Traveling through three generations: Making Konoha great again!

Chapter 182 Black Zetsu's dirty and tiring work, Nine-Tails' scheme

"Coming, coming, Lord Madara!"

White Zetsu and Ah Huo jogged over, carrying a red armor covered in dust.

As he walked, he kept wiping his hands with his arms, leaving a gray patch on his pale palms.

Madara Uchiha's heart stirred.

Has his armor become covered in dust?

This was actually to be expected, as Madara had taken most of the ninja tools he used from the Uchiha clan when he left the village.

Armor, scythe, kusarigama, Uchiha fan, and some three-tomoe Sharingan eyes—

There are also some precious ancient books.

Perhaps Madara did this because he subconsciously felt that he might not necessarily be able to defeat Hashirama.

They might fight to a draw, and eventually, after leaving Konoha, they'll need a place to stay.

This would give him a supply point while he continued fighting.

Ban stared at the dust on his armor, his feelings a mix of emotions.

At that time, he probably never imagined that he would hide in the cave for so long without ever making a move—

He nearly died on the spot.

"Take this armor to Hiruzen—" Madara Uchiha pondered for a moment before giving the order.

"ah?"

White Zetsu was taken aback. This time, it couldn't go along with Madara's words: "Lord Madara, you just fought the Hokage. How can I go and deliver myself—wouldn't that be an admission of guilt?"

"Ah, in the ninja world, strength is paramount, but wisdom is equally important." Madara pointed to his head: "Only those who use their brains can be invincible—"

Ah Huo blinked.

"I didn't tell you to put my armor on Hiruzen's desk—"

"The Uchiha clan's supply depot has many dusty scrolls. Just put them there. Before and after each war, someone from the clan will go and take inventory of these stockpiles."

"The Uchiha ninjas will find out in time," Madara patiently explained to Ah-Huo.

This white zetsu is somewhat human-like, and he's quite pleased with its speech and actions.

"If the Uchiha don't hand over this armor after it's discovered, it will cause a significant public outcry if others find it, tearing apart the trust between Konoha and the Uchiha—"

"It was just something I wrote casually."

Ah Huo nodded vigorously, indicating that he was once again amazed by Lord Ban's wisdom.

But that's not actually what it thinks.

"Why do I feel like—"

"Is this what Lord Madara wanted to see the Hokage wearing his armor?"

"I think he's upset because the Hokage is wearing Hashirama's armor!"

But Ah Huo dared not say this aloud; if the awkward Lord Madara were to become enraged, it would be no joke—

It's an intelligent white zeppelin!

As for why Ah Huo is so smart, besides the objective enhancement from the heretical demon statue and reading books.

Part of the reason was that before it rose to prominence, it was responsible for lurking near Hiruko's house to monitor the words and actions of this Konoha committee member.

Unconsciously, one develops certain behavioral habits.

"Ah-Huo, from now on you'll be responsible for cleaning my ninja tools."

Ban continued to give instructions.

The sight of these dusty ninja tools made Madara feel a vague unease.

Moreover, the situation is different now!

While the overall goal is to prevent one's identity from being exposed, unexpected circumstances might necessitate taking precautions and making minor adjustments to the plan.

After absorbing the chakra passively modified by the Rinnegan from Nagato's body, Madara's body became much younger, making him a strong old man.

The power is sufficient, but the battery life is relatively poor.

"Understood, Lord Madara—"

Ah Huo nodded obediently.

It did not find the research diary at Bilihu's place.

These are all strictly confidential and can only be viewed in a laboratory environment, or opened at will using sealing techniques.

However, Ah-Huo was quite engrossed in reading Hiruzen's quotes and Hiruko's notes and comments.

Ah Huo remembers one sentence very clearly: "Any job that allows you to get in touch with the Hokage is a good job—"

In its own words, serving Lord Madara is a good thing!

"Hmm, Black Zetsu!" Madara glanced at Akane with satisfaction.

For the past six months or so, Black Zetsu, who had been responsible for monitoring Nagato, has finally returned to the side of its loyal Indra reincarnation.

"Here is a list. You and the White Zetsu will search the entire ninja world for the bodies of these ninjas."

