Chapter 237: Ch-237 Expecting Someone Getting Someone Else.

Kabuto immediately became aware of Black Zetsu’s arrival. After all, a coffin of that size did not simply appear inside one’s research room without drawing attention. He straightened slightly, his gaze shifting toward the source.

Black Zetsu looked at Kabuto and spoke evenly.

"Inside this coffin is the body of the real Uchiha Madara. I want you to reanimate him. Can you do it?"

Hearing this, Kabuto’s eyes flickered with interest as he asked,

"What condition is the body in?"

"The body is mostly preserved and has not decayed much," Black Zetsu replied calmly. "You can see it for yourself."

Kabuto approached the coffin and looked down at the aged body of Uchiha Madara lying within. As his eyes traced the form before him, a sharp gleam appeared behind his glasses—excitement mixed with the unmistakable madness of a scientist confronting something extraordinary.

He turned back toward Black Zetsu and asked,

"Then what about the man outside? Isn’t he Uchiha Madara?"

Black Zetsu let out a low chuckle.

"With your intelligence and research, you should already be well aware of the truth. To the world, Uchiha Madara died at the hands of Senju Hashirama—but in reality, he did not." His voice grew darker. "That death was part of a far greater plan. Even the one who is currently pretending to be Uchiha Madara is merely a piece of that plan."

There was a brief pause.

"However," Black Zetsu continued, "it seems that he is beginning to stray beyond his intended role. That is why Uchiha Madara’s true presence has become necessary."

After hearing these words, Kabuto’s lips slowly curved into a smile.

"And you aren’t afraid," he asked softly, "that I might reveal all of this to the one calling himself Uchiha Madara?"

Black Zetsu replied without hesitation.

"You won’t."

Kabuto raised an eyebrow.

"Because," Black Zetsu continued, "you want to work on this body. You want to bring Uchiha Madara back." His voice carried quiet certainty. "If you succeed, you will witness what a peak ninja truly is—what the absolute pinnacle of a shinobi in this world looks like."

Kabuto’s smile widened, his eyes gleaming behind his glasses.

As soon as Kabuto heard this, he let out a low chuckle.

"You know me very well," he said, a dangerous glint shining in his eyes. "Don’t worry. I promise you this—I will not only reanimate Uchiha Madara, but I will do so at his peak." He paused, his smile widening unnaturally. "No... not his peak. I will surpass it."

Seeing the crazed expression on Kabuto’s face, Black Zetsu merely shook his head and said nothing further. Using the Mayfly Technique, his body sank into the ground, disappearing completely as he left the room.

Kabuto remained behind and carefully took possession of Uchiha Madara’s body, his thoughts already racing with possibilities. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

...

Elsewhere in Land of Iron, on the Samurai Bridge, Danzo lay in ambush along with his few remaining Root operatives, silently waiting for Tsunade to pass through. The plan was simple—once she arrived, he would eliminate her.

After the exposure of the Konoha elders, Danzo had been stripped of all his positions. Most of his Root had already been disbanded and absorbed into the ANBU under the Hokage’s authority. In the end, fearing that he might rebel with the ROOT ninjas under his control, Tsunade had restricted his movements and effectively left him isolated.

But how could Danzo ever be content with the status quo?

He still desired the position of Hokage, and he intended to claim it by any means necessary. At present, there was only one path left to him—to kill Tsunade and somehow frame Inoiki as the one responsible.

As Danzo lay in wait, eyes fixed on the path ahead, fate quietly shifted its course.

He was expecting Tsunade.

Instead, the figures that emerged were Sasuke Uchiha and the members of Taka.

Danzo straightened slightly, his single visible eye narrowing as he took in Sasuke and his companions. His gaze lingered on Sasuke, cold and calculating.

"The last remnant of the Uchiha," Danzo said slowly. "I wasn’t expecting you to appear here. But since you’ve delivered yourself directly before me..." His voice dropped, filled with killing intent. "I will eliminate you today—a hidden danger to Konoha—once and for all."

As soon as Danzo spoke those words, the Root shinobi did not need any further orders. That was the signal they had been waiting for. In an instant, they moved—bodies blurring as they rushed forward at high speed, converging on Sasuke from multiple directions.

Sasuke already had his Sharingan active. His eyes tracked every incoming Root ninja with cold precision. Though they were fast, their movements were clear to him—predictable.

"Chidori," he said calmly.

Lightning erupted around him as he unsheathed his sword, chakra surging along the blade in violent arcs. The ground beneath his feet cracked as he vanished from his spot.

To Danzo and the members of Taka, all they could see was a flash of lightning—blue-white streaks cutting through the space between the Root shinobi. The sound came next, sharp and piercing, like tearing metal.

Then, in the next moment, Sasuke reappeared—standing calmly behind the Root ninjas, his back to them, directly facing Danzo.

One by one, the Root shinobi froze.

Blood burst forth from deep, precise cuts—some across their chests, others at the corners of their necks, and some cleanly severing their throats. Lightning still crawled across their bodies, crackling violently as their muscles stiffened from the lingering Chidori chakra. Their weapons slipped from their hands as their bodies collapsed to the ground.

Silence followed.

Danzo’s lone eye narrowed sharply.

Such speed... he thought. I couldn’t follow a single one of his movements.

In that instant, Danzo understood—this would not be easy. Not like before.

The members of Taka felt it as well. Even they had failed to track Sasuke’s movements, their eyes barely catching flashes of lightning before it was over. Sasuke had always been fast—but this was different.

His speed had improved significantly.

It was clear now.

Sasuke’s control over Chidori had reached an entirely new level.

Danzo spoke sharply, his voice cutting through the tension.

"Torune. Fu. Cover me."

The moment the order left his mouth, Danzo began unsealing the locks on his right arm, one after another. As the seals loosened, Torune and Fu moved in perfect coordination, launching their attack on Sasuke.

Torune charged in first, engaging Sasuke in close combat, his sword flashing as he closed the distance. Fu remained behind, forming hand seals as he activated the Mind Body Switch Technique, attempting to strike Sasuke from afar by attacking his consciousness directly. Torune, as the host of nano-sized poisonous insects, was ideally suited for close-quarters combat—every exchange carried the risk of instant contamination.

Sasuke was well aware that both of them were elite shinobi. He had no intention of taking unnecessary risks. More importantly, he wanted to deal with them quickly so he could focus on Danzo. Wasting time on Danzo’s subordinates was not part of his plan.

Without hesitation, Sasuke sheathed his sword. His Sharingan shifted into the Mangekyo Sharingan, and it was unlike before. At last, Sasuke’s Mangekyo Sharingan had successfully evolved into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

In the next instant, purple flames type chakra erupted around his body, rising violently into the air. The chakra took form rapidly, shaping itself into a towering construct.

A half-Susanoo.

This manifestation was far more advanced than before—a half-body, fully armored Susanoo bearing a crow-beak mask. In one massive hand, it held a burning orb of flame. This was no ordinary flame.

It was Amaterasu.

Sasuke’s Mangekyo Sharingan focused as he activated Kagutsuchi, exerting precise control over the black flames. The orb of Amaterasu compressed, sharpened, and then—like an arrow—shot forward.

It streaked through the air straight toward Torune Aburame.

----

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