Outside in the real world, as Yozu was twitching, shaking, sweating and gnawing her teeth, an average-sized, black crow fluttered down and perched upon Yozu’s shoulder, preventing and halting her convulsions. It looked like a perfectly normal crow, with black eyes if one cared to look. It dug its claws into Yozu’s shoulder, leaving claw markings that pierced her skin and made her bleed. She wouldn't wake up from this, but it’d cause her movements to still and force her body into some sort of peace. As though forcing her still, so that there was no way she could escape before the process was finished; as though it were guarding her, so that no one, human, spirit, or creature, could interrupt her before she completed the connection with all her past embodiments of Indra. It even generated an invisible, chakra barrier shield around Yozu, coating around her to prevent interference:
Within the mental plane (mindscape,)
Madara watched Yozu form Bin’nairai upon her hand and arm. He observed her left hand throw the Bin’nairai through the Meteor, piercing and cracking the meteor within her mindscape.
Madara grimaced silently to himself; he had allowed that.
He watched Yozu’s left hand touch her arm, as though activating something. The lightning spear imploded, and the entire meteor had shattered to dust.
Madara released a satisfied grunt of acknowledgment. This technique Yozu invented was an improvement from the coming of age techniques of his generation, it was dense, compact, and useful. She is the chosen one now.
Madara had wasted no time changing the mindscape setting, and sneered viciously at all of Yozu’s following reactions to his newest form, and the other things he said. Something about the way Yozu softened up at his newest appearance, reminded Madara exactly of himself whenever Izuna, his decreased brothers, and even Hashirama during their childhood days, were involved.
Madara purposely waited for Yozu to hold his hand to Sasuke.
Madara Uchiha intentionally waited for Sasuke to hold Yozu first, for Sasuke to pass his memories, and chakra, toward Yozu first.
Madara watched Sasuke touch Yozu’s hand, and watched them both exchange memories, experiences, and a chakra link.
He waited for Yozu and Sasuke to discuss about whether they should take the powers of the Incarnates, both pain and love.
Madara waited boredly, for Sasuke to finish up his Rinnegan Genjutsu on Yozu, in which Sasuke passed onto her his personal experiences and chakra.
Madara waited and stayed away, as Sasuke outreached into Yozu’s inner mind to ensure there were no foreign connections that’d turn Yozu against Konoha.
It could be argued that Madara wasn’t a foreign connection, merely the other side of a viewpoint, of the same mind, the same soul, the same chakra. The other side of the coin.
However, to be on the safe side, Madara waited for his turn.
Once Sasuke was done, Madara utilized a technique that blocked Sasuke from accessing his own memories. He used yin chakra and another mental technique and, quite aggressively like when Naruto Uzumaki was kicked out by Kurama, booted Sasuke from Yozu’s mental plane (he could always come back when re-summoned by Yozu, but no, Madara needed to do his following plan without interference.) Next, Madara grabbed Yozu and pulled her aside to take his memories. Now, it was his turn.
These were the memories that would be passed onto Yozu:
Back then, during that time in the Fourth Shinobi War, after he had the Gedo Statue, and all the Tailed Beasts—in the form of Kaguya—extracted out of him, after all and everything was over and finished and defeated; during that time, when Madara lied there coldly on the pavement, dying a third time in his true body, Madara Uchiha had conceded to Hashirama.
He conceded… that his "method," the solution to the world, had failed. And Hashirama was there, looking so sad, so gut-shatteringly broken, as though Hashirama was the one bearing his pain, pain that felt as though one were slowly being burned alive after getting all of one’s blood drained.
That was what Uchiha Madara was feeling physically on his body, yet he had high pain tolerance and it was not his first time facing death either. But Hashirama’s look…
This look, this gut-wrenchingly familiar look, had destroyed Madara’s ready acceptance of death, of his simply resigned acceptance of losing; acceptance that he had made a mistake with the Black Zetsu.
(Originally, he had not considered that he was wrong, simply that he had fucked up somewhere in the implementation of his Plan, the second he had misread the stone tablet.)
