'A bit' is an overstatement; with only a D- mastery in your Transformation jutsu, the threshold is quite low. In this Quest, depending on how good someone is at the Henge, a single punch might be all it takes to dispel it, and needing to knock them unconscious is only for skilled users.
By the way, while the 'future teammates' interlude will be attached to the next chapter, I've all but finished a stand-alone Black Zetsu small interlude. Well, let's just say Rin's presence hasn't only caused POSITIVE ripples.
Interesting. Shimura Danzo is approaching Ame – you didn't detect him until he got this close; you might be getting sloppy. Well, you had better have a 'White' Zetsu fetch the body, just in case you get the opportunity. You do not believe that you will be that lucky, but you did not get this far by being unprepared (taking advantage of flukes is also important in a schemer's arsenal), so you will also call for backup from Guruguru and a few more other Zetsu, too.
Oh, Danzo has already arrived and been noticed. Now, let us see how this plays out. Mayfly jutsu!…
Konan is shaking in anger. She says, "what are you doing here!?" Glaring at Danzo with an intensity that makes you lament that she does not possess the (Mangekyo) Sharingan and Amaterasu.
Danzo seems confused by her reaction. He says, "I am persecuted in my village – I left and am now an S-class missing-nin. Does your organization not recruit high-level missing-nin?"
While this is going on, you are also looking through the eyes of a 'White' Zetsu observing 'Madara'… who is trying to keep Nagato's Six Paths of Pain from running to kill Danzo on the spot. Then, another Zetsu arrives, which goes to Nagato's tower.
You latch on to that one Zetsu just in time, after you leave the previous one with instructions of course; Nagato's Paths crossed the line apparently, so 'Madara' has teleported right next to the original Nagato. Unbelievable! You didn't actually expect Nagato and 'Madara' to come to blows so easily without you even goading them, but this presents an amazing opportunity; you simply have to make sure Danzo and Konan will both die, and Nagato should be vulnerable enough to use Rinne Tensei with the right words.
You might have to reveal some things you would have preferred to keep hidden, but you are definitely going to get Nagato to use Rinne Tensei.
In the meantime, 'Madara' is attacking the original Nagato and is grazed by a Black Receiver, which should disrupt his Chakra just enough to help your efforts - sometimes, opportunities just fall into one's lap. Well, about time to intervene.
The seal Madara has put on 'Madara', as well as the multiple Zetsu you trapped in his body as spores a scant nine years ago shine through, and 'Madara' is immobilized, unable to even use Izanagi and any version of Kamui.
Well, immobilized is a misnomer; it's more of a Possession or temporary body-snatching combined with the seal that affects the brain and Chakra network.
"Konan? Konan!" Nagato shouts. Then, you pop up in front of him.
You say, "Madara –the real one– tricked you perfectly, Nagato!" Inserting smug satisfaction into your voice.
Then, you tell him some truths mixed with half-truths and lies; you tell him of this Uchiha he killed being the real Madara's apprentice, and how the fewer S-class ninjas existed in the world, the less potential resistance against him, which is why he gathered them all in one place through the apprentice, who furthered the plan with his death too.
You tell him how the Bijuu being gathered into one place could only bring about Madara's plan. Then, you explain the Ten-tails and why Nagato's plan wouldn't have ever been able to succeed, while giving just enough detail to be believed while not risking your overall goal being discovered.
"Danzo and Konan killing one another was also a great twist," you tell him, carefully not saying that a couple of your 'White' Zetsu made sure that both died – you haven't paid much attention to Konan's combat skills, so her being able to pretty much kill Danzo without dying, even with his also boosted power level, is a bit of a surprise.
Too bad the 'White' Zetsu disguised as random former Root shinobi went undetected and killed her. Also, too bad for Danzo that Guruguru was able to nullify the seal on his body from the inside before he died, with a couple more 'White' Zetsu helping keep Danzo docile while he was dying. Well, hopefully Guruguru won't pester you too much about the bowel movements of corpses afterwards.
Nagato moves incredibly quickly, but is too late. You've already abandoned this shell. He extracts the Zetsu's soul with a touch. He says something about the Land of Ancestors, confused.
You mentally twitch, being bereft of a body. So, your little ploy to keep Madara and Nagato and any other Rinnegan user from discovering your plans worked, but had some unexpected side-effects. Well, you seriously doubt that the Zetsu had more than a small hint of its previous life left in it, so you don't worry overly much.
Fortunately, Nagato shakes off what he found out from 'reading' this Zetsu. He seems to believe that he managed to kill you. Then, he says something about Konan not paying for his own sins.
