Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

After nearly half a month in a coma, Madara Uchiha, whose body had completely repaired itself, slowly awoke. His eyes were drawn to the gray-brown rock walls, with a flickering oil lamp hanging on them. In the swaying light of the large lamp, his scattered consciousness gradually returned to his body.

"An unfamiliar ceiling."

Not only was the primitive-style ceiling overhead, but everything around him felt unfamiliar to Madara Uchiha. The fresh, earthy smell told him that he was underground.

He glanced down at the plain hospital gown he was wearing and the stark white sheets and blankets beneath him, and his brow furrowed slightly.

This place, which resembles a dungeon, is definitely not Konoha.

Could it be that I, like that hot mom from Hasi, have been captured by that strange man?

As soon as this thought arose, Madara Uchiha subconsciously refined the chakra within his body, which resulted in him breathing a slight sigh of relief.

There was no confinement within his body as he had imagined; chakra flowed freely through his meridians, and the scars from the black rods piercing his body had vanished without a trace.

"Where exactly is this place?"

Madara Uchiha's doubts only grew stronger; where exactly was he?

If I were really captured, then the enemy would be incredibly arrogant, completely disregarding me.

Growing increasingly angry, Madara Uchiha got out of bed, but stumbled after only a few steps.

"How long have I been lying there?"

The unfamiliar feeling in his legs made him feel somewhat lost. Could it be that he had been unconscious for a long time?

"Tick-tock~ Tick-tock~"

Just as he was pondering, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. Madara Uchiha's eyes narrowed, and he quickly turned around and returned to the bed, pretending to still be unconscious.

Unsure of his current situation, he decided to remain still and see who was keeping him locked up in this cold and damp place.

"Crunch~"

As the door opened, a muscular, dark figure entered carrying a stack of clothes. Madara Uchiha cautiously opened a sliver of his eye, and in the dim firelight, a familiar face came into view.

Hot Mom in Harbin!

Madara Uchiha nearly jumped up, but he suppressed his excitement and chose to continue observing.

"Phew~"

The next second, Madara Uchiha felt the blanket being suddenly pulled off, startling him. Fortunately, the other person's attention wasn't on him, so he wasn't exposed.

"The human body is such a hassle."

The familiar voice of Hashirama Senju rang in his ears, but the tone felt utterly unfamiliar.

She's not a hot mom from Harbin!

With just one sentence, Madara Uchiha saw through Hashirama Senju's true identity: a fake in the guise of his best friend.

Upon realizing that the other party was a clone of Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha decided not to continue pretending. He secretly clenched his fist, preparing to finish off this despicable imposter with one blow.

"what?"

Just as he was about to make a move, the clone standing beside him suddenly exclaimed in surprise, which made Madara Uchiha's heart tighten.

Have I been exposed?

Black Zetsu looked at the clean and tidy sheets beneath Madara Uchiha with a puzzled expression, blinking slightly in surprise.

I haven't pooped. Could it be constipation?

"That won't do!"

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Madara Uchiha's belt.

You can't skip bowel movements!

This action startled Madara Uchiha, who was pretending to be unconscious. What was this clone trying to do?

Did she lose her chastity, which she had guarded for so many years, while she was unconscious?

For a moment, Madara Uchiha was in a state of utter confusion, but the slowly descending pants forcibly pulled him back to reality. If he didn't act soon, his anus might be in danger.

"Pervert, prepare to die!"

Ignoring the other's practiced movements, he kicked the offending clone in the chest, his crimson eyes widening, a cold and sinister power instantly emanating from them.

"ha?"

Black Zetsu, who hadn't even pulled his pants down yet, was startled by this sudden turn of events. When did this reincarnation of Indra wake up?

"Thump!"

Madara Uchiha, having fused with Hashirama Senju's power, unleashed a powerful kick in his rage. Black Zetsu felt a sharp pain in his chest and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into a solid wall.

"puff"

He vomited a mouthful of blood mixed with his internal organs. Black Zetsu's sternum was, unsurprisingly, shattered. Fortunately, the broken bones hadn't pierced any internal organs, and his life was temporarily out of danger.

"You damned bastard, what did you do to me while I was unconscious?"

Madara Uchiha, clutching his belt tightly, walked up to Black Zetsu, glaring at his pale face, and gritted his teeth as he questioned him.

