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Chapter 101N
🕑 Added 2025-07-17 15:39:31 +0000 UTCChapter 101N
2-in-1-chapter
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"Swallowing dōjutsu power?"
Black Zetsu blinked.
This was the first time he had ever heard of such a Mangekyō Sharingan technique, but if Uchiha Obito was telling the truth, then he could somewhat understand why Izanagi had failed. To be precise, Izanagi had not truly failed—it's just that this forbidden technique, capable of reversing life and death, had an inherent limitation: it could not restore the chakra expended by the user.
Dōjutsu power was also a form of chakra, a type of special chakra primarily composed of mental energy.
"I exhausted nearly all of my dōjutsu power just to break free from Uchiha Rēn's technique, but the depletion was so severe that it disrupted the balance of mental energy in my brain. The result is what you now see."
There was another reason he didn’t mention: to better play the part of Uchiha Madara, he had been repeatedly conditioning himself, implanting the suggestion: I am Uchiha Madara.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up so mentally unstable, confusing his own identity to the point where he genuinely believed himself to be Uchiha Madara.
Uchiha Obito shook his head, pushing aside these unpleasant memories, and continued: "If my guess is correct, Uchiha Rēn can convert the dōjutsu power or mental energy he absorbs into his own strength. Counting on Uchiha Rēn to run out of dōjutsu power and go blind seems unrealistic."
"We need a new plan."
As he spoke, he rubbed his temples in frustration.
This was a headache in every sense of the word. Even with half of a damaged Sage Body sustaining him, this time the dōjutsu power he lost was no small amount. A mere ten hours of sleep wouldn’t be enough to get him back to full strength; he still needed more time to restore the still-disordered chakra within him.
Beyond the physical headache, he was acutely aware of how troublesome Uchiha Rēn was. A dōjutsu that devours others dōjutsu power and mental energy—no wonder Shimura Danzō had ended up in such a miserable state when they found him lying on that hospital bed after infiltrating Konoha.
That must have been Uchiha Rēn draining all of Danzō’s mental energy, turning him into a brain-dead vegetable.
"A dōjutsu that devours mental energy? Truly a troublesome ability to awaken."
Black Zetsu fell silent in contemplation.
As it turned out, Obito’s worries had come true: Uchiha Rēn had indeed awakened a dōjutsu so troublesome that even Uchiha Obito found it daunting. The Uchiha clan was truly a breeding ground for monsters!
Perhaps only the Rinnegan, which by nature surpassed the Mangekyō Sharingan, could neutralize Uchiha Rēn's dōjutsu.
Genjutsu-based dōjutsu seemed bizarre and hard to deal with.
But unlike physical attack-based dōjutsu, genjutsu dōjutsu were subject to powerful hierarchical suppression. The Rinnegan, as the superior evolution of the Mangekyō Sharingan, had a strong resistance to genjutsu-based dōjutsu, especially those in the Sharingan lineage—rendering them directly immune.
Black Zetsu had not originally known all of this; it was Uchiha Madara who had slowly figured it out through research and experimentation.
"If it really comes to it, we’ll have to let Nagato handle him."
"Now is not the time to reveal the Rinnegan. If we can’t take down Uchiha Rēn in one move, exposing the Rinnegan would mean Nagato would face endless pursuit from across the entire shinobi world. We’re not yet prepared to go to war with all of them. We can’t let a small mistake ruin the larger plan…"
After thinking it over for a moment, Uchiha Obito chose to swallow his frustration and said, "Black Zetsu, don’t rush to act against Uchiha Rēn yet. His dōjutsu is troublesome, but for now it won’t interfere with our plans. What we need to do next is continue as planned—help Nagato strengthen Akatsuki."
"As for Uchiha Rēn, keep an eye on him. If there’s an opportunity, kill him. If not, then wait until it’s time to execute the next phase of our plan."
In the end,
Their targeting of the Uchiha clan was merely a precautionary move. In fact, neither the Uchiha clan nor Uchiha Rēn had any direct involvement in their plan at this stage; there was no need to get entangled with them unnecessarily.
"If that’s your decision, I understand."
Black Zetsu readily agreed.
The two then fell silent.
The room became filled with a long, heavy quiet.
Uchiha Obito leaned back against the stone wall, closing his lone eye as he slowly worked to regulate the disordered chakra within him. The empty socket where his left eye had once been was chilling to behold. Black Zetsu glanced at that hollow socket for a few seconds before looking away, then broke the silence.
He asked, "Obito, do we still have any stored Sharingan left?"
"There should be two pairs left," Uchiha Obito replied, eyes still closed, sounding uncertain.
"Then find a time to implant them. Izanagi is still useful. This time was just bad luck."
"You don’t need to remind me of that. If that’s all, leave me alone for now." Uchiha Obito waved him off.
Black Zetsu said no more. The large pitcher plant that was part of his body slowly sank into the ground, leaving only Uchiha Obito sitting alone on the stone bed. He sat still as if he were made of stone, leaning quietly against the wall. Only if one put an ear to his chest could they hear his steady heartbeat, proving that he was a living man of flesh and blood.
For that beautiful new world, he had long been prepared to stake everything—his life and his soul, all already wagered.
Therefore,
No one could stop his advance.
No matter who it was.
Anyone who dared stand in his way, he would crush them completely.
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The war was far from over—it had only just begun.
Even the capture of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, did not affect the continuation of the conflict. It was as if the Kirigakure shinobi had not realized that their Mizukage had become a prisoner of Konoha's shinobi; they continued to launch one ferocious offensive after another, attempting to break through the ironclad defenses the Konoha shinobi had established along the long coastline.
But mere momentum could not overturn the disparity in strength between the two sides.
