Chapter 160: Introspection & Resolve

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The experiences generated from the dream were beyond Madara's control because they were created based on Ye Zi's memories. Everything in that projection stemmed from Ye Zi's own memories. From the relatively short dream sequence, Madara could deduce that Ye Zi was someone from another world—a world with no extraordinary power system. But how exactly had Ye Zi managed to traverse the barriers between worlds?

Madara's face, which was as withered as tree bark, became even more grotesque as his emotions caused the wrinkles on his face to deepen. After a brief moment, his turbulent emotions settled, and his old face once again became expressionless.

If circumstances had allowed, Madara would have liked to probe for more information. Although he had a firm goal that would not change, his curiosity about this other world had been piqued.

He wanted to create a perfect world. After achieving that, where would he go next? Perhaps, then, he would not feel lost.

Beside him, Zetsu grinned, revealing sharp teeth. Madara's reaction had sparked his curiosity. What could he have seen that caused such a rare moment of vulnerability?

In this relatively short period of time, the eternally dark underground lair had felt infinitely long. The cold, cruel man, who had sat beneath the Gedo Statue for so many years, had never before shown any emotional fluctuation when gazing into the depths of the darkness.

Zetsu, though curious, did not ask. When the dream projection ended, the one who had been placed under the jutsu would wake. So, from the moment Madara calmed down, Ye Zi, lying on the bed, had already begun to wake up.

When Ye Zi opened his eyes, he was met with the familiar darkness, pitch black. After a moment of adjustment, his vision shifted from complete darkness to a hazy grey, giving him the strange sense of both seeing and not seeing things clearly.

He stared blankly at the greyish void, his emotions complicated. The long-held convictions he had clung to seemed to resurface through the memories the dream had stirred. The message was clear: Don't forget your original purpose...

In that life-threatening situation, with the sound of moving rocks in his ears, and the realization that the air was becoming thin, he truly thought he was about to die. For a brief moment, the feeling of shedding all burdens had been liberating. In the mindset of someone who thought they were about to die, a thought crossed his mind:

Why do I have to make things so hard for myself?

Why do I have to carry so much weight?

Even after waking up, the clarity of the dream remained vivid, and it solidified his resolve, binding him once more.

"If I were to let go of all these things, maybe I could live a much easier life. But if I were to easily let them go, I wouldn't be me anymore..."

With that in mind, Ye Zi's desire to return became even stronger.

"You're recovering well," Madara commented, looking at Ye Zi calmly.

The dream projection had lasted for a week, during which time Ye Zi's injuries had healed significantly. Part of this was thanks to the chakra being transmitted into Ye Zi by the Gedo Statue, but another factor was Ye Zi's impressive recovery rate. The cells of Hashirama seemed to be integrating well into his body.

From the moment Ye Zi woke, he could feel it—there was no longer the searing pain that had been torturing his mind before. Although the loss of his arms and leg left him with an odd sense of emptiness, it was nothing compared to the importance of being alive.

Being alive is the most important thing, right, old man...?

As long as he was alive, he could find a way to change everything.

Ye Zi straightened his body, moving slightly, and felt a heavy sensation on his back. It seemed like something was inserted there, gently feeding chakra into his body like a slow stream.

He turned his head toward the side of the bed, barely able to make out the two figures who had saved him.

One was old, the other young. The person who had spoken to him earlier had a voice full of age, so it was likely the older one.

The younger one looked odd—half of his body was covered in sharp, thorny protrusions. As for the old man, he wore a long robe, leaned on a scythe, and had long hair that covered half of his face, revealing only one eye.

Hmm? That eye—Sharingan?

Was this person from the Uchiha clan?

Ye Zi's heart trembled slightly, and he suppressed his curiosity, turning to Madara with impatience in his eyes. "Help me restore my arms and leg."

Madara gently tapped the ground with his scythe and said in a calm voice, "Agreeing to something without knowing what you'll need to do in return? So... are you prepared to pay the price?"

"Of course!" Ye Zi responded coldly.

"Don't be in such a hurry. Your recovery still needs some time."

Madara turned and hobbled over to a large shadowy figure in the room. He placed his scythe beside a stone chair, sat down slowly, and closed his eyes.

Ye Zi's gaze followed Madara's movements. As he tried to make out the large shadowy figure, the dim lighting made it difficult to discern details. However, he could faintly make out that the figure resembled a large, thick tree with several roots exposed. Further up, spikes jutted out, and above them hung what looked like figures—human figures.

Are those... corpses?

Ye Zi's heart skipped a beat.

Noticing his gaze, Zetsu, who had remained silent, suddenly chuckled and said, "Those are artificial bodies made from Hashirama's cells. Though they're emotionless, inferior copies, they're crucial to restoring your arms and leg."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ye Zi asked, turning to Zetsu.

"Didn't Madara just tell you? Recovery takes time. Haven't you noticed that your wounds have already been treated with something? Even producing waste requires digestion. Do you think you can eat food and immediately produce waste? Oh, by the way, can I ask you something?" Zetsu began to ramble.

Ye Zi ignored him again and looked down at his shoulders. There were slight bulges where his arms used to be. So this was the key to restoring his limbs? Could Hashirama's cells really have such an effect?

"Hey, hey!" Zetsu yelled, annoyed at being ignored. "Since we're on the topic, can you tell me what it feels like to... you know, produce waste? I've never eaten food, so I have no idea what it's like."

Ignoring Zetsu once more, Ye Zi turned his attention back to Madara, still sitting on the stone chair, and finally couldn't resist asking, "Who exactly are you?"

"Madara Uchiha," Madara replied, slowly opening his left eye to reveal the three-tomoe Sharingan.

Ye Zi's expression immediately changed upon hearing that name.

Madara Uchiha? The ancestor of the Uchiha clan, Madara? How is that possible? The historical records say Madara died at the hands of Hashirama Senju many years ago. Could those records have been false?

Ye Zi stared at Madara, stunned.

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Currently on Chapter 211 - Sasori Joining the Akatsuki and his Requirements