"Gedo: Rinne Tensei (Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life)," Nagato says and makes two hand seals. That's it. Showtime. You and yet another 'White' Zetsu immediately possess him in his vulnerable position, making sure to have one of the Zetsu put a seal on his eyes that will allow you to summon them, as an insurance of success.
You make sure to shift the target from Konan to the real Madara.
...Wait, what has Nagato done-! He resurrected Konan anyway!?
Nagato disappears due to the Summoning jutsu (the Animal Path?), as does a now living Konan. Madara is among the living again, but Nagato and Konan have disappeared. Well, no matter; Nagato is blind and will die soon enough after reviving two people, one of whom has been dead for nearly a decade and Konan, while a powerful fighter, is not insightful or conniving enough to threaten your plans. You have to give Nagato credit, though; he managed to revive both of your targets instead of only Madara, and that takes incredible determination and willlpower.
Kuchiyose no jutsu! You are glad for the contingency plan now; thanks to inherited skills from Senju Hashirama, it is almost trivially easy to place the eyes back into Madara's sockets. Heck, even Madara himself should be able to draw on Hashirama's knowledge enough to do such a thing, or to learn Senjutsu, or any number of other skills eventually.
You would have summoned Nagato himself to kill him, but all those Black Receiver piercings would have interfered; even if they are normally your domain, Nagato's Chakra has saturated them for years.... Never mind. No use crying over spilled honey, as they said in the Land of Ancestors.
Madara stretches, feeling around his newly rejuvenated body with wonder. He damn better be grateful; you've used both Zetsu and Hashirama flesh to make him as strong as he ever was, and made sure that any remnants of old injuries are no longer there, while his body has the physical development it did when he was in his late teens and will age more slowly.
So, Madara has the injuries he had when he was a newborn (or even fewer, if that is possible), the bodily development of nineteen years of age; even the Mokuton has been assimilated better than it had for the first half of his life, though the process won't be complete for months yet; possibly a few years.
"Madara," you say, "I recommend that you keep the bandages on your eyes on and your Sharingan and Rinnegan off – for obvious reasons," carefully keeping most of the mocking out of your voice.
Madara doesn't appreciate toadies, so you never call him 'Madara-sama', nor are you afraid to mock him a little bit; that might be one of the reasons he so readily believed you when you said that you were his will… heh, fool. As easy to manipulate as most of his clan; when an Uchiha gains your attention, they either dance to your strings, or they die… a truth that Uchiha Kagami learned the hard way. You still laugh when you think of how such a powerful fighter was brought low by your machinations thirty-five years ago or so. Perhaps you should look into his only remaining direct descendant; she sounds like a meddler.
Madara scoffs, but he doesn't make a move to remove the bandages.
In the meanwhile, one of the 'White' Zetsu makes its way to Danzo's body; the research performed by Orochimaru on Senju Hashirama's cells might help with your own exploitation of that resource – it might even help improve Madara's body in preparation of Mother using it as a gateway and allow you to further improve the 'White' Zetsu and their power. Too bad Danzo destroyed Kagami's second eye at some point before he killed the Uchiha, but you have the one you stole and substituted with another (which you then crushed) when Danzo was under the Izanami. Not that you will tell Madara anything about that.
You would have taken the Mokuton arm from Danzo when you took the eye, or gotten modified Hashirama cells directly at the source of said arm, but the former would have been even more suspicious, and Orochimaru is someone you've always been wary of; more wary than anyone else born in the last sixty years.
BOOM!
What in Yomotsu Hirasaka? How did Danzo manage to blow himself up with what might have been a variant of the Clone Great Explosion (not even the ANBU-style elimination jutsu! You thought that the Clone Great Explosion was a young Uchiha's invention!) while in such a condition? Guruguru, you will be missed... a little. Your potty humor was rather amusing. At least the other 'White' Zetsu managed to get the Mokuton arm, so it was pointless, but points for style, no pun intended.
"Tell me, Black Zetsu," Madara says, his body language deceptively relaxed, not even twitching at the explosion, "what has been happening in the world while I was gone? How many years have passed since my death?"
While you are explaining the world's events to Madara, plans for the future unfold in your mind. Madara was revived slightly later than he expected, but to your plans, he came back much too quickly.
... Perhaps you got a bit too impatient. On the other hand, even if this isn't part of your original plan, you are definitely adaptable.
Now, to steer Madara so that he lets down his guard in just the right way, at just the right moment for Mother to be reborn through his flesh.
