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~ PS : I see a lot of people talking about how Shin’s relationships with the girls haven’t taken the next step. But if you’re looking for spoilers—just wait 14/15 more chapters. Their relationship will finally reach “That” stage 🙂
~ PS : Sorry for not dropping two chapters yesterday—I was busy Improving the Story!
~ PS : Once again thank you all for the support!
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After finishing their shopping, they ended up carting around a large haul of goods—food items, tools, daily supplies.
All the while, Kushina continued chattering about her “Hidden Village of Beautiful Women.“
“Shin, can’t you at least help me a little with this dream?” Kushina begged, clinging to his arm like she was about to stage a protest.
“It’s not that I don’t want to help, But how exactly am I supposed to do that? You haven’t even got a real plan.” Shin chuckled.
“Well, I haven’t figured that out yet. I’ll plan it out when we get back. You have to help me then.” Kushina pressed.
“All right, If it’s not too outrageous, I’ll lend a hand. You’d better not give up partway, though.”
“I won’t! This time I’m serious,”
Kushina’s expression was firm.
“Then we—”
Shin stopped mid-sentence and turned his head, his brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong?” Mikoto asked.
“Something’s watching us. Wait here. I’ll go catch it.”
—
Shin vanished. In the next instant, he returned clutching a bizarre, pale-white figure by the neck.
“The heck is that thing? It looks…human-ish, but no human looks like that.”
Kushina asked, staring at the creature in surprise.
“This is a White Zetsu,” Shin said.
The White Zetsu was shocked. How did Shin know?
“Uchiha Madara sent you to spy on us, I assume?” Shin asked. By now, the white creature was too rattled to keep its cool.
This wasn’t the real White Zetsu, just a clone. But there was no difference between the clones and the original.
Even if the original died, the clones wouldn’t die. Or rather, there was no original or clone. They were all independent White Zetsu.
All White Zetsu were once humans who had been caught in the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
“How… how did you know?”
The White Zetsu was so surprised that it accidentally revealed its connection to Madara.
But even if it hadn’t, Shin would have known. After all, the only person White Zetsu were associated with was Uchiha Madara.
“Where’s Uchiha Madara? Take me to him.”
Shin wanted to find Madara. This was the perfect opportunity.
He wasn’t planning to stop Madara’s Eye of the Moon Plan. In fact, he wanted Madara to proceed with it and release Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. He had plans for Kaguya.
“Uchiha Madara?” Kushina echoed, confused. “Didn’t he die ages ago? Everyone says the Shodaime killed him at the Valley of the End.”
Mikoto and Tsunade both chimed in:
“Yes, that’s the story—Madara was definitely killed by the Shodaime.”
“Long story,” Shin said wryly. “I’ll explain later, but Madara isn’t dead. Not yet.”
He gave White Zetsu an unamused glance. The thing clearly wouldn’t cooperate willingly, so Shin decided to do it the hard way.
His Rinne Tenseigan eyes glowed. Both the Rinnegan and Tenseigan possessed the power to read minds or rip out souls. Combining them only made it easier.
Shin used the Rinnegan’s Human Path to yank White Zetsu’s soul free, scanning its memories. Zetsu convulsed, and after a moment, it died, its body slumping in Shin’s grip.
“Let’s go. We’re not going back yet. We’re going to find Uchiha Madara.” Shin said with a grin. He was going to extort some good stuff from Madara.
He dropped the Zetsu corpse, leaving it behind.
Once more, he opened a spatial gate with Yomotsu Hirasaka, bringing Tsunade, Kushina, Mikoto, and Konan to a remote mountain.
—
“Is Uchiha Madara really in a place like this?” Kushina asked skeptically, glancing around at the desolate hills.
“Not on the surface—Underground.” Shin’s Rinne-Tenseigan easily penetrated the rock, revealing a vast subterranean network.
“Let’s go.”
Shin led them to the cave. It wasn’t a natural cave; Madara must have created it.
“Madara Uchiha, your distinguished guests have arrived! Are you not going to greet us properly?” Shin called into the dim tunnels.
Sure enough—
In the deeper chambers, an elderly man with wrinkled skin and white hair sat connected to various pipes—a haunting echo of his former might. Despite his frail appearance, his presence radiated raw menace.
He had a Sharingan. The Sharingan was probably transplanted. He had already given his Rinnegan to Nagato.
—
“Madara-sama, it seems they’ve found us!” a White Zetsu said in a panicked voice.
“I didn’t expect you to find me here.”
Madara looked up, his eyes gleaming. He might look frail, but his aura was still imposing.
“You’re still alive?” Tsunade stared at the aged Madara in shock.
Though old and fragile, the figure possessed a potent, intimidating bearing. Madara turned his eyes on Tsunade.
“The granddaughter of Hashirama, if I’m not mistaken,” Madara remarked. Clearly, he had kept abreast of events outside, presumably through White Zetsu’s intel.
“You don’t seem bothered by my intrusion. Not even a little alarmed, Madara?”
Madara’s face revealed only fleeting surprise before reverting to stoic calm.
“Alarmed? Hah—you think you’re enough to make me fret?”
“You sure talk tough for a guy on life support,” Shin replied with a mild grin, not truly offended by Madara’s arrogance.
Inwardly, Madara wondered: ‘Could White Zetsu have betrayed me? No, he doesn’t have the guts… so how did he find me?‘
“Madara… How can you still be alive?” Tsunade demanded.
Every corner of the Shinobi world accepted that Madara died in his final battle with Hashirama Senju.
The revelation that he had survived could shake the entire continent.
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