Konoha: Sage Body

"Where is he!

Yagura saw the black-robed man disappear into thin air, and his hair stood on end.

Not only him, but many others around him who saw the black-robed man from Kirigakure react in the same way.

In full view of everyone, this black-robed man actually disappeared into thin air without them noticing, and it was self-evident what this meant.

If the black-robed man they just saw was not an illusion, then it can only mean that this black-robed man is of extraordinary strength.

"Pass the order down, let them all see if anyone is missing or if there is anything unusual about their bodies."

Yagura suppressed the fear in his heart and quickly passed the order down.

Then, he began to close his eyes and use his own method to comb through his body, examining it carefully.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times he carefully examined his body, or how many times he asked the sensory ninja Seiren next to him to do the same, he still found nothing.

"Seiren, do you really think that the black-robed man hasn't done anything to us?"

Yagura couldn't find anything unusual, and his heart grew increasingly anxious. He couldn't help but ask Seiren, who also had a very difficult expression on his face.

Seiren was speechless when he heard Yagura's words.

How could it be that nothing had been done? He didn't believe that such an unpredictable black-robed person would just happen to appear here and do nothing.

He was certain that the black-robed person must have left something behind on them, but either their level of detection was too low, or the other party's methods were too high-level for them to notice.

"Could it be that this black-robed person was sent by Kumogakure? But that doesn't seem to be the style of Kumogakure. If they had such a powerful ninja, they would have gathered a group of people and come over to fight us."

Yagura saw Seiren's expression of rolling his eyes, and naturally knew that they must have been caught. He sighed.

His purpose in coming here this time was not just to lead a group of Kiri-nin to assist Amegakure in defeating Kumogakure. His main purpose was to bring back as many as possible of the more than 1,000 Kiri-nin, which was a direct order from the Sandaime Mizukage.

Most of the Kiri-nin who came here were anti-Blood Mist faction ninjas, and they were all good at what they did. Therefore, these ninjas could be said to be the main force of the anti-Blood Mist faction. Once they were lost here, the anti-Blood Mist faction's status in Kirigakure would definitely plummet in the future.

Of course, the anti-Blood Mist ninja who contributed the most this time, led by the Sandaime Mizukage and the rest of the anti-Blood Mist forces, can get a large share of the reward given by Amegakure this time, and once they successfully help Amegakure defeat Kirigakure, the anti-Blood Mist faction's status in Kirigakure will definitely be greatly enhanced.

This is a gamble, or a high-stakes gamble.

As he thought about what the Sandaime Mizukage had told him before leaving, Yagura suddenly had the thought of withdrawing.

Something evil has happened on this trip. As the person in charge here, he must remain calm.

However, the war between Amegakure and Kumogakure is at a critical juncture. If they suddenly withdraw from the war, it will definitely pit Amegakure against Kumogakure, and it will likely seriously damage Kirigakure's reputation.

It's bad form to take the money and not do the job.

If this kind of thing were to be exposed, it would be difficult for Kirigakure to take orders from the civilian sector in the future.

"Ao, what do you think will happen if we withdraw from the war between Amegakure and Kumogakure now?"

Yagura asked in a low voice.

"We have already received the money, if we withdraw now, we will never be able to hold our heads up in the village in the future."

Ao said even more speechlessly on hearing this.

He knew Yagura better, and he knew that he was a cunning person. Although he seemed harmless, he was actually very cunning in what he did. Therefore, he thinks more and acts more maturely.

He knew what Yagura was worried about now, except that the rule of ninjas taking money to do things was not something that could be broken.

Their departure had led to Amegakure being defeated by Kumogakure, and Amegakure would never let Kirigakure off the hook. They would definitely publicize the scandal of Kirigakure taking money and not doing anything in the ninja world.

As for the fact that they have not yet publicly stated that they are intervening in the war between Amegakure and Kumogakure, they can avoid public criticism, but that is just self-comforting. Kumogakure has definitely discovered that they, Kirigakure, are interfering in this matter.

