"Elder, what should we do?"
"Should we go and retrieve that thing?"
"He's alone. No matter how strong he is, he can't possibly be a match for us after our strength has increased tenfold simultaneously!"
Among the Takigakure ninjas, several people standing beside an elder ninja whispered to each other.
Madara Uchiha’s pressure was too immense.
He had easily overwhelmed them with just taijutsu earlier. Now, seeing the chakra fluctuations erupting from Madara’s body, there was no hope of victory if he were to use ninjutsu.
"No!"
The elder Takigakure ninja struggled with a conflicted expression and shook his head with difficulty.
"The Water of Heroes is a treasure of the village. It can only be retrieved from the Tree of Heroes when the leader and several elders are present simultaneously."
"I suspect this person just wants to know the whereabouts of Kakuzu and the Jiongu..."
"Besides, Kakuzu is just a rogue ninja. And even with the Jiongu in his possession, the village hasn't been able to recover it for so many years."
"Since he wants it, let's just tell him the information that Kakuzu has already fled with the Jiongu, and let them fight each other!"
The Takigakure ninjas exchanged glances implicitly, all agreeing with the elder ninja's idea.
Madara Uchiha grew impatient waiting for a response.
His eyes suddenly turned incredibly cold. He moved his feet, and his figure instantly appeared before the Takigakure elder, grabbing him by the neck.
"You don't want to talk?"
"Then I'll ask myself!"
"Wait..."
The Takigakure ninja was shocked, but it was too late.
The Sharingan flashed, and immense ocular power surged into the mind of the captured Takigakure elder. The elder's eyes instantly became dull.
"Where are Kakuzu and the Jiongu secret technique?"
With a single glance, he deterred the Takigakure ninjas who wanted to rush forward to rescue him. Madara's eyes showed disdain.
"Over twenty years ago, Kakuzu failed a mission to assassinate the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Upon returning to the village, he was dissatisfied with the imprisonment punishment imposed by the leader and three elders. He stole the village's inherited Jiongu secret technique, killed the leader and the three elders, and defected."
"After that, he has been roaming in the small countries between the Land of Demons and the Land of Grass, never returning to the village."
Under the genjutsu, the Takigakure ninja honestly revealed all the information he knew.
"Assassinate Hashirama?"
"Heh heh..."
Madara Uchiha's lips curved into a mocking cold smile, then he suppressed his laughter and continued to ask:
"What is the effect of Jiongu?"
"Jiongu allows the user to survive before their life ends by taking the hearts of others."
"Even if the life force in the heart they take reaches its end, they can continue to live by replacing it with a new heart."
"Moreover, possessing the Jiongu secret technique allows the user to acquire the chakra nature of the original heart owner, thus achieving the ability to possess all chakra natures."
"Kakuzu himself only possessed the Earth release. After taking the hearts of the leader and the three elders, he could directly unleash ninjutsu of all chakra natures."
Madara Uchiha's eyes flickered. He was somewhat tempted.
All chakra natures, coupled with immortality, were too great a temptation for a powerhouse like him who craved strength.
Suppressing the urge to immediately search for Kakuzu, Madara continued to ask:
"What are its weaknesses?"
"There are no ninjutsu in the ninja world without weaknesses, even secret techniques."
The Takigakure ninja shook his head blankly.
"I don't know!"
"Besides Kakuzu, no one else in Takigakure has successfully cultivated the Jiongu secret technique. He is the first."
"However, according to the deductions of his companions who survived Kakuzu's defection, the weakness of Jiongu might be the heart."
A cold glint flashed in Madara's eyes, and he nodded slightly.
"Is that so..."
"Then you people are no longer of any value!"
"Fire Style: Majestic Annihilation!"
He snapped the neck of the Takigakure ninja in his hand, quickly formed several hand seals in front of him, and an overwhelming torrent of flames engulfed all the Takigakure ninjas who had overheard the information.
A series of screams followed. Before the Takigakure ninjas could react, they turned into smoldering corpses under the fiery wave.
"It is safest for only the possessor to know such secrets."
"I don't feel any apology for deceiving you!"
Madara Uchiha’s expression was indifferent, as if the overwhelming Fire Style ninjutsu he had just unleashed was not his doing. He turned and left the scene.
...
"Senior Madara, did you gain anything?"
A Uglily cute greenish-blue worm perched on Orochimaru's shoulder greeted the returning Madara Uchiha.
In this short period, the Seven-Tails, Chōmei, had accepted Orochimaru's invitation to return to Konoha and decided to contribute his strength for the future peace of the ninja world.
On the grand principle of the ninja world, these Tailed Beasts were much more reliable than humans.
"Just gained some information!"
Madara Uchiha shook his head slightly, his crimson eyes fixed on the smiling Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, you knew that Kakuzu was no longer in Takigakure, and you deliberately hid it from me?"
Orochimaru, his previous lie exposed by Madara, did not feel embarrassed and readily nodded.
"I did know some things."
"Earlier, I was afraid that Senior Madara would lose his will to fight and seek death, so I used Kakuzu's Jiongu secret technique to stimulate Senior. "
"I just didn't expect Senior Madara, true to his reputation as the 'Demon of the Ninja World,' to regain his fighting spirit so quickly."
"Truly remarkable!"
Madara Uchiha's eyes flickered, and he snorted coldly with displeasure.
"Hmph!"
"Don't try to flatter me."
"I won't be returning to Konoha for now."
"Tell me what you know about Kakuzu, and I'll find him myself."
Orochimaru did not try to obstruct Madara's stubbornness and directly provided the information about Kakuzu.
"After gaining immortal life, Kakuzu lost many common human hobbies."
"He only retained one thing: money!"
"If Senior Madara wants to find Kakuzu, you might as well search in those smaller countries that have bounty-posting offices."
"Kakuzu's appearance is quite distinctive. Because he needs to conceal the traces of the Jiongu secret technique, Kakuzu has been covering his face with a black mask and a gray hood for years."
"The most easily recognizable feature is Kakuzu's eyes: red sclera and emerald green pupils."
"Of course..."
Orochimaru smiled and added another temptation for Madara.
"Once Senior Madara finds a bounty-posting office, just ask any bounty hunter about a guy known as the 'Immortal Ninja,' and you should be able to find Kakuzu."
Madara Uchiha nodded calmly and walked directly towards the waterfall at the entrance of Takigakure.
"After hunting Kakuzu, I will come to Konoha to find you."
"That's it!"
Orochimaru watched Madara Uchiha's retreating figure, then slowly turned his gaze towards the tall Tree of Heroes in the center of Takigakure and let out a soft chuckle.
"Let's go!"
"We'll leave that so-called Water of Heroes for Suigetsu to take back from Konoha in the future!"
The Nine-Tails wagged its tail, its expression full of disdain.
"When did you become so kind?"
"It must be that the Water of Heroes has some powerful side effects, just like that stone from Hoshigakure. That's why you're leaving it for them!"
Orochimaru gave the Nine-Tails an appreciative glance and nodded slightly.
"Mmm!"
"A temporary tenfold increase in a ninja's chakra is inherently illogical..."
"Haven't these Takigakure ninjas ever considered how chakra, a power refined from the body and spirit, could increase out of nowhere?"
"It's likely that consuming it a few times without the Jiongu secret technique would result in instant death, as it drains the body's life force and spirit."
"It's better to go without such a thing!"
Hozuki Mangetsu, who had been quite interested in the seemingly grand-sounding Water of Heroes, shook his head with a look of disgust upon hearing this, completely abandoning any thought of trying it.
Wouldn't it be better to train in Sage Mode with his teacher when his body grew stronger?
"Let's go!"