Chapter 56: White Zetsu

The Country of Rain, the Frontline Base of Konoha Village In the commander-in-chief's camp, Tsunade stood in front of the map, frowning in thought. After being released by Zenkichi, Tsunade returned to Konoha. However, what she encountered there left her disappointed and disheartened with the entire village. Uzumaki Kushina was under surveillance by Konoha's Anbu and even had her personal freedom restricted. With Kushina's fiery personality, how could she possibly accept such conditions? She had a major quarrel with the village, but in the end, it amounted to nothing. Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had once been lenient toward her, was now firm in his decision to keep her under watch. After returning, Tsunade personally asked Hiruzen and the others for an explanation. After all, her grandmother was Uzumaki Mito, and she'd had a close relationship with Kushina since childhood. Yet, the Konoha higher-ups, including Hiruzen, were adamant that Kushina needed to be monitored. Even though they were her grandfather's disciples, they showed no compassion. Hiruzen bluntly told her that Kushina was an unstable risk. If her lover were to betray Konoha, they couldn't allow such a possibility to go unchecked. Though Hiruzen's explanation made logical sense, it left Tsunade cold. What chilled her even more was the death of Konoha's White Fang under suspicious circumstances. A top-tier combat force had vanished, and Tsunade had her suspicions. After everything she'd witnessed, she had already begun to consider leaving Konoha. The village was no longer what her grandfather had built. It had become a playground for schemers. But still—it was the home of her childhood, the legacy of her grandfather. As much as she was disappointed, Tsunade couldn't stand by and watch it fall apart. So, she decided to stay—at least until the war ended. --- "Tsunade-sama, I have an urgent report!" Suddenly, a voice called from outside the tent. "Come in," Tsunade replied, taking a seat. The Konoha ninja entered with a strange look on his face. "Tsunade-sama! According to the intelligence we've gathered, Uchiha Madara and Zenkichi have both appeared in the Land of Rain. They're fighting!" "Uchiha Madara? Zenkichi?" Tsunade echoed in disbelief. "Yes!" the ninja affirmed. "Our spies confirm it was the Uchiha Madara—known as the Demon of the Battlefield, thought to have been killed by the First Hokage in the Valley of the End." "As for Zenkichi... it's the same one we know from Kirigakure." Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "That's nonsense. Even if Zenkichi appearing makes sense, how could Madara Uchiha be in the Land of Rain?" The Konoha ninja gave a bitter smile. "That's what we thought, too. But the spy said the man looked exactly like the figure carved on the Valley of the End monument." Tsunade let out a dry laugh. "Even if Madara were alive, he wouldn't still look like the young man on that statue." "If he's alive, he should be an old man by now." Boom! At that moment, a massive surge of chakra erupted in the distance. The chakra was overwhelming—on par with a Tailed Beast. "How can one person have that much chakra?" Tsunade exclaimed, her eyes narrowing as she looked toward the horizon. The ninja beside her looked grim. "That direction... is exactly where Zenkichi and Uchiha Madara were said to be fighting." Tsunade stood immediately and barked orders. "Ninjas from the Yamanaka clan and the Sealing Corps, come with me! Everyone else, stay behind!" This kind of overwhelming battle—Tsunade couldn't ignore it. After all, both Madara and Zenkichi were enemies of Konoha. Two monsters fighting each other? This was the perfect time to act. If she could reap the benefits—or even subdue either of them—it would be a major gain. Of course, she wasn't only thinking of gaining an advantage. Zenkichi and Uchiha Madara had left deep impressions on her. Both were essentially invincible. If she didn't seize this chance to act, she would regret it for the rest of her life. --- Not far from Konoha's frontline base was Sunagakure's own base. The Konoha ninja who had just spoken to Tsunade? He was actually a White Zetsu. After absorbing chakra, White Zetsu could perfectly mimic others. In the original timeline, only Uzumaki Naruto, with his unique sensory abilities, could distinguish White Zetsu clones. Given the urgency of the current situation, Tsunade and her forces had no reason to doubt the imposter. While feeding Tsunade misinformation, White Zetsu also delivered the same to Chiyo, Sunagakure's commanding officer. --- "Uchiha Madara... is it really him?" Chiyo narrowed her eyes, deep in thought. "Sister, we should go check it out," Ebizo said beside her. "You're right," Chiyo nodded. "If it really is Madara, we need to know." "Back in the day, the only one who could match him was Senju Hashirama. He was the embodiment of Shura in the ninja world." "But we still don't know if it really is Madara. And if he's still young..." Chiyo paused there, her face darkening. Then she called for the Sealing Corps to assemble. They'd also gathered some intel on Zenkichi. Although Chiyo was skeptical about Zenkichi's strength, now wasn't the time to take chances. She gave the order. "The Sealing Corps and a few sensory-type shinobi will come with me. The rest will stay here with Ebizo." One of the senior officers voiced another idea. "If we received this intel, Konoha must have as well. And since Uchiha Madara was once a Konoha shinobi—who later turned on them and even fought the First Hokage—they'll take this more seriously than we do." "I suggest we use this chance to strike Konoha and gain the upper hand in the war." Chiyo went silent for a moment, then shook her head. "No. Sunagakure is in peace talks with Konoha. We can't afford to act recklessly." "Konoha's sincerity this time is real. We must support the village's diplomatic stance. Remember—winning the war isn't the ultimate goal." A faint smile crossed her face. Konoha was serious this time. They had even sacrificed the one responsible for her son and daughter-in-law's deaths: Konoha's White Fang. How had he died? Much like how Sunagakure's own hero, Pakura, had been sacrificed in the original timeline. ---