"That beast Kurama has also become quite cunning in Konoha—"

"We should strategically abandon Konoha and leave only a small number of elite squads in Kirigakure and the Uchiha clan's territory."

Madara gave instructions to Black Zetsu.

In Konoha, White Zetsu's intelligence-gathering capabilities are becoming increasingly weak.

Because their activity area is under the joint surveillance of Uzumaki and Hyuga, it is getting smaller and smaller.

It's not that White Zetsu's transformation techniques will be discovered, but rather that, given their intelligence, it's difficult for them to master the art of concealing themselves while moving, thus making it harder for them to detect any clues.

Not to mention that Mito now loves taking walks. Aside from rarely going to the Uchiha clan's territory, the old lady walks tens of thousands of steps every day with Yamato on her leash and a little fox by her side.

It has become a living, mobile radar!

Can White Zetsu handle this?

Black Zetsu's expression froze. It had only been away on a business trip for so long, and before it could even settle in, it was already going out on another field trip, huh?

Let's go raid the graves of those lowly ninjas!

Purely dirty and tiring work!

"Yes, Lord Madara—" Even though he was the third son of the noble goddess of the rabbit, he had no choice but to bow his head when he was under someone else's roof.

Black Zetsu took the list and looked at it carefully.

The Gold and Silver Horn brothers, the Second Mizukage and the Tsuchikage (a pair of star-crossed lovers), the Second Raikage, and Ashina Uzumaki—a total of six dead people.

There are three more living candidates.

Sasori of the Red Sand Village, the leader of the evil god cult in the Land of Hot Water, and Yagura of the Mist Village.

There are ten people in total, including Ban.

However, this is only Madara's initial list. The Six Paths Puppets made with the Rinnegan are best when they have six pieces, but if they are damaged, they can be repaired or replaced.

The same applies to living people.

Madara was still staring at "Aokiji" and "Obito" —

Of course, his bigger goal now is Hiruzen Sarutobi, to convince his successor, the one with the will of youth, with facts—

Black Zetsu glanced at Ah Huo, suppressing his displeasure.

In the past, these white Zetsu did all the dirty and tiring work. When would it be their turn?

But as long as Madara can pull himself together and stop thinking about that ridiculous spokesperson plan, Black Zetsu feels that all the hard work he's putting in right now is worthwhile.

With its rich experience accumulated over a thousand years in the ninja world, finding a few corpses is no problem, and gathering information on the living is also easy.

As long as it's not in Konoha, everything is fine!

"Madara is finally acting like a proper man. Before, he was so timid and hesitant. Did he really want to become the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki?"

"It should have been done a long time ago!"

"Using the power of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and the Rinnegan as tools for these powerful ninjas—"

"I'll try my best to restore him to some condition so that Madara can support the Ten-Tails, and then we can launch a surprise attack on the Jinchuriki of each village during the Fourth Shinobi World War!"

"If we can let things settle for five or ten years, this will be the most hopeful chance to save my mother!"

Black is extremely dissatisfied with the plan to make Madara his spokesperson.

As someone who has devised countless schemes that have all failed, Black Zetsu understands one thing.

If you extend the timeframe to twenty or thirty years, even the most meticulously planned schemes will have various flaws. There are simply too many unexpected events in the ninja world, and there will always be extraordinary individuals appearing.

Moreover, Madara's plan wasn't particularly sophisticated; in Black Zetsu's eyes, it seemed more like a face-saving evasion.

"To truly restore youth to freckles, the power of all things in the universe is needed—"

Black Zetsu was also having a bit of a headache.

This is something only the Otsutsuki clan could possess. It does have some within its body, but it's impossible for Madara to have it.

This was a one-time backup plan left by its mother.

It's used up and then gone; it's only for emergencies and as a last resort.

But where in the ninja world can we find another Otsutsuki?

This was clearly impossible in Black Zetsu's eyes—

"Let's keep searching. The ninja world is a strange place; maybe some people have a special constitution that makes them a great source of nourishment—"

"If all else fails, I'll devise a plan to get Madara to accept a temporary recovery and take a gamble, then I'll toy with him!"