But Hashirama’s pained face and the way he stood over him, full of regret, longing, and sadness, reminded him of that time, when Hashirama had stood in the exact same position, bearing the exact same expression, that time when Hashirama had summarily defeated him yet offered, was willing, to take his own life upon Madara’s request. By a sudden surge of impulse, and by the load of emotions awakening his nerves, Madara had grabbed his hand and stopped his kunai from entering his stomach. He accepted Hashirama’s peace deal and truce between their respective clans, and founded Konohagakure, their childhood dream, together.
It all fell apart afterwards, rife not only with internal political corruption but also world catastrophes just beginning to set up, as other fledging shinobi villages copied their system of combining their clans to prepare for bigger wars against them. It was like the warring clans period, but on a far bigger scale.
Madara had foreseen it all in hindsight, and had wondered whether accepting Hashirama’s alliance was a calamitous idea; he had accepted it in a moment of compassion, and in some ways, sympathy. He gave Hashirama’s ideals a chance. A chance given only out of compassion and guilt for his best friend, that was massively fucked up into smithereens, that Madara eventually dropped it and did things his own way instead. That resulted and led to this point.
…
This point right now, where it was an unmistakable fact in the acrid air that Hashirama was fully willing to commit suicide for Madara, again, in the aftermath of his defeat, again. And again, Madara was moved.
This time, on his deathbed, he had fallen for it again, willing to admit to Hashirama *another* chance, another trial run… to the next generation, Naruto Uzumaki, embodiment of Hashirama’s ideals.
No, fallen wasn't quite the right word. Madara knew it didn't work; there were world wars that even Madara didn't cause.
Madara knew he was right; he only made a mistake in the implementation and didn't anticipate that the Stone Tablet was fake. If it had been real, if Kaguya Ōtsutsuki didn't exist, if Black Zetsu truly were an embodiment of his will, he would have been right.
He was right, but he admitted to being wrong, and gave his blessings to Hashirama’s ideals, primarily so Hashirama could die with a smile on his face, in peace.
And truthfully, it was because a part of Madara he kept tightly suppressed inside him, had always wanted his bond with Hashirama back. Their childhood friendship days were truthfully the happiest times of his entire life, it truly was. In fact, he had thrown all that away, and instead worked so hard for the Infinite Tsukuyomi, in order to get those days back; because in the living world, without true world peace, those euphoric days would last neither for them, nor for children and humanity.
Madara still believed in that, but he let it all go, in his last words, while Naruto, the Sage of Six Paths and the new generation were watching, his exchange with Hashirama.
It was out of longing and compassion for Hashirama, because Hashirama had made *that same face* he made back when he was about to concede with Madara’s demand for his suicide. An extreme pang of longing ran through Madara’s chest. So in respect of their bond and final moments before they left the world for good this time, Madara said to Hashirama, in part in defeat of ideals, and in part to bring him inner peace, that Hashirama was right and *let's drink sake again as war buddies.*
So they could let all this go, leave everything to the new generation as Hashirama wanted, and go to the Pure Realm in peace.
Madara said the words he said, just for that reason.
In essence, Madara Uchiha’s core ideals that he followed for a hundred years had not truly changed despite their short but final conversation; Madara Uchiha’s end solution was the right one; it was only his "method” that was a failure.
Hashirama was there, hovering over him, looking so sad, gut-shatteringly sad, as though their roles had been reversed.
That was why Madara’s last words were what they were. But what Madara did not voice aloud to Hashirama, was that he had doubts about Hashirama’s beliefs. Because what was the point now? Their time was up. Just go in peace.
….
(They, and all Edo Tensei, died their second and third deaths.)
——-
These were the memories that would be passed onto Yozu.
——-
Towering over the younger woman, Uchiha Madara lowered his head to the side of her face.
"Remember, woman,” the ancient machiavellian whispered to Yozu's neck, caressing behind her ear, passing his chakra, powers, six path powers, and memories, to her, while keeping the connection so that Yozu knew Madara’s thoughts, so that she could trust that he was being sincere; because he was. "You can revive me at any time."
