In the Hokage's office of the Hidden Mist Village in the Land of Water, a figure suddenly emerged from the ground—the imposter "Madara Uchiha." He urgently asked, "Well? Is Madara still alive? Has he come up with any plans?"
Faced with this rapid-fire barrage of critical questions, Black Zetsu, who had just returned, froze for a moment, his half-plant, half-black slurry-like body stiffening. He found himself at a loss for words. This youth was still too inexperienced, but with no other suitable candidates available, they had no choice but to rely on him to advance their dark plans.
This youth was not the Uchiha Obito from the original story, who had been used as Madara's stand-in. At this moment, Obito was being protected by Aoki, alive and well, and had even become Rin's devoted admirer, sticking to her side day after day.
"Pack up and prepare to retreat! We're temporarily abandoning the Land of Water!"
Black Zetsu coldly issued the order, and the imposter "Madara Uchiha" immediately showed reluctance. After all, they had finally gained control of a Hidden Village—Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Hidden Villages—which could have been used to exact revenge on the Uchiha Clan and Konoha for past grievances. Abandoning it now was hard to accept.
But as he looked at Black Zetsu, whose aura grew increasingly sinister, the imposter "Madara Uchiha" knew that compliance was the wise choice. If he refused, he would likely fall into the hands of this dark, unknown entity—a thought that sent shivers down his spine.
After all, he didn't possess abilities like Kamui—the very confidence that had allowed Obito to scheme against Konoha and Nagato. And his Amaterasu, to this day, hadn't managed to burn a single person to death.
So he obediently followed Black Zetsu, who added one final command: "By the way, take this guy with us before we leave! Then head to Kirigakure's cemetery and collect the Chakra and physical samples of all the powerful ninja there."
Though filled with doubts, the imposter "Madara Uchiha" didn't dare ask questions. Reluctantly, he controlled Yagura and made his way toward the Hidden Mist cemetery. The two moved under the cover of shadows, and no one noticed their presence along the way.
Upon reaching the cemetery, they were met with the tombstones of numerous Kekkei Genkai ninja, as well as the graves of the Second and Third Mizukage. A glint flashed in Black Zetsu's eyes: "Get to work! Take everything you can from these graves! These things will be of great use to us!"
Hearing this unequivocal order, the imposter "Madara Uchiha" quickly manipulated Yagura, and together with Black Zetsu, they began digging up graves. But just as they unearthed a few bodies, they were instantly surrounded by a group of figures.
"I knew something was off with the Fourth Mizukage's behavior lately!"
"There's definitely something wrong!"
"Terumi Mei, your intuition was right!"
"The Fourth Mizukage has been placed under a Genjutsu!"
Surrounding them were Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Kisame Hoshigaki, Terumi Mei, and others. Ever since Yagura issued the order to close off the village, Terumi Mei had sensed something was amiss. Even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were filled with suspicion, unable to understand the purpose behind the Mizukage's bizarre command. After the village was sealed off, Kirigakure had become an isolated island in the Ninja World.
After uncovering some clues, Terumi Mei had planned to join forces with Kisame Hoshigaki, who wielded Samehada, and the Kirigakure elders before taking action against Yagura. Unexpectedly, she stumbled upon the truth ahead of schedule.
Surrounded by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and Terumi Mei, the impostor "Madara Uchiha" and Black Zetsu found themselves in dire straits. They knew full well that fighting these powerful opponents head-on would be nothing short of suicide.
"Hmph! No need to waste words on them! Kill him and rescue Lord Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage! Everyone, attack!"
The only female swordsman, Raiga Kurosuki, shouted sharply. Seeing this, Black Zetsu had no choice but to flee in panic.
As the situation spiraled completely out of control, Black Zetsu swiftly sealed the bodies of the Second and Third Mizukage into a scroll. He then activated his ability, burrowing into the ground to escape.
Before disappearing, he ordered the impostor "Madara Uchiha" beside him: "Quickly control Yagura to hold them off! If escape is truly impossible, release the Three-Tails! I'll wait for you outside the graveyard!"