"Cough cough cough, you're welcome."

If it weren't for your third uncle taking care of you through thick and thin, you would have been a complete stinker by now.

"Thank you, lemon!"

Seeing that the clone was still being stubborn, Madara Uchiha, enraged, kicked him a few more times until his pale face was turned into a pig's head before he felt a little better.

Tell me, where is this place, and how many of you are there?

The reason Madara Uchiha didn't kill the clone in front of him outright was to gather intelligence; otherwise, the fact that the clone had pulled down his pants would have been enough to kill him eight times over.

"Mmm...mmm...wo...wo...xi...hao...yin."

Feeling utterly wronged, Black Zetsu struggled to open his mouth, which was swollen like a sausage, and tried to defend himself in a muffled voice.

"Oh~ you're still pretty stubborn, which is somewhat similar to that of the hot mom from Haxi."

The feeble explanation did not earn Madara Uchiha's forgiveness; instead, it resulted in a brutal beating.

"Snapped!"

"Will you tell me or not!"

"nest"

"Bang!"

"I'm giving you one last chance!"

"mud"

"Bang!"

"Wosu! Wosu!"

After being subjected to indiscriminate torture, Black Zetsu, clutching his head, could only tearfully raise the white flag.

"Huh? You confessed already?"

Madara Uchiha smacked his lips, seemingly unsatisfied, and reluctantly lowered his fist.

He pulled over a brand-new wooden chair, crossed his arms, and looked down at the bruised and battered clone.

For some reason, seeing the clone bearing the face of Hashirama Senju kneeling tremblingly before him filled him with a rare sense of pleasure, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Speak up, or you'll get your delicious juice."

"This is the mountain tomb of the Iron Country."

Black Zetsu looked at Madara Uchiha with lingering fear and cautiously revealed their current location.

The Land of Iron?

Why did we come back after going around in circles?

Madara Uchiha frowned slightly. Could it be that the clones' hideout is in the Land of Iron?

"How many accomplices do you have?"

"I'm all alone here."

Black Zetsu answered truthfully, only to notice Madara Uchiha's expression darken, and quickly added,

"Did I rescue you from the battlefield?"

Madara Uchiha, who initially thought the clone before him was up to some trick, was utterly dumbfounded upon hearing Black Zetsu's words.

"You? Save me?"

Madara Uchiha looked Black Zetsu up and down, his eyes filled with suspicion.

Those clones would rather die than help him, so how could they possibly be kind enough to save him?

"Really, believe me, I'm different from them."

Seeing that Madara Uchiha not only didn't immediately bow down to thank him for saving his life, but instead looked at him with suspicion, Black Zetsu was instantly enraged.

So all the beating I just took was for nothing?

"Hey! Don't try to fool me! Produce me of all information about your organization right now!"

The inherently suspicious Madara Uchiha would not easily believe Black Zetsu's one-sided story. He immediately hardened his expression and glared menacingly with his crimson Sharingan.

Organizational intelligence?

Black Zetsu felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. This question was far too difficult; it would have been better to test him on secrets about Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.

and many more!

A bold idea formed in Black Zetsu's mind. His expression hardened, his gaze shifted from timid to bright and piercing, and his previous furtive, dog-like demeanor vanished. He spoke with a firm and powerful voice.

"To be honest, I awakened my original memories during the previous battle, which allowed me to break free from the shackles that man had placed upon me."

"ha?"

Madara Uchiha, who had originally intended to use his Sharingan to torture his opponent, was stunned by the answer. It was so absurd that he couldn't accept it for a moment.

This clone became a smaller version of Hasi Hot Mom?

"You say you've awakened the memories of Haxi Hot Mom, so let me ask you, what's Haxi Hot Mom's favorite food?"

"Ramen."

Because he was obsessed with dice, Hashirama Senju only dared to go to cheap and filling ramen restaurants when he ate out.

What are the hobbies of this hot mom from Harbin?

"Let's bet a couple of times~"

"What color are the hot moms in Harbin's underwear?"

"green."

"Which hand does the hot mom from Harbin use to hold onto the toilet?"

"Without using your hands!"

"hiss"

After a rapid-fire question and answer session, Madara Uchiha, looking at the clone who answered fluently, couldn't help but gasp.