When he shared his memories and chakra with her, he received everything she had- memories and all, so he understood her life and abilities and they only solidified his beliefs, and Yozu would feel like she’s lived his life and seen future visions of the world ending if she didn’t do something about it, Madara’s way. It was something of an equivalent exchange. Something of a bond without words. There was a considering beat of silence, then.
"And one more thing, Yozu," Uchiha Madara slid his hand behind her neck, holding her hair ever so gently, like a caress; his touch like amaterasu yet on her with immunity at the same time; her senses and mind would be awakened, multiplied to be stronger, with her newfound eyes and abilities. "Don't make the same mistake that I did. Don't use Zetsu for your minions... Use your ocular genjutsu...
"With your Mangekyou, no...with your Rinnegan, even shinobi won’t be able to break it."
After all, he taught Obito to use genjutsu to control the Mizukage Yagura, and control Kirigakure. In fact, Madara would have used regular people, shinobi or civilian, underneath his genjutsu, as his minions from the start, if he had anticipated that Black Zetsu was not really, conveniently, his Will.
The only way to ensure true control of one's followers was by setting one's *own* genjutsu. Not simply trust. Madara trusted Black Zetsu. Sure, it worked out for the most part for Hashirama and then Naruto; however, Yozu did not come from their line. Yozu came from *his* line, the line where trusting wasn't an advantage,
“Zetsu taught me a valuable lesson. If you don’t have direct control, such as a genjutsu or a seal, over a person or an entity, they are not Your Will. If they are not your will, prepare yourself to be backstabbed.
“I miscalculated Black Zetsu, whose entire creation was a farce, as mine, that I did not apply a Genjutsu or a Jutsu to ensure that my control over him was potent.
“I have been betrayed by Obito, and that was before he knew what I did with Rin. Obito was betrayed by our boy Nagato.”
Speaking of Nagato, Madara ensured to pass memories of where to get chakra rods.
"What I said about remembering to love, to overcome the burdens and hate of the incarnates, that was all true." Madara sneered. "Hatred, burden, catastrophes; someone has to accept them, in order to manage, to contain, to minimize them.”
And then Madara half-smiled.
“The Moon’s Eye Plan is out of the question. Infinite Tsukuyomi is out of the question. But there is nothing against building up your chakra reserves, to nearly infinite levels, so that you could apply Genjutsu on everyone in the world, to guarantee a permanent peace.” Madara Uchiha cocked his head.
“This is basically what our ancestral father, the Sage of Six Paths, would have done via Ninshu.” Madara Uchiha smiled gloomily. “What we are doing, is the exact same thing, except that ours is merely a compulsory Ninshu. The difference is, our plan will actually work, where Hagoromo failed. Want to know why? Because this time, you hold the control. Not the Moon. Not the Zetsu. Not the underlings who hold your misplaced trust. You.”
“A genjutsu applied to the world. What you will do is meet everyone, and cast your genjutsu on everyone you meet. Enter a city, and cast a wide-range genjutsu. Over time, you will meet every person in the world, and while they won’t be trapped in an eternal dream, their free will will be locked into a compulsion for peace, without them ever knowing.
“In this world, wherever there is light - there are also shadows. As long as the concept of winners exists, there must also be losers. The selfish desire of wanting to maintain peace causes wars, and hatred is born to protect love.
“But once you impose an eternal peace upon the world, the losers will no longer need to maintain their peace through violence and hatred. By then, you’ve done the job for them, bloodlessly.” Madara tilted his head. “Well, if you were careless and get caught and are forced to fight, then you’d spill a fraction of the blood they’d have spilled. Avoid being careless, by not getting caught. And that, is what I meant, by accepting the burdens of your past incarnates. There is no other way.”
Madara sneered. “You don’t need to activate the world’s genjutsu right away. At the perfect time, once you’ve covered most, if not all, of the world’s humans and living beings; then you may.” Madara cocked his head, and stared up at the suddenly clear, terrestrial, night sky within their mental plane; stars sprinkled across the skies and shimmered, flickered, in multi-colored patterns and astrological symbols. “Maybe even other planets, maybe the universe. Maybe other universes; maybe other dimensions; even the death plane, the pure realm. No, that’s asking for too much. Focus on your world, where you are needed most.
