Jūzō Biwa was fuming as he looked at the bloodstains on the ground.
A whole group had ganged up on just two people, and yet one had still escaped. Sure, they'd killed one, but the most important thing—the Sharingan—was gone.
It was infuriating.
"Jōnin Jūzō, what now?"
A nearby Kirigakure shinobi asked for his opinion. Jūzō spat on the ground in frustration.
"What else? We retreat. The window of opportunity has already passed."
"Let's go. We're heading back."
Jūzō Biwa was someone who knew when to move on. Despite his irritation, he was on the battlefield—hesitation was a luxury he couldn't afford.
With the Mist ninja withdrawing, the skirmish came to a close.
...
No one knew how much time had passed when White Zetsu carried the unconscious Muren Uchiha back to the underground cave.
Seeing his return—and that he had brought back the chosen one—Madara Uchiha was visibly pleased.
"Well done, White Zetsu."
"So? What's the status of the Three-Tails? Has the plan been set in motion?"
White Zetsu placed Muren Uchiha off to the side and allowed a flicker of pride to show.
He was just about to speak when Madara raised a hand to stop him. He slowly approached Muren, casually picked up a sickle, and lightly tapped it against his body.
"What are you doing? He's unconscious, isn't he?"
Madara gave him a sidelong glance.
"Better safe than sorry. If I hadn't been cautious back then, I'd have been long dead."
"And you wouldn't even exist."
He sat back down and waited for White Zetsu's report.
"The Three-Tails Plan hasn't been initiated. Actually, there's no need for it."
"When I arrived, those two were already surrounded by the Kirigakure unit, so I simply tipped them off."
"As a result, they were ambushed by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
"Ao Uchiha died on the spot. Before he died, he gouged out his eyes and gave them to Muren Uchiha, then launched a jutsu called Fire Release: Fire Mage. He exploded instantly, turning to dust."
"Muren was shaken by what happened, but he managed to break out of the encirclement before collapsing. I brought him back."
Madara nodded at the report. It had deviated slightly from his original plan, but overall, things were still on track.
As long as the chosen successor had suffered trauma and was brought back safely, the rest could be dealt with.
Originally, he had four candidates in mind: Fugaku Uchiha, Muren Uchiha, Ao Uchiha, and a young boy named Obito Uchiha.
Fugaku was the strongest and had a bit of a temper, which in Madara's eyes made him easier to manipulate.
But fate had other plans. The boy had gone and gotten married, developed attachments, and so Madara gave up on him.
Obito was an orphan, also easy to control—until Kazuyama Gekkō showed up and threw everything into chaos.
In the end, Madara lost his best options and had to settle for the slightly less promising Ao and Muren.
Staring at the battered Muren Uchiha, Madara's Sharingan began to spin. The sickle in his hand flashed coldly.
In one swift motion, Muren's body was cleaved in half from the shoulder down.
The slash was so sharp it left deep wounds across his face.
Blood gushed instantly, staining the cave floor crimson.
Just like that, a once-healthy Uchiha had been crippled by his clan's own ancestor.
And thanks to Madara's earlier tampering, Muren didn't react at all to the devastation—because the real him wasn't even conscious.
Tch, I went through all that trouble to bring him back, and you nearly killed him. What's the point if you ruin everything now?
"Madara, what are you trying to do?"
White Zetsu quickly stepped up, crouched beside Muren, and began checking his condition, his face full of confusion.
"Destruction precedes creation. Only after breaking him can we rebuild."
"Unless his old body is destroyed, how can he endure Hashirama's cells?"
"This is where the miracle begins. With my understanding of Hashirama's cells, he'll eventually be able to wield that power as I did."
Darkness slowly swallowed the cave, leaving only the eerie glow of those blood-red Sharingan in the dark...
...
No one knew how much time passed before pain jolted Muren Uchiha awake.
He realized he couldn't move. The pain was everywhere, burning through every inch of his body.
"What happened to me?"
"My body...?"
He was wrapped in unfamiliar bandages from head to toe—even his face.
He tried to move, but the pain flared up again, making it impossible.
"You're awake..."
A low, raspy voice filled with age and weariness came from nearby.
Muren struggled to turn his head toward the source of the voice.
The first thing he saw was a pair of Sharingan he knew all too well.
But the owner was an old man, his face lined with deep wrinkles, clearly nearing the end of his life.
"Who... are you?"
"Me? Just a man forgotten by history..."
Madara Uchiha stared at the young man before him, thoroughly satisfied.
The plan was already in motion, and he was confident he could guide Muren down the path he had laid out.
"Those eyes... You're a Uchiha too."
"But I've never seen you. Who are you, really?"
"Where is this? What happened to me?"
Three questions came in quick succession, but Muren's frail body couldn't handle the strain.
After speaking, the world began to spin violently.
"Take your time..."
"We'll talk more once your body recovers..."
...
At the same time, far off in the Land of Frost, Kazuyama Gekkō was still hard at work refining his skills.
On the northernmost coastline, two adults and a child clashed in heated training.
"Yugito, play to your strengths—speed and agility. Stop charging in blindly."
"You're the Two-Tails, not the Eight-Tails. Learn something useful!"
Kazuyama landed a spinning kick that sent Yugito flying, all while shouting out her flaws.
Off to the side, Tagitsuhime nibbled on a snakeberry with a faint smile, watching the scene like it was a performance.
To her, this pair of master and disciple was like an amusing show—entertaining to say the least.
Yugito and Tagitsuhime were here solely because of Kazuyama.
After analyzing the current situation, he realized he couldn't keep going like this.
Madara Uchiha had already appeared—and he was a target. Sitting around and waiting for the attack would only lead to defeat.
Even with Chōmei inside him, Kazuyama felt no sense of security.
That's why he needed to train Yugito into a true combat asset and begin preparing in advance.
"Yugito, in a few days, we're heading to the Land of Rain."