Chapter 178: I have a plan!

A dimly lit cavern, filled with various experimental instruments. A man stood among them, still engrossed in his work.

Suddenly, a swirling distortion appeared in the air, and another figure stepped through the vortex.

The man in the cavern was unfazed. He turned around with a knowing smile.

The newcomer casually tossed a mask toward him.

Catching it effortlessly, the man examined it, his grin widening.

"You have what you wanted. Satisfied?"

The masked figure wore a white mask adorned with three hooked symbols. His piercing red eyes locked onto the man before him, his voice carrying a cold edge.

"Your technique had better not disappoint me."

The man's smile remained snake-like, full of satisfaction. "You doubt me? I always keep my word."

Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and regurgitated a scroll, catching it in his hand before tossing it over.

The masked figure caught it, his gloved hand now stained with the slick residue that coated the scroll. He resisted the urge to grimace.

As expected, he thought. I really can't stand this guy.

Pushing aside his disgust, he unrolled the scroll and inspected its contents.

The man continued to smile, unfazed. "You'll find my modifications useful. I trust you'll appreciate the improvements I made."

After a careful review, the masked figure nodded and put the scroll away. "No issues."

The man gave a slow nod, his grin never fading. "To prove my sincerity, I'll also throw in a few corpses. I think you'll find them… useful."

With that, he gestured forward and began walking toward the depths of the cavern.

The masked figure narrowed his eyes before following.

They arrived at a hidden chamber lined with standing wooden coffins.

The man stopped in front of them, turned back with a smirk, and formed a hand seal.

"Release!"

At once, the lids of the coffins shifted, falling away to reveal their contents.

The masked figure's pupils shrank at the sight before him.

The man chuckled.

"Well? Do you find my offer… generous enough?"

The masked figure turned toward him, his presence now radiating hostility.

"What exactly are you after?"

The man raised his hands in mock innocence, his smirk unwavering. "No need for hostility. I simply wish to have a little chat with you."

The masked figure's eyes narrowed.

"What's your true goal?"

The man's voice took on a smooth, amused tone. "I need some subjects. White ones. A few special cells. And, of course, a particular pair of red eyes. I'm sure you can provide them."

The masked figure's stance shifted slightly, his aura growing more dangerous.

"How do you know about that?"

"Who can say?" The man shrugged. "But I do. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?"

A low scoff came from behind the mask. "Hmph. Tempting, but I refuse."

With that, he turned away, ready to leave.

But just as he took a step forward, the man's raspy voice echoed through the chamber once more.

"What if I throw in… this?"

A resounding bang rang out.

A summoning.

The masked figure snapped his head back around.

As the lid of the wooden coffin creaked open, the sight inside sent a chill through him.

Uchiha Madara.

His voice rose, laced with fury and disbelief. His eyes burned with killing intent.

"You! How the hell did you get this body!?"

The man across from him remained unbothered, his expression calm, a sly smile still playing on his lips.

"I trust this makes the deal more… acceptable to you."

He clenched his fists, staring at the body in the coffin in silence.

A long pause.

Then, finally, he turned away.

"...Fine. I accept."

—

In the hidden cavern where his allies gathered, he materialized in an instant, using his power to teleport there.

His mood was foul. He knew he had been played. The trade was in his favor, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that the other man had gained more.

It irritated him.

Just then, a shadow emerged from the darkness.

"You're not going to like this," the voice murmured.

His eyes narrowed. "What now? Another problem with the plan?"

A shake of the head. "No. The plan is on track. But I've found a real threat."

The voice hesitated, then continued, an edge of unease creeping in.

"If my estimation is correct… her strength rivals that of the First Hokage."

His breath hitched. His mind reeled.

"What?" His voice was barely above a whisper. "You're saying she's as strong as him? One-on-one?"

A sigh. "Yes. Madara may need to be revived sooner than planned. And even then… I can't say for certain he'll be enough to handle her."

His hands curled into fists. "That girl… it's her, isn't it?"

A slow nod. "I watched her. She noticed me instantly."

His jaw tightened.

Was she the biggest threat of all?

His gaze drifted toward the rough stone walls of the cavern. His mind churned.

"...We have to act. No matter how powerful an enemy is, they can't be prepared for everything."

An idea took shape.

His eyes snapped open.

"I have a plan."

-----+

"I have a plan!"

The girl slammed her hands on the desk and stood up with conviction.

Across from her, the room's occupants flinched slightly.

Sakiya, still looking half-asleep, had clearly just woken up. Her hair was a mess, with a single stubborn strand sticking straight up. Her wide, unblinking eyes made her appear both serious and completely dazed at the same time.

It wasn't exactly inspiring confidence.

Shikaku and Tsunade exchanged weary glances. They could already tell—Sakiya was up to something again.

But they humored her.

The little tuft of hair on Sakiya's head twitched as she composed herself, adopting an exaggeratedly solemn expression.