“Don’t forget, you are doing this for your son and daughter.” Madara Uchiha narrowed his tenebrous, lilac-ringed eyes, reading deeply into Yozu’s eyes. He stepped backwards, releasing his hold on the woman now that they were at an understanding.
Madara also did some things to Yozu’s mental plane, mind and chakra that he proceeded to explain:
“Now, I am not going to overwhelm your mind with all the incarnates’ memories. Instead, I’ve locked them in various stages of your mental plane, under special seals, for you to unlock. They will be triggered by future events in your life, and you will meet their consciousnesses, their essences, their souls, their chakras.” Madara sighed, staring into the distance. “Someday, maybe an eternity from now, you’ll meet Indra, the king of Saudharmakalpa, your guardian deity. But not yet. First, you’ll access Indra Otsutsuki’s human life. and you may need to access Kaguya’s memories. However, you don’t need these powers for your goals now. Sasuke Uchiha and I have given you everything you need, right now; you must hone them now. You must begin immediately after our connection ceases. I will return, of course, now that I’ve come once.” Madara touched the bark of a tree, and left behind a seal that would enable his return to this area of her mind; and perhaps even outside if the conditions were right— such that he had a body to manifest into. “Protect this aspect of your mind, and gradually grow it. This will summon me if you call for me, only if I want to, of course. Among other things I shall teach you in the future of.”
“I did something to your mind too,” Madara revealed conspicuously.
“Before even Obito, when I compelled some Yamanaka hostages to spill their secrets through my genjutsu, and dissected their b— Oh, don't look at me like that. We were at war, and Senju Tobirama did exactly the same thing to Uchiha brains. Now…
“Using timespace and fuuinjutsu within your mental plane, I've multiplied your memory capacity, your working memory—executive control, phonological stores and visuospatial sketchpad— and all the processes in your long term storage. You'll need a higher intellect, if you want to contain these Incarnates memories for easy access. You'll need it for the battlefield, and you'll have an easier time controlling the six paths of bodies, if you can think like six people. I've given you the information on how to create the black receivers (chakra rods) needed for that fighting style. Yozu, it's like controlling people directly through genjutsu, but better; you can control six bodies. You will be able to transmit your Rinnegan vision and powers to these bodies, like our boy Nagato did. I’m counting on you. As for where to find the bodies…
“The Uchiha cemetery has plenty. And my incarnate is nothing less than Uchiha Lord. Of course, failing that, or if they are not to your liking, you can always collect your own bodies.”
Madara cackled deeply, dark voice reverberating across the entirety of her mind, echoing. “Well, my dear, enjoy your new purpose. Eventually, I will return to you…when you’re in need of a lesson.” Somehow, it didn’t sound like merely that, but collateral, that he would be watching. There was always a price to power. “Until next time, my kind incarnate.”
Madara Uchiha made a soft, grateful expression, sharing one last look at her. She really did resemble Izuna… such features showed in Suhaku, from her memories he read from her.
He disappeared slowly and alike an analogue drawing, fading out piece by piece. And suddenly, as the shield shattered, the black crow that was perched on the young woman’s shoulder started cawing desperately and ominously, as though it had suddenly been infected by rabies, red eyes blazing as though it was housing another, godless soul centuries older than it, the devil itself— the bird’s cawing, screeching, and wounded, sick cries of death were finally halted when, suddenly, it bit into one of Yozu’s ears— (helix, scapha, triangular fossa, antihelix, earlobe) — until Yozu’s ear bled, bled as much as talon wounds on Yozu’s shoulder muscles did— from when its talons had shredded into her clothes and cut into her skin— and launch and fly off into the skies as soon as Yozu woke up from the physical pain and the loss of connection with the last incarnate. It was gone in an instant. All of it.
(Where did it go? Who knows? Maybe, it had gone on, to find cadavers for its new friend...or for itself, for crows do eat dead bodies if given the chance. Nonetheless, it was gone from the Uchiha Lord.)
————
Visibly, at the location Yozu was perched in meditation at, there was no evidence of anything shifty that had transpired, except for her bleeding. (The sharp black beak of the crow would leave an ear scar, and shoulder muscle scars, unless she went to get those treated or healed.)
