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  A heavy silence hung over the dimly lit cavern.

  Madara stared at Shin. Fighting him wouldn't work, but simply handing over his jutsu felt even more humiliating—like an admission of defeat. Madara's pride wouldn't allow that.

  "Why are you still staring?" Shin's voice cut through the silence, his fingers zily twirling a kunai.

  "My patience is wearing thin."

  The irritation in his tone wasn't an act. He wasn't in the mood fames.

  Finally, after a long pause, Madara spoke.

  "Uzumaki Shin... how about we colborate?"

  Shin raised an eyebrow, feigning mild i.

  Not surprising.

  Madara had two choices: Eliminate him or Recruit him.

  Since killing him was off the table, it was only natural he would try to lure Shin into his grand scheme.

  "Colborate?" Shin asked, tilting his head slightly. "And what exactly do you propose?"

  Madara hesitated. In truth, his grand "Eye of the Moon Pn" was to cast Infisukuyomi, subjugating the entire world in a single genjutsu—his twisted path to "peace." But he didn't pn on expining all the details to Shin, whom he hardly trusted.

  Still, Madara reasohat the promise of "dominating the shinobi world" might entice Shin enough to cooperate.

  "Do you desire to rule the Shinobi World?" Madara finally asked.

  "Rule the shinobi world…" Shin murmured, rubbing his in moption. "That does souing."

  His words were a lie.

  Shin couldn't have cared less about trolling anything. But ag intrigued might help him get what he wanted: Madara's Jutsu Knowledge.

  Also, Shin needed Madara to tihe Eye of the Moon Pn—he khe true mastermind behind it was Bck Zetsu, orchestrating Kaguya's revival.

  Tsunade, sitting beside Shin, frowned slightly but remained silent. She didn't trust Madara, but she trusted Shin. If he ying along, he had a reason.

  "This creature behind me…" Madara gestured toward the Gedo Statue, its lifeless, skeletal form looming in the background. "It is the husk of the Ten-Tails."

  The statement drew a sharp gnce from Kushina.

  "Wait—Ten-Tails? I thought there were only nine?" she whispered.

  Madara gave her a brief ghen tinued addressing Shin:

  "By colleg the ailed Beasts, the Gedo Statue be revived as the Ten-Tails." His voice was calm, fident. "And the one who bees its Jinchūriki will awaken the Rinne-Sharingan—the key to casting the ultimate Genjutsu upon the moon."

  Shin narrowed his eyes.

  "And what exactly does that do?"

  Of course, he already knew.

  "It is called Infisukuyomi—the Perfect World."

  Madara's voice was smooth, persuasive.

  "A world without war. Without suffering. Through the Rinne-Sharingan, one pce the entire world under a dream… a peaceful dream. True unity, beyond human limitations."

  "Huh. Sounds poetic." Shin smirked. "So you want to trap everyone in a dream and call it peace?"

  "Peace is peace, regardless of the means." Madara's voice remained firm. "The world will never find ban its own. It needs a Shepherd—someoh the power to guide it properly."

  Shihe words linger for a moment before leaning back slightly.

  "I'm intrigued. But talk is cheap."

  He extended a hand.

  "If you want my help, show me proof of hoy."

  Madara's gaze darkened slightly.

  He knew what Shin was asking for.

  The Forbidden Arts. The secrets of the Uchiha . The very knowledge that gave him an edge over the world.

  He didn't like it.

  But he had no choice.

  With a slow, deliberate motion, he reached into his cloak arieved a Large Scroll.

  "Everything you seek is in here," Madara said, tossing it over. "Yin–Yang Release. Six Paths Senjutsu. My 's lost Fire Release teiques. If there is anything you don't uand, ask me."

  Shin caught the scroll effortlessly.

  His eyes sed its tents.

  As expected—Six Paths Senjutsu, Yin–Yang Release teiques, and powerful Uchiha Fire Release Jutsu that had been lost over time. Great Fire Annihition. Great Fire Destru. Dragon Fme Release Song Teique.

  Rare Knowledge... Dangerous Knowledge!

  A smirk spread across his lips.

  "Not bad. You're surprisingly generous, Madara."

  "I do not deal iion." Madara's voice was unreadable. "If I say I will cooperate, I mean it."

  "Good to hear." Shin rolled up the scroll and tucked it away. "So, what's ?"

  Madara didn't answer immediately. He studied Shin carefully.

  "You say you are ied," Madara finally said, "but I do not trust you."

  "Likewise." Shin smiled.

  "Then we will keep things simple." Madara's tourned sharp. "Wheime es, I will summon you. Until then… I will observe you."

  "Fair enough." Shin stood up, stretg slightly.

  He had gotten what he came for. There was o linger.

  He turoward the others.

  "We're done here. Let's go."

  Tsunade, Kushina, Mikoto, and Konan rose from their seats.

  "I'm not fond of pces like this," Shin muttered, gng around the damp, eerie cavern. "It's depressing."

  With that, he walked away.

  Tsunade, Kushina, Mikoto, and Konan followed, their footsteps eg through the underground chamber as they made their way back toward the surface.

  Madara remained seated, watg them disappear into the darkness.

  His expression was unreadable.

  For the first time in a long time…

  He was uain.

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