Chapter 161: Hidden Agendas

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Seeing that Ye Zi completely ignored him, Zetsu felt his face turn dark and retreated to a corner to sulk, drawing circles in the dirt. He really wanted to know what it felt like to relieve oneself...

Ye Zi was stunned by the name "Madara Uchiha" According to history, Madara had died at the hands of Hashirama Senju. And given how much time had passed, it was impossible for any normal human to still be alive, right?

"Are you really Madara Uchiha?" Ye Zi clearly had a hard time believing it.

Madara calmly looked at Ye Zi and said, "It's normal for you to be confused. If it weren't for the Gedo Statue behind me supplying me with chakra, this old man would have died long ago..."

Hearing this, Ye Zi fell silent. He didn't know much about the Uchiha clan and had only encountered a few members of it. The information about Madara that he had found in Root's archives was vague, but it did confirm one thing—Madara Uchiha was dead.

However, the reality was that Madara wasn't dead. He had been hiding in this unknown underground lair, surviving all this time by relying on the massive shadowy figure behind him. It was no wonder he looked so old and decrepit.

If this person really was Madara Uchiha, then what exactly did he want from Ye Zi?

With this question lingering in his mind, Ye Zi asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Madara didn't answer the question directly but instead asked, "Do you want to return to your original world?"

The calm words hit Ye Zi like a thunderclap, echoing in his mind. The deeply hidden secret of his origins had been exposed by Madara Uchiha just like that.

Ye Zi's body trembled, and he stared at Madara in shock, even more stunned than when he had learned Madara was still alive.

Madara slowly raised his hand, placing his index and middle fingers lightly on his left eyelid. "The power of the Sharingan is beyond your imagination. It's not surprising that I would know this," he said calmly.

"You..." Ye Zi stared at Madara, at a loss for words.

"I have a way to send you back to your original world," Madara continued, lowering his hand to reveal the crimson Sharingan in his left eye. With the upper hand, Madara used the power of suggestion and manipulation, knowing more than Ye Zi did. He hoped to deceive and lure Ye Zi into helping him achieve his Eye of the Moon plan.

However, Ye Zi did not lose his composure because of Madara's words. Even if the Sharingan was incredibly powerful, it wouldn't be able to see the creature known as Shokui—the being from another world that was tethered to Ye Zi.

From the beginning, Ye Zi's goal had been to return to Earth. He had been pursuing time-space ninjutsu as one method, but there was also a more dangerous approach: allowing Shokui to consume all things in this world, regain its strength, and tear open a portal. Due to the nature of their contract, Ye Zi had never dared to take that risk. But now, Madara had also claimed to have a way to send him back?

There was bound to be a price, wasn't there?

Ye Zi looked at Madara, his gaze steady. "Helping me return to my world—what do you get out of it?"

Ye Zi wasn't naive. Madara had saved him for a reason. As for sending him back to his original world, Ye Zi didn't believe in free lunches.

Madara was slightly surprised at Ye Zi's composure but responded candidly. "If there were nothing in it for me, why would I help you?"

Ye Zi fell silent for a moment, accepting this explanation. Returning to the original question, he asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"Gather the tailed beasts and then revive me," Madara replied.

His words were brief and straightforward, yet the task was incredibly difficult.

Ye Zi's eyes flashed with understanding. Collecting the tailed beasts—it was similar to the method Shokui had told him about, which also required the existence of the tailed beasts. Connecting the dots, Ye Zi tentatively asked, "And how does this help me return to my world?"

Madara's expression remained calm as he explained, "I have the power to open the space-time barrier, but to do so, I need to collect all the tailed beasts and let the Gedo Statue absorb them to assist me. As you can see, I'm barely clinging to life, relying on the Gedo Statue. I can't do anything myself. So, if you want to return to your world, you'll need to gather all the tailed beasts and then revive me."

After learning that Ye Zi was from another world and understanding his strong desire to return, Madara devised this plan to manipulate him. Madara's claim of being able to open the space-time barrier was nothing more than a deception. Even in his full strength, and with the power of the Ten-Tails, he wasn't sure how to send someone back to another world.

Since Madara's explanation was similar to what Shokui had told him, Ye Zi found it easy to believe. Compared to Shokui's natural greed and hunger for devouring everything, Ye Zi preferred to cooperate with Madara. However, whether it was Madara or Shokui, the power remained in their hands, and this lack of control was deeply unsettling to Ye Zi.

If Ye Zi could take control of the method himself, he wouldn't need to be at the mercy of others. Based on Madara's words, the old man was nearing death, which explained why he needed Ye Zi to revive him later. This was why Ye Zi was inclined to cooperate with Madara—once Madara died, Ye Zi would be free to act on his own. If the collection of tailed beasts was truly necessary, Ye Zi might even find a way to accomplish it without reviving Madara, thus eliminating an unpredictable factor.

Madara couldn't read Ye Zi's thoughts, patiently awaiting his response. Just as Madara used lies to manipulate Ye Zi, Ye Zi wasn't an easy pawn either. If he found a way, he wouldn't revive Madara.

If Shokui hadn't been heavily injured and in a state of hibernation, he would have been jumping up and down in their world, pointing out the empty shell of the Gedo Statue and yelling to devour it. He would have been cursing Madara, claiming that he was sealing Ye Zi's fate.

Shokui had been biding his time, waiting for Ye Zi to give up on finding his own way and to seek his help. That would have been his moment to feast freely. But now, with Madara stepping in, Shokui realized that regaining control of the contract had become even more difficult. This was the worst possible outcome for him.

Neither Madara nor Shokui was trustworthy. Both had their own agendas and needed to use Ye Zi for their purposes. Between these two untrustworthy figures, Ye Zi chose to cooperate with Madara.

"I agree. Tell me exactly what I need to do," Ye Zi said after a moment of thought, making his decision.

Madara's lips finally curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "Don't be in a rush. First, you need to fully recover."

Ye Zi nodded in agreement.

Having reached a mutual understanding, Ye Zi began his recovery training with Zetsu's help.

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