Except for concentric, lilac-purple ringed eyes, rippling like that of a moonlit lake, glowing in utter darkness.
It was said that in times of disorder, one who wields the Rinnegan is sent down from the heavens to become either a "God of Creation," who will calm the world, or a "God of Destruction," who will reduce everything to nothingness.
Within the mental plane (mindscape,)
Madara watched Yozu form Bin’nairai upon her hand and arm. He observed her left hand throw the Bin’nairai through the Meteor, piercing and cracking the meteor within her mindscape.
Madara grimaced silently to himself; he had allowed that.
He watched Yozu’s left hand touch her arm, as though activating something. The lightning spear imploded, and the entire meteor had shattered to dust.
Madara released a satisfied grunt of acknowledgment. This technique Yozu invented was an improvement from the coming of age techniques of his generation, it was dense, compact, and useful. She is the chosen one now.
Madara had wasted no time changing the mindscape setting, and sneered viciously at all of Yozu’s following reactions to his newest form, and the other things he said. Something about the way Yozu softened up at his newest appearance, reminded Madara exactly of himself whenever Izuna, his decreased brothers, and even Hashirama during their childhood days, were involved.
Madara purposely waited for Yozu to hold his hand to Sasuke.
Madara Uchiha intentionally waited for Sasuke to hold Yozu first, for Sasuke to pass his memories, and chakra, toward Yozu first.
Madara watched Sasuke touch Yozu’s hand, and watched them both exchange memories, experiences, and a chakra link.
He waited for Yozu and Sasuke to discuss about whether they should take the powers of the Incarnates, both pain and love.
Madara waited boredly, for Sasuke to finish up his Rinnegan Genjutsu on Yozu, in which Sasuke passed onto her his personal experiences and chakra.
Madara waited and stayed away, as Sasuke outreached into Yozu’s inner mind to ensure there were no foreign connections that’d turn Yozu against Konoha.
It could be argued that Madara wasn’t a foreign connection, merely the other side of a viewpoint, of the same mind, the same soul, the same chakra. The other side of the coin.
However, to be on the safe side, Madara waited for his turn.
Once Sasuke was done, Madara utilized a technique that blocked Sasuke from accessing his own memories. He used yin chakra and another mental technique and, quite aggressively like when Naruto Uzumaki was kicked out by Kurama, booted Sasuke from Yozu’s mental plane (he could always come back when re-summoned by Yozu, but no, Madara needed to do his following plan without interference.) Next, Madara grabbed Yozu and pulled her aside to take his memories. Now, it was his turn.
These were the memories that would be passed onto Yozu:
Back then, during that time in the Fourth Shinobi War, after he had the Gedo Statue, and all the Tailed Beasts—in the form of Kaguya—extracted out of him, after all and everything was over and finished and defeated; during that time, when Madara lied there coldly on the pavement, dying a third time in his true body, Madara Uchiha had conceded to Hashirama.
He conceded… that his "method," the solution to the world, had failed. And Hashirama was there, looking so sad, so gut-shatteringly broken, as though Hashirama was the one bearing his pain, pain that felt as though one were slowly being burned alive after getting all of one’s blood drained.
That was what Uchiha Madara was feeling physically on his body, yet he had high pain tolerance and it was not his first time facing death either. But Hashirama’s look…
This look, this gut-wrenchingly familiar look, had destroyed Madara’s ready acceptance of death, of his simply resigned acceptance of losing; acceptance that he had made a mistake with the Black Zetsu.
(Originally, he had not considered that he was wrong, simply that he had fucked up somewhere in the implementation of his Plan, the second he had misread the stone tablet.)
But Hashirama’s pained face and the way he stood over him, full of regret, longing, and sadness, reminded him of that time, when Hashirama had stood in the exact same position, bearing the exact same expression, that time when Hashirama had summarily defeated him yet offered, was willing, to take his own life upon Madara’s request. By a sudden surge of impulse, and by the load of emotions awakening his nerves, Madara had grabbed his hand and stopped his kunai from entering his stomach. He accepted Hashirama’s peace deal and truce between their respective clans, and founded Konohagakure, their childhood dream, together.
