"Huff... huff..." Kakashi panted heavily. "Obito, why did you become like this?"
Hearing Kakashi's soul-searching question, Obito's temper flared. Without hesitation, he ripped off his mask, revealing his true face to the tens of thousands of ninja in the Allied Shinobi Forces before him.
"Kakashi, isn't it because you failed to protect Rin?!"
Kakashi's expression stiffened, and a look of desolation washed over him. Rin Nohara had always been the unsolvable equation between these two old friends. Every time Obito brought her up, Kakashi would sink into endless self-blame.
"Kakashi, do you see this?" Obito gestured toward himself. "I have no heart anymore. My heart is empty..." He continued, his voice filled with bitterness, trying to manipulate Kakashi with his words.
But some people had heard enough. A hand patted Kakashi on the shoulder.
"Alright, don't listen to his nonsense."
"I don't know much about this Rin Nohara you're talking about, but from what I gather, she was a ninja. Ninjas who step onto the battlefield must always be prepared for death. If she didn't die then, she would have faced death eventually."
"So, what? Every time someone dies, you're going to destroy the world?" Nagato's words made Kakashi falter, his mind momentarily clouded with doubt. Was Rin's death really his fault? Should he bear the blame?
But no matter how the responsibility was distributed, Kakashi would always carry his burden of guilt.
On the other side, Obito, hearing Nagato's remarks, only became more resolute.
"So come to the world I have created."
"In that world, there are no disputes, no wars. Everyone can achieve their ideal dreams, and Rin will be there too!"
"Enough!" Nagato's voice rang out. "You're not the only one suffering in this world!"
With those words, the Shinobi Alliance launched another full-scale attack on Obito. Facing them, Obito had not only an army of 100,000 White Zetsu but also the resurrected jinchūriki under his control.
However, the jinchūriki were secondary. The real problem was Obito himself—defeat him, and everything else would crumble.
"Water Release—take this!"
A surge of water shot toward Obito from behind. With no time to dodge, the water flowed right through his body without so much as dampening his clothes.
Looking down, he saw Kisame already positioned below him. The shark-like ninja had finished forming his hand seals and flashed his signature grin as he looked up at Obito.
Kisame's gills bulged as he gathered a massive amount of water, then unleashed it upon the ground, forming a colossal lake.
Fusing with Samehada, Kisame transformed into a shark-like hybrid, swimming freely within the newly created waters. In this form, his chakra reserves skyrocketed, and his agility surged to terrifying levels—even someone as powerful as the Eight-Tails had suffered at his hands before.
But Obito wasn't one to be taken lightly. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly, and a towering humanoid figure cloaked in blue chakra materialized around him. A fully formed Susanoo, standing dozens of meters tall, took flight, bursting out of Kisame's aquatic trap.
"Kisame, now's your chance! Move!"
Nagato had already closed the distance and shouted his command. Without hesitation, Kisame abandoned the battlefield, his shark-like form diving into the depths and vanishing.
Pressing his hands together, Nagato's Rinnegan eyes gleamed with a mysterious light.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
Rumble! The ground split apart, and countless rocks soared skyward, converging into a massive black sphere at the center. The gravitational pull intensified, drawing everything—including Obito's enormous Susanoo—toward it.
Even the mighty Nine-Tails had struggled against this technique. Despite Obito's formidable power, his Susanoo was gradually being pulled toward the core of the jutsu.
"Your intangibility only lasts five minutes at most. Let's see what choice you make!"
Nagato's crimson hair whipped in the wind as he focused his entire being on the technique. By now, he had learned Obito's weaknesses.
Even if Obito were to become intangible, he would only be delaying the inevitable. And Nagato wasn't alone—Kakashi, Might Guy, Kisame, and Sasori were all present. If Obito phased through the attack, they would be waiting to strike the moment his intangibility wore off.
Obito found himself in a dire situation. He glanced at the massive Chibaku Tensei above. If he got sealed inside, it would be over. But with so many eyes locked onto him, he dared not recklessly activate his intangibility.
As the moment of sealing approached, the countless stones had already begun merging with his Susanoo.
Then—
Crack!
A sharp pain shot through Nagato's body, like something inside him had shattered. A sensation not just of exhaustion but of his very being breaking apart.
Splurt!
A black rod pierced through his body. Then another. And another. More and more black rods sprouted from Nagato's back, tearing through his flesh.
"Nagato, are you okay?!"
Konan was the first to notice. Her paper wings spread wide as she flew toward him, desperate to help.
But Nagato, gritting his teeth against the pain, shouted, "Stay back!"
His Rinnegan eyes darted toward another direction. The black rods erupting from his body—someone was controlling his chakra!
"When... when did I fall under someone's control?!"
In a flash, memories flooded back—visions of himself involuntarily summoning the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Could it be? Had he been under someone's influence all along?
If he followed that train of thought further, it all led back to when he first received the Rinnegan. Back then, Uchiha Madara had implanted these eyes in him. And to prevent him from ever going rogue, Madara must have left behind a failsafe.
After the Demonic Statue incident, Nagato's body had been thoroughly examined. Tsunade and others had found no abnormalities—no signs of any foreign influence.
Not because their medical skills were lacking, but because the seal on Nagato was flawlessly crafted. It was a true fusion of the Wood Release and the body's natural life force, leaving no traceable evidence.
Crack, crack, crack!
More black rods burst from Nagato's body. He felt his soul being torn apart.
"Nagato! How do you feel?!"
Konan's voice trembled with worry. She knew he was suffering, but she had no way to help.