Yeah, the real Madara is back; some of the most beneficial and/or innocent of actions (Rin telling Shisui to beware one-eyed men, then Danzo being ousted and seeking out the Akatsuki) can also have terrible consequences. That, and it wouldn't be interesting if everything went the main protagonist's way.
This series of events doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, flow logically, or... anything, really.
It stinks of the author wanting Madara to be back, so they contrived this scenario. It doesn't seem to be happening in any reasonable or believable way, and instead is just happening because 'plot'.
This series of events doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, flow logically, or... anything, really.
It stinks of the author wanting Madara to be back, so they contrived this scenario. It doesn't seem to be happening in any reasonable or believable way, and instead is just happening because 'plot'.
Black Zetsu is really good at having things go its way; as soon as it got an opportunity, with Obito nearly killing Nagato and Konan dying, BZ was able to use Nagato's distress to sneak in the 'bring back Madara' command into the Rinne Tensei. Maybe I should have proof-read it a few times more, so it would come across better?
I thought Izanagi could be activated upon or even after death? AFAIK Izanami was explicitly created to stop someone with Izanagi, because it circumvents death entirely. Why would an Uchiha sacrifice one of their eyes for Izanami if it was sufficient to just thouroughly paralyze your opponent?
one of the 'White' Zetsu makes its way to Danzo's body; the research performed by Orochimaru on Senju Hashirama's cells might help with your own exploitation of that resource
Even regular Root agents have seals/jutsu that prevent their bodies from falling into enemy hands, and in Danzo's case the seal also takes everything close to his body with him.
Too bad Danzo destroyed Kagami's second eye at some point or other, but you have the one you stole and substituted with another when Danzo was under the Izanami.
There's no way Danzo wouldn't have noticed that his eye was swapped, especially since Zetsu couldn't fake the exact chakra signature of Kagami's Sharingan. And since Danzo was loyal to Konoha, he definitely would have included that fact in his message to Hiruzen.
Honestly, the "get the Kotoamatsukami and Orochimaru's research from Danzo" feels like a powerup for Zetsu and Madara just for the sake of making them more of a threat, and inconsistent with the fact that Danzo being an S rank shinobi means more than combat strength, especially as he was the commander of Root.
I think the issue is more that, the way you wrote the scene, it seems like Zetsu didn't put much forethought or planning into the situation. Having all those boons just fall into his hands and work out near-perfectly as if he had S++ or EX luck... feels off.
I think the interlude would flow better if you added a few lines where Zetsu considers what to do before acting. For example, right now it reads as if Zetsu revealed secrets he spent decades to keep from leaking without any good reason, and it just so happens to work in his favour.
Zetsu looting first Danzo's eye and later his body is the only issue I have with the actual content since it just invalidates what we know of Danzo. Other than that, the interlude works, though as I said it would benefit from some small additions that show how Zetsu deliberately guided the events.
There's no way Danzo wouldn't have noticed that his eye was swapped, especially since Zetsu couldn't fake the exact chakra signature of Kagami's Sharingan. And since Danzo was loyal to Konoha, he definitely would have included that fact in his message to Hiruzen.
Remember what Shikaku said to Rin about someone destroying the eye? Yeah, it was a whole other eye; with it destroyed, there is no recognition of its Chakra presence.
Even regular Root agents have seals/jutsu that prevent their bodies from falling into enemy hands, and in Danzo's case the seal also takes everything close to his body with him.
Black Zetsu has spied on pretty much everyone of importance; there is no way he doesn't know about the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing. Neutralizing it, at least long enough to take Danzo's arm isn't that much of a stretch. Edit: made an edit to the post, because I forgot to add that part.
Also this:
'The seal Madara has put on 'Madara', as well as the multiple Zetsu you've trapped in his body as spores shine through, and 'Madara' is immobilized, unable to even use Izanagi and any version of Kamui.'
Became this after another edit:
'The seal Madara has put on 'Madara', as well as the multiple Zetsu you've trapped in his body as spores shine through, and 'Madara' is immobilized, unable to even use Izanagi and any version of Kamui.
Well, immobilized is a misnomer; it's more of a Possession or temporary body-snatching combined with a seal that affects the brain and Chakra network.'
Yep. This would all be better recieved if it felt like Black Zetsu had this fall back plan already prepared or that he had contingencies made to already swing things in his favor when certain criteria is met.
Because at the current state, it makes BZ's effort feel too easy and how he could have done all these things whenever he wanted to. Bonus if BZ gets a bit of a line where he goes 'Oh! This wasnt part of the original plan, but I could work with this' or something of a similar nature.
