Chapter 223 (Patreon)

“Hiruzen, let me ask you one final question.”

Tobirama fixed his disciple with a stern gaze.

“Were you involved in Koharu and Homura’s corruption?”

“I was not!” Hiruzen answered without hesitation. “I swear it to you, Tobirama-sensei!”

This was a matter of principle. The thought that his teacher might suspect him left Hiruzen visibly shaken.

“Very well. I believe you.”

Tobirama chose to trust his disciple and did not press the matter any further.

“Thank you, Tobirama-sensei.” Hiruzen’s voice softened with emotion. Even after everything that had happened, his teacher was still willing to believe in him.

“From this moment onward, Kizaru will have sole authority over the matter involving Koharu and Homura. You are not to interfere.”

It was Tobirama’s final warning—and one more layer of protection for Kizaru.

“Yes, I understand.”

Hiruzen accepted the order without the slightest hesitation.

Satisfied, Tobirama nodded. The severity in his expression gradually faded, replaced by a rare smile.

“Hiruzen... you have carried Konoha on your shoulders for many years. You have worked hard.”

“I only did what was expected of me.”

At last, he had received his teacher’s acknowledgment. Hiruzen’s eyes grew warm, and for a moment, he nearly broke down in tears.

“There is one more matter,” Tobirama continued. “Kizaru will explain it to you.”

With that, he rose from his seat and looked toward Kizaru.

“Sarutobi-sensei, let’s continue this conversation in the lounge.”

At Kizaru’s suggestion, Hiruzen followed them into the adjoining rest area.

Once everyone had taken a seat around the low table, Kizaru recounted the plan he had already explained to Hashirama and Tobirama.

As he listened, Hiruzen quickly forgot about everything that had just happened. His disciple’s proposal was so audacious that it left the former Hokage speechless.

Hiruzen had always favored moderation. He wished to preserve the current balance, with Konoha standing as the dominant power while the other major villages maintained enough strength to prevent the shinobi world from descending into chaos.

Kizaru’s vision overturned that entire order.

Unify the shinobi world.

Bring every shinobi village under a single banner.

Strip the daimyō, aristocrats, and other privileged classes of their power.

Then establish a unified nation governed by law, where all citizens stood as equals.

For Hiruzen, the idea was nothing short of revolutionary.

“Tobirama-sensei, this will cause an unimaginable upheaval.”

Hiruzen did not immediately argue with Kizaru. Instead, he turned toward his teacher, who sat across from him.

“Do you believe the idea itself is wrong?” Tobirama asked calmly.

“Kizaru’s reasoning is sound,” Hiruzen admitted. “But the path toward realizing it will inevitably ignite a war that engulfs the entire world. That is what concerns me.”

“Without breaking the old order, a new one cannot be built,” Tobirama replied. “The shinobi village system my brother and I established has already revealed its limitations. If Kizaru possesses a better and more advanced vision, why should we refuse to attempt it?”

He paused before continuing.

“When my brother and I founded Konoha, countless people opposed us. Many could not understand what we were trying to accomplish. Yet history proved that we were right. The creation of the shinobi village system improved people’s living conditions and greatly increased the average lifespan of shinobi.”

Tobirama spoke patiently. He did not want Hiruzen to obey merely because his teacher had ordered it. He wanted his disciple to understand the plan and support Kizaru of his own will.

“We can reform the shinobi village system,” Hiruzen insisted. “There is no need to tear it down entirely. Doing so will only plunge the world into chaos.”

Even before his teacher, Hiruzen refused to yield on a matter he considered fundamental.

“Oooh... Sarutobi-sensei.”

Kizaru leaned back against the sofa, his tone as unhurried as ever.

“This world has been sick for a very long time. A mild remedy might dull the pain, but it cannot cure the disease. If we truly intend to heal it, then we must administer a powerful medicine—one strong enough to change the world itself.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“This is the best opportunity we will ever receive. Madara Uchiha’s reappearance will force the shinobi villages to stand together. That opportunity will not last forever.”

