Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou [223]

Inside the dimly lit cave.

On a wooden bed, Uchiha Obito lay with a smile on his face, savoring the sensation of his new body. He casually moved his hands and feet, unable to suppress his grin.

"Finally... I've adapted. Soon... very soon, I'll see you both again! Rin, Kakashi..."

At that moment, a pale white figure slowly emerged from the towering earthen wall—it was White Zetsu.

"I just went outside. Things don't look good for that Rin and that idiot Kakashi you mentioned."

Hearing White Zetsu's words, Uchiha Obito jumped up from the bed in shock and exclaimed, "What happened!?"

"They're surrounded by Mist Village ninja..."

The moment Uchiha Obito heard that Rin and Kakashi were in danger, he reacted instinctively. He leaped off the bed and punched the sealed wall with all his strength.

However, with a dull thud, Obito let out a groan of pain as his white arm fractured from the impact.

"Obito, your current body isn't strong enough to break through solid rock."

"I have to save Rin and Kakashi!"

With a look of pain and determination on his face, Obito turned his gaze toward White Zetsu, who slowly unfolded his plant-like body behind him.

"Use my body..."

As White Zetsu slowly enveloped Obito, forming new arms and a stronger body, Obito's expression turned to one of surprise and excitement.

This power!

"White Zetsu, aren't you loyal to Madara? Is this okay?"

"You want to save Rin and Kakashi, don't you?"

Once White Zetsu's body completely covered him, leaving only a Sharingan with two tomoe visible, Obito felt the immense power coursing through his body and his expression became serious.

"Thank you!"

With a powerful punch, a deafening boom echoed as the massive stone door crumbled into rubble.

"The part of me attached to you is my clone. We can communicate telepathically over a certain distance, and my other clones are spread underground to share information..."

As White Zetsu's voice echoed around him, Uchiha Obito dashed out of the cave, leaving behind the massive tree trunk with numerous White Zetsu bodies hanging from it.

After Obito's figure vanished, another shadow slowly emerged from the stone chair—it was Uchiha Madara. Or rather, he had been there all along, hidden by a genjutsu that Obito had failed to notice.

"Lord Madara, the plan is proceeding smoothly. That little girl has already sealed the Three-Tails' chakra. On her way toward the Land of Fire's borders, she was discovered by Kakashi..."

"And Namikaze Minato is already... carrying out his mission. Everything is going according to plan."

After hearing that everything was going smoothly, the seated Uchiha Madara slowly raised his head and let out a hoarse laugh.

"Heh heh, is it about to begin?"

"But, Lord Madara, why did you change the plan at the last minute? Why send another squad of Mist ninjas for the Three-Tails?"

White Zetsu, unable to comprehend human emotions, asked curiously. Madara, however, simply smiled and chuckled lightly.

"Heh heh, it seems that the cowardly son of the Hokage is leading a group of Konoha ninjas in this direction. Isn't that perfect? The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist could use a little more firepower..."

Normally, Uchiha Madara would have shown no interest. After all, the ninja world had lost its appeal to him after Hashirama's death.

But now things were different. With Uchiha Shirou, an exceptional prodigy he had secretly nurtured, Madara once again found amusement in the world. Naturally, he would take some extra steps to make things interesting.

"Is Lord Madara doing this for Uchiha Shirou?"

White Zetsu tilted his head in confusion as he asked. Madara simply let out a hoarse laugh.

"No! I just want to make the wheels of the ninja world spin a little faster..."

He had no interest in waiting idly. He only wanted to accelerate the process, to see Uchiha Shirou, a younger version of himself whom he had carefully cultivated, begin to turn the wheels of the ninja world.

At that moment, Madara slowly stood up. The creaking of his ancient joints filled the air, and a look of disdain appeared on his face.

"This body has decayed to this extent, hasn't it? But it doesn't matter. The flowers that wither in winter are meant to bloom even more brilliantly in the spring to come!"

As Madara's voice grew louder, the long-dormant Uchiha Madara's Sharingan glinted with a long-suppressed excitement.

"I can't wait any longer!"

Moments later, Madara's excited laughter echoed through the cave. He could hardly contain his anticipation for the day he would see his younger version of himself before him, ready to engage in an exhilarating battle.