Yep. This would all be better recieved if if felt eithet like Black Zetsu had this fall back plan already prepared or that he had contingencies made to already swing things in his favor when certain vriteria is met.
Because at the current state, it makes BZ's effort feel too easy and how he could have done all these things whenever he wanted to. Bonus if BZ gets a bit of a line where he goes 'Oh! This wasnt part of the original plan, but I could work with this' or something of a similar nature.
Yeah - I didn't do enough proof-reading before I posted it. In my defense, I intended to post this interlude AFTER the next Rin-PoV chapter initially; it's also set after it chronologically.
Will do a few edits to try and improve the quality of this Interlude.
Edit: put a few relatively major additions into the chapter. I have to admit that TimEd made a few really good points, and he's not the only one.
I still think that S- rank Sealing shouldn't just be able to be nullified within moments... and Danzo would rather kill himself than watch as his seal is undone:
By the way, while the 'future teammates' interlude will be attached to the next chapter, I've all but finished a stand-alone Black Zetsu small interlude. Well, let's just say Rin's presence hasn't only caused POSITIVE ripples.
I'm gonna bet one of our teammates will be Sai. Now that Root has disbanded, he'll need to go through the academy like everyone else. According to databook stats he's better than most of our other peers, so a team with him wouldn't be quite so hilariously unbalanced.
Interesting. Shimura Danzo is approaching Ame – you didn't detect him until he got this close; you might be getting sloppy. Well, you had better have a 'White' Zetsu fetch the body, just in case you get the opportunity. You do not believe that you will be that lucky, but you did not get this far by being unprepared (taking advantage of flukes is also important in a schemer's arsenal), so you will also call for backup from Guruguru and a few more other Zetsu, too.
Oh, Danzo has already arrived and been noticed. Now, let us see how this plays out. Mayfly jutsu!…
Konan is shaking in anger. She says, "what are you doing here!?" Glaring at Danzo with an intensity that makes you lament that she does not possess the (Mangekyo) Sharingan and Amaterasu.
Danzo seems confused by her reaction. He says, "I am persecuted in my village – I left and am now an S-class missing-nin. Does your organization not recruit high-level missing-nin?"
While this is going on, you are also looking through the eyes of a 'White' Zetsu observing 'Madara'… who is trying to keep Nagato's Six Paths of Pain from running to kill Danzo on the spot. Then, another Zetsu arrives, which goes to Nagato's tower.
You latch on to that one Zetsu just in time, after you leave the previous one with instructions of course; Nagato's Paths crossed the line apparently, so 'Madara' has teleported right next to the original Nagato. Unbelievable! You didn't actually expect Nagato and 'Madara' to come to blows so easily without you even goading them, but this presents an amazing opportunity; you simply have to make sure Danzo and Konan will both die, and Nagato should be vulnerable enough to use Rinne Tensei with the right words.
You might have to reveal some things you would have preferred to keep hidden, but you are definitely going to get Nagato to use Rinne Tensei.
In the meantime, 'Madara' is attacking the original Nagato and is grazed by a Black Receiver, which should disrupt his Chakra just enough to help your efforts - sometimes, opportunities just fall into one's lap. Well, about time to intervene.
The seal Madara has put on 'Madara', as well as the multiple Zetsu you trapped in his body as spores a scant nine years ago shine through, and 'Madara' is immobilized, unable to even use Izanagi and any version of Kamui.
Well, immobilized is a misnomer; it's more of a Possession or temporary body-snatching combined with the seal that affects the brain and Chakra network.
"Konan? Konan!" Nagato shouts. Then, you pop up in front of him.
You say, "Madara –the real one– tricked you perfectly, Nagato!" Inserting smug satisfaction into your voice.
Then, you tell him some truths mixed with half-truths and lies; you tell him of this Uchiha he killed being the real Madara's apprentice, and how the fewer S-class ninjas existed in the world, the less potential resistance against him, which is why he gathered them all in one place through the apprentice, who furthered the plan with his death too.
You tell him how the Bijuu being gathered into one place could only bring about Madara's plan. Then, you explain the Ten-tails and why Nagato's plan wouldn't have ever been able to succeed, while giving just enough detail to be believed while not risking your overall goal being discovered.
"Danzo and Konan killing one another was also a great twist," you tell him, carefully not saying that a couple of your 'White' Zetsu made sure that both died – you haven't paid much attention to Konan's combat skills, so her being able to kill Danzo without dying, even with his also boosted power level, is a bit of a surprise.