Therefore, their withdrawal now is tantamount to abandoning their mission.

"This is really bad."

Yagura's head ached as he heard Ao say this.

He wanted to become the Fourth Mizukage in the future, but if he really thought that he would never be able to hold his head up in the village again after this, then what was the point of becoming the Fourth Mizukage?

...

Meanwhile, as Yagura was torn between whether or not to withdraw from this battle between Amegakure and Kumogakure, in the shadows not far from Yagura, the man in the black robe was looking at this Kiri-nin with a playful expression.

The black-robed man's ability to hide was indeed formidable. More than a thousand Kirigakure were like blind men, not even thinking that the black-robed man was hiding right under their noses, except that no one could find him.

"Hehehe, Lord Madara is awesome. A little trick and these Kiri-nin are already afraid to move."

The next moment, a black thing with eyes and a mouth came out of the black-robed man's right sleeve and giggled.

The black thing was none other than Black Zetsu, and the black-robed man was none other than Uchiha Madara.

Now that the tides of the ninja world were changing, the two could no longer resist secretly intervening to steer the situation in the direction they wanted to see it go.

They could no longer change the situation in Sunagakure, and now they had set their sights on the Land of Rain.

A prosperous and stable Land of Rain is not what they want to see, and they don't want Amegakure to become too powerful either. They plan to create an environment suitable for the growth of the Rinnegan container through this war between Amegakure and Kumogakure.

"That kid namedYagura is no ordinary person. He actually has the aura of a three-tailed beast within him. Although he doesn't have a three-tailed beast within him, he has probably used some method to obtain a considerable amount of chakra from a three-tailed beast and has successfully taken this chakra for his own."

Uchiha Madara stared at the oblivious Yagura and said indifferently:

"Really? I didn't think this baby-faced kid was quite so capable. No wonder he has far more chakra than an average Kage-Level powerhouse. He actually managed to quietly take the three-tailed chakra for himself and succeed."

Black Zetsu was surprised to hear Uchiha Madara's words and couldn't help but take a few more looks at Yagura.

But that was about it. He didn't really care about this Kiri-nin too much, because no matter how special the other party was, he was now a pawn in Uchiha Madara's hands. As long as Uchiha Madara was willing, he could take his life at any time.

It knows Uchiha Madara's strength only too well. Currently, no ninja in the ninja world would be his match. Even though he does not have the Rinnegan and he is old, Uchiha Madara, who has successfully fused the Indra and Asura Chakras, is still the same ninja who can kill a Kage level ninja like killing a chicken.

For example, right now, this ninja named Yagura has unconsciously been sealed by Uchiha Madara using the Sharingan. The technique planted by Uchiha Madara is hidden in his eyes.

Not just Yagura, but many of the Kiri-nin here have been sealed by Uchiha Madara.

He is certain that once these Kiri-nin once again assist Amegakure against Kumogakure, something very interesting will definitely happen.

"Let's go. The dark hand here has been successfully planted. Show me my eye container,"

said Uchiha Madara, withdrawing his gaze and speaking with slight fatigue.

Using the transference seal on multiple people at once was a bit too much for him, an elderly man on the verge of death. Disconnecting from the Gedō Mazō, he deeply realized that his body was deteriorating rapidly.

Time had ultimately left too many marks on his body.

Although the Gedō Mazō had been keeping him alive with mysterious powers, once he was disconnected from it, his body would age rapidly.

Therefore, his time was very precious.

"Yes, Lord Madara."

As soon as Uchiha Madara finished speaking, a somewhat jumpy voice appeared, and its owner was the special White Zetsu A Fei that was wrapped around Uchiha Madara.

After saying this, A Fei used the Mayfly Technique to quickly shuttle Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu underground.

During the process, Uchiha Madara felt his body's rate of deterioration due to aging increase again, and sighed in his heart, "This won't do if it continues like this. I'm afraid this body of mine won't be able to support me in completing the plan. I must find a replacement who can inherit my will to help me continue to promote the Moon's Eye plan."

