chapter 100 part 4
Not long after, several teenagers secretly came here.
"Hehehe, that's right, it must be here! There must be a corpse left by *that one* here!"
"Obito, are you really doing this?"
"Shush, stop talking nonsense! Of course I'm serious. I'm a super genius, you know! I just haven't had the chance yet. Once I dig up this corpse and gain the power of Corpse Release, I'll definitely defeat that arrogant Kakashi! Hmph, what genius? I'm a genius too!"
"Kakashi is the son of Konoha's White Fang. It's normal for him to be talented, right? Obito doesn't even have a Sharingan..."
"Hey, what are you guys whispering about? Let me say this first: if I succeed in this, it proves I'm the bravest. You all have to hang out with me from now on!"
Obito was actually trembling nervously, but looking at the people in front of him, he still feigned composure.
...
Land of Iron, Mountain Graveyard.
Tsukasa Kaede hadn't been here for a long time.
It was still the dim underground cave, and still the Gedo Mazo with a missing finger.
"What a rare guest, look who it is! Konoha's hero, Tsukasa Kaede!" Tobi shouted with a sarcastic tone.
Black Zetsu and White Zetsu looked at Tsukasa Kaede, whom they hadn't seen in a long time.
"Your reputation and strength have both increased a lot. And you even took down the Four-Tails. That certainly startled me. Aren't you afraid of affecting your and Madara's plan?" White Zetsu said.
"The Eye of the Moon Plan will not be hindered by a mere Four-Tails. Moreover, this plan cannot be activated within just a few years."
Tsukasa Kaede said, "By the time we officially begin capturing Tailed Beasts, I'm afraid the Four-Tails will have already resurrected. Am I right... Madara?"
He looked at the aged figure sitting beneath the Gedo Mazo.
"That's right. The death of the Four-Tails won't affect anything. For you, acquiring the corpse of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki was the greatest gain, wasn't it?" Madara said slowly.
Tsukasa Kaede said calmly, "It's acceptable. Without the power of the Four-Tails, Roshi's strength is far inferior to his prime. For now, let's consider him an Elite Jonin."
"You've returned this time, what do you want to do?"
"I have a plan. It requires Hashirama Senju's clone. Give him to me." Tsukasa Kaede pointed to the figure on the Gedo Mazo.
Tobi was the first to panic. "Eh? Eh? How can you do this? If you take him, what will I do?"
"Even if you use him, you can't control him for too long. Otherwise, his body will collapse, and leaving him to you would be a waste. It's better for me to take him and let him serve a greater purpose." Tsukasa Kaede said, "I'm not discussing this with you."
"Is that so? It seems you've made up your mind..."
Madara, leaning on his scythe, slowly stood up. "If I refuse your request, what do you intend to do? It took me many years to cultivate such a clone."
"Then I can only say I'm sorry. I will use force to take him." Tsukasa Kaede slowly began to speak. "This isn't my only choice, but it is certainly one of the best."
Madara stared at Tsukasa Kaede with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Tsukasa Kaede similarly met Madara's gaze with his one remaining Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Three-Tomoe against Three-Tomoe, but considering Madara's eye power far surpassed Tsukasa Kaede's, if it truly relied only on the Sharingan, Tsukasa Kaede was no match. Although Tsukasa Kaede had never expected this Sharingan to play any critical role.
Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, and Tobi remained silent, quietly watching the two confronting each other.
They also hadn't expected that the two, not seen for a long time, would immediately be so tense, looking as if they would fight to the death at any moment.
"Is Tsukasa Kaede crazy? The Eye of the Moon Plan hasn't even begun. Nagato has just started to grow. What good is it for him to break ties now?"
Black Zetsu was utterly baffled, unable to understand what Tsukasa Kaede was truly scheming, or why he needed Hashirama's clone.
He was different from White Zetsu and Tobi. Those two didn't have to do anything at all; they just needed to wait for the final victor to emerge, unless Madara forcefully ordered them to attack Tsukasa Kaede.
Black Zetsu thought too much. He had to find a way to obtain the Living Corpse Reincarnation jutsu before he could allow Tsukasa Kaede to die; otherwise, he absolutely had to keep Tsukasa Kaede alive.
This put Black Zetsu in a difficult position. If these two started fighting, he would have no choice but to intervene, which would add more variables to the future Eye of the Moon Plan.
With Tsukasa Kaede's current strength, he wouldn't be enough to complete the Eye of the Moon Plan, right? He couldn't possibly rely solely on Hidan to take on other Jinchuriki? At least he needed to gather a sufficient number of capable helpers to strike hard in a short amount of time, capturing all the Tailed Beasts before the various ninja villages could react.
Madara showed no sign of anger, with no emotional fluctuations, and said indifferently, "I want to know your plan."
"It's none of your business. It has nothing to do with the Eye of the Moon either. According to our cooperation agreement, I don't need to inform you, just as you haven't given me enough intel."
Tsukasa Kaede pointed to his Sharingan. "Don't forget, Madara, I possess the same eyes as you. I can 'see' many things. You'd best not overstep your bounds on matters you shouldn't interfere with."
"So resolute, even willing to fight me... This is very unusual. You've clearly already begun experiments with Hashirama cells. Why do you still need Hashirama's clone? If you wanted to transplant Hashirama cells, you should be able to do so anytime with your abilities. Or even use White Zetsu cells," Madara said.
Hashirama cells were not rare to Madara; on the contrary, they were quite cheap. White Zetsu cells, which were more controllable than Hashirama cells, could often play a greater role.
Tsukasa Kaede shook his head. "When something is readily available, why research it little by little oneself? Madara, as long as you agree to this, we are still partners. If you refuse, then I'm afraid to say I might just destroy your life's work."
"...Looking at it this way, my appearance in the Land of Fire to meet you back then was a mistake."
"That couldn't be helped. Everyone has weaknesses; you're no exception. Who told you to covet my Corpse Release Secret Technique? To act in order to obtain something will inevitably reveal corresponding flaws."
Tsukasa Kaede extended his hand towards Madara. "Give him to me, Madara."
"Alright. Hashirama's clone is yours. However, you must also fulfill your promise to bring back my successor first," Madara said slowly.
"Alright. I have indeed been observing members of the Uchiha Clan. Uchiha Keisuke and Uchiha Daigo are both good young people, regarded as geniuses in the Ninja Academy. Around ten years old, they are perfect for you to bring back and carefully cultivate," Tsukasa Kaede said.
Madara sneered, "These are all mediocre individuals with no talent. Their future achievements would be nothing more than mere Jonin. What right do such commoners have to inherit my will?"