Too bad the 'White' Zetsu disguised as random former Root shinobi went undetected and killed her. Also, too bad for Danzo that Guruguru was able to nullify the seal on his body before he fully expired. Well, hopefully Guruguru won't pester you too much about the bowel movements of corpses afterwards.
Nagato moves incredibly quickly, but is too late. You've already abandoned this shell. He extracts the Zetsu's soul with a touch. He says something about the Land of Ancestors, confused.
You mentally twitch, being bereft of a body. So, your little ploy to keep Madara and Nagato and any other Rinnegan user from discovering your plans worked, but had some unexpected side-effects. Well, you seriously doubt that the Zetsu had more than a small hint of its previous life left in it, so you don't worry overly much.
Fortunately, Nagato shakes off what he found out from 'reading' this Zetsu. He seems to believe that he managed to kill you. Then, he says something about Konan not paying for his own sins.
"Gedo: Rinne Tensei (Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life)," Nagato says and makes two hand seals. That's it. Showtime. You and yet another 'White' Zetsu immediately possess him in his vulnerable position, making sure to have one of the Zetsu put a seal on his eyes that will allow you to summon them, as an insurance of success.
You make sure to shift the target from Konan to the real Madara.
...Wait, what has Nagato done-! He resurrected Konan anyway!?
Nagato disappears due to the Summoning jutsu (the Animal Path?), as does a now living Konan. Madara is among the living again, but Nagato and Konan have disappeared. Well, no matter; Nagato is blind and will die soon enough after reviving two people, one of whom has been dead for nearly a decade and Konan, while a powerful fighter, is not insightful or conniving enough to threaten your plans. You have to give Nagato credit, though; he managed to revive both of your targets instead of only Madara, and that takes incredible determination and willlpower.
Kuchiyose no jutsu! You are glad for the contingency plan now; thanks to inherited skills from Senju Hashirama, it is almost trivially easy to place the eyes back into Madara's sockets. Heck, even Madara himself should be able to draw on Hashirama's knowledge enough to do such a thing, or to learn Senjutsu, or any number of other skills eventually.
You would have summoned Nagato himself to kill him, but all those Black Receiver piercings would have interfered; even if they are normally your domain, Nagato's Chakra has saturated them for years.... Never mind. No use crying over spilled honey, as they said in the Land of Ancestors.
Madara stretches, feeling around his newly rejuvenated body with wonder. He damn better be grateful; you've used both Zetsu and Hashirama flesh to make him as strong as he ever was, and made sure that any remnants of old injuries are no longer there, while his body has the physical development it did when he was in his late teens and will age more slowly.
So, Madara has the injuries he had when he was a newborn (or even fewer, if that is possible), the bodily development of nineteen years of age; even the Mokuton has been assimilated better than it had for the first half of his life, though the process won't be complete for months yet; possibly a few years.
"Madara," you say, "I recommend that you keep the bandages on your eyes on and your Sharingan and Rinnegan off – for obvious reasons," carefully keeping most of the mocking out of your voice.
Madara doesn't appreciate toadies, so you never call him 'Madara-sama', nor are you afraid to mock him a little bit; that might be one of the reasons he so readily believed you when you said that you were his will… heh, fool. As easy to manipulate as most of his clan; when an Uchiha gains your attention, they either dance to your strings, or they die… a truth that Uchiha Kagami learned the hard way. You still laugh when you think of how such a powerful fighter was brought low by your machinations thirty-five years ago or so. Perhaps you should look into his only remaining direct descendant; she sounds like a meddler.
Madara scoffs, but he doesn't make a move to remove the bandages.
In the meanwhile, one of the 'White' Zetsu makes its way to Danzo's body; the research performed by Orochimaru on Senju Hashirama's cells might help with your own exploitation of that resource – it might even help improve Madara's body in preparation of Mother using it as a gateway and allow you to further improve the 'White' Zetsu and their power. Too bad Danzo destroyed Kagami's second eye at some point before he killed the Uchiha, but you have the one you stole and substituted with another (which you then crushed) when Danzo was under the Izanami. Not that you will tell Madara anything about that.
You would have taken the Mokuton arm from Danzo when you took the eye, or gotten modified Hashirama cells directly at the source of said arm, but the former would have been even more suspicious, and Orochimaru is someone you've always been wary of; more wary than anyone else born in the last sixty years.
"Tell me, Black Zetsu," Madara says, his body language deceptively relaxed, "what has been happening in the world while I was gone? How many years have passed since my death?"
