The night grew darker.
Meika walked along the path home, his brows furrowed as Inagomaru's words echoed incessantly in his mind.
"When I'm about to die, destroy my body!"
For some reason, an ominous premonition loomed over him, like a storm brewing on the horizon. Unease gnawed at his heart.
Unfortunately, as a member of the village's security squad, his knowledge of the village's secrets was limited. He had no way of understanding the increasingly eerie atmosphere among the higher-ups.
While Meika made his way home, Rinjin once again returned to the iron sand cloud floating in the sky.
The task Meika had entrusted to him couldn't be handed over to Genshi. He had to handle it personally.
After all, the woman this guy wanted to marry might actually be a spy from Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village).
Most importantly, he had made a promise—and breaking that promise was not an option.
With this thought, Rinjin controlled the iron sand cloud and slowly flew toward the seaside.
"Taijutsu training must not stop."
Riding the cloud, he arrived at the sea. Clapping his hands together, he summoned a shadow clone.
"Here, hold this for me."
As he spoke, Rinjin took off his shirt. Then, from inside his vest, he removed a soft, white pearl necklace and handed it to the shadow clone.
After a moment's thought, he also removed his ninja tool pouch and placed it on the cloud.
"Now, stay here with the cloud and wait for me."
With that, he leaped off the cloud and plunged heavily into the sea.
While Rinjin began his underwater physical training, in Kirigakure (Hidden Mist Village), Black Zetsu appeared once again before Madara Uchiha.
"Lord Madara, I've brought the person you asked for."
After saying this respectfully, Black Zetsu slowly dragged an elderly man out from underground and placed him before Madara.
"Wake him up."
"Got it!"
The main body of White Zetsu, standing to the side, extended a hand. A sharp wooden spike pierced into the elderly man's leg.
The old man let out a muffled groan and sat up abruptly, clutching his pierced leg, only to meet a pair of pale purple eyes.
In an instant, the old man froze, his gaze gradually becoming vacant. The hand clutching his leg relaxed, letting the blood flow freely.
"Name?" Madara Uchiha asked indifferently.
"Genshi."
"Kirigakure's total revenue and expenditure from last year?"
"Total revenue was 847.53 million ryo, including 600 million in gray income.
Expenditure... 910 million ryo, 800 million of which was allocated by the Third Mizukage. The exact amount of the rest... I can't recall."
Hearing this, Madara Uchiha nodded silently.
Asking about classified information was the simplest and most effective way to confirm someone's identity.
Of course, this was merely a small precaution.
Next, Madara Uchiha fixed his gaze on Genshi and asked again.
"Can you tell me what exactly you're conspiring?"
Upon hearing this, Genshi mechanically opened his mouth, his stiff voice pausing intermittently.
"The Third Mizukage... is under a genjutsu. Every year, a large amount of money is spent to awaken him and bring the village... back on track!
Lord Hozuki Gengetsu has returned to help the village. With Tobi's assistance, he's aiding us.
Hoshigaki Fuguki is dead. With Tobi's help, we're infiltrating the higher-ups, manipulating human nature, and eliminating the mastermind.
Our village will return to the right path, and Tobi will obtain the mastermind's eyes!"
Hearing this, Madara Uchiha's eyes narrowed instantly.
"They want my eyes?!"
Well, well, this brat sure has a deep plan!
As he pondered, Madara Uchiha began piecing together the overall picture in his mind.
An immortal body.
Three or four years ago, he was attacked by the reanimated body of the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu. At that time, there were no signs of him being controlled; instead, he seemed to have retained his free will.
This indicated that Rinjin hadn't controlled him but had detected Madara's whereabouts, using this opportunity to have Hozuki Gengetsu find him.
He must have used this incident to establish a partnership with Hozuki Gengetsu.
Through this partnership, he infiltrated the higher-ups of Kirigakure and made contact with the Third Mizukage.
Afterward, he sought the Mountain Graveyard...
No! This brat's planning might have started even earlier!
Seven years ago, he had already begun purging the ninjas of the Land of Grass!
Why would he do that? Could it be that he had set something up in the Land of Grass as well?
A coincidence?
How could he have known that I would place the vessel for the eyes in the Land of Grass?
No! That's not right!
He's deliberately guiding the war?!
Impossible. How could he have known about my plan and started preparing seven years ago?
Madara Uchiha instinctively found it absurd, but the Moon's Eye Plan was of utmost importance, leaving no room for negligence.
His original plan was to orchestrate the destruction of Uzumaki Village, then use the ensuing war to destroy Nagato's home, and finally have Black Zetsu arrange for the three orphans to fall under the care of a powerful ninja in Konoha.
This approach had numerous advantages.
First, Nagato was an Uzumaki, capable of wielding the Rinnegan.
Second, the Uzumaki Clan, being distant relatives of the Senju, naturally possessed massive chakra reserves. To villages like Konoha, such orphans were far more valuable than talentless ones.
Third, the Uzumaki Clan's natural affinity for Konoha made them easier to manipulate.
Most importantly, the chaos of war provided plausible explanations for many actions, making it harder to trace back.
However, things didn't go as planned.
Rinjin seemed to know everything.
From seeking the Mountain Graveyard and tampering with the Gedo Statue to deliberately revealing his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he seemed intent on drawing Madara's attention to the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki.
At the same time, his shadow clones repeatedly used the Flying Thunder God Technique to harass the Gedo Statue, forcing Madara to relocate.
Wait, this guy even sent clones to search for Nagato for a while!
If he knew Nagato was my chosen Rinnegan vessel, why didn't he wait for me to transfer the Rinnegan and then snatch it?
Wouldn't it be easier to take it from Nagato than from me?
Unless...
At this thought, Madara Uchiha's gaze suddenly shifted to Black Zetsu, his narrowed eyes filled with scrutiny.
He had a strange feeling that Rinjin wasn't just wary of him.
It seemed like he was wary of something else as well!
No! In comparison, this guy seemed to be even less wary of me!
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