It all fell apart afterwards, rife not only with internal political corruption but also world catastrophes just beginning to set up, as other fledging shinobi villages copied their system of combining their clans to prepare for bigger wars against them. It was like the warring clans period, but on a far bigger scale.
Madara had foreseen it all in hindsight, and had wondered whether accepting Hashirama’s alliance was a calamitous idea; he had accepted it in a moment of compassion, and in some ways, sympathy. He gave Hashirama’s ideals a chance. A chance given only out of compassion and guilt for his best friend, that was massively fucked up into smithereens, that Madara eventually dropped it and did things his own way instead. That resulted and led to this point.
…
This point right now, where it was an unmistakable fact in the acrid air that Hashirama was fully willing to commit suicide for Madara, again, in the aftermath of his defeat, again. And again, Madara was moved.
This time, on his deathbed, he had fallen for it again, willing to admit to Hashirama *another* chance, another trial run… to the next generation, Naruto Uzumaki, embodiment of Hashirama’s ideals.
No, fallen wasn't quite the right word. Madara knew it didn't work; there were world wars that even Madara didn't cause.
Madara knew he was right; he only made a mistake in the implementation and didn't anticipate that the Stone Tablet was fake. If it had been real, if Kaguya Ōtsutsuki didn't exist, if Black Zetsu truly were an embodiment of his will, he would have been right.
He was right, but he admitted to being wrong, and gave his blessings to Hashirama’s ideals, primarily so Hashirama could die with a smile on his face, in peace.
And truthfully, it was because a part of Madara he kept tightly suppressed inside him, had always wanted his bond with Hashirama back. Their childhood friendship days were truthfully the happiest times of his entire life, it truly was. In fact, he had thrown all that away, and instead worked so hard for the Infinite Tsukuyomi, in order to get those days back; because in the living world, without true world peace, those euphoric days would last neither for them, nor for children and humanity.
Madara still believed in that, but he let it all go, in his last words, while Naruto, the Sage of Six Paths and the new generation were watching, his exchange with Hashirama.
It was out of longing and compassion for Hashirama, because Hashirama had made *that same face* he made back when he was about to concede with Madara’s demand for his suicide. An extreme pang of longing ran through Madara’s chest. So in respect of their bond and final moments before they left the world for good this time, Madara said to Hashirama, in part in defeat of ideals, and in part to bring him inner peace, that Hashirama was right and *let's drink sake again as war buddies.*
So they could let all this go, leave everything to the new generation as Hashirama wanted, and go to the Pure Realm in peace.
Madara said the words he said, just for that reason.
In essence, Madara Uchiha’s core ideals that he followed for a hundred years had not truly changed despite their short but final conversation; Madara Uchiha’s end solution was the right one; it was only his "method” that was a failure.
Hashirama was there, hovering over him, looking so sad, gut-shatteringly sad, as though their roles had been reversed.
That was why Madara’s last words were what they were. But what Madara did not voice aloud to Hashirama, was that he had doubts about Hashirama’s beliefs. Because what was the point now? Their time was up. Just go in peace.
….
(They, and all Edo Tensei, died their second and third deaths.)
——-
These were the memories that would be passed onto Yozu.
——-
Towering over the younger woman, Uchiha Madara lowered his head to the side of her face.
"Remember, woman,” the ancient machiavellian whispered to Yozu's neck, caressing behind her ear, passing his chakra, powers, six path powers, and memories, to her, while keeping the connection so that Yozu knew Madara’s thoughts, so that she could trust that he was being sincere; because he was. "You can revive me at any time."
When he shared his memories and chakra with her, he received everything she had- memories and all, so he understood her life and abilities and they only solidified his beliefs, and Yozu would feel like she’s lived his life and seen future visions of the world ending if she didn’t do something about it, Madara’s way. It was something of an equivalent exchange. Something of a bond without words. There was a considering beat of silence, then.
