Fūnan had arranged for Jiraiya to take Naruto and Sasuke to train on Mount Myōboku.
Mount Myōboku was still part of the shinobi world.
But it was well hidden. And more importantly, far from Konoha.
With Konoha at the center of the coming war and Uchiha Madara targeting the Nine Tailed Beasts, moving the Nine-Tails to Mount Myōboku was the best option.
As long as Madara didn't have the Nine-Tails, his plans would be disrupted.
Without all nine Beasts, the rest wouldn't be enough.
Madara needed the Ten-Tails.
Obito had already proven that chakra alone wasn't enough to sustain its massive form.
Of course, the original story showed that the Ten-Tails could still move and fight without the full set.
The only real issue was that without all nine, the Moon's Eye Plan wouldn't work properly.
And it is the same now.
If they wanted to fully summon the Ten-Tails and make it a Jinchūriki, they might not need every single Tailed Beast—But they'd need most of them.
In the original, the Ten-Tails was revived even though it was missing the full Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails.
That was only because half of the Nine-Tails was still stronger than the entire Eight-Tails. Even just half of it was enough.
To this, Fūnan had only one response:
Damn that Sage of Six Paths!
If it weren't for him, none of this would even be happening.
At this point, Fūnan's daily routine consisted of eating, sleeping, and cursing the Sage of Six Paths.
...
Amegakure.
Uchiha Madara landed beside Obito, descending from the sky.
"Yo, kid." Madara smirked. "Been a while, huh?"
"Of course, for me, it was just a blink of an eye. You, on the other hand... you've changed quite a bit."
Obito remained silent, his gaze fixed on Uchiha Madara.
There was no mistaking it—he was tense.
Madara smirked. "What? Your plan isn't going as smoothly as you'd hoped?"
Obito ignored the mockery. "I'm running out of pawns."
"Oh? Pawns, is it?" Madara let out a low chuckle. "Alright, then. What do you need me to do? Or... are you finally ready to bring me back to life?"
"It's not time yet." Obito's voice was cold. "I need you to keep Uchiha Fūnan, Senju Hashirama, and most of Konoha's top fighters occupied. I'll handle the rest."
Madara studied him in silence. The tension stretched between them, thick and heavy. Just when it became unbearable, Madara smirked. "Fine."
[Buzz!]
Space twisted for a brief moment, and Obito vanished.
Zetsu emerged from the ground at Madara's feet. "He's got his own plans. He won't stick to what was originally agreed upon."
The original plan had been simple: at the crucial moment, Obito was supposed to revive Madara.
Madara would then become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki and activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
But Nagato was dead. He was the only one who could have revived Madara.
Now, that responsibility fell to Obito.
The problem? Using Rinne Tensei required the user's life as payment.
And Obito had no intention of dying.
Madara scoffed. "No matter. Right now isn't the best time anyway. Let him do as he pleases. When everything falls apart, we'll move forward as planned. The outcome won't change."
At least, not because of Obito.
"Understood."
Madara watched the space where Obito had vanished, a cold smile creeping onto his face.
Did he really think he was free?
That he was strong enough now to defy him?
How naïve.
A pawn?
Obito, you are a pawn.
And you always will be.
Your fate was sealed long ago.
...
Using the Tailed Beast Bomb to continuously bombard the enemy—now that was a strategy Fūnan could get behind.
If one blast wasn't enough, he'd just keep firing. Who knew? Maybe he could wipe them all out before they even reached Konoha.
If the enemy was dealt with beforehand, there wouldn't even be a large-scale war.
Well, not for ordinary people, at least.
What remained would be a battle that only top-tier fighters like Uchiha Madara could partake in.
With that in mind, Fūnan found an opening and prepared to unleash another attack.
Welcoming uninvited guests with a Tailed Beast Ball? Now that was satisfying.
But this time… he was disappointed.
"Yo, kid!"
Just as Fūnan was about to make his move, Uchiha Madara's voice rang out.
"What do you want?"
Fūnan frowned, clearly annoyed as he turned to look at Madara.
Madara: "…."
What do I want?
Seriously?
Those soldiers down there are mine.
You're about to blow them to pieces, I catch you in the act, and now you're the one asking what I want?
Do you seriously not know who they belong to?
Even if you didn't know before, shouldn't my presence here make that clear?
Madara's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. "Those White Zetsu down there—they're mine."
Fūnan's eyes widened in shock. "Yours? Uchiha Madara, I didn't take you for that type. I always thought that kind of… preference was reserved for noble lords. But hey, no judgment."
