"Is that so?"
Uchiha Madara narrowed his eyes, his voice low with interest. "Sarutobi Hiruzen recommended him to Tsunade? The granddaughter of Hashirama, the gambling addict?"
He tapped his armrest thoughtfully. "That little monkey always hated the Uchiha. Why the sudden change? Unless... is this boy like Uchiha Kagami?"
Black Zetsu shook his head. "Not even close. Ren Takashi may be different from most Uchiha, but he's no idealistic fool like Kagami. He's cunning—borderline ruthless."
He paused before adding, "Besides, it looks like Sarutobi Hiruzen has become his enemy now, along with Uzumaki Mito. Konoha is split into two camps because of this boy."
"Ha!" Madara laughed, the sound echoing off the stone walls of his underground lair. "So the cunning monkey finally miscalculated? How delightful."
He leaned forward. "Senju has already collapsed, thanks to that fool and Danzo. And now this brat from Uchiha throws everything into disarray. Even if they're all traitors, the Uchiha always produces monsters when it matters."
A moment of silence passed. Then Madara asked, "Tell me about his family. Any siblings?"
Black Zetsu nodded. "His father is Uchiha Nobuhiko, the current clan head. His mother is Uchiha Kokomi. He has an older brother, Uchiha Fugaku—eight years his senior. Fugaku has already awakened his Double Tomoe Sharingan. Quite a prodigy himself."
Madara raised an eyebrow. "The son of Nobuhiko, then? Interesting. And what about Ren—has he awakened his Sharingan?"
"No confirmation yet," Black Zetsu replied. "He's never used it publicly. Given his age—just five—it's likely he hasn't activated it."
Madara nodded thoughtfully. "Good. Awakening the Sharingan too early often leads to chakra imbalance and shortens the user's life. True prodigies burn out young."
"What about his social ties? Friends? Enemies? What kind of heart does this boy carry?"
Black Zetsu hesitated. "He's... compassionate, in a strange way. Has a circle of close friends, trains with them daily. He even assigns Shadow Clones to help them practice. He convinced the entire Ino-Shika-Cho trio to stop attending school in person—only their clones go now."
Madara's eyes sparkled. "Clever. Efficient. A boy with vision. Keep observing him. When war breaks out again, he'll take the field. If the opportunity arises, I may test him—as a potential successor."
"Understood," Black Zetsu said, though his unease lingered. Ren Takashi didn't feel like someone who could be molded or manipulated. But he kept that thought to himself.
"And Nagato?" Madara asked, turning his attention elsewhere. "Is his family secure?"
"Yes," Black Zetsu confirmed. "They're settled in Amegakure, in the Land of Rain—just as you ordered. Hanzo of the Salamander is expanding aggressively. War with the great nations is inevitable. When it comes, Nagato will be ready."
Madara nodded slowly. "Good. The siege of Uzushio served its purpose then. Our plans continue. What of the major villages—did they get what they needed from Uzumaki?"
Black Zetsu frowned. "Barely. Most of the high-level sealing techniques were evacuated by Ren Takashi using mass teleportation. The enemy only got scraps—mid-grade or low-level fragments. It will delay their ability to create stable Jinchūriki."
Madara's eyes narrowed. "So the boy even outmaneuvered us there? Did the Uzumaki deliberately leave decoy techniques?"
"They did," Black Zetsu confirmed. "They knew their sealing arts were the target. Leaving behind fragments satisfied the enemy without endangering their lineage. A smart move."
Madara's expression darkened. "We cannot let peace linger too long. We need the second Great Ninja War. I'll provide better sealing scrolls. Plant them where the villages can 'find' them. Accelerate the Jinchūriki program."
"Understood," Black Zetsu nodded, already turning away.
Not long after, he emerged from a massive tree more than a hundred kilometers away, examining the scrolls Madara had provided. His lips curled in disdain.
"These won't do. Too crude."
He pulled out his own blank scrolls and began transcribing better techniques from memory. "I'll leak these instead. Attribute them to escaped Uzumaki, ancient ruins, anything that sounds plausible."
By the time he finished, the groundwork for war had been set.
Six Months Later – Mid-Year, Konoha Year 29
Ren Takashi sat cross-legged in quiet meditation.
Each day for six months, he had spent one of his three daily wishes on boosting his comprehension.
[Comprehension: Kage-level, 1767 / 10,000]
[Talent: Wish-making (LV2 – 757/1000, 3 small wishes per day)]
[Good & Evil Perception: MAX]
"Still a long road to reach Six Paths-level comprehension..." he muttered. "But I'm getting closer. A few more months and I should unlock Level 3 wish-making."
Even at Level 2, the benefits were astonishing. His cultivation speed had skyrocketed.
Much of this progress stemmed from his work with Tsunade. Together, they'd created groundbreaking medicinal pills now distributed throughout Konoha—and beyond.
Body-Strengthening Pill: Boosts physique for both shinobi and civilians.
Healing Pill: Rapidly closes wounds and restores vitality.
Universal Antidote: Counters hundreds of known poisons.
Spiritual Recovery Pill: Restores mental energy and spiritual stamina.
They had been licensed to a new pharmaceutical company—partially controlled by the Uchiha—and were now selling across the continent.
Ren Takashi's fame as a young medical genius had soared.
Even civilians reaped the benefits: a single low-grade Body-Strengthening Pill could increase a normal person's health and stamina by 50%.
For shinobi, it meant increased survivability in missions. For Konoha, it meant prestige and influence.
Ren Takashi smiled slightly as he reviewed the distribution reports.
"All according to plan..."