Kizaru’s faint smile disappeared.

“If we let it pass and try to unify the world later... then we will have no choice but to begin the war ourselves.”

“But the daimyō and the aristocracy will never surrender their privileges willingly,” Hiruzen argued. “They will resist until the bitter end.”

Having served as Hokage for more than twenty years, Hiruzen had maintained a good relationship with the Fire Daimyō and the Land of Fire’s nobility. He genuinely did not wish to see Konoha turn its weapons against them.

“If every shinobi village stands together, do you truly believe the daimyō and their nobles possess the strength to resist us?” Kizaru asked calmly. “A few precise decapitation strikes will be enough to break their power.”

“There are good people among the nobles as well.”

“Good people?”

Kizaru’s gaze sharpened.

“Oooh... perhaps they can afford to appear good only because their ancestors committed every cruelty on their behalf. With all the blood already spilled for them, they no longer need to dirty their own hands. They can simply perform a few acts of charity and build themselves a pleasant reputation.”

“Sarutobi-sensei, where do you think the food distributed by those charitable nobles comes from?”

“From the harvests produced on their estates,” Hiruzen answered instinctively.

“And where did those estates come from?”

“They...”

Hiruzen fell silent.

“I’ll tell you.”

Kizaru’s voice remained quiet, but every word struck with merciless clarity.

“Those lands were seized generation after generation through war, political power, and wealth. If the nobles had never taken them, many of those impoverished people would still possess land of their own. Would they need to be rescued then?”

He shook his head.

“No.”

“The nobles seize the people’s land and reduce them to poverty. Then they return a tiny portion of what that land produces and expect to be praised for their compassion. Can such a thing truly be called a good deed?”

Kizaru’s expression turned cold.

“It is merely a performance staged by the exploiters.”

“Perhaps it does not even deserve to be called that. Many of them aid the poor only because too many laborers beneath their rule have died. Without people to work their fields and serve their households, their own lives would become inconvenient.”

Kizaru tore away the nobility’s dignified façade without the slightest restraint, exposing the ugliness beneath it.

Hiruzen stared at him in silence.

It was a side of the world he had never truly confronted.

“But even if we remove the current aristocracy, how can you guarantee that the shinobi will not become the next generation of nobles?” Hiruzen eventually asked.

“I cannot guarantee it.”

Kizaru’s direct answer surprised him.

“I can promise only one thing. In the nation I establish, and under the laws I create, shinobi, nobles, and ordinary civilians will all be equal before the law. Their rights and responsibilities will be the same.”

“Even the Shimura clan?”

“Even the Shimura clan.”

Kizaru did not hesitate.

“If my uncle violates the law, then he will be punished according to that law. If his crime warrants imprisonment, he will go to prison. If it warrants death, he will be executed.”

There was no humor in Kizaru’s expression.

No evasiveness.

No room for exceptions.

Hiruzen understood immediately.

His disciple was serious.

If that day ever came, Kizaru truly would judge Danzō by the same laws as everyone else.

After a long silence, Hiruzen finally spoke.

“Kizaru, I cannot say whether your vision is right or wrong.”

He looked directly into his disciple’s eyes.

“But as your teacher... I am willing to support you.”

“Thank you, Sarutobi-sensei.”

Kizaru’s familiar smile returned.

Seated beside them, Tobirama watched as Hiruzen accepted Kizaru’s vision, and a satisfied smile appeared on his own face.

This was the result he had hoped to see.

He also approved of Kizaru’s belief in rule by law and equality before it.

If those principles could truly be implemented without favoritism, then the nation Kizaru intended to create would become something unprecedented in the history of the shinobi world.

Far away, within an underground base in the Land of Water, Madara Uchiha held the Rinnegan that Black Zetsu had brought back to him.

A confident smile spread across his aged face.

The White Zetsu hidden in Konoha had been exposed.

His attempt to provoke another war had also been uncovered.

The Fourth Mizukage had been captured, which meant that the details of his plan had most likely been revealed as well.

Konoha had even summoned the Five Kage and was preparing to launch a united campaign against him.

