Chapter Seventy-Seven: Catching Insects

Regaining his physical strength rapidly, and with his appearance restored to youth, Madara Uchiha could not help but let out a sigh of pleasure.

“Hah…”

As his body’s functions recovered and his youthful appearance returned, he finally looked like a man in the prime of his middle age. Most notably, the Rinnegan in Madara’s eyes gradually regained its luster, becoming more vibrant and spirited than before.

Now in his rejuvenated state, Madara shifted from lying on his side on the altar to sitting upright, relishing the vigor of his rejuvenated body. This was not the first time he had experienced returning to youth—it was fleeting and illusory, but the sensation never failed to fill him with awe.

He cast his gaze around the chamber; it remained as damp as ever. Even though the air circulated, the stench of decay still hung heavy all around. In his previous decrepit form, Madara could hardly perceive these sensations.

“It’s not enough. This is but a false rejuvenation. Not enough… Wait for me, Hashirama…”

Madara’s thoughts turned once again to Hashirama Senju. He couldn’t help but raise his right hand, pressing it against his chest, where a white, human-like face was embedded.

“Hm?”

Scanning his surroundings, and experiencing the stark contrast between youth and old age, Madara thought he glimpsed a translucent figure by the vent behind the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. He focused his Rinnegan intently on the vent, but saw nothing.

He then glanced at the silent, imposing statue and the branches and roots sprawling through every corner. Again, he examined them with his Rinnegan, but found nothing amiss. Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought.

“Is my old age making me see things? Did summoning the Demonic Statue during that last meeting with the iron sand user drain me that much?”

Pushing these thoughts aside, Madara turned and began urging Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, and the White Zetsu clones nearby to move faster.

He then fixed his Rinnegan on the White Zetsu clone who had just spoken foolishly, rebuking him casually and reminding him to think before he spoke or acted.

Unlike last time, however, Madara did not lose his temper and crush the clone into a pulp. This particular clone was among the more clever ones; though White Zetsu clones could be produced endlessly, most of them were woefully lacking in intelligence.

Given his current lack of capable subordinates, Madara considered this one to be a fortunate exception.

…

At that moment, Kato Mikaze’s soul clone had only just drifted away from the ventilation duct.

Naturally, he was unaware that Madara, restored to his middle-aged vigor, had nearly discovered him with his rejuvenated Rinnegan. Even if he had known, he would have only been grateful for his quick escape—and would have made it even faster.

Kato Mikaze was fully aware of his current standing in the shinobi world. Sneaking into enemy villages and snatching the spoils—now, the best thing he could do was to slip away quickly after getting what he came for.

This infiltration had already yielded more intelligence than expected, far surpassing his initial hopes.

“The Kazekage—most likely the current Third Kazekage of Sunagakure, famed for his Iron Sand—has private dealings with Madara Uchiha. I never imagined the strongest Kazekage would be in secret contact with Madara.”

“From Black Zetsu’s words, it seems their meetings are clandestine. I wonder, though, if the Third Kazekage truly knows whom he’s dealing with.”

“Those tubes connected to the Demonic Statue—Madara draws on its enormous vitality to regain his youth, albeit only temporarily.”

“Judging by the White Zetsu clone’s words and Madara’s decrepit state moments ago, this isn’t his first time relying on the statue’s power. The side effects must be considerable; the rejuvenation is clearly short-lived.”

“And the red-haired infant… Could that be Nagato…?”

(The Third Kazekage’s actual name is never mentioned in the original story, and he is inevitably involved in the Second Great Shinobi War. For now, I’ll just refer to him by his signature technique, Magnet Release: Iron Sand. Don’t mind the naming.)

After leaving the large cavern, Kato Mikaze’s soul clone shed its human form, merging with the wind currents flowing through the base.

Cautiously avoiding the omnipresent branches and roots, he made his way toward the ventilation shaft through which he’d entered.

…

As his soul clone approached the entrance, Kato Mikaze remained vigilant, dodging the tendrils and branches, all the while deep in thought.

Overall, this infiltration of Madara’s lair had yielded significant gains—though all in the form of confidential intelligence. He could hardly call it a fruitless excursion, but he still felt a twinge of dissatisfaction.

He had no way of knowing that Madara, restored to a middle-aged form, had almost discovered him with his revitalized Rinnegan.

Passing by the chamber filled with white cocoons, Kato Mikaze’s soul clone paused briefly.

He regarded the cocoons and the branches linked to each, recalling the Demonic Statue he had just seen: its gnarled, bark-like exterior, immense vitality, and the silent, imposing way it sat in the cavern.

And the strange, oppressive aura it radiated.

Not lingering long in the cocoon chamber, Kato Mikaze’s soul clone quickly made his way along the route he had memorized.

As he drew closer to the exit, he sensed the soul-mark he’d placed before entering was still active, and began to form a plan.

…

Outside the entrance by the massive boulder, the rain continued to cascade, heavier than before, with the wind howling louder as well.

The vines coiled around the cave mouth shook in the storm, their leaves fluttering as they dutifully shielded the entrance from rain and monitored any unusual activity.

Suddenly, the leaves began to sway in a rapid, rhythmic pattern, signaling a message to a distant point underground.

The vine had detected an anomaly in the wind passing through the entrance—a deliberate disturbance left by Kato Mikaze as he exited, triggering the vine’s alarm.

He intended to lure out the White Zetsu clone monitoring the area. If the cocoons connected to the Demonic Statue were too risky to tamper with, then catching the insect inside was the next best thing.

…

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