"Sensei, something big has happened! Something huge!"
Although Kyoichi had returned to the Land of Fire, he rarely stayed in Konoha these days. If anyone wanted to find him, they usually had to go through Minato Namikaze or use the ANBU's Flying Thunder God network.
Under normal circumstances, a message would've been enough—but this time was different.
Shisui felt he had to come in person.
"Shisui, you've been an ANBU squad leader for quite a while now. Why are you still this flustered?"
Kyoichi said calmly. "Whatever it is, say it slowly. The shinobi world hasn't reached the point where our village is about to be wiped out."
Kyoichi was reclining in a lounge chair, the woven vines beneath it moving on their own, gently rocking him back and forth. He looked utterly at ease.
Shisui took a deep breath.
"Madara's body just showed signs of life!"
"Oh. Then it seems Madara has been resurrected."
"Yes. Captain Mukai and I came to the same conclusion. Madara likely had another body. That body has revived—and it's very close to Konoha."
"Have you pinpointed his location?"
"We have a rough area."
As he spoke, Shisui took out the latest map of Konoha, clearly marked with the surrounding terrain. He circled a spot.
It was exactly where Madara had last used Earth Release.
"No need to panic," Kyoichi said. "Madara in his current state isn't strong. Now that we know where he is, you and Mukai alone could probably kill him again. Still… it wouldn't hurt to go take a look."
He stood up and vanished with Shisui in a flicker of movement.
In truth…
Although Kyoichi was some distance from Konoha, he was far from ignorant of what was happening. When Madara drew near, the clone stationed by the artificial God Tree had already sent him a signal.
More importantly…
Kyoichi was certain that Madara himself knew Konoha had discovered his position. This was probably a deliberate move—to trap Black Zetsu.
Which raised the question—
How did Madara plan to play this?
Kyoichi was curious. Even though he knew there was no real danger this time, he still brought Shisui along to watch the show.
---
Madara's Location
Madara hadn't stayed in one place. Instead, he was moving within a limited area, observing Konoha from different angles. At the moment, he had come to the Uchiha district—
Partly out of curiosity, partly to stall for time.
If he just stood around waiting, Black Zetsu would've noticed something was wrong and fled—unless it was an absolute idiot.
"Who are those two?"
"That's Itachi—the one you favored back then. The other is his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke."
"Good seedlings."
Madara narrowed his eyes, a hint of puzzlement crossing his mind.
There was something about Uchiha Sasuke that felt… off.
"Yes. It was a shame we couldn't capture Itachi back then. If we'd dragged things out, we might've produced another Mangekyō."
"It doesn't matter anymore."
"True. We can just take the younger one. The result will be the same. Their father was killed—Itachi and Sasuke must have resentment in their hearts."
Black Zetsu chuckled darkly.
Madara neither agreed nor disagreed.
"It's a pity we can't get any closer," he sighed softly.
"I'd like to see how these incompetent descendants have managed the clan—whether they're capable of stirring even a bit of my interest."
That sigh came from the heart.
Black Zetsu pondered how to steer Madara back toward the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan.
"There's something I've always been curious about," Madara said suddenly.
"Both the Uchiha and Senju are descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. Their union produces Yin–Yang Release. So how did the Sage himself originally cultivate his power?"
"…I don't know," Black Zetsu replied after a brief hesitation, deciding to feign ignorance.
"And why did the Sage of Six Paths create the moon in the first place?"
"According to your previous deductions, the moon was created through the Rinnegan. It's clearly an extension of its power. Though from what I've heard… something unusual has happened on the moon."
"Oh?"
Madara raised an eyebrow, then smiled faintly.
Black Zetsu was still trying to guide him.
During his time in the underworld, Madara hadn't met anyone—but through calm, meticulous thought, he had pieced many things together.
Kyoichi had been right.
Something was definitely sealed within the moon. The Infinite Tsukuyomi wasn't merely about trapping people in an endless dream. That was just a side effect. Its true function was—
Absorption of power.
Only by amassing enough power could that existence break free. Otherwise, even creating the Ten-Tails wouldn't be enough to bring Ōtsutsuki Kaguya back.
Once Madara realized this, he finally understood why Black Zetsu had gone to such lengths to insert those particular records.
The Ten-Tails led to Six Paths power, and combined with the Rinnegan, one could become a second Sage of Six Paths—but that power would benefit only Madara himself.
"So why are you smiling?" Black Zetsu asked warily.
"Did you know?" Madara replied calmly.
"Ever since I died, I've been thinking about one question. I believe I've figured it out—now I just need one thing to confirm it."
"What did you figure out?"
A sense of unease crept into Black Zetsu's mind.
Madara only smiled.
"Take a guess."
Two voices spoke at once.
Black Zetsu panicked and tried to flee, but before it could escape Madara's body, Kyoichi appeared and casually tossed something to Madara—
An eye.
Madara swiftly set it into place.
In the next instant, Kyoichi brought him onto the Chibaku Sphere.
There, Kyoichi activated the seal within the celestial body. Black Zetsu struggled frantically to escape, but a massive vortex formed at the star's core, dragging it violently inward.
"This is the seal you created after absorbing the Ten-Tails' chakra?" Madara asked.
"Yes," Kyoichi nodded.
"But to avoid any control mechanisms it might have had, I didn't use the Gedo Statue directly. Combined with some ability limitations, the sealing effect was always a bit lacking."
Madara laughed.
"Kanda Kyoichi, no matter how strong or talented you are, some things are unavoidable—this was never truly yours."
The eye Madara had installed had now merged perfectly with his body.
"Madara—why?!" Black Zetsu roared in fury.
It couldn't understand it. It saw no flaw in itself—yet Madara trusted an outsider instead.
"Why would you think," Madara said coldly,
"that you could deceive Uchiha Madara for an entire lifetime?"
His Rinnegan flared.
In an instant—
The black sphere at the Chibaku Sphere's core swelled, its gravitational pull multiplying severalfold. Black Zetsu was dragged straight into the center, while the remaining White Zetsu were instantly shredded.
Watching from the side, Kyoichi felt a surge of exasperation.
Madara really had the nerve to say that.
If I hadn't shown up, you'd have been fooled to death, wouldn't you?!
But of course—
Madara would never admit that.
At this moment, he was brimming with what he called "wisdom."
"Your mix of truths and lies was clever," Madara continued.
"But lies always have cracks. Yours was your crude explanation of the moon."
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi is such a ridiculous plan that only I would've entertained it. How could someone like the Sage of Six Paths go out of his way to create the moon just for that?"
"…!"
Black Zetsu seethed.
It understood perfectly—this wasn't something Madara had figured out on his own. Someone had exposed the key flaw.
Kanda Kyoichi.
How could such a monster exist?
"This time," Madara said calmly,
"we'll make it more secure. We won't let it escape again."
"Put in the other eye," Kyoichi replied. "Let's do it together."
"Exactly what I was thinking."
One eye each.
Once enemies, now working in perfect sync—solely to seal Black Zetsu.
Even Black Zetsu found the situation surreal.
The most absurd part was—
Madara had been the one to revive it.
"Madara, you've been deceived! You'll regret this! Only I—only I can help you!"
"Heh. I've lost interest."
Madara sneered and clasped hands with Kyoichi.
Even without the Ten-Tails' power, the Chibaku Sphere was still stable. There was only a single breach—and sealing that didn't require the Ten-Tails at all.
What they had on hand was more than enough.