Chapter 121 121: Uchiha Madara: You Really Are Trash
Uchiha Obito remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
"There is a boy, and he is very strong. So strong that I can no longer handle him. Our plans have been completely derailed by him alone."
Uchiha Madara raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise in his tone.
"A boy?"
"Yes, Uchiha Taiga. You should know him."
Uchiha Obito's voice was calm, but every word seemed to be squeezed through his teeth, brimming with suppressed emotion.
"He is currently fourteen years old and has already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. Not only that, but he also possesses the Byakugan, the Ice Style Kekkei Genkai, and a Sage Body."
Uchiha Madara's frown deepened. He shifted his gaze away from Uchiha Obito, as if recalling something.
"Uchiha Taiga... the brat from the Yachiko lineage."
His voice grew low.
"I see. Before my slumber, I read intelligence reports about him. A genius of the Uchiha clan, born with a special constitution capable of withstanding the erosion of natural energy."
He paused. "But back then, he was just a child."
Uchiha Obito did not reply. Uchiha Madara's gaze fell back onto him, carrying a sharp, scrutinizing weight.
"You're saying he is now fourteen, and possesses the Mangekyo, the Byakugan, Ice Style, and a Sage Body?"
"Yes."
Uchiha Madara threw his head back and burst into laughter.
The laughter echoed through the cramped underground space, shaking dust loose from the stone walls.
There was no trace of anger in his laughter, only a genuine, heartfelt amusement.
"Hahaha... I see! Has that brat really grown this powerful? Truly incredible!"
Suddenly, his laughter came to an abrupt halt. He lowered his head and stared at Obito, his gaze turning icy.
"You really are trash."
Uchiha Obito's face twitched beneath his mask, but he remained silent.
Uchiha Madara continued, "That brat has been famous since childhood. Why did you repeatedly ignore him? I remember instructing you to find a way to bring him to our side if the opportunity arose. And the result? He still became our enemy."
Uchiha Obito stayed silent, his expression behind the mask exceedingly grim.
He offered no excuses, for he had nothing to say.
Uchiha Madara was stating a fact. He had indeed overlooked the boy, right from the very beginning.
At first, he thought Taiga was just a kid with a slightly unique talent, not worth too much of his attention. After all, he already possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan at the time.
By the time he realized the threat the boy posed, it was already too late.
Uchiha Madara scoffed coldly and looked away. He turned to face Black Zetsu, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"From now on, we consolidate our forces. Do not send White Zetsu to monitor that brat anymore. He has the Byakugan; getting too close will only expose them."
Black Zetsu's voice carried a hint of surprise.
"Are you sure? That brat shouldn't be that perceptive. White Zetsu's infiltration abilities..."
"That brat awakened the Mangekyo first, and only obtained the Byakugan later. I don't know exactly what happened during that process, but he now possesses a Byakugan with visual prowess on par with the Mangekyo. His perceptive abilities are absolutely extraordinary."
Uchiha Madara interrupted Black Zetsu. "Do not underestimate him."
Uchiha Obito hadn't expected Madara to hold Uchiha Taiga in such high regard. His tone carried a trace of defiance.
"How is that possible? How could the Byakugan ever compare to the Mangekyo?"
Uchiha Madara turned his head and looked at Obito, staring at him as if he were an idiot.
"That brat is a genius. Are you?"
Uchiha Obito's body stiffened.
Uchiha Madara continued, "The Byakugan is not as simple as it appears on the surface. You already underestimated that brat, so why would you also underestimate the Byakugan, an eye renowned on the same level as the Sharingan? Who gave you the confidence to be so arrogant?"
Uchiha Obito's expression beneath the mask grew even darker, but he didn't retort, knowing full well that Uchiha Madara was right.
He had underestimated Uchiha Taiga time and time again. The result was losing an arm, having his mask shattered, and fleeing Konoha like a stray dog.
Having said his piece, Uchiha Madara strode toward the exit. His steps were steady, producing dull thuds against the stone floor. His red armor swayed gently with his movements, the metal plates clinking softly together.
"Black Zetsu, what is the situation with Nagato?"
Black Zetsu was about to answer when Uchiha Obito suddenly raised two fingers in a hand seal.
The next moment, Uchiha Madara's footsteps halted.
His body froze in place, as if pinned down by some unseen force, completely immobilized.
His expression shifted. He turned his head and glared at Uchiha Obito, a trace of coldness in his eyes.
"You placed a control curse mark on me?"
Uchiha Obito's voice dropped low.
"Lord Madara, you are not a living person right now. I resurrected you solely to use your power against that guy. As for everything else, I will handle it."
Uchiha Madara looked at him and remained silent for a moment. Then, he began to laugh. The laughter started soft and grew louder, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
"Saving you back then... it seems it truly was a mistake."
With those words, Uchiha Madara slammed his hands together and let out a soft shout.
A massive surge of chakra erupted from his body. The control talismans embedded in the back of his head trembled violently under the sheer force of the chakra, shattering and dissipating one after another.
His reanimated body swayed slightly under the chakra's impact, the cracks on his face becoming a bit more pronounced, but his movements were completely freed.
Uchiha Obito's face beneath the mask drastically changed.
Uchiha Madara shot him a cold glance, turned around, and continued walking out.
His pace didn't falter, nor did it quicken; he simply strolled toward the door at an unhurried, steady rhythm.
His red armor gleamed dully under the dim, yellowish light, and his long black hair swayed gently behind him.
Uchiha Obito stood rooted to the spot, his hands still holding the hand seal, but trembling slightly.
He wanted to activate the curse mark again, but he knew it was useless.
Uchiha Madara's chakra was far too powerful, and his will far too resolute. Hoping to maintain any form of control over Uchiha Madara was nothing more than a pipe dream.
In this moment, he finally recognized reality.
Black Zetsu stood to the side, watching the scene unfold without saying a word.
Its gaze lingered on Uchiha Obito for a brief second before ignoring him entirely and hurrying to catch up with Madara.
Uchiha Madara walked out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the corridor as they faded into the distance.
Only Uchiha Obito was left standing there. His mask hid his face, concealing his expression, but his tightly clenched fists betrayed his intense frustration and unwillingness to accept defeat.
Outside, Uchiha Madara had already begun issuing orders.
"Find Nagato. I need to know his exact situation. The Rinnegan is with him; I must know if he has mastered its power."
"Order the White Zetsu outside to return. Also, get me a detailed intelligence report on that brat. Do not overlook a single detail, no matter how small."
"You will come with me to retrieve the Gedo Statue. The collection of the Tailed Beasts needs to begin ahead of schedule."
Hearing this, Black Zetsu quickly spoke up. "Lord Madara, there might be some trouble regarding the Tailed Beasts."
Uchiha Madara frowned. "What trouble?"
Black Zetsu replied, "For some unknown reason, that brat is also collecting the Tailed Beasts right now. Fortunately, he has only been collecting Tailed Beast chakra, rather than the beasts themselves."
Uchiha Madara's frown deepened. "Does he know about the existence of the Ten-Tails?"
Black Zetsu shook its head. "Probably not, but without knowing the exact situation, it's impossible to judge."
Uchiha Madara scoffed coldly. "It seems I need to go meet this brat first."
"Would doing that cause any problems? With the abilities that brat currently has..."
Uchiha Madara stated bluntly, "If he isn't restricted now, the Eye of the Moon Plan will never succeed. The growth period of a genius is very short, especially since that brat is only fourteen—the prime age for rapid development. If we let him be, I fear there won't be a single person left in the entire ninja world capable of keeping him in check."
"Yes, I understand."