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The List of The "ANBU" Member:
-ar4ngel
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-Goha21
-Cherudim
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"Shhh... shhh..."
Accompanied by some eerie sounds, a strange white figure quietly emerged from a decaying tree trunk deep within a dark cave.
Hearing the noise behind him, the slightly hunched old man sitting on the tree trunk didn't pay much attention. He merely glanced back lightly, then closed his crimson eyes, as if reminiscing about the scene he had just witnessed.
The young man from Konoha, whom he had never met before, seemed to have a look of astonishment on his face in his final moments of life.
At this moment, a casual voice came from behind him.
"If what I saw wasn't wrong, Shino should have perished together with Aizen..."
Hearing this, the old man still kept his eyes slightly closed, as if he had no reaction to the news.
The white figure behind him couldn't help but speak again.
"Madara, I mean, Shino is dead."
The old man slowly opened his eyes, which had turned completely black, and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Zetsu, what are you trying to say?"
Hearing this, the white Zetsu behind him paused for a moment, then sighed helplessly.
"Ah, Shino was really pitiful. As your junior, he died fighting for you, yet he didn't even receive a shred of concern from you."
Inside the dark cave, the old man's expression remained exceptionally calm. Even after witnessing a battle that had shaken the entire ninja world, it seemed as if nothing had happened. He spoke slowly in a hoarse voice.
"You and Shino never got along well, so why are you sighing for him now?"
Hearing this, Zetsu's eyes widened, and he quickly retorted.
"After all, Shino and I were comrades who worked together. It's rare to find someone to chat with, so now that he's dead, of course I feel sad for him. Don't think of me as someone who remains indifferent when a comrade dies."
To this, Madara's face remained expressionless, but his voice was calm.
"I didn't expect you to understand the concept of comrades. That's quite rare, Zetsu. However... since Shino is dead, there's no need to pay him any more attention. Although I have to admit that the kid did well, trading his life for Aizen's. He fulfilled his role to the fullest."
As he spoke, a sharp cold light flashed in his dark eyes, completely at odds with his aged body. He said in a deep voice,
"After all... Aizen Sōsuke, if he had been given more time to grow, he might have truly surpassed Hashirama... or even me! I did underestimate him before."
Hearing his words, Zetsu fell silent for a moment, then couldn't help but sigh.
"To hear such words from you, it seems Aizen left quite an impression."
To this, Madara glanced at him lightly and said hoarsely,
"You must have seen his battle with Shino. Before that, he completely crushed the ninjas from the five great villages, didn't he?"
Hearing this, Zetsu seemed to fall into thought. After a while, he sighed and said,
"That's right... You didn't see the scene at the time. Aizen Sōsuke faced the ninjas from the five great villages like a god. The Tsuchikage, the Sannin of Konoha, the Jinchūriki of Kirigakure—none of them stood a chance against him. I have to say, I still can't believe that Shino managed to take him down with him."
Hearing Zetsu's words, Madara's face remained expressionless, but his voice was hoarse and indifferent.
"That is the power of the Uchiha clan."
"Even when facing an opponent of overwhelming strength, an Uchiha ninja always has a chance to turn the tables."
To this, Zetsu behind him sighed softly, thought for a moment, and then suddenly looked up in confusion.
"If Shino is dead now, how will you proceed with your plans?"
Hearing this, Uchiha Madara's aged face showed no emotion, but a glint of light flickered in his dark eyes. He said in a hoarse voice,
"There are many juniors in the Uchiha clan. We will always find another suitable candidate."
"Right now, the first thing to address is the issue with Kirigakure. After Shino's death, my control over the Third Mizukage has weakened significantly."
"For now, we can only abandon that plan. Shino did mention someone named Yagura to me before. Let's track his whereabouts."
"After this battle, the five great villages will likely remain quiet for a while. This period will be enough for us to formulate a new plan."
After speaking, he slowly closed his eyes.
The white Zetsu behind him, after a brief pause, said nothing more and slowly sank into the ground.
Within the dark, deep cave, there was no more movement.
The path of the strong always seems to share striking similarities—discarding emotions, treading loneliness underfoot, and moving forward indifferently.
Under the night sky.
A gentle breeze blew, still cold, but in the face of the battle that had just ended, it was merely a baptism of survival, allowing people to feel...
That they were still alive.
Under the moonlight, as if in a hymn, all the ninjas wore solemn expressions.
However, upon closer inspection, one could see a deep complexity in their expressions—a weariness that comes after war.
A war that consumed countless resources, where countless comrades died one after another—what did it all achieve?
No one answered this question. Those who had figured it out remained silent.
"Crack... crack..."
At this moment, crisp sounds could be heard from the ruins in the distance. It was the sound of rocks gradually disintegrating and crumbling under black flames.
However, this sudden noise startled the ninjas on the battlefield!
Some even turned pale at the sound, thinking that Aizen might have survived the terrifying attack!
One ninja quickly looked in the direction of the noise and, after realizing the cause, shouted,
"It's fine! It's just the sound of rocks breaking! Everyone, relax, that guy is completely dead!"
Hearing his words, the ninjas finally calmed down, their tense bodies slowly relaxing as they thought to themselves,
"That's right... that guy is dead. There's no need to worry anymore."
For a moment, all the ninjas on the battlefield felt a sense of relief. The two opposing sides temporarily set aside their grudges, no longer concerned with each other.
After all, the biggest weight on their hearts had now been lifted.
Before this, no one could have imagined that Aizen's strength could reach such a terrifying level.
To face the ninjas of the five great villages alone and not only hold his ground but completely overwhelm them—no, it was more accurate to say he crushed them!
That power, which seemed to transcend humanity, almost godlike in its grandeur, filled everyone with fear.
The five great villages could hardly imagine what the world would become if a man with such godlike power existed.
No one wanted to see such an unknown, uncontrollable situation, so they united to resist that man...
Fortunately, although it wasn't their doing, that man was dead.
That ambitious man, who was like a god!
His era of domination was eradicated before it could even begin.
This would surely be recorded in history forever.
And they would be the heroes who protected the ninja world.
Each and every one of them would forever carry this glorious history!