Chapter 586 I am Uchiha Madara

For Muzuki, being promoted from an Anbu squad leader to a captain, with no subordinates, the only tangible change was that his Anbu office became larger.

Now, Muzuki had a large office, much like Sarutobi Masanari’s.

“Yamanaka Yoshiteru, Aoyama Hiromi…” Muzuki flipped through the sensory Ninja data given by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Perhaps due to the Yamanaka Clan’s long-term practice of special secret techniques, Muzuki found that many Ninja from the Yamanaka Clan possessed sensory talent.

Muzuki recalled the corresponding panels for each name, ticking off the names of Ninja he thought might be able to learn Kenbunshoku Haki.

As Muzuki reviewed the data, he skipped all sensory Ninja with the surname Hyuga.

Due to the existence of the Byakugan Bloodline Limit, strictly speaking, all members of the Hyuga Clan could be sensory Ninja.

It was perfectly fine for Obito and Shisui, who had the Sharingan, to learn Kenbunshoku Haki, because Kenbunshoku Haki could not only be used as a sensory Ninjutsu but also detect attacks outside of visual range.

The Byakugan had no such need; the Byakugan itself already possessed excellent sensory Ninjutsu capabilities while also providing a 360-degree field of vision.

Given the significant overlap in abilities, unless Kenbunshoku Haki was cultivated to a certain level, it wasn’t very necessary for Ninja with the Byakugan.

After selecting twenty individuals, Muzuki had Anbu send the list to Hiruzen Sarutobi for approval.

Many of the Ninja he chose worked in various departments, such as the sensory analysis team, so Muzuki couldn’t just tell them to stop working and train with him; procedures had to be followed.

Moreover, with so many people, it would be troublesome for Muzuki to notify them one by one himself, as he was an Anbu captain after all.

However, Muzuki estimated that the final number might exceed the twenty on his list.

Firstly, the list included Anbu members but no Root members, and Danzo Shimura would certainly want his subordinates to master Kenbunshoku Haki, so he would likely add at least two or three.

Secondly, if other high-ranking officials or major clans learned of the news, they would very likely use their connections to get people in to learn.

After all, the ability to sense malice was indeed very useful.

Events unfolded as Muzuki expected.

That same evening, Muzuki received a message from Danzo Shimura, instructing him to go to the Root Base.

“Muzuki, why are there no Root Ninja on the Kenbunshoku Haki training list?” Danzo Shimura asked, looking at Muzuki with a gloomy expression.

He hadn’t specifically mentioned this to Muzuki last time because he felt Muzuki wouldn’t need a reminder and would handle it properly.

Seeing the final result, Danzo Shimura felt a sense of betrayal.

Because Muzuki’s situation was very special now, often spending more time in the Hokage Office than at the Root Base, Danzo Shimura was very worried that Muzuki would be corrupted by the benefits offered by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But Danzo Shimura still had no real solution, because what Hiruzen Sarutobi could offer Muzuki was simply better and more than what he could provide.

Muzuki showed a bewildered expression, “The Sandaime’s list didn’t include any of our Root Ninja at all.”

He guessed that perhaps some of Danzo Shimura’s covert actions had been discovered, or perhaps Danzo Shimura had been too aggressive in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi recently; otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn’t deliberately provoke Danzo Shimura like this for no reason.

“What! Hiruzen, he actually…”

Danzo Shimura realized he had wronged his top general, and his expression instantly brightened considerably.

Of course, the anger in Danzo Shimura’s heart hadn’t truly vanished; in fact, it had grown, but the target wasn’t nearby for him to unleash it.

It was only because it was after work hours; otherwise, Danzo Shimura would have rushed to the Hokage Office to demand an explanation from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

“Muzuki, this is half a year’s worth of cultivation resources.” Danzo Shimura stiffly changed the subject, handing Muzuki a scroll.

Although he had wronged Muzuki, Danzo Shimura would never apologize to a subordinate.

He believed it would damage his prestige and affect his subordinates’ obedience to him.

What if someone were to think he, Danzo Shimura, was easy to talk to because of it? That would lead to chaos.

Muzuki gave a few perfunctory replies and then left.

He thought the current situation between Danzo Shimura and Hiruzen Sarutobi was quite good.