With those words, Black Zetsu vanished without a trace, leaving the impostor "Madara Uchiha" alone. He nearly cursed aloud, but survival was now his top priority.
Facing the oncoming Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the impostor immediately manipulated the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, positioning him as a shield. Seeing this, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen grew wary and halted their assault, merely encircling the impostor tightly.
"Damn it! Who are you?!"
"What is your purpose in controlling Lord Yagura?"
In response to their questions, the impostor "Madara Uchiha" behind the mask sneered, revealing the Sharingan in his eyes. The Kirigakure ninja, having participated in the Third Great Ninja War and recently clashed with Konoha, recognized these eyes at a glance.
"The Sharingan?!"
"Are you from Konoha?"
Hearing this, the impostor "Madara Uchiha" couldn't help but laugh, his crimson Sharingan fixed firmly on Kisame Hoshigaki's location.
"Hahaha, Konoha?"
"How could I be from Konoha? I was the first to betray Konoha."
"Let me make it clear! I am Madara Uchiha!"
At these words, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen froze in place, unable to move. The arrogant tone, the iconic Sharingan, and the unruly, spiky hair perfectly matched their impression of Madara Uchiha.
Just as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were filled with disbelief, Terumi Mei, looking skeptical, spoke up: "As far as I know, Madara Uchiha was a peer of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and was said to be the reincarnation of Ashura! If he were still alive, he should be around the same age as Lord Byakuren, the First Mizukage!"
As she spoke, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen scrutinized the impostor "Madara Uchiha" once more. The man before them appeared to be only in his twenties or thirties—nowhere near fifty or sixty, let alone older.
Then, Terumi Mei posed a question that instantly flustered the impostor "Madara Uchiha": "So, if you truly are Madara Uchiha from that era, why would you hide behind a mask like a coward, afraid to show your face? Who are you really?!"
Pressed relentlessly by Terumi Mei, the impostor "Madara Uchiha" knew he couldn't stay any longer. If he didn't leave now, he would surely be captured by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—each of them was an elite Jonin, and the techniques they wielded with their Ninja Swords rivaled Kage-level strength.
He knew full well that he couldn't possibly take the Three-Tails with him, so he reluctantly gave up on that bargaining chip. His gaze swept over the seal imprisoning the Three-Tails within Yagura's body, and he immediately acted, shattering the seal with a single palm strike. The Three-Tails' Chakra instantly went berserk inside Yagura.
"Not good!"
"He's released the Three-Tails!"
"Quick, notify the Sealing Team!"
Dealing with the Three-Tails was no easy task. Kisame Hoshigaki immediately dispatched Anbu to call for Sealing Team reinforcements.
Taking advantage of everyone being preoccupied with the rampaging Three-Tails, the impostor "Madara Uchiha" seized the opportunity to flee in panic. Seeing this, the others had no choice but to abandon pursuit and focus all their efforts on suppressing the Three-Tails.
The impostor "Madara Uchiha" fled all the way, glancing back at the chaotic Hidden Mist Village, his heart filled with lingering fear. Only when he saw that the Three-Tails had successfully held back all the Seven Ninja Swordsmen did he breathe a sigh of relief and begin planning his next move.
Soon, with the support of the Sealing Team, the Three-Tails' rampage was successfully brought under control. However, the devastated graveyard before them and the missing Fourth Mizukage left everyone in silence.
"What should we do now?"
"Should we still pursue?"
Upon hearing this question, everyone's gaze turned to the speaker—the clan leader of the Hōzuki clan. It was no wonder he asked, as the impostor "Madara Uchiha" had long since escaped, the destruction caused by the Three-Tails was severe, and the Fourth Mizukage was missing. In such a situation, what was the point of continuing the chase?
"Everyone, pay attention! Something major has happened!"
Just then, Ao suddenly received a piece of intelligence, his expression drastically changing.
"Konoha has declared war on our Land of Water!"
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