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A white figure moved forward rapidly.
Soon after, Uchiha Madara's brow furrowed in deep displeasure.
"I only slept for a little while, and the ninja world has changed this much?"
"The Uchiha clan... defected from the Leaf?"
The news soured Madara's mood. He vividly remembered asking his clansmen if they wanted to leave the village with him years ago. But they had been short-sighted, drowning in the fake harmony of the hidden village, and had "betrayed" him, their own leader.
He could still see the sickening looks of worship they gave Hashirama Senju—as if they had all been placed under a genjutsu.
"Hmph!" Madara scoffed coldly.
"If they had left with me back then, the Uchiha wouldn't be in this pathetic state. They brought this on themselves. It's their own choice."
"They deserve it."
Madara narrowed his eyes at the intelligence report in his hand. "And even now, after everything, some of them still choose to stay loyal to Konoha? Truly absurd."
He then glanced at two stacks of cards sitting nearby.
One set featured the rumors about Uchiha Kagami on the front and pretty kunoichi on the back. A complete set.
The White Zetsu clones were numerous, scattered across the globe, and unparalleled at hiding. Their intelligence-gathering capabilities were terrifying.
"Onoki did this?" Disgust flashed in Madara's eyes. He couldn't help but recall the first time he met Onoki, teaching the boy a harsh lesson that left a lifelong shadow over him.
"Using such underhanded tricks—does he have even a shred of a ninja's dignity? There's a reason I looked down on that brat back then."
"And Uchiha Kagami was a fool, too!"
"Tobirama Senju was rotten to the core. For an Uchiha to take him as a master was no different than begging for a death sentence."
"But," Madara mused, "this rumor alone shouldn't have been enough to trigger a full clan defection, right?"
The White Zetsu below explained the details.
"Lord Madara, the Kagami rumors escalated the tension between the Uchiha and the Leaf brass. Their relationship was already terrible. But the direct trigger for the rebellion was the death of a man named Uchiha Tomo."
Madara frowned. "Uchiha Tomo? What did he do?"
White Zetsu answered. "While Uchiha Sangaku was using heavy-handed tactics to suppress the clan members, Tomo went directly to the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to demand the truth about Kagami."
"That very night, Tomo was found dead in his home."
"Written in blood on his floor were four words: Save the Uchiha!"
"After that, the faction led by Uchiha Yashiro erupted in absolute fury and launched the rebellion."
Madara was silent for a moment before spitting out a single word.
"Idiots!"
He then shifted his attention to the second set of cards.
"The Leaf sold out the Hyuga clan for an alliance with the Mist?"
Before Madara even had to ask, White Zetsu volunteered the information. "This rumor didn't cause much fallout for Konoha or the Hyuga. Hyuga Yamatsubaki completely locked down the clan's internal unrest. No one like Tomo stepped out, and there was no rebel leader like Yashiro."
Madara sneered.
"Typical Hyuga. A clan that controls its own bloodline with the Caged Bird seal—what backbone or vision could they possibly have?"
"This 'Ninja Kill' game is somewhat amusing, but barely. How could true ninja treat warfare like a child's game? In the face of absolute power, all these flashy tricks are utterly useless."
"However... this Hidden Sand Village surprises me a little."
"Rasa..."
Madara picked up an intel report specifically on Sunagakure.
"Suppressing an entire clan single-handedly... that Beni-yama clan must not have been very strong. Still, to pull it off is commendable."
"I didn't expect so many clan rebellions to erupt one after another. The Uchiha, the Kaguya, the Beni-yama... Perhaps this proves that the hidden village system was a mistake to begin with."
Madara had zero interest in the actual news printed in the Sand's newspaper. He only lingered on The Basilisk Scroll story for a few extra seconds.
After a long while, Madara set everything down.
"Fortunately, my chosen piece hasn't changed."
"And right now, with Minato Namikaze deployed to support the Mist, the timing is perfect."
Madara didn't have a good impression of Minato Namikaze. Mentioning Minato meant mentioning the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, which inevitably reminded Madara of Tobirama Senju—the murderer who killed his little brother.
But Madara had to admit, if Minato were nearby, it would heavily interfere with his plans.
The White Zetsu moved out.
At that exact moment, the Iwa (Rock) army was itching for action. The Sand army had just launched a devastating offensive against the Mist. With Konoha forced to send massive support to the Mist front, the Leaf forces holding the line against the Rock would inevitably be stretched thin.
This was a golden opportunity. All they needed was the intel to confirm it.
And right after the White Zetsu made their move, the intel the Rock army was waiting for arrived.
It came almost too easily—practically handed to them on a silver platter. Yet, the Rock commanders could perfectly verify its authenticity.
The Iwa commander hesitated for only a second before making the call.
"Full assault!"
The entire Rock army surged with adrenaline.
"Kill!"
"Charge!"
"Crush the Leaf!"
Even though the Leaf army had prepared for an attack, the sheer ferocity and speed of the Rock's onslaught forced them into a desperate, constant retreat. They simply hadn't expected the enemy to strike so fast.
"Enemy attack!"
"Stay sharp!"
Battles on two different fronts reached a fever pitch at the exact same time.
Ninjutsu and ninja tools collided. Sneak attacks and sieges. Fleeing and hiding.
The sounds of slaughter echoed endlessly. Bodies fell one after another. Leaf ninja, Mist ninja, Rock ninja, Sand ninja. A thick, suffocating stench of blood filled the air above the battlefields.
---
Meanwhile, two figures were locked in a fierce argument.
"The mission, the mission! Is that all you ever care about, Kakashi?!"
"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true... but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum!"
Obito Uchiha glared at Kakashi, his eyes burning red with fury and desperation.
"If you won't go, I'll go alone!"
"I am saving Rin, no matter what!"
"The White Fang of the Leaf was a true hero!"
"Kakashi... you're nothing compared to him!"
With a furious roar, Obito threw a heavy punch straight at Kakashi.