"Dōkage?"

Hearing the title, Shiro felt a little awkward. It didn't sound that great. But it was his father who had taken such great pains to come up with the name, so Shiro kept his thoughts to himself. Dōkage it was.

Madara's words, however, ignited a fire in the hearts of Fugaku and the others. To think that the Uchiha, who had once lived under the heel of another village, with no voice of their own, were now about to build an independent village of their own… the thought made their hands tremble with an uncontrollable excitement.

Madara shrugged. "Fugaku, I will give you one year."

"The commercial development of the village, the sourcing of missions, housing plans, a system of laws, and the selection of management personnel—these trivial matters can be handled by the few of you. I will not concern myself with them."

"In short, you need only make everything a proper village requires operational within the time I have set."

"During this period, do what you can, and if you cannot, you will do it anyway, even if you have to grit your teeth. If you encounter any trouble that you cannot handle, inform me at once, and I will deal with it."

"My request… is it not too much?"

Hearing this, Fugaku shook his head vigorously. "It is not too much, not too much at all! Thank you, Lord Madara… no, thank you, Lord Dōkage, for your trust. I will ensure our new village is built to your satisfaction!"

"Good. Then stop standing there and get to it!"

"Yes!"

Fugaku and the others bowed respectfully and departed, their minds already buzzing with plans.

"My son, come here," Madara said softly once the others had gone, pulling Shiro into his arms. "You know now that I have established two forces."

"Our new village will be responsible for all our affairs on the surface, be it diplomacy, finance, or aggression. Although it has only just been established, I believe it is only a matter of time before it develops into the strongest ninja village in the world."

"The second force is the Akatsuki. This organization will be responsible for operations in the shadows, completing all the actions that cannot be done in the light of day."

"In the future, perhaps your father will be gone. If that day truly comes, then these two forces will be the backbone that protects you, one in the light, and one in the darkness."

"Father! Don't say that! That day will never come!"

"Hahaha, of course," Madara chuckled. "Your father is all-powerful. And now, because of you, I am regaining my youth. That day… should not happen, unless something unexpected occurs. But who can say for sure what the future holds? So, it is definitely right for me to make some preparations, to lay a foundation for you."

Madara sighed and gently patted Shiro's head. "By the way, my dear son, your father needs your help."

"You are very talented and often have insights that ordinary people cannot conceive of. I hope you will participate in the building of the village, that you will act as its supervisor."

"If you have different ideas, just tell Fugaku directly. Don't worry, he will certainly listen to you."

Shiro looked up at him. "Father, you trust me so much. Aren't you afraid I will make a mess?"

"Hahahaha," Madara laughed loudly. "I trust no one in this world, my son, except for you! Go on, be bold! Use your wonderful ideas to show me a different kind of ninja village!"

"Alright, father! Just you wait and see!" Shiro agreed immediately. His father had placed such high hopes in him; he had to do this well. What's more, he himself had always wanted to create a village free from the outdated systems and feudal rules that plagued so many others.

"Then I'll go find Fugaku now."

"Go on."

After the father and son hugged once more, Shiro turned and left. As soon as he walked out the door, Black and White Zetsu appeared quietly from the floor at Madara's feet.

White Zetsu whispered, "Hehehe, look, Lord Madara truly misses Shiro. The boy has only been gone for a few seconds, and already Lord Madara is staring at the door, his eyes almost tearing up."

"Shut up, White Zetsu!" Black Zetsu quickly winked at him, then added in a low voice, "The actions of Lord Madara are not for us to comment on."

"Ahem!" Madara retracted his gaze and coughed lightly. He rolled his eyes at the two Zetsus and asked in a cold voice, "You two have suddenly appeared. Do you have something to report?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, it seems nothing can be hidden from you, Lord Madara," White Zetsu replied with a smile. "In addition to Obito and myself, the Akatsuki now has seven elite members. In terms of ability alone, they are nearly as strong as Kage-level ninja."

"Oh, that's not bad," Madara praised indifferently, then closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, as if preparing to take a nap.

Seeing that Madara did not continue, Black Zetsu was startled. After a moment, it asked, "Lord Madara, I believe the Akatsuki is now strong enough. So… can we officially implement the final step of the plan and have them begin capturing the tailed beasts?"

Black Zetsu had been waiting for this day for centuries. As long as they started capturing the tailed beasts, the day when he could activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi and revive his mother, Kaguya, would not be far away. He looked at Madara expectantly, waiting for his answer.

There was no expression on Madara's face. He remained with his eyes closed, leaning back in his chair. He spoke softly, his voice a low murmur. "There is no rush to capture the tailed beasts. Let us wait a little longer."

"Ah?" Black Zetsu asked, puzzled. "Lord Madara, now is the best time! With these powerful pawns under your command, it will be easy to capture the nine tailed beasts. By the time Nagato has sealed them all, your body will have likely recovered completely. Then we can…"

Before it could finish, Madara suddenly interrupted, his voice sharp and final. "I said, wait! There is no rush!"

"Why… why?" Black Zetsu was increasingly unable to understand Madara's actions, and a terrible premonition began to grow in its heart.

"No reason. You two may leave. I wish to sleep."