None of it mattered.

Now that the Rinnegan had returned to his hands, Madara once again possessed the power to overturn everything.

He was the one destined to save this diseased world.

Those ignorant fools could never understand the mercy behind his plan.

With the power of the Rinnegan, he would correct every deviation and place the world back upon its proper path.

Through absolute strength, he would teach them an undeniable truth.

Madara Uchiha was not an enemy that insignificant creatures like them could hope to resist.

“Black Zetsu, you have done well.”

Madara looked down at the figure kneeling before him and offered a rare word of praise.

“I failed to bring back the Uchiha child, Madara-sama,” Black Zetsu replied. Rather than claim credit for his success, he immediately acknowledged his failure.

“That is of no importance. The child was merely a minor piece. Recovering the Rinnegan is your greatest achievement.”

Madara slowly rose from his seat.

He descended the stone steps one at a time before stopping directly in front of Black Zetsu.

“I have another task for you. Return to the continent and find a vessel for the Rinnegan—someone capable of wielding its power.”

“Madara-sama, do you intend to...?”

“I will show them what true power looks like.”

“I understand, Madara-sama.”

Black Zetsu lowered his head.

Behind his composed expression, however, a question had already begun to trouble him.

Should he report this development to Kizaru?

Standing amid the gravel along the coast, Black Zetsu looked back at the sea with conflicted emotions.

He had not expected to return to the continent so soon.

Madara had already departed the island where Kirigakure was located. His destination was the underground base hidden within the Land of Grass—the true center of his operations.

Black Zetsu had not traveled with him.

With the ability to move freely beneath the earth, Black Zetsu had departed first and could travel far more quickly.

Now he was confronted with a choice.

Should he inform Kizaru and reveal Madara’s plan to die before being restored to the prime of his youth?

Deep down, Black Zetsu did not want to tell him.

Between the two, Madara was far easier to manipulate. Kizaru’s origins remained shrouded in mystery, and his actions were almost impossible to control.

However, Black Zetsu could not ignore Kizaru’s terrifying strength—or the secrets that man possessed concerning his true identity.

More importantly, Kizaru had placed an unknown mark upon his body.

Black Zetsu had no idea what would happen if he attempted to hide something and Kizaru discovered the betrayal.

He had wrestled with the decision throughout his journey from Kirigakure to the continent, yet he had failed to reach an answer.

Now there was little time left.

He had to decide whether he would continue betraying Madara.

Black Zetsu moved slowly through the rubble and entered the sparse forest beyond the coast, his thoughts fixed upon that potentially fatal choice.

Only when he was about to emerge from the opposite side of the woods did he finally reach a reluctant decision.

He would deliver the information to Kizaru.

As long as Black Zetsu remained alive, hope would remain.

Even if Madara failed, he could simply continue waiting. One day, Kizaru would disappear from this world. When that day came, Black Zetsu could resume his plan.

Making the decision had been agonizing.

Once it was made, however, Black Zetsu no longer hesitated.

He sank beneath the ground and raced toward Konoha.

At that same time, Kizaru was receiving the delegation from Sunagakure, led by the Fourth Kazekage, Chiyo.

Kizaru had offered Chiyo the possibility of seeing her son and daughter-in-law restored to life. Furthermore, after the incident involving Konoha’s garrison, Danzō had assisted Chiyo in purging the opposing forces within Sunagakure.

Under her leadership, the faction governing Sunagakure had effectively become aligned with Konoha—or, more precisely, with Kizaru.

Sunagakure had always been the weakest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Its situation had only worsened because the daimyō and nobles of the Land of Wind cared more about their own luxury than the strength of their village. Miserly and short-sighted, they refused to provide Sunagakure with the resources necessary to develop its military strength.

The daimyō was supposedly the ruler of the country and the person who benefited most from its stability. Yet rather than strengthening his own shinobi village, he placed his hopes in the protection provided by Konoha’s garrison.

What reason did the shinobi of Sunagakure have to continue protecting such a ruler?