Madara was utterly baffled.
What?
How did this have anything to do with noble lords?
And judging by Fūnan's expression… he was definitely thinking something inappropriate.
A vein twitched in Madara's forehead.
His Sharingan locked onto Fūnan as he spoke slowly, "Stand down. I won't let you—or the Tailed Beasts—interfere in this battle."
"Fine, I won't interfere," Fūnan said, waving a hand dismissively. "But tell me something, Madara—what exactly are you planning? Because from where I'm standing, whatever Obito's doing right now doesn't seem to line up with your original plan."
Madara chuckled. "Heh. That has nothing to do with me," he said playfully. "Obito has his own ambitions. If he refuses to accept his fate, then let him carry out his little plan first."
"Hm?"
Something clicked in Madara's mind, and his expression shifted.
"You know he's Obito? Uchiha Obito?"
"Of course."
"Not bad."
Fūnan laughed. "And you're not worried I'll blow you up next?"
"Why would I be?" Madara said dismissively. "At this point, everyone's cards are on the table. The only thing left is to see who gets the last laugh. So what if you know who he is? Even if you knew all of my plans—what difference would it make?"
Fūnan smirked. "Cards on the table? Not quite. In the end, that's what decides the outcome, isn't it, Madara?"
Did Madara have no trump cards left?
Ridiculous.
Madara let out a long sigh. "Such a shame, kid. We weren't born in the same era… and now that we are, you refuse to join me."
Fūnan raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes, an opponent is more exciting than an ally, don't you think?"
Madara grinned. "Good point." His gaze darkened as he stared at Fūnan. "Then it only makes sense for me to kill you now, doesn't it?"
"Yup," Fūnan nodded. "Too bad you can't. And besides—I'm not even your opponent."
Madara suddenly snapped his head to the side, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Hashirama!"
A figure rushed toward them, strange markings running across his face.
Senju Hashirama.
He was already in Sage Mode.
"Madara, stop this," Hashirama sighed. "What do you hope to gain by continuing this fight?"
"Uchiha Fūnan—this junior of yours—he's exceptional. He'll create a world where everyone can be satisfied."
"Shut up, Hashirama!" Madara burst into laughter. "Now that we've met again, spare me the empty talk. Come! Let's fight!"
He lunged forward, his Sharingan spinning—three tomoe whirling together before shifting into the Mangekyō.
"Stop, Madara!"
Hashirama roared, but Madara's Susanoo slammed into him, sending him flying.
A wooden dragon coiled and lunged, sinking its fangs into Susanoo. With a violent twist, it flung Madara to the side.
The two clashed fiercely, their battle carrying them farther and farther away from the battlefield.
Hashirama had done it on purpose.
Madara knew.
And he didn't care.
As long as Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Fūnan didn't interfere, nothing else mattered.
While he was fighting Hashirama, Uchiha Fūnan probably wouldn't be foolish enough to step in. But if he did…
Then Madara would have no choice but to take the fight straight to Konoha.
And they'd see who suffered more in the end.
From the shadows, Obito observed the scene and immediately gave the order.
"Attack! Move fast!"
The White Zetsu, who had been calmly advancing, suddenly broke into a full sprint.
And those on the surface were just a fraction of their numbers—far more were still underground.
Without the devastating power of a Tailed Beast Bomb, launching an effective sneak attack against the underground forces wouldn't be easy.
Fūnan took one last look at the battlefield before turning away.
For now, Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Fūnan, and the Tailed Beasts were staying out of the fight.
But…
The main force should be ready by now.
By the time Fūnan returned to Konoha, tens of thousands of shinobi were already assembled and standing by.
"Hokage-sama!" Yako was the first to notice Fūnan's return. She immediately stepped forward and reported, "Everything is ready."
"Make your final preparations. Get familiar with your teammates, sharpen your coordination," Fūnan said calmly. "Send out the aerial unit first. Bomb them."
"Yes, sir!" Yako responded without hesitation.
At her command, the aerial unit broke away from the main army and took to the skies.
Leading them was Gaara.
Fūnan also spotted Sai among them.
Even members of the Aburame clan were there.
Shinobi who could fly were rare, but their role was crucial.
"We'll strike first!"
A member of the Yamanaka clan shouted, using their clan's jutsu to control small animals strapped with explosive tags, sending them soaring into the sky.
The Aburame clan followed suit, their insects carrying explosives as well.
Then came Sai and Gaara.
The first wave of attack—airborne explosive tags.
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