Chapter 282: Two Men with Hidden Agendas
"Use as many as you want."
Madara waved his hand dismissively. He was well aware of his ally’s creativity.
The few hundred White Zetsu he had previously provided to Kabuto had already allowed the concentration of Hashirama’s cells within his body to increase once again.
His physical strength and chakra reserves had both risen to a new level.
Whenever Madara supplied Kabuto with research materials, Kabuto always produced results.
Madara would gladly hand over every single White Zetsu to him if it meant continuously strengthening his body and increasing his chakra.
"However... if Edo Tensei is released, I won’t be able to obtain senjutsu chakra anymore."
Madara had previously devised a method whereby Hashirama would gather natural energy and form senjutsu chakra, which Madara could then absorb due to their compatible origins, effectively granting himself an endless source of senjutsu chakra.
But now Kabuto wanted to release Hashirama’s Edo Tensei.
That meant Madara would lose access to that source of senjutsu chakra.
He wouldn’t merely lose Hashirama as a combat asset.
His own power would suffer a significant decline as well.
Even with all that strength, he had still been unable to defeat Ning Feng.
Now that he was losing so much more, his chances would only become worse.
"Perhaps we should find more powerful shinobi to revive through Edo Tensei?"
Kabuto seemed to sense Madara’s concerns and offered the suggestion tentatively.
The longer Madara and Ning Feng remained locked in conflict, the better.
Ideally, they would continue fighting until he completely uncovered the sources of both men’s power.
Then he could crush them both and become the next Sage of Six Paths himself.
As for now...
Though Kabuto had great confidence in his own strength, when facing monsters like Ning Feng and Madara, he understood the likely outcome.
He would lose. Without question.
While controlling Hashirama during his battle with Ning Feng, Kabuto had instinctively realized something.
Ning Feng.
Madara.
Hashirama Senju.
The three of them existed on a level entirely separate from the rest of the ninja world.
Even if Kabuto had already climbed to the summit among ordinary shinobi, he still wasn’t their equal.
"Other powerful shinobi?"
Madara scoffed disdainfully.
Besides Hashirama Senju...
Who else deserved to be called powerful?
Unlike Kabuto, Madara understood clearly that no other shinobi could interfere in a battle between himself and Ning Feng.
No matter how many weaker shinobi arrived, they would amount to nothing more than a single slash from Ning Feng’s Susanoo.
At their level, anyone a full tier below them couldn’t even withstand their most casual attacks.
That was why Madara had never encouraged Kabuto to send other Edo Tensei shinobi into battle.
Even the Second Hokage was ultimately insignificant.
The only reason Tobirama had participated at all was because Flying Thunder God could restrict some of Ning Feng’s space-time techniques.
As for the others?
The aftershocks from a battle involving Madara, Hashirama, and Ning Feng would be enough to gravely injure them.
Ning Feng could simply seal them away afterward.
In the end, the resurrected shinobi would accomplish nothing before being sealed.
That would merely weaken Madara’s side even further.
"Speed up the White Zetsu research."
A sharp light flashed in Madara’s eyes.
The pressure against Ning Feng couldn’t be allowed to stop, not even for a moment.
It was only a matter of time before this base was discovered as well.
Although Obito didn’t know about this particular hideout, he had lived in numerous other bases before.
He understood their habits and methods well enough to identify likely locations.
If Ning Feng tracked them down here, Madara wasn’t confident he could escape once surrounded.
"Understood."
Kabuto responded with a slight smile before turning and heading toward his laboratory.
He wanted the research to proceed faster than anyone.
The sooner it advanced, the sooner his own body could be enhanced.
As for strengthening Madara...
All Kabuto was really doing was awakening the dormant Hashirama cells already hidden within him.
Even without intervention, those cells would eventually awaken on their own.
Madara’s strength would increase regardless.
What surprised Kabuto most was how perfectly compatible Madara was with Hashirama’s cells.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of rejection.
"If only the tailed beasts inside Ning Feng could be brought here..."
Madara took a deep breath and turned toward the Gedo Statue.
The massive figure now stood dormant and lifeless.
Among its ten raised fingers, only the second finger glowed.
Meaning only the Two-Tails had been sealed within.
None of the other tailed beasts had been added.
As a result, the Gedo Statue under Madara’s control was pitifully weak, possessing less than one percent of the Ten-Tails’ true power.
"The Rain Shadow has begun a large-scale search of his country’s hidden bases."
Suddenly, a black figure emerged from the ground.
Half of its body rose from the earth.
Black Zetsu.
"That bastard..."
Madara’s face twitched.
Ning Feng was truly ruthless.
The war had only just ended, and he had already begun sweeping through hidden strongholds across the Land of Rain.
He was determined to wipe Madara out completely.
If Madara had attempted to hide in one of the Rain Country bases and play the game of hiding in plain sight...
He would probably be fleeing for his life right now.
"Kabuto Yakushi has been acting somewhat suspicious lately as well."
Black Zetsu spoke again, suspicion visible on his face.
"Let him."
Madara shrugged indifferently.
"He’s a minor player. He won’t amount to anything."
Kabuto possessed no bloodline limit.
Even after learning Perfect Sage Mode at Ryūchi Cave, he had merely transformed from an ant into a slightly larger ant.
In Madara’s eyes, Kabuto’s only value was Edo Tensei.
It could clean up the battlefield and keep lesser nuisances from interfering with his fights.
Besides...
The White Zetsu research had unexpectedly benefited Madara himself.
At the moment, discarding such a useful pawn would be foolish.
Even when Obito had still been loyal, someone this useful shouldn’t have been abandoned so early.
Now that Obito had defected, Madara had one less piece to work with.
"The man truly has a remarkable ability to gather followers."
Madara pressed a hand against his forehead and sighed.
He knew quite a bit about the forces under Ning Feng’s command.
Most of the Uchiha clan members capable of using Susanoo hadn’t even participated in the war.
And nearly all of them maintained good relationships with Ning Feng.
"Once Kabuto has served his purpose..."
A cold gleam appeared in Madara’s eyes.
"...we should find an opportunity to dispose of him."
"A man with ambitions that large can’t be left sitting behind us as a future threat."
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