Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode

However, when he thought about how White Zetsu were all mindless and thoughtless, he felt reassured about Black Zetsu.

"Danzo seemed to have been prepared for his death long ago. Not long after his death, all the core members of Root, which he led, immediately abandoned all their strongholds in the Land of Fire and dispersed to evacuate. Finally, they secretly regrouped in the Land of Waterfall and have now stabilized their position there."

After Root left, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, immediately and secretly formed a new Root, headed by Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. However, the real leader was his son, Takashi Sarutobi. Hiruzen Sarutobi harbored great hostility towards the old Root, and it is estimated that he had important leverage over them.

After losing the Old Root, Hiruzen Sarutobi's power in Konoha has been greatly weakened, and he has recently begun to have major conflicts with the Senju clan. However, as far as I know, this is probably due to the Sarutobi clan behind him secretly exerting their influence. Without Danzo, the Sarutobi clan is now forced to confront the Senju clan head-on.

Unfortunately, no new Kage-level powerhouse has emerged within the Sarutobi clan, making it impossible for them to continue fighting the Senju clan. Now that Kirito Tohsaka has become the Jinchūriki of the One-Tailed Beast, it's even more impossible. Therefore, the Sarutobi clan has recently resorted to desperate measures, attempting to kill Kirito Tohsaka with rumors.

According to my investigation, this rumor was a decision made by the Sarutobi clan behind Hiruzen Sarutobi's back, and the executor was his son, Takashi Sarutobi. However, the real mastermind behind it all is the old Root.

Black Zetsu thought for a moment and then succinctly stated the information it knew.

The current situation in Konoha is quite clear: Danzo's death has ignited a conflict between the Senju and Sarutobi clans, two major factions. Previously, Danzo and his Root organization served as a buffer between the two, but now that buffer is gone, and the conflict has moved from the shadows to the open.

Most importantly, after Danzo's death, Root left Konoha, causing great damage to the forces led by the Sarutobi clan. The Senju clan gained a mysterious Kage-level shinobi who could defeat the Third Hokage, thus reversing the balance of power between the two.

Previously, the Sarutobi clan and its allies could steadily suppress the Senju clan and its allies. Now, the situation has reversed, especially after Kirito Tohsaka became the One-Tailed Jinchuriki and displayed astonishing power. The fragile balance that had been maintained between the two clans has been completely shattered.

"Hmph, what a boring infighting. Since Hashirama and that white-haired brat died, Konoha has really regressed. However, judging from the current situation, the Sarutobi clan is in a very bad state. If they don't work harder, Konoha will eventually be controlled by the Senju clan again."

Madara Uchiha, a shrewd and experienced man, was also a master of intrigue. Based on Black Zetsu's description of Konoha's situation, he quickly understood the current state of Konoha and sneered.

At the same time, he also felt a little sad.

Because he didn't want to see Konoha fall back into the hands of the Senju clan. The Senju clan seemed to have declined, and they didn't even have any true Kage-level shikigami. The only two remaining Kage-level shikigami were from other clans, and it was hard to say whether one of them was truly loyal to them.

However, the Senju clan's reputation remains. As long as the Senju clan regains power and has a Kage-level expert backing them up, the various forces in Konoha will soon be reunited, and even the Uchiha clan will be reinstated by the various clans in Konoha.

At that time, Konoha, the great tree that was gradually dying, will be reborn and radiate new life.

A Konoha that is on the verge of recovery and even becoming stronger is not what he wants to see.

"Lord Madara, your insight is brilliant. If things continue to develop as they are, the Sarutobi clan is destined to be suppressed by the Senju clan, and the new Hokage will be someone from the Senju clan. This is definitely not in line with your plans, Lord Madara. What do you think we should do next?"

Black Zetsu's appropriate flattery.

The situation in Konoha has reached a very bad point.

If it weren't for the need for stability, it would have long been accustomed to lying low and would have wanted to step forward to help the Sarutobi clan. However, it was separated from the Sarutobi clan by Uchiha Madara, and it had to rely on Uchiha Madara to help the Sarutobi clan.

