Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

In the southwestern part of the ninja world, there was a small country known as the Land of Birds.

Situated south of the Land of Earth, north of the Land of Wind, west of the Land of Rain, and east of the Land of Bears, it served as a buffer zone between the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind.

There were no hidden ninja villages here, only scattered towns and villages. The people lived off farming and animal husbandry, leading peaceful and tranquil lives.

Somewhere in the hilly region of the Land of Birds, there was a modest underground space.

This space was not naturally formed but artificially excavated, with tool marks still visible on the walls. It wasn't large, only a few hundred square meters, and lacked any superfluous decorations.

A few lamps on the walls cast a dim yellow light, leaving the space half-illuminated and half in shadows. At a glance, it was merely a crude underground hideout.

Uchiha Obito had been here for several days. He sat on a stone chair, with several scrolls spread out on the stone table in front of him, covered in complex runes and curse marks.

Holding a brush in his right hand, he was sketching something on the scrolls, pausing to ponder after every few strokes.

Black Zetsu stood beside him. Its black-and-white body looked exceptionally eerie in the dim light. The White Zetsu half of its face wore its usual playful grin, while the Black Zetsu half remained as silent as ever.

Uchiha Obito set down the brush, looked up, and his eyes behind the mask fell on Black Zetsu.

"Where is that guy right now?"

Black Zetsu fell silent for a moment, as if receiving information, before speaking in a hoarse voice.

"According to White Zetsu's report, he has been in the Land of Fire for some time now, but he isn't rushing his journey. He has currently stopped in a town."

Uchiha Obito frowned.

"Why did he stop?"

Black Zetsu answered bluntly, "I don't know. White Zetsu doesn't dare get close and can only follow from a distance. That Byakugan isn't just for show; getting too close means being discovered."

Uchiha Obito snorted coldly, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.

"Ignore him. As long as we complete this step, that guy won't be a threat."

Black Zetsu looked at Obito and remained silent for a moment, feeling utterly speechless inwardly.

'Seriously, man, you're just resurrecting Uchiha Madara. Where is this arrogance coming from?'

It asked directly, "If you do this, you won't be able to use Uchiha Madara's name anymore. Have you thought this through?"

Uchiha Obito's face twitched. His expression couldn't be seen beneath the mask, but his voice carried a sense of absolute resolve.

"It doesn't matter. It's just a name. As long as I can achieve my goal, I am willing to sacrifice everything."

Black Zetsu was even more speechless.

'You were beaten like a dog, and now you have no other choice but to resurrect Uchiha Madara to clean up your mess. How do you have the nerve to say that?'

But of course, it wouldn't voice its inner thoughts.

Having followed Obito for all these years, it knew his temper too well. The more you told him he couldn't do something, the more he would try to prove you wrong. Now was not the time to provoke him.

Black Zetsu changed the subject.

"The special White Zetsu has been cultivated enough. Shall we begin?"

Uchiha Obito took a deep breath, stood up, rolled up the scrolls on the stone table, and tucked them into his robes.

"Then let's begin."

The two walked out of the room one after the other, heading deeper down the corridor.

The corridor wasn't long, only a few dozen meters, ending at an iron door.

Uchiha Obito pushed the iron door open, revealing a room slightly larger than the one outside.

In the center of the room rested a coffin. Its lid was already open, and Uchiha Madara's corpse lay inside.

That aged face looked exceptionally terrifying in the dim yellow light. The skin was dry and sallow, with wrinkles as deep as knife cuts.

Beside the coffin stood a massive cylindrical cultivation tank with transparent glass walls, filled with a pale green liquid.

Floating in the liquid was a white humanoid creature. It was entirely white with slender limbs, and its body surface had a faint luster.

Unlike ordinary White Zetsu, its physique was more proportionate, and its skin was smoother, like a meticulously carved work of art. Its eyes were tightly shut, and its mouth was slightly open, as if in a deep slumber.

Upon closer inspection, one could easily notice a face with closed eyes on the right side of this White Zetsu's chest.

It was the face of Senju Hashirama.

And this White Zetsu was a special model specifically modified for the Reanimation Jutsu.

Uchiha Obito walked up to the cultivation tank, raised his hand, and pressed it against the glass wall. He remained silent for a moment before turning to look at Black Zetsu.

"Begin."

Black Zetsu didn't waste words. It walked over to the tank and pressed both hands against its base.

The liquid in the container gradually drained, and the White Zetsu soon settled at the bottom. The container opened, and Zetsu carried this special model White Zetsu out.