Why should they sacrifice their lives for nobles who refused to support them?

If Sunagakure truly merged with Konoha, would its shinobi not gain access to the same benefits, resources, and economic opportunities enjoyed by Konoha’s forces?

With the cooperation of Sunagakure’s leadership, Danzō’s operatives had spread such ideas throughout the village. Their influence had gradually reshaped the opinions of countless Suna shinobi.

At this point, Kizaru could absorb Sunagakure with a single message.

Rather than resist, its shinobi would most likely line the streets and welcome Konoha’s forces.

Because of this, Konoha’s leadership showed far greater warmth toward Sunagakure’s representatives than they had toward the delegations from Kumogakure and Iwagakure.

The village’s senior officials, along with the heads of its major and mid-sized shinobi clans, personally attended the welcoming ceremony for Chiyo and the representatives accompanying her.

Sunagakure had not traveled to Konoha merely to negotiate a joint campaign against Madara.

Its true purpose was to prepare for the future.

If the Land of Fire eventually absorbed the Land of Wind, and Konoha incorporated Sunagakure, what positions would the current leaders of Suna receive?

How would their clans be treated?

What benefits and authority would they retain?

Those questions concerned the future of every major family in Sunagakure. Securing favorable answers was the delegation’s true objective.

When Sunagakure had first signed its unequal alliance treaty with Konoha, the children of its senior officials and major clans had been compelled to study in the village.

Now those same families sent their younger members voluntarily. Some had even begun requesting additional places for students.

That change reflected Sunagakure’s shifting attitude toward Konoha more clearly than any official declaration could have.

The pro-integration faction gathered beneath Chiyo’s banner had already begun transferring its assets to Konoha in a calculated and orderly manner. Their children’s education—and the need to care for them while they lived in the village—provided a convenient justification.

The results were already obvious.

Not one member of Sunagakure’s delegation, which numbered more than a dozen people, required accommodations from Konoha.

Once the official welcoming ceremony ended, each representative departed for a residence their family had already purchased within the village.

Most of those properties stood in Konoha’s central districts and occupied excellent locations.

Under ordinary circumstances, even lifelong residents of Konoha would have struggled to purchase homes in those areas without considerable wealth and influence. Outsiders would have found it virtually impossible.

The reason Sunagakure’s leading families had succeeded was simple.

Kizaru had supported the purchases.

Anyone willing to investigate would discover that the properties had previously belonged primarily to members of the Shimura and Senju clans.

“Sunagakure has already ceased to exist in everything but name.”

Ōnoki observed the warm relationship between the Suna delegation and Konoha without any visible emotion.

As the Five Kage were already gathered in the village, Ōnoki, the Third Raikage, and the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, had naturally attended the reception.

They had also noticed that every representative from Sunagakure already owned property in Konoha.

The Third Raikage stood beside Ōnoki, concern evident in his expression.

Konoha was already overwhelmingly powerful. If Sunagakure had now submitted to it completely, how were the remaining shinobi villages supposed to survive?

“Under the present circumstances, our villages must stand together if we are to endure Konoha’s expansion,” the Third Raikage said.

He was voicing his own conclusion, but his words were also a warning to the two Kage beside him—particularly the Fourth Mizukage.

Yagura, who had remained silent throughout the ceremony, nodded almost instinctively.

He still had not fully recovered from learning that Madara Uchiha had manipulated him.

However, the words Kizaru had spoken to him in private continued to echo through his mind.

“Oooh... Fourth Mizukage, I can allow you to see your wife again. I may even be able to bring her back to life.”

Kizaru’s voice had been soft and almost playful.

“Tell me... don’t you want to see her again?”

Those words were like a demon’s whisper.

They had taken root in Yagura’s mind and refused to disappear.

“Fourth Mizukage, if it is convenient, perhaps the three of us could speak in private.”

Ōnoki approached the young Mizukage, temporarily pulling him free from Kizaru’s haunting promise.

“Oh... of course.”

Yagura turned toward the Tsuchikage with a faint trace of panic.

