"Wait, Ruri!"
Shisui's warning hadn't even finished leaving his lips when Ruri's Chidori struck the Root ninja square in the chest.
A deafening crack echoed through the clearing — the lightning tore through flesh and armor alike.The supposed Root captain's entire left arm and half of his torso were obliterated in a burst of light and sound.
He hit the ground hard, lifeless.
But what flowed from the wound was not blood — it was a thick, white liquid.
Before their eyes, the man's form shimmered, twisting unnaturally — until the disguise peeled away completely, revealing a creature with white skin from head to toe, its features eerily inhuman.
Shisui reacted instantly.His hands blurred through seals — Body Flicker Technique!
In the blink of an eye, over a dozen afterimages surrounded the remaining two "Root" members, trapping them in a perfect encirclement.
"What the hell is that thing?!" one of Shisui's comrades shouted.
"Must be some trick from Kirigakure!" another snarled, drawing his kunai.
The two remaining "Root operatives" glanced at each other, realizing their cover was blown.
"Wh-what's going on? What's this white stuff? Where's our captain?" one stammered, trying to keep up the act.
But no one was buying it.
Shisui looked to Ruri, both astonished and impressed.
"Ruri, that was incredible! How did you know they were fakes?"
The two remaining White Zetsu also stared at her, curious — they themselves didn't understand how she'd seen through their Transformation Jutsu.
But Ruri said nothing.
Because the truth was… she hadn't noticed a thing.
She'd simply felt irritated and decided to cut them first to see what would happen.
Shisui, not realizing this, continued with genuine admiration — and even a hint of relief.
If these were enemy impostors spreading false intelligence, then Mitsuki's situation was probably not as dire as the forged report suggested.
"Don't kill them yet," Shisui said, stepping forward. "Let me see if I can get some intel through genjutsu."
He focused his Sharingan, weaving powerful illusions — but one after another, they failed to take hold.
"They're immune…?" he muttered, frowning.
Left with no choice, Shisui's eyes changed again — the tomoe in his right eye twisted into a pinwheel.
He was preparing to use his forbidden technique: Kotoamatsukami, the ultimate genjutsu of the Uchiha.
But before he could cast it, the two White Zetsu realized things had gone too far.
They dropped the disguise entirely, revealing their pale, plant-like forms.
"We've been compromised — fall back!" one hissed.
And both began sinking into the ground using the Mayfly Technique.
"Damn it, they're trying to escape!" Shisui cursed.
He and Ruri moved simultaneously — blades and lightning flashing.
In a heartbeat, the two White Zetsu were cut down before they could fully disappear into the earth.
Their bodies twitched, then stilled.
Shisui sighed and began sealing the remains. These strange creatures needed to be studied — their existence alone meant this conspiracy ran deeper than expected.
Ruri, meanwhile, had cooled down. Now that it was clear Mitsuki's "injury" was false, her rational side took control again.
She remembered Mitsuki's words from the night before — his theory that the voice she'd heard wasn't stopping her from going to the Land of Water, but warning her.
And now, after encountering these bizarre white beings who tried to lure her away, that warning made perfect sense.
From her brief test, one thing was certain — whatever that voice was, it was against these creatures.
If what Mitsuki had told her before was right — "the enemy of your enemy is your ally" — then whoever that voice belonged to, they might be on the same side.
In that case, she'd do as planned — wait for Mitsuki to return.
Still, deep inside, she couldn't help but mutter to herself:
"Seriously? Do they think I'd be a burden if I went to the Land of Water? That I'd just mess things up?"
Not far away, hidden within a tree trunk, Zetsu watched the scene unfold and sighed.
He truly couldn't understand how that wild Uchiha woman had seen through the disguise. What, did she just get pissed off and decide to stab first, ask questions later?
"No wonder Lord Madara eliminated her as a potential vessel," he muttered. "What a reckless brute."
Grumbling, Zetsu sank into the earth, hurrying back toward Madara's hideout.
"I need to report this to Lord Madara immediately…"
Land of Water – at the base of a small mountain.
Mitsuki stood still, eyes narrowing. He knew Madara was hiding beneath that mountain.But he didn't move closer.
"Shukaku," he said quietly, "things might get serious soon. I'll leave chakra extraction to you."
"Heh, no problem, partner!" the tailed beast replied, eager for battle.
With that settled, Mitsuki raised his right hand. A swirling storm of chakra formed in his palm — growing, expanding, roaring like a typhoon.
"Whirrr—"
The sheer wind pressure bent trees and tore at the ground, shrieking like knives.
Big Ball Rasenshuriken
The enormous spinning weapon shot forward like a comet, crashing toward the base of the mountain. The air split open in its wake — even the atmosphere screamed.
If nothing stopped it, that mountain — and everything beneath — would be obliterated.
But a colossal, blue, humanoid figure appeared in its path, intercepting the attack.
Twin faces. Four arms. Two blades.
Susanoo.
Madara.
The titanic warrior crossed its chakra swords, slashing down with enough force to cleave the heavens.
The Rasenshuriken detonated midair.
A roaring cyclone of wind chakra engulfed Susanoo, countless blades slicing across its surface.
Cracks spread across its armor — for a moment, it looked as though it might shatter entirely.
Madara's eyes narrowed. He poured more power into them —The Susanoo flared, cloaked in an additional layer of chakra armor.
When the storm finally subsided, Madara stood unmoved in the center of the blue giant, completely unscathed.
"Konoha's brat," Madara's deep voice echoed. "Is this how Hashirama's disciples greet their elders now?"
He was still waiting for Zetsu's report — but he didn't mind indulging the boy for a moment.
Mitsuki smiled faintly. "I know who you are, Madara Uchiha. You're quite the legend."
Judging from his intact body — no cracks, no Edo Tensei markings, normal eyes — this wasn't a reanimated corpse.
That left only two possibilities: Rinne Tensei or Limbo. Both were powers of the Rinnegan — and by all rights, Madara shouldn't be able to use them now.
Madara dismissed his Susanoo and landed gracefully on the ground, arms crossed.
"So, you've done your homework. Impressive chakra you have there. How about it? Join me. Witness the dawn of true peace."