I Don't Want Any More Fathers

At the same time, in an unknown location.

A dark figure stood still in the clearing of a forest, under the light of a radiant moon.

It was none other than Black Zetsu, the third child of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.

"How is it possible that Luo Lei has reached such a level of power? It can't just be the awakening of some Kekkei Genkai," he murmured, his lifeless eyes fixed on the moon. "The plan is already being affected... We can only move forward step by step now."

He had been observing Luo Lei from the moment he stormed the Kikyoyama battlefield.

He hoped to understand him, to learn his motivations, and, hopefully, guide him to join his cause.

He had always been in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. But Luo Lei had perceived him almost immediately.

If he hadn't had his own abilities to vanish, he would be dead by now.

Luckily... I managed to escape.

The memory of that moment still sent a chill down his spine. Since then, he had decided not to try to spy on Luo Lei again.

Regarding Luo Lei's abilities, one thing was clear to him: it wasn't a Kekkei Genkai. He had lived long enough to recognize hereditary power, and this wasn't it.

He had never seen similar abilities. It was as if Luo Lei had come out of nowhere, bringing with him an illogical power.

When Madara faced Luo Lei, Zetsu had subtly pushed him in that direction.

He thought Madara could subjugate him, but the result was total humiliation. Madara, the great Uchiha, had been defeated in the most miserable way.

"What a waste..." He thought, frowning with disgust.

He couldn't help but feel some resentment toward Madara. If it weren't for Zetsu's constant help, Madara would have died long ago.

And yet, he still believed he had control over everything.

"Hmph... When the plan succeeds, I'll dedicate a few sincere words of gratitude to him," he scoffed with a cold smile.

Then he turned his gaze to the moon.

He had contacted his mother, Kaguya, using a special method. She had warned him that someone was spying on her body.

The feeling was especially strong at night, and she had asked him to find out who was capable of doing so, even through the seal that kept her captive.

"Who dares to spy on my mother in secret?" he murmured, his pupil-less eyes glowing with rage.

His only wish was to free his mother, and the last thing he needed was another Father in his way.

I'm going to find that bastard... and kill him.

He also knew he had to move forward with his plan to resurrect his mother. If things got too complicated, he wouldn't hesitate to take risks and do it himself, even if it meant exposing himself.

Since the era of Hagoromo, his patience had worn thin. He just wanted to reunite with his mother as soon as possible.

However, Zetsu had no idea that if he truly knelt and called Luo Lei "Father," perhaps Luo Lei, in a moment of whimsy, might decide to revive the Ten-Tails and free Kaguya from the seal.

____

Konoha.

After receiving news of the battle in the Land of Waves, Konoha's top leaders—Hiruzen, Danzō, Koharu, and Homura—gathered once again.

In the Hokage's office, Konoha's leaders stared at the intelligence report with expressions of disbelief and fear. No one expected something so big to happen on the battlefield.

Not only had Luo Lei intervened, but he had decided not to kill the Kirigakure captives. Moreover, he had helped the young master of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku Uchiha, awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

And most shocking of all: Madara Uchiha... was not dead! He was still alive.

After the shock, fear set in. Everyone knew that Madara Uchiha harbored a deep grudge against Konoha. If he had been plotting the village's destruction from the shadows, the mere thought of it made their skin crawl.

"...How do we handle this? What do we do now?" Homura murmured with trembling hands.

For a moment, everyone looked at each other in silence.

After years of leading Konoha, they had never faced such a complicated situation. Even the problem that Luo Lei represented seemed insignificant compared to the threat of Madara being alive.

In their childhood, they had been alongside the First and Second Hokage and had seen Madara up close.

They knew well how terrifying he was, and that was precisely why they had tried to suppress and marginalize the Uchiha clan when they took control of the village.

They didn't want another Uchiha with Madara's power to emerge.

But now, the real Madara was still alive, and worse yet, he had been defeated by Luo Lei.

"Luo Lei was able to defeat the Mizukage controlled by Madara Uchiha. Maybe that means he could also defeat the real Madara, right?!" Koharu finally said, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"No..."

Hiruzen shook his head, taking a long puff of his pipe, exhaling slowly. "You're underestimating Madara. He's a calculating, dangerous man. If he's been hiding for so many years and decided to reveal himself now, he must have a clear purpose."

He paused, staring into the void with concern before adding, "I believe Luo Lei's appearance disrupted Madara's plans."

"It forced him out of the shadows earlier than planned."

Danzō frowned. "You mean that Luo Lei and Madara are destined to face each other?"

Hiruzen exhaled another puff of smoke. "Definitely. Two tigers cannot share the same mountain. Even when the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha had a good relationship, in the end, they faced each other."

"Now, with Luo Lei and Madara, only one of them will live in the end."

Homura let out a deep sigh, trying to calm the knot of anxiety in his chest. "No matter who wins, it will be a problem for us!"

"On the battlefield of the Land of Waves, Luo Lei defeated the Mizukage controlled by Madara. And now the world is beginning to call him the God of Ninjas."

"What will we do when Luo Lei returns to the village? Do we have any plan?!"

Silence

The office fell silent after that question.

With each of Konoha's victories, Luo Lei had grown increasingly powerful; he was no longer someone they could control.

Everyone knew well that the mere idea of Luo Lei's return to Konoha was enough to keep them up at night.

Especially Homura, who had betrayed Luo Lei in the past. Knowing Luo Lei's ruthless nature, any retaliation was possible, and not even if Danzō had taken the blame would it save him if Luo Lei sought revenge.

There was fear, both of Madara and of Luo Lei.

"We'll take it step by step," Hiruzen finally said. "As for Madara, we must stay vigilant. I'll order the Anbu to search for any clues about his whereabouts. And when Luo Lei returns to the village... we'll summon all the ninjas of Konoha to receive him."

Danzō's eyes lit up upon hearing those words. "There are things we simply cannot avoid," he said, nodding slowly.

Homura also nodded, albeit with resignation.

He knew this was the best course of action, but he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that stirred in the depths of his heart.

________

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