Ōnoki maintained a mild smile, but the Third Raikage’s eyes flashed with contempt.

Could someone like this truly serve as the Kage of an entire village?

Then again, Yagura had been nothing more than a puppet placed upon the Mizukage’s seat through Madara’s genjutsu.

Once the present crisis ended, he might not even be able to retain his title.

That was the Third Raikage’s evaluation of the young man before him.

If Konoha had not placed such overwhelming pressure upon the other villages, he would never have considered cooperating with someone who displayed so little composure.

An old fox for a Tsuchikage and a puppet for a Mizukage.

As he studied his two supposed allies, the Third Raikage found it difficult to feel optimistic about their future struggle against Konoha.

After seeing off the members of the Sunagakure delegation as they returned to their respective residences, Kizaru dismissed the assembled clan heads and returned to the Hokage Building with Konoha’s core leadership.

“Uncle, keep a close watch on the movements of the various clans during the next few days.”

Kizaru settled back into the Hokage’s chair.

“Do not allow any of them to provoke a conflict with Sunagakure’s delegation.”

Sunagakure’s eventual integration into Konoha was inevitable.

Kizaru did not know whether anyone among Konoha’s clans had already recognized that trend, but he could not afford to be careless. A few sharp-minded individuals might realize what was coming and attempt to prevent outsiders from taking what they considered their share of Konoha’s future influence.

Intelligence took many forms.

Some people appeared capable and shrewd, yet their vision extended no further than their own village or clan.

There would always be someone clever enough to identify an immediate benefit but too foolish to understand the greater consequences. For the sake of some short-term advantage, such a person might deliberately create hostilities between Konoha and Sunagakure, destroying Suna’s chance to integrate peacefully into the village.

“Sarutobi-sensei, I must ask you to work a little harder as well,” Kizaru continued. “Visit the shinobi clans and learn their attitudes.”

He tapped one finger against the desk.

“Tell them that Sunagakure is Konoha’s closest ally. If we stand together, both sides prosper. If we allow ourselves to be divided, both sides suffer.”

“I understand,” Danzō said.

“I’ll visit the clans myself,” Hiruzen added.

“There is one more matter.”

Kizaru looked between them.

“I intend to postpone the Five Kage Summit for several days. I have already sent messengers to Amegakure to invite Hanzō.”

The decision caught both Hiruzen and Danzō by surprise.

They exchanged a glance. Once each realized that the other had known nothing about it, they turned back toward Kizaru.

“Kizaru, what are you planning?” Danzō asked directly.

“The Rinnegan has returned to Madara’s hands, and he knows that the Five Kage have gathered in Konoha.”

Kizaru rested his cheek against one hand.

“Given his pride, there is a strong possibility that he will attack the village himself.”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“I would prefer the Five Kage Summit to still be in progress when that happens. The Kage of the other villages must remain in Konoha long enough to witness his attack.”

His fingers lightly tapped the armrest.

“So I intend to delay the summit and give Madara a little more time to prepare.”

“The other Kage may object,” Hiruzen warned. “I can try to persuade them, but—”

“Tell them that Madara’s strength is unfathomable,” Kizaru replied. “If we intend to defeat him, we must gather every force available to us.”

He smiled lazily.

“Hanzō is no ordinary shinobi. He fought me for more than ten exchanges without falling. If everyone insists on calling me the new God of Shinobi, then Hanzō can surely be called the Demigod.”

“Kizaru, why diminish your own reputation just to elevate Hanzō?” Danzō asked, visibly displeased.

When the matter concerned Kizaru’s prestige, Danzō was unwilling to compromise.

“Oooh?”

Kizaru looked at him with mild amusement.

“Uncle, do you consider Hanzō weak?”

“No. He is extremely powerful.”

“If I call a man I defeated a demigod, am I truly diminishing myself?”

Danzō fell silent.

After considering the matter, he nodded with a helpless expression.

“Kizaru, if Madara truly intends to attack the village, should we inform the public and conduct an evacuation drill in advance?” Hiruzen asked.