While you are explaining the world's events to Madara, plans for the future unfold in your mind. Madara was revived slightly later than he expected, but to your plans, he came back much too quickly. On the other hand, even if this isn't part of your original plan, you are definitely adaptable.
Now, to steer Madara so that he lets down his guard in just the right way, at just the right moment for Mother to be reborn through his flesh.
Yeah, the real Madara is back; some of the most beneficial and/or innocent of actions (Rin telling Shisui to beware one-eyed men, then Danzo being ousted and seeking out the Akatsuki) can also have terrible consequences. That, and it wouldn't be interesting if everything went the main protagonist's way.
So Madara has returned, nearly a decade before canon. With so much time to master his Mokuton and Rinnegan, I'm sure he'll be even stronger than he was in canon. Still its not all bad. He and Black Zetsu killed what could have been two capable henchmen, and turned another against them.
And about that. Nagato didn't immediately die from Rinne rebirth in canon, and he brought back a entire village there. He probably told Konan what had happened before he died. With all her work in the Akatsuki being revealed as a lie, I think she would go look for Jiraiya. Konoha may actually get very valuable information out of this.
If that happens, it would mean that Danzo's attempt to spy on the Akatsuki failed so badly it looped around and became a success!
I'm gonna bet one of our teammates will be Sai. Now that Root has disbanded, he'll need to go through the academy like everyone else. According to databook stats he's better than most of our other peers, so a team with him wouldn't be quite so hilariously unbalanced.
So Madara has returned, nearly a decade before canon. With so much time to master his Mokuton and Rinnegan, I'm sure he'll be even stronger than he was in canon. Still its not all bad. He and Black Zetsu killed what could have been two capable henchmen, and turned another against them.
And about that. Nagato didn't immediately die from Rinne rebirth in canon, and he brought back way more than two people there. He probably told Konan what had happened before he died. With all her work in the Akatsuki being revealed as a lie, I think she would go find Jiraiya. Konoha may actually get advanced warning about this.
If that happens, it would mean that Danzo's attempt to spy on the Akatsuki failed so badly it looped around and became a success!
I didn't consider it from that point of view - holy crap, Danzo's plan actually worked (even if it's by MAJOR LUCK)! Heck, he didn't realize that the 'unknown eye bloodline' Akatsuki's leader possessed was the very same as someone he screwed over royally in the past, even though young Nagato showed overwhelming power that day.
I don't see it as a major spoiler that yes, Nagato will live long enough to tell Konan everything Black Zetsu said and did in front of him.
Okay, I'll take a little bit of a different tack in my criticism (lol).
Unless I severely misremember our current combat prowess, we're nowhere near the level we'd need to be at to even touch Madara. If so, we won't be fighting him directly for a while.
If that's the case, why do this now? Is it crucial for Danzo/Tobi to die and for Madara to be revived at this juncture? Was the story moving too slowly? Was there no other conflict that could be created?
I mean, what are we supposed to do with this information? Am I supposed to believe Madara couldn't just take all the Bijuu right now? Because he totally could. So are we jus gonna pretend he can't and continue on as if this interlude never happened? What's the plan?
Actually while this Madara is deeply enhanced he has neither unlimited chakra or rapid regen since he's not boosted by the edo tensai.
So while he's at the pinnacle of his skills, and in a stronger body than he ever had in his first life, he's still at least vaguely mortal. In fact there's members of the canon akastuki who would be harder to kill. Now a few years to master sage mode, rinnegan, and mokuton and we're looking at a major problem. But he's still gotta seek rest and nutrients, as well as run whatever's left of his organization.
He's not going to be wading effortlessly though hundreds of ninja at a time while spamming army killing jutsu, one after another.
EDIT: Also could someone please tell me what Eye of the mind (false) is/does?
Actually while this Madara is deeply enhanced he has neither unlimited chakra or rapid regen since he's not boosted by the edo tensai.
So while he's at the pinnacle of his skills, and in a stronger body than he ever had in his first life, he's still at least vaguely mortal. In fact there's members of the canon akastuki who would be harder to kill. Now a few years to master sage mode, rinnegan, and mokuton and we're looking at a major problem. But he's still gotta seek rest and nutrients, as well as run whatever's left of his organization.
He's not going to be wading effortlessly though hundreds of ninja at a time while spamming army killing jutsu, one after another.
EDIT: Also could someone please tell me what Eye of the mind (false) is/does?
Eye of the Mind is a battle sense - fighting instincts which can locate weak points in the opponent at lower levels of mastery, and help control the flow of battle and find a way to win in even desperate situations at higher ones. 'False' is inborn while 'True' is acquired through a lot of effort and countless battles; though both can increase with pitched combat.