As she reached out toward him—
A shadow suddenly spread beneath Nagato's feet.
"Who goes there?!"
Before Konan could finish her question, a dark shadow shot forward like a violent gust of wind, latching onto Nagato's body and taking control of half of him. Manipulating Nagato's hand, the intruder swiftly formed a hand seal. Still writhing in pain, Nagato was completely caught off guard.
"Rinne Rebirth Technique, activate!"
Nagato's mouth stretched wide open, saliva dripping uncontrollably as a radiant white glow, symbolizing the power of life, enveloped his body. An energy capable of bridging the Pure Land and the shinobi world ascended into the sky. In that moment, Nagato felt his very soul being drained away.
Nagato had always been aware that his Rinnegan granted him this ability—the power to revive the dead at the cost of his own life. He had already decided long ago that if the most important person in his life ever perished, he would use this technique to bring them back, even at the cost of his own existence. However, he had never imagined that, in the end, this jutsu would benefit someone else.
Far away, on another battlefield, Uchiha Madara's body underwent purification. His Edo Tensei form began to fade, replaced by a fully restored, living body. However, with his true resurrection, the Rinnegan in his eye sockets started to crumble, disintegrating into dust.
"Heh... now this is what a real body should feel like." Closing his eyes, Madara savored the sensation of his regained vitality. "Next, it's time to reclaim what is rightfully mine. Black Zetsu, hurry up."
...
Black Zetsu, following the plan, prepared to make his move. However, he found himself facing an unexpected obstacle. Yahiko, Konan, Kakashi, and Might Guy had already encircled him, cutting off any route of escape.
In this situation, even slipping away unnoticed was nearly impossible. Left with no other choice, Black Zetsu tightened his grip on Nagato's half-controlled body and pressed a kunai against his throat.
"Uchiha Madara originally chose this brat because of his Uzumaki lineage. His immense chakra reserves and vitality made him the perfect host for the Rinnegan. I never expected that even after using the Rinne Rebirth Technique, he wouldn't die immediately. That works in my favor!"
His voice took on a menacing tone. "I warn you all, take one more step forward, and I'll slit his throat!"
The threat made everyone hesitate. They knew that Nagato, having used the Rinne Rebirth Technique, was already on the brink of death. However, he was still breathing. If they acted rashly now, they would be indirectly responsible for his demise.
For a moment, their own sense of compassion became their greatest obstacle. After all, in the shinobi world, wasn't that always the case? A certain renowned shinobi once said: those who fail to cherish their comrades are worse than scum.
Yahiko and Konan, who had fought alongside Nagato for years, could never bring themselves to strike him down. Thus, the standoff dragged on for nearly twenty minutes. As time passed, Nagato's life force continued to wane, and the tension among his comrades grew unbearable. Something had to be done.
It was at that moment that the sound of rushing wind filled the air, heralding the arrival of Kakuzu.
"Kakuzu-sama!" Yahiko called out in surprise and relief. With Kakuzu here, they had a real chance. If anyone could turn this situation around, it was him.
Kakuzu descended slowly from the sky. "I'll give you ten seconds. Take the Rinnegan and leave."
"But, Kakuzu-sama—" Konan started, only to be silenced with a wave of his hand.
Madara chuckled darkly. "Heh, Kakuzu, you seem eager for a battle against me. Since you insist, I won't refuse. Just know this—you will regret your decision today."
...
Without hesitation, Black Zetsu ripped the Rinnegan from Nagato's sockets before withdrawing from his body and slowly sinking into the ground. Just as he was about to disappear completely beneath the surface, he suddenly sensed a sharp gust of wind behind him.
A hand shot out, seizing Black Zetsu by the throat and yanking him back up.
Shisui had arrived.
His mastery of the Body Flicker Technique was unparalleled, and even someone like Black Zetsu hadn't sensed his approach. Dragged forcefully from the ground, Black Zetsu shot a venomous glare at Kakuzu, as if accusing him of fighting dirty. But Kakuzu merely shrugged.
"I said you had ten seconds. That's all you get."
Black Zetsu had assumed Kakuzu was bluffing. He had wasted time boasting instead of escaping. And now, he was paying the price—a classic case of a villain monologuing too much.
Yahiko rushed forward, prying open Black Zetsu's hand. But to his dismay, the Rinnegan was gone.
"Y-You can forget about getting it back," Black Zetsu sneered. "I've already passed it on!"
The moment Shisui had grabbed him, Black Zetsu had transferred the Rinnegan to White Zetsu. There was nothing they could do.
Kakuzu, however, didn't seem fazed. He simply walked over and placed a hand on Black Zetsu's smooth, featureless head.
"Good. My business with Uchiha Madara can wait. Right now, my priority is eliminating you."
Black Zetsu let out a dry laugh. "You think you can kill me?"
Kakuzu smirked.
Shisui's grip tightened slightly, making Black Zetsu gasp for air. His mind was clouded, his breath short. He still thought Kakuzu was the same as before. But things had changed.
Kakuzu clapped his hands together, releasing a surge of power.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
The difference in strength was undeniable. While Nagato's Rinnegan was borrowed and limited in power, Kakuzu wielded it as his own. The gravitational force was overwhelming. Black Zetsu was pulled into the air, chunks of earth and rock rapidly forming around him, swallowing him whole.
Only a single, terrified eye remained visible from within the growing sphere.
"Obito! Save me!"
Faced with the imminent threat of being sealed away forever, Black Zetsu cried out for help. However, in response, Obito simply vanished without a word.
Like hell he was going to stick around for a third round against Kakuzu.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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