His foremost concern remained the safety of Konoha’s civilians.

“Of course. Tomorrow, I will convene a village-wide assembly and reveal the matter concerning Madara. Every resident must be given time to prepare.”

“Who will oversee the evacuation?”

“Hiashi will lead the Hyūga clan, while Konoha’s chūnin and genin assist them.”

With the Byakugan’s searching ability, the Hyūga could ensure that no elderly, injured, or otherwise immobile resident was left behind.

“Tell Hiashi that when Madara attacks the village, I expect him to guarantee that not a single noncombatant is killed.”

“I will inform him,” Hiruzen replied.

“Kizaru,” Danzō said, “once Madara’s actions are announced publicly, should we place the Uchiha clan under surveillance? There is a possibility that someone among them could collaborate with him and betray the village.”

Had Hiruzen still been Hokage, Danzō would not have asked permission. He would have directly demanded that surveillance be established.

Kizaru, however, had demonstrated his closeness to the Uchiha even before assuming office. Once he became Hokage, he abolished every restriction and surveillance measure previously imposed upon them.

“There is no need.”

Kizaru answered without hesitation.

“Even if Madara has managed to contact someone within the Uchiha clan, they will not be able to cause any serious trouble.”

His tone remained calm.

“More importantly, this is an opportunity for the village to demonstrate its trust in the Uchiha—and for the Uchiha to prove themselves in return.”

Kizaru leaned back once more.

“I believe they will not disappoint us.”

His judgment proved correct.

The following day, Konoha held its village-wide assembly and officially revealed Madara Uchiha’s plot against the shinobi world.

Once the announcement ended, the Uchiha immediately convened a gathering of the entire clan within their ancestral meeting hall beneath Naka Shrine.

A full clan gathering was the Uchiha’s highest-level assembly. Every clan member who had become a shinobi possessed the right to attend.

During such meetings, members were permitted to speak openly and could even question the clan head and elders directly.

Before the Uchiha allied themselves with Kizaru, these gatherings had resembled halls of resentment.

Most speakers complained about the village’s oppressive policies, criticized the clan head for failing to act with sufficient force, and recalled the Uchiha’s former glory.

After relations with Kizaru improved and the clan gradually entered a friendly alliance with him, those complaints began to disappear.

The Uchiha were proud, but most of them were not fools.

After becoming Kizaru’s allies and supporters, both the clan’s shinobi and its ordinary members personally experienced the changes.

Their lives improved.

Their incomes increased.

The restraints that had bound them were removed.

Once Kizaru became Hokage, complaints against the village all but vanished from clan gatherings. With their status restored and paths of advancement opened before them once more, the Uchiha had little reason to remain dissatisfied.

The matters discussed most often now were how to earn merit, receive promotions, and increase the clan’s influence within the village.

They also frequently urged Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head’s son, to marry and produce an heir as soon as possible.

Everyone understood that the Uchiha had no chance of competing for the Hokage’s position during Kizaru’s generation.

For one thing, Kizaru was simply too powerful. His strength alone deprived others of the courage to challenge him.

More importantly, Kizaru was the Uchiha clan’s benefactor.

The Uchiha were proud people. They could not repay the man who had saved their clan by attempting to seize his position.

After the village revealed Madara’s actions—and after the clan confirmed that Konoha had not placed them under surveillance—the Uchiha quickly reached a unanimous decision.

The Fourth Hokage had placed his trust in them.

The Uchiha would not betray that trust.

If anyone within the clan dared to side with Madara and stain the Uchiha name, then that traitor would become the enemy of the entire clan. The traitor and their immediate family would be expelled from the Uchiha, bound, and handed over to the village for the Hokage to judge as he saw fit.

Those were the exact words spoken by the current clan head.

Everyone present voiced their support.

At the very least, no one openly objected.

As Tobirama had once explained, the Uchiha were a clan that loved more deeply than any other. Their emotions were powerful, extreme, and often accompanied by an equally intense pride.

That pride made it difficult for them to form relationships with outsiders.