"You said that the Sarutobi clan's spreading of rumors was the work of Root, led by Bug. How come that's the case? Bug is dead. After Root left Konoha, did it not only not weaken, but actually become stronger?"

Madara Uchiha did not immediately answer Black Zetsu's question, but instead inquired about the Old Root.

His current state is not suitable for him to directly interfere in Konoha's affairs. He needs to find a suitable tool, and the old root is a very good tool.

"Yes, Lord Madara, Danzo was researching a forbidden technique called Impure World Reincarnation before he died. Now the old Root has made a breakthrough in this forbidden technique. They have used this forbidden technique to create many powerful Impure World puppets. Also, I believe that Danzo did not truly die."

Black Zetsu understood that Madara Uchiha intended to target the Old Root and immediately shared the information it had gathered about the Old Root.

"Impure World Reincarnation, humph, it's that white-haired brat's forbidden technique again. This forbidden technique that manipulates the dead is despicable, but it does have its unique aspects. No wonder the power of the old root has increased instead of decreased. Your guess is very likely. That bug may not have really died, but has come back to life in another way."

Upon hearing this, Madara Uchiha instantly understood Black Zetsu's meaning, and sneered as his Sharingan quietly glowed with a chilling red light.

He was a little excited.

"Lord Madara, please give the order. Such an excellent forbidden technique as the Impure World Reincarnation should not be mastered by a mere bug, but by the great you."

Black Zetsu started stirring things up.

It initially looked down on the Impure World Reincarnation technique because the impure world puppets summoned by this forbidden technique were just useless cannon fodder. However, after it discovered through White Zetsu that the Old Root had made a breakthrough in this forbidden technique and that the impure world puppets summoned were close to their strength in life, it became interested.

With its keen eyesight, how could it not see the potential of this forbidden technique? Once mastered, it would be equivalent to commanding a powerful army of undead, and one that is impossible to kill.

With this forbidden technique, they have the confidence to challenge the entire ninja world, no longer needing to secretly capture the tailed beasts.

“You’re right. Bugs are indeed unworthy of mastering this forbidden technique that plays with life and death. Only true powerhouses are qualified to master it.”

Madara Uchiha nodded in satisfaction.

What Black Zetsu could think of, he could certainly think of as well.

Therefore, he was indeed very interested in the forbidden technique of the Old Root, which had made groundbreaking progress.

"Lord Madara, let's act now. I know the true location of the old Roots. As long as you're willing to take action, we can definitely capture them easily."

Black Zetsu was somewhat excited when he saw that Madara Uchiha had agreed to take over the Impure World Reincarnation technique from the old Root.

"Mom, I think I can already see the day when we'll be reunited."

Black Zetsu thought with immense anticipation.

"What's the rush? The bedbug won't run away. Besides, taking down the bedbug's old roots is still a long way from achieving our plan. And my eyes are far from mature. Tell me about Kirito Tohsaka. Compared to the bedbug, he is our biggest obstacle right now."

Madara Uchiha immediately poured cold water on the idea, saying in a cold voice.

Danzo Shimura is nothing more than a minor ailment. Since they already know the location of the Old Roots, catching this bug is a piece of cake. Right now, he should focus his energy on Kirito Tohsaka.

The little ninja's growth rate truly exceeded his imagination. When he woke up again, the other party had actually become the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Beast.

"Lord Madara, you are right. Kirito Tohsaka is indeed a major threat to us. This person is growing too fast. At only 11 years old, he already has the strength of a Kage. Moreover, he single-handedly killed Ebizo, a Kage-level powerhouse from Sunagakure, and took the One-Tail from Bunfuku, the former Jinchuriki of the One-Tail of Sunagakure."

With his abilities, taming the One-Tail is only a matter of time. Once he successfully controls it, apart from you, probably no one in the ninja world will be his match.

