In a deep underground cave, the only source of light came from an unknown origin, casting faint illumination on the surroundings.
"Madara-sama" White Zetsu emerged from the ground and respectfully addressed the white-haired old man seated in a wooden chair.
"It's White Zetsu. What's the matter?" Madara who had just awakened from his slumber, immediately recognized Zetsu's presence.
"Madara-sama, I'm not sure if this is of great importance, but while I was conducting an investigation in the Land of Wind, I discovered that Sunagakure is secretly stockpiling supplies, and there are quite a lot of them" White Zetsu reported his findings.
Listening to White Zetsu's brief account, Madara's eyes conveyed understanding, and he mumbled softly to himself, "So, it begins again... War."
"War?" White Zetsu tilted his head, finding it challenging to grasp why Madara had reached such a conclusion based on his intelligence.
Madara didn't elaborate further for White Zetsu but believed that, given his many years of life experience, Sunagakure must be plotting the third ninja war.
Within the ninja world, ambitious individuals were never in short supply.
Only a little over five years had passed since the last ninja war, and a new war was imminent. This upcoming ninja war was essentially a continuation of the unfinished previous war and seemed almost inevitable.
Thus, Madara wasn't surprised to receive this information from White Zetsu. He considered such events to be reasonable and not worthy of excessive concern.
As long as humans existed, wars were inevitable. There would be bloodshed and sorrow, an unbreakable chain of curses.
"Cough!... Hashirama, the system we established of one nation, one village, is now just repeating the tragedies of the Warring States era..."
Seeing the ninja world trapped in war, Madara thought of many things.
His childhood dreams, the promise with that man – looking back, this world had been repeating the tragedies of the Warring States era.
He had survived the battle at the Valley of the End by faking his death. He could see the true nature of this world filled with hatred, cruelty, and pain better than his deceased comrade, Hashirama Senju. In his current state, he realized that they couldn't protect anything.
The previous two ninja world wars had also underscored this point. The system was ineffective. He, just like the late Ninja God, was powerless in changing this if things continued down this path.
White Zetsu stood by, listening to Madara's musings, scratching his head in puzzlement.
Madara-sama excelled in many aspects, but he had a habit of dwelling on the past and uttering incomprehensible words. Whenever he reminisced, he would inevitably mention 'that man.'
'That man' held immense significance for Madara-sama. Perhaps this was a common trait among the elderly.
The older one grew, the more one reminisced, missing people and events from the past. White Zetsu thought it was a typical reaction.
"White zetsu, is it still impossible to infiltrate the Uchiha clan?" Madara pondered for a moment, asking about his most pressing concern - the current state of Konoha's Uchiha clan.
Was there a successor within the clan capable of carrying forward his "will" and acting under the name of "Uchiha Madara" to fulfill a certain plan in the future?
"Yes, Madara-sama. I dispatched two White Zetsu last month, but the outcome was the same as before. Once they neared the Uchiha clan, they mysteriously vanished. We have no idea what happened"
White Zetsu replied, shaking his head in frustration, responding to Madara's question.
To be honest, in the minds of the surviving White Zetsus, the Uchiha clan's territory had long become an untouchable forbidden zone. The White Zetsus sent there on the first day of their mission would suddenly vanish without a trace, not making a sound.
Continuing along this path would yield no valuable information but result in significant losses.
Moreover, it brought them no benefits.
After listening, Madara simply nodded without uttering a word.
Although he was eager to know what had happened to the Uchiha clan, Madara understood that the more critical the situation, the less he should let impatience control his emotions. He needed to remain calm, think carefully, and cautiously deal with unexpected obstacles that were not part of his initial plans.
Selecting a suitable "successor" from the Uchiha clan was only a part of his plan to ensure its flawless execution. He considered it as a contingency measure for unexpected circumstances. With many alternatives available, given his current state, he was merely hanging on by a thread, and it was normal for accidents to happen anytime.
"By the way, what's that guy Guruguru doing? Why haven't I seen him here?"
Guruguru was also one of the White Zetsus, but unlike the others, Guruguru was the only White Zetsu with a "name."
Madara was somewhat interested in him because with Guruguru's abilities, most of the ninjas in the world would not be his match. After all, he had inherited the Wood Release of Hashirama Senju, even if he couldn't compare to Hashirama himself. However, in this era, his level of Wood Release was sufficient to deal with most ninjas.
"When I returned, I found that guy was having an unusual experience outside. He was adamant about knowing what it felt like to defecate today, and he even composed a thousand-word essay about it" White Zetsu responded truthfully.
At the same time, he gazed at Madara with hopeful eyes. Like Gurugutu, he too was curious about the sensation of defecating. Their lack of excretory systems had always left them wondering.
Every time they conducted surveillance, they felt an itch of curiosity when observing their targets go to the bathroom. They longed to understand what it was like to defecate.