"And one more thing, Yozu," Uchiha Madara slid his hand behind her neck, holding her hair ever so gently, like a caress; his touch like amaterasu yet on her with immunity at the same time; her senses and mind would be awakened, multiplied to be stronger, with her newfound eyes and abilities. "Don't make the same mistake that I did. Don't use Zetsu for your minions... Use your ocular genjutsu...
"With your Mangekyou, no...with your Rinnegan, even shinobi won’t be able to break it."
After all, he taught Obito to use genjutsu to control the Mizukage Yagura, and control Kirigakure. In fact, Madara would have used regular people, shinobi or civilian, underneath his genjutsu, as his minions from the start, if he had anticipated that Black Zetsu was not really, conveniently, his Will.
The only way to ensure true control of one's followers was by setting one's *own* genjutsu. Not simply trust. Madara trusted Black Zetsu. Sure, it worked out for the most part for Hashirama and then Naruto; however, Yozu did not come from their line. Yozu came from *his* line, the line where trusting wasn't an advantage,
“Zetsu taught me a valuable lesson. If you don’t have direct control, such as a genjutsu or a seal, over a person or an entity, they are not Your Will. If they are not your will, prepare yourself to be backstabbed.
“I miscalculated Black Zetsu, whose entire creation was a farce, as mine, that I did not apply a Genjutsu or a Jutsu to ensure that my control over him was potent.
“I have been betrayed by Obito, and that was before he knew what I did with Rin. Obito was betrayed by our boy Nagato.”
Speaking of Nagato, Madara ensured to pass memories of where to get chakra rods.
"What I said about remembering to love, to overcome the burdens and hate of the incarnates, that was all true." Madara sneered. "Hatred, burden, catastrophes; someone has to accept them, in order to manage, to contain, to minimize them.”
And then Madara half-smiled.
“The Moon’s Eye Plan is out of the question. Infinite Tsukuyomi is out of the question. But there is nothing against building up your chakra reserves, to nearly infinite levels, so that you could apply Genjutsu on everyone in the world, to guarantee a permanent peace.” Madara Uchiha cocked his head.
“This is basically what our ancestral father, the Sage of Six Paths, would have done via Ninshu.” Madara Uchiha smiled gloomily. “What we are doing, is the exact same thing, except that ours is merely a compulsory Ninshu. The difference is, our plan will actually work, where Hagoromo failed. Want to know why? Because this time, you hold the control. Not the Moon. Not the Zetsu. Not the underlings who hold your misplaced trust. You.”
“A genjutsu applied to the world. What you will do is meet everyone, and cast your genjutsu on everyone you meet. Enter a city, and cast a wide-range genjutsu. Over time, you will meet every person in the world, and while they won’t be trapped in an eternal dream, their free will will be locked into a compulsion for peace, without them ever knowing.
“In this world, wherever there is light - there are also shadows. As long as the concept of winners exists, there must also be losers. The selfish desire of wanting to maintain peace causes wars, and hatred is born to protect love.
“But once you impose an eternal peace upon the world, the losers will no longer need to maintain their peace through violence and hatred. By then, you’ve done the job for them, bloodlessly.” Madara tilted his head. “Well, if you were careless and get caught and are forced to fight, then you’d spill a fraction of the blood they’d have spilled. Avoid being careless, by not getting caught. And that, is what I meant, by accepting the burdens of your past incarnates. There is no other way.”
Madara sneered. “You don’t need to activate the world’s genjutsu right away. At the perfect time, once you’ve covered most, if not all, of the world’s humans and living beings; then you may.” Madara cocked his head, and stared up at the suddenly clear, terrestrial, night sky within their mental plane; stars sprinkled across the skies and shimmered, flickered, in multi-colored patterns and astrological symbols. “Maybe even other planets, maybe the universe. Maybe other universes; maybe other dimensions; even the death plane, the pure realm. No, that’s asking for too much. Focus on your world, where you are needed most.
“Don’t forget, you are doing this for your son and daughter.” Madara Uchiha narrowed his tenebrous, lilac-ringed eyes, reading deeply into Yozu’s eyes. He stepped backwards, releasing his hold on the woman now that they were at an understanding.