Black Zetsu was slightly annoyed by Madara Uchiha's cold water, but he quickly calmed down and respectfully told Madara about the information regarding Kirito Tohsaka.

Next, he explained to Madara Uchiha the ninjutsu and bloodline limits that Kirito Tohsaka had demonstrated in the war against Sunagakure.

“This kid has already become a force to be reckoned with. If we want to get rid of him, tricks and schemes will no longer work. We must find his weakness, force him into the trap, and then kill him with overwhelming force.”

After hearing the information Black Zetsu gave about Kirito Tohsaka, Madara Uchiha frowned and sighed deeply.

A sealing technique powerful enough to seal a tailed beast, a spirit transformation technique with superhuman sensory abilities, a puppet technique at the Kage level, the Blood Dragon Eye bloodline limit, lightning release that has reached a mysterious level, and now the power of the One-Tailed Shukaku.

Combined with Kirito's age, these forces are enough to make Madara Uchiha feel ashamed and under immense pressure.

The situation has become too volatile; even for him, it's now difficult to suppress Kirito.

"To have reached the mysterious realm of Lightning Release at such a young age is truly unbelievable. Did he start cultivating it from the womb?"

Madara Uchiha thought to himself.

In the past, he thought killing Kirito would be no difficult task, but now it's different. According to what Black Zetsu just said, Kirito has mastered a ninjutsu that can turn his body into lightning. He immediately realized that this ninjutsu could make Kirito invincible.

This ninjutsu may be a major chakra consumer, but Kirito now has the One-Tailed Beast, so he has obviously solved the problem of insufficient chakra.

"Lord Madara, this kid actually has many weaknesses. We can start with the people around him, such as that kid named Senju Nawaki. If it weren't for Tohsaka Kirito's repeated rescues, this grandson of Senju Hashirama would have died long ago under Danzo's conspiracy."

Seeing that Madara Uchiha had finally put aside his pride and was planning to take action against Kirito Tohsaka, Black Zetsu immediately offered his advice.

"Senju Nawaki, Hashirama's grandson..."

Madara Uchiha hesitated when he heard Black Zetsu say that.

Black Zetsu knew that Madara Uchiha's arrogance was causing trouble again, and quickly reminded him:

"Lord Madara, although this kid is a bit stupid, he already has the strength of a Jonin and has mastered the Eight Gates technique. He has already opened the fifth gate. Once he opens the fifth gate, he will have the strength to surpass that of an elite Jonin. If we let him continue to grow, he might just become another Kirito Tohsaka."

You should be aware of the potential of the Eight Gates technique. This kid, after all, is a descendant of the Senju and Uzumaki clans, making him perfectly suited to cultivate this forbidden taijutsu. If he manages to master this forbidden technique to the point of death, he will undoubtedly become a terrifying enemy.

Upon hearing Black Zetsu's words, Madara Uchiha immediately recalled a certain ninja whose entire body was emitting blood-red steam. He felt a chill run down his spine, then nodded silently.

Indeed, once a ninja who has mastered the Eight Gates opens the Gate of Death, even he has to be on high alert, because if he is not careful, he will be turned into mincemeat by the opponent's powerful taijutsu attacks in a short time.

This forbidden physical technique, released at the cost of life, deserves his attention.

Therefore, he indeed could not treat Senju Nawaki as a child.

Kirito Tohsaka is already troublesome enough; if another one, Nawaki Senju, who has mastered the Death Gate, were to appear, he might not be able to withstand it.

"Lord Madara is wise. If we eliminate Kirito Tohsaka and Nawaki Senju, the Senju clan's power in Konoha will surely collapse immediately. At that time, we won't even need to push things along. The Sarutobi clan will crush the Senju clan and their forces to death, and Konoha will return to the state we hope to see."

Black Zetsu was relieved to see that Madara Uchiha hadn't acted irrationally due to arrogance this time.

Madara Uchiha is doing well in every way now, except that he still can't let go of his arrogance. This is a problem. At this point, doesn't he know his own identity? He is actually just like Danzo, a rat living in the dark world, only he is stronger.