Madara-sama, who now possessed the power of everything, could be considered the most formidable ninja in the world. Surely, he knew what it felt like to defecate. After all, he was the strongest ninja in the world.
White Zetsu didn't understand the connection between being the world's strongest ninja and defecation, but he assumed that Madara possessed the answer.
...
Madara stared at White Zetsu without blinking, while White Zetsu looked back at him with innocent eyes.
The atmosphere remained silent.
Eventually, Madara was the first to turn away, focusing forward as he whispered, "Once the war begins, send someone to investigate in Konoha. If you're still unable to infiltrate the Uchiha clan at that time, shift the focus to Nagato."
After delivering this command, Madara closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep without addressing White Zetsu's curiosity.
In this place, he could only stay awake. Leaving this sanctuary rendered him an ordinary elderly man at the mercy of others. Most of his time was spent in a state of hibernation, minimizing the consumption of his life force.
White Zetsu observed Madara closing his eyes and opted to withdraw. He had a regretful expression, understanding that Madara required ample rest. With Madara's eyes closed, White Zetsu temporarily abandoned his quest to learn about defecation and disappeared into the ground to attend to his own matters.
...
On the operating table, Shiraishi's eyes brimmed with interest as he meticulously observed the humanoid creature cloaked in white skin.
It was unbelievable that such an unusual life form existed in the Ninja World, and Shiraishi was particularly intrigued by how this creature survived and maintained its life processes.
In fact, even without this creature infiltrating the Uchiha clan's underground facility, Shiraishi had been curious about its existence.
Currently, he was more concerned with understanding life itself rather than the masterminds behind the scenes.
Resolving the mystery held special significance for Shiraishi in understanding the essence of chakra. This creature's internal life structure closely resembled that of a plant, a genuine 'vegetative person,' possibly owing to the power of Wood Release.
Therefore, Shiraishi harbored no guilt about conducting experiments on this creature. To him, it was akin to studying plants, and, as a human, he couldn't empathize with plants.
Whether this creature experienced pain or possessed human values remained an unanswered question.
"Unfortunately, this meager power of Wood Release can't replicate the genuine Wood Release..."
Shiraishi gazed at the test tube containing a meager amount of Wood Release life energy.
The extraction technique wasn't particularly difficult; the real challenge lay in enabling the human body to adapt. Even the smallest amount of Wood Release power was challenging for ordinary people to control.
Moreover, even if this hurdle was overcome, the Wood Release power that re-emerged was still weak, suitable for nurturing flowers and trees but useless for combat.
Moreover, conducting deadly human experiments for the sake of cultivating plants would be an inefficient use of resources, time, and effort, with the added risk of experimental failures.
However, from another perspective, neutralizing the medicinal properties of other materials to create new varieties of cultivated medicines for commercial profit was a viable option. In this ninja-themed era, ninja power was essential, but so was money.
Most ninjas worked hard on missions primarily for the sake of money and their livelihoods. Pursuing wealth and security was a driving force in the ninja world.
After extracting the life energy containing Wood Release chakra from the white creature, Shiraishi sealed it in an appropriate location. He then glanced at the alarm clock on the nearby table.
"Is it already this time? It's about time to leave."
Setting aside his tools, Shiraishi exited the laboratory.
.......
In Konoha, Purple Rose Branch store.
This pharmacy was located on the central street of Konoha and has been operational in Konoha for over half a year and had received a positive response from Konoha's residents. It had already secured a huge share of Konoha's medical market.
While it wasn't an essential part of Konoha, the presence of the Purple Rose Company's branch had indeed solved several of Konoha's problems.
The pharmacy even directly supplied many Hospital's medicines. Although this resulted in reduced hospital profits, Konoha Hospital was not established for profit. Its purpose was to serve the special group of ninjas.
Konoha's medical system was relatively advanced, but this came at the expense of the development of other sectors. The focus was on nurturing medical ninjas, resulting in a mature medical system. The presence of the Company's branch in Konoha had partially alleviated Konoha's medical issues. Excess funds could be diverted into other industries.
Ninja Villages were the primary representation of a country's military power. If not for the significance of the medical system, Konoha might not have devoted substantial resources to it after the Second Ninja World War. They might have concentrated on nurturing combat ninjas instead.
The new generation of ninjas was abundant, but overall, their strength hadn't improved significantly compared to the Second Ninja World War.
Shiraishi, an assistant instructor for the Medical Ninja Experimental Class at the Ninja School, was well aware of the investment Konoha had made in its medical system over the years and the number of medical ninjas it had produced.
The decreasing casualty rate among Konoha ninjas wasn't solely due to increased strength but was also attributed to medical ninjas entering regular ninja squads. This had prevented numerous ninja casualties during missions.
High-level decisions within Konoha had played a commendable role in this matter. Tsunade's proposal was pivotal, but without the support of high-ranking officials who prioritized the cultivation of medical ninjas for years and invested heavily in the endeavor, medical ninjas wouldn't have thrived in Konoha.