Uchiha Obito walked over to the coffin, lifted Uchiha Madara's corpse out, and placed it on the ground.

Then, he pulled a scroll from his robes, unrolled it, and placed it next to the corpse.

The scroll was covered in complex runes and curse marks—the ritual formation for the Reanimation Jutsu.

Dipping his fingers into the ink on the scroll, he drew identical runes and curse marks on the ground, circle after circle, layer upon layer, densely packed together.

Uchiha Obito drew for a long time, every stroke meticulous, not daring to make the slightest mistake.

Black Zetsu stood to the side, watching quietly without making a sound to disturb him.

After finishing, Uchiha Obito straightened up and took a deep breath.

He looked at the aged corpse on the ground, then at the White Zetsu in the ritual formation, and raised his hands.

"Reanimation Jutsu!"

His hands formed hand signs, and chakra surged from his body, pouring into the rune formation on the ground.

The rune formation lit up, emitting a faint blue glow.

The light spread outward from the center of the formation, tracing the lines of the runes and illuminating the entire floor.

The special model White Zetsu in the ritual formation began to change. Dust and ash rose from the ground, covering it, piling up layer by layer.

The dust seemed alive, flowing and condensing on the surface of the special White Zetsu before taking shape, outlining the texture of muscles, the folds of skin, and the shape of a body.

At the same time, its appearance gradually changed under the covering of dust.

Its form was gradually restored. The facial features became clear, the flat chest broadened, and the contours of muscles emerged on the smooth skin.

Uchiha Obito's hands didn't stop. He maintained the hand sign, continuously pouring chakra into the ritual formation. As time passed, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his breathing grew heavy, but his eyes remained fixed on the figure taking shape in the center of the formation.

Black Zetsu stood to the side, watching all this without saying a word.

Its gaze lingered on the ritual formation for a moment before shifting to Uchiha Obito. As for what it was thinking, no one knew.

Uchiha Obito suddenly pulled a special kunai from his waist. The design of this kunai was different from ordinary ones; the blade was wider, the handle was longer, and the hilt was densely engraved with talisman seals.

He raised the kunai to his eyes, glanced at it, and then violently stabbed it into the back of the head of the figure forming in the ritual formation.

The tip of the kunai pierced the dust and penetrated the skull, embedding itself deeply. It sank in as if melting into water, leaving no wound behind.

Black Zetsu's pupils shrank slightly.

"Uchiha Obito, what are you doing?"

Uchiha Obito didn't look at it, his gaze fixed on the figure in the ritual formation.

"I need Madara's power."

Black Zetsu fell silent for a moment, then smiled.

"I see. To think you were hiding such ambition."

It didn't stop him, nor did it even show any intention of doing so. It simply stood there, watching the figure in the ritual formation, a different kind of emotion swirling in its hollow eyes.

The light in the ritual formation gradually faded.

The dust settled, and a man lay on the ground.

The man was tall and heavily built, with long black hair cascading down. He wore red armor, the metal plates gleaming dully under the light.

His face was free of wrinkles, his skin full, his features deep, and his expression cold and majestic.

His eyes were closed, his eyelids twitching slightly as if adapting to something.

However, there were fine cracks on his face, like a dried riverbed, extending from his forehead to his chin and from his left cheek to his right—the hallmark of a reanimated body.

Uchiha Madara!

He slowly opened his eyes. There were no eyeballs in his sockets, only two pitch-black voids, as deep as bottomless abysses.

He stood up and remained motionless, as if feeling his own body and confirming his condition.

"I see. A reanimated body, huh."

His voice was deep, carrying a sense of authority.

He then closed his eyes and opened them once more.

This time, two Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared in his sockets. The crimson background and black tomoe gleamed with an eerie light under the illumination.

His gaze was incredibly sharp as he scrutinized everything in front of him, sweeping across the underground room before finally landing on Uchiha Obito.

"What time is it now?"

Uchiha Obito's eyes looked at him from behind the mask, his voice calm.

"Konoha Year 52."

Uchiha Madara frowned slightly.

"It's only been four years since my death."

There was a hint of confusion in his tone.

"Why resurrect me at this time?"

Uchiha Obito remained silent for a second before speaking. "There was a problem with the plan."

Uchiha Madara looked at him without speaking.

That gaze was scrutinizing, carrying a unique sense of oppression.

Uchiha Obito didn't avoid his gaze, meeting it head-on.

Uchiha Madara asked, "So, you're saying the plan I set up has been completely derailed?"