Let Hiruzen Sarutobi consume Danzo Shimura’s energy, lest Danzo Shimura, full of vigor, suddenly come up with some world-shaking brilliant plans.

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to control him; I need to find a way.” After Muzuki left, Danzo Shimura sat alone in his Root office, his brows deeply furrowed.

The facts proved that Muzuki had not betrayed him; it was Hiruzen Sarutobi who had interfered.

But now Muzuki had no cursed seal on him and was not consistently at Root, which made Danzo Shimura feel very insecure.

Given Muzuki’s current strength, even if Muzuki betrayed him and sided with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura would have no real way to deal with Muzuki, only able to find opportunities to annoy him a bit.

“Should I involve him in my cooperation with Orochimaru?” Danzo Shimura thought of a good idea.

His close cooperation with Orochimaru wasn’t because they were fond of each other, but because both knew too many of each other’s unsavory secrets.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi were to discover all of their dealings, the best outcome would be lifelong imprisonment.

If Muzuki were also involved, then Muzuki would be in the same boat as them, sharing their success and failure.

“He wants to develop Wood Release, and Hashirama cells are our most important experiment.” The more Danzo Shimura thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

The only drawback of this plan was that Muzuki might gradually shed his subordinate status and become an equal collaborator, like Orochimaru.

This was where Danzo Shimura hesitated.

Even if Muzuki was not consistently at Root, and even with Muzuki’s current status and strength, he had no opportunity to assign missions to Muzuki.

But he was, after all, a subordinate of Sannin-level strength; if Danzo Shimura disregarded all consequences, he could use Muzuki to achieve many things.

“You seem very troubled; do you need to relieve yourself?”

Just as Danzo Shimura was deep in thought, a voice, strange yet somewhat familiar to Danzo Shimura, echoed in the office.

He quickly gripped the Kunai on his desk and looked forward; a person wearing a spiral mask and a long robe had appeared in the office at some unknown point.

Danzo Shimura’s expression remained unchanged, but a colossal wave of shock surged in his heart.

“How did this guy do it? He infiltrated the Root Base so silently, and even my office!”

One had to know that the security level of his office was no less than that of the Hokage Office; for the opponent to infiltrate here undetected meant they could infiltrate any part of Konoha.

“Who are you? How dare you invade Konoha’s confidential area?” Danzo Shimura secretly gathered Chakra and asked with a gloomy expression.

Since the Masked Man hadn’t attacked, Danzo Shimura temporarily refrained from using Ninjutsu.

His office contained many confidential documents, and destroying them would be troublesome.

Most importantly, Danzo Shimura didn’t want to cause a commotion and attract Hiruzen Sarutobi; his most unsavory secrets weren’t here, but there were still things that couldn’t be discovered by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

“Heh heh, there’s no place in this world that I, Uchiha Madara, cannot go.” The Masked Man chuckled strangely.

Danzo Shimura’s pupils suddenly constricted as he listened to the Masked Man’s words, and his surprise grew even more intense.

He finally understood why he felt the other person’s voice was a little familiar: because it was Uchiha Madara’s voice!

Danzo Shimura was born before the establishment of Konoha, so he had met Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.

“Uchiha Madara, he should have been killed by the First Hokage, so why…”

“No, it’s just a voice. It must be a disguise.”

Danzo Shimura had served as Hokage Assistant for many years and had seen many storms, so he quickly forced himself to calm down.

He didn’t believe the other person was Uchiha Madara, thinking they were a disguised imposter with ulterior motives; after all, there were all sorts of strange Ninjutsu in the Ninja World, and disguising a voice wasn’t too outrageous.

If Uchiha Madara were alive, why didn’t he attack Konoha again after Senju Hashirama died?

Even if Uchiha Madara were still alive, so much time had passed; Uchiha Madara should now be a frail old man and shouldn’t be able to easily infiltrate his Root.

“Uchiha Madara, you are not a Konoha Ninja now. What is your purpose in coming to Konoha?” Danzo Shimura didn’t expose the other’s identity but instead went along with it.

It was just a name; Danzo Shimura didn’t want to argue with the other party; he wanted to extract information from the Masked Man.

“You very much desire the sage art inheritance and the Rinnegan, don’t you?” The Masked Man looked at Danzo Shimura with a smile.