He had the intention of completing the Moon Eye Project on his own, without relying on others, but that would only add more variables. However, judging from the current situation, his body would not allow him to do so.

If he did not continue to stay asleep by the side of the Gedō Mazō, and if he used ninjutsu a few more times like he had just now, he might suddenly keel over halfway through.

The Mayfly Technique of the White Zetsu moves extremely fast.

In about a minute, A Fei appeared with Uchiha Madara in Amegakure, dozens of kilometers away.

Although Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan had already graduated under Jiraiya, it was quite a bit earlier than in the original plot. The reason for this was naturally the invasion of Kumogakure into Amegakure and Jiraiya being forcibly transferred back by Sandaime's order.

As a result, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, who still had some time before they turned 12, had to graduate early.

Even so, they were now all quite capable ninjas. Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, was already as strong as a jōnin, even though his Rinnegan had not yet fully awakened.

Influenced by Kirito's book "Will of Rain", the three contacted the people of Amegakure as soon as they graduated, and then joined Amegakure Village very smoothly. They were also recruited by Kirito into the Abyss Organization, a private military force he founded in Amegakure.

Kirito clearly understood the potential of the three and naturally had high hopes for them. In addition, he didn't want to provoke Uchiha Madara into causing him trouble, so he didn't use the three as cannon fodder, but instead kept them in the rear area to carry out logistical work.

No one found this strange.

After all, the three were just teenagers, and most Ame-Nin shinobi of their age were left behind to do logistical work. These children were the future of Amegakure, and the village leaders, including Hanzo, naturally wouldn't be so shortsighted as to send these precious seeds into battle so soon.

If Amegakure was unfortunately defeated and its village breached, the young shinobi like Yahiko would be secretly relocated at the first opportunity.

To admit defeat before a battle is fought is a basic quality of every good commander on the battlefield, not to mention that the senior management of Amegakure generally maintain a pessimistic attitude towards this war, so naturally they made decisions in advance about what to do after defeat.

Thanks to Amegakure's dense and effective underground drainage system, even though it is now surrounded by a large number of Kumogakure, Amegakure still has a way out.

A large amount of Amegakure's important supplies are now being secretly transferred out of Amegakure under the transport of the young ninja, such as Yahiko.

Yahiko is cheerful and sunny, with an optimistic and strong heart at all times, and is very concerned about his companions. Coupled with his outstanding strength among his peers, he soon became the leader of a group of young ninjas after joining Amegakure.

Yahiko was leading a team of 12 ninja through the intricate sewers at a fast pace, accompanied by a group of Amegakure civilians.

"Everyone, keep up the pace, we'll be at the exit soon,"

As the leader, Yahiko took the lead and walked at the front. Relying on his excellent memory, he did not get lost and was overjoyed when he found a mark he had secretly left along the way.

Hearing Yahiko say this, the faces of everyone else also revealed joy.

They had been walking in the dark and damp sewers for most of the night, and now they were both hungry and tired. If they didn't know that remaining in Amegakure would be even more dangerous than it was now, and time was of the essence, many of them would not want to continue walking.

After all, most of them were just ordinary people, not ninjas.

"Yahiko, everyone is very tired. We are not far from the exit now. Why don't we take a break to restore our physical strength and chakra, and then continue walking? In this way, even if an accident occurs ahead, we will be prepared."

At this time, Konan, who was by Yahiko's side, retrieved a paper angel that had been sent ahead to scout the road, and whispered in Yahiko's ear.

Yahiko had received orders to move the civilians out as soon as possible. There were now only two hours left until dawn, and he didn't want to waste any time.

Moreover, the chances of being discovered by the enemy during the day were much higher than at the moment.

So, he immediately wanted to object, but before he could speak, Nagato on his right said, "Yahiko, Konan is right. Those people don't have the same physical fitness as us. Letting them rest before they continue will make the march go faster."

