"This is impossible!" Hiruzen shook his head, trying to process the gravity of the situation. "It must be the enemy's plot!"
"It's true, Hokage-sama," Minato insisted. "He possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan and another eye I've never seen before. During the Tailed Beast transformation, he appeared and used Wood Release and a mysterious earth-like jutsu to seal the Tailed Beast."
"Wood Release!?" Hiruzen's shock deepened. "How can that be... Are you certain it's Wood Release?"
"Yes, I was there," Minato replied, and Orochimaru, who was standing next to him, added, "According to his explanation, he stole and integrated the cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama, and used it to rejuvenate himself, gaining access to Wood Release."
"..."
Hiruzen was silent, his expression uncertain. After a while, he spoke again, "What do you think... are the chances that he is really Uchiha Madara?"
"One hundred percent," Orochimaru replied.
"Almost certain," Minato added.
Both Orochimaru and Minato agreed without hesitation, surprising each other with their accord.
"This is troublesome," Hiruzen muttered, deep in thought. He was genuinely worried about the implications of Madara's return. Konoha was in no position to confront him now, and the Uchiha clan's involvement could further complicate matters. It could spell disaster for Konoha, and the weight of dealing with this situation fell squarely on his shoulders.
Just then, the door to the office opened, and Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado walked in. They had heard Hiruzen's voice from outside and inquired, "What's going on?"
"Uchiha Madara has been resurrected," Hiruzen informed them. "He is currently near the ninja camp at Mount Kikyo."
"It's true, we have confirmed it," Minato added, "He possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan and displayed extremely powerful Fire Release. He also knows sensitive information about the First Hokage and Konoha, ruling out the possibility of someone impersonating him."
"What... this..." Both advisors were clearly taken aback.
"What is his current intention?" Utatane asked, her voice tense. "Is he planning to lead the Uchiha clan out of Konoha, or is he seeking revenge?"
"Neither," Orochimaru intervened.
"What?" Hiruzen and Utatane looked at him curiously. "Then what does he want?"
"He said..."
Minato hesitated for a moment before speaking, "He wants to fill the world with love and peace."
~~~
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