But a rat is a rat. If it wants to go against the whole world, it shouldn't be so pretentious.

Look at Danzo. Although this bug is weak, his awareness is much higher than that of Uchiha Madara. If Danzo wasn't not the reincarnation of Indra and not a descendant of the Otsutsuki, and thus unable to control the power of the Rinnegan, he would have wanted Danzo to replace Uchiha Madara.

Look at the stupid things Madara Uchiha did. If he had been willing to take action to deal with Kirito Tohsaka before, there wouldn't be so much trouble now.

This is all due to Madara Uchiha's arrogance.

"Let's not talk about that for now. Tell me about the war between Kumogakure and Amegakure. What's going on here?"

Madara Uchiha still felt some resistance and annoyance towards his decision to bully the weak, and said with some annoyance.

Black Zetsu understood Madara Uchiha's feelings and knew that Madara needed some time to adjust to his continued decline in morale. He readily changed the subject and replied, "The reason why Kumogakure attacked Amegakure is that Kumogakure and Sunagakure reached a secret cooperation agreement, but the prerequisite was Hattori Masanari's head. However, Kumogakure also wanted to seize the wealth of the Land of Rain and, incidentally, wanted to boost morale with a great victory before cooperating with Sunagakure to attack Konoha."

"Hmph, it seems that the leaders of other major powers have also seen that Konoha's current situation is unfavorable to them and want to eliminate Konoha as soon as possible."

Madara Uchiha snorted coldly.

"Lord Madara has keen insight, but Kumogakure miscalculated this time. Hattori Masanari is not a easy person to deal with. Not long ago, he led fifty Amegakure Jonin to launch a surprise attack on Kumogakure, causing heavy losses to the village, and in the end, he managed to escape with some of his subordinates..."

Black Zetsu flattered him, recounting in detail what Hattori Masanari had done in Kumogakure not long ago.

"I didn't expect this person's strength to improve so quickly. He has reached the Kage level and has mastered a troublesome flying ninjutsu."

Madara Uchiha sighed upon learning that Masanari Hattori had just accomplished something significant.

This ninja world is indeed full of hidden talents. He had only taken a short nap when new Kage-level powerhouses appeared one after another, and each one of them was quite troublesome.

The mysterious Kage-level powerhouse who mastered Sage Mode, Kirito Tohsaka, the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Beast, has now been joined by Masanari Hattori, who has mastered the art of flight.

"My lord, there's really no need to worry. Hattori Masanari probably won't amount to much. Kumogakure has suffered such a huge loss this time. Given the nature of the people in Kumogakure, they will definitely carry out a massive revenge. The Land of Rain will soon be reduced to ruins again, and Kumogakure might even be destroyed. At that time, even if Hattori Masanari doesn't die, he won't be able to do anything on his own."

Black Zetsu grinned and sneered.

As it spoke, it seemed to already see the Land of Rain being razed to the ground by the enraged Cloud Ninja.

"Hmm~, very likely. In that case, my eye's host will have a good growth environment, and I might even be able to acquire a good pawn."

Madara Uchiha's eyes lit up, and he said with great interest.

He knew Hattori Masanari quite well. From Hattori's book "The Will of Rain," he knew that what Hattori cherished most was Amegakure and the Land of Rain. If Kumogakure destroyed what Hattori cherished, it would surely plunge him into darkness.

This is a good opportunity.

If he can subdue Hattori Masanari, then his plans in the Land of Rain will be complete, and he can then confidently allow his eye host to grow up in the Land of Rain.

"Lord Madara, Hattori Masashige is a very strong-willed person. To completely destroy his will, I think we need a deeply memorable betrayal. What do you think?"

Upon hearing Madara Uchiha's words, Black Zetsu immediately understood that Madara wanted to recruit Hattori Masashige. With keen insight, it acted as a straight man, uttering words that revealed deep malice.

Upon hearing this, Madara Uchiha gave Black Zetsu a deep look.