With hope, Black Zetsu became even more motivated to work.

But what Black Zetsu didn't expect was that Madara didn't intend for the Six Paths puppets to swarm into a group fight—

At least not at the beginning.

Because the nature of the entire incident has quietly changed.

The test now is whether Konoha's system can withstand the pressure and survive in the ninja world. This will serve as an anchor point to awaken Hiruzen Sarutobi's deep thinking and encourage him to proactively embrace the Eye of the Moon Plan.

Ban considers himself a reasonable person.

He didn't face Senju Butsuma right from his debut; at most, he was two age groups ahead of him.

The pressure exerted on Konoha should also adhere to this principle.

Moreover, Madara was also worried that if Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed him too far, he might resurrect Hashirama and Tobirama using the Impure World Reincarnation technique.

That would be troublesome if he possessed most of his former power—

#

three days later.

After treatment, Nagato's eye injury has stabilized, and the life force indicators that were suddenly extracted and replenished have returned to normal.

And just as Fugaku suggested.

Isshin, along with Fugaku and the other person, found Mito and, on behalf of the Uchiha, offered a sincere apology on behalf of Aozumi.

I hope Mito can understand that children are immature and that he can provide Sharingan if Nagato needs it.

Mito naturally enjoyed the conversation with them, since the problem wasn't the Uchiha's fault, but rather the fault of Tobirama's bloodline—

After all, the Aozuki Uchiha lineage originated from Izuna, who had quite a high EQ back then—

Then Tianzang arrived.

There was no real conflict between the Hyuga and Uzumaki clans; it was simply that Tenzo felt the Uchiha clan shouldn't get all the credit, and since the main branch had received the benefits, they had to actively show their appreciation.

It would be a disgrace to have a pair of white eyes like that taken away by an outsider.

But giving it to the village, to Mito who represents Hiruzen Sarutobi, would be a complete sacrifice!

Mito had a pleasant conversation, but she couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed, as if she were seeing Tobirama doing things back in the day.

Why is everyone trying to pin all their bloodline limits on Nagato?

That's so wild!

However, Mito didn't immediately agree. After all, Nagato was still a ninja from Amegakure, and even if they were from the same clan, his true feelings had to be considered.

The Sharingan and Byakugan are said to be given to Uzumaki, but in reality they were given to Konoha.

Mito was well aware of this.

Konoha Hospital.

Nagato lay in bed after learning that Hiruzen Sarutobi had saved Hanzo, Yahiko, and Konan and that they were all safe.

Despite losing his eyesight, his emotions remained relatively stable.

As long as my companion is safe!

However, a desire for strength still ignited in his heart, along with a slightly complicated inner turmoil.

I'm too weak!

His parents died in the war against Konoha, but he and his best friend were saved by the Hokage?

It's like an inexplicable, elusive cycle that leaves one feeling suffocated.

"Sigh—" Nagato sighed, still feeling uncomfortable in the darkness.

Who would want to become blind?

And at this moment.

Mito slowly knocked on the door, sat down in the chair next to Nagato, and said with a smile, "I am Uzumaki Mito—"

When Mito entered, Nagato immediately sensed a familiar chakra.

For the Uzumaki clan, although not everyone can awaken Kagura's Mind's Eye, their perception abilities are very strong, making it their second pair of eyes.

"Hello, I am Nagato."

"

Nagato quickly sat up.

"Just lie down and relax. I just came to chat with you for a bit—"

"Every time I know there are still members of my clan, I feel very gratified," Mito said kindly as she sat down in the chair next to Nagato's sickbed.

With that vibrant red hair and the reaction of chakra, the connection to bloodline is self-evident.

"?" Upon closer inspection, Mito sensed the unique aura of the Senju clan once again.

Although the Uzumaki and Senju clans are close relatives, they have developed their own lineages over several hundred years after splitting into different branches, and thus have some differences.

"child--"

"I might be your family—"

Mito slowly began, "What are your family members' names? Are there any with red hair?"

"My mother is... her name is Fusang—" Nagato's mood noticeably sombered at the mention of his gentle mother, his heart restless.

"Fuso?"