"My Eye of Death is the ultimate power!" she declared. "Ordinary humans like you might not understand just how terrifying my abilities are. I could easily destroy the world!"

The room went silent.

Sakiya continued, undeterred.

"To be more efficient—to obliterate our enemies under the divine light of the Five Eyes of Death—I have created a technique. A technique so revolutionary, it will change everything!"

She paused dramatically.

Silence.

Her eyes flicked to her audience, as if waiting for them to take the bait.

Go on, ask me about it! Her expression practically screamed.

Shikaku sighed, glancing toward Tsunade and Raikage, who both gave him a look that clearly said, You deal with her.

Resigned, he finally asked, "Alright… what exactly is the 'Apostle Beacon'? And how difficult is it to learn?"

Sakiya smirked, her entire demeanor shifting into one of pure triumph.

"I'm so glad you asked!" she said smugly. "The Believer's Cursor is my greatest invention! A technique crafted with the highest level of intelligence, created solely to protect humanity! Those who believe in the light shall be saved!"

Without waiting for a response, she immediately launched into a demonstration.

Her fingers moved rapidly through a series of intricate hand seals.

"Hai—Zi—Shen—Wei—Shan—Mao—Si!"

She struck the final pose, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Illuminate the dawn's starry sky! From the ultimate source, summon the judgment of the Eye of Death!"

A glowing symbol flared to life on the desk.

The next instant, a blinding light erupted from the rune.

The entire room was consumed in a white void.

"Gah!" Tsunade and the others recoiled, momentarily blinded.

Raikage, however, reacted as expected.

"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" he roared.

Sakiya quickly cut off the chakra flow.

The overwhelming brightness faded, and the room slowly returned to normal.

Except… it wasn't exactly normal.

The desk in front of her was now scorched, the intricate rune burned into its surface. Smoke curled up from the blackened marks.

Tsunade and Raikage turned to glare at Sakiya, their expressions dark.

Sakiya, still grinning, took a step back.

"...So? Pretty cool, right?"

Tsunade eyed the stubborn tuft of hair sticking up from Sakiya's head. She had the sudden urge to grab it and yank it.

Sakiya, noticing the dangerous looks from both Tsunade and Raikage, panicked. She waved her small hands in front of her frantically.

"Wait! I haven't even explained how this technique works!"

Tsunade and Raikage exchanged impatient glances before turning back to her.

"Fine," Tsunade said, arms crossed. "But if this is a waste of time, you know what's coming."

Sakiya grinned, raising a finger as if presenting a grand idea.

"You don't understand! This is absolute genius! A plan only a true visionary like me could come up with!"

Tsunade sighed. "Just get on with it."

Sakiya cleared her throat dramatically.

"The technique I just used? That was just a beacon—a marker for me to lock onto."

"When the beacon is placed, the true power of my Eye of Death will be unleashed!"

With that, Sakiya removed her blindfold, revealing her left eye. A glowing, intricate symbol spun within it as she gestured wildly with her hands, as if shaping an invisible apple in the air.

"Everything within the beacon's range…" she declared, "...will face absolute annihilation!"

Tsunade squinted at the glowing spiral in Sakiya's eye, unimpressed.

"Your Eye of Death is kinda flashy," she muttered.

She understood what Sakiya was saying—it was basically a targeted strike system. The beacon acted as a guide, marking a location, and then Sakiya could unleash an attack with pinpoint accuracy.

It was actually a solid idea, considering how destructive Sakiya's abilities could be.

Still, Tsunade had questions.

"If that's the case," she said, "why not just use our standard communication techniques? If we call for a strike that way, it'd be faster and more precise."

Sakiya froze for half a second before regaining her composure.

"You don't get it!" she said seriously. "Only the Believer's Cursor can activate the true brilliance of my Eye of Death!"

"And," she added, "before the beacon activates, the incantation must be spoken!"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "An incantation? That's necessary?"

Sakiya nodded furiously. "Yes! The chant makes the beacon's location even more precise! And increases its power!"

Tsunade stared at her.

Sakiya's face was so serious that for a moment, Tsunade almost believed her.

Almost.

"Uh-huh," Tsunade said, skeptical. "Are you sure it has to be recited? Maybe the beacon works just fine without it."

Sakiya shook her head with absolute conviction. "Nope! Both are completely necessary!"

Tsunade smirked but decided to let it go. She'd give the girl a little dignity.

Besides, there was some merit to this "Apostle Beacon" technique. If needed, they could still use traditional methods to call in strikes, and Tsunade was fairly certain Sakiya wouldn't ignore those requests.

So, for now, she let it be.

Raikage, meanwhile, still looked mildly confused. But since Tsunade seemed to get it, he didn't argue.

And, after thinking it through, he did understand the core idea.

Shikaku, ever the strategist, nodded in quiet understanding. Sakiya's plan had potential—but the finer details still needed to be worked out.

For now, though, they had a direction.

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