When Yahiko heard both of his best friends say this, he turned his head to look at the civilians behind him and then realized that they were indeed very tired. He had no choice but to agree.

After he gave the order to stop and rest, he suddenly frowned and a strong sense of foreboding quietly arose in his heart.

Because he noticed that there seemed to be an extra person in the group that he was escorting. He had a good memory and excellent eyesight, and he could see clearly within a ten-meter radius, even in dimly lit environments. He didn't think he was mistaken.

Konan and Nagato were in complete tacit agreement with Yahiko, and the two of them immediately noticed that Yahiko was signaling to them that there was an enemy, and they immediately became alert.

However, when the three of them looked again at the civilian procession in secret, the number of people was just right, and there was not one person more.

Seeing this, the three of them not only did not feel relieved, but instead became more and more vigilant.

Yahiko discovered that there was an extra person in the civilian procession, and this was indeed true, because the extra person was Uchiha Madara, who was watching Yahiko and the others from afar.

Uchiha Madara's strength was far beyond that of Yahiko, and naturally he had already sensed that Yahiko had discovered him. He immediately hid his figure and said unexpectedly, "Interesting, this kid actually sensed me faster than my vessel."

He had actually deliberately revealed his whereabouts in order to see how far Nagato had mastered the Rinnegan, otherwise with his strength Yahiko would never have been able to discover him.

"Lord Madara, this kid is called Yahiko. He's just as naive as Jiraiya, and he's currently one of Nagato's most important people. You could say he's the sun in Nagato's heart."

Black Zetsu immediately introduced Yahiko after hearing Uchiha Madara's words.

"I can see it. This guy is very similar to a certain idiot I remember."

Uchiha Madara's mind suddenly flashed with the face of someone he both loved and hated, and a complex look flashed in his eyes before he looked at Yahiko a few more times.

Black Zetsu knew who Uchiha Madara was talking about, and he immediately realized that something was amiss. He hurriedly said, "Lord Madara, this kid is very important to Nagato. As long as you find the right opportunity and get rid of him in front of Nagato, Nagato will definitely become the person you want to see."

"Hmph, you don't need to tell me that,"

Uchiha Madara said coldly, then withdrew his gaze from Yahiko.

He was determined to carry out the Moon's Eye plan. Not to mention someone who looked like that idiot, even if that idiot appeared in front of him again and became his enemy, he would still kill him without hesitation.

He had had enough of this damned world, he must end it and then create a beautiful world.

"Lord Madara is right, I was out of line. What do we do now, do we continue to follow them?"

Black Zetsu saw that Uchiha Madara had not made a mistake and flattered him.

"No need, let's go,"

Uchiha Madara replied.

A Fei received Uchiha Madara's order and immediately prepared to use the Mayfly Technique to sneak underground again, but suddenly lost control of his body.

Facing this situation, A Fei did not panic, because his body was being controlled by the great Lord Madara in the air, and a great sense of happiness suddenly arose in his heart.

If Uchiha Madara hadn't controlled him, he would have been so happy that he would have started screaming and saying all kinds of poop-related things.

Black Zetsu also noticed that Uchiha Madara was controlling A Fei, and his heart suddenly grew quiet with alarm.

He knew that if Uchiha Madara suddenly made such a move, it was nine out of ten that their whereabouts had been exposed.

"This is really interesting."

Uchiha Madara manipulated A Fei's body and walked in a certain direction, his face gradually revealing an excited expression.

His Sharingan sensed an indifferent gaze staring at him from ahead.

After a while, Uchiha Madara walked to an outlet and used it to exit the sewers of Amegakure.

What appeared in his eyes then was a large lake several kilometers away in the east of Amegakure. Standing on the water's surface, he said, "Come out, I know you're here."

As soon as he finished speaking, a masked man in samurai armor slowly descended from the sky and looked down at Uchiha Madara condescendingly.