Mito's heart skipped a beat: "Do you still remember your grandmother's name?"

Nagato pondered for a moment: "It's called Uzumaki Hana, but I've only heard of it occasionally from my mother."

Now it was Mito's turn to fall silent.

After a moment, Mito slowly said, "Uzumaki Hana is my younger sister's daughter, and also your grandmother—"

Nagato was startled!

"Based on the Thousand Hands bloodline in your body, I roughly know your background."

39

Mito sighed, "Your grandfather's name was Senju Yo. He was one of the members of the Uzumaki and Senju clans who intermarried. Because he disliked the way the clan leader Senju Butsuma acted, he married into the Uzumaki clan."

"Your mother is their daughter—"

"In other words, I am your great-aunt—"

In large clans like the Uzumaki and Senju, it's easy to claim kinship with each other.

This is perfectly normal.

But against the backdrop of the dwindling numbers of the Uzumaki clan, a sense of kinship, rarely seen before, has emerged—

"This—" Nagato didn't know what to say for a moment.

During the time Hanzo was training the Amegakure ninjas, Nagato also attended many classes and naturally knew Mito, a figure who was like a pillar of strength in Konoha.

A powerful figure from the Warring States period, the first widow, and the Uzumaki Princess!

But Nagato never expected that he and she would have such a direct kinship.

He had no doubt that Mito Uzumaki would lie to him.

Who is this person?

How could a blind, crippled man like him deserve such treatment?

"you--"

"Sigh!" Nagato's heart clenched. Did this mean that his parents and the Konoha ninjas were actually killed by mistake among comrades?

We're all family!

"Nagato, if something's on your mind, just say it—"

Mito looked directly into Nagato's dark eye sockets and said softly, "If you keep something on your mind, it will fester and crush you. I'll try to find a way to help you."

"You are my great-grandnephew."

Nagato's hands trembled slightly: "Great-grandmother, my mother and father died in the war, killed by mistaken Konoha ninja—"

"but--"

"But don't misunderstand, I already understand that this is all the fault of those damned Iwagakure and Sunagakure. They deliberately escalated the battlefield, and it has nothing to do with Konoha."

"I only knew that my family had such a connection with Konoha, but unfortunately—"

Nagato shed tears of sorrow.

Why does this damned ninja world have to be so twisted and cruel?

Fate seems to have a particular fondness for playing tricks on people, as it is common for relatives and friends to kill each other on this land!

Mito also sighed, his expression somber.

"I must apologize to you for this, Nagato."

"Ultimately, the Uzumaki clan should have joined Konoha, but because my father, Uzumaki Ashina, who was also the clan head at the time and your great-great-grandfather, was obsessed with researching forbidden techniques—"

"After failing to reach a consensus with Hashirama and Tobirama, they eventually established their own independent country and village."

"After that, I settled in Konoha, and no one could control my stubborn old man, my father."

"His technique greatly displeased many members of the Uzumaki clan. Because it required children to be used as a match, a small number of clansmen left Uzumaki Village, several years before the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed—"

"Judging from your age, your mother is probably one of them."

"If I hadn't failed to stop my father, all the Uzumaki clan members would have been born in the Land of Fire, in Konoha, enjoying the village's protection—"

Mito's tone carried a hint of sorrow.

The "Ten Thousand Seals of the Body" is like the Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan, representing a bloody chapter in the history of the Uzumaki clan.

During the Warring States period, everyone was like a madman, with no limits to their pursuit of power.

As long as one can become a top-tier fighter, sacrificing the lives of some members of the clan is a sure-fire win in the clan leader's eyes.

"It's not your fault—"

Nagato remained silent, sensing Mito's helplessness from her tone.

He also understood that once a daughter is married, she is like water spilled from a cup; how could she possibly go back and interfere in Wochao Village?

Even if Mito's husband was Hashirama Senju, it wouldn't matter.

"I just—"

"I just felt your chakra and it reminded me of my family, my mother—" Nagato also confirmed that he and Mito were related by blood.

At this distance, even though Nagato hadn't trained in any specific skills, he could still sense a resemblance between Mito and his mother Fusō through his bloodline talent.

