Uchiha Madara moved his body slowly, feeling the endless power flowing through it.
He looked at Black Zetsu with a trace of surprise.
"I didn't expect the sacrifice you found had actually cultivated the Chimera Technique, and you even fused a large number of Hashirama Senju's cells into it."
"Very good… very good!"
Madara clenched his fists. He could clearly feel that this body was far stronger than his previous peak.
Originally, Hiruko's body had already absorbed four Kekkei Genkai through the forbidden technique.
Although the ritual had been interrupted by Ryoma when the fifth bloodline was about to be absorbed, a fragment of Madara's power still remained within the body.
That remaining chakra resonated perfectly with Madara himself, completing the final step and allowing the Chimera Technique to reach the fifth Kekkei Genkai.
"But obtaining such a body only to remain in a temporary state… would be a waste."
A thought suddenly appeared in Madara's mind.
With the extraordinary vitality he possessed now, it might actually be possible.
Hashirama's cells provided overwhelming life force.
His Mangekyō Sharingan had already evolved into the Rinnegan.
Perhaps… he could do it.
Madara's hands suddenly froze.
A gentle white glow slowly spread out before him and Black Zetsu.
The light carried an ancient and mysterious power, instantly enveloping Madara's Impure World Reincarnation body.
Black Zetsu's eyes widened slightly.
"Is he really…"
In the next instant, the white light wrapped Madara inside a snow-white cocoon, and an intense life force began radiating outward.
"Rinne Rebirth — Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!"
The cracks covering Madara's Edo Tensei body began to fade away, like fragile glass slowly shattering to reveal the living body hidden beneath.
Moments later, the transformation ended.
Uchiha Madara had completely regained his true physical body.
"So it worked."
Madara clenched his fists, excitement flashing across his face as the ripples of the Rinnegan slowly rotated.
"With the Chimera Technique and the vitality provided by Hashirama's cells, I was able to use Rinne Rebirth on myself."
"Now… I can finally fight without restraint!"
He took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of blood flowing through his veins.
"Only a real body can give this feeling… the thrill of battle."
Madara's expression grew increasingly excited.
Looking at his hands, he suddenly burst into wild laughter.
Black Zetsu watched the scene silently.
Even he could not help but sigh inwardly.
Madara truly was a genius.
Originally, the plan had been to let Madara exist temporarily as an Edo Tensei, then search for another method to revive him completely.
But unexpectedly, Madara had used the Rinnegan's ultimate technique to resurrect himself.
Normally, Rinne Rebirth required the caster to sacrifice their own life in order to revive another.
Yet Madara had used it to restore his own life.
"That monster has truly returned to this world…"
Black Zetsu shook his head slightly before explaining everything that had happened during Madara's absence.
"The man who killed you…"
"He has already unified the entire continent."
Madara fell silent.
"That man…"
He murmured the words slowly, his thoughts drifting.
Both he and Hashirama Senju had once attempted to reshape the ninja world.
Yet neither of them had succeeded.
And now, the man who had killed him—Ryoma—had accomplished exactly that.
This revelation inevitably shook Madara's heart.
Years ago, Hashirama had possessed the strength to unify the entire ninja world.
As the God of Shinobi, he had the power to accomplish it.
But Hashirama had been too kind.
Too soft-hearted.
His compassion had restrained him, preventing him from seizing true dominion.
Madara himself had once had a similar opportunity.
He could have achieved the same hegemony that Ryoma now possessed.
But because Hashirama stood in his way…
He never completed it.
"Is it you…?"
"Do you truly have the strength to defeat Ryoma?"
A terrifying battle intent suddenly erupted from Uchiha Madara.
His Rinnegan, radiating overwhelming ocular power, stared directly toward Konohagakure.
For a moment, Madara seemed to recall something.
He formed a series of hand seals and then slammed his palm onto the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
Boom!
Smoke exploded outward.
From within the smoke, a colossal figure slowly rose from the earth.
It was a massive giant hundreds of meters tall.
Its body was gray, resembling dead wood. A white cloth covered its eyes, and numerous cylindrical protrusions extended from its shoulders and back.
The enormous statue exuded a suffocating aura.
"ROAR!"
The creature raised its head and let out a thunderous roar, the shockwave scattering the smoke into rings of yellow-white mist.
Madara looked at the monster before him and spoke thoughtfully.
"The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path has already absorbed the chakra of the Two-Tails, Three-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails."
"The remaining tailed beasts are the One-Tail Shukaku, Four-Tails Son Gokū, Five-Tails Kokuō, Six-Tails Saiken, and Seven-Tails Chōmei."
The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was the empty shell of the Ten-Tails.
Only after absorbing the chakra of all nine tailed beasts could the statue return to its true form—
the Ten-Tails, the origin of all chakra.
And from the Ten-Tails, the Divine Tree would be reborn.
Once that happened, the Rinnegan could cast the ultimate genjutsu—
Infinite Tsukuyomi.
A dream world where all conflict would disappear.
At least… that was what Madara believed.
Beside him, Black Zetsu silently watched the obsessed Madara.
A malicious smile slowly appeared on its face.
Long ago, it had secretly tampered with the records left by the Sage of Six Paths within the Uchiha Clan's Naka Shrine.
The falsified information led Madara to believe that the only way to truly save the Uchiha Clan—and the entire world—was through the Infinite Tsukuyomi, allowing everyone to live forever inside a perfect illusion.
A world without suffering.
A world without war.
Now…
This crucial pawn had finally returned to the board.
And Black Zetsu would use him, to achieve its ultimate victory.
(End of Chapter)
🦊 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin
😊 Thank you for your support!