Madara also did some things to Yozu’s mental plane, mind and chakra that he proceeded to explain:
“Now, I am not going to overwhelm your mind with all the incarnates’ memories. Instead, I’ve locked them in various stages of your mental plane, under special seals, for you to unlock. They will be triggered by future events in your life, and you will meet their consciousnesses, their essences, their souls, their chakras.” Madara sighed, staring into the distance. “Someday, maybe an eternity from now, you’ll meet Indra, the king of Saudharmakalpa, your guardian deity. But not yet. First, you’ll access Indra Otsutsuki’s human life. and you may need to access Kaguya’s memories. However, you don’t need these powers for your goals now. Sasuke Uchiha and I have given you everything you need, right now; you must hone them now. You must begin immediately after our connection ceases. I will return, of course, now that I’ve come once.” Madara touched the bark of a tree, and left behind a seal that would enable his return to this area of her mind; and perhaps even outside if the conditions were right— such that he had a body to manifest into. “Protect this aspect of your mind, and gradually grow it. This will summon me if you call for me, only if I want to, of course. Among other things I shall teach you in the future of.”
“I did something to your mind too,” Madara revealed conspicuously.
“Before even Obito, when I compelled some Yamanaka hostages to spill their secrets through my genjutsu, and dissected their b— Oh, don't look at me like that. We were at war, and Senju Tobirama did exactly the same thing to Uchiha brains. Now…
“Using timespace and fuuinjutsu within your mental plane, I've multiplied your memory capacity, your working memory—executive control, phonological stores and visuospatial sketchpad— and all the processes in your long term storage. You'll need a higher intellect, if you want to contain these Incarnates memories for easy access. You'll need it for the battlefield, and you'll have an easier time controlling the six paths of bodies, if you can think like six people. I've given you the information on how to create the black receivers (chakra rods) needed for that fighting style. Yozu, it's like controlling people directly through genjutsu, but better; you can control six bodies. You will be able to transmit your Rinnegan vision and powers to these bodies, like our boy Nagato did. I’m counting on you. As for where to find the bodies…
“The Uchiha cemetery has plenty. And my incarnate is nothing less than Uchiha Lord. Of course, failing that, or if they are not to your liking, you can always collect your own bodies.”
Madara cackled deeply, dark voice reverberating across the entirety of her mind, echoing. “Well, my dear, enjoy your new purpose. Eventually, I will return to you…when you’re in need of a lesson.” Somehow, it didn’t sound like merely that, but collateral, that he would be watching. There was always a price to power. “Until next time, my kind incarnate.”
Madara Uchiha made a soft, grateful expression, sharing one last look at her. She really did resemble Izuna… such features showed in Suhaku, from her memories he read from her.
He disappeared slowly and alike an analogue drawing, fading out piece by piece. And suddenly, as the shield shattered, the black crow that was perched on the young woman’s shoulder started cawing desperately and ominously, as though it had suddenly been infected by rabies, red eyes blazing as though it was housing another, godless soul centuries older than it, the devil itself— the bird’s cawing, screeching, and wounded, sick cries of death were finally halted when, suddenly, it bit into one of Yozu’s ears— (helix, scapha, triangular fossa, antihelix, earlobe) — until Yozu’s ear bled, bled as much as talon wounds on Yozu’s shoulder muscles did— from when its talons had shredded into her clothes and cut into her skin— and launch and fly off into the skies as soon as Yozu woke up from the physical pain and the loss of connection with the last incarnate. It was gone in an instant. All of it.
(Where did it go? Who knows? Maybe, it had gone on, to find cadavers for its new friend...or for itself, for crows do eat dead bodies if given the chance. Nonetheless, it was gone from the Uchiha Lord.)
————
Visibly, at the location Yozu was perched in meditation at, there was no evidence of anything shifty that had transpired, except for her bleeding. (The sharp black beak of the crow would leave an ear scar, and shoulder muscle scars, unless she went to get those treated or healed.)
Except for concentric, lilac-purple ringed eyes, rippling like that of a moonlit lake, glowing in utter darkness.
It was said that in times of disorder, one who wields the Rinnegan is sent down from the heavens to become either a "God of Creation," who will calm the world, or a "God of Destruction," who will reduce everything to nothingness.