Uchiha Madara repeated himself to White Zetsu, but to his surprise, White Zetsu simply replied,
"I didn't catch that, Lord Madara. Could you say it again?"
Madara sighed. "A defective product is still a defective product. You can't even remember a few sentences. Forget it. Just tell him the general idea—expecting you to repeat everything word for word is asking too much."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"No problem, Lord Madara. I'm heading out now," White Zetsu replied before sinking into the ground and disappearing.
Madara let out another sigh. "I really don't understand what Uchiha Isamu is thinking. Can combining the powers of the Uchiha and the Senju truly grant the power of creation?"
He fell silent for a moment.
"I want you to grow strong… yet I also wish you could live a simple, ordinary life. Isamu… you really put me in a difficult position."
---
Hidden in the shadows, Black Zetsu listened to everything, utterly bewildered.
"Uchiha Isamu? Mangekyo Sharingan… and Wood Release? Did I choose the wrong person?"
He paused, thinking carefully.
"No… even with those abilities, he cannot awaken the Rinnegan. He is not the reincarnation of Ashura and Indra's chakra."
"No matter how powerful he becomes, he is not the one I'm searching for."
Black Zetsu's gaze sharpened.
"Madara is the key. He is Indra's reincarnation and now possesses a portion of Ashura's power. He already has the Rinnegan."
"It seems I must continue watching him."
His concealment was flawless. For years, Madara hadn't noticed a thing. Now, Black Zetsu only needed the right opportunity—a natural way to appear before Madara without raising suspicion.
---
Night fell.
At the border camp, Isamu and the others had caught wild chickens and fish, roasting them over a crackling fire.
Feng glanced at Isamu, hesitated, then finally spoke:
"Lord Isamu… if we go to war with the major nations, Konoha will definitely oppose us. What do we do if they join the fight?"
Everyone fell silent and looked toward Isamu.
Even Zhan had wanted to ask this, but the topic was too sensitive. If Konoha intervened, they would all become rogue ninja.
Isamu looked at them calmly. "Before I answer that, let me ask you something. If I told you to leave Konoha… would you be willing?"
"This…" The group hesitated. They had lived in Konoha for years—leaving wasn't an easy decision.
Feng suddenly stood up. "If the majority of the Martial Faction leaves, then I'll go without hesitation. As long as the Uchiha are together, anywhere can be our home."
The others slowly stood as well.
"That's right! Wherever we are, that's home. We Uchiha don't rely on Konoha!"
"Exactly!"
"Alright, sit down," Isamu said, gesturing calmly. "Since that's your answer, I'll be clear."
"If Konoha stays out of this, then fine. But if they interfere… we won't hold back."
His eyes turned cold.
"Whoever comes—we kill. Even if it's Konoha."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
This time, Isamu meant it.
Zhan took a deep breath. "Since you've decided… after we declare war, we should return and evacuate everyone. Konoha won't be safe anymore."
Isamu nodded. "Of course. And we'll do it openly. There's an underground warehouse in the Land of Fire, right?"
"Yes," Zhan replied after a moment. "It's in the west—used by our Martial Faction. No one else knows about it."
"Good. We'll move everyone there temporarily. It's remote and secure. This war won't last long—we'll bring them back soon."
Zhan frowned. "How long is 'not long'?"
Isamu thought briefly. "At most, one week. We'll end the war and become legends in a single battle."
"That fast?" Zhan asked, stunned.
Isamu smiled faintly. "If things go smoothly… it won't even take that long."
In his mind, he was already imagining it—his Susanoo combined with Wood Release, crushing entire nations. Who could possibly stand against him?
Not even Madara.
Just as Isamu was lost in thought, a faint trace of Wood Release energy appeared nearby.
"Hmm…"
He stood up casually. "You all keep eating. I'm heading back—suddenly feeling a bit tired."
With that, he walked toward his quarters.
Zhan watched him leave and shook his head. "So even he feels pressure…"
---
Inside his quarters, Isamu spoke without turning around:
"Come out. Stop hiding."
"Heh… you really noticed me long ago, Uchiha Isamu."
White Zetsu emerged from the ground.
"If you're showing yourself now, then you must have something to say," Isamu said calmly.
White Zetsu grinned. "That's right. The one behind me asked me to deliver a message."
"The one behind you…" Isamu smirked slightly. "Let me guess—Madara? Interesting. Go on."
White Zetsu cleared his throat, his voice shifting as he mimicked Uchiha Madara:
"Ahem. Uchiha Isamu, don't think that having a little power makes you invincible. Your strength is nothing more than a grain of sand—not even one ten-thousandth of mine."
"You have no chance against the great nations. I advise you to give up and know your limits."
White Zetsu coughed lightly and returned to his normal voice. "That's the message."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
Isamu burst out laughing.
"A grain of sand? No chance of winning?" He laughed even harder. "And he's the one saying that?"
His expression suddenly turned cold.
"If he's so powerful, why is he hiding in the shadows?"
His voice sharpened.
"A man who abandoned his wife and child has no right to lecture me."
White Zetsu froze.
"Go back and tell him this," Isamu continued, his tone icy.
"Just because he's incompetent doesn't mean others are."
"Even if I die, I'll fight until the very end. Hiding like him? That will never happen."
He turned his back dismissively.
"Now get lost. I won't see you out."
"…Understood. I'll deliver your message," White Zetsu said before sinking back into the ground and vanishing.
----------------_-_-_------------------
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