Uchiha Madara.
An uninvited guest.
Emiya Shigen had some knowledge of Madara Uchiha, but he couldn't let Black Zetsu know. Instead, he feigned surprise and turned to Black Zetsu, as if expecting it to provide some intelligence about this unanticipated arrival.
"Black Zetsu..."
"Do you know him?"
"..."
Black Zetsu hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Madara was a piece it had cultivated to further the resurrection of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, carefully laying a trap for him with a meticulously crafted plan. But after meeting Emiya Shigen, Black Zetsu had quickly decided to abandon Madara as a tool.
Of course, this wasn't something it could admit.
"I know him," Black Zetsu finally said, nodding.
However, there was no time to elaborate before Madara arrived. Black Zetsu hurriedly asked a crucial question:
"Shigen."
"When you obtained the Six Paths' power back then..."
Black Zetsu glanced at Emiya Shigen, focusing on his ordinary-looking eyes. "The Rinnegan you transplanted—does it still exist in this world?"
The Rinnegan.
This was always the central issue.
The Rinnegan was the key to the resurrection of Kaguya, and its existence was critical.
"That Rinnegan..."
"I remember ordering Katsuyu to destroy it," Shigen said as he rubbed his forehead, as though the memory pained him. "I wanted to turn my body into a medical specimen for future generations. But I was worried that if the Rinnegan were left intact, its power might be misused. So, after returning to Ryūchi Cave, I removed and disposed of it, then re-implanted my original eyes."
"..."
Black Zetsu fell silent.
To be fair...
It had already anticipated this.
The Six Paths' Rinnegan was gone—destroyed.
Black Zetsu even felt a bit relieved; leaving such a powerful tool intact might have caused complications later.
"No matter."
"It doesn't matter."
Black Zetsu waved dismissively, comforting Shigen. "Although the birth of the Rinnegan is extraordinarily difficult, it's not impossible to achieve again..."
"And as for the visitor..."
"He's an ideal candidate."
Black Zetsu could sense Madara getting closer. Its shadowy form melted into the darkness, but not before issuing a warning:
"Shigen, don't reveal our secrets. Don't harm him either. First, figure out why he's here."
"..."
Shigen's brow twitched.
This was a challenge.
In Black Zetsu's presence, he had to act as someone incapable of deceit or evasion—an honest man. He couldn't blatantly lie to Madara.
Yet silence could also weaken Black Zetsu's trust.
Furthermore...
Madara didn't seem like someone to trifle with.
With his Edo Tensei body's limitations, Shigen couldn't use his full strength. Coupled with Black Zetsu's watchful eyes, he couldn't freely access his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan or Rinnegan powers. Fighting Madara could become incredibly troublesome.
The odds...
Pointed toward Madara being here to stir trouble.
Possibly to kill him outright.
Unless, of course, Madara overestimated himself and tried using Sharingan's genjutsu right away.
Creak.
The window slid open without a sound.
Shigen instinctively turned to see a scarlet eye staring back at him.
The crimson Sharingan glowed like a full moon, its three black tomoe spinning menacingly in the center.
"Hmph..."
"Fall into the illusion of the Sharingan," Madara sneered.
Standing by the window, fingers together in a commanding gesture, the proud and arrogant Madara activated his Sharingan's genjutsu, aiming to take control of Shigen.
It was the simplest, most effective, and safest method.
Madara had no intention of making a commotion. His goal was to silently abduct Emiya Shigen, leveraging the full power of his Sharingan.
He was more than confident in his abilities.
Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, even weakened by the loss of one eye to Izanagi, remained potent enough to control tailed beasts.
"Other than Hashirama..."
Madara smirked with contempt, his confidence unwavering. "No one in this world can resist genjutsu of this caliber."
"..."
Shigen's consciousness was momentarily drawn into the illusion.
However...
In the realm of genjutsu, the battle is one of spiritual energy.
As Madara's will entered Shigen's mind to plant the seeds of control, he sensed something amiss.
Because...
He saw a leg.
Under normal circumstances, the Sharingan's genjutsu manifested the caster as a godlike figure—a towering presence designed to crush the target's spirit.
But in this case...
Madara's illusion was failing.
He looked up, following the leg, and saw an immense figure towering over him—a mental image that far outstripped his own in size and strength.
This person's soul...
Was unimaginably powerful.
"!!!"
Madara's Sharingan widened in shock.
"Good evening," a thunderous voice boomed.
In the mental realm, Shigen's hand reached out like a divine force, gently pressing down on Madara's mental projection. In an instant, Madara's will was shattered.
"Impossible..."
Madara clutched his eye in pain.
What kind of joke was this?
Aside from Hashirama, who else in the world could resist his genjutsu—let alone shatter it with such ease?
The feedback from his broken illusion was excruciating, worse than anything he had ever felt before.
Before Madara could recover, Shigen moved in a blur, his fingers aglow with black markings that streaked toward Madara's arm.
"A curse mark?"
Madara leapt back in an attempt to dodge, but he was too slow.
His chakra reserves were nearly depleted.
Shigen's finger touched his arm, and dark seals rapidly spread across Madara's limb.
"This... curse mark..."
Madara gritted his teeth, the pain in his head intensifying. But what truly alarmed him was the energy in the seal—it was natural energy!
Madara wasn't completely ignorant of natural energy; he had seen Hashirama flaunt his Sage Mode numerous times.
Who was this man?
Where had Tobirama found such a doctor?
Madara's mind reeled.
He had underestimated his opponent—severely.
"This is bad..."
Madara knew his situation was dire.
Weakened from his battle with Hashirama and with his chakra and ocular powers not yet fully recovered, he could barely summon a third-stage Susano'o.
He had been too careless.
Now, his only option was to escape.
But as the dark curse marks spread, even moving became impossible. His only chance of breaking free was using Susano'o—but that would reveal his survival to Konoha.
There was no good option.
With no other choice, Madara forced his diminished Sharingan to activate.
Blue energy surged around him as his Susano'o materialized.
Boom!
The towering figure of Susano'o emerged, incomplete yet unmistakably powerful.
Although it lacked full armor and parts of its head were missing, its immense form dominated the area.
Everyone in Konoha noticed immediately.
"That's..."
"Isn't that Uchiha Madara's Susano'o?"