Think of it as a little arrow that shows you a boss monster's weak point or, at higher levels, a battle-only Path to Victory that has had most of its precognition and power stripped out (nowhere near as bullshit as it sounds; Saber's Instinct is actually the more powerful ability of that kind, and the hard and soft limits will stop the level from reaching above what Archer has, which is at B).*
While Eye of the Mind is called that, it's Instinct that allows one to fight with eyes closed, 'see' an attack coming and can help one dodge the undodgeable (while still having offensive applications) from what I've seen. Eye of the Mind, at least in this Quest, has few to no direct defensive/dodging applications. Then again, who knows what Omni-Science will be like at higher levels.
*Great - now, I have an idea for an Omake with the PtV. Don't worry, though; even EX rank Eye of the Mind won't be able to be nearly as bullsh!t as PtV, even in combat alone. Not that I would allow your Eye of the Mind to go above the level I mentioned before; Naruto's innate battle sense is actually superior to yours and will cap out at a higher level.
Ironically, if Sasuke gets Eye of the Mind, it will be the 'True' (the acquired, not innate) version, even though in canon, he was touted as superior to Naruto natural-talent-wise.
I think a lot of that is the fact that he tests better and does better with academic work, not to mention early clan teachings, we know the academic stuff is weighted heavily enough that Sakura was considered to be performing well, and frankly the fact that Naruto even managed to learn to read, write, and do basic math with the support network we see him with at the start of the series is a minor miracle.
Sasuke for all the hype, is never really demonstrated in canon to be any particular genius, or to have a ton of natural talent beyond his bloodline and affinity for lightning. In many ways he has more in common with Rock Lee than Itachi or Neji, right down to having a sort of theatrical flair (although with a preference for different genres). What he is is insanely motivated, and anti-social, so he gets a lot of training in.
I think a lot of that is the fact that he tests better and does better with academic work, not to mention early clan teachings, we know the academic stuff is weighted heavily enough that Sakura was considered to be performing well, and frankly the fact that Naruto even managed to learn to read, write, and do basic math with the support network we see him with at the start of the series is a minor miracle.
Sasuke for all the hype, is never really demonstrated in canon to be any particular genius, or to have a ton of natural talent beyond his bloodline and affinity for lightning. In many ways he has more in common with Rock Lee than Itachi or Neji, right down to having a sort of theatrical flair (although with a preference for different genres). What he is is insanely motivated, and anti-social, so he gets a lot of training in.
Part of the problem is that Naruto and Sasuke are talented in different fields. Naruto would have taken many months (or even a year or two) to manage to turn his Chakra into his element without hand-seals enough to cut a leaf if he had not had his Shadow Clones in canon; Sasuke did the equivalent in well less than two weeks while training for the Chidori. Sasuke is as talented in his secondary element, Fire, as Naruto is in his primary - if not even more.
Sasuke in canon is also perfectly capable of casting a genjutsu subtle enough to trick Danzo into thinking his Izanagi is still on and carelessly dying; it's not only because of his Sharingan that he is great at genjutsu, no matter what his haters might say. Naruto simply sucks at genjutsu, though I'm sure a big part is his lack of talent for Yin Release.
On the other hand, Naruto is so much better at Shape Manipulation that he learned the Rasengan in barely more time than Sasuke did the Chidori without the benefit of the Sharingan's copying capabilities and with Kurama screwing with his Chakra Control (though he did manage to circumvent the latter difficulty), while Sasuke took months to years to apply different Shape Transformation to the Chidori (and Kakashi took even longer) (all that in canon).
...Which brings us to another part of the problem: bursts of Kurama's Chakra interfere with Naruto's internal flow of Chakra (both in canon and here). You guys/girls might have noticed the Uzumaki ??????(Uzumaki Jinchuuriki of Kurama's Yang half) trait in Naruto's entry in the Sheet (though I've left the unknown for Rin parts as question marks). While many in the 'Naruto' fandom think that it's because Naruto had a lot of Chakra that he had trouble controlling it, that's quite wrong; after all, Hashirama, with Chakra reserves that pre-Six Paths Yang Power Naruto hadn't reached yet, had always had great Chakra Control.
The fact that Naruto never had someone to train him personally until he was 12 but then had Kakashi and Jiraiya is probably the reason he was so far behind Sasuke, but caught up so quickly in terms of combat in canon.