Shiraishi hadn't witnessed the effects firsthand, but the available information suggested that Konoha boasted the most comprehensive and potent medical system.
Even Shiraishi was quite tempted. He thought abouthaving organization members with medical talent come to Konoha for "study abroad" to acquire advanced and comprehensive knowledge of medical ninjutsu.
This matter required careful consideration, and there was no rush. Currently, Shiraishi had more pressing matters to attend to.
In a discreet room on the third floor of Konoha's the Purple Rose branch store, Shiraishi prepared a cup of tea for himself. However, before he could raise it to his lips, he sensed something.
Aren't you coming out yet? There's no need to hide so securely here, is there?" he commented, addressing the hidden presence in the room.
The curtains in that direction silently swayed, and then a woman dressed in a white kimono-style outfit appeared in the room.
With pure white eyes and a frequently smiling face, the girl was Ayane.
"I thought I was well-hidden. I wanted to surprise Shiraishi-kun from behind" Ayane complained.
"Let's save the surprise for next time" Shiraishi replied with an affectionate smile, likely understanding the nature of Ayane's planned surprise.
"Compared to that surprise, we have more urgent matters to attend to. How is the contact with the branch family in the Hyuga Clan progressing?"
Since it was certain that the war would erupt soon, at the latest by next year, they didn't have much time left.
Hence, preparations must be made promptly to Escape From Konoha in advance, ensuring no one loses their position when the war inevitably arrives.
Recruiting members from the Hyuga clan branch was a crucial component of the defecting plan.
This responsibility naturally fell upon Ayane, who's in charge of reaching out to the discontented ninjas within the branch family.
Shiraishi has a high regard for Ayane's capabilities and strength. It can be said that, even without considering the addition of his clones, Ayane's strength undoubtedly surpasses his. Even with his clones' assistance, he might not easily match her.
After all, like Ruri, Ayane also trained in Sage Mode and had made significant progress. Shiraishi himself isn't sure about Ayane's current power level, he only has a somewhat vague estimation.
However, he doesn't consider it an exaggeration to call her the most powerful ninja within the Hyuga Clan.
Ayane reported, "I've already made contact. But I haven't dealt with those branch members who maintain a neutral stance. They could switch allegiances to the main family at any moment."
At this point, Ayane wasn't afraid of her secret being known; she simply didn't want to add trouble for herself due to her carelessness.
Yes, to her, the current Hyuga clan was nothing more than trouble.
She wouldn't claim she could take on all the Hyuga Clan's ninjas, but if she puts her heart into it, no ninja in the clan can stop her.
Shiraishi inquired, "How many have you reached out to?"
"I've contacted four individuals, all of whom expressed their willingness to cooperate. In the end, I believe there should be around ten to fifteen people. When you consider their families, the number should be around forty."
"Forty people?" Shiraishi considered this for a moment and admitted it fell within an acceptable range. An excessively large group would hinder their retreat speed.
After all when the time came, they would be facing a ninja village as formidable as Konoha, so every aspect of their retreat plan needed meticulous consideration to avoid mishaps.
Shiraishi thought for a bit before sharing his thoughts. "The timing of our escape relies on Konoha deploying a significant number of ninjas to leave the village. At that moment, as Konoha disperses its troops to resist enemy attacks, it will be out best opportunity for us to escape."
Ayane nodded in agreement after hearing this perspective.
The outbreak of war would naturally lead Konoha to send a substantial force to the front lines to defend the Land of Fire from enemy village ninjas. This was an inevitable outcome.
During that time, village surveillance would be stricter than usual, but conversely, the forces remaining within the village would be weaker than normal, making it easier to break through their defenses.
Shiraishi retrieved a map that meticulously outlined Konoha's locations, with crucial facilities marked by distinctive symbols.
"When the war erupts, I will incite disturbances at this location to draw the village's ninjas' attention. You will lead the Hyuga Clan to depart as swiftly as possible, following the established route. Special personnel will be on hand to respond and cover your movements."
Shiraishi indicated a spot on the map, a choice made after careful deliberation.
Ayane furrowed her brow upon seeing the designated location. "This place...?"
"It's just a provisional choice. In my assessment, there's no place more suitable for drawing attention. There can't be any room for error when it comes to Konoha's veterans."
Shiraishi clarified.
"I understand."
With Shiraishi's determination, Ayane couldn't voice any objections and had no choice but to have faith in his capabilities.
"The overall plan isn't significantly different from before, and I've also incorporated contingencies to delay Konoha ninja pursuit if necessary. If any alterations occur, I'll inform you ah
ead of time. Do you have any questions?"
At this point, Ayane hesitated briefly, her expression turning serious.
"I have just one question."
"What's the question?"
"With Ruri... how do you plan to explain it to her?"
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