Chapter 81: A Tired Strategist
After hastily devouring the surprisingly robust feast the Kaguya had prepared, Uchiha Raizen made a swift retreat to his assigned quarters. He had no intention of giving them any opportunity to suggest he leave; this chance to linger was too valuable to waste.
His abrupt departure from the banquet left the Kaguya leadership in a state of confusion.
"Patriarch, was that truly an Uchiha elder?" one of the clansmen grumbled, picking at a bone with his teeth. "Or some wandering scoundrel who came here for a free meal?"
"No," Kaguya Wei mused, swirling a crude bone cup of liquor. "A wanderer or a traitor would never dare to deliver such a message. This scheme involves four of the great clans. If it were exposed, there would be no corner of the world where he could hide. His behavior… I suspect he simply wanted an excuse to stay away from his own home for a while longer."
The next morning, Raizen awoke with a singular purpose. He moved through the Kaguya compound one last time, and with four final, discreet gestures, he completed his collection.
Ding! Shikotsumyaku Bloodline Limit progress: 100/100. Bloodline Limit Acquired.
A new, permanent entry appeared in his system interface. While he hadn't yet unlocked the specific, dance-like techniques such as the Camellia Dance, the foundational power of the bone kekkei genkai was now his. Without a word of farewell, he departed the Kaguya lands and sped back toward home.
"Patriarch, Elder Raizen has returned."
A flicker of relief, quickly masked by irritation, crossed Uchiha Madara's face. "Hmph. He finally deigns to come back. Send him in. Now."
He had been on edge for days. He had expected a swift negotiation, not a ten-day absence.
"I could smell your impatience from ten miles away," Raizen's voice came from the doorway as he let himself in. The Shadow Guard melted back into the shadows, leaving the two alone.
"Report. What took so long?" Madara demanded, his voice tight.
"Patience, Madara. I'll show you what delayed me." Raizen raised his arm. With a sickening, dry crackle, a sharp, white blade of bone erupted from his elbow, gleaming in the dim light.
Madara's eyes widened, his Sharingan instinctively activating to analyze the chakra. "You… you can replicate bloodline limits? Then this plan of ours…"
"Hahaha," Raizen laughed, retracting the bone. "Who says you're the only one with a straightforward mind? It seems quite flexible to me. Yes, you understand correctly. This gives us a double layer of insurance. There's one more thing I failed to mention before." He leaned forward, his voice dropping. "I can bring back the dead."
Madara shot to his feet, his chair scraping violently against the stone floor. "What did you say?!"
The name Senna hung unspoken in the air between them.
"I have mastered a forbidden jutsu that can resurrect the deceased," Raizen explained, his tone now grave. "But there is a severe cost. The resurrected lose all emotion and cannot be killed by conventional means. They are eternal slaves, bound to the caster's will. The only way to stop them is through powerful sealing. Most damningly… their soul is trapped and tormented, denied peace."
The hope that had flared in Madara's eyes died, replaced by a grim understanding. He slowly sank back into his chair. The price was too high, even for his beloved brother.
"We will set that aside for now," Madara said, his voice hollow. "This technique… it wasn't intended for Senna, was it?"
"It is a tool for our current strategy, and a deterrent for the future," Raizen confirmed. "Speaking of which, I assume you have acquired the… subjects… I requested? A few live Senju clansmen?"
After another hour of intense planning, Raizen finally rose to leave, his body aching with fatigue.
"Raizen," Madara's voice stopped him at the door. "There is one more matter."
"Can it not wait until I've slept?" Raizen asked, his voice thick with exhaustion. Since Madara had become patriarch, his own workload had tripled.
"This, I can only entrust to you," Madara said, his gaze steady. "The Senju… Hashirama is to be married. Soon."