Naruto: Reborn As Orochimaru

Others in the world of shinobi may believe Uchiha Madara is long dead, a relic of the past. But as a reincarnator, Orochimaru knew the truth.

Madara had indeed fought a legendary battle against the First Hokage at the Valley of the End, but he had escaped death using the Uchiha clan's forbidden technique, Izanagi. Since then, he had been lying in wait, hiding in the shadows while crafting his grand plan for the Infinite Tsukuyomi. And while Madara himself was unknowingly a pawn in Black Zetsu's machinations, it was undeniable that much of the chaos in the ninja world could be traced back to him.

After some hesitation, Orochimaru made a quick decision. He had to follow Madara. Discovering Madara's whereabouts could give him access to invaluable resources Madara's genetics, the secrets of the Edo Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu), and perhaps even Black Zetsu's long-term schemes.

If he could harness that knowledge for himself, it would give him a powerful edge in the years to come.

With that thought in mind, Orochimaru gathered chakra at his feet and darted after the mysterious figure he had seen earlier. He knew from his knowledge of the future that Madara would supposedly die during the Third Great Ninja War, but that was still decades away. In fact, Nagato, who would inherit Madara's Rinnegan, hadn't even been born yet. 

"That means Madara should still have both of his Rinnegan," Orochimaru mused, excitement creeping into his voice. "This could be an opportunity."

He adjusted his pace. "But I can't get too close."

Even for someone like Orochimaru, getting too close to Uchiha Madara arguably the most dangerous man in the world was a risk not worth taking. Instead, he relied on his tracking skills, something he had picked up over the years as a ninja. While he wasn't as skilled as the Inuzuka, Aburame, or Hyūga clans in this regard, he knew enough to follow basic footprints.

As he reached the spot where Madara had been moments ago, Orochimaru could clearly see tracks in the dirt. Footprints. Madara likely didn't expect anyone would be following him, which explained why they were so easy to find. But after following the trail for a while, the prints suddenly stopped.

"Tch," Orochimaru muttered to himself. "It seems I'll have to rely on my little friends."

Taking a seat behind a large boulder, Orochimaru released more of his mechanical flies. The sun had set, and darkness was quickly falling over the forest, but the flies, powered by light energy, had a good hour or two of charge left.

Through the eyes of his flies, Orochimaru scanned the surrounding area—trees, mountains, rivers. The dense vegetation made it difficult to track, but his patience paid off.

"Hmm?" Orochimaru squinted through the vision of one of his flies. A dark shadow moved quickly across the landscape, and then the fly's feed abruptly cut out.

"Something… ate it?" Orochimaru thought, slightly perplexed. It was unusual for something to prey on a fly in such a specific manner, but it was possible a nocturnal predator had snatched it out of the air. "Five flies left," he reminded himself.

As the sky grew darker, the flies' visibility lessened. Still, Orochimaru was relentless, meticulously scanning every possible hiding spot in the area. Finally, after about ten minutes, he spotted the figure he was looking for.

There, on the side of a remote mountain, was Uchiha Madara, his iconic fan strapped to his back. Even from a distance, his presence was unmistakable.

Orochimaru's suspicions were correct. Madara had faked his death and survived. Despite being older now, like Uzumaki Mito, Madara was still able to move. His body was aged, but the strength of the legendary shinobi remained. More importantly, Orochimaru realized that Madara had already awakened the Rinnegan those legendary purple eyes with their ripple patterns.

Right now, Madara was practically invincible. If not for his failing body, he could've likely taken over the world by sheer force. But his old age limited him. Madara knew this too. His grand plan required patience and someone else to carry on his will until the time was right. That's why he had crafted his resurrection plan. He would give his Rinnegan to someone capable, and when the time was right, that person would use the power of the Rinnegan to bring him back to life.

This was Madara's ultimate strategy, one that no one could possibly foresee.

Orochimaru watched as Madara arrived at a mountainside and raised two fingers, channeling chakra. The rocks of the mountain began to tremble and shift, revealing a massive hidden doorway. A stone door slowly rose, allowing Madara to enter the hidden cave within.

"Of course," Orochimaru whispered. "A secret lair."

Once inside, the stone door fell back into place, sealing Madara away from the outside world. Inside the cave, the air was cool, and faint light emanated from several fluorite crystals embedded in the walls. The chamber was surprisingly spacious, almost like a makeshift hideout.

"Ah, you're finally back," a soft, almost ethereal voice echoed from the shadows.

Out of the stone wall, a figure emerged White Zetsu. A creature born from the chakra of the Ten Tails, the cells of Senju Hashirama, and Madara's own mastery of Yin-Yang Release. In reality, White Zetsu was the result of humans being trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi during ancient times, but that history was lost to almost everyone.

White Zetsu grinned, his pale face stretching unnervingly. "So, how's everything going on your end?"

Madara, looking worn and tired, removed the fan from his back and placed it aside. He sat down on a crude wooden bed and sighed. "Nothing new," he muttered. His voice was calm but weary. The strength he once wielded so easily was slipping away, bit by bit.

Zetsu frowned slightly. "Still nothing?"

"No," Madara said, shaking his head. "I'm tired. I'll rest here for now."

"Got it," Zetsu said nonchalantly. "I'll keep looking around."

With that, White Zetsu began to meld back into the stone walls. But just as he was about to disappear, something caught his eye, a small object had fallen to the ground near the entrance. Intrigued, Zetsu floated over to inspect it.

"Huh? A fly?" Zetsu picked up the tiny object, examining it closely. "Wait… no. This isn't just a fly. Something's off about this…"

His curiosity piqued, Zetsu approached Madara, holding up the mechanical insect. "Madara, take a look at this."

Madara, who had been on the verge of drifting off to sleep, opened his eyes and glanced over. "What is it?"

Zetsu handed him the fly. "Touch it. Something's strange about it."

Madara reached out and took the fly from Zetsu, his experienced fingers brushing against its surface. Immediately, his eyes narrowed.

"This… is no ordinary fly."