...

Deep within a damp forest, two figures moved forward with solemn expressions.

"Shirou, this is it. The final traces of their presence lead here!"

Mikoto pointed to the ground with a serious expression. It was clear that their target was hiding beneath the surface.

Shirou's expression turned grim as well.

"They're hiding here!"

This was near the borders of the ruins of Uzushiogakure. It made sense. Kakashi and Rin had been pursued by Mist ninja, so the battlefield couldn't have been far.

After all, Obito had only just fused with White Zetsu's body and hadn't yet fully gained strength.

According to the Mist's plan, Rin, who held the Three-Tails, was heading toward Konoha. Kakashi was attempting to rescue her, which made perfect sense.

The battlefield near Uzushiogakure was close to the Land of Fire.

"Stay alert. This enemy is unlike any we've faced before!"

Shirou warned gravely. Mikoto nodded firmly, gripping her kunai tightly.

The two of them advanced cautiously into the dark cave. Meanwhile, at the other exit of the cave, Obito had already fled.

Due to the barrier separating them, neither side was aware of the other's presence.

After walking for what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the deeper part of the cave. What greeted them was a massive underground palace-like chamber.

"Shirou, what is this?"

Upon entering, Mikoto looked around in shock. The chamber was filled with countless Uchiha clan markings, particularly the ninja tools and massive scrolls adorning the walls.

"These are markings from the Warring States era! This should've been replaced long ago!"

The next moment, Mikoto's eyes widened as she noticed something. She gasped in shock, "Gunbai! That's the long-lost Six Paths ninja tool of our clan!"

"Shirou! This was once used by the leaders of the Uchiha clan. It's also known as the Uchiha Fan!"

It was clear from Mikoto's upbringing and education that she recognized these items as relics from the Warring States era.

"Heh, you're quite knowledgeable, young lady. It seems that brat Setsuna taught you well."

Suddenly, a voice filled with praise echoed through the cave. The pair turned toward the massive stone door ruins, where a figure sat imposingly on a giant stone chair.

Clad in crimson armor, the figure exuded an aura of dominance. Despite only possessing a single Sharingan with three tomoe, the terrifying chakra he unleashed was overwhelming.

Even Shirou and Mikoto could feel the pressure emanating from his presence.

"Who are you!?"

Mikoto shouted coldly, gripping her kunai tightly and preparing to strike. Meanwhile, Shirou furrowed his brow and stared intently at the distant figure.

The Uchiha clan is a family that likes to maintain an air of superiority at all times. This scene looks exactly like the final confrontation between Itachi and Sasuke in the original story.

Sitting calmly and authoritatively on the stone chair, the figure, especially with one hand supporting their forehead, slowly raised their head, revealing crimson Sharingan beneath his white hair, as if he had been waiting for their arrival all along.

However, beneath that white hair, what should have been a withered and aged face appeared surprisingly youthful, though the complexion was unnaturally pale.

"You are—!"

Shirou seemed to have realized something, and a look of shock involuntarily appeared on his face.

"No, this can't be! Uchiha Madara is already dead, but according to my investigation, during the Second Hokage's experiments, Madara's body mysteriously disappeared. And there's also this white mutated creature… You must have been born in the Second Hokage's laboratory!"

Shirou, with an expression of disbelief, seemed to be verifying his theory, and his words almost made Uchiha Madara cough in frustration.

But in the next moment, Madara's face revealed an excited smile.

"Heh, looks like my descendant has a close relationship with the Senju clan, to the point where even these kinds of secrets can be uncovered!"

If not for the current circumstances, Uchiha Madara would have laughed out loud.

The identity of White Zetsu, and his own identity, would be nearly impossible to fully conceal—except from that annoying white-haired person.

Before this, Madara had assumed the other party would discover the truth, then investigate from the descendants of Hashirama.

Unexpectedly, Uchiha Shirou had such a close relationship with Hashirama's descendant that even these disgraceful human experiments were known to him.

Shirou could see that Tsunade must have been the one to reveal this information. The relationship between the two of them had probably far exceeded Madara's expectations.

"Be careful, Mikoto! The other party is likely a mutated being born of Uchiha and Wood Release cells!"

