Three days later, Anya had fully adjusted himself to his peak condition—mentally, physically, and spiritually. Even if he couldn't come out on top, he still had the Spirit Transformation Technique as a last resort. He refused to believe that Madara's soul could be stronger than his own.
"Big Brother Kurotsuchi, we're here," Sasori said with a smile, stepping forward. Kakuzu was also present upon invitation.
Anya gave both a brief nod and said cautiously, "Wait here. I'll go in first. Wait for my signal."
Kakuzu scanned the deathly silent surroundings and asked, puzzled, "Kid, what the hell could be here that makes you take this so seriously?"
Kakuzu clearly understood just how many contingencies Sasori had prepared. Although with Rasa's rise to power in Sunagakure, people had stopped paying as much attention to the Third Kazekage, Sasori had even brought the Third Kazekage puppet along—a move that carried immense risk. That meant there were now four Kage-level experts gathered here—enough firepower to take on the entire Ninja World if it lacked any Kage-level defenders.
Anya didn't explain explicitly, simply replying, "A forbidden secret."
"Hmph," Kakuzu snorted, not pressing further. He knew Anya never acted without reason, so there must certainly be something unique here.
Sasori sensed even more. Since gaining the power of the Ryumyaku chakra, his perception of certain things had undergone a qualitative leap. Gazing sharply at the surroundings, he spoke with a hint of concern, "Big Brother Kurotsuchi, be careful."
"I will."
Anya took a deep breath and strode forward along the pre-planned route.
"Zzzing..."
A blade's cry rang out as an invisible barrier shattered. Walking through layers of fallen leaves, Anya advanced, slowly drawing the Blade of Indifference to begin charging. Each step he took intensified his aura.
The earliest version of the Sword Art: Draw Technique began releasing its power as he moved forward, its killing intent completely internalized. The sword's tremor sent sharp waves of force rippling outward, and faint sword sounds could be vaguely heard with every step.
"Hello, someone actually came here." White Zetsu abruptly emerged from the ground. "It's you. Don't worry, someone wants to see you. Follow me."
I bet he recognizes me, Anya thought. The moment he broke through the barrier, he knew he would be exposed. Since the other party had extended an invitation, there was no need to appear fearful. He simply replied calmly, "Fine. Lead the way."
"You seem pretty interesting," White Zetsu remarked, eyeing Anya briefly before walking ahead politely.
After walking down a long passage, they arrived at a spot where a white-haired, wrinkled, and deeply aged old man sat. One look was enough for Anya to confirm the man's bodily functions had deteriorated to the extreme, surviving only by sheer willpower. Could this really be the legendary Madara?
The moment I saw him, all I thought was: one swing of my sword and he'd be gone!
"My descendant, remove your mask. Let me have a good look at you."
Though he appeared frail, the old man's voice was deep and robust. In just one simple sentence, he exuded a unique sort of dominance, immediately seizing control of the conversation's momentum.
Anya took a deep breath and removed her mask. Her Three-Comma Sharingan locked onto him as she slowly spoke, "You are Uchiha… Madara?"
The Old Man suddenly sighed, "I originally admired you, but your first words disappointed me. Your heart already knows the truth, yet you instinctively ask anyway. Does facing me frighten you that much?"
As soon as these words were spoken, his identity became unmistakable.
Anya smiled slightly, "Against a ninja like you, who wouldn't be afraid?"
"Although fear exists in your heart, you still had the courage to come here by yourself. It seems you've faced down your fear. Even so, you spent three days preparing yourself outside and brought two assistants with you. Seems like your confidence still isn't sufficient. Why didn't you let them come in together with you?" Madara Uchiha, seemingly omnipotent, exposed all of Anya's maneuvers from the past three days.
Her originally smiling expression immediately disappeared, frowning slightly. Anya had been extremely confident in her stealth, even using the [Bringer-of-Darkness Technique] to cover her tracks. She never expected him to expose everything with just a sentence. How did he do it?
"Since you're my descendant, I can answer this question for free," Madara, who had perceived Anya's inner thoughts, said naturally. "I've lived here for a long time, and any change in the surroundings will reflect to me like a mirror. At first I thought someone had accidentally wandered in, but when you kept lingering without leaving, I realized you were actually looking for me."
From the start of this conversation, Madara had almost completely controlled the initiative. This situation couldn't continue.
Anya turned the tide by asking, "Aren't you curious why I could find you?"
A flash of appreciation flickered in Madara's eyes. "I'm listening."
"When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back." Anya quoted a famous saying from her past life.
Madara laughed bitterly. "Are you comparing yourself to the abyss?"
"I have seen darkness that rivals the abyss." Anya felt for the first time that she had taken control. Her Three-Comma Sharingan rotated and transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Hahaha!" Madara burst into loud laughter. This laughter lived up to his future reputation as one of the Four Great Laughers. With a tone seemingly both mocking and wistful, he sighed, "How much darkness could your young Mangekyō have possibly witnessed?"
After the laughter faded, Madara's eyes were full of memories. "Do you know what the Warring Era was like? Back then, various ninja clans took assassination missions for anyone who paid enough money. To survive, ninjas couldn't casually reveal their surnames. Any child who could hold a sword had to go to the battlefield to fight for their life. The life expectancy of both ninjas and civilians was under 30. Have you ever experienced this kind of darkness?"
From these few sentences alone, Anya could feel the cruelty of that era. Compared to the current Great Ninja World War, it was even more dangerous—at least now, ninja from various countries had villages supporting them from behind.
"Anya, I admire you greatly. In all these years, you're the first Uchiha descendant who has truly impressed me. I even had the thought of completely controlling you. For this reason, I developed the Yin-Yang Release to absorb you, but later I gave up. Do you know why?"
"It was surprising that Madara Uchiha spoke so openly about his past thoughts on Anya.
Anya was deeply shaken. Anyone would be unsettled at the thought of someone manipulating them from the shadows.
"Please continue," Anya said, sensing he had taken control of the conversation again, though he no longer cared. Just engaging in this dialogue with Madara Uchiha was already a significant gain.
"The more I learned about you, the less confident I became," Madara said, his expression filled with regret. "Had we lived in the same era, I might have had more options. But now... all I can do is..."
This was the crucial part. Anya asked emotionlessly, "What?"
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