"I miss my mother, great-grandmother—" Nagato sobbed silently, the mention of his mother and the darkness before him making him even more sorrowful.

Thinking of this, Nagato suddenly searched for something, but his face was filled with panic because he had no eyes.

"Have you seen one of my bottles?"

"Is it that?" Mito said softly, "A strand of red hair?"

On the bedside table of Nagato's bed was a small hardened glass jar containing a lock of his mother Fusang's hair, which he had kept in his pocket as a talisman for many years.

Nagato exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling a sense of relief.

Mito sensed the turbulent emotions in Nagato's heart and narrowed his eyes.

Nine-Tails also spoke up at this moment: "This brat has talent, but his emotions are unstable, and malice surges out from time to time—"

"If we want to use him, we have to get rid of his inner conflicts."

Mito nodded.

Since giving Uzumaki Shio the Nine-Tails' chakra, and with Hiruzen Sarutobi's permission, the Nine-Tails can now travel outside in the form of a small fox, using artificial shadow clones, with Mito's help.

However, it cannot move freely on a large scale yet; Mito needs to take it for walks so that the Konoha ninjas can gradually accept it.

Otherwise, being easily startled can easily lead to problems.

But this historic breakthrough has also led Kurama, who has read several books, to now consider himself Konoha's strategist!

Participating in the construction of the village was a novel and interesting experience for the fox.

"I have a plan; follow my instructions and there won't be any problems!"

Nine-Tailed Fox crossed its arms with its two paws and said casually.

"Oh, you have a plan too?" Mito said, comforting Nagato.

"Isn't there his mother's hair? Take a strand, then go to Konoha Prison and find an enemy spy or some other death row inmate, and resurrect him using Edo Tensei."

"Why don't the mother and son just meet and talk it out? Wouldn't that resolve their conflict?"

"Now that Konoha is doing so well, and you have such a high status and are this kid's relative, a mother naturally wants her child to have a good life. Wouldn't one word of advice from her be more effective than ten from you?"

Nine-Tailed Fox said casually, "Beasts don't have very high moral standards, but they still work."

"If you're worried about that woman saying anything inappropriate, the Impure World Reincarnation technique should be able to control it, right?"

"That's not necessary—" Mito decisively rejected the idea of ​​control. Wouldn't that be no different from Tobirama?

But Mito was also tempted.

She had done favors for the Nagato branch of the family.

If I hadn't intervened and saved them, Nagato's grandmother and grandfather would both have died at the hands of the Kaguya clan.

Nagato's mother should also know about this—

Therefore, it is entirely possible to reach a reconciliation by sitting down and having a proper talk.

The ninja world is such a strange place—

The Uchiha and Senju fought for an unknown amount of time, but in the end they were able to shake hands and make peace.

Sarutobi and Shimura were once very hostile to each other, but Hiruzen and Danzo were a good team.

"Nagato, could you lend me a strand of your hair?"

Mito said softly.

Nagato nodded, but he didn't think too much about it, assuming that Mito was simply reminiscing about someone because of the object.

Mito got up and slowly left.

Nagato was left standing there, stunned.

What does this mean?

About two hours later, Mito returned to the ward.

This time, however, she wasn't alone; Nagato's mother, Fusō, was also with her!

"Son!" Fusang quickly walked to Nagato's side and hugged him tightly.

"Mom!" Nagato exclaimed in surprise, hugging Fusang tightly, tears streaming down her face.

He didn't have time to think about how he did it—

Lord Mito and the village of Konoha are truly incredibly powerful!

Mito watched this scene silently and shook her head.

She never imagined that she would one day have to use the forbidden technique created by Tobirama on her own initiative—

Or perhaps it's the most malevolent form of Edo Tensei—

"It's a great technique, but it's a pity it was invented by Tobirama—" Mito said sincerely upon seeing the incredibly excited state of Nagato and his mother.

PS:

I'll only post 6,000 words today. I need to adjust my schedule, dear readers. My writing rhythm was disrupted by a business trip the other day, and I've been staying up late a bit lately again.

I've finished all the work I needed to do. Time for a good night's sleep and I'll get back to work tomorrow!