The Uchiha did not care whether people they failed to acknowledge liked or hated them. They reserved their loyalty only for those they truly recognized.

Kizaru possessed strength that even the Uchiha could only look up to.

A man of such overwhelming power had chosen to trust them and employ their talents without holding the past against them. Naturally, he had earned the acknowledgment of most of the clan.

Even the First and Second Hokage, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, had personally recognized Kizaru.

In the Uchiha’s eyes, the new God of Shinobi was a leader worthy of their allegiance.

Kizaru, however, did not concern himself with monitoring every thought within the Uchiha clan.

Just as he had said, he trusted them.

At that moment, he was dealing with a far more important matter.

Black Zetsu had returned to Konoha, bringing news of the new mission Madara had assigned him.

Within the Senju compound, Kizaru sat beside Hashirama and Tobirama while Black Zetsu reported from before them.

Madara intended to use the Rinnegan’s power to die and then be resurrected in the prime of his youth through the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.

Once restored to his peak, he planned to sweep across the shinobi world with overwhelming power and force his plan to completion.

After hearing the report, Tobirama did not immediately offer his opinion.

Instead, he looked toward Kizaru.

“Kizaru, if Madara returns to his youth while possessing the Rinnegan, can you defeat him?”

“Yes.”

Kizaru answered with complete confidence.

“Ha ha ha! That’s what I wanted to hear!”

Hashirama laughed heartily.

“Do not worry about Madara, Kizaru. I will help you!”

“Brother, in your current condition, you are no match for Madara,” Tobirama stated bluntly.

Hashirama’s smile instantly disappeared.

His shoulders slumped, and his head sank toward his chest.

“I’m sorry... I’m too weak.”

“Brother!”

Tobirama pressed a hand against his forehead as another headache began to form.

A moment later, Hashirama abruptly raised his head again.

“Heh heh! Even so, I believe in Kizaru!”

“I am fully confident that I can defeat Madara,” Kizaru said seriously.

Trusting his certainty, Tobirama nodded and began considering the next step.

“Then Black Zetsu should continue carrying out Madara’s plan. If Madara returns to his youth, his power will place even greater pressure upon the other shinobi villages.”

“That is precisely what I was thinking,” Kizaru replied.

Once the two had reached an agreement, they both turned toward Hashirama to see whether he had any objections.

“I agree,” Hashirama said immediately.

With all three in agreement, Kizaru wasted no time.

“Black Zetsu, proceed with Madara’s plan. If you require anything, tell us now.”

Black Zetsu glanced cautiously at Hashirama before speaking.

“I require someone descended from either the Uzumaki or the Uchiha. Preferably a shinobi whose body has already been tempered through chakra training.”

Everyone present understood the price of using the Rinnegan to resurrect the dead.

Put simply, Black Zetsu required someone who would die in the process.

Hashirama opened his mouth to speak, but Tobirama silenced him with a single glance.

With clear reluctance, Hashirama turned his attention toward Kizaru instead.

“We do not have a suitable Uzumaki,” Kizaru said. “However, several Uchiha shinobi are being held in Konoha Prison.”

He looked toward Hashirama before deliberately adding an explanation.

“They are all rogue shinobi who rejected the village and committed acts of treason.”

“If we remove one of them directly from the prison, could our information be exposed?” Tobirama asked cautiously. “Black Zetsu’s identity must remain secret above all else.”

“I will have members of the Yamanaka clan disrupt the prisoner’s thoughts and erase the relevant memories.”

Kizaru had already prepared a solution.

Tobirama nodded.

“In that case, I have no objection.”

Time was precious.

Once the decision had been made, Kizaru went directly to Root and personally entrusted the mission to Danzō.

Danzō hesitated when he learned that they intended to help Madara regain his youth.

However, after receiving Kizaru’s assurance that Madara could be defeated, he ultimately chose to obey.

With that, every preliminary piece had fallen into place.

Under Kizaru’s direction, the stage was finally prepared for a breathtaking performance—one that would overturn the entire shinobi world.