At this moment, Shirou, with a determined expression, calmly observed the figure on the stone chair, and his gaze also shifted to White Zetsu standing nearby.

"Then this kind of creature must be your clone, right?"

Madara wasn't surprised by this misunderstanding. He thought it was perfectly reasonable. After all, there was a natural disparity in intelligence between the two sides.

From White Zetsu's discovery to research, Madara wouldn't underestimate his descendant—or Hashirama's granddaughter, for that matter. He believed that in all these years, they wouldn't have failed to uncover at least this much information.

Wood Release cells, mutated plant characteristics, and his current state all pointed to one possibility: an accident during Tobirama's human experiments!

After all, the disappearance of his body at the time could perfectly explain this possibility.

"You're a sharp one, young man. You've piqued my interest."

Madara's raspy voice carried a hint of excitement as he looked at the distant figure. His gaze revealed a trace of appreciation.

At the very least, from his appearance and the aura he exuded in confronting him, Uchiha Shirou had already exceeded Madara's initial expectations.

Just then, the unexpected sound of metal wires rang out. In Madara's astonished gaze, Shirou raised his hand and suddenly threw several kunai.

Their target was none other than the fan placed on one side of the wall.

"Shirou, be careful!"

The fan, a signature symbol of the Uchiha clan's leadership, was blatantly placed on one side. Upon seeing this, Mikoto immediately called out in warning, fearing a trap.

However, as the wires tightened, the Uchiha clan's fan, symbolizing the leader's authority, was pulled over. As it spun through the air, the Sharingan's clarity revealed no traps on either side of the fan.

With a snap, the Uchiha fan landed in Shirou's hand. All of this happened in an instant, and Mikoto's warning cry was still echoing in the air.

Holding the fan in his hand, Shirou felt its heavy weight and slowly smirked. He glanced at the figure still sitting on the stone chair in the distance, his face revealing a mocking smile.

"Looks like you, this mutated creature, really have inherited some of Uchiha Madara's aura. But I wonder how much of his strength you've inherited?"

Holding the Gunbai, Shirou exuded an aura of dominance, coldly staring at the distant figure, as if to say that fake things will always be fake, even if born from Madara himself.

This act of posturing in front of the real Madara made Shirou even more excited.

At the very least, he was certain of one thing: Madara wouldn't reveal his Rinnegan powers or the Wood Release in the state of the First Hokage just yet.

Being mocked like this, Madara felt both astonished and aggrieved. But on second thought, the other party was using Madara (his real self) to mock him, so there wasn't much he could say.

"This is getting more and more interesting..."

With a raspy laugh, Madara's revealed Sharingan with three tomoe grew even more intrigued. This excitement far surpassed anything White Zetsu could recount to him.

"Oh?"

With a mocking smile, Shirou coldly observed Madara's amused expression. Madara, resting his head on his hand, looked at Shirou's dominant demeanor, which reminded him of his youthful arrogance and couldn't help but smirk.

"Young man, since you've found this place, do you think you can still leave..."

Before Madara could finish his sentence, Shirou interrupted with a cold, disdainful laugh.

"Have you ever seen Uchiha Madara at his peak strength?"

The icy voice echoed throughout the massive cavern, startling Madara. Meanwhile, Shirou smirked, his expression filled with scorn.

"Well, too bad for you. I've witnessed the power of our greatest ancestor through the records of Elder Setsuna. As for you..."

His mocking smile implied that Madara was nothing more than a counterfeit, nearly making Madara choke on his frustration.

Yet, despite his frustration, Madara also felt a surge of excitement. This kid understood him! No wonder he had been grooming him as his successor in secret. From the tone alone, there wasn't even a hint of resentment toward Madara's past actions.

"Oh? From what you're saying, do you think the greatest Uchiha has already been surpassed by you?"

Seeing Shirou's mocking smile, which seemed to suggest he had already surpassed Madara, Madara couldn't help but laugh.

On second thought, this made sense. After all, he hadn't revealed his Rinnegan powers in the ninja world. The clan's records likely only documented his battles before the Valley of the End.

This arrogant tone, using his past self to mock him, made him both angry and exhilarated.

"Young man—"

Suddenly, a burst of firelight illuminated the cavern, and a flicker of surprise flashed through Madara's eyes!