Chapter 179: Yuto and Madara Uchiha

Yuto pushed open the stone door and walked in alone.

Madara Uchiha, withered and dying, sat on the stone bed, his eyes closed. It was clear that he had hidden his Rinnegan elsewhere.

"You're quite bold, Madara Uchiha." Yuto closed the stone door, folded his arms, and leaned against the rough rock wall. "Your chakra is almost depleted, and death could come for you at any moment... Breathing is probably difficult for you now. Can you still perform the Impure World Reincarnation?"

—'Proposing a meeting with me on your own, aren't you afraid of dying?'

The dim secret chamber fell into a deathly silence. After a long pause, the elderly man known as Madara Uchiha finally spoke calmly: "After I die, you can do whatever you want with this body."

'Impressive...' Yuto thought to himself.

Madara had already guessed that Yuto needed a high concentration of Uchiha blood.

As a transmigrator, Yuto understood Madara's intentions well. This reincarnation of Indra aimed to achieve a true resurrection using the "Rinne Rebirth" and then become the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails to initiate the Eye of the Moon Plan.

Thus, the Rinnegan capable of Rinne Rebirth was crucial to the plan. Even Madara Uchiha had to make compromises.

In the original story, Rinne Rebirth was used twice: once to revive the villagers and shinobi of Konoha after the battle with Pain, and once to revive the Impure body of Madara Uchiha. But now... It seems this technique can be activated even without flesh!

It's possible, after all, Yin-Yang Release is a power that creates all things.

However, should I take the opportunity now...

Yuto's fingers twitched slightly, hesitating for a moment before deciding not to act immediately.

Even in his old and weak state, Madara could still take measures to destroy his own body, which would be difficult to prevent.

"So, Madara Uchiha, in exchange, what do you want?"

"One day in the future, the Rinnegan in your hand must be implanted into someone's body along with mine."

"Then there's no need to discuss. There are still many excellent Uchiha bloodlines, but the Rinnegan is a rare treasure."

"You're right; there are many Uchiha clansmen," the old man said lightly, "but there is only one Madara."

—'How could mere fowl and dogs compare to me?'

Yuto straightened up, staring intently at the old man's face. "Do you already have someone in mind to implant the Rinnegan into?"

"I'm still searching... However, a few hours ago, I created a life. He was born of my will. When the time comes, he will tell you who will inherit the Rinnegan."

'Black Zetsu, that traitor?' Yuto thought for a moment and then nodded.

"A very tempting proposal... Alright." He sat down beside Madara and spoke softly, "I will watch your death and take your corpse."

"Agreed. Before I die, I will remove the traps from my body. This corpse will be yours."

Yuto clicked his tongue in curiosity, "Aren't you afraid I'll break our agreement?"

"While we are speaking, Obito and Zetsu have already left. If something goes wrong, they will carry on my will. Also..." Madara Uchiha paused, saying something rather odd: "You harbor great hatred in your heart."

Yuto closed his eyes, fell silent, and quietly waited for the old man's death.

People with an unresolvable grudge often have a sharp memory.

...

By the time Yuto returned to Konoha, two days had passed.

As he expected, his position as the head of the Anbu went unquestioned.

Work, training—time passed slowly in a routine of these two activities. Winter gave way to spring, and the forest in front of Konoha bloomed green once more.

One day, Minato appeared in the Anbu commander's office.

"Yuto-kun." Minato's lips curled into a smile, with a hint of mischief in his expression. "Your son is here."

"What?" Yuto was momentarily stunned, then after thinking it over, he realized, "Are you talking about... the son of the Fourth Kazekage?"

"That's right." Minato handed him a photograph. The peacefully sleeping infant curled up in the blanket, thin and small. "This is Rasa's third child, named Gaara. He was born during the winter and seems to be in poor health. He was kept in Sunagakure for a while. Sigh, when they sent him off, his mother cried for a long time..."

"His mother?"

"Yes, Rasa's wife. It's said that she survived a difficult childbirth by holding on to the belief that she would see her child grow up healthy."

Yuto: "..."

'It seems I've altered the plot once again. By a twist of fate, Karura and Gaara both survived. Now, without Gaara, who will be the Jinchuriki of Shukaku in this era?'

"I'll go see the child," Yuto said, standing up. After asking for the location, he left the Hokage building and headed for Konoha Hospital.

As one of the "spoils of war" seized by the Land of Fire from the Land of Wind, Gaara carried significant political weight, so Konoha treated him with care. Moreover, with Minato Namikaze's character, he wouldn't mistreat an infant. Gaara, only three months old, was placed in a warm nursery and carefully looked after by nurses.

Through the glass, Yuto saw the child.

He was cute, sucking on his finger, but he was too thin. Beside the crib, there was a plush toy with the symbol of Sunagakure, well-made but looking out of place in Konoha's nursery.

Yuto gave the nurse a few instructions and then left the hospital.

Standing on the vibrant springtime street, the branch family youth suddenly felt a wave of laziness and didn't feel like going back to work. As a trusted Anbu commander whom no one dared to reprimand, he decided to skip work altogether and strolled through the village.

At the end of the street stood the Hokage Rock, completed just last month. The sheer cliff bore four enormous faces, gazing down at the village at all times.

Yuto yawned, feeling bored, unsure where to go.

A few months ago, although he had obtained Madara's corpse, he had not yet begun to create an Uchiha clone.

—Madara was old and weak. Although the purity of his bloodline remained, his body was severely deteriorated due to the extreme use of Impure World Reincarnation and the Nine-Tails' chakra. It couldn't be used directly.

Now, Madara's corpse was "charging" somewhere in Shikkotsu forest. Although dead, the body, having fused with Hashirama's cells, still retained a trace of life force.

As Yuto silently calculated the time, two figures suddenly appeared in his sight.

They wore loose clothes, looked relaxed, holding hands as they chatted and laughed, occasionally whispering something, their happiness evident.

"Mikoto, if our children are a boy and a girl, how about we just let them be together in the future, hahaha..."

Yuto walked over and greeted them with a smile, hiding the strange look in his eyes.

—Kushina's belly was getting bigger and bigger.

(End of Chapter)