Danzo Shimura’s heart tightened; he hadn’t expected this “Uchiha Madara” to even know about Root’s operations in the Land of Rain.

“Does Root have his spies, or does he possess stronger intelligence in the Land of Rain than Root?” Danzo Shimura mused.

Having a spy within a secretive department like Root was a very serious matter.

“That’s also what I want. Cooperate with me; the Rinnegan will be mine, and we’ll share the sage art inheritance,” the Masked Man continued.

Danzo Shimura immediately wanted to refuse. He only allowed others to work for him; he would never work for someone else.

However, Danzo Shimura held back because the Masked Man’s words contained something that interested him.

“What is the sage art inheritance? How will we share it?” Danzo Shimura asked, suppressing his inner emotions.

He had been trying to investigate the sage art inheritance, but he hadn’t found anything conclusive yet.

“The sage art inheritance is currently Sōsuke, or rather, the Ninshu knowledge in his mind.

A person who suddenly appeared, mastering Chakra Nature Transformation of seven attributes at a young age, and effortlessly using various Ninjutsu—do you think he cultivated normally?” The Masked Man looked at Danzo Shimura with a smile.

Danzo Shimura shook his head; he certainly didn’t believe Sōsuke cultivated it himself.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, at Sōsuke’s age, was not as proficient as Sōsuke. But putting aside Muzuki, who had only recently risen, Hiruzen Sarutobi was already Konoha’s second genius, a super genius whom even their teacher, Senju Tobirama, admitted inferiority to.

Moreover, Sōsuke’s background was blank before he appeared in the Land of Rain, and he didn’t belong to any major Ninja power.

One must know that advanced Ninja knowledge is monopolized. Could it be that Sōsuke comprehended all that Ninja knowledge himself? If so, Danzo Shimura would truly have to suspect that he was the reincarnation of the Six Paths Sage.

“Sōsuke’s secret to his strength lies in his memories. As long as he can be killed, I have a method to completely extract all his memories, regardless of any protective measures,” the Masked Man said with a profound expression.

“No, with your methods, what if you have a contingency plan? Won’t I end up with nothing?

Cooperation is possible, but the condition changes: the Rinnegan goes to me. Once I confirm that the sage art inheritance you share is fine, I will give you one Rinnegan,” Danzo Shimura said after thinking.

Even if the opponent was a fake Uchiha Madara, Danzo Shimura would cooperate with him if he could obtain the Rinnegan and the sage art inheritance.

The sage art inheritance was a secret that could create top-tier powerhouses, and the Rinnegan was the eye of the legendary Creator Sage. Both could greatly enhance Danzo Shimura’s strength.

Danzo Shimura saw hope of surpassing Hiruzen Sarutobi.

From childhood to adulthood, whether in strength or status, he had always lost to Hiruzen Sarutobi. He would not give up any hope of surpassing him.

“I want both Rinnegan. As compensation, I can grant you Wood Release.”

As he spoke, the Masked Man gathered Chakra, and a small tree rapidly grew in Danzo Shimura’s office.

“Wood Release!” Danzo Shimura could no longer maintain his composure, looking at the Masked Man with shock.

While the sage art inheritance and the Rinnegan were also excellent, for him at present, they were merely intangible promises, visible but unreachable.

Now, the Masked Man had demonstrably used Wood Release right before him.

“Who exactly is he! Why does he have Wood Release? Is it also a Hashirama cells experiment, and it succeeded?” Danzo Shimura’s mind raced.

Although Danzo Shimura also had a Wood Release Ninja under his command, the abilities of a subordinate and one’s own mastery were two different things.

Moreover, if the Masked Man had truly completely deciphered Hashirama cells, then he would possess the ability to mass-produce Wood Release Ninja. The thought alone filled Danzo Shimura with dread—rows upon rows of giant Wood Golems appearing on the battlefield.

At this moment, Danzo Shimura suddenly felt that the opponent might indeed be Uchiha Madara, an Uchiha Madara who had found a way to extend his life.

Because if the Masked Man was Uchiha Madara, then everything he displayed made sense.

His powerful strength, capable of disregarding Konoha’s great barrier and easily infiltrating Root, and the super power that might be hidden behind him.

