Time passed quickly, and soon it was midnight in the Shinobi World. For original chapters go to n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
In an unknown underground location…
Uchiha Madara sat back against lifeless body of Ten Tails, resembling a stone statue. His hair was gray, his skin slack, and his face etched with deep wrinkles, making him appear frail, as though death was near.
In truth, it almost was.
At this point, Madara's life was nearing its end, and he was surviving only by drawing energy from Ten Tails' body behind him.
Tubes, similar to soft conduits, connected Madara to Ten Tails' form, delivering its life force into him to sustain his vitality and extend his life.
The underground chamber was silent. Apart from Madara's occasional breathing, there was no other sound. Time seemed frozen here, with an eerie stillness enveloping everything.
Suddenly, a shadow entered the space, approaching Madara. It was none other than Black Zetsu, the will-born creation of Kaguya Otsutsuki, known as the Shinobi World's most devoted "son."
To further his goal of reviving his "mother," Black Zetsu had manipulated circumstances for years to earn Madara's trust. Eventually, he succeeded, leading Madara to believe that he was Madara's own creation, thereby embedding himself as Madara's close assistant.
After spending some time following Madara's orders, Black Zetsu returned.
Sensing Black Zetsu's presence, Madara opened his eyes.
An overwhelming aura of confidence and power radiated from him. Despite his frail condition, he exuded the commanding presence of a top-tier warrior.
Black Zetsu, gazing into Madara's Sharingan, said in a deep voice, "The plan on Konoha's end has already begun. Should we proceed?"
"Oh, it's begun, has it?"
Hearing this, Madara's dim eyes momentarily sparked with an unnatural brightness.
Without hesitation, he ordered, "Commence immediately!"
"Yes, master," Black Zetsu replied, his tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning as he merged into the ground and vanished.
Madara, however, did not sense this subtle undertone. After Black Zetsu left, he fixed his gaze on the nearby wall as if he could see through it. Beyond it, Uchiha Obito was talking to White Zetsu, complaining about wanting to return to Konoha.
Murmuring to himself, Madara's eyes gleamed coldly.
His right armrest shattered under his grip.
Taking a deep breath to regain composure, Madara whispered, "Soon… very soon. Hashirama, I'll show you who was truly right…"
Gradually, he closed his eyes again, as though drifting into slumber.
In a simple wooden cabin behind a front-line encampment…
Uchiha Seimei paused his practice of "Mind Projection" and "Healing Palm Technique," checked the time, and dispelled his Shadow Clones.
With a poof, all his clones outside and inside the cabin vanished, transforming into chakra clusters that carried the experiences and memories of the past hour, merging into Seimei.
He closed his eyes, carefully absorbing these experiences and memories.
About fifteen minutes later, he'd fully converted them into skill mastery.
Mentally, he commanded, "Panel!"
In an instant, a familiar pale blue screen appeared:
- **Name**: Uchiha Seimei
- **Chakra**: 85,500 (117,364 → 120,948)
- **Bloodline**: Sharingan - Mangekyo (14,416 / 50,000 → 15,088 / 50,000)
- **Byakugan - Not Activated** (15 / 100 → 16 / 100)
He reviewed his progress over the past week. His notable advancements included achieving mastery (Level 5) in "Mind Communication" and "Earth Style: Earth Spear."
While his mastery doesn't match that of the amplified sensory barrier used by Inoichi Yamanaka during the Fourth Shinobi War, it was enough for his needs. By linking with Shadow Clones, he could extend his communication range to over 100 kilometers—ample for his purposes.
He'd also upgraded his "Seal of Protection" to Level 5 using absorbed chakra, making it virtually undetectable by even Kage-level shinobi. This would prevent exposure during his village's upcoming assassination mission, where elite shinobi would be present on both sides.
In recent battles with the Mist Shinobi, he'd also copied three jutsu: "Wind Style: Gale Palm," "Water Style: Wild Water Wave," and "Water Style: Water Formation Pillar." Although "Water Style: Water Formation Pillar" was only a B-level jutsu, it could even extinguish Madara's "Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame."
For others, learning so many jutsu might risk spreading themselves too thin. But with his proficiency panel, it only made Seimei more versatile.
As long as he managed his chakra distribution well, there was no harm in diversifying his skills. He aimed to become perfect ninja, gaining expertise across various techniques.
(The End of the Chapter)