Sasuke is more book smart and observant than Naruto, too - though that is widely known. Naruto's propensity for tricking his enemies, even S-rank criminals, in battle repeatedly is less remembered (see: Naruto vs. Kakuzu in part 2 of the manga and Naruto Shippuden).
Another difference is their physical abilities. Sasuke can move far faster (without super modes or Space-Time jutsu) than Naruto and has slightly superior reflexes - and I don't just mean his Sharingan's prediction; though Naruto's battle instincts and smarts make up for that difference somewhat. They are about equal in physical strength, and Naruto is able to take more punishment and still fight.
@Sagely Hijinks : Madara won't move personally yet, not least because Black Zetsu wants more time and is really persuasive (not to mention Madara isn't ready yet physically; unlike in canon, he can't just put his eyes into his sockets and be done with it, or receive a new Mokuton treatment and be ready in minutes). His Rinnegan will also need to be reawakened -a complication that arose from
Nagato having it, the Hashirama cells being inferior to Kabuto's and other reasons-, which could take years (though definitely nowhere near as long as him first awakening it).
Though when he is ready, be it in a month or a decade... well, buckle up, boys and girls.
@Sagely Hijinks : Madara won't move personally yet, not least because Black Zetsu wants more time and is really persuasive (not to mention Madara isn't ready yet physically; unlike in canon, he can't just put his eyes into his sockets and be done with it, or receive a new Mokuton treatment and be ready in minutes). His Rinnegan will also need to be reawakened -a complication that arose from
Nagato having it, the Hashirama cells being inferior to Kabuto's and other reasons-, which could take years (though definitely nowhere near as long as him first awakening it).
Though when he is ready, be it in a month or a decade... well, buckle up, boys and girls.
Right, so why introduce him now? Why, from a narrative standpoint, create a somewhat arbitrary series of events at this very moment that won't be relevant for a while?
Because unlike canon this madara doesn't have unlimited HP and chakra so he actually needs time to let his grafts and enhancements settle, then learn how to use them without just throwing more chakra at a problem. It looks like the build up to a more skilled and subtle Madara.
Right, so why introduce him now? Why, from a narrative standpoint, create a somewhat arbitrary series of events at this very moment that won't be relevant for a while?
Firstly, to increase tension; I've made things feel a bit too easy - might be because it's my first Quest, and the first time I've written any kind of story that reached beyond 5-6 chapters, but I feel that I have given you players the experience of 'Easy Mode' so far.
Secondly, because suddenly introducing Madara as a living person and at full power wrecking your everything after he has been around for a year or more would have rightly made you guys/girls cry foul.
Thirdly, because of what @w34v3r said; Madara isn't fully recovered. It will take in-story time for Madara to reach gokage-busting levels again.
I always hated the fact that Madara recovered from putting his eyes into his sockets like a savage immediately and with no complications in canon. Sasuke (realistically!) took a few days or weeks with bandages on after he had Itachi's eyes implanted.
Edit: w34v3r did make a mistake in an earlier post though - while Madara doesn't have as quick Regen as in Edo Tensei, he does have plenty from Hashirama's cells. Slower than in canon, since Kabuto's Hashirama cells were superior, but it's there.
I'm pretty sure quests have to be easy mode otherwise the mc could fail and die, which would end the quest.
Which is why I make quest characters immortals, ghosts, and other things that can have horrible things happen to them without permanent consequences. It's also why Konosuba's aqua can Rez people.
Essentially this is a warning that while we did score a major victory we're still on a timer for bad shit happening, and given a look at what that entails so we can prep for it.
I'm pretty sure quests have to be easy mode otherwise the mc could fail and die, which would end the quest.
Which is why I make quest characters immortals, ghosts, and other things that can have horrible things happen to them without permanent consequences. It's also why Konosuba's aqua can Rez people.
I would rather not end it on such a note, so there will be some way to continue, most likely, even if I have to say 'it was all a dream' from the fatal decision on. Before anyone asks, the Tiger Dojo may or may not make an appearance.
Edit: besides, this isn't a normal RP; a Quest tends to only have one main protagonist.
) edit to the Interlude. Thanks for helping me improve the chapter!
Heck, he didn't realize that the 'unknown eye bloodline' Akatsuki's leader possessed was the very same as someone he screwed over royally in the past, even though young Nagato showed overwhelming power that day.
Don't worry, though; even EX rank Eye of the Mind won't be able to be nearly as bullsh!t as PtV, even in combat alone. Not that I would allow your Eye of the Mind to go above the level I mentioned before; Naruto's innate battle sense is actually superior to yours and will cap out at a higher level.