“Alright, but I have one condition: before you help me master Wood Release, if we obtain the Rinnegan, I must hold one Rinnegan. Once I possess Wood Release, I will return the Rinnegan to you,” Danzo Shimura replied after consideration.

Danzo Shimura didn’t want to give up the Rinnegan, but compared to the Rinnegan, whose enhancement effect was unknown, the powerful Wood Release was definitely more practical.

Of course, the main reason was that Danzo Shimura was passive in this transaction.

He didn’t know the Masked Man’s true identity, nor what power the Masked Man possessed, yet the Masked Man could silently sneak into his office.

If given the chance, Danzo Shimura would still try to achieve a scenario where he got everything.

After all, this was the legendary Sage’s Eye. Just by observing the Masked Man’s obsession with the Rinnegan, one could tell its extraordinary nature.

If the Rinnegan wasn’t strong enough, would the Masked Man be so kind as to compensate him with Wood Release?

“How do we cooperate?” Danzo Shimura asked, suppressing the various chaotic thoughts in his mind.

The most important thing now was to cooperate to take down Sōsuke and Nagato; otherwise, everything would be empty talk.

“What you need to do now is to strengthen your forces in the Land of Rain as much as possible, and if necessary, use Konoha’s power to attack the Shinobi Sect. You will receive a message when it’s time for you to act,” the Masked Man replied.

Danzo Shimura frowned, feeling that this would make him the Masked Man’s subordinate.

Danzo Shimura thought about the rewards he could gain, and his rising emotions subsided again. As long as he could obtain Wood Release, the Rinnegan, and the sage art inheritance, everything would be worth it.

“One last question,” the Masked Man asked curiously before leaving.

“I may not answer,” Danzo Shimura said indifferently. He didn’t truly consider himself the Masked Man’s subordinate.

“What does it feel like to relieve oneself?”

Danzo Shimura’s eyelids twitched violently. He felt the Masked Man was deliberately saying such words to insult him, and he remained silent with a darkened face.

He had prepared himself for the Masked Man to inquire about Konoha’s secret information, but this was the result?

Seeing Danzo Shimura not answer, the Masked Man showed a regretful expression, pushed the door open, and then silently sank into the ground.

“Is he deliberately trying to interfere with my judgment? Who exactly is he…” Sensing the opponent’s aura inexplicably disappear, Danzo Shimura’s expression turned grim.

Even as a cooperative partner, the Masked Man’s ability to freely come and go in the Root Base without his permission made Danzo Shimura extremely wary.

If he could appear so casually in the Root Base, then he could appear in his home.

If the opponent infiltrated while he was sound asleep, wouldn’t he be in danger?

Danzo Shimura frowned tightly, unable to guess the Masked Man’s identity.

“However, even if you are truly Uchiha Madara, you are merely a weak and aged Uchiha Madara, not the Uchiha Madara who could injure the First Hokage,” Danzo Shimura’s frown relaxed after realizing this point.

If it were Uchiha Madara at full strength, he wouldn’t need to cooperate with him at all. He would simply attack the Shinobi Sect and kill Nagato and Sōsuke together.

Since the Masked Man wanted to cooperate with him, it proved that the opponent couldn’t handle the Shinobi Sect alone and needed his power. Otherwise, the Masked Man could simply enjoy the Rinnegan and sage art inheritance all by himself.

“Should I ask Orochimaru for help?” Danzo Shimura thought of his partner.

Immediately, he shook his head. One more person meant one more share of profit, and he didn’t want another rival for the Rinnegan.

What if Orochimaru was also promised Wood Release? That would be even more disadvantageous to him.

Currently, he and Orochimaru were in a cooperative relationship because he himself wasn’t strong enough, and his influence wasn’t large enough.

If he became strong enough, Orochimaru could be discarded.

The next day, in the morning.

After handling Root affairs, Danzo Shimura went straight to the Hokage Office in the Hokage Building.

The sage art inheritance, the Rinnegan, and Wood Release were all very tempting, but the tangible benefits of subordinates with Kenbunshoku Haki were within reach, and Danzo Shimura couldn’t abandon them.

The wooden door was first violently pushed open, and then the Anbu outside vaguely heard a fierce discussion.

After the discussion faded, ending with a loud slam of the door, Danzo Shimura walked out of the Hokage Office.