"Madara-Sama, you have failed again. The grandson of Senju Hashirama is truly formidable. Even when surrounded by more than forty ninjas, he managed to eliminate them all in the end!"
On the border of the Land of Earth, a dark, expansive underground space lay buried. The chamber was vast, nearly 100 meters high, with no visible sources of light, yet the dim surroundings allowed faint visibility of the area.
White Zetsu and Black Zetsu, subordinates cultivated by Uchiha Madara using the Gedo Statue and Hashirama's cells, stood before him.
White Zetsu possessed exceptional stealth abilities, perfect for gathering intelligence across various regions.
Black Zetsu, on the other hand, could use the Possession Technique to take control of other ninjas and wield the Wood Style bloodline limit.
"Yeah," Black Zetsu said, his tone laced with awe. "That Nawaki's Wood Style ninjutsu is incredibly strong. Even if I teamed up with White Zetsu, we wouldn't stand a chance against him. It seems Madara-sama was right to be concerned—Konoha might produce another God of Shinobi."
Hearing this, the aged Uchiha Madara, seated regally, furrowed his brows.
"The title of God of Shinobi is not one to be thrown around so casually," he muttered.
In all the years of the ninja world, only Hashirama Senju had ever truly earned that title. The so-called "Demi-God of the Shinobi World" in the Rain Village? Laughable.
And now, Hashirama's grandson was being heralded as a potential successor to the title.
"Explain it in detail," Madara demanded.
White Zetsu immediately animatedly described the events. "It was a critical situation. The clone impersonated Nawaki and lured the Cloud Shinobi to a small town, where they surrounded him. But even then—Arrival of the Tree Realm, Wooden Dragon Technique..."
As White Zetsu detailed the battle, Madara's mind drifted to memories of his own clashes with Hashirama. The sheer power of those fights echoed in his thoughts, yet his cold voice betrayed his disdain:
"Nawaki's Wood Style is inferior to Hashirama's. But for forty Cloud Shinobi to fail to deal with a mere junior? The current generation of ninja is pitifully weak. Still, this boy could pose a threat to the collection of tailed beasts... If I were to intervene myself..."
Madara paused.
He knew his aging body would limit him. Even with his Sharingan, he was no longer in his prime. If he did fight, it might very well be his last.
Perhaps he could prolong his life through Black Zetsu's assistance, but such a battle would not be on his terms.
Madara's ultimate goal remained Infinite Tsukuyomi. For that, he needed someone to execute his plans before his death, ensuring Nagato could revive him when the time came. For now, direct action was not an option.
"Spread the details about Hashirama's grandson to the other ninja villages," Madara ordered. "Now, what about the right candidate?"
White Zetsu immediately replied, "Within the Uchiha clan, there are three young candidates who meet your criteria: Uchiha Obito, ten years old; Uchiha Shisui, nine years old; and Uchiha Yunma, five years old. Of them, Uchiha Obito is the most suitable for your requirements. He has yet to fully embody the pride typical of a Uchiha."
"Uchiha Shisui's talent and strength far exceed Obito's," White Zetsu continued, "but he is highly valued within the clan and is currently training with the security team. Madara-sama, which one will you choose?"
"Keep an eye on Uchiha Obito. As for talent—true Uchiha talent emerges only when they experience great loss. The potential they display at other times is insignificant," Uchiha Madara said with a trace of nostalgia.
As he spoke, his thoughts drifted back to the time he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Only by obtaining the Mangekyō Sharingan could the true power of the Uchiha clan manifest.
"Understood," White Zetsu replied. "I also believe Uchiha Obito is more promising than Uchiha Shisui. After all, he cares deeply about his friends."
With that, White Zetsu departed, preparing to use his avatar to carry out Madara's next plan for Uchiha Obito.
The war in the ninja world had been raging for several years, and this time the conflict was far more intense than in previous wars.
The entire ninja world was in disarray. While the Third Ninja World War became widely known after the events surrounding Sakumo Hatake, the fiercest battles unfolded during the war between the Cloud and Leaf villages in the lands of Sound and frost.
Fueled by both hatred and ambition, the Third Raikage launched an all-out war against the Land of Fire, invading its territory in a short span of time.
Although Konoha mounted a defense, they struggled to counter Cloud Shinobi's vengeful and relentless attacks effectively.
The strength of the Third Raikage left no room for ordinary Jōnin to intervene.
Even when Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya led twelve elite Konoha ninjas to confront Hanzo of the Salamander, the results were grim. Apart from the three Sannin, the rest of Konoha's forces were swiftly defeated.
In situations where the difference in power was so vast, stepping onto the battlefield was tantamount to signing a death warrant.
A similar predicament unfolded against the Third Raikage. Sarutobi Hiruzen appointed Tsunade as the commander-in-chief of Konoha's forces on the Frost Country Front, yet even she could not halt the Raikage's onslaught.
Only when Nawaki joined the fray, teaming up with his sister Tsunade, did Konoha manage to slow the Third Raikage's momentum.
Nawaki's immense chakra reserves allowed him to summon two Wood Style clones to support the battlefield, temporarily curbing Cloud Shinobi's advances.
However, when the A-B Combo (A and B) arrived on the battlefield, Konoha's forces were once again overpowered.
Cloud Shinobi boasted an overwhelming number of top-tier ninjas, focusing their efforts on Konoha while largely ignoring Mist Shinobi, who were attacking the Lightening Country's borders but had yet to land ashore.
With the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, the future Fourth Raikage (A), the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, and Third Raikage himself leading the charge, Cloud Shinobi's forces were nearly unstoppable.
Faced with such an overwhelming army, Tsunade had no choice but to order a retreat and fortify their defenses.
Twice, she requested reinforcements from the village, and Sarutobi Hiruzen eventually dispatched Kushina Uzumaki, along with Hyūga Clan members and other elite ninjas, to the Frost Country frontline.
This reinforcement was effectively Konoha's last stand. Almost all of the village's renowned shinobi had already been sent to the battlefield.
If additional forces were required elsewhere, Sarutobi Hiruzen would be left with no choice but to deploy freshly graduated Genin to the frontlines to ease the burden.
"The war has escalated so intensely. Why hasn't Orochimaru made a move yet?"
After arriving in the Land of Hot Water, Kain first gathered information about the ninja world and then summoned Aya and Miwa for a detailed discussion.
He questioned them thoroughly about the developments in the ninja world over the past two years.
Kain had been away for quite some time—more than two years—which was long enough for people to develop hidden agendas.
Therefore, whenever he returned to the ninja world, he made it a priority to thoroughly assess and manage his influence.
Fortunately, Aya and Miwa remained loyal, as Kain could use simple Legilimency to detect their emotional states. Had he sensed any dissent, it would have been a significant headache for him.
This time, Kain was determined to develop his influence in the ninja world more extensively.
….
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