Black Zetsu slipped out of the shadows and spoke eagerly.
"I got your message. Has the modification to the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu been completed?"
"Yes… now all I need to uphold our end of the bargain is the body you wish for me to resurrect." Orochimaru said with a soft hiss.
Black Zetsu's eyes then shifted to the child training in the background, "It seems you've managed to convince him to live by your side."
"Itachi-kun is a true treasure trove. I must thank you for helping me obtain him."
Black Zetsu nodded while smiling evilly. His thoughts a mirror of his expression.
'It seems that I can turn Itachi against Shisui in the future to get rid of them both…'
"What about the person you wish to resurrect?" Orochimaru asked bluntly. He had more tasks to complete right now, like capturing a live kage and bringing them back to Konoha to steal their soul vessel.
Black Zetsu's grin widened in anticipation of the event, "It is already ready."
"Oh?" Orochimaru lifted his brow before Black Zetsu said softly, "Follow me."
Black Zetsu exited Orochimaru's laboratory with Orochimaru in tow as they rushed past the forest of death and towards a secluded region of the village rarely visited by anyone else.
Orochimaru jumped on the trees as he followed slightly behind Black Zetsu and soon realised where they were headed.
'The Valley of the End?'
Orochimaru's guess turned out to be correct when he found himself staring at the two nearly hundred meter tall statues of Hashirama and Madara.
Black Zetsu had stopped at Madara's feet with a tall closed bamboo coffin standing vertically at the statue's base.
"A strange choice of location…" Orochimaru mumbled but immediately froze when Black Zetsu knocked off the lid of the coffin.
Inside was a man with waist length grey hair and bangs framing his face, with hair covering most of his right eye. He had lost most of his teeth making his lips scrunchy.
Above all, he was encased in a distinct traditional red armour.
The man was dead no doubt.
Yet Orochimaru felt a keen sense of danger from the body.
As if it could awaken at any second and move to not just attack him but outright kill him.
A dangerous smile showed up on Orochimaru's lips as his pupils contracted once he recognised who the man in front of him was.
"Are you sure you want me to resurrect him?" Orochimaru asked quietly, his eyes pinned on Black Zetsu who was already trembling in joy.
"I am sure." Black Zetsu said.
"Are you planning to go against the Leader?" Orochimaru asked with keen interest. "I can help you out if you promise to give me the eyes that belong to him."
Black Zetsu openly laughed, "Hahaha, you don't know the truth about the Akatsuki. The "Leader" was never the true leader anyway."
Orochimaru didn't say anything as his mind connected the dots. 'So the plan was to always have me resurrect 'Him'?'
"Now, could you resurrect him fully." Black Zetsu ordered, his tone trembling.
"As you wish." Orochimaru nodded before pulling out a sealing scroll and unsealing a fresh corpse.
The corpse had Hashirama's face on its chest and it appeared that all the cells on his body had been replaced with Hashirama cells as a great burst of vitality was felt from the corpse even after he was dead.
Orochimaru's hands then went through a series of quick handseals.
A purple portal opened up beneath the coffin containing Madara before the light from it sank into the fresh corpse and then shot out, dragging out all the vitality, before it all coalesced around Madara's solar plexus, entering quietly.
There was only silence for a few seconds as Black Zetsu observed the coffin with care.
Suddenly a beat throbbed from Madara's chest.
DA DUMP
In the silence of the valley of the End, it seemed to mark a new beginning.
DA DUMP
DA DUMP
DA DUMP
The old grey hair slowly began to darken as if ink had been poured on them.
The wrinkles on the old man's face began to vanish as the skin returned to its youthful springyness.
The broken teeth grew back out.
The man's frame filled with enormous vitality as the armour around his body became full with him.
Madara's eyes snapped open all of a sudden.
In it were the three tomoe sharingan.
However before he could take the first step towards his new life he received an order.
"Kill him." Orochimaru spat out words coldly.
Black Zetsu's eyes widened.
He felt fear as Madara's eyes snapped to him instantly with clear blood lust blanketing him.
Madara's hand formed the ram hand seal for only a second before he moved, shooting out from the coffin.
Only Orochimaru's eyes widened instantly.
"How?" Orochimaru blurted out before coughing up blood as he saw Madara's youthful hand pierce his heart. "How did you disobey my orders!?"
As such, before Orochimaru could deploy any contingency he was forced to exit this world untimely.
Madara pulled his hands out of the dead Orochimaru and flung the corpse away like it was a useless thing.
Black Zetsu on the other hand knelt down immediately.
"I greet Madara-sama for his return."
Madara didn't respond to Black Zetsu immediately, he looked at the surroundings. His eyes going to the tall statues of himself and Hashirama as a faint nostalgic glint travelled through his eyes.
He then took a deep breath in and exhaled equally deeply.
"It seems Konoha has not changed while I was gone…"
"Your perception is as strong as ever Madara-sama." Black Zetsu said politely.
Madara only then looked down at Black Zetsu.
"Why have you awoken me already? The Nine Tails is still inside a child right now. Have you already collected all the other tailed beasts?"
Black Zetsu shook his head, "Unfortunately not Madara-sama… while you were gone we ran into some trouble… Obito is dead, he was killed by another Uchiha named Uchiha Shisui."
Madara's brows twitched but he seemed to control himself well.
"I see."
"Also Madara-sama there's another troublesome individual who has shown up and might create a hitch in our plans."
"Hmm…?" Madara tilted his head slightly backwards as if daring Black Zetsu to say that someone could interfere with his plans now that he was here.
Black Zetsu gulped and showed the appropriate amount of fear before saying, "It was a person called Jigen, Madara-sama, he killed the Third Hokage within moments."
Madara's brows twitched again.
"And you think I can't do the same?"
Black Zetsu quickly shook his head, "No, no, Madara-sama, of course you can. I only meant to inform you about it so that he can also be taken care of as soon as possible."
"Hmm…"
Madara looked at Hashirama's statue for a second before nodding to himself and grabbing Black Zetsu.
They vanished from the spot.
Madara appeared above the Hokage rock, overlooking the village as if he were a god watching mortals.
He observed quietly until he spotted something curious.
"Why is there an Uchiha going into the Hokage office?"
Black Zetsu responded quickly, "After some altercations with Danzo, the current Uchiha Clan Head, Fugaku Uchiha has taken the throne of the Hokage."
Madara's face instantly morphed into a frown.
"I see…"
Madara observed the village for a few minutes more and shook his head.
"Shall we leave Madara-sama?" Black Zetsu asked in the most honorable tone possible. "Your eyes await you in Amegakure."
Madara nodded but then paused as a smirk made its way to his face.
"Why don't I leave them with a wonderful gift first?"
***
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