If at the beginning, by eliminating the command core of the border defense forces, they had tasted a brief advantage, once Konoha's reinforcements established a new command system and brought the leaderless border forces back under control, the Kirigakure shinobi had no further gains.
Black Tide Mountain.
Tenshu.
"Yagura Karatachi still refuses to speak?" Rēn sat cross-legged on a cushion, eyes closed, with the blazing war fan resting across his knees. Since the last time he convened a meeting here, he had grown fond of this place—elevated, with a broad view, quiet and serene.
Thus, it had become both his bedroom and his office.
The Tenshu's interior was spacious; partition screens divided the space for different uses.
"Yes. He stubbornly refuses to betray the interests of Kirigakure, even though I have reduced the demands, he still won't agree. Lord Rēn, I deeply apologize—this is my failure." Nara Suzaku’s voice carried bitterness. He and the intelligence staff had deliberated for two days and nights, concluding that the best way to maximize Mizukage’s value was to awaken him and negotiate directly.
However, Yagura Karatachi’s resolve far exceeded expectations.
A week had passed since his awakening. Many skilled negotiators had worn their tongues thin trying to reach an agreement, but talks remained stalled. As time dragged on, Nara Suzaku's face grew increasingly grim.
"I was the one who approved your proposal, I made the decision, it’s not your burden to bear. Besides... your plan wasn’t wrong. It seems our Mizukage has yet to recognize reality."
Rēn opened his eyes, a flash of scarlet passing quickly.
Even those pitch-black eyes exerted an indescribable pressure on Nara Suzaku. Since capturing the Fourth Mizukage alive, Rēn's stature in their eyes had grown ever more imposing. Whether respect or fear, they all showed profound reverence before Rēn’s strength.
"Let’s go."
He rose, hanging the blazing war fan on a nearby armor stand.
Since the capture of Yagura Karatachi, Rēn had not gone to the front lines again. Hyūga Masayuki had persistently admonished him that a general must not recklessly risk himself. Rēn had not argued that he was invincible or that the Kirigakure shinobi were no match for him.
Hyūga Masayuki was correct.
He was not the blade itself, but the hand that wielded it.
As commander, charging into battle personally was not his role. His duty was to wield the sword of Konoha, commanding thousands of Konoha shinobi. And only strike personally when the time was right. This pause also gave him time to study and master the blazing war fan he had just acquired.
"It’s time to see our Mizukage. It’s been long enough; a decision must be made."
Rēn walked ahead, the hem of his black robe billowing like a surging tide.
Nara Suzaku hurried after him.
Black Tide Mountain had a dungeon, as expected. It would be strange for a daimyo’s castle not to include one. Nobles often required discreet places to resolve disputes and vendettas.
They descended the narrow stone steps, oil lamps high on the walls casting faint light that barely cut through the thick darkness, illuminating only the steps ahead. After descending three identical cramped staircases, they reached the lowest level.
The atmosphere abruptly changed: damp, cold, and suffused with an indescribable stench of rot that had been noticeable since they began their descent, but here it became overwhelming.
Unlike the open space of the upper levels, this floor was much narrower, with only a single cell. Whereas the iron bars upstairs were merely cup-thick, these were nearly bowl-thick, reinforced by powerful barrier seals—this was where high-risk prisoners were held.
A target as valuable and dangerous as Yagura Karatachi was naturally confined here.
Rēn stopped outside the cell, narrowing his eyes as he surveyed its interior.
Inside, the cell was empty except for a crude wooden bed, in one corner of which lay a soiled blanket. Yagura Karatachi sat cross-legged on the bare wooden bed. Only when he heard approaching footsteps did he open his eyes and meet Rēn’s gaze.
Their eyes locked midair.
"Mizukage, we meet again."
Rēn’s voice broke the oppressive silence of the cell.
"Uchiha clan head."
Yagura Karatachi looked up at Rēn standing outside the cell. "You arrived later than I expected. Doesn’t Konoha wish to end the war quickly?"
"No one likes war, Mizukage. But while you did not have the freedom to start this one, the decision of when it ends could still be yours.
However, while we dislike war, we do not fear it. If we can use this war to make certain ambitious meddlers understand that Konoha remains inviolable, all the better."
The warden quickly fetched a chair, wiping it clean.
Rēn sat down outside the cell, calmly watching Yagura Karatachi.
Nara Suzaku dismissed the warden and stood silently at Rēn’s side. The upcoming conversation was not for just anyone’s ears.
"Make an example of the weak to warn the strong.… and Kirigakure is the ‘weakling’ Konoha has chosen?" Yagura Karatachi’s tone was bitter.
"No, you brought this upon yourselves. You can only blame yourself for being so weak as to be controlled. We do not care that this was not your choice."
Rēn said plainly: "Had you not struck first, we would not have considered launching a foreign war at this time."
"But honestly, I must thank you. Thanks to Kirigakure’s provocations, we were able to escalate internal tensions and seize the opportunity to drive out the Third Hokage. Otherwise, it would have taken much more effort to resolve Konoha’s domestic problems."
He spoke with genuine gratitude.
The reasons for the Third Hokage’s downfall were complex, not easily summarized in a single sentence, but unquestionably the war threat from Kirigakure was the spark that ignited the crisis.
Yagura Karatachi’s face grew pale. "Uchiha clan head, this war was not provoked by Kirigakure—you know this well. That mysterious man is our shared enemy. Continuing this war benefits neither of us."
"But whether it’s Kirigakure or Konoha, now almost everyone believes that it was the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, who started this war," Rēn replied, spreading his hands.
"Or are you planning to announce now that this war wasn’t your doing, but was provoked by a mysterious man calling himself Uchiha Madara whose identity no one can confirm?"
"Come now, Mizukage. Even setting aside whether that would be wise to reveal, how many people do you think would believe it?"