Many of the questions he just asked were secrets known only to him and Hashirama Senju, and could not be answered without their personal presence.

Even if Hashirama Senju's information were leaked, the enemy would not be able to record such trivial details as which hand he used to hold the toilet.

"Now you should believe me, right?"

Seeing Madara Uchiha's shocked expression, Black Zetsu knew he had made the right bet.

As a professional mastermind, Black Zetsu has maxed out his skill in spying.

From the time of Indra onwards, he kept a close watch on each reincarnation, recording their every word and deed day and night.

This generation is no exception. Even now, if Madara Uchiha asks him which foot Hashirama Senju steps out with first when he goes out, he can answer clearly.

If that's the case, then isn't he...?

Madara Uchiha's expression was complex. The clone before him, who had awakened the original's memories, was, in a sense, another real-life Hasi Hot Mom.

"Feel sorry."

Reflecting on his actions, Madara Uchiha felt a pang of guilt.

"It's alright, it's alright as long as the misunderstanding is cleared up, otherwise all the beating I took would have been for nothing."

Having successfully fooled Madara Uchiha, Black Zetsu breathed a sigh of relief, touched his lips which were beginning to subside, and waved his hand magnanimously.

"Although I have awakened the memories of my original self, I also have my own will. You can call me Erzhuzi."

To avoid arousing unnecessary suspicion with his abrupt actions, Black Zetsu preemptively revealed his secret, portraying himself as a clone with Hashirama Senju's memories, rather than an embodiment of Hashirama Senju's own will.

"Um?"

As expected, upon hearing Black Zetsu's explanation, Madara Uchiha frowned imperceptibly.

No wonder the tone and demeanor of this clone were so different from that of his dear friend in his memory. It turned out that while the clone was awakening the memories of Hashirama Senju, it did not lose the self-will that it had had since birth.

"So, you must have information about that man, right?"

Since he is a clone with his own will, it means that he possesses Jigen's secret information.

"I have no idea."

Black Zetsu gently shook his head, which made Madara Uchiha's already furrowed brows furrow even more, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes.

"Before I awakened my original memories, my consciousness was controlled by that man. I couldn't control myself and could only be manipulated by him."

Before extinguishing Number Six's soul flame, Black Zetsu had read through the other's memories and found only a blank space.

This body, which has not absorbed the chakra of any tailed beast, has no self-awareness whatsoever; its only driving force is the command given by Jigen.

"Without the help of my original memories that awakened when I was on the verge of death, I might still be doing evil like the other clones."

"Thank you so much."

Black Zetsu's nonsensical ramblings only convinced Madara Uchiha more, and the doubt in his eyes gradually melted away.

"I should thank you too."

Madara Uchiha touched his pierced chest, his tone softening unconsciously. He was now completely convinced that the clone before him was one of his own who had betrayed him.

"He made me do it."

Pointing to his head with a serious expression, Black Zetsu replied in a solemn tone,

"Come back to Konoha with me, and I'll guarantee your safety."

Looking around, Madara Uchiha's gaze settled on Black Zetsu's face. Since this clone had betrayed that man to save him, he deserved Madara's protection.

Black Zetsu shook his head.

"Are you trying to harm everyone?"

"What do you mean?"

He hadn't expected Black Zetsu to refuse so decisively, and his words left him momentarily confused.

Konoha is his stronghold, with a powerful army and the full support of the villagers. Going back would be entirely beneficial.

"Have you forgotten that man's power?"

"this"

It wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't mentioned it, but Madara Uchiha instantly recalled Jigen's terrifying methods. He, who already possessed the power to instantly kill Another Riders, was easily subdued by his opponent in just a few rounds.

"Many hands make light work."

"That kind of gap in strength can no longer be bridged by numbers."

Faced with overwhelming power, the human wave tactic appears so pale.

"But I can't just not go back, can I?"

Madara Uchiha felt a mix of emotions as he thought about his short tenure as Hokage. Was he destined to become the Hokage with the shortest term?

"That's right, not only can we not go back, but we should also cut off all contact as soon as possible."

Black Zetsu went to great lengths to bring Madara Uchiha under his control.

"You have become that man's target. Going back now will only harm your friends and family in Konoha."

"Then what should I do, Erzhuzi?"

"To save everyone (Mother), please become stronger!" (End of Chapter)